TILE OMAHA DAILY BEE: MONDAY. FEBRUARY 18, 1007. II Tim- Omaha Daily Belv FOUNDED tlT EDWARD ROSE'.VATEtV VICTOR RiSE WATER, EDITOR. Entered at Oftiab.a postofflce ootid clftna matt4. .3 , i t termp "on jscbscription. Dellv B wltnnu. Sunday) one year $4 00 lH arid fcumlny, one year .00 Pun liny B". oue rear 2 f0 Saturday ltV. Bnl.'ynir I. DO iDELlVEKD BY CARRIER. DatlBee (Influ-lln Sunday), per week ISc Dallr Bee twltflnut Kunriay), per week 10r fcveulng Bee (without Sunday), per week. 8o Evening Bee T1th Sunday), per week 10c Address complaints of Irregularities In delivery to City Circulation Department. ) offices. Omaha Tha Jee Building. Howth On1aJJiCVty Hall Building. Council Bluff 10 Prnrl Street. Chicago IU0 Vify Building. New YoHr-l (wr Home Life Ins.. Blda. Washington 401 Fourteenth Street. . Correspondence. Communication-delating to news and editorial mileT.'-should be sddressod: 'Omaha Bee, Editorial Department. REMITTANCES. I Remit by'drnf. express or poatal order, I payable to Thw'Be Publishing -Compnhv. Only 2-cent st a rtip received In pay merit-ff mall account . .personal check. except on Omaha or eastern exchanges, not accepted. THE BEE FUBUSHINQ COMPANY. 8TATEMEHT OF CIRCCLATION. State: of Nebraska, Douglas County, aa: Charles C. Hosswater, (reneral manager of The Bee Pilbllsritng company, being riulr worn, says tnat tbwactual number of full nd complete capias -of The Dally, Morning, Evening- and Sunday. Bee printed during the month of January, 1907, ai as follows: l........,'.30;fKHI 17 II 81,970 31,080 81.T80 30,300 31.800 aa,o5o I ...... . 33(480 . I... '-.91419 A ... 81,840 " I... 8i.ee SO.C0O , f .i,9no j ... ,83,800 J J X: ,89 ! 10. 32,040 II 31,870 II 38,090 It 30,400 14 31,730 II. A ii. ii. It. 24. II. ,31,640 .31,780 .31,709 f" It 31,830 17 30,300 II 31,630 It 31,650 10 31,390 18. II. 81.630 41 31,i .7 . 33,180, ' '1 " Total . 4 . . . .. l.K-1 .883,' ,630 480 Less unsold and returned copies. 6,134 Net total 673,846 Dally average 31,388 CHARLES C. ROSE WATER, General Manager. Subscribed In my presence and sworn J0 before methla; aiJnajr Of. January, (Seal) ROBERT " HUNTER, . v Notary , Public. WHEM OUT OF TOWN. Babarrlbera leaving the rlty tem ' porarlly ahoald have The Bee mailed to them. Addreaa will be " aa oftca aa reqaested. Omaha 'cad ('tt1 alonit Wry- nicely without a street car s(,rik9. t The chfef Thirfthafthe newly pro poaed primary election bill needs la an editor to boll It down. k The Pulajane tribes have burned I two t more towns. General Leonard I Wood must be asleep at the switch. It is high time .I'that .Annual an- nouncement that the bicycle Is going to be more popular than ever next sum mer. A debate is on as to who is the poor est senator- in Washington. It is a difficult question now. Senator Clark of Montana was.. . Senator Bailey Is evidentiyJ mTghtv well acquainted In'iTfal. '11$. knows the men he may call liars without pro Toklng a gun play. There were 1,362 volumes of fiction printed in this country last year, not counting (the democratic congressional campaign text book. The Dutch Parliament has rejected the appropriation for the support of the army. The Dutch must take this peace talk seriously Another genuine Stradlvarius violin has been ''found' Ini Wow'YorR. " The factories making genuine Strads must be working overtime. A scheme of storage reservoirs onght to be popular right now in the flooded districts of the upper Loup and the lower Platte. Japanese in Honolulu are demanding the right to engage in the saloon busi ness, Just , to show that they are' no better than white meq.. . , Japanese authorities, .pre not ksatls fled with the immigraUon bill pending In congress. The Japs seem determined to act like the democrats. "War is vicious," says Senator Bev crtdge of Indiana. General Sherman's definition was three letters shorter and three times as forceful. Mr,k Twain "has' adopted a dress suit made of white broadcloth. Mark evi dently does not intend to accept any Invitations to social functions in Pitts burg. Some legislature may yet make It self famous by passing a law prohib iting 'the plumber from charging time yntllet he goes back to the shop after him tiols. f " 4 . -': j" Jeff1- Davis of Arkansas says he will 6how ,the United States senate it can not bluff him. HftIIl be lycky Jf'h3 senats does noi'sbt4r hini how it can ignore him. M t- Mr.j Rockefeller will doubtless give up trying to satisfy the people. He Is being censured almost as severely for letting go of his mosey as. he was for holdlag on to It. ' " The Omaha Commercial club can 'be a helpful and useful institution for Omaha, but ita, usefulness tlll.uer.er be lnci eased by" making it aHender'to a railroad loccjuotlve. ' ' j j 'I L! l' It 16 said to be a part of Ambassa dor liryco'a duty to make thJg country bettet known to England. He'reiakl put new and revised edition of "The American Commonwealth" on the Eng lish aook stalls. rr.J tr.yr rASSKXQXBjzA&Xi.-.. OMAHA, Feb. 17. 11?.-To tlia Editor of The Bee: Where do you stand on the J-cent paaseojrer fare bill? 1 hava notj sef anything In your editorial rolumna c thla subject, fchk'h la now excB, so mu dlac union. I bell IMTh lae would apeak ik out It waafH hevef e4isldf rsl'e fluence with' fie memlxf xs l.f the Scal- lsture. 4 The BeS has already ipoken out er- eral tiroes on thla subject. Referring to the increasing demand Tub reduced passenger fare In Nebraska two weeks go, we said that "the necessity for a reduction Is folly realized by Ahe legis lature, the only 'open questions being how far, and In what way." In the same article we reviewed and ex plained the -varloua plans, prpposed. Including a flat 2 tent' rat, a .1 -tent rate with power in the railroad com mission to increase the same on a showing where not compensatory, a 2 M -cent rate with power . In the. .com mission try'jednce aVa showing, une.re more than compensatory, end still fur ther a graduated rate according to the average receipts per mile. We at that time added: Whatever plan should be finally adopted for Nebraska, the legislature should not make the mistake of promulgating- an In flexible rate without provMlruttaome means of adjusting; it by revlejv or appeaji to. the peculiar conditions that may" exist oK. par ticular llnea or roads. I'nlesa this la done the whole law will be In danger of being upset In the courts to which the railroads will have no. hesitancy In appealing. The -position, ot The Bee ip'n. this duea tion has not changed. The "flefe 1 tiot In favor of a flat 2-cent rate unleKS coupled with a provision permitting of adjustment to varying corditlou. of branch lines and small ioaJ.. Iiecai'se without Jhls provisloa the' lr-.wovM be in'too great danger of JudlcttU bhI llfleatlon. The Bee would favoV a"lnw establishing a S-centnla.xlmA, sill-" Ject to Increase not' to exceed! 3 cents upon proper showing by t'ae railroads lacfore the, state rallroad omnvilonj. and subject also to reduction below 2. cents oa,proper -ehowljrlW" nij 'JiK sen.- This-1 plan-would-it the" ' 2-ct?iilf n axlmum Into effect--at-one-f the great bull 'ot passenger j traiie,,,!! Nft J( braska, If not for all of It. ''and the Lrailroads would be able to makMeuc- ce&sful showing for a raise in only a very few. cases." On the olaV" h'Bdhe people would be In position, should put population and railroad, fravli Con tinue to grow, to force still further re ductions wlth-jut 'ligaln -(fllangng,' Jhe law. i ': . - .j , . THE BAtLKY iNVESTtQATIOSfiOj ; The Texas' systom of' electing" a United States senator "under grave charges and investigating yiem. after ward Is ' not working out '-more' 'satis factorily for Senator Bailey himself than for the people of the state. With his election certificate in his pocket, the investigation goes on, "and . it . has no been" 'Vermftted;'td labp'fe ,'lnjto ' .( mere form. Not -only has he to face the old evidences of suspicious-relations to Standard OH .and other tor. yuraiiviio, wnicu uau yrutcu du unuiag- Ing. to him aa a public character, but ,ijap,y' new and equally orioii6 'specifi cations arq .being producedj.eyety one of which reqnires explanktlonapology and disproof., . ..'......-..-...-. The rtirrtiTlatlve effect -bears) haivllv- against Bailey because'-ni" does np'tl sqnarely meet the l38ueow "that the Investigation is on, aiiy more than when he and hia friends staved It off till after he was securely landed In his peat In the senate. What' he' nasmdohe has been a series of (: aegatjojaal threats of assault and battery' ngaitist witnesses who have, gljrnlncrjmj nating testimony or agftJJi.lB.xisr'.s and persons bringing them forward. On a 1 alf dozen occasions within the last. two or. three week,B.aUejfJ..hA8 thus yelled "Liar!.".apdttenipledw atJ nt.ude'prelonse of gttei(ipM;rAnl. vfolenc-e, . without, however, meeting the real, polat, which j foarse la ia truth of the charges ftgajlnhlrdj "This melodrama has been over utralned, 'and'the net result- has-been to deepen the. unfavorable jmpresslon that had tetn created 'befrji Vhe rVxaa lelMaluro.met. . The p)ea,of partisan and sectional antmosjty whleQI3alley suaaent.nl when incriminating rumors wero first Inuited no longer serves. The tide-rif donbt anff 'ronderaHatloh has 'suicJlly 'rUeu jrV.'hU, 9'jl Btjwp,! amort ,his own former' friends" and' iuttiaana. A" l' "-?.". "PSPBJ1? protestation without the backing of facts ai6. vain to Ptop .l.t-aad, ttis quertioiir whether he eon Id now be elected If the UtvestlgatkAn bd pre ceded the action of the legislature.' ' "AKORetlifr, tbo cwe-4s-firll -of-slg-nlBor;e !,oI llu-,, hlRher .standar'' 'Re quired in the i'ubllo"ervlee and of the increasing actlonpuhllcjien tlment, especially with reference to corporation Influence and connections, l and It Is safe to say nviewjot the Eailey casy that hereout- Jn rase of doubt election ce'rUffcitte will not be given on mere faith In the Ixne Star state. . . - j. i f ; It Omaha Is to reachv the-coveted 200,000 population nirk by 1910 It must. In addition (o brlfigliig about consolidation of Omaha and South Omaha, keep after new factories. The prime 'basis of 1 population' "growth Is employment for wage workers Wage earners in turn' rtnl' houses for their families, buy food and clothing, and circulate their money generally. among local trades people. . ' '' la binding up Omaha' as amanu-! nate between any part of the com munity, It would beJust as inipor t&utf:fo ;"iU'de(Hof new -feieera at South Omaha to work up the by awotUioia VUetiitildukry!. ready there aa to start a new mill In Omaha-lo- staady the grain market here with a demand for local consump tion. As has been pointed out, the natural direction for manufacturing activities, at this point lie along the tranBforjr.atlin jnlo finished products of the ra materials of the farm and ranthUhal nsty'rally flod this a", mar ket outTet. "Success Is fairly assured for Industries drawing their raw ma terials close at hand without long car riage or heavy freight expenses and selling the output at comparatively close range, where they would hare the better of outside competitors. The steady growth of business everywhere and the Increasing de mand for all sorts pt manufactured articles arid food products s forcing the enlarged facilities to supply them. No point in the western, coun try is better situated than Omaha to take care of new, factories designed to Buppfyr western" trade, and with rea sonable effort" and co-operation on the part of pgr public spirited cjtlr.ens, Omatia's 1 list of Important manufac turing Institutions should receive note worthy additions during the present year. ' TH'K JaPASUSE AXD IMMIGRATION' '' The Imm'lgraflon bill in conference since the last session of congress has finally been passed by the senate, and Its acceptance assured in the house, a'.ihough the provisions contained in tne original measure have been .made incidental to a clause promising a peaceful solution of the Japanese labor and school questions which have been causing bo much' trouble on the Pa cific coast, ! The California delega tion in congress. backed-by a com mittee of the San Francisco Board of Education, , has been in Washington for several weeks endeavoring to agree with the administration upon a plan tit settling, i he -Japanese question so tnr as It affects the schools of San t Francisco and the labor question on the Pacfftt ' coast. ' ' 'V .' ' " ' ,At the suggestion of Secretary of State Root the delegation finally agreed to secure the rescinding of the order for oriental schools in San Fran cisco If congrebs would enact legislation- excluding ' foreigners who use their passports to sccire admission to -the United States "to the detriment of labor conditions In this country." 7 he senate, after a debate of several days, has accepted this amendment to the immigration bill, which now goes to the hong' with every assurance of .meeting favorable action. The effect .of .the amendment will be to give the president power to exclude Japanese or other tfartign laborers from the United States at his discretion. . , While Agreeing oh the clause aimed directly at the coolie labor Immigra tion, the conference committee has Web,' compelled to abandon one. of the chief sources of contention between the- house and the senate, the amend ment providing ..fpr.j an educational test ibv Immigrants." whfle a compro mise was . reached on the Increase of U.e head tax from 2 to ISby pMacihg It at $4.. The, opposition to the ad mission ' of illiterate . Immigrant is overcome by the fact that the children of, these foreigners have always been utck to ln.r.iove themselves through the 1 educational advantages offered here, relieving any serious danger of Increased Illiteracy of the country by (he admission of foreigners. The rais ing, of the hnd tax, in our opinion, finds small warrant. The United States does not need to "resort to such methods of increasing Its revenue, par ticularly at the expense of . people of such limited means as the immigrants, and for-any -other purpose the tax Is worthless. Other amendments proposed to the jaw: have been held up, pending the investigation authorized in the com promise bill by a commission to be appointed to go into the whole qaee tlon;of immigration and to report to some subsequent session of congress. Perhaps this Is the best disposition of the vexed problem of immigration that can be made at this time. With an in sistent; and growlpg. demand for la borers in every branch of commercial and Industrial activity In, the country, congress Is wise in refusing to require qualifications In an immigrant other than honesty, energy, health, Industry and a determination to adopt the American aplrtt and support our In stitutions. flKVr.VO AN OLD TRICK. ' 'Congressman Overstreet of Indiana, chairman of the house postoffice com mittee, has uttered a timely protest, ra the course of the debate in the house against attempts being made to stampede the congress from following the recommendations of the commit tee for a radical reduction in the allowance- for railway transportation of niall. for the "ensuing fiscal year. The protest was calle'4 outby the" discovery that many members of the house were j being deluged with telegrams, presum ably from constituents-, asking that no reduction be made In the appropria tion for mail transportation ; and al leging that such reduction would Im pair the postal service and cause the railroad companies to reduce the num ber of trains to the detriment of the public, service. . "There has not been a telegram re ceived by the members of this house," said Mr. Overstreet, "from a business concern or a commercial body that has not been prompted by the railroads, and for one I refuse to be stampeded bythelr threat -or deflected by-their entreaties." This declaration simply grea voice tOj 9. conviction which must tiaWWA Mi by most of his col leagues. . This plan of manufacturing 'tublitv sentiment Is not new and many attempts have been made to influence congress by It. The scheme has boen worked upon legislatures and munici pal councils, In the form of telegrams, letters and petitions, ' nearly always emanating from the headquarters of the railroad company or other corpo rate Interest that would be most seri ously affected by the legislation under consideration. 80 common has the practice become that all large corpo rations now have regularly established systems of procuring this brand of pressure from business concerns and commercial bodies. They have Tarried the process to such an extent that legislative committees are continually suspicious of all forms of telegraphic and petition protests that do not bear prima facie evidence of genuineness. The railroads, accepting Mr. Over street's charges as true, are playing for a big stake In the bill now pending In congress. For the fiscal year ending June AO, 1907, the government has provided for the payment of over $41,000,000 to the railroads for car rying mall. Investigations have been held, with a resultant showing that the amount Is largely In excess of a reasonable compensation, and the pending bill provides for a reduction of nearly $5,000,000, with a promise of further reduction at future ses sions. In the course Of the hearings the railroads were tot able to refute testimony offered showing extrava gance in the use of this appropriation, and evidently they are now attempting to prevent the Iors of this large sum of money by bringing pressure, through hints of discontinued trains and im paired mall service, upon members of the congreaa. The plan, however, has lost ,lt8 effectiveness through being overworked and congress will doubt lesfe also heed Mr. Overstreet'a warning and refuse to be stampeded. " If the Nebraska supreme court will only declare that fre6 house rent for the governor Is not a perquisite within the meaning of the constitu tion, the way may be opened to an swer the demands, of all the office holders who protest that . the salaries fixed for them by the constitution framers have become utterly Inade quate. This would open the way, too, without submitting a constitutional amendment to the people for their ratification as is usually done when the constitution Is to be changed. The complaint that our British cousin lacks the sense of humor has its exceptions. In the recent world'B postal congress at Rome, Great Britain lost two votes through Its acquisition of the Dutch republics in South Africa and gained one voteby the segregation of the . postal administration Of New Zealand from that 6f the rest of Aus tralia. And yet the British govern ment officially.' congratulates itself on this notable achievement.. v-,., ' ; . . - ...... v .. Railroad men .Vty litfyear were denouncing thei usurpation of congress in undertaking lofegula.te interstate traffic are how-6penly expressing the wish that congress could regulate Intrastate, traffic as well and -relieve them of the necessity of dealing with forty-five separate law making bodies In that many different states.- As adept rapid change artists the railroad bunch should be in demand for' the vaude ville! staae.j Mike Harrington's Public Ownership of Railroads league Is eald to be buBy organizing .brancheV In various parts of Nebraska that re to servo as the bridge to take its members over into the column of Bryanf supporters. Har rington, however, presumably contin ues to call himself a' populist "for the. good of the cause.'.' The Minnesota Editorial association has resoluted in favor of the eviction of Third Assistant Postmaster General Madden from President Roosevelt's official household.. ' It ia to be hoped the Nebraska editors'; when they meet here the coming week, will be more solicitous of Mr, Maiden's tender feel ings. .. ,'" President Baer of the Reading rail road says the government has no right to do more than "prevent un reasonable discriminations" In rail road rates. . The shjpper will persist In claiming that any discrimination against him comes under the "un reasonable" classification. - The banquet of the Iowa society of New York at the Waldorf Astoria sug gests the possibility that Nebraska may some day contribute sufficiently to the population of Wall street and Fifth avenue to pull off a Nebraska banquet in the gilt room of some high priced New York hotel. Announcement is made that the new fixture factory to be located In Omaha la the only one west' of the Missouri. This conflicts with the general Impres sion that a fixture factory is in opera tion in each 6f the ' state capitals of the west. ; That halt yearly Q per cent dividend on Union- Pacific stock comes at a very Inopportune time for the Union Pacific lobbyists and tax agents, who. are trying to ward off terminal taxa tion with a poverty plea. Lieutenant Governor Hopewell has had a chance to cast a vote, to break a tie in the state senate. Such an ex traordinary event is not often pulled off on the legislative boards. .When it comes to redeeming plat form pledges several unliquidated planks still . remain In the document on which our democratic mayor and council rode Into the city hall. BITS OF WAHIHf)TOV t-iric. Mlnnr ftceara tail Ineldeata SKetcbrd oa the Spot. The controversy raging at the national capital over the Japanese school queatlon In San Francisco brought into the lime light the compromising position of the I'nlled Ptatet caused by the acquisition of the I'hillpplnes, and developed widespread sentiment in favor of getting rid of the encumbrance. The Washington correspond ent of the New Tork Press, a staunch re publican paper, says the question whether the Philippines are worth keeping has been discussed more than once In recent White House conferences. "The president," says the correspondent, "was surprised to find that many of the moat conaervatlve men In his party had changed front on the ques tion within six months. They believe some plan should be framed by the republican party that would let the 1 'nlted States get out of the Islands at a not remote period. "The granting of Independence to the Filipinos and the payment by them of our expenditures In" the Islands Is the plan most favored. There Is objection to any protectorate, it being held that this would eventually Involve our government In trouble with some other nation. "A western senator McCumber has sug gested to the president that the United State should take two permanent coaling stations In the Islands, that two should be given to England and that for these con ces "ions the two nations should ' jointly guarantee the territorial Integrity of the Islands after Independence. There would be no guarantee of protection In case' of war. but simply a pledge of nationality. With this pledge. McCumber thlnka. no nation would have much pretext for war Japan, for Instance and the Filipino could work out their own national progresa. "The United States could keep control of the customs houses until all debt to this country had been collected consequent upon the surrender of the Islands to the na tives. It is agreed by all the leading re publicans hero that the retention of the Philippines will mean the expenditure of mllllors In fortifications, the employment of a good -l zed army and frequent ad ditions to our navy. All the republican leaders are desirous of settling the ques tion so as to get It In concrete shape In the platform of the next republican con vention." Senator Foraker "was called out of the senate Into the Marble rooro'lo meet two unknown, but Influential, constituents, re ports the Washington Herald. "We hope," said one of them, "that the people of Ohio will not treat you as badly as they have treated old Charley," re ferring to General Qrosvenor's defeat last year for nomination. ' . Senator Foraker' exploded like a stick of dynamite. "I will say to you," he exclaimed, with his face flushed, "that I am not so badly stuck on this Job aa to sell my manhood, my Independence, my cltlxenshlp, my all for It, and you can say that, to the people of Ohio, If you care to. I hold that a man fit to be a United States senator has Ideas and .principles of his own. If he yields them he no longer should serve In the senate, and his constituents ought not to want him to serve. As long as I am here I expect to be governed In my conduct and vote by the dictates of my Judgment and conscience. If I should have to swerve from them, I would very gladly give back to the people of Ohio the com mission with which they have honored and trusted trie. So you can" But before the courageous and fiery Buckeye statesman had finished the lust sentence his two visitors had slipped away. Their reception was warmer than they had expected. They had touched a live wire, and they were glad enough to let It go. - There Is a suspicion In the minds of public officials In Washington says 'the "Brooklyn Engle correspondent, that the railrondc of the country are attempting to hase the Interstate Commerce commission. The law requires the filing of freight tariffs with the commission and the railroads are filing them with a vengeance. They are coming In at a rate which threatens to swamp the commission. t'ntll the law went Into effect members of the commission had no Idea of the rapidity with which freight rates could be manufactured and altered. But they are finding out now that freight managers are mighty quirk on the trigger when they want to be. Since August. 27, when the rate law went Into effect, "freight schedulos to the number of 1,000 a day have been fired Into the offices of the commission hero. The notices some times convlst of merely a single sheet of paper. More frequently they embrace a book with thousands of claastflcatlons. The other day the N.-w York A New Haven road died a new sot of schedules covering 1,300 printed pages. The force of the .commission la hardly large enough to receive and stow away these documents before a. new batch comes piling In. The quarters set aside for the storage of freight schedules are chock-a-block. The records have spilled out Into the corridors and all the nooks and crannies at the headquarters of the commission are Jammed full. Congress has been appealed to to provide a new building for the com mission, in order .to accommodate the flood of freight tariffs. . Albert Douglas, who will succeed Con gressman Qrosvenor of Ohio In the next house, Is not weighted down with worldly goods,, and was ruther startled by an ex perience he had while looking - around Washington for quarters. At one of the good hotels he was shown a suite consist ing of bed room, parlor and bath room. On Inquiring the monthly rent he was in formed "only $1,000 for yourself and wife." Recovering his breath, which he managed to do without showing a tithe of his astonishment, he said with great calmness: "I'll write my wife all about the rooms and let her know beforehand what com forts we shall have when we come here to live. So until I hear from her you need not mark me for this suite. She may think from the price that your hotel Is not the kind we ought to live In." If Corporations Do Net Bekave. North American Review. Industrial corporations grew up Into power because they nirt the needs of the past. To stay In power they must meet the needs of the present, and arrange their etbiea accordingly. It they can do it by their own voluntary development of the sense of trusteeship, that la the simplest and best solution. But if not, one of two things will happen: Vastly Increased legal regulation or state ownership of monopo lies. Those who fear the effects of in creased government activity muat prove by their acceptance of ethical duties to the public that they are not blind devotees of an Industrial paat which has ceased to exist, but are preparing to accept the heavier burdens and obligations which the Industrial present carries with It. A Balas tow Troebl. Cleveland Plain Dealer. In Omaha they are discussing a plan for paving children to go to school. This msy have a tendency to lessen those violent pains that frequently afflict boyhood before the morning school hour. A SaaTebrask Tfclrat. Washington Post. A clerk In a store at Shoshonl, ' Wyo., put out what threatened to be a serious blase with thirteen bottles of beer Which Is Just about the quantity generally needed to quench a Wyoming thirst. SKBRIMCA rWF.88 t OwwF.TT. IJncoln County Merchant: It t reported that the walls of the state capital building are crumbling. 'Spect It's the pillar that wes extracted during Job Hartley's ad ministration as state treasurer that caused It. Perhaps Joe's got It htd away In "that cigar box." Crofton journal: No, sir! We won t go to Omaha to the press meet and pay cash, with no chance of ever getting our money back. We told "em last winter who would get the advertising. We never advocated any such Idea as appointing a commission to dictate what kind of advertlslngcon trscts we should make and we don't care a cuss Tor the commission anyhow. Stanton Picket: Those members of the Omaha Commercial club are a cute lot of fellows. At a meeting they adopted a resolution against a l-cent passenger rate law in Nebraska, contending that it would work a hardship on the railroads. Does the fact of most of these men being exten sive shippers have anything to do with the interest they seem to bav In the welfare of the railroads T , Beatrice Sun: About aa foolish a species of amusement as congress can Indulge in is dividing Nebraska into federal districts in order to create offices for the superan nuated attorneys and busted politicians of the state". There Is no necessity for the proposed increase and change. Nebraska really had more litigation In the federal court during; the earlier settlement of the state than she. has now. Newman Grove Reporter: Amen to the Burlington Missouri's refusal to give transportation to editors to attend the state association. It Is humiliating that the secretary of the association ever asked for IL Speed tha day when editors will insist upon being regarded as plain, or dinary business men. not as plain ordi nary grafters. The circular letter of the secretary, too, leaves the Impression on the mind that he regards the whole pas business as a huge Joke. North Platte Tribune: The Nebraska Editorial association meets in Omaha tho latter part of thla month, and the secre tary, very foolishly, asked the railroad to carry the members free. Of course he was turned down. Just as he deserved. Under existing conditions there Is not one editor In twenty-five who would accept the courtesy of a pass from the roads, and the secretary Is receiving pretty warm roasts from the newspaper men for his action, which was of his own motion. North Platte Tribune: On the ground that a 2-cent fare would be unfair to tho railroads the Omaha Commercial club has passed resolutions opposing the reduction. The club believes that greater facilities in the movement of traffic is more to e de sired than a' reduction of passenger fare. Another argument advanced by the club is that with a maximum rate of I cents the roads would abolish special rates, and as a result cheap rates to Omaha on occa sions like the Ak-Sar-Ben would not be given. It will thus be seen that in this matter Omaha has an ax to grind, but how about the rest of the state? Newman -Grove Reporter: Our politicians are slargejy responsible' for the grotesque way In which the cause of temperance has been handled In this country. The leader ship usually has been turned over to women and fanatics. Since the days of Lincoln no statesman has dared touch It with a ten-foot pole. Which is cause and which Is effect Is of no particular Interest now. Now this great Question demands the best thought that the best brains we have can give it. The emperor of Germany, the prime minister of France, discuss It aa they would any other great question of state; the American statesman Is afraid to whisper an opinion about It outside of his bed chamber. The statesman of tbe future must show more courage than the states man of the past. AN ADMiHABLB MESSAGE. Preservation of tha Pnblla Domain for the People. Springfield (Mass.) Republican. President Roosevelt's message on the natural resources of the country still left In the public domain Is one of the soundest and most admirable he has ever written. It is a plea for the conservation of the re maining mineral deposits for the -public good rather than for coporate dividends under private monopolistic exploitation. He presents unassailable doctrine, however socialistic some may regard It, in saying that "mineral fuels, like the forests and navigable streams, should be treated as public utilities." To treat coal and Iron lands as publlo utilities would mean that they should never pass under a private ownership, and If such a policy had been inaugurated In this coun try sixty tears earlier, there would be to day fur less agitation over the dangers of concentrated wealth and the power of glgan. tic corporations. It Is one of the most exas perating themes, In retrospect, upon which one's mind ran dwell, to consider the man ner In which the vast mineral treasures of the earth within our national borders have been allowed to slip from the ownership of the whole people Into that of a few In dividuals, without the 'slightest compensa tion Worthy of the name. The Idea that when a man takes up a section of wild public land he becomes the possessor of all the possible mineral wealth underoeuth the surface soli has never had an lota of reason or equity In it. Yet on this wanton principle of disposing of the national domain has the government pro ceeded generation after generation. "Al ready," aa the president says, "one-half of the total area of the high-grade coal lands In the west has passed under private con trol." The question now arises whether what Is left of that priceless material her itage shall also be turned over to private monopoly. The . lease system which the president proposes has been sufficiently tried In other countries to warrant Its careful consider ation by our own. Whatever Its defects may be. It has the merit or preserving the ownership where, ownership should alwsys be veatedln the whole people, or their government. : The time has come when the United States must adapt Its policy. In dealing with what remains of the publio lands, to the publte utility principle. Oriental Traao Not So Mneh. San Francisco Chronicle. We talk a great deal about the impor tance of the oriental trade, but it doea not cut a very great figure 1 nour exports, cut a very great figure In our exports, aggregated 11.717.863,882 In 1908. and of this sum Asia's share was 8104.804,871, a little more than one-seventh of the whole. Per haps the oriental trade Is not to be sneesed at, but It Is certainly not entitled to be re garded as of overshadowing Importance at present, nor Is It ever likely to be In the future. Prematura Activity. Chicago News. Many persons are trying to pick out a job for President Roosevelt after March 1 1908. It doea not seem to have occurred to them that Mr. Roosevelt after thai date may want to alt by tha stove In the Oyster Bay corner grocery and whittle and criti cise tha new administration. , rely Uaosswork. Springfield Republic. His admirable candor must command at tention, for it Is candor that Impels Secre. tary Taft to say that It la Impossible to estimate the cost f building the Panama canal. Many have said so from the start. We now have the official confession that estimates are nonsense. PRKf KPT ASH PRACTICE. Railroad Preachments nntrii.tel with Aetaal Condition. Washington Post. If all the railroads of the United RitP, had only practiced what President ).a, r of the Reading preaches,- there would hai, been no railroad problem, no rallrna.l com mission national or state no rebate, 0 rate bill. The railroads Would have haJ friends and champions everywhere, til enemies and assailants nowhere. Mr. H,r tells us that the only way the roads ' -, get traffic Is to fix rates which .will ennM the manufacturers, merchants and prn. ducers of every kind to sell their products In the markets of the world." But that Is what the roads have not done. They have Juggled rates and given rebates In order that some producers might have access to the markets of the world and have contrived that rival producers should be shut out from the markets of the world. Thus the roads were run on the twofold plan of making millionaires and making paupers. That is the way the roads we.re operated for forty years Nobody could compete with the Oil trust,, or the Meat trust, or the Steel trust, or the Sugar trust, or the Salt trust, or the Whisky trust, or the Tobacco trust, or" the Coal, trust, or atiy other trust that the roads gave the ad vantages and privileges of rebate. All over the west and southwest are towns and villages made busy marts by the rail, roads, and there are In those sections, also, towns and villages same somnolent by tha railroads. It la only an arbitrary fixing of rates advantageous to one community and adverse to another, and the thing Is done. A rebate of 10 cent on a barrel of sugar, I cnts on a barrel of salt, a trifle on a carload of household furnishings or farm machinery, and thua a town Is frequently given a boom for tha reason that railroad officials own corner lots within 'Its limits. Railroads are creations of law and capi tal; the government furnishes the law and the stockholders furnish the capital. It Is the office of the law' to ffqulre the roads to mete to every customers the same treatment they' accord to every other cus tomer. If the mads had held to this rule and never deviated from. It, the govern ment would have given them ho more concern than the grand Jury ' gives the good cltlsen Innocent of offense. But the roads would' not." They violated the law, they outraged Justice, and now the octopus-chasers are after them. They have theli own greed and their own wrong to thank for It, and unless they mend their manners tha discipline, will he made much more severe. PERSONAL lfOTES. i ' Perhaps the attempt to establish prohibi tion In Washington Is Intended to let con gress see how It feels to have a canteen abolished. .-.. .Ex-Queen Lllloukatani Is still trying to get payment from the United States for the crown lands taken from her at the time of the revolution In. Hawaii. It Is Just like a woman to be so persistent when she sees that congress wants to forget all about It. After, sixteen years of continuous servlco. during which he has never taken a vaca tion. Prof. John Sterling Klngsley of Tufts college has been granted a year's- leave of absence, which he will pass In scientific re search In Italy. He is one of the most widely known authorities on soology In the country. ,. i Everett H. Barney, a 'millionaire,' has deeded a fortune to Springfield, Mass., for the purpose of beautifying the city. His principal bequest Is his estate at Pecouslc, consisting of 176 acres, and his splendid city residence on Laurel Hill. The offer Is made to secure a boulevard and park 'system for two miles along the ConneotloUt Hver. Herr Bebel, perhaps the most Impressive orator In the OermanRetehstag, usually speaks without notes of any kmd, thinking as he goes. Not even well off, he leads the simplest of lives, shunning society and find ing his chief recreation In the ' cultivation of flowers. He told an interviewer one that when he wanta to get ready for a speech he goes Into his little garden and trims the rose trees. Since politics went wrong ' with him In South Dakota Richard Franklin Pettlgrew, formerly senator from that state, has lived mostly In New Tork. where, It la said, he displays about as much sagacity In the stock market as any of the most seasoned bulls and bears and has accumulated a pile of money, behind the ahelter of which ho feels much more comfortable than he wns ever able to feel while serving his flck'e publlo In the senate. MERRY JlXfil.ES. "The views I express about religion," said the tiresome controversialist, "muy seem rather too broad to most people, but" "Not at all." replied the candid man. "To most people they seem not so broad aa they are Hat." Philadelphia Press. "Miss Stebblns" Is from Boston, Isn't She?" 'I think so. I heard her refer yesterflny to a swestshop as a 'perspiring 'establish ment.' "Chicago Record-Herald. Miss Ascutn I hear your daugbtsr has given Mr. Hunter his conge. Mrs. Nurltch "Con Jay?" That's a good name for him. Anyway she thought ho was somethln' like ttfttt and so she shook him. Philadelphia Press. Sweet Girl Papa, why aretherc so many jokes about a lover's being kicked out by bis sweetheart's father? . . ' Fond Papa My darling,, it la beraune when a father Is asked to give up his pet daughter, he naturally feels like kicking, Baltimore American. t Tuffold Knutt (with his mouth lull) I'd like t' arsk ye a questiun, mum. Are they layln' any stone pavements .la thst.-next town? Farmer's Wife I don't know. Are you trying to get work? Tuffold Knutt No, mam. I'm' not tryln' to get It. I'm tryln' to locate It. Chicago Tribune. , Wife Dearie, what dos "to have and to hold" mean In the wedding ceremony? Hubby pacing floor Willi baby, i a. m.V I guess It must refer to the kid. Phila delphia Press. "Why did old BlUyuns.go baK ' on Ms promise to give 40,0u0,0u0 for the establish ment of a pension fund for people who had broken down after being forced out of business?" "One of the newspapers referred to It as a conscience tund." Chloago .Hecord-Har-aid. The pompous Judge glased sternly over his spectacles at the tattered prisoner who had been dragged before the bar Of Justice on a charge of vagrancy. "Have you ever earned a dollar In your life?" he asked In fine scorn. I es, your nunur, was uiv rMwni i voted for you at the last election. Judge. . 4 r "comb oi'T or IT."' ' S. E. Klser In the Record-Herald. Oh, I am glad that it is Lent And that she's feeding penitent; She's given up the world's delights for forty days and forty nights; She's hung her finery away And promises to fast and pray. i ' Oh, I am glad that aha Intends To hide herself from all her frlanda. To keep away from concert halls, To shun the dinners and the ball: Her voice Is few, her look Is grave, tthe is no longer fashloa's slave- i Oh. I rejoice, for now I'll get ' A chance to wriggle put of debt; Because of her sweet penltenoe I II cut off half of my expensej She'll not go out to shop at all, Our meat bills will be few and small. Oh, I am glad that It Is Lent -. ' And mat my naning" iromnn v ill now catch vp n sleep again. . -nd do some reading now and the; 1 U cease to hpok her up behind, And thus gsln mueh ln peace of miod. I X fer . w i '