0
THE OMATTA DAILY . HEE: FRIDAY, 8EPTEMHER 12, 10012.
'niE Omaha Daily Bee
E. ROSE WATER, EDITOR.
PCBL18HIOJ EVERT MORNING.
TERMS OP SUBSCRIPTION.
Dally ltee (without Bunoayi, una Vear. .14.00
Ualiy tiee anu ounciay. uns leaf
lliumraied bee. one lear ''
biMiuav i-.ee. on e.ar
Baluruay Uee, one leaf l.w
iwtnueih century farmer, one xear...iw
Dfc.LIVjbKfcD BY CAHKlfcU.
Dally Hee (without Sunday;, per copy.... 2c
Lauy iiee iwiuiout nun.1.iy(, per weea...l;tc
Jjaiiy uee (iiiciuuiiiR Bunuay), pur week.. lie
bunuay urv, per ciy 00
Evening lee wnh'in Hunday), per week c
Evening iiee (including ounday), Per
W)'K I"0
Complaints of Irrcgularltlca In delivery
houia oe audressed to city Circulation De
partment. OFFICES.
Omaha The Bee Building.
bouth Omaha City Hall Building, Twen-ty-nith
and M Streets.
Council HIufTs lu fear) Street.
Chicago ijV) Unity bullulng.
New lork 23yi lark How Building.
Washington Ml Fourteenth Street.
CORRESPONDENCE.
Communications relating to news and edi
torial mutter mould be addressed: Omaha
Bee, Editorial Department.
BUSINESS LETTERS.
Bunlnesh letters and remittances should
be addressed : The Bee Publishing Com
pany, Omaha.
REMITTANCES.
Remit by draft, express or postal order,
payable to The Bee Publishing Company.
Only 2-cent stamps accented In payment of
mall accounts, personal checks, except on
Omaha or eastern exchanges, not accepted.
THE BEE PUBLISHING COMPANY.
STATEMENT OF CIRCULATION.
Stats of Nebraska, Douglas County, as:
Oeorgs B. Teschuck. secretary of The Bee
Publishing Company, being duly sworn,
aya that tho actual number of full and
complete copies of The Dally, Morning,
Evening and Sunday Bee printed during
th month of August, 1W2, was aa follows:
1 H,720 It 2,!W4
SH.770 17 88,820
1 2M.U35 18 20,30
4 2s,10 ID 20,770
1 28,000 20 80,380
2S.700 21 30,120
7 28,7tK 22 2,900
28,760 23 80,810
28.O0O 21 28,785
10 28,780 26 80,3.'U
11 28,750 26 20,800
12 28,730 27 20,030
13 28,820 28 20.0(10
14 28,020 29 8O.070
15 28,730 SO ao,110
(1 20,120
Total 900,440
Lass unsold and returned copies'.... 0,877
Net total sales 800,503
Net dally average 28,021
GEO. B. TZSCHUCK.
Subscribed In my presence and sworn to
before roe this 1st day of September, A. D.,
I. M. B. HUNGATE,
(Seal.) Notary Public.
Any more final curtains to be dropped
on the great Transrulsslssippl exposi
tion? We are waiting for the school board
to challenge the city council to a match
game of ping pong.
With fads running to the antiques, an
old-fashioned wood pile Is likely to come
Into great favor again.
Omaha is soon to entertain thousands
of visitors. First Impressions go the
furthest Help make Omaha look at
tractive. As a stopping place between trains
Washington still manages to maintain
Its place aa the official residence of the
president
It seems that there was something
more than merely well-defined ramors
In St Louis. That Is the strong con
trast between St. Louis and Omaha.
Fusion has gone a-gllmmering In Colo
rado. That's always the way whenever
the democrats reach the point that they
believe they do not need the populists
to win.
Two thousand Mormon missionaries
are said to be spreading the gospel of
the Mormon church in continental Eu
rope. Presumably this is part of the
American peril.
Omaha got $45,000 out of Our Dave's
omnibus building bill, while the District
of Columbia came in for $2,125,000.
That's the way that wonderful chair
manship works.
Whatever else they may bring back,
the American generals enjoying the hos
pitality of Emperor William will bring
home with them some tall stories about
royal entertainment
Italy now proposes to suppress dueling
VI part of the code of honor of the army
officer. It may take some time yet but
eventually dueling will be found only
on the code of dishonor.
Total national bank circulation out
standing at the present time exceeds
that of any period in American history.
Totals are just now at top notch In
everything that goes to make up the sum
of national prosperity.
Governor Stone ' of Pennsylvania
should not be discouraged lu bis efforts
.to secure a settlement of the coal strike.
It may turn out that the differences can
be adjusted without waiting for the aid
or consent of J. Pierpont Morgan.
St Louis la simply indulging In a little
municipal housecleaniug preparatory to
its great Louisiana Purchase exposition
that will hold the boards in 11)04. Every
exposition city has a housecleaning
party In anticipation of such un event
Only fifty oersons will be invited to
participate In the dinner given to Presi
dent UooMvelt during his visit to
Omaha. That means that several times
fifty will be wanting to know who is
responsible for the omission of their
names from the chosen list. .
Only six Nebraska cities will be
favored with stops when President
Roosevelt swings round the circle. But
that will not prevent the entire popu
lace along the' line from turning out at
every station to speed the president on
hit way as the train passes.
Union ratine strikers say they are
satisfied 'the ' way things are going.
Now If Union Pacific official will say
that they are also satisfied the way
things are going, everybody ought to
be satisfied except the general public
a&d the patrons of the road.' '
HOW IT WOVLD OPtRATK.
It cannot be too often pointed out that
the Individual manufacturers of the
country, who connate with the com
binations, would In all probability suffer
very much more than the trusts If the
proposed policy of taking the tnrlft du
ties off trust-made goods should be put
Into effect. A paper that has strongly
urged trust regulation and supervision
and is not favorable to high protection,
the New York Journal of Commerce,
points out that the protective system
is not the only, or the necessary, cause
of industrial combinations and at
tempted monopolies. Furthermore, it
says, every article that Is produced by a
trust Is also produced by outside par
ties, some of them of comparatively
small capital, and it Is impracticable to
remove protection from the combinations
It is desired to regulate without remov
ing it from their Independent com
petitors. "Besides." adds that paper,
"price Is not the only element involved
in the trust question, but it is the only
point at which a reduction of duties
would touch it The revision of the
tariff, whenever it comes, must be to
relieve our own customers and to open
the way for a larger export trade, but
not to punish trusts."
The Boston Transcript remarks that
the proposed "easy way" of reducing or
abolishing the tariff on trust-made goods
would land us In the quagmire of
deeper business depression than that
from which we emerged five years ago.
"The trusta by no means make all the
goods made in their line. The Indi
vidual manufacturer would be the first
to feel the blow. The trust, with its
greater organization and capital, would
have more time to protect Itself, but
even If it were ultimately 'downed' it
would pull down the business of the
country with it In its falL To demolish
the tariff protection utterly would be to
throw our markets wide open to the
manufacturers of Europe, to pay what
prices they should see fit to dictate;
that is, assuming that the business de
pression left us with enough money to
buy on any other scale than from band
to mouth."
The Individual manufacturers are
numerous. They are doing business in
most of the states, have in the aggregate
hundreds of millions of capital Invested
and employ an army of labor. They
constitute a most important part of our
industrial system and contribute very
largely to the general prosperity. These
Individual manufacturers are entitled to
consideration. The country cannot af
ford to adopt a policy that would
seriously Injure stud possibly ruin tho
enterprises they represent It cannot
afford to take a course that would re
sult in throwing hundreds of thousands
of worklngmen out of employment de
moralizing the business of the country
and checking prosperity. The Important
point to be kept in mind Is that while
the Individual manufacturers could not
survive the removal of protection, hav
ing to contend against the competition
of the home combinations and foreign
manufacturers, that policy would not
necessarily destroy the trusts and prob
ably would increase their . opportunity
for creating monopolies.
A BTROHU tlSASCUL POSITION.
For the last few years, under repub
lican administration of. the government,
the country has become so familiar with
large treasury balances that little at
tention is given to the regular reports
of the condition of the financial depart
ment of the government. Thus probably
very few persons outside of banking
circles gave even passing notice to the
statement given out a few days ago
showing the amount of gold In the na
tional treasury. There was at the close
of last week $573,036,104, exceeding
that of any previous time In the history
of the country and, with one possible
exception, exceeding the gold holdings
of any country at any time in the history
of the world. The single reported -exception
is that of Kussla about eight
years ago, when that country waa pre
paring to resume specie payments and
is said to have accumulated $508,000,000
in gold.
The stock of gold In the treasury is
being added to at the rate of from $200,
000 to $300,000 a day, with no imme
diate prospect of a cessation in the rate
of deposits. This condition Is said to
be eminently satisfactory to the treas
ury officials, who regard it as the best
possible evidence of prosperity and of
confidence in the financial stability of
the country. Thut Is the rational view
to take of it In the last few years
we have been selling so largely to the
rest of the. world that gold has been
coming In large volume to the United
States. It Is necessary only to point to
the enormous trade balance during the
lust live years In order to explain why
our stock of gold Is so great and is
still growing. There was a different
atate of affairs under the last demo
cratic administration, when bouds were
sold to get gold into the treasury. The
situation la one that should command
the attention of every citizen and sug
gest tho wisdom of avoldiug policies
that would produce a change.
THS Sl'i VA TiOS A T PA KAMA.
Our government has an Interest In the
situation on the Isthmus of Panama,
where the revolutionists appear to be
practically In control, that does not
grow entirely out of relations to the
canal. It has a treaty obligation that
requires It to prevent the isthmus being
closed to traffic. As matters now look
this may necessitate very vigorous ac
tion regarding the revolutionists, but
only so far as their course iu regard to
the traffic on the Isthmus is concerned;
that Is to say, there will be no inter
ference with their operations against
the Colomblau government that do not
Interrupt the freedom of commerce.
The state of affairs is regarded at
Washington as sufficiently serious to
warrant the sending of additional war
ships to Panama and Colon and orders
to this effect have already been made
by the Navy department It does not
appear from the dispatches that Amer
ican' interests are being threatened by
the revolutionists, but this Is a danger
to be apprehended. The revolution
ary party In Colombia has leen rejwrted
to be rather adverse to the t'nlted States
in regard to the canal and ns it Is mak
ing a pretty formidable content against
the government, with more than a pos
sibility of being ultimately successful. It
may prove a serious obstacle to canal
negotiations. Meanwhile our govern
ment Is taking all necessary precautions
to protect American Interests at Panama
and to fulfil its treaty obligations.
THOSK PF.RTiyg.Sr QCtSTWHS.
Although Congressman Mercer has
been Invited to address nearly every
ward meeting that has been held In
Omaha since his return on his every-other-year
visit, people are still waiting
for replies to the very pertinent but uu
answered questions originally pro
pounded to bis champion, William F.
Ourley, and repented again and again
to our nonresident congressman himself.
Mr. Ourley said he could not answer be
cause he Is no mind-reader, but that ex
cuse does not hold good for Mercer.
Will Mr. Mercer tell us whether he
will be satisfied with a sixth term lu
congress and qulf there, or will he in
sist on a seventh term, an eighth term
and a perpetual lien on the district until
he gets a more lucrative job?
Mr. Mercer has not lived in Omaha
during the last six years. He has paid
no personal taxes in Omaha since 1805.
Will he become a resident of Omaha in
case be falls to secure renoinination or
will he continue to live In Washington
and resume his old vocation as legisla
tive lobbyist on a larger scale?
It is a matter of notoriety that Mr.
Mercer has treated cadetship appoint
ments to West Point and Annapolis as
personal perquisites, to be distributed to
sous of favored politicians, instead of
throwing them open to competition, so
that every boy in the district the poor
man's son as well as the rich man's son
should have an equal chance to secure
a military or naval education. Will Mr.
Mercer pursue this policy in his sixth
term, as he has in all his previous
terms?
Every congressman is entitled to draw
$100 a month for clerk hire and every
house committee has a salaried secre
tary. The secretary of the committee
on public buildings, of which Mr. Mercer
is chairman, receives $2,000 a year for
his services. Instead of giving employ
ment to some deserving Nebraska re
publican as his clerk, Congressman Mer
cer has pocketed the $1,200 a year clerk
hire and made the secretary of his com
mittee perform the duties of personal
clerk without allowance for the extra
work. Will Mr. Mercer continue to
pocket the $1,200 besides his regular
salary of $5,000 a year and other per
quisites in case he secures a sixth term
In congress?
In the month of May, 1000, the senate
passed a bill establishing a general
quartermaster's depot In Omaha, which
would have given our merchants the
long-desired army supply purchasing
station Instead of a mere storage ware
house. ThlB bill was referred by the
speaker of the boude'to Congressman
Mercer, but he kept it in his pocket until
March 4, 1001, and deliberately killed it
The only explanation Mercer's cham
pions have seen fit to offer for this be
trayal of the interests of Omaha Is that
the bill was designed to keep the army
headquarters in the Bee building, which
would have exposed Omaha to the risk
of losing the army headquarters alto
gether. Inasmuch as the army head
quarters were removed to the old post
office building in June, 1000, eight
months before congress adjourned, Mr.
Mercer must Invent a more plausible
story to satisfy intelligent voters. What
Is the true story? Was it because the
bill had been introduced by Senator
Thurston or was it because Mercer did
not want the editor of The Bee to have
credit for doing a good thing for Omaha?
In the winter of 1800 a draft for $200
was handed to Mr. Mercer, to be used
in promoting the Greater America ex
position. That draft, now in possession
of the Merchants' National bank, is en
dorsed on the back by George Sabine,
who holds a position at Washington as
part of Mr. Mercer's patronage. Why
did Mr. Mercer have to have a middle
man to cash that draft? Is that the
way business is done at Washington?
Proceeding on the brazen assumption
that the people of Omaha need him more
than he needs the people of Omaha,, our
lordly nonresident congressman evinces
a disposition to Ignore these pertinent
questions. But the people will not be
satisfied with contemptuous silence. It
Is up to Mr. Mercer to answer.
STKADFASTSt.su VF SEW ESGLAtiD.
The elections in Vermont and Maine
indicate no abatement In the steadfast-
1 ness of New England to the republican
party and President Itoosevelt's admin
istration. It was anticipated that the
off-year vote would as usual fall off,
but in Maine the republicans carried the
four congressional districts by majori
ties approaching the high water mark
of presidential years, while the legis
lature Is almost unanimous. In Ver
mont It is true, the campaign was com
plicated by the local liquor Issue, about
one-half of the republicans supporting
an antl-prohlbition ticket but the demo
cratic party practically disappeared.
The republicanism of Vermont and
Maine is of the stalwart type. There
is absolutely no sign of dissatisfaction
among the masses of the party with the
conduct and purposes of the administra
tion, nor ground for hope for democratic
propagandlsm. It has not been vigor
ously attempted In these two states.
President Roosevelt's courageous course
has been a help to the party, and these
election returns are the first fruits. The
enthusiastic reception accorded the
president during his recent tour through
New England was a genuine expression,
of public conviction, and the closely fol
lowing elections are a good augury for
the national campaign.
There will not be room on the same
platform this year for Colonel Bryan
and Judge M. J. Wade of Iowa City,
who has Just been nominated by the
democrats for congress in the Second
Iowa district. Judge Wade is an un
compromising gold democrat and was
nominated for that reason, and In his
speech accepting nomination counseled
democrats "to return to the teachings of
Grover Cleveland."
The Ninth congressional district in
Iowa' is another district that now be
longs to "the enemy's country." The
democratic convention there dropped
the Kansas City platform with a sick
ening thud, and roughly refused to listen
to a long-winded free silver tirade that
a Bryanlte spellbinder undertook to per
petrate. ThlB district too, borders on
Nebraska.
The railroad tax bureau Is taking a
brief breathing spell by using a scissors
on a few country papers that have pub
lished articles of their own on the rail
road Klde of the tax evasion question
and paying other papers to reprint them.
If they were not paid for originally, they
ought to have been.
Senator Teller will shed no more tears
that the republican party has left him.
Having espoused the democratic faith In
full' without a whimper to make sure of
democratic backing in his campaign for
re-election to the senate, he baa nothing
more to gain by masquerading In repub
lican clothes.
The Iowa State Weather bureau plays
a sure game. It does not venture Into
tho hazardous field of prophecy, but
issues a monthly bulletin telling what
the weather has been.
The way for Dave Mercer to save the
district is to stay out since he has
moved out of it
Take 'Em and Be Happy.
Minneapolis Journal.
We haven't figured Just what percentage
of comfort the democrats are able to get
out of the Maine election with a 25,000 re
publican majority, but we are willing to
throw in the fractions.
Another Bnneh of Frost.
Washington Post
The Hon. David B. Hill has arranged to
have a certain Nebraska gentleman com
pletely ignored In the platform of the
New York democrats. Are the New York
democrats to follow their Iowa and Wis
consin brethren? ..
A Chronic Condition.
Baltimore American.
The democratic campaign book con
demns the failure to give reciprocity to
Cuba and then goes ahead In another para
graph and condemns reciprocity. How
ever, th! is 1 return to th true rao
cratic principle of "condemning every
thing." A Lesson Remembered.
Boston Globe.
There's a lesson In an incident of Presi
dent Roosevelt's return from Chlckamauga.
While he was driving along Missionary ridge
Sunday afternoon there came a trolley car
down the side of the mountain toward a
crossing which his carriage had not
reached. It was observed that the driver
was stopped by the secret service men and
the trolley car was respectfully allowed to
go Its way before the carriage was taken
across the tracks'.
Reesdllnar aa Old Anecdote.
Boston Herald.
The resolution Just passed by a populist
convention out west that reads, "While
the republican party doea something and
raises h 1, the democratic party raises
h 1 and does nothing," recalls a veritable
anecdote of the earlier days of politics.
A whig and a democrat were disputing, and
the whig challenged the democrat to show
what the democrats as, a party had ever
done. "Done!" says the democrat "Done!"
we have done everything. We have killed
the United States bank, passed the sub
treasury bill, enacted the tariff of 1846,
and we have we have' here the demo
crat stopped and stuttered to think of
something else, and Anally wound up by
saying, "We've raised h 1 generally." The
whig agreed that be waa right in the latter
statement
Gold In the Trenanry.
St. Louis Globe-Democrat.
The breaking of a record in the gold hold
ings of the treasury doea not attract the
attention today which It would have done a
few years ago, when the government was
selling interest-bearing bonds to get gold
enough to. protect its greenback redemption
fund. The treasury's gold stock now is
$574,000,000. which is by far the largest sum
held in the depository of any government
in the world. Of course, a large part of
this is trust gold, held by the government
for the redemption of notes outstanding.
The existence of this vast hoard of gold,
however, steadies the country' currency
and gives it a strength not equaled by that
of any other government in the world. In
the country at large the gold stock must
be in the nelghborhod of II, 100 ,000,000 now.
It has been above the $1,000,000,000 mark
for a year or more. The country which
comes nearest to this total Is France, with
$300,000,000.
A MILITANT PRESIDENT.
"His Advice Goes for the Making
the Beat Cltlsenahtp."
Detroit Free Press dem.).
A good deal of concern has been expressed
over the president of the United Statea be
cause of the freedom with which he is
speaking his miad before the people of the
country. By these protestants his social
philosophy is condemned as heretical and
revolutionary. The offense of the president
Is found in the fact that he has gone at the
questiona of domestic relations, industrial
ameliorations and educatlocal and political
reforms aa one who la of and for the people.
He enjoys the fresh and original results of
personal observation, experienco and study.
There was unconscious egoism expressed
by Mr. Roosevelt when he said to tha
Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen: "I
want to aee the average American a game
man. an honest man and a man who can
handle himself and doea handle himself well
under difficulties." This was the voicing of
a personal aspiration that supplies In force
and In the sympathy that It attracts far
more than Is lost becauae of failure to
fawn before the power of concentrated
wealth that hat latterly essayed to hold the
reins of government. Threat from that
quarter becomes Impotent when tt Is real
ized that the president Is bent upon serv
ing the entire country In a way that will
give to all the fruits of prosperity and keep
open the avenues of competition. It is a
crisis in which we need a fighting presi
dent; a man who is not afraid to bid the
encroachments of a favored class to cease
and to advise the masses to proceed by legal
process to regain tbelr own. W have in
him a scholarly, able and combative re
former. Taking Into consideration the
forces with which he contends and the
purposes he alma to attain, be shows as
admirable conservatism. His entire advice
goes for the making of the beet citizenship.
MrSICIlMti GRAFT 171 ST. I.OVIS.
St. Louis Republic: For many years the
boodlers in the house of delegates have
laughed at all suggestions of the likelihood
of their being made to answer for their
crimes. It now seems that the people's
turn to laugh has come and he laughs best
who laughs last.
St. Louis Globe-Democrat: All the bood
lers took an oath never to divulge any facts
connected with their bribery operations and
called upon "Almighty God" to witness their
fidelity. After the scoundrels serve their
terms in the penitentiary they should be
taken to an asylum for moral idiots.
Chicago Chronicle: ' There Is reason to
believe that the BL Louis boodlers were
doing a more lucrative business than some
others of their kind in other cities. The
statement that the average price of an al
derman -who la disposing of a franchise
worth a million Is $2,600 may not be tar
from the mark, but the small fry probably
get no more than $500 each, while the gen
tlemen of "Influence" get $10,000 or more.
Aldermen come pretty cheap on the whole.
Chicago Inter Ocean: St. Louis Is en
titled to the hearty congratulations of every
community in this country that Is cursed by
a Doodling combine. The prospect ahead of
the world's fair city Is certainly bright.
It has seldom fallen to the lot of an Ameri
can municipality to be burdened as BL
Louis has been with such a powerful gang
of conscienceless thieves, but, on the other
hand, it has seldom fallen to the lot of an
American municipality to be presented with
such a splendid opportunity of sending so
many of them In a batch to state's prison.
Detroit Free Press: There are two things
In connection with the expose that are sur
prising even In these days of official
corruption. One Is that nineteen delegates,
a large proportion of whom were rated as
responsible and honorable citizens, should
combine for a purpose that is criminally
fraudulent and should boldly meet In the
city hall to perfect their schemes of black
mall and robbery. The other is that the
people generally of the afflicted city have
known the character of the men who were
serving them in public office and the meth
ods by which they were enriching them
selves. Tolerance had gone so far that
the boodlers felt comparatively aafe and
made little effort to conceal their doings.
Another effect of popular Indifference was
to produce moral stupefaction on the part
of the offenders. The fact that they were
doing wrong ceased to impress them. They
sold what they had pledged to the people
and did not regard it as a crime. This is
positively startling, and yet It Is the danger
threatening every large city In the coun
try. The people have been hammered and
looted so long that they promise to grow
complacent under the treatment.
STRANGE CAREER OF ROACH.
Paaalnar of Former United States
Senator from North Dakota.
Buffalo Express.
William N. Roach, former United Statea
senator from North Dakota, died In New
York on Sunday. Roach had one of the
moat remarkable careers of any man who
ever figured in American public lite. He
was born in Virginia In 1840 and begaa his
business life In Washington, first as an em
ploye of the government and later as
cashier of the Citizens' National bank. In
1879 Roach suddenly left Washington under
a cloud. It was alleged that he bad been
using the funds of the bank for his own
purposes and that! the shortage amounted
to $64,000. For some reason no attempt was
made to follow and arrest him. He disap
peared from sight and was forgotten.
Much to the amazement of the people of
Washington who remembered him, h re
turned to the capital In 1893 an accredited
United States senator, having been elected
as a democrat after a prolonged deadlock.
It was learned that for the preceding tuelve
years he had been one of tha most emi
nently respectable and highly esteemed
citizens of North Dakota; that he had ac
cumulated there a comfortable property and
that he had been a candidate on the demo
cratic ticket for congress and twice for
governor without a suspicion having been
entertained by the men who trusted him
that his record was anything but clear.
There was a nine-day session over the
revelations. Senator Hoar proposed aa In
vestigation with a view to the expulsion of
Roach from the senate. Roach sail he
would welcome Investigation and some of
his friends alleged that there were other
men In the senate whose early careers
would not bear the light any better than
Roach's. Perhaps because of this the mat
ter was allowed to drop and Roach served
out his term. He beaded a Bryan dele
gation from North Dakota to the demo
cratic national convention of 1896 and after
the expiration of his term he engagnd la
business in New York.
A! EBB IX PENSIONS.
Footprints of Time Visible on the
Roll of Honor.
New York Tribune.
Abundant evidence can be found In the re
port of the auditor for the Interior depart
ment. Issued a few days ago, to sustain the'
contention that the nation's expenditures for
pensions are certain to show from now on a
more and more material shrinkage. So
much loose talk la afloat about "high water
marks" In the pension Hat and "high tides"
in pension payments that the real ebb to
ward a more moderate average of disburse
ments is too commonly lost sight of. Great
stress was laid this year by critics who
chronically assail the open-handed liberality
of our pension system on the fact that the
total number of pensioners on the rolls bad
mounted a little nearer than ever to the
million mark. On July 1, according to the
calculations of the commissioner of pen
sions, there were 999,446 names in all on the
agency Hats. But little or no attention wns
given to the fact that for four years past. In
spite of the adjudication of between 200,000
and 300,000 new claims, there has been prac
tically no expansion whatever of the pen
sion roll. On July 1, 1901, the number of
persons entitled to draw pensions was 997,
735; on July 1, 1900, tt was 993,525. Nine
years ago, long before the rush of applica
tions under the dependent pension act of
1899 had apent Itself, the total was 966,012.
The slight Increases made since 1897 have
plainly testified, In fact, to the gradual ex
haustion o( the extraordinary pressure for
enrollment created by that most lavish and
all-embracing statute. It would not be sur
prising if, with a continuance of the
bureau's present policy of pushing the ad
Jus, ment of outstanding claims, the pension
list should next year pass the million mark.
But Indications point decidedly to a reaction
thereafter a drop which will carry the total
gradually back to where it stood soma ten or
even fifteen yeara ago.
In reality, although tbs pension list grew
a little In the last twelvemonth, disburse
ments through the agencies actually de
creased. The auditor for the Interior de
partment reports that the sum actually
spent for pensions waa $137,400,741. This Is
a mlHlcn less than the total for 1900-'01 and
Is the smallest amount disbursed In any year
since 1892. Five years ago, when but 993,
714 names were on tbs rolls, the payments
made aggregated $144,500,000. In 1892-'93.
when there were but 966,012 pensioners, the
sum paid out reached the record-breaking
figure of $156,806,537. In ten years, there
fore, the annual pension charge has fallen
over $19,000,000, and it la fair to presume
that the Influences which have contributed
to this decline will continue to opera la dur
ing tbs next decade.
BITS OF WASHINGTON MFK.
Minor Scenes and Incidents Sketched
en the Spot.
An uncommonly dull summer at the ns
tlonal capital Is drawing to a close. ThJ
feeling of languor which spreads over the
town when, congress closes shop grow aa
the season advances and vacations multiply.
The closing of the White House for repairs
this summer materially increased the dull
ness, which reached high water mark with
the opening of September. The coming
national encampment of the Grand Army Is
expected to signalize the return of normal
conditions, arousing the natives from their
slumbers and banishing the tired feeling
In countless pockets.
Some of the townspeople already awake
and on the jump are banking on an un
usually gay social aeason during the com
ing winter. By November nearly half a
million dollars will be apent on the White
House. There will be no air of shop about
the new home building for the president
of the United States. There have beeu
presidents who used the conservatory to
grow cucumbers In and another kept his
saddles In the east wing, but President
Roosevelt has no such ideas. There are
to be drawing rooms and verandas, ban
quet rooms and rooms red, green and
blue, where social functions can be given
In keeping with the dignity of the office.
The president does nothing by halves, and
he has left no room for speculation about
the coming White Houae season. The
president likes work, but he likes to play
equally as well. Until Mr. Roosevelt, with
the exception of Arthur, there has not
been a president In the White House since
the war who knew much about the art of
entertaining. Mrs. Roosevelt Is still young
and Miss Roosevelt Is going through an
experience this summer which will give her
the repose and confidence required from
a hostess who must meet the best society
of the world.
It Is also certain that the Hays, socially
conspicuous sloce John Hay became secre
tary of state, will be prominent in society
circles. The marriage of Miss Helen Hay
to Harry Payne Whitney was an elaborate
affair. Soon the wedding of Miss Alice
Hay and "Jimmy" Wadeworth will take
place In the New Hampshire hills. It will
be a different affair from the Hay-Whitney
wedding. Of courae the Wadsworths as
well as the Whltneys are coming to Wash
ington and besides them there will be Mr.
and Mrs. Michael Herbert. Mrs. Herbert
was a Wilson of the New York set. Mr.
Herbert, as ambassador from the court of
St. James, unites the diplomatic corps with
the New York ,,400." Mr. Herbert was the
former chum of Mr. Roosevelt.
The superstitious may prepare for
another shock. A thlrteen-cent postage
stamp Is about to be Issued by the govern
ment. The phiz of Benjamin Harrison will
ocoupy the center of the Held. This will
be the first thirteen-cent stamp ever issued
by the United States; up to 1879 a stamp
of the value of seven cents had been in use
ten years, but was discontinued when the
rate of foreign postage was reduced to 6
cents. The new Harrison stamp will be lit
tle used In domestic malls. Its Issuance
is the outgrowth of the increased foreign
registration service; covering as tt will the
postage and registration fee upon a letter
weighing one-half ounce anywhere within
the limits of the postal union, which now
includes practically ail the organized na
tions of the world.
Stamp experts who have examined the
drawing for the new stamp say it will be
one of the finest specimens of a postage
stamp ever produced, not excepting the
famous Columbian series, the Transmis
stsslppi and the Pan-American sets. In ad
dition to the usual "United States of Amer
ica" and "Postage, Thirteen Cents" . the
Inscription,' "Series of 1902," together with
"Harrison" and figures giving the date of
birth and death appear upon the design.
The portrait was selected by Mrs. Harrison
and Is said to have been the late president's
favorite.
A novelty In national coin, typical of na
tional expansion, and Intended for circula
tion In the Philippine islands only, will be
produced at the mints and shipped to the
islands at the rate of $250,000 a month.
Designs prepared by native artists have
been accepted for use in the dollar and
half-dollar sliver pieces, and others are
under consideration. One Is a very orna
mental figure of a Filipino woman, attired
In graceful flowing robes. The other repre
sents a brawny native, with a hammer at
a forge, typifying the Filipino hammering
out the destinies of the Islands. The law
requires that each coin shall bear a device
and Inscription to express the sovereignty
of the United States, although In other re
spects they may be as strongly pro-Philippine
as the designers can make them. The
idea of the Washington authorities Is to
saturate the islands with the new money,
co as to dn away with the use of the Mexi
can dollar as much as possible.
PERSONAL, MOTES.
If Boris, the Russian, doesn't watch out
the W. C. T. U. will catch him.
Now that Colonel Waiterson has de
molished Newport society he ought to turn
his rapid-Are vocabulary on the atrikes.
Secretary Wilson aays he haa not been
tendered the presidency of the Iowa Agri
cultural college and would not accept It If
be was ao honored.
SamueV Hawkins Napier, who haa Just
been burled In Upper Ottawa, was the dis
coverer of the largest nugget of pure gold
which the world has ever known.
William H. Moody, secretary of the navy,1
acted as umpire in a base ball game played
. . tiav.rhin Mus.. several days ago be
tween the lawyers and city officials of that
city.
Slxktller, the aed ex-chief of the Chero
kees, has Just died at hla home In the
onavinaw Hills. Indian Territory. His
death witnesses the passing of one of the
most picturesque figures of the southwest.
dv 1 AltUn' deslrn has been ac-
"
cepted by the McKlnley Memorial Monu-
mt committee of San Franclaco. On tha
monument Is a colossal figure of the re
public, with a bust of McKlnley in has
relief of stons.
Mrs. Carrie Nation Is perambulating
about the east, and receives so little at
tention that she might as well have been
a defeated vice presidential candidate of
some distant campaign. She la seeking
money for her home for tha wives of
drunkards In Kansas City. Her hatchet
has been replaced altogether by her elocu
tion; ahe amasbes no more and merely
talk.
The Are department at Larchmont, New
York's well suburb, had Its annual turn
out a few daya ago, most of Its million
aire member being present In uniform.
And they are not an ornamental lot,
either. Everyone of them almost I an en
thusiastic and well drilled fireman and a
brave show they made on parade, with
their white duck trouser. red shirts and
red helmet topped with email lanterns.
Agent Craig, who was killed In th Pitta
Held accident, one gave fencing lesson
In Chlcopee, according to th Springfield
Republican, and exhibited a aword of
clmeter shape that be took from a dervish
In the Boudan. It was an excellent weapon
and he had supposed It of true Oriental
make. The nam "Chlcopee" on the blade
was Oriental for anything he knew. He
learned tha facta, of course, when be came
to Chlccpee. Tb aword wa on of th lot
the Ames people bad made for th Turkish
government sixty yar ago.
t!IO! OF THE SECTIONS.
Manifestation of Popnlnr Sentiment
on President' Southern Trip.
Kansas City Star (Ind.) . .
The large gatherings and marked en
thusiasm that have characterized Presi
dent Roisevelt's tour through West Vir
gins, Kenturky, Tennessee and North
Carolina are new and gratifying evidences
of the patriotic union of the United States.
It was not essential for the .president to
make this visit to the (onthern states In
order to demonstrate popular feeling
toward him In that aectlon. His former
visit, when he went to South Carolina In
connection with the opening of the Charles
ton exposition served the purpose at an
earlier date and at a time when there
was an attempt to set sectional feeling
against him because of bis attitude toward
th obstreperous and disorderly Senator
Tillman. That visit was replete with evidences-
of patriotism and admiration end
the present tour has been attended with
every kind of recognition that could be
desired.
It Is trite and often out of place to
reiterate the oneness of the union, but it
ta still appropriate to comment on the fact
that while the presidents for many years
have been chosen from the north, the south
has been conspicuously loyal, generous and
hospitable toward th chief magistrates who
have visited that section. Even now, when
there is a good deal of agitation as to the
advisability of selecting th next democratic
nominee for the presidency from among th
outhern statesmen, the Idea has more en
couragement In the north than It haa re
ceived in the south. Tb desire to have
the southern states participate more largely
in national affair Is very general. The
progress of the south In all directions, es
pecially along industrial lines, la welcomed
everywhere a a sign of the equable broad
ening and solidifying of the nation.
President Roosevelt's addresses have been
instinct with the strong regard he has al
ways evinced for tho spirit of national
Ism and such references as he haa made
to sections have been In good taste and
helpfull to the happy current of feeling.
THERE ARB OTHERS. '
Lea Than Half the Steel Ontpnt Con
trolled by the Trust.
Buffalo Express.
Eo much has been said by the so-called
trust hunters about the United 8tates
Steel corporation and Its alleged control
of the Iron and steel business In this coun
try that some figures on this point fur
nished in the latest bulletin of the Ameri
can Iron and Steel association posses
unusual interest. No one who has at all
studied the Industry in the United Slate
has taken any stock In the severe criticism
of this great organization, for it has been
strong from the time the combine was
formed and has been growing ever since.
When the trust was incorporated it
was generally believed that the constituent
companies controlled about 80 per cent
of the American output. Later reports
placed the percentage much lower. The
bulletin which has Just been Issued gives
rata on the various prnrinrta. Of total
production of 28,887.479 tons of ore in 1S01
the United States Steel corporation con
trolled 43.9 per cent, while the plants In
the trust produced 6,803,988 tons of. pig Iron,
or 42 per cent of the total. The trust out
put of Bessemer and open hearth steel In
gots and castings was 8,860,584 tons, which
was 66.3 per cent of the production In 1901.
Of a total of 12,849.327 tons of rolled
product, the Steel trust manufactured 60.1
per cent, while it manufactured 65.8 per
cent of the wire nails. .
It is thus apparent that the-. United
States Steel corporation Is : much - less
formidable than some of Ita. critics , would
have the public believe. It is true that the
Iron and steel business Is more actlv than
at any former time . in the history of tha
country and that the .real test of strength
between the big corporation and the Inde
pendent organizations cannot be felt until
a period of depression set in. But I it
not reasonable to expect that the outside
companies, with their more modern plants,
will be thoroughly able to hold their own
In competition with the United Statea
Steel corporation If it la ever necessary to
start a fierce fights? It is worth bearing
In mind that the Steel trust is doing all It
can through holding down prices to prevent
such a struggle.
SMILING LINKS.
Philadelphia Press: "You officeholders."
sneered the man who was vainly trying to
be one, "don't die very often, do you?'r
"No," replied the man who was one, aa
he smiled benignly, "only once."
Chicago Post: "Haa your husband any
literary ability?"
"Haa he! Well, you Just ought to hear
the fairy stories he tells me the nights
when I ask him what kept him out o
late."
Cleveland Plain Dealer: "Is this the
managing editor?."
-Yea."
"Well, I wish you'd kindly add my name
to .the list of those who cannot settle the
coal strike."
Boston Transcript: Foozle Didn't know
I played golf? That's funny. Why, you've
seen me In town many a time with a bag
of sticks.
Niblick Yes, but I thought, perhaps, you
were a caddie, you know.
Washington Star: "Remember," said the
earnest man, "that wisdom I mora to ue
prized than rlcheB."
"Maybe It Is," answered the skeptic "but
I can't help wondering why It Is, If that
Is the case, a man can go and buy a book;
full of proverba for bp cents."
Cleveland Plain Dealer:' "Tea, I always
do my thinking: when I walk."
"It a a pity you gave It up."
"Gave up wnatT"
Walking."
Washington Star: "Which do you pre
fer, horses or automobiles?"
"Horses. With them .you lose your
money, but with the automobiles you're
liable to lose your life."
Chicago Tribune: "What la that saying
about a fool for a client?' "
"I give It up," said the man who had
been In law. "but I fancy It's to the effect
that every client Is a fool because 'a fool
and hla money are soon parted.' "
Somervtlle Journal: Wiggles It that the
suit that you got made to order for $15?
Waggles Yes. How do yoa like It?
Wiggles Well. It Is a great advertise
ment for some other firm. .
BOBBY SHAFTOK.
Esmeralda Boyle in United States Magaglne,
In daya of yore, In Baby lore
(The lore of A, B, C,
There runs a tale of Shaftoe's voyage
Acroas the boundless sea.
His love was true. His eyea were blue
Like gold that's finely spun.
Beneath hla brave tarpaulin shone
Hla bright lock In the sua.
He sailed away one summer day;
Hla heart was light and free.
He wore a seaman's blouse, 'tis said.
And buckles at tha knee.
The waters laughed about the craft
That bore this aallor lad. . . .
And ran and danced, and upward sprain
A though they might be glad. .
They leaped In sport toward the port
Whereat he atood full fair
Then, hastening to the sandy shore
They kissed two white fet there.'
With upraised hand, feet tn the tend.'
Blythe Bobby Bhaftoe a sweetheart tooA
.. ..... j ..... .-ttmnvun
And watched him sail from sight.
Yet never more. In early ri.
f ind w that Bailor Hoy;
Nor know we aught of what lia'dld '
Ilia iflrrna r.r hi 1.. 1
...... . .' VJ,
t
Hla ship, on day, sailed far away
--- . . ...... s v vuv uciii,
A airl believed ha would return.
This only history telle.
J