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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 12, 1902)
0 The Omaha Daily lira E. ROSE WATER, "EDITOR." " PUBLISHED EVERY MORNINO. TERMS Of SUBSCRIPTION. Dally Bee (without Sunday), One Year. .!.) pally lire and Sunday. One Year. ") Illustrated H-e, One Year 2V Sunday Hee, One Yenr '. -W Saturday Bee, one Year 1W twentieth Century Farmer, One Year... 1.0) DELIVERED BY CARRIER. Dally 3 (without Sunday), per copy.... Jo Dally Bee (without Sunrtayi. per weea....l2c Dally Bee (Int-lurim fcunuay), per week..lJo BundHy Bee, per copy..' so Evening M (without Sunday), per week. loo Evening Bee (Including Sunday), per week . loc Complaint o( irregularities In delivery should be addressed to City circulation De partment. DFFICE& Omahs-Tnn Bee Bunding. South Omaha City Hall Building, Twenty-fifth and M Streets. Council Blurts 10 Pearl Street. Chicago 1640 Unity Building. New York Temple Court. Washington 6 1 Fourteenth Street. CORRESPONDENCE. CommunlraOnnn relating to news and dl. torlal matter should be addressed: Omaha Bee, Editorial Department. BUSINESS LETTERS. Business letters and remittances should be addressed: The Bee Publishing Company, Omaha. REMITTANCES. Remit by draft, express or postal order, payable to The Bee Publishing Company. Only Z-cent stamps accepted In payment of pull accounts. . Personal checks, except on Omaha or eastern exchange, not accepted. THE BEE PUBLaSUINO COMPANY. STATEMENT OF CIRCULATION. IState of Nebraska, Douglas County, ss.: ' .George B. Tsschuck, secretary of The Bee Publishing Company, being duly sworn, aya that the actual number of full and complete copies of The Dally, Morning, Evening and Sunday Bee printed during the month of January, IMS, was as fol lows; L..... 80,B0 it ao.iso X 30.210 17 SO.IBO I, 80.W90 18 80,880 .......80.110 1 BV,8 ( , so.ins 30.100 C t.80,4l0 21 80.480 7 80,800 22 80,400 8 80.320 23 80,800 30,1 TO 24 30.130 10 80,130 26 80.000 11 SO.SOO 26 80.400 12 80,430 27 S1.1TO IS..... 80,470 28 80.0B0 14 80.100 29 83.040 U SO.OTU SO SO8 U 30.IHM) Total .. 041,005 Le?s unsold and returned copies. Net total sales. .........8a,OT Net dally average ao.OOT OEO. B. TZBCHUCK. Subscribed In my presence and sworn to before me this 1st day of February, A D., lUtt. M. B. HUNQATE. (Seal.) Notary Public This Is surely the winter of the In surance man's discontent At an effectual wrecker of banks the borrowing bank officer remains In a class by himself. Frank James has protested against the further production of the play which ex ploits the doings of himself and brother. That lfl certainly one act In his career which the public will heartily endorse. South Omaha councllmen have agreed to disagree upon the site of the proposed Carnegie library building. The natural Inference Is that the men who own the sites nave ioousmy orrerea tueir real es tate below the wargbj. t , , . ', The franchise! corporations .would rather- not produce their books Xovx amlnatlbn ln'pen court-rln that case outsiders might know as much-el the value of the special privileges they enjoy a the managers themselves. The Cook County Democracy while making a tour of the south was com pelled to put up over Sunday In a dry town. People who remember the club's visit to Omaha In 1808 can easily under stand the intense suffering which this condition entailed. One, hundred thousand horses .' have been sold and shipped out of Montana within a year. " Even' the 'so-called min ing states, It appears, do not depend entirely upon their mineral resources for their prosperity, but the farmer and stockman play an important role. It la said Sir Thomas Lipton has de cided, to put an American crew on Shamrock II when he tries out his new yacht which Is to sail for the America's cup. If the old boat should prove the winner tne noartDurnings over tne last defeat will be greater, than ever. Iowa railroads will cheerfully forego the privilege of supplying members of the legislature and Iowa public officials, their cousins and aunts, with passes, providing . the Iowa legislature will forego the privilege of revising the reve nue laws so as to make the railroads bear their Just proportion of the burden Of taxation.' Ex-Secretary Gage has been tendered and accepted the position of president of a big. trust company. rMen who have held high places in the Treasury depart ment do not aprar to have an diffi culty In obtaining remunerative employ ment upon retirement from office. The man who can creditably fill any of these important positions necessarily has abll Ity of which privnte parties are only too anxious to avail themselves. The authorities of Wisconsin univer sity, are called upon to decide one of the most momeutous questions In the history of the Institution. It Is whether the university boarding houses shall be permitted to serve hash aud pruues more than once a day. Educational affairs in this country have passed through many and serious crises, but nothing ap proaching this in Importance has here tofore racked the university man's brain. The sparring mutch between members of the Omaha Woman's club over the woman's suffrage question Las come to naught, all becuuse some women la Colo rado and Wyoming are born With an im pediment to their veracity. Oue set de clares that suffrage has been a pbeuome liai success lu those states, while the other set declares it to be a tlUiuul fall lire. As nobody tvuld tell which of these people are afflicted with the 1m pediment, the referee bad to call the Cere word eucounter a draw. 't WOULD TRE LEGISLATURE ACT i The - Omaha' Bee continues to think of very important things that the legislature might do for the stale If It was only called together and glTa a cbaace. But a legis lature that consumed sixty days, exclusive of -Saturdays and 8undays and other odd times, la as abortive attempt to perform so simple a constitutional duty as to re dlstrtct the stata according to the census of 1900, so that there should be aa equitable representation of the several counties la the two bouses of the-legislature,-IS a broken reed to lean upoa when Important business is at the fore. A legislature chosen by the people and not by senatorial aspirants might turn the trick possibly. At least the Journal hopes to see one com petent for Its work la session next winter. Lincoln Journal. . . ' This may sound very plausible to peo ple not .conversant with the -history of the last legislature. But everybody in Nebraska who knows anything about Nebraska legislatures knows 'that the legislature of 1001 will stand comparison with any previous legislature that has made laws for this state. Everybody In Nebraska who is fairly Informed concerning the difficulties en countered by .the last' legislature In com ing to an agreement ou apportionment bills', and "other legislation imperatively demanded by the people knows that the trouble was not with the candidates for United States senator, but with the cor porations that wanted to dictate candi dates or, defeat candidates. Had these corporation and their satellites kept their hands off the legislature, its duty to elect two United States senators would have been discharged on the first joint ballot. As It was, the bully-ragging, wire-pulling and bulldoslng by which the corporation lobby kept the legislature In a ferment continued from the beginning to the last day of. the session. It would be altogether different in a special session. There would be no sen ator to elect, no corporation bills to fight over, no Jobs to give out and no trades to negotiate. The legislature would meet to transact the business embodied lu the governor's call and with no dis turbing factors it ' would easily get through its work within twenty days. To assume 'that the republican ma jority of the legislature cannot be per suaded to do its duty to the people when convened for a specific purpose Is to as sume that the republican party is unfit to . govern Nebraska. The Bee la not willing to make that admission. LINCOLN'S BIRTHDAY. Ninety-three years ago Abraham Lin coln was born. In several states this anniversary of his birthday will be ob served as a legal holiday, while at many banquet tables In many states the memory of that . great man next to w asnington the most imposing and the most revered character In American history will be duly honored. While has been pro Dosed to make February 12 a national holiday and this, may ; sooner or later be done, the birthday of Lincoln doea not need such recognition in order to insure its observance by his countrymen. Every recurrence of the anniversary finds its observance . extended. . Appreciation of the great qualities of Lincoln, admira tion of his character and gratitude for the mighty work he acompllshed. jrrow with the passing years, and there Is no danger that so long as the republic stands, or so long as free institutions are cherished, the memory of the eman cipator of a race and the savior of his country will fade from the minds of men or cease to command their affection and reverence. . Abraham Lincoln met the highest standard of patriotism. Ilia love of country and devotion to . free institu tions were prorouna and intense. : He had also an unfailing faith in the survival of republican institutions and in . the grand destiny of his country. An eminent American states man, contemporary with Lincoln, said there cannot be any'- exas-rerated estimate of him. - No one will be dis posed to question this who is familiar with Lincoln's history. From its humble beginning to the hour of martyrdom the career or Abraham Lincoln proclaims him one of the greatest, noblest and most heroic characters the world has known. . . . , JUDICIOUS BKCOMMENDATIOiiS. The recommendations of the industrial commission are generally so - wise and Judicious that they must receive the hearty approval of all men who have given to the subjects considered intelli gent and careful study. The com ml s- slou during the two years of its Invest! gatlon, has gone over a great deal of ground and Its final report, of which the public is being given installments, shows that its. duty has been carefully and faithfully performed. . The views of the commission In re gard to labor aud taxation are for the most part eminently sound. It urges that the states should by legislation es tablish uniform hours of labor and that In all public employment the working day should bo eight hours. An excel lent suggestion Is that railroads be pro hibited from employing telegraph oper utors under 18 years of age. Perhaps this Is not-now geucrally done, but it has been in the jt st and may. be again, so that it is manifestly advisable to have the matter regulated by law. If congress has the authority, as the commission atfii'iua, to do so. Other suggestions re garding railroad employes are equally good and while It is a fact that some of these are already In practice on rail roads it would be well to make them a legal requirement. ' What the commission says in regard to taxation presents a question of the highest importance, as to which there is great diversity of opinion, but in the main we thluk the recommendations judicious and certainly worthy of serl ous consideration. In regard to imml gi'kiioa tne commission appears to re gard existing laws sufficient, except that "it would Increase the head tax. It does not suggest any additional restric tive legislation, from which it Is reas onably to be Inferred, that thj cwauala- slon does not regard with favor the Immigration bills that have been Intro duced in congress. On the subject of irrigation the - commission urges na tional control of sources of water sup ply, surveys of arid land and an esti mate of the available water supply for their reclamation, and the construction of storage reservoirs and Irrigation works. This clearly means that in the Judgment of the commission irrigation should be nationalized. It suggests that the government should deal with this most important task, In1 which the en tire country has an interest, in a broad and practical way, rather than In the manner proposed In the bill prepared by the representatives in congress from the arid-land states. ' ' . ! Every citizen who is interested in these Important questions should give thoughtful attention to the conclusions and recommendations of the Industrial commission, . a non-partisan body com posed of uit n of a high order of ability, who hove evldeut'y pursued their InveS' tigatlons with conscientious fidelity and have framed their opinions of what ex isting conditions require with a purpose single to the promotion of the general welfare. WRECKING A BA VINOS BANK. The wrecking of the City Savings bank of ' Detroit by Its vice president in collusion with the cashier was some what exceptional In the method adopted, but It is none the less useful in the sug gestion it presents of the difficulty, if not Indeed the impossibility, of such in stitutions providing absolute safeguards against official dishonesty. There ap pears to be no doubt that the wrecked bank had been conducted on sound business principles. It had been long established aud enjoyed the confidence of the community. A large amount of public funds were deposited with it No fault, it Is said, attaches to the di rectors, who of course had Implicit con fidence In the Integrity of the vice pres ident and1 cashier of the institution. Those officials probably did not delib erately Intend to rob . the bank. . The vice president doubtless hoped that the tide of bis speculations would turn in his favor and he could return the money he took out of the Institution. But the tide did. not torn and. the consequence is disaster to himself and the bank. It appears pertinent to remark in con nection with this circumstance that nothing of the kind would be likely to happen In the, case of a postal savings bank, but if such a government insti tution should be robbed, which of course would be possible, the depositors would not suffer. Every person who bad a deposit In- the bank would be certain to get it on demand.' .'This is the strong point In favor of the proposition to es tablish postal savings banks, that the money of depositors would be under any and all circumstances absolutely secure. This is the consideration of chief im portance to the people who put their savings 'in the savings, banks, the' ques tion of interest on their deposits being of minor consequence. It is these peo ple who ought to be strongly In favor of postal savings banks and such Incidents as that at Detroit should have the ef fect to increase popular sentiment favor able to banks in connection with the postal service. so minority RULE. . , The principle of government by ma jorities is embedded St the base of our entire system of political party rule. The right of the majority to select can didates aud control party organizations Is firmly established. The assent and submission of the minority to the will of the majority Is a moral obligation vitiated only by fraud or corrupt manip ulation. Majority rule through commit tees and conventions necessarily implies an 'equitable apportionment of repre sentation that enubles majorities to voice their wishes through their chosen dele gates. The right of majorities to rule, ignored for years in Douglas county, was com pletely overturned by the lust repub lican county convention, which, under pretense of smashing the machine,. re pudiated and disfranchised the majority of the republican voters by creating a committee whose membership represents a bare minority of the party lu this county. It gave to the 9,000 republicans of Omaha twenty -seven "members of the governing committee and to the 2,800 republicans in South Omaha and the country precincts thirty-four members of the committee. This rank invasion of the rights of the majority was further emphasized by instructions to the com mittee to perpetuate the rule of the mi nority in the apportionment of delegates in all future conventions., The natural result of the vicious attempt to establish minority rule was the defeat of the priu clpal candidates on the county ticket whose nomination - the minority had sought to saddle upon the party. And now It is given out that the fac tion that perpetrated , this outrage, not confident of its ability to maintain, its supremacy with minority conventions, proposes to extend minority rule through the. Crawford county system in the se lection of u republican candidate for cougres in this district.' It goes with out baying that the republicans of this district Mill not tamely submit to such a scheme. .The fundamental priutlplo of the Crawford county system is to glvu each member of the party an equal aud di rect voice' In the choice of caudldutes lubtead of' through delegate representa tion, which so often defeats tho choice of tho majority by bargaiu nd sale. This principle u sound and will meet with the approval of the rank and file' of the party if houeatly carried into ef fect. In other words, the proposition to let the republican voters name their can didates for public office and their gov erning committees by direct selection on an Australian ballot will commend it self to U tair-minded meu. But any scheme whereby a minority can dictate nominations by plurality voU .ViU tut meet' with. . popular ap proval, nor will It be recognized as bind ing on the majority. At the last election nearly 15,000 votes were cast for the republican candidate for congress In Douglas county. Assume that 10,000 re publicans could be mustered to cast their ballots at a congressional primary, di viding their votes among ten candidates, and the highest of these should receive 1,100 votes, while the other nine should receive 8,900; If plurality rule were adopted the man with 1,100 votes would claim the nomination, although 8,900 re publicans - had expressed themselves against hlin. Under the plurality rule the 8,000 would be expected to submit to the rule of the 1,100. In principle the same injustice would be perpetrated if the plurality nominee should receive 4,500 votes as against 6,500 for his op ponents. ' Manifestly no minority candidate could depend upon the undivided support of his part. Such a nomination would not be considered binding upon the party ami would only . Invite defeat at the polls. ' Our Dave never falls to encounter the most awful obstacles to every measure In the Interest of his constituents and then by superhuman exertion he over comes them before the curtain rings down. . Iils response to the South Omaha Improvement club with reference to the appropriation for macadamizing Thir teenth street from Omaha to Fort Crook Is characteristic. "Congress," says our Dave, "has-never macadamized a road as I have asked for, but I hope I may be able to establish a precedent, al though it Is uphill work." It takes a scholar and a statesman, as well as a macadamiclan, to write such a letter, but the quarrymen and stone breakers bad better get ready before the snow melts. Although congress has never macadamized a road, except through members -who have broken rock as a penalty, we feel sure congress will this time relent in order to demonstrate that Dave can have anything in sight, or out of sight ' The supervising architect of the treas ury Is said to have been persuaded that the money appropriated for the Omaha federal building will cover the expense of finishing the Seventeenth street-front in conformity with the Sixteenth street front With $500,000 appropriated by the last congress for the west wing there ought to have been at least a bal ance of $100,000 on hand after the build ing was completed. If It Is true, as re ported, that over $90,000 of tho appro priation for Omaha's federal building has already been absorbed for architects' fees and plans alone, the alleged insuffi ciency of the appropriation may be in part explained. ' . If the enterprising Turkish newspaper reporters could" only be persuaded to keep away from1 the brigands that car ried off Miss Stone' she would have long ago been liberated on the ransom raised by her American friends. ' Thlsat least, Is the vers f on wlch comes to us all the way from Constantinople through the medium of a veracious. American mis sionary. The next thing we expect to hear Is that the Turkish newspaper rep resentatives are playing brigands them selves and have, raised the ante a little higher. The Judiciary committee of the Iowa house of representatives has decided by a vote of 9 to 8 to recommend the anti pass bill. If the railroads had engaged that bland and smooth legislative hyp notist Mr. Ager, be could probably have persuaded the ninth man to .change his views on the pass question. The bill aimed at anarchists, called a measure to protect presidents, is being pushed in congress. After legislation has done ail It can the fact will remain that with the. best human protection the president must depend upon divine prov idence to safeguard his health and life. Keeplag the Pot Bollla. Philadelphia Ledger. With Mr. Schwab hobnobbing with King Edward and Emperor William begging aa American girl to sing In Berlin, American stock keeps pretty well at par la Europe. A Slander, IVGosk. Washington Post Wo fear Kansas is too healthy from a ffnaaclal standpoint to encourage a new political party. Why doesn't Mr. Caas way (try Nebraska? Nebraska seems -to be easy. A 'Lamlaesi Asaeadaseat. Baltimore American. ' Andrew Carnegie baa composed bis own epitaph. It reads: "Here ilea a man who knew how to get around him men much cleverer than himself." Many a rich man could copy this epitaph, leaving out the "him." Tws of m Klad. Paiala. 1 Chicago Tribune. King Edward and President Schwab ap pear to have had an agreeable Interview, The king expressed his pleasure at meet ing an American of whom he bad heard so much, and Mr. Schwab acknowledged that be bad heard of King Edward often and was equally as glad to meet him.' Refomla the Jary System. New Tork Tribune. Our jury system ought to be so amended that the illnees of a single juror in a. mur der trial which is exceptionally important and expensive to tho taxpayers should not delay the progress of the case. After the Jury box has been filled eleven peers of the accussed prisoner can safely be trusted to treat Mm fairly, even If the twelfth jury man la prostrate upon a sick bed. It is time that reason and common sense should take tbe place of technicalities and un reasonable precedents in our criminal courts. ' Oataha'a Delsllisa ef a -Load." Minneapolis Times. An Omaha police Judge has defined drunk- enneM as "a condition produced by drink Ing vinous, spirituous or malt liquors which shall be manifested by any deviation from ordinary carriage or conduct." This does not help matters. Tbe accused may com pel the city prosecutor to prove "ordinary conduct" to show that liquors bad been absorbed, and, U extraordinary conduct Is shown, to prove that the beverages caused tt. That la the theory, but la practice Us Judge will aiaplz s "Un dollars OS tea OAJCW V- Water-Logged Trusts New Tork Tho capitalisation of 183 concerns so- called trusts, Is- placed at $5,000,000,000. Does anyone realize what this enormous amount actually means T It means that 18 concerns are capitalised with a. capital amount of one-half the world's entire stock of money. It mesne that the capital isation of these concerns exceeds the total stock of money of the United States by two billion dollars; of Great Brlttan by nearly $4,000,000,000; of Germany by about $3,000,000,000, and ao forth. Tbe total capi tal of these 183 concerns equals more than the entire stock of money of the United States, Great Britain and Germany com bined. Now, what is this capltl based on, and what amount of security is offered to se cure investors against loss in case these concerns should fall? Let us start at the largest, capitalised at about $1,300,000. The actuel value of the entire plant of this colossus is admitted to be $300,000,000, and tbe balance of $1,000,000,000 la good will, ordinarily railed "water." Another is cap italised at $100,000,000, and the actual value of tbe plant is about $30,000,000. Another Is capitalized at $30,000,000 when the actual value does not exceed $3,000,000, and so on down the line. The first thing which is done when such a trust Is formed is to give the promoters about 10 per cent of the stock for services rendered, and the publto press is fail of articles relating bow this man or that man, famous in tho financial world. holds so tnany millions of stock, but does anyone ever think of the fact that that prominent financier immediately proceeds to rid himself of at least 90 per cent of bis holdings, and unload it on the public through the medium of tbe Stock ex changes? Tbe public buys these shares, and when the trust actually gets down to work about 90 per cent of the entire capital stock Is sued is scattered among Investors who have probably only Invested because Jones or Smith held so many millions of It. When the thing goes up all these little holders wonder why they are ruined, while the man who had so much stands by, is cool and smiles. The flour-mlllng bubble is still fresh in tbe people's minds.' The stock was Issued on the first day on the 'Change at 60, ad vanced to 60, so aa to give the public a chance to bite, and thon gracefully declined to sero. The promoters of that bubble are rich today. Why? And so it is with many Others. One espe cially deserves mention; the stock of this concern rates above par,' yet only a year ago the so-called officers paid nearly GOOUBY TO THE MILKMAN. Prospective Passlasr of the Maa Who . Rashes the Can. Chicago Chronicle. A Swedish scientist claims ho baa In vented an apparatus by which milk can be brouicht Into tbe form of powder, like flour in appearance, and having all the I qualities of milk in concentrated form with the exception ot moisture. The milk flour Is soluble in water. It does not fer ment nor sour and Is not sensitive to changes of weather, , It is said to be com paratively - Inexpensive, the cost of pro duction being about 27 cents per 106 quarts. If what the Inventor claims Is true the day of tho milkman will soon be over, so far as -the cities are concerned. The old jokes regarding tbe milkman and the town pump will bo out of date. Kacn tamiiy win dilute its milk flour according to taste and produce more or less milk according to means and need.. Perhaps the best as pect ot it is that the quiet ot the early morning hours will no longer be broken by the sound of milk cans rustling over tbe stony streets; that a Sabbathlike still ness will prevail from $ to 6 instead of tho noisy clatter of the milkman bent on finishing his disagreeable round as early in the day as possible. Tbe more poetic aspects of the situation need not pass away. The dairy maid may still pursue her vocation and tbe rustic swain still make love to her in the dewy freshness of the morning. It Is tbe city milkman, tbe purveyor of the liquid mix ture, who will have to go. In his place the grocer cornea, bringing barrels or bags of milk flour which will keep the year round without loss of flavor or substance. Whether the change on the whole will be a gain remains to be seen If Indeed the invention is all It promises. Since savage man first appropriated the milk ot ani mals to his own use It has held Its own In spite of so-called improvements. Milk flour may become a convenience in an emergency, but prove an unworthy sub stitute for the original article in Its nat ural form. PERSONAL. NOTES. The king of Slam has decided not to come to this country this year, but there are so many other royalties coming that no win not be misted. The Virginia constitutional convention Is to recommend that city, like county, treas urers should not be eligible to re-election after two terms of tour years each. It Is related of Samuel Alvln Sperry,. who has Just died In Reno county, Kaaaaa, that ho was one of a family of fourteen chil dren, ail of whom lived to be more than 75 years old. Ex-Senator Chandler says - President Roosevelt has set a pace in his attention to and transaction of public business , that will kill any of his successors who may attempt to keep it up. Now is it any wonder that a Japanese prince, or one of any other nation, for that matter, wants to visit us? We are getting a reputation as royal entertainers that appeala to royalty. Oeneral Joseph Wheeler told a boys' brigade In Philadelphia the other night that bla earnest hope is that we shall never have another war, and he added that there will never be any necessity for one "If all persons will be good." Harry E. Le, a hardware manufacturer of Chicago, owns the largest and finest private museum In the world. He has hunted and fished In every state and terri tory in this country, all over Canada and Mexico and through tbe domain of Alaska. A proboer meeting which was to have been held in Boston has been called off on the alleged ground that no suitable ball could be found. The real reason Is said to have been that Bourke Cockran, who was to bo the leading speaker, refused to appear on the same platform with Webster Davis, another of ths advertised orators. The eleventh Contlnentlal Congress of the Daughters of the American Revolution la to be held in Washington during tbe week commencing February IT. The president general, Mrs. Charles W. Fairbanks, will preside at the opening meeting on Monday and deliver the address of- welcome. The new officers will be elected oa Thursday. Former Lieutenant Diralson ot tbe French army announces that be has now given full satisfaction to ail persons offended by his book. "Ua Marltlmea, and will now da vote himself to tbe advertising ot bla work. M. Dlratsos's five duels have boomed bla book, of which 50,004 copies bavo been sold "which," remarks a faoetlous Paris correspondent, "Is st the rate of 10, UQ ox aieifM4. bual&etsV Financial Age. $2,000,000 alone for the pleasure of 4olng business, and then even went doiwa Into their own pockets and paid more inaa $3,000,000 In unearned dividends. These divi dends were supposed to come out of a re serve fund, but bow could there be a re serve fund when there has been a propor tionate loss every year? This reserve fund has been mad up from the manipulation of this stock on the exchange, and the holders are blissfully Ignorant of the abyss that is yawning beneath them. It the head of this concern should die today' tho stock would not be worth $10 per share. - This so-called trust business - Is over done. The profits do not admit ot paying dividends oa a capital which consists ot enough water to drown an entire popu lace. Is it reasonable to suppose that any man would sell a business which pays him 7 per cent on $2,000,000 tor $500,000, or is It reasonable to think that anyone would sell a business that pays him 7 per cent on that $:00.000 for $500,000? Then how Is It reasonable to suppose that you can buy a business that pays P"r ce"t on $500, 000 under conservative management, and make It pay 7 per eent oa $a,000.000 with out enlarging it, or without any material Improvement? . - Why do trusts object to daylight la re gard to their affairs, and why will they spend millions to prevent such light being shed upon their business? Why do they object to legislation that ' will give the publto more facta? , If everything Is above suspicion why are they, so secretive? Industrial combinations are a benefit to our country; they advance commerce and enhance values, but wbea It comes to a question of over-capitaltiatlon to such an enormous degree as is practiced bow it becomes a menace to the country; and. In fact,' the entire world. If. for example, a few ot these large bubbles would burst, the havoc wrought would be awful. Banks and mercantile bouses alike would be swallowed up in the flood that would fol low, and it la safe to say that the pro moters would be amply provided with life preservers. The Financial Ago Is not pessimistic, only it advises caution where such dis asters threaten. . Take tbe failure of the Asphalt Trust which happened recently. If this combine had had ton times more capital its failure would have , been de layed only, not prevented. This happened on a small scale, and It will happen on a large scale Just as sure as the sua shines. No banking Institution has the right to loan money on securities so flimsy as In dustrial stocks, nor has an institution hand ling public funds a right, to Invest these funds In such a wsy. . BITS OF WASHINGTON LIFE. . Etchings of People ssd Events at the National Capital. ' The patent office reverses tbe customary "dull season" In business and enjoys " a "busy season" during the first throe months of the year.' Few suppose there is a time when inventors take a spurt, yet such . is the fact, as the filings for patents show. This peculiarity Is explained on the ground that the winter season affords a great many people, particularly farmers, the leisure to employ their Inventive w&s, and the result Is shown In Increased applications . for patents during 1 the early months of the year. 1 As a general thing, reports the -Washington Post, the applications have a ' ten dency to run to one thing, which invariably has some bearing oa whatever happens to be uppermost. -or occupying the attention of the American people at the, time.- For example,, nearly all the applications that have been received since the beginning of December have been for improvements on voting machines and automobiles. The chief clerk of the patent office states that whenever a disastrous fire occurs in sny city they are most certain to be flooded with appllcatlona for patents on fire ex tinguishers for a month or so afterward, all of them from persons living around and about tbe scene of the fire. Such also is the case with boat explosions and other accidents. , , A serious steamboat explosion that occurred- several years ago brought forth a dozen or more applications for patents on a "non-explosive steamboat." It Is also a singular fact that more applications have been filed for patents cn car couplers than for anything else. For some reason nearly every maa has aa idea in his head that be can invent a ear coupler, and an amusing feature of this is the greater number of such applications come from farmers,, who, one would think, would turn their atten tion to inventing agricultural devices In stead of trying to solve problems of railroad economy. An Impecunious ' representative from a western state met five friends on the street. "Come in and have a drink," he ssid. They went Into the newest and moat elab orate cafe of the city. ' Each of the five friends took a Scotch high ball of the kind that cost 25 cents each. The impecunious representative took a glass ot beer. "What's that you're drinking, Jim?" asked one of the friends. - "That,'' a&td the representative as he nervously fingered the check calling for $1.35 and held up the glass of beer so all could see It, "is a lesson in deportment." Major O. L. Pruden, assistant secretary to the president has occupied his preseat po sition for many years. As a result bis friends . arc legion and moat of them f sol under obligation to the -courtly 'gentleman who carries Mr. Roosevelt s messages to congress. Among his other distinguished traits the major possesses a very bald head. A little fringe' of hair comes down beneath his hat, but if one looks under tbe - brim at the back of the major's head one will see the posterior portion ot his forehead. Be cause of his many friends - be bad many remembrances last Christmas. Moat of these came to the White House, and Major Pruden was overflowing with good nature before be bad opened one-half the bundles which tbe mail carriers and the express men left at bla desk. After he had opened a certain carefully wrapped package, bow ever, the look ot pleasure died from his face. - - . "Now, wby In tbe world did that fool send those things to me?" he asked of Assistant Secretary lioeb. -. . Major Pruden held up for Inspection as he spoke ' a pair of handsome gold-mounted military hair brushes. Several orations In the Sioux language were delivered a few mornings ago before tbe senate committee cn Indian affairs, re lates the Washington Poat. Tbe orators were Thunder Hawk, a full-blooded Sioux, and four other chiefs, who are la Wash ington to protest against the leasing ot a portion of their reservation. Thunder Hawk and his brother chiefs were participants la the Custer massacre. After that tragic episode they lied to the British dominions, where they remained for six years, , finally returning to the United States sad surrendering te the mili tary authorities. Since then they have lived upon their reservation la peace aad quiet When, in tbe presence of the sen ators on tbe Indian affairs committee, Thunder Hawk was asked te state hie pro test, the old warrior, sot la the least abashed, aad with his leonine features as aaiotloaloss m it mlitA 4a c& im with his anna clasped. For almost a min ute he stood In alienee, and then, la has deep guttural voloe, he began' to apeak. As he progressed he added appropriate features to bis words, making a nalque picture. When his speech was translated It was found to be a logical and concise presentation ot! tbe Indian's position, with out any florid rbetorio. Tbe other chiefs proved to be equally good aa speechmakers. Durlsg one of the sessions of the congress committee la charge of the Chinese exclu sion bill. President Compere ot the Ameri can Federation of Labor, protested because Wu Tlngfang, tbe Chinese minister, had spoken of labor "agitators." "How odd I" said Mr. Wu." "See here." He opened two dictionaries at the' word "sand-lot." In each definition Dennis Kearney Is spoken of as a laho "agitator. " "What Is a poor foreigner to do in the face of such high authority? naked Mr. Wu blandly. "I am not a native. I must fall back oa the dictionaries. Mr. Com pere must revise the dlotlonartea before be can come at me." Then he winked a sly 'Oriental wink. NO LESB MAJESTB LAW. ' Ohjeettoas te the Measare Drafted hy the Hens t'eaasalttee. Chicago Inter Ocean (rep.) Congress Is Anally moving la the matter of enrblng the anarchists. A special com mittee ot the house Judiciary committee has agreed upon a bill of which the mala pro visions are as follows: The death penalty is Imposed upon any person killing or attempting te kill tbe president or anyone in the line of the presidential succession. Accessories be fore the fact are declared equally guilty with principals. Accessories after the fact are subject to a fine and Imprison ment, ss are persons who counsel, advise or advocate the committing of such crimes. Provision Is also made for tbe punishment of those conspiring in tbts country to kill the head of a foreign state. No alien who advocates the overthrow of organised government is to be sdmltted to tbts coun try, and If found therein may be deported. Such a law would at least prevent the sort of scandal that would have followed the . practical escape from punishment of Ciol- . goss bad President McKtniey recovered. In that case the extreme penalty would have been Imprisonment for ten years, leas the usual Commutation for good behavior. And the assassin might have been pardoned sooner If any political chance had hap pened to afflict New Tork with a governor who sympathised with anarchy. That hap pened la Illinois with aotne of tbe accessor ies of the Haymarket anarchist murders. , Tbe proposed, bill Is encouraging as show ing a disposition to take some action, but is, nevertheless, fundamentally: objectionable. It makes an attack upon the president and several other officials a more serious crime than a similar attack upoa a private citizen. Of course, in one sense that Is a more serious crime, but so to treat It is contrary to the genius of our Institutions. The pro posed bill attempts to create a sacrosanct official clasa, and essays to foist the prin ciple of less msjeate into the laws of a republic. , .. ,y The distinction should be made not in the victim ot the crime, but in the criminal. The military law furnishes a precedent and shows the way. For a civilian to strike a military officer, even In time of war, unless in the actual theater of war .and after martial law has been declared, Is merely a-common assault. But for a soldier to strike bis officer at any time la a felony. Our .laws should set apart tbe anarchist from the society against which he wages war, as they set the soldier apart . from tho mass of civilians. - The anarchist may bp Justly thus set apart, for ha utterly defies and denies the laws which civilized men have made for tbelr own protection. . . The only logical and efficient way to deal with the anarchist is to treat him as tbe pirate bas been-and is treated.. That-is to declare him, as the pirate is declared, aa enemy of the human race, wholly out side the protection of the civil law, and turn him over to the military law for restraint and punishment. The attempt to distort the civil law so ss to reach the-anarchist is dangerous and likely to cause more evila than it cures. We want no leee ma Jest e law In this country. Let congress do the logical thing and turn the anarchist over to the military law.. That is the sate, the simple, and the only way te deal with him effectively. BREEZY CHAFF. Philadelphia Press: Willie Pa, i what doea a "middle-aged person" mean? .' Pa That depends upon the age of the person who uses the expression. - Chicago Tribune: "When they give that ball In honor of Prince Henry,'T giggled the Sweet Young Thing, "I wonder who will lead the German." i Boston Transcript: Mistress Margaret, what did Mrs. Walker eay just now when you told her I wae out? Maid She didn't say nothing, marm, but she looked sort of relieved like. Chicago Poat: "Can you give no hope? be aaked disconsolately. ' The tender-hearted girt wae truly sorry for him. - "Oh, yee," she replied ' cheerily, "t ean give you lots of hope, If you will promise not to expect to have your hopes realised." Boston Transcript: Bobbins They ' say Miss Brightmore has thrown you over. Fred. - - Noberts Nothing of the kind. Fact Is. she haa thrown herself away on another fellow. . Chicago Tribune; "I offer you my love." said the your man, with toltterness, "and you offer me your friendship and good wishes! No, Pulsatilla, there can be -no such reciprocity as that between ua two!" "So, then." said the young woman coldly, "it's annexation or nothing. Is It?". . Washington Star:' "Isn't your father kind to take you riding on your newi sled?" "Huh!" exclaimed the obtrusive child. "Father has more fun than I have. You ought to see him laugh when he bumps me over a gutter and makes me holler.'' " Chicago Tribune: "But," argueT the poli tician with the pompadour, "Isn't reclproo lty the handmaid of protection?" . . Handmaid T No, air!" fiercely replied the politician from the- beet sugar belt, ''your kind of reciprocity Is .machine made. . 1 Baltimore American! "James.' said the woman, hie wife, "you do not send me valentines like you used to before we were married." "No," answered the husband,, "hut I didn't send you Easter bona eta before we were married," - Plttaburg Chronlclei "Well, 1 see another company of brltlsh troops has been out to pieces by a superior boar force." ..V.Th5S ,r Ww nr Boars killed r . "No, I believe they both got away." i . ii i . . TUB COLLAR BUTTON'S SOULOtJY. Fred Shafnit In Kansas City fltar. I am a collar button, a little eolWr button, A simple collar button, nothing more, I love to slip and elide, . To skip about and hide. And lose myself somewhere) around, the floor. I am a collar button, a little collar button. But I'm meaner than a flea-bft yellow pup, I maka nur owner swear. And tear handfule from nts hair, ' ' While I'm a-rUUn' round av-outtln' up,.: I am a collar button,' a Uttla oollaj button. That fairly dotes on heart u shriek and hollera; Oh, I love to creep and erawl ' - And to hear my owner bawl. There's nothing I hate more than holding collars. I am a collar button, a llttla collar button. With a mlaaloa oo earth , that s simply great ' While others vainly preach, I Just hide and thus do teach , Jit niseoiliirssi t tUUoa Inaiilinala, V
