Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, March 14, 1906, Page 6, Image 6
THE 0MA1TA DAILY BEE: WEDNESDAY. MARCH 14. 1J06. Tim Omaha Daily Bee. E. ROSE WATER, EDITOR. PUBLISHED EVERT MORNING. TERMS OF 8UIJHCRIPTION. ' lally Fee (without Sunday), one yer...W I 'ally He. end Bunday, one year.... Illustrated Dm, on year Sunday Bee, on year I Saturday Bee. one vmr... 1" DELIVERED BY CARRIER. l"al!y Bee (Including Sunday), per week..l7o rally Re (without Sunday). per week....l2o Kventng Be (without Sunday), pr week. Jo Fvanln Hm (with Similar!, oer week. ...10c Sunday Be, par cop Address comnlainfa of Irregularities In a- livery to City Circulation Department. orncEB. Omaha Th Pe Building. South Omaha City Hall Building, rouncll Sluffs-10 Pearl Straat. Chicago lfrto Unity Building. N.w York ISrtt Horn Life In. Building. Washington 601 Fourteenth Street. CORRESPONDENCE. Communications relating 10 news and ed itorial matter should be addressed: Omaha. J lee. Editorial Department. REMITTANCES. Remit by draft, express or postal order payable to Tha Bee publishing lompany. Only J-cent atampa received aa payment of mall account. Peraonal ehecka. except on Omaha or eastern exchangee, not arcepted. THE BEH PUBLISHING COMPANT. STATEMENT OF" CIRCULATION. Stat of Nebraska, Douglas County, it: C. C. Roaewater secretary of The Be Publishing company, being duly sworn, ays that tha actual numner of full and complete, copies of The pally. Morning, Kvtnlng and Sunday Bee printed during the month of February. 1906, wa a tol. lows: SI, 630 SI. RAO X2.200 Jto,ao Sl.TM l.TIO . 81,650 81,4IIO 81,400 82.720 20,000 S1,3IM , St, TOO 15.. !.. 17.. 82.3HO SS.ZAO II., it 81.80O 81.8TO n ai&M U 81.S60 a 81,430 24 82.090 ia 8,MH 1 81.800 27 31.430 a..., 81.SMO ToUl ,.. Less unsold copies Net total sale.. Dally average 8T8.810 ,a 84MMMS 81,874 C. C. ROSEWATER Secretary. Subscribed In my presence and sworn te Before roe this zstn day 01 jreoruary. (Seal) M. B. HUNGATE, Nctary Public. WHEM OIT OF TOWN. Subscribers leaving 'be elty tem porarily should' The Bee mailed to them. Address will be chaaged as often sis requested. Attorney Jerome probably mane a mistake when he sued two New York yellow Journals for libel, n results show tliHt their "every knock" was a lioont. Nebraaka farmer may be delayed In their spring work by the snow, but when they are working overtime In the wheat fields this fall they will le more than thankful. The order of tho csar In the mutter of political prisoners, would Indicate that the-government la satisfied that It has accomplished Ita purpose by keeping the liberal loader from tha ballot boxes.. KpanlHU generals are angry botauae a member of the Cortes Intimated that they "grafted" in the lost possessions of Spain; bivkthei ace jiot.au angry over t!w accusation aa over tho end of the graft. U is not to be exported that .Colonel Mann will be able to secure the same high personal consideration from the prosecuting attorney as was accorded tha defendant when he was prosecuting witness. California fruit growers aeeiu to think that their business will be irreparably injured if they cannot route their ltroducta as they desire, but California real estate boomers will admit no such conclusion. Kusslan newspapers are atill print ing lists o( the soldiers killed In the war with Japan. One of these days Russia will realise that it was whipped, even though Japan never realizes that it won a victory. J It transpires that Moro women and children killed near Jolo were being nsed t defenses by the men. These mis guided savages now probably realize that there cornea a time when Ameri can gallantry ceases. Those letters ahowa In the oil hear ing at Kansas City may causa an In cretse In the force of traveling agents of the Standard Oil company, as it la safer to talk than to write, when it comes to evading laws. Though former Premier Balfour has assumed the leadership for the British parliamentary opposition, it remains to be seen if the opposition can keep its head in the face' of a liberal majority and a conservative leaning toward tariff reform. ' Of course, the police board is not in politics, but if there Is any way Broatch can use his position as a member of it to promote bis ambition to be mayor, be will go the limit If any one has any doubt about this, let him attend a ineet- liui of the police board. It is to be regretted that congress la affording ao little opportunity far "good stories" by Washington correspondent that they are compelled to revise the president's cabinet for him at this time. Cabinet revision usually waits until the vacation of the lawmakers. The fskes and forgeries of the tuunlcl pal campaign aeem to be making their appearance early, this year. Their premature appearance should serve one good purpose in putting the voter on his guard against misrepresentation and falsehood aa a political weapon. W. Ernest Johnson, who is seeking the republican nomination for city comp troller, will be conceded one big credit mark by every good cltiaeu. Mr. John son Is a busy business man, but having tievn drawn on the Jury he is serving. Ills devouou 10 public duty as a Juror should bespeak well for hts devotion to duty aa a uuuK-ipal offlevr. SfSAS J. AXTHOXi. An AYilliaro K. (Jladntone won fr him self the ondaaring appellation of Eng land's "Orami Old Man," so Susan H. Anthony deserve the title of America's "Grand Old Woinau." Mis Anthony's passing at a ripe old age take away the last survivor of a notable and bril liant group of reformers, whose achieve ment in behalf of human liberty and enlightened civilization far transcend the movement to establish electoral suffrage for women, with which her name la moat generally sssoclated. Hunan B. Anthony was connected more thau fifty years ago with a group of famous . patriots. Including Horace Greeley, George William Curtis, Wen dell Phillips. William Ellery Chauning. Henry Ward Hoecher, John G. Holland and Samuel Bowles and a circle em bracing moat of the literary celebrities of the period men and women as well as a large number of secondary lights In public life and the professions. Miss Anthony's contribution to the anti-slav ery propaganda and to women's organi sations that supported the government and succored the sick and . wounded during the war of the rebellion was by no means small, and to her efforts must be credited also much that was ac complished in the early days In ex tending the temperance gospel. ' To her successful leadership is like wise due much that has been gained In removing from women the civil dis abilities with which they were formerly burdened and giving them equal rights with men before the law and in the courts. Scarcely nny advance step In the progress of Tonion of this country toward civil and Industrial Independ ence has been made during the last half century In which slip has not been a leading figure and a potent factor. In the matter of achieving political suffrage for women Miss Anthony's ef forts have not been so satisfactory. Those states, however, which have taken up with woman suffrage were led to do so In almost every Instance as the re sult of a campaign In which she parti cipated, either In person on the plat form or with her direction and advice. While The Bee has been consistently and persistently opposed to giving women the ballot. In the belief that It would accomplish no good and do much harm, it has always recognized In Miss Anthony the ablest champion of her doctrine, and In the great campaign for woman suffrage in Nebraska Jn the early 80s. In which the editor of The Bee and Miss Anthony crossed In de bate, the high ability with which she voiced her convictions was conceded, and out of that contest grew a close personal friendship, unshaken to the end by divergent views on the suffrage question. Much of Miss Anthony's pre-eminent distinction as a woman among women was due to her unselfish devotion to her cause, and no matter how much her op- IKinenta may have disagreed with her, no one ever doubted her patriotism or her sincerity. QUSURAL WOOD' 8 KXPLAyATIoy. The response of General Wood to Sec rotary Taft's prompt demand for a full explanation of tha deaths of women and children in the recent battle with the Moros will go far to allay public feeling on a point in which Americana are ex treinely sensitive. They would not tol erate for one moment the wanton kill ing of women and children the posslbll. ity of which the first vague dispatches regarding the battle seemed to some to suggest, but which is explicitly denied by the commanding general on the spot The humane sentiments which In spired Americans and won so much honor for them in all civilized coun tries as far back aa their war for Inde pendence have in nowise been lost in the meantime, but are stronger now than ever before. Humane impulse is shocked even by the circumstances of military necessity, aa General Wood de scribes them, which surrounded the fight with the fanatic and savage Moros. But our people are too familiar with the horrors of warfare in our own country with savages not more bloodthirsty, desperate and insensible to humqnity than those of the Jolo Islands, to fall to appreciate the deplorable position in which our soldiers were placed. In fightr ing against men who force defenseless non-combatants to serve them as living shields. - THE COVBT ASD CHICAGO TKAXSlT. The decision of the supreme court of the United States, aweeplng away all the Important contentions of the Chi cago street railway companies regarding their franchises and righta under the acta of the legislature and the ordl nances of the city, clears the way le gally for putting into effect the policy of municipal rapid transit ownership to which the people and the city govern ment of Chicago stand committed. These legal contentions thus at length settled, as is well known, have not only long paralysed effort by private enter prise to supply rapid transit adequate to the needs of the western metropolis, but also seriously embarrassed progress in taking over the service to municipal ownership. If on the one baud the right of the street car companies to the use of the streets expired In 11105 with the trnl ' ne cltX ordinances under wblc b contracts ran, notwithstanding the state law of extending the life of the charters to ninety-nine years, obviously the corporation proprietors would re strict outlay for equipment and improve ment to the minimum without regard to public need. On the other baud, if ex elusive rights to the streets remained in the corporations and the force of or dinances and contracts were extended by the atate law through the ninety nine-year period, no thorough solution of the vexed problem through municipal ownership could be possible for a long ttuie, nor could there be even satUfac tory experiment looking In that direc tion. t'h!-ugo has leen for years Impaled between the horns of this dilemma. Aside from the finance and Jobbing scandals which arose in the corpora tions, involviug both the municipal and the state government, street transit in Chicago became a physical abomination and a aorlons menace. It Is not sur prising that notwithstanding doubts caused by the mage of litigation In the slow pnx-esses of the courts, the effect of the universal tendency of public thought towards municipal ownership of public utilities should In Chicago be notably enhaiu-ed by such conditions. The court of last resort having re moved these difficulties, it may now be expected that the movement for carry tug out municipal ownership will go rapidly forward. Grave practical prob lems In finance, in administration, in surmounting prejudice and in accommo dation to old and alow-yielding customs yet remain to le solved, but that the typical American city will attack them 1th characteristic energy and deter mination is beyond doubt. Such an ap plication of municipal ownership to rapid transit in the second greatest city of tho country is a matter of universal interest, an attempt as Mr. Palrymple, the Glasgow expert, characterise it to own and operate municipally "the larg est street railway undertaking in the ,-orId." STAV OS THE SAFE SWK. The request of the officers of the two party committees, asking the city clerk to Insert upon the official ballot for the coming primary election the names of andldates for the offices of treasurer nd tax commissioner, for filling which there is no provision in the city charter, raises a ticklish question. The law cer tainly does not contemplate leaving it discretionary with the city clerk, much less with the party committees, what candidates shall be voted for at the pri mary election. On the contrary, it states specifically that proclamation shall be made in advance, enumerating the of fices for which nominations are to be made, and prescribes the procedure which must be followed by the candi date to get his name on the ballot. If, for example, some one should file aa a candidate for police Judge, there being no police Judge to be chosen at the com ing election, it wodld snrely be the duty of the clerk to Ignore such a filing. In the present case the excuse for ecognizing the possibility of the elec tion of a treasurer and a tax commls sioner is that a case is pending in the supreme court in which the validity of the charter is attacked, but should this attack prove successful It would nullify another section of the ballot, namely, that which relates to the council men from the three additional wards created when tho city was redistricted. The 'ourt could hardly order th names of candidates for. tax commissioner and treasurer on the ticket without ordering the names of candidates for the council from the Tenth, Eleventh and Twelfth wards off the ticket. With such complications In 'prospect it seems to us, the only safe plan to pursue la to recognize the present char ter as valid until there is a court de eree otherwise. Inasmuch aa the whole city government has been conducted on this theory ever since the charter law went into effect the fact that the city officea directly concerned have been ac cepting benefits under it in the way of Increased salaries, would bind them In all consistency to defend the new char ter as agalnat those who would over turn :t to reinstate the old one. A situation something similar waa pre aented last year when a question arose over filings for county commissioners and reglater of deeds, which was set tled only by appeal to the courts. To avoid any mis-step that would Invalidate the entire primary, It would be better to let those endeavoring to inject their candidacies on the ballot go Into court first and find out where they stand. CABISKT SPECVLAT10X. That the newspaper cabinet makers at Washington would be stimulated to elaborate speculation waa inevitable when the prospective retirement of Jus tice Brown from the supreme court waa reported a few daya ago. It waa natu ral that Secretary Taft should be eon nected In theory and rumor with the vacancy on the bench to be thereby cre ated, although he took palna promptly to deuy authoritatively that any definite agreement had been reached involving his translation to the War department. Hla relations to the administration and eminent fitness for the Judicial promo tion are ao apparent that such an out come is even yet quite generally be lieved to be probable in the not far fu ture. . But there la little profit in the current speculation with which the newspapers are rife on the succession to Taft at the head of the War department or on changea and transfers of the heads of the departments of war, treasury, navy and Justice, because such specufntion haa no substantial or newly discovered basis to rest on. It haa long been gen erally understood that Secretaries Shaw and Moody have contemplated retire ment from the cabinet and that they have even formed plana therefor, but the time of their retirement so far a there Is authentic information, la wholly indefinite. Beyond that all Is mere guess. When a man seeks to break into of flee he frequently loses all sense of die crimination and perspective. - That me oniy meory on wnicn can De ex plained Candidate Benson's public declaration that "the value of every piece of property in Omaha would be doubled by tomorrow noon if tt were to go out to the world that Omaha were populated by no one of lesser character than ttuta" 1'kstot oa Pith Urn on the Fontanelle reservation. What a illlenniuin Omaha would enjoy if all Its inhabitants were turn! into Westbergs, or John Butlers, or Billy Baundorsea, or Charley I'nltta, or the other grafters or frauds masquerading under the Fonta nelle banner of reform. . If we had a city populated with people like these we would not only need no police force, as proclaimed by the overenthuslastlc Mr. Benson, but we would need no mayor nor city government of any kind, be cause there would lc nothing left to govern. There seems to be a decided dif ference of opinion among councllmanlc candidates as to the necessity for those who msy 1h elected to devote auy con siderable part of their time to the man- gemeut of the" city. Inisiness. Home of them have evidently heard that the city ouucll Vorresponds to a lmanl of di rectors for the municipal corporation id they have an Idea that we are to elect dummy directors' on the phni of the big Insurance companies, with a 1,500 salary as an honorarium for the se of their names on the official roe- tor. If we arc not mistaken, however. the era of dummy directors is past whether for insurance companies or municipal corporations, "and whoever may be chosen to places In our city council will be expected to render serv ices in full value in return. It is in accord with the eternal fit- ness of things for the Fontanelle mem bers of the county board, who cham- loned the sheriff's Jail feeding graft, to come to the front again to vote the sheriff authority to reach Into the county treasury for money to pay hla deputies increased salaries when the law plainly contemplates that they shall be paid out of the fees of his office. Why should the sheriff's deputies get larger pay now than heretofore, when their work has not increased, except possibly, to chase fter escaped prisoners breaking Jail through the connivance or negligence of the sheriff's Jailers? Big corporations are everywhere of the same clay if there Is any way for them to evade their taxea they will take advantage of It. The traction company down at Lincoln has just hypnotized the city council there Into compromising a city tax bill of $48,000 in consideration of a payment of $14,280. We know a lot of private citizens who would like to get out of their taxes for less than 30 cents on the dollar. City Attorney Brcen Is quite correct In his declaration that political plat forms are meaningless except in far aa they square with the records of the men seeking public favor upon them. All political promises and platitudes about reform count for nothing for a andidate who haa never practiced what be preaches, or haa studiously kept in the rear when thers? waa fighting In the front ' ' Ifc The Morals; After. Philadelphia Press. its all well and good for "Chawlie" Schwab to laugh at tha story that he was at death's door, but there's a lot of other fellows Just the same who have felt that way the morning after. Emloeat Exceptions. Washington Post. There tnlaht be some rhanre or the trnv ernm'ent clerks becoming reconciled to a seventy-year age llmjt if the provision was made sweeping enough to compel congressmen also to back away from the puDllc trough at that age. Krlls of Water-Logged Stork. Minneapolis Journal. President Eliot of Harvard opposes divi dends of stock because it is a secret device to increase the profits of tha stockholders. A substantial objection to the payment of dividends In stock is that in the case of public service corporations it Increases the capital upon which returns may be claimed without at the same time increasing the efficiency of the service. It ought to be im possible for public service corporations to increase capital stock without selling It outright and putting the proceed Into the equipment of the plant. Iaereava Im Railroad Earnioaa. Philadelphla'Telegram. One hundred and fifty millions of dollars is a large sum for any Indue! ry to earn In one year, and yet this sum, great as It la, represents not the gross earnings, but the Increased earnings of the railroads in this country last year. What the business of the people of America amounts to may be Imagined from the fact that they paid $150, 000,000 more money for freight charges in 1906 than they did In IK. It takes a great many tons of freight at an average charge of I cent per ton per mile to pile up IliO, 000,000, and that, aa abate noted, is not the amount of business done, but merely the increase of that business In 1MB as com pared with 1904. And the railroads are not doing all the carrying for the American peo ple by a long chalk. PKKSOXAL NOTES. The Dominion of Canada will invite the king and queen of England to visit Canada when the new Quebec bridge will be opened. The prospective retirement x of Justice Brown from the supreme bench give many eminent gentlemen a chance for honorable mention. Andrew Carnegie wrote to a newspaper In London: "Wealth lessens rather than In creases human happiness and millionaires who laugh are rare." j Theodore A. Cook, a brother of Dr. Fred erlck A. Cook of Brooklyn, is building three motor cars at his home, Caliroon, for the use of the South Pole expedition, which will start in 1U7. The statement that a newly made million aire in Gotham haa employed someone to cut the pages of all the books in his newly bought library seems to open up a new oc cupatlon for the young and Industrious. Mr. Haines, who has just been forced to resign the presidency of the New York So ciety for the Prevention of Cruelty to Anl mals, explains that his opponents are "jack sis." Then lie ought to be kind to them, of course. General Moby, the famous confederate raider, haa in hand and are long will com plete an autobiography. During tha last few years h baa held a responsible post tlon In the Department of Justice, Wash Ington. ( Mock Duck, New York's leading China man, ha the mischance to be in Jail, and countryman has eloped with Mrs. Duck. Mock Intimate that when he get out be will demonstrate to tho luterlooer that be la the real thing. BOmi ABOIT HEW YORK. rtloples on the Correal of I. Ite 1st the Metropolis. Local papers are throwing hot air o uets at John Bcsxufn. the Italian banker. whose son was kidnaped, held for ransom nd released after two days' captivity. They applaud tho courage of the banker j who refused to pay a dollar to the kidnap ers. "Thousands for prosecution, not a cent for ransom" Is the sentiment which trikea New Yorkers heroic. "I won't give a penny." said Boaauffl, "and If the kidnapers think 1 will I serve notice on them now that t have seven more children they can steal before Ml pny one cent of blackmail." The stern Bossufll does not intend to let matters rest where they are, but from In formal t Ion given him by bis son the banket Is going to try and have the kidnaper arrested and punished. Just how great th chance were which this father took it would be hard to say and If the kidnapers really had carried out their menace his reflections would not now be pleasant. Ills course, however, was not only successful, but more quickly than its opposite has ever been and it will undoubtedly have a de cidedly depressing affect on the kidnaping business In New York and elsewhere. According to a decision handed down by Justice ninchoft in the supreme court, union wages must prevail when the city Is an em ployer. There 1 a statutory provision re quiring the city to pay "the prevailing rate of wages." James J. Carey, a painter wbo was em ployed in the city's repair shops, sued to recover an amount alleged to be due him as the difference between his daily wag as a painter in the city repair shops and tha prevailing rate of waves. After being em ployed from May 17, 1897, Carey, on Novem ber 29, 1898, served notice on the comptroller setting forth that he received but IS a day, while tho prevailing rate of wages was PbO. A month later he began an action and within twenty days Judgment was subsequently handed down by the higher courts In another case, which, apparently, reversed the decision in Carey's case and the Judgment was vacated. Carey's law yers decided later that his case was not affected and Justice Blschoff's decision was the result of the second suit. It is said that enough city employes are In the same category a Carey to force the city to refund $1,000,000 if they Institute suits Assertions are being made that Western tips are demoralising- servants In hotels, waiters in the restaurants, cabmen and other dependent about town. New Yorkers are declaring that the westerner (and everybody from beyond Buffalo or Pitts burg is called a westerner In the metrop olis) comes to New York with his pockets full of coin of the realm and the idea that he must load with small fee every super numerary who doe him the slightest serv ice. A11 overcharges the westerner is said to accept and pay with a scornful disre gard of prudence. The result is, according to sage metropolitans, that the professional servants are being turned into rapacious cormorants and petty swindlers., Walters short-change, cabmen overcharge, bellboys sulk for silver and messengers refuse to fetch and carry until they have received a liberal fee. Tha latest story of westerners as spender Is told by a popular dress maker, who admit that She put her price up 3 per cent whenever she learn that her customer Is from the west. "They have plenty of money and never haggle over prices," she explains. That the youth of New York City show physical deterioration was abundantly proved the other day when the ' school board's committee on athletics reported that ouf of TOO lads examined 'on! three could ''chin" themselves that is, ': draw themselves up by their arms on a hori sontal bar until the chin rested upon it. This Is . discouraging. A generation ago nine boys out of ten in good 1 1 iltli could "chin" all the way from three ij a dosen time without letting go. The city boy who used a gymnasium trapese was probably not so strong as his country brother, who swung to the limb of. an apple tree or a cross-beam In the barn, but he waa an ex ceedingly weak boy If he coull not stand this test. True, the simple feat involves knack and practice as well as general strength, but the miserable showing of these 700 Manhattan boys put them far below the average. ' Their bringing up ha been neglected. Automobillsts are one of Magistrate Crane's chief abominations, and when 'he had Charles Q. Gates before him for vio lation of the speed law the spectators expected an interesting dissertation. Mr. Gates," said the magistrate, "I have heard of you before. You are a man of Wall street with millions, and you think you can do what you please. When you men have money you think you can do anything. Instead, men of your class should be an example to the community. 'I read iu the newspapers of young Mr, Gates here and there . and everywhere. Now you are here before me and I am glad of It, The more money you have when you come her the harder I shall punish you. A wealthy man should be an example to the community." Mr. Gates waa held in $300 ball for trial. The "closed shop" ha won another de cision from the New York courts. A printing establishment Hn Brooklyn made an agreement with the unions in accord a nee , with which the nonunion employes were discharged. Three employe sued for their old places. Justice Marcan said that the men would have had a cane against the unions if the Utter had brought pressure to bear upon the company to pro cure the discharges, but if the company discharged the men in the exercise of its liest Judgment for its own interests the men were not wronged snd had no cane, Civil service has been put In a new and highly interesting light by an occur rence lately in a federal court In New York. In a case Involving misuse of the malls the complainant catted the defend ing lawyer a liar, whereat the lawyer promptly struck him twice In the face. The complainant vainly sought the arrest of his assailant, the court authority hold ing thai the language used by the com plainant had removed him beyond tha proper protection of the court. In future that court will be ChesterAeldlan in Ita atmosphere especially when sensitive and strong muscled lawyers are engaged. The rubbernerk wagon will have to change its route and visitors will have to eat their chop suey and bird's nsst some where else If the proposition to wipe out Chinatown is carried out. Borough Presi dent Ahern has set March 30 for a pub lic hearing before the local Improvement board to establish a small park within the boundaries of Bayard Street, the Bowery, Chatham Square and Park Bow. Worth street and Mulberry street, known as Chinatown. Mayor McClellan Is on record as in favor of the plan, and many of the property owners Interested have signed the petition for the park. eaalorlal laeoaslaloaey. New York Tribune. The senate glvea nolle that it will not stand by and aee the sentiments of the Alisona single stater outraged. But when it come to giving the Filipinos a fair deal nd a ehanc to earn a living the senate's euso of Justice is conveniently atrophied. TO lome 11. Have your cake, muffins, and tea Lis-" cuit home-made. They will be fresher, ' cleaner, more tasty and wholesome. " Royal Baking Powder helps the house wife to produce at home, quickly and eco nomically, fine and tasty cake, the raised hot-biscuit, puddings, the frosted layer cake, crisp cookies, crullers, crusts and muffins, with which the ready-made food, found at the bake-shop or grocery does not compare. Royal is the greatest of bake-day helps. MVAk BAKIN4 aoWD&S. STATU PBE8S C'OMMEXT. Kearney Hub: The Woodmen of the World threaten to remove their headquar ters from Nebraska, being located at Omaha, to some other state where their reserve fund la not taxed. They can, of course, find such states, several of them in fact, where "equality before the law" does not pply to equality In matters of taxation. Monowl News: J. C. Root, sovereign commander of the Woodmen of the World. says he will move the headquarters from Omaha and Nebraska because the state la talking of taxing the reserve fund of that order. Well, if we should all shift our business to evade taxes, where would the support of state, county and villages come from? Please tell us. Weeping Water Herald: There was an other meeting of the Commercial club of Omaha held last week, at which the sub ject of independent 'phones was discussed. The business men there are awake in the matter and realise that It means some thing In a business way. What people ao after nowadays Is business, and anything that retards business retards the growth and development of a city. There is going to be an Independent franchise granted in Omaha before many moons if the most Influential men of Omaha can secure it. Several of the managers of Independent lines of the state were present at the meeting of the Commercial club and they are now more hopeful than ever. Fremont Herald: Every Interior town In Nebraaka, as a matter of self-interest, ought to take pride In the growth of the metropolis of the state, and the people of the interior ought to do all In their power to contribute to that growth, because If Omaha shall grow great the greatness must be of value to the whole state. And the people of interior Nebraska would be loyal to Omaha If that great city would meet them half way. But Omaha does not meet her country cousin half way on the road which leads to friendly relations. When the country cousin Buys a bill of goods from an Omaha merchant he Is In formed that personal checks will not be received In payment. Chicago merchants do not send such statements to the coun try yokels in Nebraska. St. Joseph and Kansas City wholesalers do not send such notice to Nebraska buyers. We mention this matter at this time Just to show to our Omaha friends a fair sample of their own penny-wlse-and-pound-foollsh policy. Omaha cannot grow as rast as Omaha has a license to grow until the business Inter est of that city shall show a better grade of liberality In their dealings with the peo ple Of Interior Nebraska. We do not speak of this matter In a complaining way, but rather in the hope that we may be able to show Omaha to herself a others see her. Hastings Tribune: A a result of Kd- ward Bosewater's address on "Libel" be fore the Nebraska Press association that organisation adopted resolutions recom mending that the libel laws of Nebraska be so amended as to make criminal libel a misdemeanor only, and not a felony, as at the present time. The association also en dorsed Mr. Bosewater's suggestion which recommends that after a court has tried a case and passed upon It, the papers ought to be allowed to dlsouss It without fear, and that the laws should be amended so that courts should be prohibited from drag ging up an editor for constructive con tempt. As the libel laws of Nebraska stand now they are unjust to the editor, and are not in accordance with the constitution, which gives us free speech and a free press. Let the libel laws of Nebraska be taken up at the next session of the legislature and be so amended that an editor will be put oa the same ground with the ordinary eitisen. As the laws stand today any citi aen can parade the street and call whom soever he sees fit a horaethlef. and he can only be charged with misdemeanor; while on the other hand If an editor were to us the same language In his newspaper he would be charged with felonv. This Is too much of a discrimination and calls for an amendment of Nebraska's libel laws. Kearney Hub: A special fake artist for a league of eastern newspaper ha been giving Kearney some left-handed publicity again In the form of a special letter writ ten from this city and describing In har rowing word picture how the town has been blighted by the railroad rate ring. The last time the correspondent took a hot at us was during the president!! campaign of UuO, but at that time the blight that I now ascribed to the railroads waa caused by the trusts. Kearney Is a live, growing town, that Is forging ahead steadily, having long since recovered from the effects of financial depression and panic, of drouth and famine, and the foolish dreams of creating figs from thistles of forcing the growth of an industrial center ahead of the time and the neceesary de velopment of the country. The charge of discrimination in railroad rate is true, but it U also true a to towns In Nebraaka similarly situated. The Hub Is not a de fender of railroad rate methods, as all its readers know, and Is not now nor has It ever been a corporation defender. Hence It is not making any plea for the railroads. It is merely standing up for Kearney, which is given a black eye every time any demagogue or yellow space writer opens his yawp or take his pea in hand to give the trust or the rain-oad a rap. Natu rally we are all quit tired of It. ' Restrict! ! rrssklsi Privilege. Ban Francisco Chronicle. Tli amendments to the postal law re stricting tho franking prlvllega will effect no genuine reform. That can be accom plished only by abolishing the system and requiring each department to account for Its needs for postage In its estimate It Is because of tl-e abvence of restraint that tha cost of carrying franked matter ha reached the extraordinary sum of nearly IW.OmO,, wblc exceeds th postal deficit. ladle CO., NtW YOBK. SMILISO KKMAKKI. Tho army in Klandcr had begun to sweai dreadfullv. "We dnn't like to do It." explained oin of the ofllci-rs, "but. of course, we've to back up General Sherman." Chlcam. Tribune. "This is the ase of wonderful Inventions It dm-mi't seem to me there Is much left for Inventive nKi-ntn to arapple with." "Oh, I dun t know. I haven't run socomj any seif-Uckliia postage stamps yet." Philadelphia Ledger. "You say you gef n great deal of satis faction out of your life Insurance policy?" "Yes. It makes me foel Important when f read the reports of Investigations." Washington Star. City Editor You've got to quit using 'un necessary words. There's a lot of redun dancy of expression in this story. Reporter I thought I ' City Editor Well, think again. You a "The deceased was a wealthy plumber.'1 "Plumber" would have been Sufficient. -Cleveland Leader. Weary Walker awln' up wood fu klndlin ! I'm ashamed of yert Rag-son Tatters Aw, g'on! dlS is locust wood. Weary Walker Wat's dat got to do wid It? Ragson Tatters Why, yer chump! dls 1 de kind o' wood dat policemen's clubs Ix made out of. Philadelphia Press. "Here is another question that ought to be brought before congress," said the ear nest citizen. "My dear sir," answered . Senator. Sor ghum, "cotifrress now tins all the questions It can take care of. What It needs is somo answers." Washington Star. "She Jilted him seven or eight times be fore she finally consented to marry, him." , "Maybe she considered lilm a dosa of medicine." "Huh?" , "'To be wt-II shaken before . taken.! " Cleveland Leader. Constituent I suppose you kn.W, sena tor, that you have the reputation of belnK fabulously rich? Senator Lotsmun Nd, I didn't know that. But J know that the stories you hear about my riches are mostly Tables. Chicago Tribune. h , ' "We havei two rolling' TnlIlK;",sl6T,the steel magnate. "This one, and another nt Washington." "At Washington!" repeated the visitor. In no small astonishment. "At Washington." "And do you roll rails in your mill at Washington, also?" "No; logs." Puck. THK TOYS. Coventry Patmore "My little son, who looked from thought ful eyes, .And moved and spoke In quiet, grown-up wise, Havln my law the seventh time dis- obey'd, , T struck, and dlsmlss'd With hard words and unkiss'd His mother, who was patient, being dead Then, fearing lest his grief should hinder sleep, I visited his bed. Rut found him slumbering deep,' With darken'd eyelids, and their lashes yet From his late sobbing wet. And I, with moan, Kissing away his tears, left others of my own: For on a table, drawn beside head, He had put within his reach A box of counters and a red-veln'd stone, A piece of glass abraded by the beach, And six or seven shells, A bottle, of bluebells, And two French copper coins, ranged there with careful art. To comfort hla sad heart. 80 when that night I prayed To God I wept and said: "Ah, when at last we lie with tranced breath. Not vexing thee In death, And thou reniemberest of what toys We make our Joys. ... How weakly understood . Thy great commanded good. f Then, fatherly not less Than I whom thou hak molded from th clay.- Thou'lt leave thy wrath and sav: I will be sorry for their "childishness. " "Kantseurri Bifocal Is a combination lens made in a new way. A perfect reading lens so skillfully made thut the dividing line is scarcely visible. "Kant aeum" lenses are about half the price of similar lenses. 'IIl'TKSOX METHOD." I(U TESON OPTICAL CO. !il: Sonlli lfllh htrect. Factory on the Premises. Opposite the Peoples Store. KMntus'iinr HI for! ' Tjf 7&lJx I Soe I That