THE OMAHA DAILY ttEE: FRIDAY, FEBRUARY
The Omaha Daily Her
E. nOHKWATF.R. EDITOR.
PUBLISHED EVERY MOR.MSO.
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THE BEE PUBLISHING COMPANY.
STATEMENT OF CIRCULATION.
State of Nebraska, Douglas County, sa. :
O. C Roaewater. aecretary or The Bee
Publishing company. . being duly sworn,
says that the actual nnmtief .f full and
complete copies of The Dally. Morning.
Evening and Sunday Bee printed during the
month of January, 1906, was as follows:
1 tMl.RffO IT.... m.lMW
2 ni.nro is ai.TTo
t St. THO It 1.45l
4 JII.TTO H2.240
I 31.830 n ao.wo
82.000 H SI .400
T no.iso to 3i.n
Ml.TSO . 14 81.47l
............ ai.OHO . 25. si.st
10 .. 32.000 26 31.410
II l,l30 27 B5!,8iIO
It 81.1KW 28 80.0M)
11 82.440 . 2 31,H5
14 sm.tmo-v 3 8I,:mm
16 . S1.NTO SW 81.5r.O
t ai.TTO . .r
Total 1 ,003.400
tes unsold copies 11,038
Net total sales.......... 0U2.4R'l
Dally average . aa.ull
C. C. ROBEWATER.
Secretary.
Subscribed In my presence and sworn
to before me this 31st day of January. l.X.
(Seal) M. B. HUNG ATE,
; . ' . Notary Public.
WHEX OUT OF TOWS.
Subscribers leaving; the city tem
pera rll y should have The Bee
mailed te tbem. Address will be
haaared n often as requested.
' 1 ., 1 : ! a
The "swineherd" ro.vnl family of Ser-
vla soem unable to drive its pigs to a
Hungarian market.'
With Japau suggentlUK the purclinso
of the rblliriplnes, a.' new "Issue" may
b found for the democratic party in
1908. , .
. A the campaign . progresses roor
baebs and canards will be served up In
every style) by political fakirs. Look
out for tliera.
It now transpires that The Bee did
not libel. Tax Commissioner O'Neill of
South Omaha in its former discussion of
the city ball site deal. .
Congressman iJrosvenor has been de
feated for renomination. Here is one
efts srhere his political statistics failed
to work according to expectations.
. Money does not always talk. What
was spent by insurance company lobby
ists has remained discreetly silent re
tarding Its present stopping place.
'. The Armstrong committee report will
be read with interest despite the fact
that It can tell nothing but what has
been known since the evidence was
submitted.
Secretary Bonaparte almost, but not
quite, aaya that It should cost as much
to keep a navy in condition to prevent
war as In condition to conclude it after
it la started.
According to Washington advices, an
other heroic rescue of the congressional
appropriation for the maintenance of
the Indian supply depot at Omaha Is
on the boards.
In seven months Imports into tbe
United States, have increased 70.0uo,
000 and exports $ 133,000.000, which
would Indicate the presence of practical
reciprocity of a striking kind in some
quarters.
Governor Cummins declares he wants
It distinctly understood that there is no
conflict between his ambitions and Sen
ator Dolllver's. He is distinctly silent
however, as to possible conflict between
his ambitions and Secretary Shaw's.
Mr. Cbucovlc of Denver denies the
well defined rumor that he has come to
Omaha to boss the republican primaries
and assert that he is here only as a
referee for Police Commissioner Broatch
to the Impending triangular mayorality
.Contest. This correction Is cheerfully
t made.
It must have beeu a shock to Secre
tary Wilson to be requested to send ex
perts to ahow Nebraskaus bow to spray
apple trees, but he has come to the front
gloriously and the campaign will begin
In earnest In the spring. Nebraska la
not only In the corn belt but also in the
frv.lt belt.
The sole republican congressman from
North Carolina has been Indicted for
violation of federal law. The gentle
man from North Carolina may be get
tins what belongs to him. but it la well
to remember that North Carolina
politics la strenuous and North Carolina
politicians not particularly punctilious
a to methods.
If Governor Cummins could induce
the Polk county court to call a grand
Jury and keep it in session until the leg.
Mature, adjourns be would clear the
Iowa capital of professional and unpro
fessional paid lobbyists quicker and
fceep it dear longer, than by any mes
sage, proclamation or edict which it Ilea
la his power to Issue.
ar.nstA .vr urrr.snr.n
Tlio do-In rat Ion of the Chinese minis
ter to the t'liltotl State that Cennany
and Ceruinns were largely rcioiiellile
for the present troubles within the Clii
nco empire gave offense to the Herman
government. However well founded
Hie statement It was certainly undiplo
matic, and the resentment felt nt Ber
lin Is entirely natural. Of course an
explanation has been asked for and un
doubtedly s satisfactory one will
promptly lie given. Some reports from
Washington express tbe opinion that
serious trouble between the two coun
tries may grow out of it but there is
not the slightest probability of this. In
cidents of this ehnracter very rarely
lead to trouble of consequence. It was
an indiscretion on the part of the min
ister that can easily be atoned for on
the part of his government and doubt
less it will be found most ready and
willing to make any amend which tbe
Herman government shall desire. It
may even go so far as to humiliate tbe
minister by recalling him and depriving
him of nil official standing, especially
as to the diplomatic service.
Meanwhile, there undoubtedly is some
foundation for his charge. It Is pretty
generally understood that Germany Is
not wholly satisfied with snob Chinese
territory as she now holds and would
unhesitatingly avail herself of an op
portunity to extend it. Moreover, her
Influence at Tekliig Is not so great as
she would like. That Germans have
had any direct agency or Influence in
creating existing disturlied . conditions
In China is scarcely credible, yet it Is
by no means impossible. They are very
eager to secure Chinese trade and in
their efforts to do this might not be
averse to inciting hostility to tlie trade
of other countries. There may be some
surprising disclosures in regard to this
when the declaration of the Chinese
minister at Washington comes to be
explained.
THE SEALtXO QVEST10X AOAIX
There is to be another effort .to settle
the sealing questlou in the Pacific. It
has been a subject of controversy for
years, at times, menacing to peace be
tween this country and Great Britain,
but nil past efforts to reach a final sat
isfactory settlement have been futile.
It is now proposed to have an Interna
tional convention to which Japan und
Itussln will be parties, as well ns the
Cnlted States and Great Britain. The
dliliculty in the way of an agreement
Is that the opponents of pelagic sealing
are those who possess seal islands, while
on the other hand the advocates of the
method are'those who would be shut out
sltogether by a policy of prohibition.
The opposition conies chiefly from
Canada, some of whose people find the
killing of seal in the open sea very
profitable, and It has beeu suggested
that this opposition might be quieted if
our government would buy the outfits
of preseut seulers. This is n BUggention,
however, of very doubtful expediency,
for were the government to do this now
it would very likely be called upon In
a few years to repeat the experiment
Pelngic sealing, which Is carried on
indiscriminately, has greatly depreciated
the value of the seal fisheries, so that
our government in recent years has
not derived from them the revenue it
should have had. Contluuauce of it
must inevitably in time destroy the
fisheries, which would be a serious loss
not alone to this country, but to others.
There ought to be on the part of all
the nations concerned a keen Interest
in the question of protecting the seal
against the mnrauders who kill them in
the open sea without discrimination. Per
haps an International convention would
arouse such an Interest and lend to a
settlement of the long-pending ques
tion. A VERY JMPORTAST DECMOX.
The opinion handed down last Mon
day by the supreme court of the 1'nlted
States against the Chesapeake & Ohio
and the New York, New Haven & Hart
ford railroads, affirming the authority
of the Interstate Commerce commission
to enforce the adherence of railroads to
their published rates of freight charges.
The opinion was delivered by Justice
White for au undivided bench and lays
down the new and vital principle that
railways cannot deal iu the commodi
ties which they haul over their lines,
The futnre attitude of the court on this
point is shown by the following para
graph of the opinion: "Even if the re-
suit of applying the prohibitions as we
have Interpreted them will be to render
It difficult. If not impossible, for a car
rler to deal In commodities, this affords
no ground for relieving us of the plain
duty of enforcing the provisions of the
statute as they exist." , ,
It is pomted out that If the courts
sustain the claim of the Interstate com
mission that private car lines are com
mod carriers, the principle laid down iu
the opinion of tbe highest judicial trlbu
nal may also mean that some of the
owners of refrigerator cars could lx
prohibited from using their cars for the
transportation of their products. An
other Important point is that the de
cislon bears directly upon the monopo
llzaton of tbe coal business, both bitu
minous and anthracite, by the roads
traversing Pennsylvania, West Virginia,
Maryland and Virginia, and strikes a
blow at such monopolization as would
appear to simplify the whole problem
with which congress and the public are
now struggling. It Is au admitted fact
that the railroad Iu the above named
states deal iu the greater purt of the
coal they haul. They owu most of the
mines and operate them, so that the
product which they handle is their
property absolutely. It Is therefore per
fectly plain that the supreme court de
cision applies to them. It la also made
clear that the anthracite coal roads, even
when they own the mines, can be en.
Joined from so cutting tbe price of i-oal
a to UieiTluiiuatc agnlust the inde
pendent operator compelled to pay full
published charges for transportation to
market.
Tire decision declares that the purpose
of the interstate commerce act is to
compel the carrier as a public agent to
give eipial treatment to nil. and If by
the mere fact of purchasing and selling
merchandise to be transported a car
rier Is endowed with the power of dis
charging the published rate. It lieeomes
apparent that the carrier possesses the
right to treat the owners of like com
modities by entirely different, rules. The
decision places the Interstate law and
the commission upon a higher plane
than cither has heretofore occupied
and has revealed that there are methods
of 'railroad discrimination which the
law can reach and for which the roads
can be prosecuted In court. It places A
degree of power with the commission
heretofore almost entirely lacking and
gives every complainant ngninst rail
road discrimination the right to resort
to the courts, certain of redress If the
complaint can be established. It is re
garded as more vital In Importance
and In Its effect than the decision In the
Northern Securities case, since it opens
the way for futnre relief from rollrond
exactions through the courts in a man
ner heretofore hardly hoped for. It
adds very much to the power of the
government to restrain and control rail
roads. SCRAMBLE FOR COCXCILUASIC SEATS
vBy the time the filings for places on
the primary election ballot are all iu
one week from next Saturday more than
l.0 citizens, ambitious to hold seats In
the next city council, will have sub
mitted their names for popular approval
on the republican, democratic and so
cialist tickets. More than 100 of those
filing will be by republicans nnd the
numerical difference simply emphasizes
the prejionderuuce of the republican
vote.
This scramble for councllmanic seats
is suggestive. The eagerness for these
positions on the part of a very large
majority of the men whose names have
been filed not merely indicates that the
raise from $000 to $1,500 a year lu the
pay of eouncllmcn is a temptation to
men who could not earu $125' a month
in any other calling, but affords a strik
ing proof that a position in the council
is coveted because of the opportunities
It affords for fclde graft, derived from
various sources, but especially from
public utility corporations.
Under the recent decisions of the fed
eral and state courts in these parts these
corporations must either own a controll
ing majority of the council or submit
to periodic raids and ruinous regula
tions. If the council can arbitrarily fix
street car fares, water, gas, electric
light and telephone tolls, the mnnugers
of these corporations naturally feel
that there Is no safety for their con
cerns except in the election of "safe
men." Imbued with this conviction,
they make it their business to project
into the councllmanic race men who are
venal and can be counted on to stay
bought for at least one term.
Managers of public utility corporations
do not, however, always agree upon safe
men. The manager of the electric light
company does not agree with the man
ager of the gus company, for example,
and the manager of the gas company
may not always agree with the man
ager of the street railway company, al
though some stockholders are inter
ested In both. These companies In turn
may not agree with the telephone com
pany or the water company, which of
late, however. has been neutralized by
the creation of the Water board.
Between these concordant and con
flicting Interests, however, the ordiuary
citizen who desires the council to repre
sent the interests of tbe taxpayers rather
than those of any public utility corpor
ation, finds himself between the upper
and the nether mill stone. His Influence
in the primary battle is comparatively
infinitesimal unless all the other men
like him can reach a common under
standing regarding candidates who can
bo trusted most and would stay straight
the longest for, after all, few, very
few, men who go Into the council
straight stand the fiery ordeal like hon
est money that comes out of the melt
ing pot worth as much as it was when
It went In.
Secretary of State Galusha and 8tate
Suierlntendent McBrlen are said to be
Involved in a fierce discussslon as to
the propriety and impropriety of paying
their fare over the rallrouds while trav
eling on official business. Inasmuch as
it is so difficult to divide the official
from seml-otHclnl and unofficial trips,
which are by fur more extensive and
expensive, the subject under discussion
comes mighty near the danger line. The
proper solution of tlds complex and
compound problem would be for state
officials to pay their railroad fare on all
occasions, without rebate or draw
back, and resolve themselves Into n
committee to call on the next legisla
ture to enact a 2-cent-rate law with a
no-free-rides-for-anybody attachment.
Tho attempt of the Broatch contingent
to rally the workingmen of Omaha to
bis support as a friend of lubor recalls
a significant Incident that happened
three or four days preceding the elee
tlon of 1003. A laboring man's meeting
had been called to discuss candidates
for municipal offices. No sooner had
the meeting begun than Broatch, In liii
capacity as police commissioner, sta
tioned a patrol of seven police officers
on guard to overawe the workingmen
under the pretense that there might be
trouble.
Anything goea In the Nebraska Stat
Association of Commercial Clubs. Reso
lutions denouncing postal savings banks
and parcels post legislation; resolutions
to clarify, straighten and deepen the
Missouri river, and resolutions to throw
tbe gates of Omaha wide open for the
duplex telephone system nil adopted
with a hurrah and without serious con
sideration ami reflection. It goes with
out saying that resolutions to endorse
explorations to the moon and readjust
the orbits of the planetary system would
have passed Just as readily.
The next legislature should enact n
law that will prohibit members of the
Board of Tire nnd Tollee Commission
ers from U'lng candidates for political
offices municipal, county or state, dur
ing their terms, and the filing of the
name of any police commissioner for
nomination tinder the primary election
law should vacate his office and make
It mandatory on the governor to ap
point his snct-essor within ten days
thereafter. That would put an end to
Broatchlsin.
The senate committee on public build
ings has recommended an appropriation
of $100,000 out of the national treasury
for an architectural pile at Kearney.
Kearney is the borne of Attorney Gen
eral Norrls Brown, whose sena
torial bee seems to be buzzing In Sena
tor Millard's flower garden. 'Nuf said.
Russian army officers who are to be
tried for surrendering In the far east
made the mistake of their lives when
they returned home. The real culprits
have been tried and convicted by the
people, but punishment Is suspended be
cause of the impotency of public senti
ment in the land of the czar.
Attorney General-Hadley of Missouri
evidently thinks that until the Standard
Oil company has liecn penalized for in
fraction of Missouri laws he has no
time to place laurels on the brows of
New Jersey.
A Commendable Idea.
Portland Orcgonlan.
Iowa proposes a law that will abolish
explosion of firecrackers and such things
on July 4. Iowa leads the way In all styles
of prohibition: but let us hope that in this
casftrprohlbltlon will prohibit.
Poaaihlr Case of told Feet.
Chicago Record-Herald,
When the American flag- gets planted on
the undiscovered continent north of Si
beria It will undoubtedly be only too glad
to come home just as fast as It can with
out waiting for any hints from Russia.
Evidence of Bravery.
Chicago Record-Herald.
No one will question the kaiser's bravery
now that he has admitted a bunch of
French caricatures of which he Is the sub
ject Into his realms. Many a bold warrior
would rather face a rapid-fire gun than
such a weapon.
A Franchise Broker.
Springfield Republican.
Benator Aldrlch's visits to the White
House are frequent, and it la reported that
the president Is reluctant to accept any of
his advice. Mr. President, please keep re
luctant while the Rhode Islander Is about.
Compromise with almost anyone else, but
never have it appear that Mr. Aldrich
brought you around. The country has
spotted him as a statesman who, at home,
deals In perpetual franchises.
Imprisonment for Rebnters.
New .York Evening Post.
The country. la: aroused to the evil of
rebates, and public sentiment will cer
tainly support a determined prosecution
of the offenders., Why not, then, attempt
to punlRh wholesale theft as vigorously
as retail? Why not place the man who
steals another's business by means of re
hates where we put the man who steals
a loaf of bread? It might empty an oc
casional chair at the cabinet table; It
might decrease the contributions to col
leges and foreign missions nnd campaign
funds; It might multiply the nervous dis
orders to which financial magnates are
subject. But It would Increase prodigiously
the popular respect for law, and would go
far to restore confidence In the working
of democratic government. Incidentally, It
would kill the rebate.
rate: niLir i the sexate.
Contest Raftea Aroand One Im
portant Point.
Ban Francisco Chronicle.
Tho crux of the contest In the senate
over the railroad rate bill Is simply as to
whether or not a rate fixed by the Inter
state Commerce commission, after due
hearing, shall become obligatory before It
has been passed on by a court. It is the
same point whose discussion occupied the
attention of the country all last summer.
Whatever may be the language of any of
the numerous amendments to the Hepburn
bill which have been suggested, the object
Is to continue, as nearly as possible, the
present practice under which railroads
Ignore orders of the commission to which
they object, until constrained to obey them
by a decree of the supreme court of the
t'nlted States. The Hepburn bill permits,
what. In fact, congress probably could not
prevent, a court upon pctlttoa of a rail
road, to Interfere and enjoin the enforce
ment of a rate, pending hearing by the
courts, but It appears to be recognized
that In future It will probably be Impos
sible to Induce a court to so act against
any rate which any commission would ba
likely to make. Consequently the rail
roads seek to compel the commission, as
now, to take the Initiative In going into
court, they remaining on tho defensive,
and protracting the proceedings as long
as possible. They do not expect that, but
they wish to get as near to It as possible.
The language of the amendment all
hinges upon two principles which seem to
be recognized as establishes, law under the
constitution of the United States. First
no administrative body can have the func
tion or authority of a court to enforce Its
orders; and, second, no court can be en
dowed with the legislative function of fix
ing a rate. It Is proposed to evade this
constitutional limit of the power of a court
by providing, not that It may fix a rate,
but that It may enjoin the collection of
such a part of any rate as It may Itself
find to be In excess of a "reasonable" rate.
This is plainly attempting to accomplish
by Indirection that which cannot be law
fully done directly. Courts usually sit down
very hard on such attempts and yet !" this
particular case the contention Is so plausi
ble that there Is a possibility that it might
be sustained. At any rate, if any such
law were passed, the first thing to be done
would be to test the constitutionality of
such a provision, which would require some
years.
It is not always possible from the brief
telegraphic summary of the character of
proposed amendments to the Hepburn bill
to fully comprehend their objects and their
force. To fully understand them they must
be read In connection with their context
In the bill. The foregoing statement of
the fundamental issues, and of (he legal
principles Involved, should enable our read
ers to approximate quite closely to what
la being done In the senate, or attempted,
to lesaea the efficiency uf the Hepburn rate
bil' . .
ITS OF WSimTO 1.IFF..
Minor Scenes nnd Incidents Sketched
on the Snot.
Tenderfeet visiting Washington usually
absorb a profound Impression of the
scholarly wisdom, stlckativeness and
chivalry of the professl'inol guides haunt
ing the rapltol, the mall and the monu
ment And their zenl In Imparting their
store of Information Is eqnalled only by the
earnestness of their "touch." For un
numbered years their song has not varied
a note, always pitched In the ssme key.
Its length keeping pace with the size of
tho tip. But a change for the better Is
reported. A dash of mlrthfulness Is non
thrown Into the lucubrations of the guides,
and they actually try to be funny. One of
the leaders of the profession was piloting
a bunch of Marylanders through the
grounds of the Department of Agriculture
the other day, explaining the wonders of
the locality. Mr. Guide steered his visitors
to the original navel orange tree, which, he
explained, Is the father of all the navel
orange trees in this country; pointed out
the big red onk tree from California and
showed them other wonderful things, all
tho time keeping up a running Are of con
versation In explanation of what the de
partment has done.
"Why," he said, "you folks may think
the scientists In other walks of life have
accomplished wonders. You may believe
that the telephone and the automobllo
are remarkable discoveries. I grant you
that the wireless telegraph Is one of the
great accomplishments of the century, and
doubtless within a few years we shall be
able to' turn our faces skyward and see
floating gracefully through the air hun
dreds of fleet airships.
"But they ain't In It with the agricul
tural scientists," he declared, with an air
that denoted assurance and superior
knowledge. These fellows over hero are
going to startle the world some day.
Come here," he said, pointing to one of
the large green houses. "I want to show
you something."
The guide led the way to one of the
large plBiit-breedlng nurseries, where half
a dozen young men were engaged In work.
Pointing to one of the men he said. "Do
you know what that fellow Is engaged
on? He Is crossing the milk weed and the
strawberry In order to produce ready
prepared strawberries and cream. Al
ready he has a good quality of milk with
tho berries, but he Is striving now to get
pure, rich cream, and I believe he'll get
It."
"Do tell," exclaimed one of the women
of the party. "Won't that be grand for
our strawberry festivals?"
"Yaas," drawled the guide, "but that
ain't the only thing they're doing here.
Bee that man bending low over a flower
pot there? He's trying to breed the rye
plant and the mint so as to get mint
Juleps. But one of the biggest projects
they have on hand Is that of planting
onions and potatoes In alternato rows, so
that the onions will make the eyes of the
potatoes water, and then the farmers of
the arid plains can do away with Irriga
tion. I tell you, it is wonderful. Why,
one of the entomologists is breeding the
lightning bug and the honey bee so the
bees can work nt night, and another la
crossing tho spider and the wire worm
to get a good quality of natural woven
wire fence."
At the pension office there are received
more queer letters, probably, than in any
other department of the government. Duy
after day come letters and applications.
side-splitting in their ideas of Uncle Sam's
pension scheme. One received recently was
from a colored aunty down south some
where, who addressed her letter to "Kernel
Penshum," and wrote as follows:
"Pleeso sur, don't y'all gib dat fool nigger
ob pi I no po penshum, what I done hear tin
sen' fer. Ho suttenly al'nt wtith It. He
done run off wld anuder "ooman."
It was a white man who convulsed the
office with the following naive Informa
tion. On the blank which all applicants
are required to fill out. there is space for
the name of the applicant nnd Ills wife,
when and where they were married,
whether or not there are children, etc.,
ending with the space for "Record of
Marriage," meaning of course certificate,
license, etc. When this man reached that
particular question he wrote: "Thirty years
of unalloyed bliss." Truly a "record of
marriage" that ought to be far weightier
than mere certificates or licenses.
Qunnah Parker, the noted Indian chief,
was In Washington about a year ago and
he got an education. It took about a year
for It to soak In, but now that it is In It
premeates his system.
That fact was learned by a number of
Texans who are friends of the chief. Some
time ago they decided that It would be a
fine thing for them to show him their ap
preciation of something that he had done
for them. They decided to buy a present.
As in Abyssinia, It is proper for Texans
to ask their Indian friends what they
would like. They asked Parker what It
should be.
"Writing desk," said the son of the race
that wastes no words. '
"But, chief," they expostulated, "you
can't write. What could you do with a
desk?"
Thereupon Parker made a speech out of
the fullness of the experiences he had had
while In Washington asking for the things
due his people.
"Put feet on, when white man come and
aslc heap things, light cigar, blow smoke
In his face and say, 'This my heap d
busy day.' "
Charles Hands of the London Dally Mail
came to Washington to report tho White
House wedding and at once established
himself as a good "mixer" and story teller.
One of his yarns Is about an Irishman
named James O'Mahoney, who had been
a lawyer In Dublin, who went to London
and became a newspaper man. After win
ning success in his new profession he went
on a visit to Dublin, where his friends gave
him a dinner. One of the guests at the
dinner was a doctor whom O'Mahoney
hated. The doctor made a speech at the
dinner and O'Mahoney was called up Im
mediately thereafter. "It is very dis
agreeable," he suld. "to follow the doctor
so closely. It makes me feel like the under
taker." One of President Roosevelt's western
friends applied to him for a job. The
president was willing and sought to find
him a place. He hud about settled on one
when there camo a great protest from the
western friend's state. "They discovered,"
said the president, "that he had killed
four men. I didn't know that. Still, the
homicide record did not form the basis
of the protest. The people who opposed
my friend opposed him not on the ground
of killing people but because they said he
was an agnostic."
Robbery on Legal Lines.
Minneapolis Journal.
Judge Grosscup recently stated that five
men could now gather around a table,
lay a dollar on the table, orcanlze a cor
poration with a million dollars capital, re
pocket the dollar and call It a fully paid
up million dollar corporation. Then they
can lie about thsir property and sell the
stock to the public. Highway robbery
seems to be very crude.
Bark te Real Unslneas.
Brooklyn Eagle,
insurance companies must pay campaign
gifts. First thing we know the Insurance
cumpanlfs will bo back In the old and half
forgotten business of life insurance
1
Kli
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Mcde from pure, grape cream of tartar
FOREMOST
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Makes home baking easy. Nothing
can be substituted for it in making,
quickly and perfectly, delicate hot
biscuit, hot-breads, muffins, cake and
pastry. Insures the food against alum.
Pnice Bakixo Powdm Co., Chicago.
A SIMPLE REMEDY.
Effective Treatment of the Life I
snrnnce Ills.
Chicago Tribune.
It Is possible to multiply suggestions far
the reform of life Insurance management,
but the real, fundamental, radical, suffi
cient remedy is to be found In the report
of the committee of the New York legisla
ture. It is the recommendation that the
companies' funds shall be Invested only in
certain specified securities.
The kind of securities suggested Is per
fectly well known to bankers. It Is the
kind provided by the New York state laws
for the Investment of savings bank funds,
and also suggested by Secretary Shaw as
security for deposits of government money
In national banks. Generally speaking,
these are state and municipal bonds on
which Interest has not been defaulted, the
first mortgage bonds of railroads that have
paid dividends for a period of years, and
other like securities enumerated In the New
York state laws relating to savings banks.
They are the class of securities prescribed
by probate courts for the investment of
strictly trust funds. Life Insurance moneys
are funds of this description and they
should seek the highest class of Investment
as respects security, and no other.
Tbe application of the New York state
law relating to savings banks to the In
surance companies would cure nearly all
the evils that now affect the management
of those companies. There could be no
Investment of funds In banks, trust com
panies, "pipe lines" or speculative securi
ties of any kind. If the Investments were
thus closely guarded It is difficult to see
how the officers of a company could specu
late in Its funds. There Is no" opportunity
for speculation In really first-class invest
ment securities. If the law suggested were
In operation there could be no secret ar
rangement by an Insurance official with
J. P. Morgan & Co. or anybody else for
the flotation of collateral bonds or new en
terprises of any description. The officers
of a ' company would have scarcely any
discretion as to the kind of investments
they should make. Their judgment could
not be affected by indirect bribes. There
would be no "syndicate profits" to divide
among Insurance officials and promoters
If the character of the investments were
exactly prescribed by state law.
Some of the other suggested reforms
will be useful, but most of them are simple
corollaries of the fundamental sufficient
remedy provided In the suggestion of the
committee set forth In these words:
"The limiting of the investments of in
surance funds to standard classes of
securities guaranteed to pay a fixed an
nual revenue and prohibiting the Invest
ment of Insurance funds in stock of any
character."
WHEHK THE SHOE PINCHES.
Purpose of Proposed Amendments to
tbe Rnte B'll.
Kansas City Star.
The vital point of the rate bill before the
senate seems to be the court review clause.
The average layman may not have any
thing like a clear idea of what this clause
should be, or even what It Is proposed by
the several factions to make It, but every
friend of rate legislation will regard with
extreme suspicion any amendment to the
Hepburn bill that la made a condition of
support by the unquestionable champions
of railroad Interests In the senate.
The Hepburn bill carries the assumption
that the courts have a right to review the
action of the Interstate Commerce com
mission as to(the legality of the commis
sion's orders. But If, In addition to this
inherent right, it Is provided that the courts
may also review the facts, then there will
be no gain, so far as this point Is con
cerned. In passing a new law. A sweeping
provision ' T6r court review would enable
the railroads to take every rate case Into
court and drag it through the tedious pro
cesses of those Institutions and would make
regulation so cumbersome as to be of little
or no value.
The competent powers of the courts are
Inherent. There Is no need to define by
either limitation or enlargement what those
powers shall lie In a specific line of litiga
tion. And when such men as Aldrich,
Rlklns. Foraker and Kean demand a cer
tain amendment to the rate bill, no matter
what that amendment may be, it Is a pretty
good thing to steer clear of such a demand.
The country naturally and positively holds
these senators and those of their thinking
as enemies of true legislation, or any part
of a law, dictated by them. '
Too Slow for His Party.
Baltimore American.
It Is said that ex-President Cleveland
has expressed little hope of democracy
at present, owing to the radical tenden
cies of the times. Perhaps, though. It Is
expecting a little too much of a. man of
Mr. Cleveland's bulk to keep up a sprint
ing match with these rapid days.
Coal. Wood. Coke. Kindling.
W II th beat Ohio and Colorado Coaia -claan, hot, lastlnj:
Alao tho llllnola, Hanna, Sh.rldan, Walnut Block, 6tam Coal, Ete.
For g.n.ral purposes, ua Choroko Lump, 95.80; Nut, f 5.00 par ton
Mlaaourl Lump, $4.75j Lr; Nut, $4.60-makaa hot, quick fir
Our hard coal Is tho SCRAN TON. th boat Pennsylvania anthr.cit.
W. alao aall Spadra, th. hard.at and cl.anaat Arkanaas hard coil
All our ooal hand icrtintd and tvl(hd ovar any city acalaa deslreJ
COUTANT: & SQUIRES "SXW
PERSONAL NOTES.
What's the matter with the Empire state?
Some Sn.flOO of Its farms are reported for
sale. Too much metropolis?
A great many people seemed to object to
the news of the Hoo.ert-Longworth
nuptials. They must remember that the
world does not consist wholly of married
men.
The 15,0fO Washington department clerks,
more or less, who happen to be In debt say
that they cannot live on their salaries.
Who can explain the intense eagerness for
a government Job? '
And now there are- complalnta' from
Panama that neither engineers nor honest
workingmen can secure accommodations,
because these have all been pre-empted by
newspaper and niagaslne correspondents.
Russian politicians are progressing rap
Idly In the methods of western civilization.
Campaign funds are being raised by means
of systematic robbery a project not Un
familiar In cities much nearer than St.
Petersburg.
Represenatlve W. Bourke Cockran, when
asked about the truth of his reported en
gagement to Mrs. John L.. Gardner, said:
"That Is a matter I cannot discuss. I
greatly deplore such a use of a lady's
name." That's gentlemanly.
F. O. Shaffer, a Colorado millionaire
mining man, has taken the guardianship
of a tribe of Indians. Gratitude for serv
ices rendered his father when the latter
was a mere child prompted him to look
up the lingering remnant of the once
powerful Pottawatomie tribe and give
them a home.,
Herbert J. Hagermsn. a native. of, Mil
waukee, Just Inaugurated governor of New
Mexico, was born in 1871 and Is the young
est governor In the country. Being Un
married and wealthy, besides having a
pleasing personality, he is looked upon
with much favor by society in the terri
tory. He has already received a number
of rather mushy loiters from young women.
MIKTHfr'lL REMARKS.
"Why couldn't George Washington tell a
lie at the cherry tree?" asked the small
boy.
"Because." answered his father, who Is
a rough and irreverent man, "he was
caught with the goods." Washington Star.
'How do college degrees benefit a man?"
"They vary the monotony," answered the
scoffer, by enabling lilni to wear Initials
after tils name Instead of before." Phil
adelphia Ledger.
English Guide The echo 'ere In these
mountains is very flue. sir.
Tourist (after shouting "Hello!"! Well,
there Is an echo, but It isn't Intelligible.
Kngllsh Guide You don't understand the
language, sir. These are Welsh mountains,
y'know. Cleveland Leader.
"To bo entirely frank," snld his critical
friend, "I don't like your editorial page."
"What's the matter with It?" demanded
tlTe editor of the Dally Bread, greatly sur
prised. "You er don't run enough reprint on
It." Chicago Tribune.
"All my threats don't bother him at all."
said the collector.
ssoj repoea me mercnani. saia we
could go as far as we liked, eh?"
"Well er I think the place he men
tioned was farther than you'd like." Phil
adelphia Press.
"There's a man," said Phlpps. "who
nakes a practice of smoothing over the
defects of poor humanity."
"He has a rather hard looking face,"
said Flpps. "What's his business?"
"He's a society photographer." Cleve
land Plain Dealer.
A good old brother gave in his testimony
as follows:
"I des so po' I ain't got no money ter
worry me, en des ho healthy I can't help
but be happy !" Atlanta Constitution.
"Jagxby says he drinks more than a gal
lon of water a day."
"Nonsense!" He never uses it except as
a chaser."
"Well?"-Oleveland Leader.
FOR YOl A MAGAZINE POEM.
Somerville Journal.
It Is sweet to ride In a one-horse shay
By the dark of the glistening dawn.
It Is Joy to sprinkle the scattering spra)
Of the hose on the verduous lawn.
The air Is fresh with the sslt of the sea.
And the sky Is turnuotse blue.
And here I sit, In the top of a tree.
And dream, sweetheart, of you!
The sir Is alight with the gleam of the
dark.
And the glint of the wave-washed !.
The stars shine out. each nolntll1:int spark
With a message of love from me.
And here I sit. while the moonbonnis glide.
With niy pale brow dump with dew.
And the wind and the moon and the rlflr.g
tide
Slug ever a song of you!
O sweet, 'tis sweet, tout-de-suite to think
Through the gl.iirtmerlng waste of year"
And to see In the mists, where the shall
ows sink,
The guerdon of all our fears:
To rfream of the Joy of the sun-bnihe.1
climes
Where nothing Is ever askew.
And to sit in the tree-top, and write th'
rhymes,
With the lilt of the lay, "For you"'
