TIIK OMAHA DAILY BEt fONDAY. JULY 14, 1002. Tiie umaija Daily Uee. E. ROSEWATER, EDITOR. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. Pally lies (without Sjnday), On Year. $4 CO l'aily lire and Bunda, On Year S.tO illustrated lire, one Year J Sunday tie. On Year l."0 caturday Hce, On Year 1H Twentieth Century Farmer, On Year.. 100 DELIVERED BY CARRIER. Dally Be (without Sunday), per copy.... Ic Daily Hee (without biinuay), per wee. ...11c Dally Bee (Including BUiiuay, per week.. 17c Bumiay Bee, per copy sc Kvnmg Bee (without Sunday), per week.lvo Evening Be (Including eunaay), per week ComplainU of Irregularities In delivery hould be addressed to CUf Circulation Department. OFFICES. Omaha The Bee Building. Bouth Omaha City Hail Building, Twan-ty-tlfth and M Streets. Council Bluffs W i'carl Street Chicago 1640 Unity Building. New York Temple Court. Washington 6ol Fourteenth Street. CORRESPONDENCE. Communication relating to news and editorial matter should be addressed: Omaha Bee, Editorial Department. BUSINESS LETTERS. Business letters and remittance should be addressed: The Be Publishing Com pany, Omaha.. REMITTANCES. Remit by draft, express or postal order, payable to The Bee Publishing Company. Only .-cent stamia accepted m payment ol mall accounts. Personal checks, except on Omaha or eastern exchanges, not accepted, THE BEE PLBLIdHl.SiJ ,OMPAN Y. STATEMENT OF CIRCULATION. Stat of Nebraska, Douglas County, ss.: George B. Tchuck, secretary of 'ihe Be I'ubllsning Company, being ouly sworn, says that the actual number ol full and complete copies of The Dally, Morning, Evening and Sunday Be printed during tna montn of June, wuz, waa as iuuw 1.. 2.. I.. .. ....lil,41 ....iiO,4WU ....;D,aa ....SIU.5TO 16... 17... 18... 19... .!O,40 ,...:rt,B4o ...,a,7uo ... .20,740 ....it,ooo S ( 2,S10 1 at,07o 1 2W.WOO Z1MMO 10 Stt.VlU 11 ai,5BO 12 UU.BIO 13 21,S80 14 Ii,MJO 16 a,om 20.... 21 lltt.oTO 22 SH,50O 23 a,B(0 24 81.330 25 29,MH 26 29.BSO 27 2U,ttSO 23 2,B40 29 ,..2,BI0 10 XO.ttlO Total 8l,220 Less unsold and returned copies.... 9,ufi2 Net total sales 87tt,BIS Net dally average ZO,818 GEO. B. TZSCHUCK, Subscribed In my presence and sworn to before me this 30th day of June, A. D., 1902. (Seal.) Notary Public. These are the Nebraska farmer's busy days. The Peter Cooper club has finally rati fied but with- a good stout string to the ratification. Prospects are good that local summer resorts will still hare a chance to score on the home stretch. Our city health department Is to wage a war on the festive mosquito. Let It be a fight to a finish. The market house has finally gotten Into the courts, where It will probably slumber and smother during the hot season. Topocratlc professions of solicitude for the sugar beet growers do not Jibe well with the records that charge up the re peal of the sugar bounty laws la this stato to the popoerata. The railroad lawyers are well paid for arguing the corporation side of the rail road tax case. What Is the Lincoln Journal promised for Its editorial pleas for the overtaxed railroads? If. multiplying the number of foreign commissioners will bring the foreign ex hiblU, St, Louis ought to break the rec ord In the number of foreign countries participating In Its exposition. As a result at the heavy rains, the street repair gang will be kept extra busy in Omaha for some little time. This will balance up the sating from the inactivity of the street sweepers. Changes are coming so fast In the com mand of the Department of the Mis souri that the commanding general has scarcely time to get acquainted before he Is ordered to move on to another post It's a sleepy neighborhood In Omaha these days that does not boast an !m .provement club of Its own, constantly alive to the interests of Its vicinity In the apportionment of public work and public Improvements. A populist review of the work of the congressional session asserts that only two bills of. Importance were passed the canal bill and the Philippine govern ment bill. What about the Irrigation bill and the omnibus public building graft? Plans for two additional new viaducts for Omaha are under way. In spite of their original protests, the railroads have discovered that the viaducts mak ing travel over their city crossings safe are to be counted among their best In vestments, even on a dollars and cents basis. Another chance for a deadlock will present itself when the determination must be made whether a democrat or a populist shall be placed in charge of the Joint campaign committee that is to direct the forces of the allied fusion reformers In their effort to regain pos session of the spoils counter in Ne braska. Lo, the poor Indian, has from time Im memorial bet-n the prey of unscrupulous white men, but that Is the very reason why the officers of the Indian bureau charged with their protection should be held to strict accountability. When In dian agents and traders play In with the despollera, what hope Is there for the red man? Our friends of the railroad tax bu reau are still making a huge show of earning the generous salaries accorded them by their corporate employers lu recognition of their tax shirking abili ties. If this keepa up, the tax rtuumls sloners will actually persuade them selves that without their assistance the road could But be iterated, BRIDGE TAXIS AND BRWOB TOLLS. It Is a matter of history that James O. Blaine was defeated for the presidency by the foolish remark of a fool friend at a public dinner. Just three words, "rum, romanlsm and rebellion," lost the state of New York to the Plumed Knight and defeated him of the realisa tion of his highest ambition. What Is true of men Is also'true of corporations. They also frequently need saving from font friends. A striking Illustration In point Is furnished by that staunch old railroad organ, the Lincoln Journal, which has entered the breach In de fense of railroad tax shirking In the following fashion: A railroad company discovers an obstruct tlon In its pathway In the shape of a river or gulch that must b trestled or spanned by a very costly structure. The bridge Is merely an extra expense entailed on the owners of the right-of-way. It Is of no utility to them. It brings no revenue, but necessitates a continued outgo to keep It In repair. It Is merely a badge of mis fortune, because If the gulch or river had not been in the way the cost of .construc tion would have been no mors than the average. According to the Rosewater doc trine, however, the railroad bridge should be taxed at what It cost the corporation to put It In, and that tax kept up year after year to all eternity. Carrying out this doc trine, every cut and fill on tb railroad line hould have an extra .tax put on It be cause It represents an Investment of extra capital. At the same time, It must not be permitted to charge any more than the average mileage for hauling freight and passengers across these natural obstructions after It has overcome the difficulties by scleatlfio engineering. Verily, -the Rose water doctrine of taxation Is a stunner. Where did the editor of the Journal get his nightcap? Is he not aware of the fact that every railroad bridge over the Missouri river between Sioux City and St. Louis Is a toll gate? Is he not aware of the fact that more tolls are collected at every one of these bridgea every five years than would re pay the cost of each bridge? Is he not aware of the fact that the Union Pacific bridge at Omaha was constructed thirty years ago and was bonded for $2,500,000, although It did not cost more than $1,200,000? Is ho . not aware of the fact that, although owned by the Union raciflc railroad, it was operated under an in dependent charter and earned nearly $3,000,000 within the first five years after Its completion? ' Is he not aware of the fact that for nearly twenty-five years 60 cents waa charged for every man, woman and child that crossed this bridge either way, and $10 per carload of ten tons was charged for all freight coining and going? Is he not aware of the fact that at this day ten miles are torn out of every mileage book presented to Union Pacific conductors for the transit of less than three miles between Omaha and the Union Pacific transfer on the Iowa side, and 25 cents in cash Is exacted for bridge toll for every passenger coming and going over every road that centers at Omaha, when under the legal rate of 3 cents a mile less than 0 cents should be charged? Is he not aware, too, of the fact that an arbitrary bridge rate of from 3 to 5 cents per 100 pounds is charged for all freight that crosses the Missouri river, whether at Omaha, Blair, Plattsmouth, Nebraska City or Rulo? Why, then, should these bridges not be taxed at their true value, so long as bridge tolls are exacted for passengers and freight enormously in excess of mileage rates? The ordinary tonnage rata for heavy commodities, such as lumber and coal, ranges from cent to 1 cent per ton per mile, and 2 cents per ton per mile would be regarded as an extraordinary charge, but the charge for crossing the Union Pacific bridge, for example, Is from 00 cents to $1 per ton. Computing the bridge and Its approaches at three miles, the ordinary charge' would be from 1 cents to 6 cents per ton for an equal distance of the main line,. Instead of being 00 cents to $1. Perhaps the fool friend of the rail roads,' who talks of railroad' bridges as "badges of misfortune," does not know that railroad bridges are a- great source of Income to the railroads.; Perhaps he does not know that railway bridges are assessed and taxed by boards of equali sation In other states where the Rose water doctrine has not yet been heard of, In 1001 the Illinois Board of Equallxa tlon assessed the bridge across the Ohio river at Jeffersonvllle at a valuation of over two millions per mile and other railroad bridges in proportion. The Missouri State Board of Equal ization at the outset of Its assessment work passed a resolution fixing specific days to hear testimony, arguments and suggestions with reference to the valua tion of railroads, bridges and telegraph property subject to taxation for the en suing year. In conformity with this resolution the Missouri board assessed the two St Louis railroad bridges and the bridgea that span the Missouri river above St Louis as follows: South half of St Louis bridge $2,300,000 St. Louis Merchants brld 600,000 200,000 Hannibal bridge Qulncy bridge Atchison bridge 200,000 150,000 126.000 300,000 125,000 St. Joseph bridge .. Leavenworth brldg. old Leavenworth bridge, new So far as heard from, the railroad managers and their tax bureau commls sloners have not yet appealed to the courts against this outrage, PKHPLtXltiU IHt BMTISH. The Atlantic shinning combine contln ues to perplex the British, though there are fewer expressions of fear regarding Its possible results than Immediately after the combination of steamship lines became a matter of public knowledge The subject was discussed In Parllaraeut a few days ago and among those who referred to it was Lord Belborue, the first lord of the admiralty. He said that the British should not have a mo nojioly of the Atlantic trade, but ou the other hand Great Britain could not afford to see herself squeesed out of that trade. He stated that the attitude of the government Is not one of hostility but of anxiety and until a final opinion had been formed of the whole question the government could not wisely or fairly enter Into agreements with one party or the other. He declnred thflt Great Britain had fallen behind In re gard to vessels of high spoed because she had not given heavy subsidies like other nations. The offer of J. Plerpont Morgan to place all the British ships In the new combine at the disposal of the admiralty for the next fifty years, on certain terms, Is under consideration, but there is doubt whether Morgan could offer guar antees substantial enough to Justify the acceptance of his proposition and it seems highly improbable that it will be ccepted. What appears to be more likely is that the British government will decide on a policy of subsidies with a view to the construction of merchant steamships that could be made availa ble as cruisers In time of war. The shipping combine has presented to the British a problem that Is troubling them not a little and at present Mr. Morgan Is evidently master of the situation. AN ILL-ADVISSU MOVEMKNT. Representative Cooper of Wisconsin, chairman of the house committee on insular affairs, vigorously condemns the talk about Cuban annexation and the movement which It reflects. He takes the view that this country having launched Cuba among the nations of the world It would not be in keeping with our pledges to her and certainly not within the spirit of these promises If, before her government had been given an opportunity to demonstrate what it could do, we should Inaugurate a move ment for annexation. He declared It would be brutal to undertake to force annexation upon the Island, which he believed to be the object of those who favor annexation at present While Senator Elkins and others who favor bis annexation proposition profess that nothing in the way of coercion Is Intended, It is perfectly obvious that the tendency of the movement started by the West Virginia senator when he introduced his resolution in the senate Is in this direction. We think it Is not to be doubted that an overwhelming majority of the American people are In accord with the view expressed by Mr. Cooper, that having given Cuba an in dependent government and pledged our support to It, It would be dishonorable for us now to urge annexation. More over, our people do not want a Cuban state, with representation In congress and the electoral college. They do not desire tho participation of the Cuban people In this government As has been said, pronounced racial characteristics, political habits, language, history, so cial Institutions, all separate Cuba from the United States. If annexed the island would have no sentimental attach ment for either of our parties or any of our sections. Besides we have a negro problem of our own which Is serious enough and the annexation of Cuba would aggravate It, for the Island has a large negro population and the negro cannot be suppressed there, as is now being demonstrated. . . ' It has been stated that the annexation proposition is likely to command se rious attention at the next session of congress. D6ubtless Senator Elkins will, press his resolution's. It is there fore important that In the meantime the matter should receive public attention, In order that congress shall learn pop ular sentiment regarding it That the advocates of annexation will make the most of the opportunity to propagate sentiment In favor of making Cuba American territory can confidently be assumed. ANOTHER DIPLOMATIC VICTORY. American diplomacy has won an other Important victory, for which Sec retary Hay 1b being Justly commended. When the Chinese government appealed to the United States to use Its good offices for securing the evacuation of Tien Tsln, agreeably to the understand lng with tho powers, the Department of State promptly responded. Instead of communicating with the represents tives of the powers at Pekin, which would have meant delay, Secretary Hay addresed himself directly to the gov ernments interested, through the Amer ican ambassadors and ministers. The result waa entirely satisfactory, the powers agreeing to instruct their gen erals to abandon the condition sought to be Imposed as a precedent to evacu atlon and the desire of the Chinese gov ernment will be acceded to. Thus the United States has performed another valuable service for .China, which Is reasonably expected to have a good effect in that empire and which attests the continued friendly interest of this country in China. From the beginning of the Chinese troubles our government has steadily and consist ently labored to protect China from undue exactions on the part of the European powers, to preserve her terri torial Integrity and to secure for her fair and Just treatment These efforts have been largely successful and the latest evidence of American concern for China ought to strengthen the friend ship of that country for the United States, which seeks there no special ad vantages, but only equal rights, and even chances for every nation inter ested in the trade of the Orient The World-Herald is sorely distressed because the editor of The Bee has taken the only practical course to bring the railroad tax question successfully to a head. But no one connected with the double-euder ever bad either the stain lna or integrity to Initiate any practical measure of tax reform. All the leading clearing house cities report comparative decreases for bank clearings for the past week, but Omaha's ratio of decrease is smaller than that of most of Its competitors, When the table turns again Omaha will be over the line with the first. ! Oleo manufacturers are not only loud in their denunciation of the new oleo law, but have begun a literary ram palgn with a view apparently to stlinu lating a public sentiment that will sus- u their demand for its immediate re il. The test of the law will nnunes- tlonably determine Its wisdom or folly, but prevailing on the same congress that enacted a law to repeal It would border on the legislative miracle. The mystery of the invitation to the Tilden club banquet which was sent to Mr. Bryan by registered mall and re ceipted for, but which Mr. Bryan says never reached him, has not yet been cleared tip. We are waiting to kuow whether this mlscue Is the result of a conspiracy of the money power or only one of the exhibitions of Mark Uanna's diabolical machinations. Better Try a Museum. Washington Post. The lecture bureau manager who thinks there Is a fortune in an Agulnaldo lectur tour should remember what happened to the Miss Stone enterprise. A Safe Gafii. Philadelphia Inquirer. Reviewing the situation, with due regard for the facts, is It too much to say that there will be some lightning-like changes la the railway world before the death of another decade? I,ea;al Talent In Missouri. Chicago Record-Herald. The democratic candidate for supreme Judge of Missouri, in an Interview the other day, said: "I certainly don't feel like a beaten man. If anybody has a chance It's me." How can they In a state whose gov ernor eats pie with his knife hope to de feat a man who trees such English? Word With Doable Meaning;. Brooklyn Eagle (dem.). Bryan says: "I appeal to ail democrats to stand firm and to place only tried and true democrats on the ticket." "Tried," true" and' convicted would seem to be bis preference. "Tried" has two meanings, Democracy has "tried" William and Wil liam has certainly fearfully "tried" the democracy. Fuel Bin of the Futnre. New York Tribune. Experts of high' repute say that when the coal mines in both the Americas and In Europe are exhausted the stores of fuel in China will serve the world for centuries. Chinese coal and Chinese cheap labor in future cycles may then . keep alight the furnaces which maintain the industries of the globe; and the Yellow Peril will then become the Yellow Benefactor. Climax of the Silly Season. Philadelphia Ledger. Don M. Dickinson's suggestion of Joseph H. Choate for president of the United States was merely complimentary, and not much of a compliment at that. Mr. Dick inson and Mr. Choate belong to different political parties, which precludes the idea that the proposition was Intended to be taken seriously; but. If Mr. Dickinson wished to head off a possible presidential boom for Mr. Choate, he could find no bet ter means to do so than by giving him a democratic nomination at a gathering In London. Oil aa Naval Fael. Indianapolis Journal. The secretary of the navy has suspended work on plans for the construction of sev eral naval coaling stations to await the result of experiments the navy Is now making In the use of oil as fuel. The sec retary believes these experiments will show that oil Is a cheaper, cleaner and better fuel for the navy than coal. Borne recent experiments on merchant steamers go to sustain the Same 'view. If tha liquid fuel comes into general use In the navy Vnolo Sam will have to- substitute oil tanks for coaling stations. Can't Lose the Reporter. Philadelphia Record. In order to reproduce as nearly as pos sible the conditions of actual war In the military and naval maneuvers to be con ducted on land and water this summer In the vicinity of Long Island all Infor mation regarding the movements is to be withheld from the press. The success of the program Is assured. The objective point of the naval forces (which are to conduct the attack) and the defensive plans of the army have been already announced In the newspapers, several weeks before the event. The conditions pertaining to an actual state of hostilities have thus been reproduced with marvelous exactitude. Whether In peace or In war the newspaper craftsman la Irrepressible. The Hallway Tax Case. Grand Island Independent The taking of evidence In the Rosewater mandamus case against the State Board of Equalization, seeking to compel the hoard to assess the franchises of the railway corporations ' has been completed. It ks one of the most Interesting cases against the big corporations ever un dertaken In the state as well as one of the most important In all Its bearings. Th success of Mr. Rosewater in the matter will be of benefit to the entire state and tb facts and figures would seem to show that the assessment of the companies has not been equitable. It la only to be regretted that all tax shirkers cannot be brought In under the same case for It Is plain that the companies are not the greatest "econo mists" when It comes to putting la assess ment returns. PERSONAL NOTES. It Is costing Messrs. Oaynor and Green and the Dominion of Canada a great deal of money to maintain their mutual attach ment. Edwtn F. Hamlin, secretary, to Governor Crane of Massachusetts, has served In a similar capacity under ten previous gov ernors. He has held tne omce tor twenty- five years. Harry Mason Bcovel, for fifty years In the newspaper business In Chicago and other cities, has laid aside bis work, at least temporarily in the first named city, on account of falling eyesight. In his recent oration at the centenary of West Point academy General Horace Porter uttered this epigrammatic advice, good for soldier and civilian alike: ' "Never under rate yourself In a battle, and never over rate yourself In a dispatch." Naval Constructor Capps will nave charge of work on th new 18.000-ton battleship which 1 to be built In the New York navy yard, and Is determined that the vessel will be completed, if possible. In as short time as would be taken by contractors. She probably will be called th Connecticut. Alexander Graham Bell of Washington has received the Prince Albert medal for 1B0I from the London Society of Fine Arts. It la given annually to a person who has distinguished himself In the advancement of manufacture, art or commerce. Besides Dr. Bell, Captain James B. Eads, Thomas A. Edison and David E. Hughea are Amerl cans who have received this honor. Joe Howard, the veteran newspaper writer, was among tho who listened to on of Bourke Cockran's recent speeches. Later be uttered this -characteristic orlti cism: "Bourk Cockran not only has a great gift of gab, but puts Ideas Into phrase more felicitously than any speaker I ever beard except Beecher, sad I have heard them all liia Webster to McKlnlay. v; nF.pmi.icAK static tickkt. I"" Beemer Times: John II. Mickey received an enthustastlc reception on his return home from the state convention. His home people, where be I best known, vouch for him and his qualifications for governor iu flattering terms. Falls City Journal: J. H. Mickey Is a man who has the confidence of the people because he deserves It because he has come by it honestly. All his life he has at tended to bis own business and baa made a success of It. Barked up by a record for honesty and Integrity that admits of no questioning, he Is in a position to stand be fore the people squarely on his merits. He Is a man that his party can be proud of and that tho citizens generally can be proud to make governor of Nebraska. Kearney Journal: The republican state and congressional tickets are giving quite general satisfaction over the district and state. Klnkald Is conceded to bo an honor able man with a very strong personal fol lowing which fact gives great strength to any man. For governor, every one admits. he Is a strong man In every way. Strong in character, In honor and with the people. It Is a strong endorsement for any on when he Is well thought and spoken of at home. John H. Mickey has these requisites. Both congressional and state tickets will undoubtedly be winners. Stanton Picket: John A. Mickey's home Is on a farm. He has comfortable build ings, a good orchard and many acres of growing crops, tha same as thousands of other farmers. He has a fine herd of Shorthorn cattle of which he is justly proud. Ha has stock In a bank the same as hundreds of other Nebraska farmers. He Is a bank officer the same as scores of other farmers. He has character and ability beyond question. Yet no sooner was he nominated for governor than the fusion press branded him as a "tool of the railroads, a mere puppet In the hands of corporatlobs." Is it not about time to call a halt on this style of campaigning? No individual or political party can prosper permanently by false accusations and mis representations of those who see and think differently. Perhaps this Is on reason why the fusion parties are growing weaker and lower In publlo esteem. It pays to be fair. Many do not agree with Mr. Mickey politically; such is their privilege, but that he is honest and honorable no man who Is himself honeat and honorable will deny. CHANGES OF A LIFETIME. Conditions of Today Contrasted with o-Called "Good Old Times." Minneapolis Journal. It took the Roman republic some sges to pass from the simple poverty of Its early days upon the seven hills to the magnificent wealth of the age of Augustus, but the American republic has made the change In one generation. The rapidity and extent of this change Is vividly realized in reading such a book as the "Reminiscences" of George 6. Bout- well, the distinguished Massachusetts cltl sen, who is still living at the age of 82. In the second decade of the nineteenth century the Uvea of the American people were severely simple and plain. MoBt of the necessaries of life were raised on the farm by the people living on It Most of their trading was done by barter. The country people scarcely ever got In the course of a year more than enough money to pay their taxes. Governor Boutwell's father was the best farmer In his neigh borhood, but about the only money he ever saw was what he got by a visit to Boston once a year, with a team of oxen and a load of cider, apples, a bog or two and some poultry. The farmers' houses were almost des titute of furniture. Except a few school books and tho family bible there was no reading matter except In favored neighbor hoods where two or three families took a weekly newspaper together. Malls were In frequent and postage was almost prohibi tory. The era of Invention had not begun. The only means of cooking was the open fire and the brick oven. Meat was roasted by suspending from a cord attached to a hook In the ceiling. It was with great difficulty that fires were started or kept going. Tools and food and the labor of men and animals were freely borrowed snd lent Farming tools were rude and deficient ' The poverty of farms In respect to tools made It Impossible for farmers to prosper except by cattle raising and th cultivation of th small grains. Heating; stoves or furnaces were unknown. Communication between distant parts of the country waa practically non-existent and transportation was of the crudest sort. Men were narrow and bigoted. The old religious dogma still had firm hold on the minds of men. Civilisation was stationary. There was a prejudice against innovation and change, a belief that all wisdom was In the fathers. Contrast this simple, narrow life with the complex and broad life of the poorest farmer of our times. Think of the tools and horses, the machinery and the Im proved methods he has. Think of the comforts and luxuries that are his. Think how farming has been changed from slav ery to Inspiring work. Then contrast the picture Governor Boutwell draws with the general wealth, progress In education, dif fusion of knowledge, opportunities and hopefulness of our own times. The old governor is not One of those who fear that decadence will come en as swiftly as wealth and power have. He Is very optimistic He has no fears of reaction against democracy. Only the beginnings of the great power of the people are so far seen. As a matter of fact the tre mendous changes wrought by Improvement of communication and transportation have made It possible tor great free govern ments to exist permanently. It Is now and ever will be the fashion to talk of the good old times, but In America the good old times are not to be compared with ours. Our wealth has not spoiled th nation, though It has ruined some classes. At the core the nation la sounder now than formerly because It Is wiser and better trained and equipped. Newspapers Not la Trnst. Of the many Interesting disclosures made by the census bureau In Its search for industrial data none are more striking than those presented by the report on th growth of the publishing Industry Issued this week. One of th significant facts brought out by the bureau's Inquiries Is that the publishing Industry, or at least the nawspapcr branch of th tnduatry, has remained uninvaded by a trust. Th report shows that of all newspaper and periodical establishments over 61 per cent are owned by Individuals, SO per cent by partnerships and only 17 per cent by corporations. Th statistics tor th census year 1800 show that Zl.SU establishments reported tor this Industry, representing a total Investment of $292,617,071. The sum, however, repre sents only the live capital utilized and th valu of th land, buildings, tools, ma chinery and Implements. Tb Value of th products of th Industry for on ear la given as $347.055. 050. which Is an Increase of it per cent in a decade. To produce this involved an outlay of $3, 090.719 for salaries of officials and clerks, $84,149,889 for wages, $55,897,629 for miscellaneous ex penses and $88,856,290 for materials used. Over 1,250,000,000 pounds of paper were used during 1900, of which almost 78 per eent was consumed for newspapers. Tha total circulation per issue of dailies was enough to supply on paper for every five Inhabitants. , BITS OF WAMI1XQTO I.IFF.. Minor Scenes and Incidents sketched on the "pot. The White House, tenantless. Is as much a Mecca for visitors s when It Is the cen ter of political and social life. Souvenir fiends are numerous In the crowds which, even In the hottest weather, gather about the building watching the workmen tearing away th Interior. Very few leave tho ground without carrying away some scrap of material. Wrought Iron nails found stick ing In pieces of wood are much sought after, "The Improvements of the White House proper," rays the Washington Post, "will be such a departure from the old order ot things that the former occupants of the building will hardly recognize It. The architects are not yet ready to make known just what Is to be done, because they hav not finished all the plans, nor have they definitely settled on th details of decora tion. This matter Is left wholly to the president and the architects employed by him. "The decoration of all the rooms will be on an elaborate scale. There Is absolutely nothing of the old decorations left remain lng In the building. The walls, floors, stair ways, etc., have all been removed, and the plana of the various floors have been changed to meet the new conditions. Since the White House was built It has served as an office, as well as a residence, and there fore little could be done toward beautifying It. Now, however, that the offices are to be removed to a separate building and the ex ecutlv mansion la to be a show place of the republic, the architects are sparing no pains In making It the most beautiful rest dence In America, as far as is possible with the old building as a groundwork. "At the west of the conservatory the foundation for the temporary executive office has already been dug, and the work of con structlon will be begun within a very short time. AH of the offices that were formerly In the White House proper will be accom modated In this new building, which la to have a frontage of 100 feet and a depth of fifty feet. The structure will be built of white brick and will be one story In height, although the ornamental work will make It look somewhat higher. The office of the president and the cabinet room will occupy the entire eastern halt ef the new building. "In the center will be an immense round room, to be used as a reception room. The secretary to the president will have a small room directly In the rear of the re ception room. In the southwest corner ot the building the telegraph room will be placed, and in front of this will be a long room to accommodate the White House staff of clerks, assistant secretaries, etc. There will be several other smaller rooms for clerks, and a room for the newspaper correspondents to the west of the inaia entrance, where every' convenience will be afforded for getting the news and sending it to sll parts ot the country. The entrance hall will be very large and wide and hand somely decorated, as will all of the apart ments. In the basement of the building will be situated the engine room, store rooms.etc," The sum of $45,000 Is In the hands of Sec retary Shaw, waiting the claims of the doctors who attended the late President McKlnley at Buffalo, and of the persons who had charge of the funeral ceremonies. This money waa provided by a special appropriation that was passed during the last days of congress, and the secretary of the treasury was charged with the duty of disbursing It. So far, no claims have been filed, and none of the doctors has submitted a bill. A time limit of two months Is placed on the appropriation, and If the claims are not all in within sixty days the money Is to go back Into the treasury. It la understood that the doc tors concerned are conferring and that they will' present their bills at once. Secretary Shaw has notified customs col lectors that cats of the varieties known as Angora, Persian, . Siamese, Manx, Russian and othera Imported Into the United States for breeding purposes shall be admttted free of duty. Feline pets of common va rieties shall be taxed 20 per cent ad valo rem. The evident purpose of the order, for which it Is alleged Secretary of Agricul ture WUson la responsible. Is to do away With the thousands of common cats which belong to nobody and which occupy their time fighting on back fences to the de struction of sleep of many citizens. He believes that this can be accomplished by levying a prohibitive duty upon ordinary cats and admitting aristocratic felines with long pedigrees free, which will tend to elevate the standard of cat excellence In this country. . An inglorious fate has befallen the war balloon which rose above the timber line before Santiago and drew the Spanish fire on the American troops. That monster gas bag, with a number : of others, was stored at Fort Myer, but the heat of past summers melted the silk and rubber so that the whole bunch are ruined. It was the Intention of General Oreely to have a detachment of his men participate in th coming army and navy maneuvers at the eastern entrance to Long Island sound, and he wanted them to put up a war bal loon as part of their work. Owing to scarcity of men In the signal corps It has been Impossible for the officers to get any practice with these balloons for the last three years, aa every recruit enlisted In the corps has been sent to Manila as soon as equipped for duty. The balloons have been stored away In barns at the fort, but It was not supposed that they would de teriorate. The heat of the sun, however, got In some deadly work and when tb balloons wera overhauled they were found to be practically useless. It possible on of them will be patched up and put Into shape for tb coming practice, but It Is more than likely that they are too far gone ever to be utilized again. MUNICIPAL, HOME Rt'LR, Ripper Legislation Ripped lp the Back In Ohio. Chicago Record-Herald. The recent decision of the supreme court of Oblo Invalidating special legislation en acted for Cleveland and Toledo, while more directly concerning the people of Otato, will call pullc attention to .the necessity for checking th growing tendency of state leg islatures to Interfere with municipal affairs and to usurp the governmental functions tbat properly belong to the cities. In Ohio the limit of endurance In the mat ter of tolerating legislative Interference with city governments baa apparently been reached. The Judges did not content them selves with warnings regarding th con tinued evasion of th constitution, but went back directly and aquarely to first princi ples, declaring that the letter of the con stitution, which merely glvea the general assembly power to organize cities and vil lages by general laws, must be enforced. Tbe Ohio constitution provides that the assembly shall pass no special act confer ring corporate powers on cities and villages. To get around these sections the legislature divided cities Into classes, frequently con sisting of on each, and then passed such laws as It saw tit for cities of each grade or class. When tbe growth of cities was such as to throw two of them Into tbe same claaa the legislature mad Its classification more t peel do so a to separata tbem Into distinct claasea. For Instance, when it desired to legislate for Dayton It made a classification for "any city of th second class containing mors than 10,000 inhabitants and located la a county having a superior court" a descrip tion that exactly fits Dayloa. Cleveland, Cincinnati, Toledo and Toungstown were all P'ared In separate and dletlr.ct classss, which all told numbered about fifty. v While no other state has gone to such ab surd extremities In Its attempt to enact special legislation for the control ot eertala departments of municipal government, tbe tendency toward legislative Interference In the affairs of municipalities hss manifested Itself In other states, notably In New York, Illinois and Indiana. The tendency to vio late the prlnclplea of "home rule" In mu nicipalities Is one of the most dangerous and pernicious developments ot party eon test In thia country, and the action ot th supreme court ot Ohio la timely and grati fying. IS RRYAVS INFHKCK WAXING t Sentiment Strongly Aaalaat Doar-ln tho-Manaer Policy. Philadelphia Ledger (Ind.). Mr. Bryan's Ill-tempered criticism ol ex-President Cleveland and other east ern democrats who favor th return ot the party to the principles that founi acceptance In the days of Mr. Tilden meets with no approval, save possibly from the scattered remnants of populism. Mr. Bryan's dog-in-the-manger policy discred its his own Intelligence. He contends for party orthodoxy, but Is willing to abide by the determination of the majority only when the majority coincides with his views. In his opinion, the disastrous platform of 1896 must be adhered to by the present and future generations of dem ocrats, no matter how emphatically ths people express their dissent. Mr. Bryan, however, Is fast losing his following. On of the most outspoken advocates ot Rryan and the popullatlo Chicago platform was John R. McLean, editor of the Cincinnati Enquirer, and himself a candidate before the convention of 1896. In addressing a recent gathering ot democrats at Colum bus, O., Mr. McLean aaid: "The enduring prlnclplea of Democracy are those upon which we muat rely. No expedient or Irregular inventions are re quired. If there ever Is a time for apolo gies for democratlo existence, or for trifling with the cardinal faith, or for doubtful alliances, the present 1 certainly not that time." In the presidential contest ot 1900 ths democratic party secured no electoral votes outside the "solid south" and four mining states of the west. In the language ot the Nashville American: "Aa a matter of fact, the south In 1900 waa about as little enamored of 16 to 1 as the democrats In other states whose sup port Is necessary to democratlo success. It was an unfortunate situation at Kansas City, and the convention weakly yielded to Mr. Bryan's Imperious demands. Ths south was about as much disgusted as x the democrats of other sections, but in spite of this dissatisfaction southern demo crats stood loyally by the ticket The south will not again yield to Mr. Bryan's dictation. That is a fact which Is now pretty well understood." Further evidence of the desire of th democracy to turn away from Bryanlsm Is found In the fact that recent state con ventions either adopt resolutions on local Issues exclusively, or Ignore the free silver proposition when treating of national ques. tlons. It Is well for the democracy and for the general public that the party if manifesting such a tendency. It is to ths Interest of good government that there shall be In this country a strong minority party to compel tbe majority to maintain faith with the people or suffer the conse quences. This Is true not only as respects congress, but It applies with equal force to legislatures and local councils. If Phil adelphia, for Illustration, had a capable minority party the republioan machine would not dare to perpetrate the outrages upon the taxpayers which itt commits at every opportunity. Mr. Bryan'a only advice to the demo cratic party la to go deeper Into the mire of populism, but from all Indicate ra he will have small influence In the convmilo.t of 1904. He has spent his bolt and rUssid tho mark. Charge it Vp to Pelee. Chicago Chronicle. And now we learn that Mont Pelee has ' deflected the gulf stream from Its proper route. This leaves Kdwara s pernypnuus as the only misfortune of the last tnrea montha for which that malignant volcano hi not responsible. LAUGHING MATTERS. Detroit Free Press: "Well, why don you say something?" asked the xangry woman, after her long harangue. "My dear," replied her husband, meekly, "nothing remains to be said." Chicago Tribunal "Well," asked the caller, "have you cleaned everything up since th Fourth?", . . , Almost," said the mother of th larg family of boys, putting her apron to her eye. "There a one ot Dickey s fingers we haven't found yet" Philadelphia Press: "By the way." re minded the curioua Inquirer, "what s a synonymous expression for talking ""Well." replied Joakley. "there's 'ton sorial emporium,' and 'halr-cuttlng par lor.' " wuhtnitnn Btari "I suppose you ar .,ree!" ..... .u A "1 don 1 anow auuui uii, " rilipino general. B 7 7 . I having to go out and hunt for work lnateaa of having your meals brought to you. When I go to .-i.iinua aha aald. "I always feel like getting man-led again myself.1 ..iiin. mini, aauln tnvself.' . ." , i w mmmirmti maklna- a naatv count of her divorces, "you must have at tended a lot of them In your time, haven t youT fnunutMiJiiii . ' - " the exacting housekeeper, ' such a mess as tnis tirasa is. is wier an? mm you can make?" Faith, there is. ma'am." replied the new cook, reaching for the rolling pin: Ol kin make trouble to the quane s taste. Chicago Post: "Is there any reason why sentence should not be passed on you? '""pfenry'of'tirem," replied the prisoner. Btate them." ailthe l"''6:.. "What's the uae? asked the prisoner. "While they're good enough reasons for ma there s no , chance that they d b good enough for you." Chicago Tribune: "Can't you shoot off hand T' Jeere-1 the farmer boy. "I can." stiffly replied th etty sports man, "but I prefer to take a rest I m on my vacation. ' Bomervllle Journal: Contrary to the gen eral belief an experienced barber says that married men don't grow bald any faater than bachelors do. Chicago Post: "Of course," said the young mother, "our little girl Is th sweet est child in th whole world, but If w had another how could we pick out the sweet est child In th whole world?" And the young father had to give K up. THE AVKMACili MAN. Margaret E. Sangster. When It cornea to a question of trusting Yourself to the risk of th road. When the thing la th sharing of burdens, The lifting the heft of th load. In the hour of peril or trial, In the hour you meet as you can, Tou may aafery depend on the wisdom And skill of tbe average man. 'TIs the average man and no other Who does his plain duty each day, The small thing his wage la for doing. On the commonplace bit of the way. 'TIs th average man, may Ood bless him. Who pilots us, still in th van, Over land, over sea, as we travel, Just the plain, hardy, average man. Bo on through the days of existence. All mingling in shadow and shine. We may count on the every-day hero, . Whom haply the gods may divine, But who wears tbe awarth grim of his calling, And labors and earns as he ean, And stands at the last with the noblest. Tb commonplace.