ff THE OMAHA I) AITST BEE: TUESDAY, FEBTlTJATtT 2t. 1003. Tim omaha Daily Dee. E. ROBEWATER, fclJlToH. PUBLISHED KVERY MORNINO. TERMS ok" "SUBSCRIPTION. Dally Bee (without Sunday). One Yer..4.) Dwy bee and Sunday, One Year illustrated bee, One tear M Bunday Bee. One lmr . baturuay tk, one iear... Twentieth Century farmer, One Year.. l.iw DELIVERED BY CARRIER. Dally Bee (without Sunday), per copy.... Ic lsiiy bee (without Sunday), per week. ..He iJany bee tuicluulng Hunuuy), per week.. lc Sunday bee, per copy 2 Evening Kee (without Sunday), per ween eu livening bee (Including Sunday), per week .......10c Complaint of irregularities in delivery houlu be sddreesed to City Circulation Ue partment. OFFICES. Omaha-The Bee building. South Omana tJity iiall Building, Twenty-fifth and M Streets. Council rllurts-lu Pearl Street. Chicago 1MU t'nlty building. New iork-232 park Row building. Washington sul Fourteenth Street. CORRESPONDENCE. Communications relating to new and ed itorial matter should be addressed: Omaha Bee, Editorial Department. REMITTANCES.' Remit by dralt, express or postal order, payable to The Bee Publishing Company. Only it-cent stamps accepted in payment or nail accounts. Personal checks, except on Omaha or' eastern exchange, not acceptea. THE BEE PUBLISHING COMPANY. STATEMENT OP CIRCULATION. Stat of Nebraska, Douglas County, ss.: Ueorge B. Tsschuck, secretary of I he be Publishing company, being duly sworn, says that the actual number of full and complete copies of Th Dally. Morong, Evening ana Sunday Be printed dunne the month ol January, lSvl. was as follows: 1 BO,4!0 17 . t 8U.2SO tf ai.ao t 30.7IM) 1 80,540 4 il.M& 20 30,030 t 80,000 11 31,050 f SO.KV4I ' 12 80.4 M) 7 80,520 S3... 8OJW0 I ..30.4IK) M 8O.70O t 80,40 25 2H.8SO 10 80,830 . M 30.8TO H 8S,7K) 21 30,870 12. 80,8UO 28 30,840 II 80.8B0 . 28 80.830 J4 80,4U ' 1U 80.B70 16 .80,370 : a.....' 30,610 16 80,470 Total.. :. 941.4S3 Less unsold and returned copies.... PftT5 Net total sales . "2VS!JI Net average sale ; 80.O31 OKOROE B. TZ8CHUCK. Subscribed In my presence and sworn to before me thla 31st day of January, A. D. 1KB. . M. B. HUNGATE, (Seal.) Notary Public. Perhaps the ground hog Is reconsider ing bis determination. No extended explanation should be needed from a retiring pastor. The call with the bigger salary is always the voice of God. Great conspiracies to kill off the en tire police force of Omaha depend chiefly on the state of the imagination of the versatile police reporter. The refusal of President Mitchell of the coal miners' union to accept a lucra tive lecture platform engagement is an other evidence that his head is level. The American Bowling congress Is having a heated session on the question of loaded balls. ' If nothing else becomes loaded ..the congress may yet conclude 1U business in peace. The sultan begs to acknowledge the note of the European powers and will take their request under consideration. He used to do the same thing when his creditors repeatedly sent him their bills. Emperor William Is said to be the lat est automobile enthusiast. Having suc ceeded in giving a new Impetus to the fad we may expect him with his usual thrift to go into the business of manu facturing horseless vehicles. President Francis of the St Louis ex position is In London getting next to King Edward. He has not yet sent word that the king will visit the exposi tion, but we need not be surprised to have such tidings any minute. Fusion members of the Nebraska leg islature may be few in number, but they could make a demonstration if they wanted to. Up to. date the most atten tive spectator would not be aware there were any fuslonlsts whatever on deck. The approaching end of tho session is the moet powerful agency workiug for the compromise on the statehood bills. If the life of this coiyrress did not hap pen to expire next week by limitation the deadlock would be apt to last clear into summer. We fear the public hardly yet ap preciates the remarkable change that has taken place lu the executive offlco. of this state. Governor Mickey comes to Omaha to address church gatherings. His predecessor came to Omaha to pre side over bull fights. Representative Nelson explains that after studying the Omaha 'city charter for . three weeks . the only points he could , find .that needed patching were three or -four sections relating solely to political Jobs. There are a number of places where the charter could be ma tenany improvea, but as mere is no politics In. them such improvements will have to go by the board. , The exit of ex-Senator Allen from the newspaper field by. the merger of his paper with its chief competitor cuts short 'a journalistic career of which much was expected. Senator Allen must have come to the conclusion that be could do more by his voice than by bis pen. ' Many men graduate from Journal Ism Into politics, but few make the transition successfully from politics to Journalism: " The medical college men want the law relating to the disposition of corpses of public charge changed so that more of them will find their way to the dissect ing room and fewer to the cemetery. As the law now. stands the body may be claimed by any relative or friend and then burled at the public expense, fur which the undertaker gets 125. It is needless to say that with a funeral lo sight . few paupers die without friends. This is a serious matter which . -r.ALCE UF AXTl-BKBA Tt LAW. The chairman of the Interstate Com-ineri-e commission eijwts good rc-stilts from the autl-rr-hate law. lie points out that It will coiTcrt three defects In the criminal provisions of the act to regulate commerce, t.'nder the old law only the officer or agent of a common carrier were Indictable. The anti-rebate law subjects the coriKiratlon to punish ment. The original net prescribed Im prisonment. In the opinion of Chnirman Knapn this was a defect, because rail road men were unwilling to give Infor mation for fear that the result might send a friend or acquaintance to prison, whereas they would have testified If the consequence was simply to Impose a fine on a rival coriorat!on. The new law will thus enable the commission to ob tain evidence which It could not secure before. Under the old law a shipper was not Indictable for taking n rebate unless it effected an actual discrimina tion In his favor. "It was not sufficient to prove that a concession had been made from the tariff by rebate or other device; It was necessary to also ahow that some other shipper paid the tariff rate or some other higher rate for like and contemporaneous service." This in most cases was out of the question and especially In the most flagrant Instances. The new law remedies this. Another featuie of the Elklns law commended by the chairman of the Interstate Com merce commission Is that expressly con ferring upon the federal courts Jurisdic tion to prevent rate-cutting by Injunc tion. All these features of the new law had lxen recommended by the commission and they very materially enlarge and strengthen Its powers, but whether or not the law shall be as effective as ex pected still depends upon Its adminis tration, or In other words, upon the watchfulness and the diligence of the commission. There are many who be lieve that more could have been accom plished than has been done for the pre vention of unlawful discriminations had the commission been more zealous In the performance of Its duties. We do not question the correctness of the views expressed by Mr. Knapp, who has ear nestly sought to have the authority of the commission broadened, yet there is need of aggressive action on the part of that body In order to restore public confi dence in it. The new law must ho firmly and faithfully enforced. There must be the exercise of the utmost vigi lance to see that It Is not violated. It will not do to take It for granted that the common carriers will not now ven ture to contravene the law, or that the large shippers will not make an effort to induce the carriers to discriminate In their favor, despite the fact that this Is unlawful and punishable by a heavy fine. In a word, the anti-rebate law will prove valuable If the proper and ade quate effort Is made by the Interstate Commerce commission to render It effec tive and not otherwise. It Is to be pre sumed mat that body, which Is not at present very strong in the public confi dence, will now that it has secured the authority it asked for be more energetic and zealous in enforcing the law. SO HUBS ID r LEGISLATION. The decision of the house committee on merchant marine not to report the snip subsidy bill disposes of that ques tion for the present congress. The bill had passed the senate and Its sun- porters in the house felt confident that they would be able to get it through mat Doay, but four republicans of the committee, all western men. voted with the democrats against reporting the measure and It Is safe to say that should further effort be made to get it before the house it will be unsuccessful. The purpose of the bill Is to nromote the building up of an American mer- chant marine by a svstem nf anhairtioa ana there has always been a strono- opposition to such a pollcv. This hn been very much Increased since the organization of the International Navl gatlon company, which now controls most or the steamship lines between tnis country and Europe. It has been urged that this company would he th cnier beneficiary of the subsidy, an ar- gument quite sufficient of itself to kill any measure of this kind. It Is pos- iu.e, inougn nardly probable, that an ttemnt- will K . . . ... "'" in tne next con gress to revive the ship subsidy bill. The fact Is that a great many repub licans who formerly favored this policy, "'":"" 11 lo ' e only practicable way or DUildlng up a merchant marine have since the steamship m error effected become opponents of the policy and they are not likely to again support It s.vms safe to say that tl.e ti. ure of ship subsidies in the present con gress puts an end to that question for long time. OVH 1XSCLAR PUSStSSlu.s. Only one of our Insular possessions presents conditions that are satisfactory and that Is Porto R!eo. The little is land is doing well and Its people appear to be entirely contented. It appears from the last report of the governor that the economic Improvement of Porto Rlco, as indicated by statistics of ex ports and Imports, has been remarkable. The trade of the Island has more than doubled within the last two years and In all directions there has been a marked Improvement under American rule. There Is not so satisfactory a sit uation in Hawaii. The business of the Island has not materially improved since its annexation and there is more or less dissatisfaction with existing conditions, particularly the restriction regarding the importation of labor. It appears that on the whole the people are not so well conented under Amer ican rule as they were before. It Is in the Philippines, however, that the situation Is really serious, making a most urgent demand for relief from congress. While It is true that the Is lands are pacified and the only trouble now being experienced la from the lad rone, who are said not to be num erous,, unless financial ad commercial condition are soon Improved there I strong probability of grave dltlleulty with the people, ninny of whom are practically destitute. Congress has sl rendy unduly delayed provision for the relief which the Philippine commission and the coiuuierchil Interests of the art'hIH'lago have shown to be necessary and It would be deplorable if the ses sion should end without something being done. Mr. Wright, vice governor, says the best people among the native of the Islands are looking with favor on American methods, but It cannot be expected that they will continue to do so If not given the relief they need. It seems evident that what has been accomplished In Porto Rico furnishes an example of what Is necessary to the improvement and prosperity of the other Insular possessions. ALtcriV OR APrOlXTlVtl CITY ATTURSET. One of the changes whkh the pro posed charter revision bill would en graft on the Omaha charter would make the office of city attorney elective In stead of, as now, appointive. It would not only take the city attorney out from among the officers responsible to the mayor, but would also vest him with the power to appoint the assistant city attorney without even confirmation by the council. The question Is, Would an elective city attorney give better result to the taxpayers than an appointive city attorney? Election has been tried In this and In many other states, but has not proved very successful, so that In every large city in the country, with few exceptions, the city attorney Is appointed by the mayor, sometimes subject to confirma tion by the council, but not Invariably so. The reason Is easy to gather. The city attorney Is the law officer of the corporation of which the mayor Is the chief executive. He must be the con fidential adviser of the mayor in almost every matter of public business, and It is certainly highly desirable that the mayor and his legal adviser should have confidence In one another and pursue the same general policy. Making the office of attorney elective runs the risk of having the mayor and attorney chosen from different political parties and committed to opposite publfc poli cies. Such a condition could not but produce constant friction to the detri ment of the city's interests. Our lawmakers must remember that they are not legislating for the day or for particular persons when they make a charter, but are providing a frame of government which may stand for years to come. The present charter of Omaha has remained practically unchanged for six years, and there Is no telling how long It must wait again for revision. To revolutionize charter provision out of spite or to make it ejtsy for some par ticular person to connect with a Job ought to be below the dignity and pur pose of any legislative member. Yet the proposed amendment relating to the city attorney seems inspired from no other motives. r'.lJ. Republicans at Lincoln are about to complete the preliminaries of their mu nicipal campaign by making nomina tions for police commissioner at a sup plementary primary. In this case the coutest for favor turns directly upon the policy to be pursued in fixing the amount required for liquor licenses and the strict 'or liberal enforcement of the Slocumb law. In a word, Lincoln people are fully enjoying home rule In the ad ministration of their police department. denied to Omaha by the governor-appointed police board, that deprives the people here of all opportunity to say directly or Indirectly who shall be re sponsible and what policy shall be pur sued. There Is no good reason what ever why Omaha should not be accorded the same right of home rule that Lin coin has. The assignment of Captain W. A. Mer cer by the government at Washington to take charge of an Indian reservation out In Utah indicates that the depart ment never took any stock In the com plaints lodged against Captain Mercer during his service as Indian agent at the Omaha and Winnebago reservations. The worst charge against that officer while on the Omaha reservation was that he refused to play in with the poll ticians and land grabbers' rlnsr. who de pend upon the co-operation of the agent in the exploitation of the red man. We often hear of the advantages of rural towns as sites for large educational Institutions and of the disadvantages at. tending theft location in great cities. The experience of Cornell university with the present typhoid epidemic there shows that there are disadvantages of rural locations as well. A small town Is seldom able to provide facilities for sani tatlon conforming to the most advanced demand. The World-Herald clairvoyant who undertook to tell how one of the new water commissioners would have voted If he had only voted at all. now tries to get out of It by saying that he relied on another tranee medium who stand high in the democratic party and whose word will be implicitly believed. Who the other man? If he exists in fact, why not give bis name? The last time they were heard from the franchlsed corporations insisted that they had gracefully acquiesced lu the supreme court decision requiring them to pay taxes on their entire franchise values. But their acqulesence was evt dently Intended only as a temporary affair. Speak la. Lew Tones. Detroit Free Press. The exposure of the turf Investment frauds cornea before the American news papers have finished expressing their amaze neat at the gullibility ol the Jtsnch as re vealed by ths Humbert swindle. No aatloa has a monopoly of tha "easy mark." Acquire' llnraaa Characteristic. v 1 . . - , . . Park squirrels, overfed by admirers, have lost their former thrifty bsblts and must be cared for at public eipense. Squirrels are disgustingly human. Working the Better riam. Inrltanspolla News. This scheme of ranking anthracite out of soft coal will no doubt furnish an amusing experiment for the scientists, but the coal dealers have a better one they make money out of it. Probably She eeds the Money. Chlcngo Record-Herald. The Montana legislature Is being urged to give Mrs. Steven Murphy a reward of $3,000 for being the mother of triplets. This Is a good move. The mother of triplets ought to have consolation of some sort and money Is what she generally needs most. The Glass Hoaie A stain. Louisville Courier-Journal. One of the objections urged against the admission of New Mexico as a state Is that the people who spring from the Span ish stock "are led by dishonest and un scrupulous men." If this were an Insuper able obstacle to statehood, how many of our existing states would It be necessary to remand to tha position of territories? Oar Textile Inefficiency. Cleveland Leader. The sale of a famous and splendid Per sian carpet at auction Id New York for 138.000 is an extraordinary reminder that all tha boasted Inventions and appliances of the most advanced manufacturing na tions of Europe and America are beaten, very decisively, In the making of floor cov erings, by the nomads of Turklstan and the primitive weavers of other Asiatic coun tries. It is common for manufacturers of rugs and carpets In this country and Eu rope to confess the superiority of Oriental eslgns by copying them as closely as pos sible, and the artistic beauty of the pat- ems and colors of the rugs which were made many centuries ago In the heart of Asia Is not more remarkable than the last- Dg qualities of the dyes used and the thorough workmanship of weavers. SOl'ND, HEALTHY TALK. Rights and Wronsra of OrgBlaed Labor and Organised Cavnltal. Detroit Free Press. There Is a downright pleasure la read ing the speech mad by Mr.' E. K. Clark of Cedar Rapids, la., to the Twentieth Cen tury club at Boston. He enunciated no novel doctrine, promulgated no new and undiscovered principle of right and half a century ago his statements would have been dismissed aa axiomatic. But a mighty revolution has been working since then and there Is such a tendency to merge the Individual right that it is endangered from the forces of both capital and labor. Mr. Clark represents, the latter on ths anthracite coal strike commission and bis address has an added Importance in consequence. . . The clever retort of the commissioner to the memorable assumption of. divine right by President Baer has a vatue which loses sight of a merely smart bit of re partee. It recalls the too often forgotten duty of those who wield great power toward those whose conditions subordinate them. That plain duty Is in "elevating and im proving the condition of mankind" and In 'encouraging order, Industry, thrift and self-respect." But even more noteworthy from this source is, bis construction of the rights of personal liberty aa bearing upon the aggressions of 'organised labor. The Individual striker may strike with his fellows or remain at work. No striker has the right to use violence or Intimida tion against the man who elects to work. No striker has the, right to destroy or in jure the property of his former employer. "If organised labor cannot work out its salvation without ' resorting to unlawful acts, its existence cannot be defended. No employer has a right to blccklist any man who wants to work and labor has legit imately kept within his privileges, no mat ter how obnoxious to organized labor or any of Its membership." There If a Whole economic gospel 1 In these propositions. When they are accepted capital and labor will be working shoulder to shoulder. PERSONAL NOTES. New Jersey proposes to Invest $350,000 In good roads this year. The republican candidate for mayor of Philadelphia was elected by a majority of 138,000 votes. Sir Christopher Furnasa Is called the J. Pierpont Morgan of Great 'Britain. He Is the president of a big shipping company snd two golf clubs. The New York Sun tells 8enator Mor gan that "the tall end of a long and gen erally creditable publlo career ought not to be a mule's tall." J. B. Davy, Instructor la botany at the University of California, has been appointed chief agriculturist and botanist of the Transvaal government, initial salary of $5,000 a year and expenses. The Papyrus club of Boston, composed wholly of authors, has Just celebrated its thirtieth anniversary. It has numbered among its membership nearly all the dis tinguished men of letters In the modern Athens. President Roosevelt had more fun than a schoolboy at the wedding of 8enator Cockrell's daughter Joked with the girls, shook hands with the matrons and ex changed "Jollying" remarks with the young and old men. Dr. F. L. Gardiner, one of the leading physicians In Washington, is dead. During the Harrison administration he was the first White House physician and at other times had among his patients James O. Blaine and Thomas B. Reed. Colonel De Lachaiae of the French army has been reprimanded by the minister of war for having told some recruits that the red, white and blue of the French flag represented three royal families the Ca pets, the Valois and the Bourbons. He manifested bis resentment of the reprimand by resigning his command. Congressman Fordney of Saginaw, Mich., was arguing In the house on behalf of some measure. Opposition developed on the part of some republicans and that made Mr. Fordney even more earnest In his ar gument. He reached a feverish compari son as to the objections raised and the benefits that would accrue. "Why, Mr. Speaker," said he, "the objections raised here to the passage of this bill don't amount to a fly track on the map of the world." A laugh went around the ma hogany desks and Mr. Fordney'a bill passed with a whoop. General Booth, the Salvation Army leader, cracked a few Jokea with statesmen while he was in Washington. Senator Frye said to htm: "When I was In London I was much Interested In your organisation. In fact I thought of Joining." "Better not,1 said the general; "you would not submit to our discipline." Senator Alger said he understood Hanna Intended to Join. "Ah, snouid make mm chancellor of the ex chequer," was the revivalist's reply. Sen ator Hoar was Introduced Jocularly as "the worst man la the senate." "That's good said the general, heartily. "I want to meet all kinds. The bad I want to help and the HINTS FOR THE) LEGISLATURE. Crelghton Courier: The press north of the I'latte is unanimous in demanding that tlie Norfolk asylum shall be rebuilt. It looks as though a lever as strong as that mm lit to be sufficient to pry up the necessary ap propriation for the work. North Tlatto Tribune: A bill has been Introduced In the legislature forbidding hunters from constructing blinds, biding places or structures in the rivers ami streams of the state for the purpose of shooting wild geese or ducks. Without such blinds very few geese could be killed, and the passage of such a measure would prac tically destroy the sport of goose hunting. The sportsmen of the state are up In arms against the bill, and It will meet that early death which it deserves. Springfield Monitor: They are still pounding away on a bill to re-apportlnn the state Into new Judicial districts. I'nder the new bill Sarpy county Is to be Joined to Case and Otoe to constitute the Second district. The new bill provides for four less Judges than at the present time. It will probably never become a law, as there are too many with political aspirations who think themselves fitted for the position of district Judge that will fight it, hoping that some day the lightning will strike them and elevate them to a Judgeship. Tobias Express: While there are pos sibly some explosions of threshing ma chine engtnea, caused by incompetent en gineers and defective boilers, sre do not believe they are of sufficient freq-jency to Justify the legislature in passing the bill Introduced In the lower house, and wblch provides that all engineers must have a license to run and operate an engine and also have boilers Inspected by the state boiler Inspector. The threshing machine men claim It will cost them $50,000 a year, as It requires each man to pay $ for a license and $5 to have the boiler In spected. Louisville Courier: There Is a bill In the state legislature to tack Sarpy county onto Case and Otoe In a new Judicial dis trict. Perhaps this bill will carry. It seema to us that the present number of Judges Is about correct. The new bill does away with four of our present district Judges. It will be a small saving to the taxpayers, but will be a great Incon venience In a great many different ways. The Judges have about all they can handle successfully how and If more work is as signed them they perhaps will not be able to clear the docket up each year. Judge Jessen bss eboit all he can do to look after Cass and Otoe counties. Falls City Journal: The democratic papers are having an awful time. They want to find fault with the legislature and put stumbling blocks in the way of legisla tion, but they can't get a chance. The corporation lobby has received such scant courtesy at the hands of the legislators as to discourage these papers In making any attempt to show that the legislature Is the creature of the corporations. The Bur gess bill has passed the house and when It passes the senate tt will be such a body blow to the printing trust as to convlnoe the democratic press that the republicans have made some anti-trust legislation that the democrats forgot to do when they were In power. York Times: That there will be some kind of revenue legislation by the present legislature Is almost as good as assured. Nearly every member has his mind made up to this and will co-operate with the committee. It must be borne In mind, how ever, that all Important legislation Is the result of compromise. No one can get ex actly what he wants .nor precisely what he thinks would be best, where there are so many different ideas and opinions. Each one will have to yield something and each must show respect for the convictions of otherk. It we have a revenue law It will be a compromise bill, no doubt, and the legislators will show as much wisdom In what they yield as In what they secure. , Broken Bow Republican: Representative Tooley only secured forty-one votes In the house Tuesday for his reapportionment bill while there were forty-eight recorded against It. It was on the reapportionment Issue Mr. Tooley was elected. The bill has not been passed upon by the senate, where It Is also on file, and It Is a barn possibility that It will pass that body and be returned to the house for Its concur rence. But if such a thing should occur it Is hardly probable that the house would change its vote. Personally Mr. Tooley has our sympathy, ss that bill was his whole stock in trade. We predicted before election that the scheme would not suc ceed In the legislature and It would be useless to elect Mr. Tooley on that issue. But he succeeded In attracting the atten tion of the public through his bill and got not a little notoriety out of It for his effort. Tekamah Journal: One of Platte county's delegates to the legislature proposes to en deavor to have no partiality shown In the purchase of voters at any election, but de sires that all voters shall be paid In a way. Looked at from another point of view. It Is a fine against those who fall or refuse to exercise their rights of franchise. He has introduced a bill providing that each voter shall be assessed a tax of $3. If he appears at the polls and votes, the election board presents him a receipt for the tax, but If he remains away the tax stands against his account. The man In troducing the bill Is a fuslonist and thinks that If It should carry there would be no more republican victories In the state, as there would be no more stay-at-home fusion voters. He might be disappointed In the ffnal outcome of his measure, as It has been quite conclusively shown that there are republicans who neglect to vote. i Hartington Herald: It would be a good Idea for the legislature to place the crime of embezzlement in the same class with that of forgery by removing the time limit. At present the statute of limita tion runs against the crime of embezzle ment. Cedar county has at the present time a case which shows the absurdity of the present law. Ex-Treasurer Tom Zlegler has been found short, interest added, over $30,000, and the probability Is that he will be permitted to go scot free because of the statute of limitation run ning against the crime of embezzlement. Lawyers claim it Is exceedingly difficult to prove a case of forgery under the most favorable conditions. Why the statute of limitation should run against embezzle, ment and not against forgery is a conun drum we find ourself unable to solve, and as yet we have not heard a reasonable so lution from any member of the legal fraternity. Hebron Register: The citizens of Geneva are In no wise disturbed over the recom mendation of the legislative committee, that the girls' industrial schpol be abol ished at that place In fact they agree with the committee. But back of this "agree ment" Is a strong move to have thajpregpnt buildings used for one of the five state normal achools recently provided for by the legislature. Hebron also has a fine building and most desirable site for a nor mal school, and the Commercial club should take this matter up before it is too late The legislative committee on public lands and buildings, after visiting the girls in' dustrial school at Geneva, recommended the abolishment of that Institution, and the removal of the Inmates to the Kearney school for boys. There are but thirty In mates In the school at Geneva. Tbo school was built In the good old boodle days and there never was any need tor the Inst! tutlon except to pay off a tew political BITS OF WASHIINGTON LIFE. Minor Seees mm Iarldeats Sketeke on the Spot. Having settled with mere or leas satis faction the effect on the human stomach of certain food preservatives, the Agrlcul tutal department is turning Its collective mind to the problem of producing s breed of featherless chickens. The experiments are conducted at southern stations, and while the results of the experiments Is yet a matter ef conjecture, those having the affair In charge are sanguine of ultimate success. Experiments were recently seriously un dertaken by officials of the German gov ernment having this end in view, and are now In progress. Of course, It will be some time before sufficient data Is obtained to be of value In discussing the question, but the work will be taken up In this country, and It Is believed with more real hope of success, owing to the more favorable and advantageous climate snd other conditions. The Idea of a breed of featherless chick ens Is not as farfetched or ridiculous as would at first appear to the lay mind. The wonders which science has achieved In the animal and the vegetable kingdoms are well known, and this latest contemplated task Is not even conjecturally Impossible of achievement. A dozen plans have been tried to lure Senator Quay away from the senate, and thus break up the fight for the statehood bill. None has been successfuf. The latest attempt was when a friend In Florida who thinks Quay might be In a much better business than lighting for statehood sent him the following tele gram : "Fishing was never so good. Tarpon are biting everywhere. Sport is magnificent," Senator Quay read the telegram and smiled one of his queer three-cornered smiles. Then he wrote this reply: "Tarpon may be biting, but I am not. M. S. Quay." A dejected man from Iowa stood In Stat uary Hall, reports ths New York World. "This politics game Is not what It's cracked up to be," he said. "Now, listen to me. There was a young fellow out In my state who went to the Philippines and got consumption. He returned and put it up to his friends to get him a government place in some high altitude where he could live. Six of his old chums back In the home town In Iowa wrote to me and asked me to get him work. I hustled around and got him a Job as consul got It by my own efforts and through my own pull. "The news was carried In the home paper and each of those six men wrote to the sick man and told him , that the job was secured through his own personal influence and efforts. Then It came out that the chap couldn't take the Job because the place Isn't far enough above the tide-water. "Thereupon," said the Iowa man, as he savagely bi. the end off a cigar, "each of the six friends back home wrote to tne giving me bally-whack because the fellow wouldn't take the job they had Individually secured for him." A deputation of Baltimore singer had an appointment at a certain hour with President Roosevelt, whom they wished to attend a sangerfest next June. The singers failed to appear on . time, but when Sen ator McComas of Maryland appeared with another delegation Mr. Roosevelt thought they represented the sangerfest. The presi dent welcomed them cordially, saying he was very fond of German songs. He con tinued talking In that strain until Senator McComas precipitately explained that this delegation had come to invite the president to attend the annual dinner of the Hiber nian society of Baltimore. Tbe.-e was a laugh all around, the same being renewed when the singers appeared later and heard from Mr. Roosevelt of the mistake he had made. Since the president's "race suicide" let ter. In which he deplored the lack of chil dren In American families, was printed he has been overwhelmed by letters of congratulation from all parts of the coun try. The moet convincing exhibit came to day. It was a photograph from Bucyrus, O. It showed a sturdy man and his equally sturdy wife, surrounded by twelve chil dren, all their own. Beneath the picture was written the simple legend: "Not guilty." President Roosevelt was telling a friend about his mall, which averages 600 or 600 letters a day, says the New York World. "One of the most remarkable letters I ever received," he says, "arrived on the morning the first full accounts of the Mar tinique disaster were printed In the news papers. The writer said he saw that the American consul at Martinique had been burned to death. He applied for the place, and wound up with the sentence: " 'I make this early application so as to get In ahead of those loathsome creatures, the offlceseekers.' "Another curious letter," continued the president, "came from a member of the Union League club In New York. It wouldn't be fair to tell his name. This man wrote me that he had met a traveled German coming from Europe on the Deutschland, and that the Oerman had confided to him that tn the Interior of Nicaragua there was a lake 120 miles long and thirty miles wide that was deep enough for navigation. He hastened to tell ma this important news Inasmuch as he thought It would be well to have the lake looked up as a part of the route of the Isthmian canal. "He was In earnest, too," said the pres Idont, "regardless of the fact that Lake Nicaragua has been the basis of the Nic aragua canal plans for the lsst half cen tury or more, and appears on every real map of the country ever made. "One of the most harrowing experiences I ever bad In the way of letters, though," said the president, "was shortly after I came Into office. Some devilishly Ingenious democratic newspaper corresponaeni sent out a story In which he said I was anxious to have the people advise me on public questions. He said I was thirsting for ad vice. "The result was," continued the prei- til AN EXTRA All that the winter suit needs to be good as new may be u fresh pair of trousers. We've a lot of odd and broken lots at various prices $3.50 up. The present firures represent "extra" reductions. yO CLOTIIIXQ FITS LIKE OUJiS. THE OLD RELIABLE ill! P0VJBER' Absolutely Puro THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE. Ident, with a shudder of horror, "that In two days my mall doubled In size and In a week quadrupled. The people evldontly had advice on tap." EXTENDING RLIVAL DELIVERY. Over Oae Mllllea laars MUea mt Ter ritory Covered. Milwaukee Sentinel. The Postal department Is to be congratu lated on the marked and continued success of the free rural mall delivery system, which has now passed well beyond tbe ex perimental stage. Like moat new things. It met with stiff opposition at the start, when proposed by the Farmers' Orange as sociation, but trial has proved that moat of the objections urged against It were. If not entirely groundless, at least overdrawn. Under the businesslike management of Postmaster General Payne whose anterior practical experience of postal administra tive work made his appointment a specially suitable one the rural service la being not only expanded and improved, but is gradu. ally getting to something like a self-supporting basis. Wise economies which in volve no Impairment of the service to its beneficiaries have been suggested by ex perience, and extra cost has been partly oVfset by the doing away with superfluous poetofficea and obsolete routes. This use ful development of the publlo service has been quietly and unostentatiously, and without brag or flourish of party trumpet, pushed forward during tho four years elnro its adoption, until today, as is reported, It covers over 1,000,000 square miles of ter ritory and serves 21,000,000 people. A large measure of this rapid, but - in every local case well considered and warranted, exten sion Is due to the sound policy of appoint ing a specially qualified and practical busi ness man like Mr. Payne to the headship of a distinctively business department. AID IN FUN. "It may be true," said Uncle Eten. "dat riches don' bring happiness; but you wants to bear In mln' Jes' de same, dat a mort gage can make a heap o' trouble." Wash ington Star. "Tour pastor must be a financier." "I should say so! Why. he has a scheme to fund the church debt at 214 Per cent, and I believe that some day he'll capitalize the church and issue common and preferred stock." Puck. Wagjreby Here's an awful defect in Orubbsley's new book on live stock. Nagg-sby What la ltT Waagsby He has the picture of a little ewe lamb on the ram page. Baltimore American. Mrs. Kidder And then I thought there is no use quarreling with a milkman. Mr. Kidder That's right. He'll make you take water every time. Detroit Free Press. The monkey lost his hold and fell Into the crocodile's waiting; Jaws. Kven then his wits did not desert him. "I Just drop ped In for dinner," he said, with, an en gaging smile. Yale Record. "I suppose you'd like to be worth a mUUon dollars?" she suggested. "No, mum," replied the tramp. "Ifud be too much trouble, lonkln' after the money. All I want is that some- feller what's worth a million dollars shall pervlde fer me." Chicago Post. . . , Tutor Richard, you will please go to the blackboard and demonstrate the propo sition that the square of the hypotenuse of a right angled triangle is equal to the sum of the squares of tho other two sides. Spoiled Bon What's the use? I'm, will ing to admit it. Philadelphia Press. POEM BIT STONEWALL JACKSON. The Richmond Times Is authority for the statement that this poem was written by Stonewall Jackson while he was serving with the army in the Mexican war: Tha tattoo beats the lights are gone. The camp around In slumber Ilea: The night with aolemn pace moves on,. J The shadows thicken o'er the skies; But sleep my weary eyes hath flown And sad, uneasy thoughts arise. I think of thee, oh. dearest one, Whose love my early life hath blest Of thee and him our baby son Who slumbers on thy gentle breast. God of the tender, frail and lone. Oh, guard the tender sleeper's rest. And hover gently, hover near To her whose watchful eye Is wet To mother, wife the doubly dear, - In whose young heart have freshly met Two streams of love so deep and cltar, And cheer her drooping spirits yet. Whatever fate those forms may show, Loved with a paBsion almost wild By day by nlnht in Joy or woe By fears oppressed, or hopns bbgulled. From every danger, every foe, O God, protect my wife and child I Now, while she kneels before Thy throne. Oh, teach her, ruler of the skies. That, while by Thy behest alone. Earth's mightiest powers fall or rise. No tear Is wept to Thee unknown, No hair Is lout, no sparrow dies! That Thou can'st stay the ruthless hands of dark dlxenKB, and soothe its pain; That onlv by Thy stern commands The battle's lont, th soldiers slain That from the distant sea or land Thou bring'st the wanderer home again. And when upon her pillow lone Her tear-wet cheek is sadly prest, May happier vision leam upon The brlffhtenlntr current of her breast. No frowning look nor angry tone Disturb the Sabbath of her rest. the legislature should consider. good I want to help me." debts. I