Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, January 11, 1909, Page 4, Image 4
THE OMAHA SUNDAY BEE: JANUARY 10, 1909. Tiro Omaha Daily Bee Bounded bt edward rosewater. victor r08etwater. editor. Entered at Omaha poetofflce a second class matter. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. taJty Bee (without Sunday), one jrear..$jO0 Daily B e and Sunday, ona year DELIVERED BT CARRIER. Pally Bm (nclud.ng Sunday), per weak. .15c Daily Bee (w.thuut 8umlay, par week..l'c Svanlng Bee (without Sunday), per week c Evening Be (with Sunday), per week. .100 Sunday Bee., one year Saturday Bee, one year Address all complaints of Irregularities in delivery to City Circulation department. office Omaha The Be Building. South Omaha Twenty-fourth ana N. ' Ceuncll Bluf fs 1i Scott Street. Lincoln ait Little Building. Chicago 1648 Marquette Building. New York-Ruoma 1101-1102 No. 34 West Thirty-third Street. , Washington 72 Fourteenth 6treet, N. w. CORRESPONDENCE. Communication! relating to news and edi torial matter ahould ba addressed: Oman Bee. Editorial Department. , REMITTANCES. Remit by draft. exprens or postal or,,er payable to The Bee Publishing Company. Only -cent stamps received In payment or mall accounts. Personal check, except on Omaha or eastern exchanges, not acceptea. STATEMENT OF CIRCULATION. State of Nebraska, Douglaa County, "i.. George B. Taaohuck, treasurer Of Tne Bee Publishing o mpany. being duly sworn, aaya that the actual number of full ana complete coatee of The Dally. Morning. Evening and Sunday Bee printed taring the Bioat h of December. 1M. waa aa follows: 1 37.T80 17 TTipn I t7J10 1 ....38.S0O 87,370 1 8g,7a 874)90 10 87.880 37,030 II 3,80 37,340 22 37,010 T 37,840 21 37 ,030 I .37.040 H .T00 3,10 25 83,480 10 3.7t0 21 3M30 XI .,Ht J7 37480 J, 3.e60 2 30,330 If., 37,100 28 40,730 1 34,710 30 48800 ; 37,460 31 ,...48,800 14.. 37,170 Total .''WbS. Lwea unsold and returned copies.. s.aeo Net total "S'Si Dally verE GEORGE B. TZBCHUCK. Treaaurer. Subscribed In my presence and iworn to before ma thla Slat day of December UOS. ROBERT HUNTER, Notary Public WHEN OCT OF TOWN. Snbacrther leaving! the city tem lnully heald have Thn Bet lie to then. Aonreae will hanged as often aa req.eto. Found One cold wave. pleaBe claim it. Owner Omaha's policemen and firemen are again "on the tip-toe of expectancy." Twenty-nine different men hare served In President Roosevelt's cabi net. Can you name themT Tbf ro should be some law against allowing that Medicine Hat cold wave factory to be run overtime. It is evident that about every woman in the country has a big hat. Fashion has Just decreed that the big hat will soon become obsolete. A Boston physician says everyone should swallow a dosen raw eggs each day. Not until money comes easier or the hens get busier. Secret service officials appear to be as successful In turning up counter felt congressmen as they are In detect ing counterfeit currency. : Having shown what he can do in a pinch In the way of below-sero tem perature, the weather man seems dis posed to rest on his laurels. The claim is made that the cock tall Is a North Carolina invention, but the governor - of 8outh Carolina will want something: to say about that. Peking has invited Yuan Sht-Kal to return home and stand trial on the charge of having killed the emperor. Chances are that Yuan will fail to recognize his queue. ; Mr. Burton was moved to tears when the legislative caueus chose him for Benator from Ohio. What Sena tor Foraker was moved to by the same act is not stated. Mr. Taft cm afford to cultivate the 'possum and 'taters vote In an off year, but In the end he will have to pin his faith to the buckwheat cakea and san sage vote of the north. It cost $150,000 to get the fleet through the Sues canal, but Uncle Sam will doubtless remember the in cident and get even when the Panama canal opens for business Up to data Mr. Taft has refused to appear even Interested In Connectl cut's complaint that the state has not been represented in the president's cabinet for thirty-five years. The government has spent $16,000 trying to find the truth about the Brownsville incident and the layman may have proof of any conviction he cares to entertain on the subject. The federal officials removed by President Roosevelt to clear the track for a vigorous prosecution of the Ne braska land fraud cases would do well to let the public regard It as a closed incident. Where there Is much smoke there Is liable to be some fire. Particularly applicable to the republican county commissioner who resents so loudly the inquiry whether he is tied up with the democrats. The senate has finally agreed to the construction of a $400,000 embassy house in Paris. The poor fellow who can afford to keep up an establishment of that kind may now stand a chance of being considered when the diplo matic appointments are being passed .round. 8 Elf A TUB TILLMAN'S BOVBBOXISM. Even in the south, where the negro and his chances of advancement are rarely seriously considered, protests are being offered against Senator Till man's violent denunciation of pro posed compulsory educational laws in South Carolina and other southern states. The pitchfork statesman has taken op the flag of race prejudice and Is shaking Its folds to the wind, declaring that If the negro children of the south are educated, the result will be to raise a foe to white su premacy and the final downfall o( the nation. He adds that thla Is but a part of Mr. Taffs plot to buy the south with federal patronage, educate th negroes and turn the south over to them, to be used as a recruiting station for republican votes and the lasting overthrow of the democratic party. Senator Tillman's argument is not creditable to the south, no matter in what light It Is viewed. If he fears that education of the negro would make him more aggressive and ef fective than the white man, then he admits that the uneducated white man has an advantage over the uneducated negro which disappears when both are educated. The white men of the south will hardly thank Mr. Tillman for this left-handed compliment. The argument that white supremacy would be threatened by the education of the negro will hold water no bet ter. A state or society is in danger from the Ignorance of the people, not from their Intelligence. Tennessee and Kentucky are suffering today, aa dem onstrated by their experience with night riders, from the Ignorance of their people. Nor will the whites of the south thank Mr. Tillman for his assertion that they are of such a low order that they may be bought to transfer their political allegiance with a few federal offices. Senator Tillman is apparently unmindful of the fact that a better south is growing every minute, a south free from many of the preju dices and false doctrines used In the past to keep fire-eaters like himself in the forefront in national affairs. This new south is learning that the gospel the Tillman school preaches Is not only harmful to the nation, but Is par ticularly harmful to the Bouth. A re versal of both political and social con ditions Is certain to come In the south and one of the good effects of it will be the eventual shelving of the Tlll mans, Vardamans, "Jeff" Davlses and men of their type. what is a tvll citort The statistical bureau of the De partment of Agriculture has issued a circular of explanation of the terms used In reporting crop conditions and estimates that will tickle the average farmer almost as much as it would for him to find a new variety of weevil in his wheat. ,, Many reports of the department have been based upon comparisons with the "full normal" and the bureau la now explaining what is meant by the term. To begin with, the circular states that a "full normal" condition doeB not indicate a perfect crop, but a condition above the average, giving promise of more than average crop. Furthermore, a "full normal" condi tion does not Indicate a perfect crop or a crop that ia or promises to be the very largest in quantity or the very best in quality that the particular re gion may oe considered capable of pro ducing. The "full normal" indicates something less than this and thus comes between the average and the possible maximum, being greater than the former and less than the latter. To be exact, by quoting from the gov ernment's circular: Tha full normal may be described as a condition of perfect healthfulness, unim paired by drouth, hall, Insects or other in jurious agency, and with such growth and development as may reasonably ba looked for under these favorable conditions. As stated In tha Instruction to correspondents, it does not represent a crop of extraordi nary character, such as may ba produced here and there by the special effort of some highly skilled farmer with abundant means, or such as may be grown on a bit of land of extraordinary fertility, or even such ss may be grown quits extensively once In a doaen years in a aeason that Is extraordinarily favorable to the crop to be raised. A full normal crop, In short, is neither deficient on tha one hand nor ex traordinarily heavy on the other. While a full normal condition is but rarely reported for tha entire corn, wheat, cotton or other crop area, at the same time, or In the same year. Its local occurrence ta by no means uncommon, and whenever it is found to exist it should be indicated by tha number 109. Thia makes it perfectly plain. The farmer who is learned in the law, well posted in differential calculus and Is reasonably temperate in his habits will have no difficulty in figuring out what "full normal" means when be finds It in the government crop bulletins. PROOF OF THE FVVDISO The proof of the pudding is in the eating. No one need lack for proof that the democratic demand for a leg islative canvass of the vote on the con stitutional amendments adopted at the recent election la Nebraska is nothing but a political play growing out of an after-thought by disappointed office seekers. First and foremost, all the candi dates for judicial appointments recog nized the right of Governor Sheldon to fill the supreme court vacancies by ap plying to him themselves or through their friends for favor at his hands. Even the lone democrat who in print disputed his authority later solicited of Governor Sheldon the place relin quished by the democrat first ap pointed, who resigned after qualifying and rendering one day's service. Second, all the judges district judges as well aa supreme Judges have recognized the canvass of the vote and the oalclal declaration that the amendment bad been carried by drawing their pay at the Increased rate from December 1, assuming that that declaration made the amend ments effective. Third, all the regularly elected su preme Judges whose titles are beyond question, and who alone could finally adjudicate proposed litigation, have recognized the appointees of Governor Sheldon by administering to them their oaths of office, by sitting with them as a court, by according them full voice in its deliberations. Finally, had Governor Sheldon re sponded to the democratic entreaties for two of the four Judgeships he was to distribute the titles of his ap pointees would never have been ques tioned by a democratic legislature. THE FALL OF TUAN SHI KAl. The deposition and dismissal in contumely of Yuan Shl-Kal, who by virtue of peculiar offices may be re garded as the prime minister of China, furnishes a conspicuous illustration of the instability of greatness in China. It has also created a sensation among the' diplomats specially charged with keeping a grasp on Asiatic affairs un equalled since Bismarck was dismissed from the chancellorship of the German empire. These diplomats practically all agree that the fall of this most progressive statesman in China endan gers, the peace of the empire. In addition to having been forced to flee from the empire, it Is now promised the Yuan Shl-Kal will be charged with having caused the death of the late emperor of China. So far as the powers Interested in Asiatic affairs are concerned, the death of the emperor and dowager empress produced less excitement than the removal of Yuan Shi-Kai, who for ten years has been recognized as the real brains of the Chinese government. It is asserted that the progress made In China in the last ten yearB has been due to the sagacity and powerful In fluence of Yuan Shl-Kal, and when he was made the right hand man of Prince Chun, the regent, it was be lieved that more rapid progress would be made toward a ranking place in the family of nations. It appears, how ever, that the old feud between Prince Chun and Yuan Shl-Kal, dating back to 1898, when Yuan as governor of Shantung decided to restore the em press to power instead of following the advice of Chun and the emperor to have her quietly deported, has broken out afresh and resulted in the humiliation of Yuan. It is too early, of course, to make predictions as to the result of this up heaval. Liang Tung-Yen, who has been appointed to succeed Yuan on the imperial council, is a progressive Chinaman of American education and strongly favors more friendly relations with the . western powers. Yuan's successor in other posts of , honor, however, is Na Tung, recognized as a political Intriguer ' and violently op posed to foreigners. Unless his offi cial wings are clipped, he may be ex pected to try to destroy the effect of Yuan's influence for better relations with other powers and development of the empire's resources and material welfare. If Na Tung secures the power formerly held by Yuan, China In the hands of the reactionaries will be found on the trail leading away from Instead of toward an advanced civilization. HIS FIRST CHANCE TO MAKE GOOD. The appointment of two members of the Omaha Board of Fire and Po lice Commissioners to fill vacancies created by resignations will give Gov ernor Shallenberger his first chance to make good. The governor has said that in mak ing these appointments he would like to name men of equally high standing In the community with those whom they succeed. If the governor really means what he has said in this respect he will have to exercise particularly good discrimination in choosing among those recommended to htm by the leaders of the local democratic fac tions. In fact, to get men to serve who stand higher In the business com munity than the two out-going police commissioners Robert Cowell and John L. Kennedy will bo next to an impossibility, and to get men to serve who stand as high In publlo esteem will require the elimination of prac tically all the candidates who are pushing themselves in person or through friends. Governor Shallenberger, as we have said, has his first chance to make good. Will he do it? Beach Hargls got drunk and shot up the town of Jacksonville within twenty-four hours after securing re lease on bail pending a second trial for the murder of his father. Bach Is the real village cut-up and Breathitt county is apparently proud of him. If enacted into law, that recommen dation of Governor Sheldon's for health certificates as prerequisites to marriage licenses would either make money for the doctors or multiply 10 cent fares for the Omaha & Council Bluffs Street Railway company. The decision in the New York 80 cent gaa case, which cannot be con strued except as a great popular vic tory over corporate monopoly, was rendered in a suit brought and prose cuted by William R. Hearst. Give Mr. Hearst a big credit mark. A government expert says that the anthracite coal supply will be ex hausted in eighty-four years. Most folks hereabouts are afraid It won't last until the middle of March. Yuan Shl-Kal was dismissed ironi office in China because he has "rheu matism in the leg," but he showed a sprinting ability In getting out of the country that forces suspicion that he read between the lines In the mandate of banishment. Mr. Bryan Insists that the editor of a newspaper "is not always inde pendent of those who employ him." Mr. Bryan ought to know. He was employed as editor of the World Herald as part of the deal by which the silver bulllonatres poured their money Into that paper In order to con vert It to the advocacy of 16 to 1 free coinage. - The Incoming democratic governor of Nebraska said not a word In his In augural message about liquor legisla tion. That is one of his paramount issues that figured in the campaign, where he evidently now thinks silence is golden. When It comes to a businesslike state administration and real legisla tive reforms the democrats who have succeeded to the control of Nebraska will have to go some to equal the re publican record of the last two years. "Whoever heard of James Brown Potter before I made his name famous," asks Mrs. James Brown Pot ter. Or, for that matter, who has heard of James Brown Potter since his wife made his name famous? The supreme court of the United States has decided that no money val uation can be placed on the "good will"- of a gas company that refuses to reduce prices when ordered so to do by the proper authorities. When Governor Shallenberger comes to fill those vacancies on the Omaha police board we will see whether the "Jims" or the "Jacks" have the strongest and longest string on the eiecutlve office. John W. Gates is in favor of cutting the tariff schedules on Iron and steel by SO per cent It will be remem bered that Mr. Gates is on the out side looking In on the steel business Just now. "Among other things that Texas might do this year is to produce 250, 000,000 bushels of corn," says the Houston Post. Nebraska will produce that much without halt trying. Charybdis (jetting Her Dae. Boston Herald. It was ever thus wiyt old Charybdis first celebrated tn Homeric verse and now again shattered by a subterranean earthquake. Charybdis was a voracious woman who stole the oxen of Hercules and wtta hurled by the thunderbolt of Jupiter Into the sea where she has been making trouble ever since. Select Senatorial Bunch. Chicago Rocortl-Herald. It 'is pointed out that, EUhu Root, will, when ha becomes a senator, go to the bottom on the committee lists, owing to the Inflexible rule of seniority which pre vails tn the most dignified deliberative body on 'earth. Think of Root falling in behind such men as Depew, Penrose, Dick, Bailey and Jeff Davis. . Selamlc Scientists "in the Air." Baltimore American The seismic scientists are no more in agreement concerning the causes of the Calabrian earthquake than they have been with respect to previous rollings and dis tortions of the earth's surface. There Is scarcely an earthquake which will square with all the circumstantial results of any of the notable quakea of history. Forestry Laws Stand. Boston Herald. It is highly gratifying to find the western higher courts standing back of the fed eral laws passed to protect the forests. The difficulty of meeting new govern mental duties with suitable laws Is always felt In the earlier stage! of a reform, and there are many BelflBh Interests affected by the forestry laws which will spare no expense In attack. The oftener the for estry laws get judicial approval, as by the Colorado supreme court this week, the better for the cause. The financial Magnate. Brooklyn Life. A magnate' is a man who is expert at getting hold of things and never letting go. It is he that discovered the perpetual franchise. When conditions are prosperous and industries are running full tilt, he takes all the credit and all the prosperity, but not all the industry. When affairs might be better he gives us to understand that, were It not for him, they might be worse. When affairs are in bad shape he tells us whose fault It Is, making It very clear that It Is not hts own. When they get better again he emerges from the scrimmage on top of the pile, and explains that the resuscitation Is due entirely to his Infinite ability and resourcefulness. Fairest of All Tears. Wall Street Journal. The fairest of all taxes, and probably the least popular. Is the Income tax. Its Inci dence can be scientifically distributed so that It shall not press unduly upon the shoulders of any particular class. It Is far superior to our state property tax, and the collection of It in Kngland has shown that the possibilities of evading It are relatively small. Next to the Income tax. probably the fairest method of col lecting revenue Is by Import duties, placed where their burden can be easiest borne and will be least likely to affect the na tion's productive rapacity. Taxes upon real estate values would probably coma next, and these tend to distribute their burden; although by no means to the extent of taxes upon Income or duties upon imports. Lnelt In tha Flea re Mine. Buffalo Express. People who believe In tha mysterious properties of figures will be Interested In the declaration of a New York business man that this will be a proseprous year for the country because It contains the figure nine, which has always proved a good omen In the history of the country. He cites the business revival of 183S, fol lowing tha panlo of '87, the discovery of gold In California In 1849, tha opening of the Colorado mines In 1869, the revival of business In IMS, tha era of prosperity whloh set In In 1879, the boom period of 1&9-93, and lastly the boom which set In In 1899, following tha Spanish wax. "It looks as If history would repeat Itself In 1909," he concludes. This Is the kind of news the country likes to hear, and tha figure nine may be assured that It will be given due credit If the omen holds good. There la at least as much justification for prophecy baoed on lucky numbers as there la for weather predlcUong baaed on the wishbone of a goose. ROl M A DOIT XKW YORK. Ripples on the Cnrrent of Life In the Metropolis. "Humpty" .Jackson, the champion erook of Manhattan, having a record of 101 ar rests without seriously Impairing his liberty, has the hook In good shape thla time, and students of criminology are watching to see If he can squirm out. Jackson was caught with the good on. a portion of $lou,uuo worth of loot stolen from an express company. One of the few generous things he has done led to his undoing. A man who was described as a "prominent mem ber of the community" had once got him out of Jail when he was held for vagrancy. He has waited for an opportunity to show his appreciation. Bo when he found In his loot a beautiful tiger automobile robe he sent It to the "prominent member." This man, believing that It was stolen. Informed the police. The climax quickly followed. Jackson's 101 st arrest was due partly to his own meanness as well as his generosity. James Flynn, who had been arrested on a charge of larceny, gave Jackson $25 with which to employ a lawyer. But Jackson did nothing. He merely kept the money. Flynn lay In Jail for nine days and heard nothing from his leader. Then he squealed and told where some of the stolen goods were concealed. A determined effort will ba made to send Jackson to prison for life under tha habitual criminal act. Most prosperous physicians In New York are specialists. Or they become spe cialists after they are prosperous. That fact often annoys the man who wants a doctor In a hurry, as one chap uptown did tho other day. His wife was 111; they had Just moved to a new neighborhood, and his family physician was out df town. Tha ftrat Doctor he routed out of bed was an eye and ear specialist, and a mighty short-tempered one. The aecond devoted himself to the nose and throat. The third waa a negro. The fourth handled only aurglcal cases, and the fifth was a woman. "Sorry," said the searcher, "but my wife is peculiar. I'd take you In a minute but I'm afraid she will not care to trust a woman physician." The doctor was probably used to that talk. She wasn't a bit annoyed, even If she was holding the open door to the draf, herself In a kimono and her hair In curl papers. "That's all right," said she. "I'll tell you who to get." But this commended physician wasn't In. The man returned to his wife, ex hausted, to see if she felt better before starting out again. He told her about the woman doctor. "She seemed so sensible that I would have told her to visit you, except that I knew you wouldn't want a woman to treat you." His wife reared up in bed. "I've always wanted st woman doctor," said she, glar ing. That Christmas stories are not all con tained in books, relates the New York Tribune, some of the passengers know who were on a subway train leaving the Brooklyn bridge about 6 o'clock on Christ mas eve. Among those who boarded the train at Spring street was a working man, who carried a luncheon uasket In one hand and In the other and under his arms paper parcels. He stood on the platform of the car, and when this had Started he put one of his parcels on the floor and reached Into an Inner pocket. Immedi ately he uttered an exclamation of sur prise, and it became known that he had lost his pay envelope. When he left the train several men who had spoken to him followed and questioned him after the train had moved on. Evidently convinced of hid honesty and the truth of his story, a little consultation was held, and before the man ascended the steps be had con sented to take a neat little sum which tho strangers, evidently warmed by the Christmas spirit, had made up to take the place of the lost envelope. "I don't know how they manage It," says a conductor on the Broadway line, quoted by the Sun, "but whenever there Is an ac cident Involving the injury of a passenger, the claim lawyers hear of It about as quickly as the agents of the company. "There are dosens of lawyers In the city who have no other occupation than that of prosecuting damage suits against the company, and there must be some free masonry about the business, for no matter how hard the company's employes may try to keep news of an accident from reaching the public, the lawyers always hear about it, and very often reach the Injured party before the agents of the com pany can get to him. "I had a friend who not long ago waa slightly hurt in a collision and being afraid that 1 his injuries were more serious than they proved to be, I took a day off to go and see him. He was hurt early Wednesday morning. I called on him be fore 3 o'clock Thursday, and he then showed me the business cards of twenty six different lawyers, who had dropped in to sen what they could do towarda In ducing him to bring suit against the com pany. The claim business, however, is not so prosperous as It was two or three yeara ago, for the lawyers are all careful to get written contracts, providing that they shall receive anywhere from 30 to 60 per cent of whatever sum Is recovered In the suit, and besides, they sometimes manage to get in expense Items of different kinds, so that even if the suit Is successful, the client's share is usually very small. The people are beginning to understand that they have a better chance of fair treatment by deal ing directly with the claim agents of the company than by trusting to the issue of a lawsuit." There la to be an afterclap to the flrea on the New York state reservations that is of general Interest. The counsel to the forest, fish and game commission has been directed by Commissioner James 8. Whip ple to begin actions against railroad com panies for setting flrea which resulted in the destruction of timber and property of the slate. The theory of the prosecution will be that there Is no reason why rail road companies which, through negligence in caring for the right of way aa pre scribed by law, have caused fire, should not pay for the property destroyed the same as an individual would have to do in case of trespass or negligently destroyed property. John K. Wood, the lawyer of tlie board, telis Mr. Whipple that ha Is ready to proceed, "but aa it will necessitate the bringing of a very large number of actions It will take some time to com plete the evidence." Cost of the White Plague. Philadelphia Kecord. We took note the other day that a New York physlcan estimated that he could eliminate tuberculosis from the city If he had sixteen million dollars. In tha next five years, and aome legislation. And now we have the estlma.te of the State Board of Charities that tuberculosis alone costs New. York State J,aOO,0uO every year. That is about ten times the annual expense of suppressing It on the basis of the esti mate for New York City. Fair Ketnrn for Investors. Wall Street Journal. The highest court in the land has now laid It down that per cent is a fair re turn for the investor In enterprise, operat ing a publlo franchise. Aa a slate con cedes a monopoly. It Is entitled to demand that It shall cot be operated In aa ex tortionate manner. ATLANTA'S B Al KT TO TAFT. Elaborate Decorations Planned for the Coming Feast. Atlanta Constitution. Nothing In the south before has ever equaled the decorations planned for th Taft dinner, to be given on the night of January IS at tho Auditorium-Armory by the Atlanta Chamber of -Commerce In honor of the president-elect. The lobby of the Auditorium will be a mass of forns. palms, potted plants, flans and a myriad of electrio lights. But this will be only tho prelude. The grand symphony of color will be seen In the dining room. Behind th speakers' table, which Is to be about' seventy feet long, and which will be placed against the wall, there will bo festooned a gigantic I'nlted States flag, made tip of ferns, flowers and electric lights. The stars In the fjag will be made of white electric lights and the other colors furnished In the same way, while the whole will be artistically blended with the choicest of hot house flowers. The lights will so rise and fall aa to give the appearance that the flag Is waving. At a given signal what Appears to be a part of this waving Hag will drop and there will be exposed to the diners, facing the speakers' table, a picture of Mr. Taft done In lights and flowera. This will be the background. The aame Idea of the flag will be carried out In the speakers' table and the guest table. The guest table will be the base of the (lag on which the lights will be so ar ranged as to form tha stars and back ground. Loading away from It at right angles will be nine tables, with their white napery making the white stripes and row after row of American Beauty roses form ing the red and completing the floral pic ture of the Stars and Stripes. At the dinner Judas Taft Is to be nre. sented with a handsome menu card, a souvenir of his visit. The menu card, which was especially designed. Is now being engraved In colors. It contains the United States flags, on one of which Is the seal of the state of Ohio, and the other Georgia. Between them Is the United States shield, and on this Is the seal of Atlanta. Inside there will be a steel en graving of Mr. Taft, the various guests, the toast list and the menu. This menu card Is to be bound In rich leather, and on its outside will be a soUd gold plate, on which will be engraved Mr. Taft'a name, the date of the dinner and some other lines yet to be suggested. This will be placed In a brass case, with handle attached, and presented to the guest of honor. CHOP OF YELLOW METAL. Increase In the Output of the Mines of the World. Baltimore American. During three years consecutively there nas annually been added to the world's wealth In the yellow metal an $400,000,000, or more than $1,200,000,000 for tho last three years. The mines and placer sands of the world produced more gold last year than during the previous year or during any past year of which thero Is record. In a preliminary esti mate just given out by the director of the mint the gold yield of the world for 1S08 Is placed at $427,000,000, as compared with $410,655,000 for last year. The African mines show a steady Increase In the output of the precious metal year after year. The total product from the dark continent last year was $165,000,000, which is far In excess of the amount yielded during any one year preceding the Boer war. The United States, Including Alaska, ranks second In the value of Its gold yield during the last year, the total product of this country possessing a value of $96,800,000, as compared with $90,435, 000 during 1907 and $94,873,000 for 1906. Colorado was the chief gold producing state last year, tha relative proportions measured In coinage values of the four leading gold areas being, Colorado, $22, $11,174; Alaska, $20,930,784; California, $19,581,570, and Nevada. $12,090,218. There was a notable decrease In the production of silver In the United States last year and a decline In the commercial value of sliver bullion which was even more notable. The value of the silver yield dropped from $37, 000,000 for 1907 to about $27,000,000 for the last year the price having declined from 66 cents to 53 cents per ounce. The coined gold that enters Into the mon etary circulation of the leading countries now exceeds $6,000,000,OCO in value. Fully one-half of the gold mined annually. It is estimated, goes Into money, snd If only the rate of output of the last year is preserved during the next ten years there will during that time be added more than $1,000,000,000 to the gold circulation. There is little dan ger, however, of an unhealthy monetary expansion from the gold incresse, because of the fact that the business enterprises of the world arc expanding at an even more rapid ratio, than tho money metal. Besides, there is scarcely a civilised country that Is not carrying a largo paper money Issue based upon national credit, which could be retired If tho gold stock warranted the re tirement. WHAT THE COURT SETTLER. Points Settled tn the Ktw York 80 Cent flns Case. Philadelphia Press. No decision In years has settled as much on public service corporations as the New York 80-cent gas case. None will be so often cited. Actual value Is made the bssls upon which tlie capital of a railroad must be estimated. The mere presence of "water" In shares does not count. The franchise Is a part of the actual value. This In creases In value with time and use. The earning on this value must be 6 per cent. This gives a publlo service corporation fair protection, but, on the other hand. It cannot refuse a rate until It has tried It. Tha state oan fix the rate. It can de cide the charge to the public. Once en acted, the charge must be accepted until experience shows It does not earn 6 par cent on actual value. This practically limits the total return of a public service corporation, if a state exercises Its powers, to 6 per cent on the actual value of the properly, considered aa a going concern, realty, equipment and franchise being considered and fairly esti mated. If more than 6 per cent is being earned on a fair valuation of these three factors, rates can come down. If less, rate must go up. The broad public of consumers will, we believe, accept th1 as fair for both end of the bargain. Farewel to a Partlns; Host. New York Sun. It is beautiful to see the graces and amenities preserved In spite of difficulties. The prisoners in the county Jail at Milwau kee have "presented resolutions to Ben Johnson, the retiring jailer," thanking him for his trestment of them "during his re gime." The maker of the "address of presentation" Is under indictment for mur der, "a boy who beat a grocery collector to death in a wagon during a storm," but a tender heart and sympathetic disposition. "We wish to thank you for the little acts that made us forget for an Instant that we were In jail," the regretful guests say to the parting host. Little courtesies Ilk these light up the dungeon cell and foretell perhaps the roseate day when even th penitentiary shall be co-operative. "VISITATION OF PROVIDENCE." Abanrdlty of Attributing Evil - il. Baltimore Sun. Men speak of tho earthquake in Italy! b which multitudes perithed, ss "a visitation of Providence." If any calamity happen It Is a visitation of Providence or "tho act of God." Men are very quick to attrlbuti evil to God, but to claim the credit of thai which Is good to themselves. If the coun try Is prosperous It Is the result of th tariff, the wisdom of the lawmakers or tht energy and enterprise of the people. W never talk of prosperity as a "visitation ol Providence." But If evil befall the land. If there Is war, pestilence or famine or death and destruction In casualties, then It Is a "visitation of Providence," Mr. John Wanamaker, the Philadelphia merchant, undertook to convince the Young Men's Christian association that the terri ble earthquake In Italy was "a visitation of the Almighty for disregarding the law of Mount Sinai." Among those who died In that dreadful calamity were thousands of infants, who did not know their right hands from the left and had never heard of the law of Sinai. Did God visit death upon these for the sin of the others? "And Jesus answering said unto them. Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans because they suffered such things? I tell you. nay or those eighteen upon whom the tower In Slloam tell and slew them think ye that they were alnners above atl men that dwelt In, Jerusalem T I tell you, nay." That was a distinctly dif ferent doctrine from that which Is taught by Mr. Wanamaker. Of the twelve Apostles only one died a natural death, and he died after a life which was a living death. All the rest were done to death in tha most cruel manner. Wan that a visitation of the Almighty because they had disregarded the law cf Mount Sinai? In the early days of Christianity thousands upon thousands of devoted Christians were tortured and had trial of cruel mocking and scourging, were stoned and sawn asunder or were thrown to the lions and torn to pieces while the pagans looked on In security and en joyment. Does Mr. Wanamaker believe that all these things happened to those devoted people because they had disregarded the law of Pinal? "Thero comes a time when Ood's patience Is exhausted," saya Mr. Wanamaker. Who Is he to put limitations upon God's patience when we are told that His mercy Is everlasting? The truth la that the occurrence of such calamities aa that which has befallen Italy is a mystery. No human mind can fathom the purposes of the Inscrutable Providence no finite mind can measure or comprehend the infinite. When these things come upon mankind there 13 nothing to do but to accept them with submission and in the belief that all things work together for good. PERSONAL NOTES. Richard Croker lias begun his residence at West Palm Beach. Fla., In a house fronting tho ocean. He says he expects to remain for the winter." Miss Helen G. McDermott quit teaching to take a place in the business office ot the Worcester Post, and now she has been appointed Worcester's police clerk. Young Hargls, the Kentucky parricide, was out of Jail twenty-four hours before necessity arose for putting him In again. Perhaps there Is some good In the boy after all. Rudolph Franksen, the new consul gen eral of Germany In New York, haa arrived In that city. He is one of the prominent younger members of the German diplomatic service and Is married to an American woman. ...,.,.. . . ,. In order to learn the "business," ( E. II. Brewster, millionaire clubman ot Los An geles and a business associate ot Charles M. Schwab, has assumed the position ot ticket seller at the Belasco theater. In a few weeks he will take a position as stage hand, and later still he may Induce the manager of the theater to give hint a Job as secretary. Barney Iteynolds, one of the oldest com edians in tlie country, was found dead in bed at a Cleveland hotel. Iteynolds had spent most of hia seventy years on the stage, and was the creator of the Dutch comedian part. He began his theatrical career at 16 as a circus acrobat, and later played In everything from vaudeville to Shukespeare. At one time be owned a the ater In Milwaukee. v PASSING PLEASANTRIES. "The lobster will be extinct In twenty-five yearB." csn lie won i; ne 11 juvi uve muvcu uum the green room to tho bald-headed row." Houston Post. "Did that elderly bride's brother give her away?" "No; he didn't have to. Her dearest friends had attended to all that." Balti more American. "I am rather sorry leap year Is no more," said tlie ellKible bachelor. "Why?" inquired his friend. "Because," replied the smiling egotist, "I enjoyed the pleasures ot the chase," Cleveland Plain Dealer. "So you do not approve of my style ol speechmaklng7" said the youthful states man. ..vi. ,, . .. . U ..... n aAViim "ri. speeches are not short enough to no epi grammatic, nor long enough to be depended on for time-killing hi an emergency." Washington mar. "What's tlie matter. Mr. Gllday? You appear anmed." 1 am. JJo you see mat lusay mue man by the supper room dooi ?" Yes." 'He's a blatant old humbug." 'Yes. that's papa." Cleveland Tlala Dealer. 'Senator, you surely will vote for this measure?" "Why should If "It's fur the benefit of posterity. "Posterity may no hang;! 1 know al- rHiv what nosterity will say aliout me. and I'm going to get even with it before hand. I shall vote against tne diu just to spite posterity." Chicago Tribune. "Was that story you printed a humorous effort?" 'It was," rejoined tne autnor witn oig- nlty. 'It tlldn t make anybody- laugh." f 'Well, it nas a rood Joke on the editor who accepted It." Chisago Record-Herald. 'I am all around tired," sighed th weary to wheel. 'And I am worn out." moaned the shabby cloHk, sinking on the seat. 'I'm lunt ulaved out. comDlalned tha tooting horn. "That's nothing. I have that all-gone, empty feeling." said the gasoline tank. But Just tiien all were put Into the gar age and shut hp. Baltimore American. CHARGE OP THE FAIR BRIGADE Myrtle Conger in Judge. Half a step, half a step. Hair a step onward! Over there the bargains lie On tlie counters plied so high, l uring the unnumbered. K.irward the fair brigade! "Charge through tho aisles!" they cry. (Three know what they want to buy Anxious unnumbered'; Bargains to rlht of (rem; Itarnains to l't of them; Bargains In front of tin in, There to be plundered. Storm they with right go d will; Boldly they puh and well, Into tlie Jaws of death, Where the best bargali.s sell, Push the unnumbered! When will their courage fade? . . Oh, tlie wild charge they made! All the men Wondered, Yet "hon red" all the charges made ' As oft before tiiey'd paid I-or their wivea' plunder. Forward th fair brlgadel Uappy unnumbeiedl . ,