HIE BEE: OMAHA, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 25, 190'J.
The. umaiia Daily Dee,
FOUND3D BT EDWARD ROSE WATER
VICTOR KOSEWATKH, KDITOR.
Entered at Omaha postoffice as second
class matter
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Evening Hee (with Sunday), per week..)Oc
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STATEMENT OF cmCTTLATION.
Stat of Nebraska, Douglas County, ss.:
George B. Tsschuck. treasurer of Thi Bee
Publishing Company, being duly swirn
says that the actual number of full and
complete copies of The Daily. Morning.
Evening and Sunday Bee printed during the
month of November. 1M9. wgs as follows:
1 8,O70 1 1.T0
i 43,050 n a,io
1 4a,T0O II 41,800
4 43,150 19 41,393
t 43,460 10.... 41,950
42,170 II 40,340
1 40,040 21 41,680
41,930 11... 41,790
43,160 24 41,783
10 41,830 25 1.700
11 41,750 !....,. .... 43,340
12 43,860 H. ......... 41,810
It 41,760 II.,. ........ 40,400
14 40,100 ... 41,630
16 41,800 10., 41,20
Total ,H8fl,60
Returned Copies. 9,843
Net Total...,' 1,9.43,005
Dally Average 41,768
QUO. B. TZ8CHUCK. Treasurer.
Subscribed In my presence and sworn to
before tu this 1st day of December, 1IW.
(seal) M. f . VvALOCKii.
Notary Public.
absrrlbers leaving the city tem
porarily should have The lies
nailed to them. Address will be
changed as often as requested.
Merry Christmas to all.
This is a good day to forget it.
There is about Zelaya's manifestoes
the satisfaction that no one has to read
them.
One note of cheer comes out of the
Watsons' mess,' and that is "the loyalty
of the poet's wife.- -
Still with onJy fifty millions, Mrs.
Harrlmaa wjll not have to worry about
the high coat of living.
Will Mr. Morgan's . purchase tf two
soup tureens for $40,000 tend to make
the diet more popular! ,, ,
When It-CQjoiea to deadlocks, the Mis
souri dempcratg seem to 4know both
how to niak and Uow.fto break.
If Santa rClai distort "Drlnff you all
you wanted, don't worry. Try to get a
little pleasure out of what he did for
others.
Nailing the Stars and Stripes to the
pole proves to bring a reward of stars
or stripes, according to who wields the
hammer.
And to think that the Innocent candy
cane of the Christmas tree Is the pos
sible product of the short-weight scales
of the custom house! ' , :
Discovery of the prosaic facts will
not Interfere with story writers weav
ing fancies about the "cannlbal'Msland
In the Gulf of California.
Whereas Alexander sighed for more
worlds to conquer, Mr. Wu goes back
to China discouraged because there are
no more questions to ask.
John W. now says he never told the
Methodists that he was going to turn
bis back on the gates of the gambling
world. Well, who believed it?
Having demonstrated its ability to
give a Equare deal, regarless of its own
feelings, will Copenhagen supplant The
Hague as an arbitration center?
Latest In pomology la the puckerless
persimmon, but let us be thankful that
thpre remains one other cause for
puckered Hps besides the whistle.
The African royalty Roosevelt has
been receiving on bis travels la as
nothing compared to the royalty he
will receive pn his writings when he
gets horn. ;
Of coutae it was "vulgar" for any
publisher, to attempt a cheaper edition
of the "five-foot bookshelf," but it is a
form of vulgarity that the plebeian
pocketbodfc can tolerate.
r. l
Is It not strange that railroads, pro
fessedly 1MB profitable Investments when
the government seeks to correct
abuses, should bo so eagerly bought up
by the kings, of finance?
A son of J tin Hill has had a harrow
inr experience, treed by a buffalo bull
For an extinct animal, the bison ap
pears to b holding his own. But you
couldn't keep the old man up a tree.
Mrs. Christy may take It as a per
sonal vindication of her stand against
i.r artlat husband's choice of domicile.
that the suffragists are to remove their
headquarters to New York from Ohio
Havlngdeclded to run a dally news
paper, th suffragettes begin their real
troubles. But why "The Wireless?" If
tha dear creatures expect to make a
success in politics, they will find wire
pulling oua Of tli first essentials.
"Merry Chriitmai."
Perhaps the most redeeming trait of
human nature Is that at least once a
year mankind Is willing to pause in Its
r. n lit Bh and, laying aside all animos
ities, e; resa a goneral wish for the
Koo 1 anl welfare of all. Your neigh
bor grcr-ts you today with "Merry
Christmas," and you return his saluta
tion. The stranger you encounter ex
presses In his face, his manner and his
greeting the cordiality that supports
the sincerity of his "Merry Christmas."
This Is not an empty and meaning-
loss phrase, no matter how trippingly
it may fall from the lips. Even Its
most careless expression has In It
something of that element of good that
s latent In all natures. The religious
aspect may mean much or little today.
That depends entirely on the viewpoint,
but regardless of this fact, the whole
some sentiment conveyed by "Merry
Christmas" is an evidence of the fact
that man is not essentially all bad, and
that even In his lowest state be has the
element of good and aspiration for
right.
Christmas Is a day for giving. Even
the most selfish nature expands under
the genial influence of the season and
the satisfaction that comes from the
bestowal of remembrances at this time
a far more enjoyable than that which
comes in taking. This truism has been
so often stated that Its repetition seems
unnecessary. It Is the excuse perhaps,
for some extravagance, but ' extrava
gance that is easily forgotten when one
considers the motive that underlies it.
To the devout who look upon the day
as the nativity of the blessed Son of
God, on whose life of patience and self-
sacrtflce rests the. foundation of the
Christian religion, it is doubly signifi
cant. It wag this divine man who an
nounced the doctrine of love as the
basis of personal conduct, "it is more
blessed to give than to receive," He
said, and by Ills example, as well as
precept. He taught the world the sub
limity of His thought. And so the
ChriRti&n, in contemplation of His
birth, sees with eyes of faith the con
summation of His life given In the end
that all might through Him receive life.
Thus to mankind, no matter of what
condition or in what walk, Christmas
is-a day of peculiar and appropriate
significance, and to all of these we
wish a Merry Christmas. "
A Minor Chord.
One of the greatest of human hearts
Is that of our national humorist, who
is also recognized by the nations as our
most notable author, Dr. Samuel L.
Clemens, whose pen-name of Mark
Twain, has been a household word for
generations. This man more than any
other now living has played the har
monies' of mirth and good fellowship
among our people, and who, so gener
ous as he with his serene and joyous
outlook on life - through ajiersonal
career that has been crowded -with
the tragedies that beset the flesh and
spirit! V, :
We know what his message to the
ivorld Is on this holiday, for It gleams
from every page of his books, stored
with concentrated sunshine. We can
hear his "Merry Christmas" in his
whimsical voice, with, his wonderful
smile, above which his white locks are
an aureole.
Kindly, lovable Mark Twain, would
that the response of mankind p6u)d
awaken In you one touch of the merri
ment that you have kindled in our uni
versal breast! But not for you the
merriment, alone and desolate in your
house of mourning; for you only the
resignation, and the waiting, and the
inner faith and the living love of all
men to comfort you at the ashes of
your hearth. Not the "Merry Christ
mas" we would like to say, may we ut
ter; but oh, Mark Twain, the children
of your brain and soul, they live for
ever, and contribute to the merry
Christmases of mankind throughout
the year; and in token of the love the
whole troubled world bears to you, we
may say "God bless you, Mark Twain,
nobleman, let nothing you dismay!"
'.I. '
Chance for Our Youth.
The launching of another United
States battleship, which Is said to be
the most wonderful fighting pammoth
now afloat, renews attention to the
fact that with our greater; navy we
need a larger force of trained men for,
the mastery of our ships that shall
command the respect and obedience of
the rebellious nations. And It Is an
occasion for ambitious youth Jo reeog
ntie the opportunity for which many of
them have been longing In n in,
other fields of endeavor.
Among the names which the United
States has blatoned In letters of gold
all over the world, those shine Supreme
which had their beginning in the navy
Where is there an array that so stirs
our own patriotism as Barry, Jones,
Decatur, Farragut, Dewey, with the
host of others no less distinguished
that is encompassed in the annala over
which those typical names stretch?
The prodigious advance made In
naval construction and equipment since
the time when Commodore Barry exe
cuted the exploit of making the first
capture of a foreign ship by a commis
sioned officer of the United States
navy, affords vaster opportunities for
modern youth than were possible in
those days of hand-to-hand conflict, for
now tha guns of the leviathan hurl pro
jectiles across miles of distance with
accuracy, and the huge mechanism Is
under exact control at the pressure of
a finger applied to electric devices.
Thus the arts of war afloat have an in
finitude of delicate manipulation call
lng for meu of parts to be the brains
of the marvelous maohlneg.
And while Borne may deplore the
necessity for fighting ships; it must be
remembered that the American navy
has ever been an Instrument in the
neace of the world and in the spread of
civilization. Beyond the seas and on the
Islands in the midst thereof are alien
peoples who today have occasion to
arise and call the American navy
blessed, and in the forceful perpetua
tion of our doctrine of humanity the
youth of today has a brilliant oppor
tunity. Our Hero Memorials.
Secretary Dickinson's plea for na
tional memorials at San Juan and other
battlefields of Cuba because of the in
dividual and united valor shown by our
commanders and our troops at those
landmarks of signal victories, is well
enough In its way, for tablets at sacred
spots where men have laid down their
lives In a humane cause serve to re
mind the thoughtless of deeds worthy
of emulation.
But one cannot but reflect that In a
larger sense we have reared up a mem
orial that all the world may read as It
runs, in the reconstructed Cuba whose
sufferings enlisted our forces In the
most unselfish war the world has ever
witnessed.
Inscriptions of metal may be neces
sary to mark the spots of special valor
for the guidance of future generations,
but the visible and glorious monument
is already reared to our heroes In the
happiness and prosperity of the island
ers whom we liberated from oppression
by the very heroism now detailed by
officialdom for congress to recognize.
Japanese Assurances.
There is a holiday flavor about the
greetings brought to Washington by
Ambassador Uchida from Japan, and
while naturally he could not be ex
pected to discuss the topics that are
continually active in the popular mind
where Nippon is considered, neverthe
less the hints that he threw out were of
a post reassuring nature. We must
remember, however, that the baron is
first and last a shrewd diplomatist,
whose training precludes his saying
anything but pleasant things and the
nice-sounding words of diplomacy fre
quently have been known to conceal
guile.
For example, touching on the vexed
matter of immigration, which caused
such a foment on the coast, he remarks
that "the existing agreement has no
fixed date of expiration," as though
that was a guarantee of perpetuation
of good fellowship. As a fact, how
ever, that simply means that It is sub
ject to revocation when either party
finds It to its Interest to break it, and
while the advantage 1b mutual, still it
does not form a very secure basis for
permanency of harmony.
Fortunately, the general treaty with
Japan does have a fixed date of expira
tion, and the State department la even
now considering how best to renew its
provisions. May it not be an advan
tageous time for also considering the
incorporation of such agreement re
garding immigration and other Japan
ese problems as shall render more def
inite and secure all visible problems
which afford possibilities for dispute
between ourselves and the nation
which Baron Uchida represents?
Bread Instead of Bullets.
Optimism occasionally gets its op
portunity, even in the aone of warfare,
and what a pleasant sight it la to see
the United States battleships pouring
medical supplies instead of shells
ashore at Blueflelds, and the American
State ; department superintending the
distribution of bread instead of bullets
among the famished Nlcaraguans.
The United States has never given
the world a more striking and efficient
lesson in the humanities. Prompt as
it has been to respond always to succor
the victims of calamity, in such relief
matters it has necessarily been a liberal
sharer with the rest of the world. But
in our neighboring troubled republic
it is alone in its work of cheer and
oeneficenoe.
This hospitable manifestation is
prompted solely by goodness of heart,
and is a spontaneous outburst of fel
lowship and loving kindness aroused
by the necessities, of the case. Yet it
will bear its good fruit, for the event
shows to even those among whom sus
picion of our Intentions lingers, that we
have no designs in Central America,
but that we are actuated absolutely by
desire for the general welfare.
All over the world the Christmas
bells are ringing, but nowhere la their
joyous peal more triumphant with the
message of "Peace upon earth, good
will toward men," than in troubled
Nicaragua, where our navy adminis
ters relief to the wounded, and our
fighting men bear food to the hungry.
Can the Illinois legislature, now in
session, hear the voice of the mine ex
plosions demanding safety precautions
in the mines? Unless legal restrictions
are provided by statute, the Cherry
martyrs will have died in vain.
The apple Is now touted as a cure for
applejack appetite and kindred evils.
Gradually this much maligned fruit is
coming into ita own, but It has long
traveled a long lane from the garden of
Eden.
Red Spots on the Record.
Chicago News.
' Boms railroads are not going to be able
to report this year that they carried mil
lions of passengers without injuring ona
passenger.
l . I
Europe's Yonngr Kings.
.: New York World.
By the death of Leopold another la added
to ' the lht of amiable young kings on
European thronea of whom Alfonso and
Manuel are examples. These youthful
monarchs haveopportunlty to secure their
hold on their kingdoms by a wise and
temperate administration of their high of
fice. But it will be tha part of uruduup-i
Poetic Yulctide Sentiments
A Christmas Carol.
There's a song In the air!
There's a star In the skyl
There's a mother's deep prayer!
There's a baby's low oryf
And the star rains Its fire while the
Beautiful sing,
For the manger at Bethlehem cradles a
king.
There's a tumult of Joy
O'er the wonderful birth.
For the virgin's sweet boy
Is the Iord of the earth,
Ay! the star rains Its firs and the Beauti
ful sing,
For the manger of Bethlehem cradles a
king.
In the light of that star
Lie the ages lm pearled;
And that song from afar
Has swept over the world.
Every hearth is aflame and the Beautiful
sing
In the homes of the nations that Jesus in
king.
We rejoice In the light.
And we echo the song
That comes down through the night
From the heavenly throne:.
Ay! we shout to the lovely evangel they
bring,
And we greet in His cradle our Savior and
King. Joslah Gilbert Holland.
A liif for Christmas.
Chant me a rhyme of Christmas
Sing me a Jovial song
And though It Is filled with laughter,
Lt It be purs and strong.
Sing of the hearts brimmed over
With th atrtrw K .In.. -
Of the echo of childish voices'
That will not die away.
Of the blare of tha tasseled bugle
And the timeless clatter and beat
Of the drum that throbs to muster
squadrons of scampering feet
But, O, let your voice fall fainter,
Till, blent With a mlnnr tnne
You temper your song with the beauty
"i me py vnnst nam snown,
And sin if one verse for the voiceless;
j ., . . v. uic duii, vn uiiiiv,
A verse for the ears that hear not.
Ana a verse ror the sightless one.
For though It be time for singing
A merry Christmas glee.
Let a low, sweet voice of nathna
Run through the melody.
James Whlteomb Riley.
Lights of Christmas.
The lights of Christmas
With splendor glow;
Out on the gloom,
Out on the snow;
Streaming from millions
Of windows thrown wide;
Proclaiming good cheer
At Christmas-tide.
The lights of Christmas
G learn on high
In millions of stars
That strew the sky;
These windows of heaven
Are, too, thrown wide
And heaven aeems nearer
At Christmas-tide.
But the lights of Christmas '
That hollly shine;
True stars that lead
To the Child Divine,
Stream not from windows
And not from the skies,
But sparkle from millions
Of children's eyes.
Omaha BAYOLL NB TRELE.
An Old Christmas Carol.
Oh, wake ye, little children,
And be of good lie cheer.
Yon sun so high along the sky
Hath shone two thousand year.
And once It saw a little child
In manger lying undefiled.
And all about the cattle mild
Did lovingly draw near.
So wake ye, little ohlldren,
And be of good lie cheer.
Oh, wake ye, little children.
And let each heart be gay.
Good Will to Men they caroled then,
And why should ye delay T
Awake, awake, and rise and sing,
And greet ye every living thing.
For man and beast did greet your Kins
On that first Christmas dayt
Then wake ye, little ohlldren,
For this is Christmas day. .
Everyoody's Magazine.
Hark, Yf I Merrle Gleemca I
Oood morrow) men of gay employ,
May peace attend your way.
And may no note of grief alloy
The merrle measure of your Joy
Upon this Christmas Day.
i
And If, belike, ye only think
Of ale and goodly roast;
Then may your songs beget the ehink
Of gold to buy the meat and drink
which ye estsem the most.
But If beneath the motley ooat.
Beat hearts for higher things,
Ah! then ye know how weak the note
He makes within his straining throat
Who feels not what he sings.
And all the glees and merrle trolls
That ye may sing today,
Are nothing to the song that rolls,
Unheard by men, from grateful souls
Of simple folk who pray.
I
This day upon a manger-bed i
Was born the Oodly "Boy, '
Whose blood, another day, was shed
That souls that hungered might be fed
To their eternal Joy.
So, If your glees small comfort bring, '
Your hunger to allay,
Your souls may still be banqueting,
If ye the sweeter song will sing
Of simple folk who pray.
P. A. Daly.
for thftm in A wall llrhtlv An the "divine 1
right" of their rule. That theory has be
come pretty well attenuated.
' Every Little Helps.
St. Paul Pioneer-Press.
Any other trust that feels conscience
stricken or Is afraid of the law should
come up and hand a Christmas present to
Uncle Sam. The total receipts from that
source for ths present year already ag
gregate over . $3,000,000 and all the crooks
have not yet reported.
Stretched to the Limit.
Boston Transcript.
Secretary Meyer's statistical method of
Justifying our naval expenditure Is rather
dangerous. The ratio of cost of the navy
to the number of dollars worth of prop
erty In the United States theoretically pro
tected thereby, is, of course, abruptly
small. But it Is easy In this way to pal
liate anything.
Delicate War Question.
Boston Transorlpt.
The general staff has taken up for con
sideration a delicate subject In deciding to
draw up a project for regulating the rela
tions of war correspondents to ths gov
ernment. It recognises that the people
"want the news." but that the purpose of
a commander and the auccess of his plans
may be put In Jeopardy If ths correspond
ents are allowed to gratify all ths de
mands of their readers. The press has
rights and so has the government, and to
find where the line of demarcation can
be drawn as to' be permanent Is ths quest
of ths general staff. A free conference
with the press Is suggested as one way
for reaching a modus vlvendi, and there
Is one great precedent, at least, favoring
this course.
Profoand Discoveries.
Philadelphia Record.
The learned congressional commission of
Immigration In Its latest report has made
a disquisition on the anthropological
changes that take place In Immigrants
after their acclimatisation In this country.
For example, ths blond dollchocsphsll, or
long-headed races, frequently change into
the brunette brachlstocephall, or flat
headed, or vice, versa. Another profound
discovery of the commission Is that the
Immigrants for the most part fare better
In this country than they do in their na
tive homes. Who wUl say that all this
A Bachelor's Christmas.
I fill my pipe and sit me down beside the
bonny open fire.
'TIs Christmas eve and here am I with all
that mortal hearts desire;
What, aJIT Yea, all that gold oan buy;
there's not a single thing 1 need,
And yet somehow what lines are those that
In the leaping flames I read?
Why should a grate fire crackle so and
. laugh at ail my single bliss?
Why there Is Jack! Five years ago we
roomed together, he and I.
Full many a midnight romp we've had and
little cared how time would fly;
Where are the steins we used to clink and
where the Songs we used to sing?
Ah, Jack! dear Jack! I'm all alone, what
Is the meseage now you bring?
For there you are as big as life, slippered
Just as you used to be,
Great Scott! old man, don't tell me now
that they are yours those children three.
i
Why, hello, Jim! What, III In bed and
fighting now to save your life,
And who's that cools your fevered head?
By George, my boy, have you a wife?
Ars those her sort white hands that smooth
your pillow with such gracious care?
Ill as you are, you're better. off than I am,
Jim.' tonight. I sweart
For though you die, you're not alone; Un
loved, unklssed, you will not be.
While I-Oh, what a change Is this the
open fire brings over met
Now there Is Oeorge, my pal of old, the
very first to plead our cause.
You held that single bliss was best and
1 now you're playing Santa Claus;
I hardly recognised you through that cot
tnn battln frlnffe vou wear.
And there's a little boy and girl now wait-'
ing tor you on ins stair.
Go down to them with laugh and song,
go make those little youngsters glad,
I realise at last, my boy, I've not the
wealth I thought I had.
Dstrolt Free Press.
Is There a Santa Clans f
"Is there a Santy Claus?"
He pins me for an answer;
An' Is his reindeers all got names from
Blitsen up to Prancer;
An' does he shake like Jelly does, with all
his Jolly laughter?
A docen questions every hour, an' more
a-comln' after!
I try to tell him not to vex and fret a
body so.
"Is there a Santy Claus?"
I don't know!
Th' good book says to ten th' truth; a
feller Is U'ble
For every Idle word o' his, accordln' to
th' Bible;
But seems to me It never hurts to say a
word that's pleasant.
An' what ain't so some other day Is
prob'bly true at present.
An' here he's lookin; at me, dpndln' on
my word
"Is there a Santy Claus?"
So I've heard.
Remember when we's little tikes, an'
Christmas was a-comln';
We use' to wish th' days to Christmas
Day would go a-hummln';
Th' fireplace, th' hangin' crane, th' stock-
In's all a-waitln'
We stayed at home on Christmas eve, an'
never went a-skatln';
Wa set around an' watched th' fire die
down Into a glow
"Is there a Santy Claus r'
Mebbe so.
An' Christmas mornln' well, he'd cornel
We'd dreamt about th' tlnklln'
Of his sleigh bells, an' we got up while
stars wore still a-twlnklln'.
We was sure o' him them days as I am
that I'm llvln.
An' that made half ths goodness of the
gettln' an' glvln".
There's sperrlts that Is part of us an'
works with us, I guess
"1 there a Santy Claus?"
Yes, child, yes!
-Wilbur D. Nesblt.
Whetr- Christmas Comes.
When Christmas comes we one and all
Our days of bygone youth recall.
Those dear old times, and their rare Joys
No fading memory destroys,
But keeps secure in golden thrall.
No matter what stern fate befall.
Not all life's wormwood nor Its gall
One bit of their past charm alloys
When Christmas comes,
Ws see again the festal ball,
Green garlands hung about its wall;
The gift-bowed tree, the wealth of toys.
We once again ara girls and boys,
When Christmas cornea, .
George Beers King.
Tragedy of the Candles.
A little Eskimo onoe came
To share our happy home,
Brought by an Arotlo traveler
Across the froien foam.
On Christmas eve we dressed a tree
As every home should do,
With toys and snow and glittering things,
And candles red and blue.
The room was shut tilt Christmas day,
When, after dinner time,
All were to dance around the tree
That spectaole sublime!
But ah! when the father hurried in
The little wicks to light.
In vain, the taper In his hand
No candle met his sight,
"HI, there!" he orles, "what Joke Is this?
The candles, where are they?"
And all who helped to dress the tree
Stood speechless with dismay.
"The candles! There were forty-eight,
Four dosen," mother said.
"And not a single one Is left
A beam of light to shed."
Then spake the little Eskimo:
"Me sorry what ms done;
Me very hungry In the night.
Me ate them every one."
The Delineator.
science Is not worth more than twice the
cost of the commission to the publlo treas
ury? Unless congress should Intervene and
Inopportunely stop the publlo printer ths
country Is promised still more of it In
future reports.
I
Enriching Speech.
Boston Globe.
English speech, already , opulent In
synonyms, Is being dally enriched. On
of Its latest accumulations Is the new ad
jective "tafty," signifying complaisant. "He
was a good clerk," said a New Yorker,
"but he was so good-natured to everybody,
so tafty, that he neglected the Interests
of our corporation, and we had to let him
go."
THE OMSIPHESKXT FACTOR.
Adjusting Wages to the High Cost of
Living.
Boston Herald.
A great strike of railway employes Is
threatened In support of a demand for a
10 per cent Increase In wages. The man
agement of the larger railway systems
reply that business dues not warrant such
an Increase, and that not until tuey have
recovered from the depression of business
and have met the demands on their Income
for maintenance and new equipment can
they consider the request for an Increase.
To which the workmen reply that the
cost of living has Increased to such an
extent that the 10 per cent Increase Is a
necessity. It Is probable that a careful
and Impartial Investigation would confirm
the truth of the statements of both sides.
The worklngman needs a higher wage to
meet the higher prices of the necessities
of life. The average railroad la not war
ranted by present conditions In permanent
Increase of its cost of operation. But the
workingman must live. The cost of his
living is a factor In the question. If cap
Hal demands a reasonable profit, labor also
rightly demands a reasonable return on Its
Investment, and that reasonable demand
is determined by the required cost of his
living which la ths variant. If ths cost of
living Is high be roust get higher wages
than when It Is low. It Is for the Interests
of every employer of labor, every Industrial
manager, or commercial director Into whose
calculations a payroll enters, that the cost
of living be subjected to expert Investlga
tlon and that every unnecessary expense
and evry unreasonable profit be eliminated
I
Established in 1837
One of the Safest
Forms of Investment Is a
3 Certificate of Deposit
In This Dank, Which Has
Over S12.000.000 of Assets.
The published statement of November IS, '09,
showed that this bank had outstanding In
terest bearing certificates totalling 81,88,ai0.
0 15X(0)1
from It. The problem of the cost of living
has priority over other Industrial and social
problems. It Is the omnipresent factor.
MORGAN AT THU 'PHOM4.
Getting Busy on Stray Lines Beyond
'jf Bell.
B. tlmore American.
The activity of S. P. Morgan & Co. dur
ing the last two weeks In buying up tele
phone companies scattered through Ohio
and Indiana has aroused speculative query
In every financial center. Following the
acquisition of the United States Long Dis
tance and the Cuyahoga Telephone com
panies announcement was made near the
close of last week that a controlling In
terest had been obtained by the New York
banking firm of six other Independent com
panies. The system thus acquired em
braces 40,000 miles of long-distance llnee
and represents a capitalisation of $11,000,000
common stock, $4,500,000 of preferred stock
and a bond Issue of J12.6o0.000. The most
generally accepted sm has been that the
purchases have bsen made In the Interest
of the Bell company, which recently bought1
out the telegraphic lines of the Goulds.
It Is emphatically denied, however, In
what Beems to be an authorised state
ment that there Is any purpose In view to
turn the properties over to the Bell cor
poration. Clarence Brown, general counsel
for Morgan & Co., has dec'.arod that the
properties were purchased as an Invest
ment by the New Tork banking firm with
out consultation or arrangement with any
other Interests. The consolidated com
panies. It will be observed, constitute an
Important system, ramlfyfhg a thickly
populated territory, and It is a reasonable
conclusion that If the lines have not been
purchased with the expectation of merging
with the Bell system there Is a purpose to
make the acquisition the basis of a much
more expansive system. If J. P. Morgan
4 Co. are to go Into the telephone business
to stay, there Is reason for the assumption
that It will not be In a smu'.l way.
1
A FOOLISH PLEA.
Unique Argument of Corporation At
torney.
New York Evening Post.
According to common belief, the lawyer's
functions consist in being as clever as he
can in behalf of his client. We some
times overlook the fact that a lawyer's
duty may call upon him to make himself
as ridiculous as he can. How well he
occasionally succeeds Is demonstrated by
the attorney of a great railroad who ap
peared before a legislative committee to
argue that If an employers' liability law
were in force railway employes would de
liberately malm themselves In order that
they might thereafter lead a life of great
ease at ths expense of the company. The
temptation to grow angry with such rea
soning Is quickly swallowed up by the
temptation to laugh. Such a statement
could very properly be characterised as
callous and inhuman, If not for the fajt
that It Is much more properly classed as
Idiotic There are doubtless reasons to
bring forward against the proposed meas
ure. The railways may not be able to
afford it; it might depress actual wages;
It might encourage thrlftlessness and care
lessness among the men. But it has been
left for a corporation lawyer to assert that
workmen cannot be Insured against acci
dent because men are sure to cripple them
selves to earn the Insurance. Perhaps the
360 men who perished In the St. Paul mine,
at Cherry, started the fire with the object
of attracting newspaper attention.
SOME OF TA FTP'S GOOD WORK.
Achievements thnt Make for Good,
Clean Government.
Des Moines Capital.
The Arbuckles have glady refunded to
the United States government I'iOO.OOO In
settlement of the government's claim
against the firm on ' account of cheating
by short weights In paying Import duties.
The government has not compromised any
light to prosecute the Arbuckles criminally.
Put this down as a triumph for the Taft
administration, which Is doing Its duty
without a brass band.
Upon trial five employes of the Sunar
trust have been convicted of defrauding
ths customs. A Jury found them guilty
after a fair trial. A maximum penalty
Is $10,000 fine and four years 'Imprison
ment or both.
These are some of the achievements of
the Taft administration in the Interest of
good, clean government. Every man Is
required to do his duty.
But the Taft administration makes no
noise In regard to its achievements.
The administration Is also laboring to
reduce the number of employes and to cut
down the expenses of the government,
which have tremendously grown during the
last ten years.
Let the fault-finders go on. They oan
not much longer, contend against the
achievements of the Taft administration.
A Merry Christmas!
We wish you
Very "Merry
Our store will be closed all day Christmas.
Brovning,1(ing & Cq
buuininu,
f FIFTEENTH
V
ZL S. WILCOX, Manages
as Kountze Bros. Ol
SAGE STUFFING.
if 1
Same to you!
Look up and cheer the while.
Put some heart In the greeting. Ileartt
ness sweetens hot air.
A pair of Christmas slippers that will fit
aro a Joy while they last.
Feast on Christmas pootry today. To the
morgue, tomorrow, for a year.
Never measure the gift by the price tag.
It may be a marked-down figure.
The old reliable red necktie continues the
warmest bloom on the Christmas tree.
No matter what the Danes decree, popu
lar confidence In the cook cannot be
shaken today.
Christmas sentiments are all right In
their place, but Christmas substance
reaches the spot.
If you are still In doubt about who got
there first, pull Santa Claus Into a corner
and start a qulx.
The Christmas purse Is not as fat as It
was, but much Improved In appearance. A
surgical operation helps In a crisis.
Archeologists say that suspenders were
Invented before Christmas trees. Why they
persistently hang together Is not explained.
The maker of the calendar did not im
prove his reputation as a prophet when he
put the shortest day five days ahead of
the actual one.
A large assortment of Christmas gags to
day give their farewell scream for a year.
Should you find them too much for your
teeth, get an axe.
Treasure the Joys and forget the annoy
ances of the holiday rush. A diversion
from the beaten path puts ginger where it
will do the most good.
If you get what you looked for, exult
heartily; If not, don't "holler." Heroism
had Its beginning In greeting disappoint
ment with a happy smile. '
Mark Twain's remark, "I'm behaving as
good as I can," and Gene Field's "I'm as
good as I can be," are excellent companion
pieces for a cheery decoration.
A MOJiKV MONOPOLY,
Control of Vast Sources of Insurance
Wealth.
Now York World.
No mart, whether he bo J. I'lerpont Mor
gan or Tnomar-ic.' K'ydn',' KnfluTa-re'pet
mltted to own a great life-insurance com
pany. There is no man In the country
who can safely be trusted with such power
over J460, 000,000 of other people's -money,
no matter what safeguards an insurance
code may provide. Yet this Is what the
state of New York permits.
In the case of the Equitable the entire
stock Is only flOO.OOO and the dividends are
limited by law to 7 per cent; yet Mr. Ityan
paid James Hazen Hyde $2,500,000 for $.'A200
of this $100,000 In stock. The legitimate
earnings from the Investment were only ,
$3,614 a year. The Interest on $2,500,000 at
the very modest rate of 4 per cent Is $100,000
a year. Nominally Mr. Ryan's Investment
meant a loss of at least $13,486 annually:
yet he wus very glad to get the Hyde stock
for $2,500,000, and other bidders had
previously offered twice as much.
There is no publlo Information as to
what Mr. Morgan paid for the Ryan hold
ings but nobody assumes that It was less
than Mr. Ryan paid Mr. Hyde plus a
reasonable return on the investment. No
body has assumed, either, that Mr. Ryan
or Mr. Morgan in acquiring the Equitable
was Influenced by philanthropic considera
tion for the widows and orphans of policy
holders. SPICED PUDDING.
Mrs. Chugwater nudged her husband.
"Joshla," she asked, In a low voice,
"what Is that man In uniform doing?" .
"He's bottling a sample of the atmos
phere In this cart" answer Mr. Chugwater.
"What's he doing that for?"
"He's going to use It as a fertiliser. What
did you suppose?" Chicago Tribune,
"Do you believe In a future puninh
ment of everlasting fire and brimstone .'"
"Only for my neighbors," replied ihe
party of the egotistical part. Chicago
News.
"Did you observe anything peculiar about
that explorer's observations?" asked one
Arctic expert.
"Yes," replied the other. "Most of thiun
were personal and somewhat profune."
Washington Star.
"I am told that King Edward setidH a
dally menage to his chef complimenting
him on his dinner."
"Yes," answered Mr. Crosslots. "We
are all of one common humanity. Even
a king has to go out of hlH way to Jolly
the cook." Washington Star. '
"I fear that hoy of mine la Incorrigible.
"What now?'
"He wants to send Ranta Claus a Qlack
Hand letter." Kansas City Journal.
Tubb Old boy, want to congratulate you
on your speech at the banquet last nJglit.
O'Hudds (after waiting a moment)! know
you do. pard, and you're awfully sorry you
can't do It truthfully. I appreciate the
effort, Just the same. Nasty weather, Isn't
It? Chicago Tribune. .
one and all a
Christmas
runniBninus Anu hats,
AMD DOUGLAS STREETS,
All 1 U 1
i
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