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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (April 14, 1903)
TIIE OMATTA DAILY KEEi TPESTAY, AP1UL 14, 1003. The Omaha Daily Bee. E.. ROriEWATEU, EDITOR. PUBLISHED EVERT MOP.MNQ. TERMS OK SUBSCRIPTION. Dally Ren (without Sunday). One Tear... lially Pee and Sunday, One Year llluMrated lire. One Year 10" Sindy Bee, una Yesr ID Saturday Bee, one Year 1 tw Twentieth Century Varmw C'ne Year.. IM DELIVERED BY CARKIEK. Dally Bee (without Sunday), per copy.... ic Dally Bee (wtthout Sunday), per week.. .11-! Dally Bee (including Sunday), per week. .lie Eunuay w, per cojjy o venlng Hee (without Sunday), per week 6c Evening Bee (Including Sunday), per week 10c Complaints of Irregularities In delivery should be addressed to City Circulation De partment. , : t, OFFICES'. Omaha The Bee Building. South Omaha--Clty Hall Building, Twenty-fifth and M htreeta. Council Bluffs iO Pearl Street. Chicago 1640 Unity Building. New York 232S Park Row Building. Washington 601 Fourteenth Street. CORRESPONDENCE. Communications relating to news and edi torial matter should lie addressed: Omaha bee, Editorial Department. REMITTANCES. Remit by draft, express or postal order, payable to The Bee Publishing Company. Only t-cent stamps accepted In payment of mall accounts. Personal check, except on Omaha or eastern exchanger, not accepted. rum BEE FUBLJSHIU Lumrftni. STATEMENT OF CIRCULATION. State of Nebraska, Douglas County, ss.: George B. Tsschuck, secretary of The Bee Publishing Company, being duly sworn, says that the actual number of full and complete copies of The Dally, Morning, Evening and Sunday Bee printed during the month of March. 1908, was as follows: 1 20,315 IT .31,700 t 81,010 IS .Sl,70O 31,730 19 .31,80 81,610 10 S1.490 1 81,620 U 31,000 31,000 22 STO.210 T Bl.OSO n 32,200 1 2,170 24 81.040 9 Hl.OflO 25 31,010 10.... ,..31,MO ' 28 .,..31,740 11 .........31,700 27 81.770 12... 31,720 28 81,070 18. 31.700 22 2W.OOO 14 81,700 30 31.U20 15 29.030 81 81,700 18 81,040 Total B70.00B Less ansold and returned copies... 10,481 Net total sales 000,614 Met average sales , ao.ttOft UEOROE B. TZSCHUCK. ' Subscribed In my presence and oworn to before me this 31st day of March, A.- D., 18U3. , 1L B. HUNOATE. (Seal.) ' ' Notary Public. The people or the corporations is still the Issue In Omaha. It will be remembered that The Bee declared at the time that the postpone ment of the city election by special leg islative act would have no effect on the contest. . This undisputed fact stares the bolt ers In the face: At the republican pri maries, .ftesye'Dly-three delegates were elected pledged to support . Frank E. Moores for mayor and only seventy del egates opposed to him. . The promoters of wireless telegraphy have missed the chance of unlimited free advertising in falling to keep up with President Roosevelt In the Yellow atone after be cut himself off from tele phonic and telegraphic communication. . The Austrian ministry would have its hands full if it undertook to censure all the plays produced in this country with a view to eliminating suggestive or de moralising .features. In Austria play wrights and playgoers are apparently more submissive. When the intls made up the appor tionment f delegates to the city con vention thoy thought tbey had gerry mandered (rank E. Moores out of the muyoralty raie. When they find them selves beaten .it their own game, what right have they to squeal? One railroad president has been found to say that the merger decision Is one of the greatest blessings for railroad In terests In general business that the country can bare. It Is needless to add that he is identified with one of the little ones on the verge of being swal lowed up. Had the direct nomination system prevailed at the recent republican con vention,' Frank K. Moores' triumph would have been overwhelming. No other candidate would have had half as many votes as he and he would have had more votes than all other candi dates combined. The local popocra tic organ complains that the republican platform Is not specific enough to suit It. Its complaint Is not well taken. The republicans pledgo their candidates to certain defi nite propositions which could not be stated In plainer language. What Is more tothe point, It conforms to the records of the candidates nominated upon It. The old city committee became Ipso facto defunct the moment the repub lican convention organised, and the new city committee reconstituted by the convention Is the only legitimate ma chinery of the party. If the defunct committee undertakes to assume the role of usurper, It will only show more plainly the reckless outlawry of the political desperadoes Inspiring it. Charges have Ikm-u tiled with Oovernor Peabody of Colorado upon which he has summoned members of the Ieuver Fire and Police board to make appearance before him and show cause why they should not be removed for malfeasance and mlsfeasnnce. If Denver's police commissioners are guilty of half the outlawry, which could 1k proved against Omaha's police commissioner they will, doubtless, be compelled to walk the plank.. Secretary of Agriculture Wilson ex pects to' see a great Industry In silk culture to be developed In the south as result of the experiments now under way la adapting the mulberry to south erjj 'SolL Wher Columbus alighted on a now, world, he was In quest of the Indies in hopes of securing an avenue for trade lu silks and spices. It would be ft remarkable realization of his drcuin If it should turn out that he really did discover tb Uui that Is to produce the tUks of U chiuxed world.' Discvsa iso its KrrtGT It Is generally recognized that the merger decision will have a far-reaching effect, should It be affirmed by the court of last resort, but there Is diversity of opinion as to the scope of Its applica tion, some contending that It extends to every railroad and trade consolidation or combination affecting competition, while others argue that It does not apply to such agreements or "community of Interest" arrangements as exist letween some of the eastern railroads. Mr. (frlggs, formerly attorney general of the United States and now counsel for the Northern Securities company, has expressed the opinion that If the de cision Is to prevail In the merger case It must also bold good In the case of all other companies holding stock In com peting lines. If that view be correct, It will apply to the Union Pacific control of the Southern Pacific, the Pennsylvania com pany's holdings In the Baltimore & Ohio, the Chesapeake & Ohio and the Norfolk & Western railroads, and the holdings of Reading railroad stock by the Baltimore & Ohio. It Is true these cases do not present an exact analogy, with the pos sible exception of the Union Pacific and the Southern Faclflc, to the case of the Northern Securities company, vet It seems tolerably clear that the decision In the latter case baa some application to them. All these arrangements un doubtedly have reference to competition and to whatever extent they go In pre venting free competition they may be held to be In restraint of commerce within the meaning' of the law. The language of the decision pointing to this conclusion Is so clear and explicit that it can hadly be misunderstood. It de clares that any contract or combination that places obstacles In the way of free and unrestricted competition between carriers who are natural rivals for patronage is prohibited by existing law. Whether or not the Northern Securi ties decision reaches to trade combina tions Is of course a debatable auestlon. The leading counsel of the United States Steel corporation has expressed the opinion that it will not be affected by the decision, still as one' writer on the subject says, corporations like the steel trust rest npon uncertain ground which may at any time give way under them. "Their legal standing Is doubtful: their legitimacy Is in question." The ludlclnl determination of this will be reached In due time. Assuming, as la very gener ally done, that the decision will be af firmed by the supreme court, what new scheme will the corporations devise for defeating the law and promoting monop oly? There is no doubt they will seek some way to do this, but it Is hardly possible that they will succeed. Thev may provoke continual litigation, but It has been pretty conclusively established that the government has the Dower to regulate and control all combinations engaged In Interstate commerce and tn prevent monopoly, and the people will insist upon tills power being exercised. . PBIL1P. DRVSK-PBILIP SOBER. When the men who bolted the rennh. lican city convention because they were foiled in the effort to override the will and wish expressed through the ballot dox in the primary election get their sober senses they will realize that they have not a leg to stand on. The bolting faction can not claim with any degree of decency that the verdict rendered at the. primary election was procured by unfair means. They know that the defeated faction had absolute control of the party machinery. The ann-machlne" machine owned the chairman, secretary and everv mem her of the city committee. They know that m tienance of the plain letter of the law which requires a fair division of th election boards between the contesting candidates the "anti-machine" machine rode rough shod over its opponents and appointed all the Judges of election from the anti-Moores faction. These Judges, furthermore, were in position ny the arbitrary exercise of power and the test oath to reject voters whom they suspected of an Intention to vote for the Moores delegates. Everybody knows that that most an. daclous political outlaw,, William J. Broatch, and the police commission not only used the police clubs to bnlldns and terrorize liquor dealers, but sought to oostruct the election by lawless in terference. People may not be aware of the fact, but it Is nevertheless true that a score of policemen drawing pay from the city were detailed to do polit ical scavenger work In conjunction with cohorts of the corporations that sup- pnea tne purifiers with an" almost un limited amount of boodle for mercena ries and venal voters. They ought to know, furthermore, that an untram meled primary election would have given Frank E. Moores eight out of th nine wards of the city Instead of live out or tne nine. While all Is fair in love, war .,t politics, there U a line of demarcation Detween honorable mid dishonor. m warfare. No honorable republican. uaiever may n his factional predilec tions, can countenance, mnoh i a. fend aud uphold, the criminal con spiracy to Overturn the verdict rpnrf at the primaries by the purchase of del egates elected, to .voice the will of the majority. The failure of this lnfm.,. conspiracy does not lessen the crime. inis issue the . lltlaar mirlnr. face. They must stand up before the i-omruutmy and defend the criminal at tempt to buy up the convention or they it-. ... t . . UJU" "u meir Hands of the damnable stain and submit gracefully to the man date of the majority of the party. One fact is patent to all men and that Is that the majority faction treated the defeated faction with unprecedented magnanimity. When the bolters walked out of the convention they left the vic torious majority in unrestrained con trol. Had that body been actuated by a vindictive spirit it could have iml tated the exaapla set by v the bolters and nominated a factional ticket from top to bottom. Instead of using its power the majority of the convention conceded to the minority two of the most Important offices on the ticket and tn every Instance for the city council the candidates thot received the largest vote at the primary regardless of their factional affiliations. The some mag nanimity characterized the faction In the organization of the new committee. With these Indisputable facts staring them In the face, the members who rashly deserted the convention because they were outnumbered ennuot with any degree of decency ask republicans to Join them in a desperate effort to de feat the choice of the rank and file of the party. BARR1SUS AKD JOIISSUS BUOXS. Announcement comes from Boston of a movement among a faction of Massa chusetts democrats In favor of Carter Harrison for president, with Joslah Qulncy of that state as his running mate. While Chicago's mayor hardly measures up to the presidential stan dard. It Is the belief of the democrats who are endeavoring to start a boom for him that he might be able to wrest Illinois from the republican column, evi dently oblivious of tLe fact that his re duced plurality In the last election showed that he has lost In popularity. As a presidential candidate It is ex tremely doubtful If Harrison could carry- Chicago, but In the present con dition of the democracy he would per haps do nearly or quite as well as a leader next year as ouyboriy. The de feat of the party Is so nln.uly fore ehadowed that It Is of small couse- Oi.'Ci-ce who It selects as a candidate. Not much Is being said about Tom L. Johnson, but undoubtedly he Is bein more or less seriously thought about by the "regulars." It appears probable that If he desires to run for governor of Ohio this year he can easily secure the nomination,, but he may not care to run the risk of being defeated, since defeat would be disastrous to his . chances as a presidential possibility next year. It is suggested that In the event of the next Ohio legislature being democratic Johnson may be a candidate to succeed Senator Hanna and this Is by no means Improbable. At any rate narrison and Johnson seem to be rather more prominent Just now In democratic attention than any body else, but whether or not their early booms will last any great length of, time Is a question. OROAXJZlXU MAHUFACTCRKRS. The coming session of the National Association of American Manufacturers will. It is said, have for one of Its prin cipal objects an effort to Induce the manufacturers of the country to or ganize a special body for the purpose of resisting trades-unionism. It is urged that union labor has now grown, to such an extent that, a counter-organization among .manufacturers is necessary; that organized labor owes its present power mainly to the support of public opinion, which it has obtained through constant agitation and appeals, and that many people, thinking only of the working man, have lost sight of the Issues at stake affecting the growth of American industries. It Is doubtless quite natural that man ufacturers should be disposed to or ganize for the purpose of combatting what they regard as the aggressions of trades-unionism. They have already done so, as have other employers of labor, in some localities. But the ques tion Is whether such a policy will have a tendency, to remedy what the man f act ure rs complain of and to promote Industrial peace. May It not rather operate to stimulate the growth of or ganized labor and Increase Its power? At present unorganized labor Is numer ically much greater than that which Is organized. Is It not probable that the proposed policy would result In re versing this condition In a few years? We are Inclined to think that such would Inevitably be the case and It may be doubted whether this would make for industrial peace. There will be much Interest in the action of the Manufac turers' association on this subject J.V A SUTSHKLL. We will give the World-Herald credit for stating in a nutshell the points In volved In the disputed ruling of Chair man Cowell at the republican city con vention and showing what flimsy pre tenso the bolters have to excuse their walkout. It says: There Is evidence that a majority of the republicans voting Friday In the various wards declared for Frank E. Moores. In the contested wards his majority was about 200. In selecting 143 delegates the repub licans selected seventy-three for Moores and seventy against him. Any delegate who changed after being elected is neces sarily under criticism, if Dot suspicion. Moores' friends having won at the pri maries were entitled to run the convention. Robert Cowell, as chairman, was justified in ruling that the Second ward delegates need not be polled unless a Second ward member demanded It. The Ninth ward had no more right to demand a poll of the Second ward delegates than Nebraska has to Interfere tn an Iowa election. As a matter of fact the republicans of the Second ward had declared for Moores. If one of the Second ward members, after being elected on the Moores ticket, desired to desert It be had the legal right to do so, but the chairman very properly refused to allow members from another ward to seduce or cajole him Into doing so. There Is entirely tco much changing of dele gates after tbelr election. To encourage It Is to open the door to corruption. Chairman Cowell's ruling served to check the tendency, and Its effect was therefore good. The rank and file of the republican party pronounced at their primaries for the renomination of Frank K. Moores. He could not have been deprived of that nomination except by subverting the will of the party through resort to fraud and corruption. It turns out that the Rockefeller do nation to the University of Nebraska la two-thirds of IluO.OOO, contingent on the raising of the other third and lu pur- pose the construction of ft building for social and religious activity. The uni versity authorities should have no dif ficulty In securing the remainder neces sary to complete the fund, providing the donation Is In strict conformity with the nou-secular character of the uni versity. The coustltutlon of Nebraska expressly prohibits sectarian instruction In our public Institutions and this pro hibition must be observed along the broad lines .laid down by the supreme court In Its recent opinion on the use of the bible In the public schools. If Mr. Rockefeller understands the Import of that decision and acquiesces In It, there Is no good reason why his gift should not be accepted. Governor Richards of Wyoming has at last backed water on his former as sertion that Wyoming would Iks against President Roosevelt for renomination lu resentment of the policy of the ad ministration with reference to the forest reserves and the Illegal fencing of the public domain. While Governor Rich ards does not deny his former Inter view, he declares that he, personally, will be for President Roosevelt, leav ing the Inference to be drawn that there Is none the less powerful opposition to him In the state. President Roosevelt need have no apprehensions about Wyoming, no matter what the disap pointed land grabbers do. In view of the signal victory won In the Northern Securities case, it Is un fortunate that the government cannot retain in its service an attorney like Assistant Attorney General Beck, who hud a principal part, In the management of the government's side. The legal de partment of the national administration seems to be useful chiefly to develop young lawyers who, having shown their mettle, are Immediately absorbed Into the big law firms retained for the great corporations. The only consolation Is that there Is always latent talent ready to seize the opportunities which the government service offers. There Is such, a thing as overdolug things and making a farce out of plat form declarations. The democratic demand for 3-cent street car fares conies under that category. No city of Omaha's population has yet been able to command 3-cet street car fares and up to date no large city In this country has made the experiment a success. What Omaha has a right to demand Is better service and the col lection of taxes, on the full market value of the whole street railway property. Two grand Juries are at work on the bribery and , corruption of the late Mis souri legislature 'and a whole lot of legislative lobbyist and leeches, who Infested Jefferson. City have found It Imperative to seekmllder climates for their health. Whave no doubt that a grand jury SalieLior Lancaster county would create .a suild.eh and pressing de mand upon the "pass distributers at Lin coln for free' transportation to distant parts. The demand for accessible dwellings with modern conveniences at moderate rentals continues steady In Omaha and ought to serve as a stimulus to the con struction of a lot) of new houses here this season. While Omaha Is notably a city of home owners, there are alwavs many people who must rent, and they ougnt to be able to secure the living ac commodations they are entitled to. 'Never Touched Me." Baltimore American. It Is a good thing for Mr. Roosevelt's feelings, no doubt, that lie was In the fast nesses of the Yellowstone Park when old Jimmy Merger Hill took that shot at him. Now Will Dewey Be Good! Philadelphia Record. Most of the accounts of the rnmniritin strength e the American and German na vies are mere tales for the marines. Now comes Hobson with the declaration that ha does not agree with Admiral Dewey In re gard to the German navy. . Crowlnahleld might possibly throw soae further light on the subject. The Lamder of Leader. Detroit Free Press. There may be very little honor or profit tn being the leader of the Democratic party tn Ohio; but to such as there hap pens to be, Mr. Johnson's title cannot be disputed. Thane of Olamls he unquestion ably Is, but of Cawdor and of the king ship. It is not worth while to speak at pres ent, whatever the witches may be saying. A Profltable Trade. Philadelphia Press. The negotiations with Cuba for naval coaling stations are .said to have resulted in leaving the Isle of Pines to the Cuban government. That Is quite probable. The United States could claim this Island under the treaty with Spain, but tnat would have crested ill feeling, and the United States has no particular need of the Island. It might well bo given to Cuba In payment for the coaling stations. Flacking; the Keens Pool. Springfield Republican. The Kcene pool In Southern Pacific rail road stock expired Friday by limitation, and gains and losses are being counted up. It proves to have been all loss at once the largest and the most disastrous pool ever organized in Wall street. It set out to ac quire 400,000 shares, and actually did acquire 544,400 shsres at an aggregate cost of J16.869.937, or an average of 168.20 a share. At $56.75 a share, the closing price of Southern Pacific stock on Thursday, the value of the pool holdings amounts to $13,. 869.700 showing a loss of $3,800,237, di vided among twenty-four men. RAIN- THE PURE GRAIN COFFEE The coffee habit is qaicUy over coma by those who let Grain-O take its place. If properly made it tastes like the best of coffee. No grain coffee compares with it in flavor or heaithfu'.ne-is. TRV IT TO-DAY. At groceis everywhere; tto. awl Ms. per fcktg. JtDOMEVT IN TUB MERGER CASE. A Trlamph of Law, Chicago Record-Herald. The Issues are so clear that all these mergers appear simply as examples of con scious lawbreaking, and the decision will be hailed as a triumph of law and as a victory for the people which mutit strengthen their confidence In the admin istration of the law. It Is certainly a welcome check upon dangerous corporate aggression. Powerleaaneas of Monopoly. Bt. Louis Republic. The government's victory In the Northern Securities case reveals the p-werlcssnes:3 of monopoly as against the arm it en ergetically administered law. Universal and rigid application will not only partly correct the evllB, but will Illumine the course of future legislation, bringing de ficiencies clearly to light. Enforcement Is the orly test of law. Limiting: the Field of Trusts. Washington Post. It la well for the trusts for the good, bad and Indifferent trusts that the limits of their field of legitimate operations are soon to be finally determined. It Is well for all the people that the utmost boundary of that field will be clearly within the line of public safety. The natural right of the publto to protection from extortion by the maintenance of competition Is not going to pass away. Trlamph for the President. New York World. The result Is a great and well deserved triumph for President Roosevelt, who di rected that the suit be brought, and who incurred thereby the enmity of the power ful financial leaders Interested In the merger and In similar combinations. Inci dentally the decision rustalns the consti tutionality of the Sherman anti-trust law. and Justifies the high praise which the president has recently given to Attorney General Knox. Legitimate Enterprise I'nhnrt. Kansas City Star. The decision In the case of the Northern Securities company will not hurt legitimate Interests. This and other restraints on combinations made for the purpose of ex tortion ought to have a salutary effect on the purely speculative and fictitious opera, tlons that have menaced financial security and have aroused popular resentment. The precedent established will make way for the elimination of other unlawful abuses on the part of great corporations. Defending; Public Rights. Chicago Inter Ocean. The thing which the court denounces and prohibits, it will be observed. Is the power which Messrs. Morgan, Hill and their associates sought to acquire. The American people have declared, through their congress, that the possession of such power by any part of their number la dan gerous to the safety of the whole, and have forbidden it. And their courts, de fending the rights of the people, stand ready to punish any man who seeks so to menace their safety. Felicitations In Order. Washington Star. Felicitations are due both to the pres ident and to the attorney general. They have worked together and with a cordial understanding. If Mr. Knox has had In his chief a man whose firm purpose was an in spiration, Mr. Roosevelt has had in his legal adviser one of the niOBt accomplished of American lawyers.. They are admirably mated. Indeed, for carrying forward the difficult work Imposed upon them by the oath of office, and they may be expected to see It through, with unflagging zeal, to the end. The trusts, we may be sure, are making notes of this and preparing to dis pute every Inch of the way. There are no sham battles in progress or on the cards. Business Proceeds Jost the Same. New York Tribune. Meanwhile it should be borne In mind, particularly by the alarmed holders of se curities, that the railways of the nation will not lose any freight by reason of pres ent legal complications, but will continue to haul the enormous tonnage which is steadily surpassing all records, and each month the statements of earnings continue to exceed those of previous years until .the situation has become almost - monotous. Similarly, the Industrial corporations are unprccedentedly active, and no wheels will become Idle nor furnaces cold because of a legal decision affecting the form of con trol. "Let Things Drift." New York Times. The stirring question In financial cir cles is, What will now be done by the man agers of the railway systems affected by the decision? Apparently the less they do the safer. If they "let things drift," if they maintain a truce tacitly understood, if they refrain, on the one hand, from raids upon each other's business, and, on the other, from attempts to coins to formal agree ments not to make such raids, the at torney general may find it exceedingly diffi cult to bring them further to account. Of course, such a situation has its difficult!? and perplexities. The "agreement among gentlemen" Is not a very trustworthy re liance. Reduction of Natural Rights. Brooklyn Eagle. f What Wall street thinks, says or may at tempt In such circumstances. Is less signi ficant than the attempted reduction by the court of the amount of natural right here tofore supposed to exist In the world, the natural right to buy or sell much or little or all of anything one has, the natural right of two or more to agree that what is sold or bought shall be used to promote com mercial unity and net to promote commer cial rivalry. The decision seeks almost to reach down Into state of mind of those whom it affects, and to declare that the In tents of men In conceivable circumstances can be Inferred and forbidden by courts. It wilt be impossible to limit this to rail roads. Litigation can be Invoked against any corporation, the articles produced by which enter Into commerce between the states o? abroad. In short, anything af fected by a relation to commerce between the states or abroad can be argued Into the limits of this decision. A Notable Tlotorr. New York Evening Post. The law officers of the government are to be congratulated on a notable victory gained against very able men. backed by a com bination of railway capital In excess of one billion dollars the largest, perhsps, that the world has ever seen. To President Roosevelt this Is much the greatest suc cess, not merely accidental, that he has ever gained. It was an accident that made him president, but It was no accident that he directed the powers of the government Into the channel which It took In this judi cial proceeding. The L'nlted States could alone take the Initiative In challenging the legal status of the Northern Securities company, and it lay In his power to set the machinery la motion to that end, or to withhold It. It is a matter of doubt whether the political bosses who favored Mr. Roosevelt's nomination as vice presi dent In order to get rid of him as governor of New York would do tbslr Job tbs same way again. FREAK TAXATION. Mortxaae Tn and Other Schemes nf rtonhtfnl UHHy. Chicago Chronicle. Governor Odell's bill for the tsxatlon of mortgages seems to have no chance of enactment In the New York legislature, al though it was the pet measure of tho ex ecutive himself and had been formally adopted as a supposed clever move by the dominant party. For once the great financial Institutions and tho general public were found to be a unit against a pending bill, and the fact that If It became a law It would be a new burden upon borrowers was brought home so stoutly to the members that even the crack of the party whip was powerless to force the messure through. It is conceded that tho persistent and dogmatic adhesion to this particular meas ure has been a positive Injury to Gov ernor Odrll. damaging his hopes of future political advancement and even threaten ing the chances of his party's success In the next state election. It seems strange that a man of h!s sup posed political aouincu should hive fathered such a measure at all. let alone endeav oring to tlrivo it through the legislature, for it is only the old thrashoil-out idea of mortgage taxation with no particularly new or plausible trimming. The mania to put extra taxes upon some body or something Is a prevalent disease, and Its outbreak neems to be In order at any session of sny legislature. It takes the form this year tn Illinois of bllla calling for Increased life Insurance taxation. Some four or five such meas ures have already been Introduced and It Is perhaps needless to say that Mr. Nohe Is behind at least one of them. Probably no tax proposition will ever be evolved that will suit everbody. The tsx, like the boil. Is a thing endurable mainly when afTllcting somebody else. But It would seem as If even the most stupid of "statesmen" would understand that to lew additional taxes upon men who are already bending under the burden of mortgages ' or wno are showing the best of self abnegation by trying to protect their fam Hies through life insurance could not pos sibly be a winning game. TORX STAMPS OUTLAWED. Surprising Announcement of the Post Office Department. New York Times There will be general surprise at the an nouncement by the Postofflce Department in its new book of Instruction that stamps accidentally torn in two cannot be used for the payment of postage. Most of us can remember occasions when, with more or Ices care, we pasted the parts of a torn stamp on the letter, and in such cases, us ually, if not always, the letter has reached its destination and made no trouble either for the sender or the recipient. So as a matter of fact, and whatever the depart ment may say, torn stamps can, or at least could, be used. And why should they not? It is considerable, of course, that by the exercise of a vast amount of labor and in genuity ten stamps could be turned Into eleven that would pass the Inspection et an overworked cancellation clerk, with the consequent loss to the government of two cents, but it is not conceivable that this crime would be committed by anybody else than a lunatic miser or oftener than once In a generation. On the other hand the frequency with which we all have only one stamp, tnd that a torn one, Is very great, and a large amount of utterly needless In convenience would be caused If It were necessary In such cases to make a Journey to the postofflce, or even to the nearest drugstore. It Is the business of the postal authorities to render correspondence easy, not difficult, to do the work for which they take the people's money, not to find ex cuses for leaving It undone until they can get more money. The matter Is a very small one, but It Is one of those trlflos that creates a lot of annoyance and Irri tation or might If the department was as strict in practice as it now says It Is In theory. PERSONAL NOTES. The government in Washington still lives and does business at the old stand. Daniel S. Lamont, secretary of war In the Cleveland cabinet, has Just returned from a six months' trlp abroad. The proposed stage version of the Bur-d!ck-Pennell mystery will probably divert the eggs from McFadden's Row of Flats. Ex-President Cleveland will spend sev eral weeks of the summer as a guest of James H. Eckels, former controller of the currency, at the Chlcagoan's summer cot tage at Oconomowoc, Wis. A plumber working under a house the other day unearthed $18,000 tn buried treas ure and was rewarded by the house owner with a gift of $1. This Is where the usual plumber witticism does not fit. Cornelius Vanderbllt has a graceful way of heaping coals of Ore by bestowing on the bride of his youngest brother, to whose wedding he has not been invited, the hand somest present she has received. Judge John J. Jackson of the northern district of West Virginia has served the United States in a judicial capacity longer than any other judge In the country. Ha was appointed to his present office in 1881, and will soon have served forty-two years. One of the most enthustastlo supporters of President Roosevelt's large family Idea Is the Mormon, Reed Smoot, who baa been elected United States senator. He cites the fact that the descendants of President Smith of the Mormon church now number 1,00$. ; aw . virnftk ,9mr:. 'Wryii- A little red, a little white, one way. Here s a better : 1 Take Ayer's Sarsaparilla. It makes the blood pure and rich. You know the rest : red cheeks, steady nerves, good digestion, restful sleep, power to endure. Keep the bowels regular with Ayer's Pills ; this will greatly aid the Sarsaparilla. Two grand family medicines. ; Keep them on hand. j. a ayxb oo.. lowsu, tuw. THE OLD RELIABLE m . Absolutely Puro THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE. A ftRATIFYIG SPECTACLE. Temper of the Irish Toward Proposed Land Reforms. Portland Oregonlan. The energy with which the Irish people rise to meet the opportunity that the late government grant of $!25,000 annually for the development and their ultimate owner ship of lands presents Is both gratifying and tremendous. A genuine Industrial re vival has already taken place in Ireland, furnishing proof if proof of so plain and natural a characteristic of human nature were needed of the thrift and courage that Is born of legitimate sclf-lntrrest. In the reflection of past conditions under which the Irish peasantry have struggled there Is a degree of pathos In this eager re sponse to opportunity; In tho light of fu ture possibilities there Is gladness and hope In It. The Irish people prove their kin ship with all home-loving, large-hearted, loyal people In this awakened energy. Olvo them something to work for, some promise of fullness from the work of their hands, some Incentive to thrift, and they speedily prove themselves not only energetic, but cheerful, uncomplaining workers. Elim inate these features from their endeavor and It Is at best but a grudged offering even to their own pressing necessities. POINTED REFLECTIONS. If you have a good temper, keep It; If you have a bad one, don't lose It. Colum bia Jester. Church Do you think he la a well-proportioned man? Ootham No; his lungs are away out of proportion to hla brains. Yonkers States man. Casey Don't say "Ol ain't done noth InV Cassldy An' why not? Casey Becauso it's not good English. Cassldy Shure. Ol'm glad to hear It, fur nayther am Ol. Philadelphia Press. "Our butcher has run away from his creditors." "Dear, dear, that's too bad! How ho will be missed. Such steaks 1 Such chops!" "Yes, he leaves a very tender memory behind him." Cleveland Plain Dealer. "It's a good thing that the doctors do not send tn their bills until the patient has recovered." "Why?" "Well If a-man knew he was really as sick as the else of the bill would Indicate the shock of It would certainly cause a relapse." Baltimore Herald. "There Is never any uncertainty where I stand," said the pompous speaker at the ward meeting; "I'm a stalwart!" Whereupon the little man with a squeaky voice half arose and, putting his hand to his ear. Inquired: "What kind of a wart?" Kansas City Journal. "John," aeked the lawyer's wife, who hal recently taken up tho health culture fad, "is It best to He on the right aide or the left side?" "My dear," replied the legal lumlnarv, "if one Is on the right side It usually Isn't necessary to He at all." Chicago News. First Dame How do you like the new neighborhood Into which you have moved? Second Dame It's perfectly lovely. I Ann' Irnnw. anul rl thin 1 1 uvi, v " ' . " m w u . ...lulu UiilB.wnCW York Weekly. "Do you think that cigarette smoking causes a deterioration of mentality?" "I am not clear on that point." said the man who makes a specialty of profound opinions. "The Impression to that effect may be due to the fact that people with brains naturally avoid them."- Washington Diar. DEAR UNSELFISH DAN. Philadelphia Catholic Standard. 'Most everyone that knew our Dan Agreed he was the kindest man They ever see. He had the knack Of takln' on his own broad back The burdens an' the slaps and pokes Belonged by rights to other folks, if anyone was In distress An' went to Dan, he'd say: "I guess We'll pull you out all right; let's see. Suppose you leave all that to me." Was nothln' finer than the way He cared for poor old Uncle Jay, Who was the most unlucky han For havln trouble with his lan', iwui taxes, or me early spring Plowln', or some other thing That plumb upsot the poor old man. Then, In the nick o' time, our Dun Steps In, and says, "Oho!" says he, Suppose you leave all that to me." It got to be that Uncle Jay He couldn't git along no way Without our Dan. air our Dan he Jest cared fur him unselfishly. An' when the old man come to die Our Dan, o" course, was right close by. Says Uncle Jay: "I'm worrit, Dan, 'Bout what's to come of all my lan' An' all my money ojt at loan. An' In the bank, when I am gone." Then Dan, he ups an' says, says he: "Suppose you leave all that to me." sw "gr1 rt SM delicately blended. That's i