Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, December 07, 1908, Page 4, Image 4
TIIE OMAIIA . DAILY BEE: MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1908. The Omaiia Daily Bee. founded bt edward uoritwatkr. VICTOR ROSBWATER, EDITOR. Filtered at Omaha poetofflc a eoon4 olaa matter. . TERMS Or SUBSCRIPTION. Tallr (without 8undar). on yeer.ROO Dally and Sundajr. on ysr -w DELIVERED BT CARRIER. DaOf Bni (Including Sunday), pr wk..1fc Dally B (without Sunday). per week..lOo Evening Bee (without Sunday), par week o Evening Fee (with Sunday), per week.lOo Sunday Bee, one year Saturday Bee, one year -H Address all complaints of Irregularities In delivery to City Circulation department. OFFICES. Omaria--Th Bee Bulldln;. South Omaha Twenty-fourth and K. Council Bluffs If Beott Street. Lincoln 611 LKtle Building. . Chlcairo IM Marquette rnlldlng. ' New Yjrh-Rooms 1101-1101 No. M Wert Thirty-third Street. . Washlngton-726 reurteonth Street. N. W. CORRESPONDENCH. Communication relating to newa and aril torlal matter ahould be addreaeed: Omaha Bee, Editorial Department. REMITTANCES. . Remit by draft, express or postal order payable to The Bee Publishing- Company. Only I-ccnt stamp received In payment of mall accounts. Personal checks, except on Omaha or eastern exchanges, not accepted. STATEMENT OF CIRCULATION. State of N'brnska, Doug-las County, ss. : George B. Tsachurk, treasurer of The Bee Publishing company, being duly sworn, says that the actual number of full and complete copies of The Dally, Morning, Evening and Sunday Bee printed during the month of November, 1908, was as follows: 1.. 44,000 .37.840 .87.180 ,8e8T0 . 38,80 .87,310 .87,000 .37f080 .37,010 S. .38.100 . .45,880 ,. 84,880 , ,41,984 , .39,020 , .33,380 . .37,400 .37,340 .37310 .37,780 , .37,080 .37.070 .38,840 it.. 12 37,880 If ...37,890 14.... 87,630 IS 38,800 27 87,140 2 38,80 29 36,700 10 37,810 Total 1,181.370 Less unsold and returned copies. 11,187 Net total.. 1,150,103 Dally average 38,338 GEORQ3 B. TZSCHUCK, Treasurer. Subscribed In my presence and worn to ueiore me mis 1st aay oi iMcemoer, ioa. Seal) M. P. WALKER, Notary Public WHEW OCT OF TOWlf. Sanscrit leafing; tke alts- teas porarlly shoald hare The Be walled ta tkem. Allreu will h cbiaged as oftea as roqaeatoo. Public Printer Lech tailed to stick to hlB job. The country has congress on hands again. . it Incidentally, there are twenty-five more days of leap year. ine democracy is in debt," says Chairman Mack. It is also short on credit. ,"How Ions can the . voters be driven?'' demand Mr. Bryan. Who ia driving them? Local traffic officials are reaching out for a club, but It la to be a social club for their own use. Carrie Nation proposes to spend the winter In : Bootland. "' This will cer talnly make the Scotch hot. "Will the kaiser keep his' word? asks the London Times. He is keep ing his word and his words. Mr. Taft says be has not decided on a single man for his cabinet. Has he decided on any married men? t The Inventor of the cobless corn is entitled to praise, but glory awaits the inventor of the acheless corn. It Is now declared that Paul Revere was a myth.. On th contrary, h was th founder of the American Society of Rough IMders. , The Washington Post says "a new era Ss dawning In Ireland." That new era has been dawning In Ireland for about 600 years. . Castro Is to have an operation per formed for stomach - troubles. He seems to b In need of an operation for swelled head. , FriUl Soheff ha postponed her marriage uatil after Christmas. Evi dently Frltzl does not propose to have her holiday spoiled. ; A wealthy New York girl is said to be engaged to marry a Chines prince. She might have don worse by getting on of th French variety. Senator Piatt says he would be glad to have Mr. Roosevelt succeed him. The rest of th country will be glad to have almost anyone succeed him. Th retirement of Senator Piatt tnay be a hard blow. to the express combine, but their loss .will be the state's gain. Texas is now- boasting about .the slz of it corn crop, Texas has just discovered that corn is measured by bushels instead of by quarts and gal lon. ' ! Mr. Carnegie says he got his first fl.000 by saving It Mr. Rockefeller got his first $1,000 by borrowing It. Both plans ar dlffloult of accomplish ment. The democratic statesmen are hav ing their troubles in trying to arrange In advance for th organisation of the legislature. A few new Jobs wilp-hav to be mad if all the patriots ar to be cared for. . Th boom in th clearing house statement belles the pesslmlstlo asser tions that busin ia not good In this country, and th reports from th Omaha banks show that tho Gat City business tnen. ar sharing in the gen oral activity. Prosperity ia surely on its way, if it has not already returned. THE SHORT 8E8SI0N OF CONGRESS. By reason of the somewhat awk ward provisions of the federal consti tution filing the time for the terms of congress, the body that meets at Washington today will have really lit tle, If anything, to do with the ques tions over which the American elec torate became bo excited only few weeks ago. The pledges of the Chi cago platform and the plans of the officers elected In November concern directly only th congress that would, under ordinary circumstances, meet next December. This arrangement was made by the framera of the con stitution to meet the conditions of those times, when, owing to, a lack of communication advantages, the re sults of the elections were not known for months and it required other months for the new members to reach the national capital. As a result of the plan then adopted, the newly elected members of congress, with their credentials fresh from the voters, have no voice in the nation's legislation for more than a year after their election. Mr. Taft has, however, announced his intention to call a special session of the new congress soon after March 4. 1909, thus paving th way for early action on some of the issues which were decided upon by the last con test. The special session, it is now understood, will be devoted entirely to the consideration of the tariff. The congress that convenes today will necessarily devote most of Its time to unfinished business of the last session. If the uaual plan is followed, congress will spend a couple of weeks, at most, in preliminary work and then adjourn to until after the holidays. The great money-carrying measures for the maintenance of the Army, Navy, Judiciary and other depart ments of the government will demand most of the time of the session and little may be expected in the way of new legislation. The postal savings bank bill is pending and may be adopted at this session. It Is possible that some effort may be made for amendments to the currency laws, de pending upon the report to be made by the monetary commission, - which was appointed last winter with In structions to make a report to the present session of congress. Some sentiment exists in favor of admitting New Mexico and Arizona to statehood at the present session, but the present congress Is not pledged to that action and the matter may go over until the December session of the next congress Altogether, the outlook is for a tame and rather profitless session of the na tional congress which goes out of ex istence at noon of March 4, 1809. THE GRAND JURY REPORT. The archives of the -Douglas county courts contain a number of grand jury teports, but none that compare in vol ume or text to the ope just filed. This one la especially remarkable for its confession of incapacity on part of the inquisitorial body that terminated a two months' Bitting on Friday morn Ing. It comes at a time that la pe culiarly Inappropriate, too. Just when Omaha Is trying to put its best foot forward and la preparing to receive a large number of visitors from abroad, brought hither on invitation, comes this grand jury and solemnly assures the world that all sorts of moral and official iniquity exists in Omaha and South Omaha, and that J the authorities are not only not doing their duty, but are actually cognizant of and complacently enduring the dreadful conditions complained of by the grand jury. If these things are true,- why did not the grand jury present some of the offenders to the 'court? Sweeping charges of misconduct are alleged against the officials of Omaha. If the grand Jury had before it evidence to support these charges, why were not true bills found against the guilty parties?" Are all the - officials of Omaha corrupt and inefficient, or only a few? And, if a few, why are the rest made to support the stigma that la cast generally under- the allegation that "certain" officials are derelict? Why not name th guilty and exoner. ate the innocent? What is true of Omaha applies to South Omaha in this regard.- If th grand jury had before it evidence to warrant th charges made in its report it should have re turned indictments; if the evidence is not sufficient to support an indictment against a guilty man it ought not to b used to indict by Innuendo all the offi cials, guilty and innocent alike. No fault will be found with the recommendations made by the grand jury, so far as they tend to the furth erance of good order and proper gov ernment of th two cities, in this all citizens will join, but the grand jury was Inefficient in one of two direc tions. It should have returned true bills against the offenders, or it should not have thrown a cloud of suspicion over all. A whitewash is bad at any time, but such a splotch of hlackwash, generally splattered, ia worse than a whitewash could possibly be. A grand jury la supposed to clear th at mosphere of a community, morally speaking, but this one has really be fogged th air. TWO CENTS TO GERMANY. ' By the terms of a recent postal agreement, negotiated between this nation and Germany, on and after January 1 letters can be sent to Ger many for a 2-cent stamp Instead of th 6-cent stamp heretofore required, Th new arrangement was made at th request of th German postal offi cials, who discovered that hundreds of German firms wer sending their mall to England by freight to have it posted under th I -cent rat recently established between th United States and Great Britain. While the reduced rat on letters between the United States and Great Britain has been In force but a few weeks, the postal officials of both countries report a marked Increase in the quantity of letter mail carried, as suring a revenue that will be much larger than that obtained under the old 6-cent rate. It is certain now that all of the countries in the Interna tional Postal union will soon come in on the 2-cent basis. THE PROGRESS AT PANAMA. Tho report of the Isthmian Canal commission for th last fiscal year contains a most comprehensive show- ng of the progress that Has been made upon construction of the great interoceanlc waterway and an outline of the work yet to be done and the engineering problems to b consid ered. While the report was written before the recent settling of some parts of the Gatun dam, the details of that enterprise appear to prove that most of the alarm occasioned by re cent reports was much exaggerated, and the engineers expreea perfect con fidence in their ability to establish absolutely firm foundations tor the dam and locks. According to the report, the amount of material removed during the year Includes 12,065,138 cubic yards In the Culebra division, 7,774,124 in the Chagres division, 5,087,623 in the Colon dredging division and 5,273,369 In the La Boca dredging division, The motive power and machinery division erected shops in Gorgona, Empire and Paraiso, and a large amount of work was done in repairs and building new equipment, Including the installation of three automatic fire alarm tele graph systems and 13,365 slxteen-can- die power electric lights. The sum of $5,645,622 was expended by this division. The work of the municipal engineering division consisted of the completion of the waterworks, sewer age system and paving in Panama and Colon, the cost of which is to be re imbursed to the United States through the collection of water rates in those cities, and of the construction of waterworks and sewerage system, pav ing, grading and roadmaklng in the canal zone. The total cost of this work was $1,067,160. The division of materials and sup plies received during the year material valued at $11,607,094 and disbursed material to the value of $11,685,153. The report on labor shows that while the skilled force decreased during the year, there were almost as many new employes as In the preceding year, the force being practically renewed every year. The commission has been unable to get a sufficient force of white work men and during the year 4,550' West Indians and 3,650 Europeans were Im ported for the work. The immigra tion exceeded emigration by more than 18,000, so the commission considers the labor question solved. Apparently there is nothing needed now but time and money for the com pletlon of the great project The millions that were spent by this gov ernment in Improving the sanitary conditions on the zone are bearing fruit, which proves that the Invest ment was most wise. The death rate, In spite of the mixed condition of the workmen, is less than that In the average American city and there is comparatively little sickness. The en glneerB do not commit themselves to predictions, hut leave the Inference that the canal will be completed and ready for use within five or six years. CHARITY AND THE BREAD LINE. Terrence V. Powderly, an official of the immigration bureau at Washing ton and former head of the Knights of Labor, has been making'an Invest! gatlon into the conditions of the un employed in New York, from which he reports some very interesting conclu slons, asserting that more harm than good comes from dispensing charity through the "bread lines" In the large cities. He spent several weeks among tne unemployed, took his place in the "bread line" every morning, talked with hundreds of men who were wait ing for their rations and unbesltat lngly declares that a majority of them were "bums and loafers who seldom did an honest day's work and would not . accept employment' when offered to them." Statistics furnished by the charity organizations of New York City bear out Mr. Powderly's statements' in the main. These reports show that last winter when It was reported that many thousands of deserving men were out of employment in the city, work was offered to thousands of them and that less than 10 per cent of the employment offered was ac cepted by those who were the constant recipienta of charity. Mr. Powderly, in suggesting the method of dealing with the unemployed, says: - They are a hard lot, roost of them. Borne wouldn't take work if you offered it to tham. I would drive them all out and give them something to do If I had my way with them. The "bread line" problem. In a more or less modified form, exists in all cities at all times, and Is always more acute at this season of the year, when the opportunities for employ ment are lessened and the disposition for giving charity and aid enlarged. It Is the always-old, ever-new question of giving aid to the needy and with holding it from the undeserving. It is doubtless true that among the unem ployed in all large cities are many men who ar drones when times are good, first to claim charity in hard times and unwilling to work at any time. If they conld be identified easily, the problem of giving would be. greatly simplified. But among the unemployed and th applicants for aid are always many deserving persons from whom th withholding of aid would be a little short of brutal. Th question brings up the old problem of th methods that ahould b employed In the distribution of charity. It so ciety could be so organized that work could be provided for those able to work, with the understanding that if they refused to help themselves no help would be extended to them, the charity question would disappear. As that can not bt done readily, the pres ent plan of feeding and aiding th undeserving rather than let the de serving suffer will probably be con tinued indefinitely. THE DEMOCRATIC PRESS. Five Chicago democrats have agreed, it is announced, to Invest 250,000 in the establishment of a democratic dally newspaper in Chi cago, explaining that the success of the party in Chicago and Illinois In th future depends upon the possession of a strong newspaper organ in the city by the lakes. Aside from the fact, that the amount to be invested by these gentlemen would not last more than a few weeks In the making of a newspaper against the competition of th atrongly-eBtab- llshed newspapers now in Chicago, it will be necessary for them to make it plain Just what kind of a democratic paper they intend to start before they can receive much encouragement. Will it be a Bryan democratic paper, or a Johnson democratic paper, or a Harmon democratic paper, or a Roger Sullivan democratic paper? The New York World is a democratic paper, but it refused to support Mr. Bryan. The Brooklyn Eagle Is a democratic paper, but it bolted Bryan the day he was nominated. Scores and scores of so-called 'democratio papers are pub lished In the east, but very few of them will support the democratic party under the Bryan leadership. Even th rock-ribbed democratio pa pers of the south are making it plain that they will no longer submit to the domination of Bryanism. The Chicago Chronicle, one of the ablest papers ever printed in Chicago, was democratic, but It starved to death. There is no tangible evidence that a democratic paper Is wanted In Chicago. Which again brings up the question ' of the New York World, "What Is a democrat?" Heads of the several state Institu tions are making reports to the gov ernor, which show an excellent condi tion In the management of the Ne braska public charities. No complaint of extravagance can be laid against the republicans In this regard in face of the steadily decreasing per capita cost The economies have been ef fected not at the expense of efficiency or the unfortunate Inmates, but by prudent business management This is the greatest reason why Governor Shallenberger should be careful in making any changes.' Nebraska's state house has been out of date for a long time, and is now crowded to its utmost. This forces the question to the front and the in coming democratio ' legislature Will very likely be asked to take the initial stepB toward providing Nebraska with a suitable capitol building. The dem ocrats may not welcome the Intrusion of. this issue at the present time, but the needs of th state business de mand it. The grand jury fired a blanket charge and almost everybody In eight was spattered a little. This will be the justification when the county comes to pay the bills. If some of these grand juries would hand in in dictments instead of innuendoes the public might feel a little more kindly toward them. The N'A York Herald has pre sented a mass of testimony to prove that the Chinese are in favor of an alliance with the United States. Noth ing has been offered to prove that the United States favors it. The primary elections for the se lection of aldermanlc candidates in Chicago will he held on Washington's birthday. The hatchet is always in evidence In the Chicago city elections. Physicians insist that crawling is a healthful exercise. Those not caring for that exercise are recommended to patronize the Harney car line as "something equally as good.". Mr. Archbold has furnished a list i of the by-products of the Standard Oil company, without naming any mem bers of congress who have been sup posed to belong in that list. "There is a remedy for every cas of grouch," says the optimistic Hous ton Post Prove tt, if you can, by curing the New Tork Sun and the In dianapolis News. The French government has de cided that it will not recognize Castro. That Is a -little surprising, as Castro la known to be traveling with a plethoric purse. Attention is called to the fact that The Be and the World-Herald are for once in substantial accord. They agree in the main as to the report f the grand jury. "American women appear to be suf fering from a strange nervous afflic tion," says a New Tork physician. It Is Just Chrlstmasshopplngltls, which la not serious. The Woman's Christian association picked the proper season for asking donations for the Old People's home, and the public apparently enjoyed playing Santa Claus. A Dleaarvaeahla Thlak. Clevelanil Ieadr. One million failuiaV in - twelve million marriages Is th record for the last twenty year. Think It over think It over. One In a dosenl THREAT POLITIC!. COMMENT. Esteaalaaj the Merit System to Foarth Class postmasters. Washington Ilersld (Ind). Provident Roowerelt, by adding over 11.000 leurth class poslmasti rs to the clssslfled civil service, has struck a severe Mow at hat remains ct the tpotls system, Th.it tho whole number of fourth class post masters will be ultimately placed under the same classification seems certain unless ecrgrrsa shall Interpose objection to losing this form of patronage. When Mr. Roose vlt recommended In Ms last annual mes sage the action he has just taken, his pro posal met with much congressional opposi tion, and a bill Introduced to. carry It Into effect was given no consideration. The president has now taken the mstter Into his own hands, as be had power to do, doubtless with a lively anticipation of th stcrm of opposition likely to arise from the spoilsmen. Yet he will have the support of the postmasters themselves, who in theit varloua organisations have favored the ac tion Just taken, and of the National Civil Service Roform league. Nor should It be taken for granted that members of congress will unanimously oppose any reduction In the amount of patronage at their disposal, for a number of them would be glad to gel rid of the annoyance of settling contro versies over minor appointments. Independent Newspapers auad Bryaa. New Tork Evening Poet (Ind.). . In his latest analysis of the causes of Ms defeat Mr. Bryan finds that the republicans had most of the large metropolitan news papers on their side. Apparently, they off set th great Influenoe of the Commoner and tho Btaata-Zeitung, with the half hearted support of the World. But If Mr, wry an would only take time to think a little more deeply about this press situa tion, he might perhaps recall that in 17 and 1884, and In the later Cleveland cam paigns, the pick of the Independent press crcUally supprted tho democratio tcket No president ever had better or more In fluential American newspapers behind him than Grover Cleveland. But ever sine the appearanoa of Mr. Bryan, this nswspaper support has generally gonq to the repub licans. Why, Mr. Bryan should ask him self, did newspapers like the Times, the Evening Post, the Springfield Republican the Baltimore Sun, and a host of others of this type refuse to support the democratic party in 1908? The answer is the same that must be given when anybody examines frankly the causes of the democratic d feat: Because Mr. Bryan was the candi date. So long aa he is at the head of the party It will regula ly be defeated, and will as regularly repel the valuable newspaper support it could regain by choosing a stab'e, trustworthy and statesmanlike leader. Republican Responsibility. Springfield (Mass.) Republican (Ind.) It has been repeatedly said of Governor Hughes that he made the only speeches on the republican stump during the presiden tial campaign that were worth reading. There will be corresponding interest in what the governor of New York state has to say after election. In addressing the Republican club of New Tork City he struck at the heart of the situation as it followed the November election, as fol lows: "Our danger lies in our great success and In the disorganisation of the opposition. Our chief danger lies In the fact that w have been given such a strong endorse ment that we may forget the promises that we made. We, as republicans, devoted to the, success of the party and anxious that It should have a greatly enlarged prestige of accomplishment, must hold every man. a traitor - to the party who stand in the way of the party doing what It promised the people It would do In the last campaign." Plenty of light-headed organs and lead ers have made haste to assume that the republican party is now in a position to do about as it pleases that ia, to become th prey of selfish Interests In the matter of tariff revision and in other ways free to backslide to where things were before the Roosevelt uplift came to impress th coun try and to weaken the opposition. It is reassuring to observe that President-elect Taft is of a mind with Governor Hughes, The two might well advise together over the good of the country, not to speak about the future of the republican party, to which both are devoted. Democrats In Congress. Charleston News and Courier (dim.) The effect of the disastrous defeat of th democratic party in the recent genera elections ia likely to find Its first mani festation in an Increase of Independent action on the part of democratio 'members I T'7"!L " Jhi X conveM"- W sha 1 not be surprised 1f here and ther. a sou hsrn congressman upon whom the evl- dent decadence of democratic party spirit has not been lost shall betray a dlanaal. tlon to kick out of the traces of party . . u . discipline it not out or the caucus itself. The minority leader In the house, Mr. Champ Clark presumably, will be con fronted with a task of no ordinary deli cacy and difficulty In holding together his forces. "How the cat is going to Jump' was never before quite so problematical among democrat aa now, and a propen- slty on the part of member from Georgia, They made an energetlo campaign and pre for example, who ar nearly always of a 1 dieted a vote of mor than 1,000,000. Thi canny and cunning breed, to fly the track vot waa in th neighborhood of 630,000, or so long beaten by the democrats may be expected. Holding Democracy Together. Louisville Courier-Journal (dem.). Clean politics, honest politics, wise poll- tic the good of the country would seem to demand that the democratic party, much discouraged and depressed, and thoroughly beaten, ahould still hold together, seeking uiuraiv, aim u wis saying hath it, keeping Us powder dry. If it should go to pieces nothing would remain between our Institutional system and the deluge except a body ot able and self, confident opportunists, calling themselves the republican party, and quite equal to the commercial exigencies of the times, and that vast roaster, the mob, tame enough when fed and clothed, but very destructive when turned loose hungry upon whatsoever It may devour. Orlala of m Party Majae. Kansas City Star. "It was R. H. Lindsay," a former Kan aan aald this morning, "who first gave the populist party in Kansas it name. The party had grown out of the farmer' alli ance, and gave Itself the name of th people's party when it organised in 1890 to become political organisation. "Lindsay waa at that time the Topek correspondent of the Kanaaa City Star. He thought a shorter term than people's party waa desirable, so he began to refer to th party as a whole as populists. Other corre spondents and the Tcpeka paper adopted the same word, and populist became the generally accepted name of the party, al though It still uses the title ot people's party when It places th name ef candi date on th official ballot," Woes of a Massleo Worrier. Philadelphia Record. What is to become ef Captain Hobaon and hi hobby if the agreement between the Vnlted State and Japan should bring enduring peace? Where then would th verleat Jingo find pretext for Increasing the naval armaments on both th Atlaotlo and Pacific coasts? NEBRASKA SPOIL. Basse Reflection aa the Folly af th Navesnher Verdict. Emporia (Kan.) Oasette. Th governor-elect of Nebraska, who has a broken leg. Is able to sit up and dlrtate appointments xo nis eiucirni y" v Ographrrs. . Nebraska has enjoyed a republican state administration for several years and has prospered with the rest of the country. The republican governor Is a man who nas accomplished much and had he been given another term he would have rounded out a record that ha already attraoted much ad miration. He was especially fortunate In ohoostng men for Important places, and so the state Institutions are In better shape than is customary. Nebraska was doing well, but the intel ligent voters cam to th conclusion that it was time to throw a bouquet at Mr. Bryan, and so they voted the1 democratic ticket and elected as governor a ehronlc politician who has been a candidate for that office ever since he quit wearing pina fores, running for any other IHtle office that happened to, be vacant for recreation between the regular campaigns. And so the governor-elect with, th broken leg is announcing his appointments, and when he goes Into effeot there will be a general upheaval In all Institution which are now well organised. Men wno , nave had year of experience in the car of lunatic and convicts and the otner waras of the Stat will b displaced to mak room for greenhorns, and each greenhorn will have his own appointments to make. and every little Job from cook upward will have a new man In It. No matter how capable all these greenhorns may become, they are bound to disorganise things at first and make blunders, some of which may be costly. It stands to reason that th Institutions must suffer from a sud den change, and the Inmates must grin and bear it. The merchant who filled nis store on a busy day with new clerks would be in a position to understand the results of such a change as will occur In Nebraska, There la no sense In such a business, yet tt is something that every state Is liable to experience under present conditions, There ahould be service rules protecting state employes in their jobs so long as they are efficient, or at least they should be dumped out gradually and not made to all walk the plank at once. Nebraska has had previous experience with democratio and populist administra tions and that experience was so painful as regards the management of the stato In stitutions that people familiar with th history of th commonwealth were amased at th result of the November election ther. BRA OP CHEAP POSTAGE. Belting; Mack af the Warld with th Tiro-Cent Rate. Minneapolis Journal. And now Germany enters on a 2-cent postage agreement with America, This was th inevitable sequel of th similar agreement with Great Britain, which went Into effect October 1. Germany Is too hot a rival of England to permit ;suoh an advantage to remain long with Its competitor. It Is evident that we ar now entering upon an era of cheap postage. Franc must soon follow th example of Its neighbor, and In turn the other rations of Europe will negotiate similar agree ments with ua. Naturally, th rates of postage between the European countries themselves will fall to the same level. In th course of a year or so th S-cent rate Is bound to disappear, except 'fur th long hauls to the orient and to seml-civlllsed regions. Th S-cent rat between America and Europe has been anomalous for some time. Our Postoffic department has been carrying letters to Canada, Mexico, Cuba, Hawaii, th Philippines and even to Shanghai for X cents. The velum ef the European mall and the cheapness with which it Is carried have long jufitl fled a reduction. The affect of th lower rate, it Is confidently predicted, will be so to Increase the volume of th mall as to keep the revenue fully up to the present leveL The benefits to commerce in all Its ramifloations cannot be other wise than large. Three Spirits of Madera Life Boston Herald. Three groups of men In modern life chal lenge attention and admiration for their ubiquity and their audacity. They are the explored, the pioneer trader and advance agent of commerce, and th religious propa gandist. Science, commerce and religion are fundamental facts In contemporary life, as ar the motive of truth seeking, gain getting and altruism, which are back of j tnem ot the three mLMonary faiths of the wor,d BaMMam Mohammedanism and Christianity, the Christian religion has . ... . . . ,, 1 pianiea us ouiposis on mi moat hiuuikuh and has developed th propaganda machine. most effective Great Expectations Shattered. Philadelphia Publlo Ledger. Nearly every one who had followed th noise which the socialist were making would hav thought bsfor th election that th socialists were becoming formidable. about 130,000 more than In the 1B04 election. Corrohoratlve Evidence. Boston Globe. The theory recently advanced thst some nf th mnund builders' mound wer eon- ' structed for use In a gams something Ilk base ball perhaps strengthened by th . discovery of sixteen skeletons in on of them-presumably umpires who decisions didn't suit. Another Idol Shattered. Chicago Record-Herald. An Italian historian assert that Horace's odes were written as adve tisements for some wine company. If Horace were liv ing now he would probably be writing such poems as on reads en the cards that ar fastened upon the walla of trolley car. Deserves to . Be Soaked. Baltimore American. A woman In Nebraska is suing a man for $10,000 damages for a stolen kiss, and $10,000 more for teglng about it afterward. To kiss is human, but to kiss and tell Is some thing that the mean man who doe it ought to be made to pay for. - Always aa Haad. Indianapolis Newa. Notwithstanding the considerable number of new and Inexperienced men In th next congress It Is believed that ther are enough of th old and foxy members left to pre vent It from doing most of the things It should. Franks Spring a Postal Leak. BU Louis Globe-Democrat. It surprises lb public to learn that the cost of th postal franking privilege last year waa IU 000,000, or more than twice th amount of th postal deficit. Thl leak de mand the prompt, attention of congress. Bathos af tho Mats. Chicago Tribune. Bbme persons ar so blind as not to- so that United State aenator chosen by pri mary aieotlons ar any better than those elected In th way prescribed by our bluA during forefathers. PROMOTING GOOD ROAD. One 'Way oi Fottlnar Pre-eeare aa re. Ilaqacata. New Tork Times. No believer In or lvrt of Improved highways should neglect to read with rar that passage In tho postmaster Renersl't annual report which deals with the rela tion between the free rural delivery and good roads. The "JR. F. D." Is Immensely popular In every rart of tho country al ready favored with it; Indeed, wherever It has been established for a few years all the oonditlona of life have been adjusted to it, and it is ranked among the necessi ties, not the luxuries of existence. Natur ally there Is an eager demand for the ex tension of th system through new terri tory and this Is a demand that will have to b mot, despite the failure of postal rev enues and xpendlturea to balance. In determining which of th many de mands shall be granted the department has the best of excuses for. asking the petitioners In each caae about the quality of the roads over which the carrier and his horse will hava to make their daily Journeys, and to view with a cold disfavor any application that cornea from counties or township that have not yet learned the first lesson of civilisation and still think that a more or less beaten track between two line of fencing Is a highway. On the other hand, when th applicant can pro claim that the carrier' labor will be light and his motion swift because the wheels of his cart will roll over the hard, smooth surface of a good read in every part of his route, then compliance with the re quest should be prompt and gracious. This would be a perfectly proper basis of discrimlnatlonv and It would bring to bear on th rural population a wholly proper sort of pressure toward the spending of money in a way that would be profitable in a doaen ways. It would also make the appropriation for the free rural delivery go much further than it will if no such dis crimination is used. Especially is it neces sary that action in this direction be taken if the postmaster general's suggestion as to a parcels post la to be heeded, for that would Increase the weight of the carrier's load and render it almost impossible for him to traverse some of the miserable roada he now covers. "No good roads, no free delivery," should be the rule, and If It led to th temporary abolition, of some of the routes now in operation the- lesson Would be salutary and effective. " PERSON AIj NOTES. Chorus girls In New Tork gave a banquet to celebrate the return Of prosperity. The winter crop of Johnnies promise to be a record breaker. The basts for the Bryan bear story seems to be that had ther been a bear, and had Bryan got within reach of its claws, a rent in his garments might have followed. In order to realise how distressingly un fortunate waa the oversight by wblcn Presi dent Alexia left behind that trunk contain ing 20,000 gourdes, you must understand that "gourde" Is the Haytlen synonym for "bone" or "plunk." Michael McKenna of York Harbor, Mo., hss three sons Thomas, born on February 26, 1904; John, born on February 18, 1905, and Arthur, born on February 26, 1j7. The birthday present problem Is a good deal simplified in th McKenna housohold. In th spring Thomas J. Hughe of Brooklyn, Ind., lost $500. He had had the roll of bills In his pecket, and supposed he had carelessly flipped them into th road in taking out his handkerchief. A week ago he found them tucked away In an old shoe, and he says it is beyond him how ttey got ther. Mr. and Mrs. Aaron ktneeland of George--town, Mass., have just celebrated the dia mond seventy-fifth rmlvei sary of their wedding. The husband is 87 years of age and hi good wife 92. They have had a dticn children, and after a long life of tireless Industry they decided to give up their little home and deed it to the town, in return for which they were to be oared for for the remainder of their days. , PASSING PLEASANTRIES. "Did that manager discover any humor la your play?" "Yes," answered the gloomy author. "H said the wnole thing was a Joke." Wash ington Star. "I live in a state where there are abso. lutely no diTwces." "Indeed! What state is that?" "The state of single blussedness." Boston Transcript. "Why did she divorce hlmT "Because she couldn't keep him from buy. Ing diamond necklaces and such things." "Gracious! I would never divorce my hus band for that!" "You would if they were not for you, I guess." Houston Post. "After all, the aum of human happiness may be totaled up In three words,'' aafd she. "What on earth are they?"' inquired her partner In life's Joys and sorrows. ' 'I love you.' ' "O, I thought you meant 'Pay to bear er." " Btray v tStorles. - ' ' , him wvufiut . i i ta u 14 miserable. It fades out in no time." 'IT.M V. I W T kyh . ... - 'That's what it is" Intended to do. sir. Tt is meant to write lettera whloh, through soma chance, might turn up In a court in vestigations'Baltimore American. I think." said Miss Cayenne, "that I will write a magaslne story." nave you tnougni one ouit "Yes. I'm going to have a men named Hiram, another named Peleg, a girl named Bamanthy and an old gray mare, and the rest aoesn t matter. Washington Btar. "A woman." observed the tiotne.a-rnwn philosopher, "can keep a secret as well as a man ran with the possible exception of two kinds." "And what are they?" Queried the Inno cent bystander. Those that are not worth keenlnar and those that are too good to keep." exolalned th philosophy dispenser. Chicago News. LIFE'S LESSONS. 3. Mortimer Lewis in Houston Post. We used to think In the dnys gone by, With a little longing and little sigh At grown-up's freedom, and . grown-up's Joy, Oh, what's th use of being a boy! Oh, what' the ua of an old ropo awing, And th knowledge w hav of a wood land spring, And all we know of the twisty creek, Ita deptha and shallows, and where to seek For th wary trout and th grayling slim? But the grown-up man! how w envied him! Oh, the grown-up man, footloose and free To choose all things he would do or be, To go or stay, to be in o' nights Or to stay abroad till the rtv llsrht Have fl ckered r.ut, - nd Mie morn comes In With Its pallid mists and Its walking din; Oh, the grown-up man who can sit and droani. And ran gn to shows and can eat In cream Till h wants to stop! Oh. where' th Joy In being only a little boy? But we've learned life' lesson, we have, we two; At leaet I have, and Imagine you IKik bark sometimes down the misty track That leads ta youth, and would wander back If you only could to the other days. To the old creek's banks, or the winding ways . That rambled over the meadow hill To th orchard wall, to th whlj.poorwUl That railed at niarht aa you lay awak And filled th night with Its own heart break. And you exclaim at soma son. wrong plui "Oh, what does It help one to he a man!" And your thoughts are thoughts such a do no good, Of a vanished day and a vanished wood, And manhood sms In an old roue swing Not worth th cost of Its garish lights ' And then you think of th fun of nights When the table meet you adwn tb And being g man's worth whll and sweet