HIE ft EE: OMAHA. MONDAY. .TAX TAR Y -2X The Omaha Daily Hkk IfOV.NDED BT EDWARD ROJEWATKK. VICTOR HOSE WATER. LDITOR. Kntered at Omaha patofflc Konil eias natter. TERMS OF RLI1SCR1PTION. oinds? Fro. on your Saturday Hee. tin year MAO laj!y Yt (without Sunday), on year. .. lelly Re and Sunday, on year DELIVERED BT CARRIER. Fvenl g Fee (without Sunday!, per wees Rc Dully Hr (without Sundsyi, twr week..H Al ress all complaints of irregularities In Oauviry to City circulation Oepeitment. OFFICES. Oiriiha The Rep Ktiilcttnar. Boi th Omaha-.' N. Twenty-fourth SL Oomell HMirr-f 15 Scott 6lrat. L-lrioln X Little Building. CM. a so - 1B4K Msrquette liulldli.g. Kllkin City Reliance Building. New York-24 West Thirty-third street. Washlngton-TO Fourteenth Street N. W. CORRKSPON DfcNCK. Comnruril-atlon relating 'to news and editorial matter ahould b addressed Omaha bee, hdttmlsl Oepartroent. REMITTANCES. Remit liv draft, express or poatal order payable to Tha He Publishing. Company. Only 2-rent stamps received In ymeiit of mall accounts, femoral rhecks except on Oinaha and eastern exchange not accepted STATEMENT OF CIRCULATION. State of Nebraska. Douglas County, aa Dwla-ht Williams circulation manager of Th Be Publishing Compur. being duly warn, says that th actual number of full anal complete copies cf Th Dailv. Morning. Kvenlng and Sunday Bee printed during th month of December. lM. was aa fol hws: 43,870 t 44,000 43, XO 4 aa.no 4a,70 43,4 4V,B0 .43J3v 4J.6S0 14 40,400 II 44JM4I It . . . 43,681 !... 48,400 14 --.4,830 43,T ... 44,410 ...44VaO .W.43,M0 ... 4344 ...43.840 ...44.80 . . .44,330 II.. II 14 II 44.S50 II 44,400 IT 44,350 II 4S.S50 II 4a, St II II Total ., M.7M Rturnd Copies Net Total .1,344.887 Dally Average DWIOHT WILUAMI, Circulation Manager. Subscribed In my presence and sworn to baler me this list day of December. lia ROBERT HUNTER, Notary Public Babaorlbers leaving ta city teas rarity skoal tar Tha seal led ta then. Address will be changed aa aftea as rea nested. lironio-seltzer king aues for divorce. I'sh-at: cite the Laud show once and you will want to see it again. Aviators earned 1940,000 last year. And. let's Bee, how much did they loae? Now the' women are trying to tell va they never liked the horrid rata, anyway. , Mr. llobson'a thirst for trouble la Insatiable. - H6 Ittirdemands four sew battleships. A drop In the price of eggs Is, after all, only a drop in the bucket of the cost-of-living matter.. They have formed a "League of Po liteness" out in San Francisco. Has New Orleans Joined? We are ready to listen to further details of Mr. Edison's plans for mak ing gold moie common. Omaha will furnish the bridge across the Missouri for the transcon tlental automobile highway. No graftera ahould fail to aee the wonderful graft made by Burbank on exhibition at the Land show. Another thing demonstrated by that democratic teaat at Baltimore waa that the unterrtfled had not lost their appetltea. Nat Goodwin reiterate he did not tall the girl "baby doll." But what la the difference between that and "doll baby?" Those scientists who say there will be no more babiea after 100 years are probably merely playing In with the janitors of their flats. It is barely possible that, to pre serve peace and harmony In the party, "Joe" Hailey might consent to take that presidential nomination himself. Kev. Thomas Dixon's latest novel is "The Root of Evil." If It proves to be among the six best sellers, some of the root may find its way into the au thor's pocket. The arlous Interests concerned doubtless recognUe in the ancient and honorable hold-up. bills reintroduced at Llncola tha customary Invitation to "come across." "Diplodocus carnegii," recently erected in Carl Hagensack'a prehis toric too ia London, sounds like a flip thrust at one of our most prominent philanthropists. ' Champ Clark'f insistence upon the statement that there is bo oratory in congress today is yet liable to provoke hostilities between "Jeff" Davis and "Pitchfork" Tillman. ajsaBaaasisaaaaBaBaMSBBaaBssa Speaking of who shall succeed Nor man K. Black as chairman of the dem ocratic "national committee, w nom inate Mr. Bryan. Why not? He boss. the job, anyway. Probably Mr. Sheehan, who went out and raised $300,000 for tbe last democratic ticket la New York,, will have a word or two on the "Sting of Ingratitude" should a cog slip and de prive him of that toga. Excessive Express Charges. It Is quite significant that the tlg j express companies in joint artion should snnounc- a reduction ,,f i through rate Just as the Interstate ft"" r nre every year minions 01 uoi Corumerce commission pin era In clr- lata" worth of property and precious tulation Ha first annual report on the "statistics of exptcss cotnpan ies" That rpport discloses many reasons why reductions ahould he made. It easily confirms the general impression that has existed as to the relative rorporatlons and the -'Joint action" to j .a.., I. in itaoir Kviiienr of i the common bollpf that "jtentlenipn's agreements." rt ni-e a mild term, have governed the express business. This report, whlph covers business for the year endins June. 30, 1909, shows as to earnings that the "operating InPome for the year Is 51 per cent of the value of the property used In operation." It shows Ihst the "rtcord value of the property actually used in oppratlon by the exprpss com panies Is but 12 per cent of the as sets shown bv their Iwlante sheet statements." The statistieian for the commission Interposes the comment that "This i. perhaps, the most sig nificant fait contained In thla report as Indicating the 'peculiar' business of express companies." Certainly It Is significant enough to justify the de mand for a change in those condi tions. The report further discloses that "the total investment as shown by the value of real property and equipment is but 23 per cent of the capital liability of the companies as represented by the capital stock and funded debt." It shows also that the companies have an accumulated sur plus of $164,000,000, and then this, stated in the commission's own words: The balance sheet statement shows very clearly that It Is throuRh the profits of the business that the large assets have been accumulated and It may be safely asserted that the original Investment In this business was relatively Inxignlflcant. The express business Is, perhaps, the bent llluetrailmi which the country affords of the accumulation of considerable assets out of revenues. These corporations, four of which the American. Adams, United States and Wells-Fargo control 95 per cent of the total value of the real property used in operation by the whole thir teen, have decided at last to reduce rates. It will not hurt for the gov ernment to see that this reduction Is actual and not merely apparent and that It is somewhere near adequate. Wa have no difficulty. In reviewing this annual report of the commerce commission, in determining why the express companies are so violently op posed to the parcels post. It contains some excellent argument for the fur therance of lbs parcels post legisla tion. Detective! Watching Democratic . Legislature!. The sensational report comes that detectlvea are on watch at the capi tals of New York and New Jersey. to see that no corruption enters into the selection by the legislatures of United States senators. If this be true, it is a severe commentary upon the present method of choosing senator and a suggestion of the wisdom of popular elections, ft goes to show the possi bilities of fraud, of thwarting the will. not alone of the people, but of the aia jorlty of honest legislators. But more than all this, It reflects seriously upon the political conditions of these two states.- It Is repugnant to a decent sense of popular or representative government to think of a contingency calling for a detective patrol of the election by atate lawmakers of mem bers of the highest legislative body In the world. Perhaps this is not the first time that such precautions have become neces sary, but it should be the last time and not being the first does not tend to ameliorate the case any. Demo cratic bossisni In both states, Tam many In New York and another clique of political pirates In New Jersey, it is said, have by their high-handed methods provoked this action on the part of the law. If that la what dem- ocratic victory there means, if It is a I fact that such conditions exist In those states, It is to be hoped that the cor rupt powers will be unable to carry out their schemes and that whatever men are elected will be the honest choice of the majority unfettered by sinister influences. Our Unnecessary Fire Losses. According to a report to the State department by the American consul at Prague, the average annual fire loss In that capital of Bohemia has been less than fUO.SOO and not a life has been lost by flre there In the last fif teen years. In the ordinary city in thla country with 500,000 population the flre los would, we are told by an architectural authority, be at least $1,000,000 a year, while the deaths from Cre would be numerous. Prague'a freedom from fire losses Is explained by the superior building construction required by law, together with the careful habits of the people and the responsibility that tire dam age entails upon the owner of the property. In Prsgue most of the buildings are built of brick or stone with tiled roofa. the hallways .are usually of concrete and the atalrs of stone, and the kitchen floors are built of concrete with tile wainscoting. The erection of hszardoua buildings Is not permitted, atid when a man is so un fortunate aa to have a Ore h Is looked on as an offender in the eyes of the law and la held responsible fpr any damage that may be done to adjoin ing property. The mere recital of tbe conditions that make Prague, a city of more than r.oo.oon peopl. practically a rlty " "out hree in a trrrtfic Indictment of ."""""' -ihiito m mr American city tnat sscrint eg up to tne i Uvea that pan never he replaced. Our unnecessary fire lonpa are a disgrace to American civilization. Prohibition in the South. At the last state eleetlon the people of Texas voted for a proposition au- thorl - ln: the legislature this winter to submit to the voters at the next general election: a proposed constitu tional amendment for state-wide pro hibition. The people of that state may rind In the xperlments recently made in Alabama, Tennessee and other southern states something to guide them In their aptlon. Alabama has gone hack on state wide prohibition, in Tennessee the law has not proved satisfactory to some of Its original advocates. The mayors of the four largest cities. Memphis. Nashville. Knoxville and rhat tanooea, declare It haa not proved a success and should be repealed or amended to permit a compliance with the will of the people who wish to have the liquor traffic effectually con trolled. , Consequently, these four mayors have gone before the Tennes see legislature with a plea to this end. They argue that the law has not been enforced, which, of course, is arguing that It will not be enforced by them. Rather in this case, at least, It cornea of a belief that it is not the law the majority of the people want enforced. What will be the action of Texas one is left between two criteria to Judge. The proposition to submit a constitutional amendment carried last autumn along with the defeat of the prohibition candidate for governor. Somewhere between these two must be a medium of sentiment, but it Is a matter of doubt aa to Its endorsement of experimental state-wide prohibi tion, especially in the light of the ex periences in other neighboring states. There are peculiar reasons why the liquor question is acute in the south and the effort to prescribe a proper check is part of the effort to reach a satisfactory adjustment of the race difficulties there. Keep Hiitory Straight. " With evident Intent to magnify hla election as United Statea senator, Con gressman Hitchcock's paper repro duces an article from the Sioux City Tribune which contains this falBe and misleading statement: Nebraska Is naturally as republican aa Iowa. Never before In her history has she elected a democratic United etatea senator. Even the father of the new democratic senator served In the senate aa a repub lican. Reversing the order, first, the father of the new democratic senator from Nebraska, - although - professing to be a republican, was elected by votes of democratic members of the legislature. .Second, Nebraska has not now elected a democratic senator, but a fusion senator, whose name was on tbe official ballot twice, once as a dem ocrat and once as a populist. Ne braska once before elected a fusion senator and has several times had leg islatures with fusion majorities on Joint ballot. Third, Nebraska is not naturally as republican as Iowa. Nebraska gave Its electoral vote twice to Mr. Bryan, while Iowa has always voted for re publican presidential candidates. In Nebraska the republicans have five times failed to elect the governor, while Iowa has had but one demo cratic governor since war times, and has had only republican United States senators. ' Nebraska is naturally republican, but by no means aa republican as Iowa. One of the first bills favorably recommended by committee at Lincoln Is to raise the pay of jurors from $2 to $3 a day. The Bee first empha sized tbe necessity of doing something to make jury service less burdensome to wage earners who have to forego their regular employment to sit In the jury box. More adequate compensa tion for tbe jurors should relieve tbe pressure to be excused from the panel. As an offset to the Intimation by Theodore N. Bell at the Baltimore meeting that Mr. Bryan would like to see Champ Clark the democratic standard-bearer In 1912, Mr. Bryan gives over tbe front page of his Com moner to an address by ex-Governor Folk on "The Religion of Democracy." Mr. Bryan Is not going to play a fiddle with only one string. In Los Angeles a judge has sen tenced a woman shoplifter to atay away from bargain counter salea for oue year. Taking the very bread and butter out of her mouth. Are not such cruel and unusual punishments prohibited by the bill of rights ... t So far as la ascertainable, Nebraska' is now the only state where fusion of political parties is not only counte nanced, but encouraged, by law. The fusion fake should have been scotched here long ago as It was In Kansas and other neighboring states. That erudite citizen of Boston, Mr. "Sam" Langford, la to be accorded the opportunity of wresting from Mr. "Jack" Johnson a certain title long held by another eminent citizen of Bobton many years ago. We hope Boston may come Into her own. In spite of the work of our juvenile court, Omaha is infested with alto gether too many footpads and bur- alars just below or above the Juvenile age line. The nay to repress profes sions! prime Is tr punish willful criminals Congressman-elect Lobetk, breath ing the atmosphere of Washington for the first time, is moved to pick out the democratic ticket for 1912 Here, now, no dictation! Let the people rule: The lumbermen are maklnc snnrks flv v.- .ll-.-H hrt Undl.. ,.f -hi... ! gles. We move for a pure lumber law with a misbranding clause requir ing every bundle to tell just how many full-sired shingles it contains. The proposal to establish a limit of one saloon to every 1.000 population would reduce the number of Omaha "life-saving stations" down one-half. That would be real revision down ward. The sane balance of Governor Wil son's lnsugural address seems to have thrown the whole camp of democracy into consternation-- that Is, those not favorable to Dr. Wilson's progression Mr. Bryan Is understood to have recommended to Texas the use of steam rollers on its country roads. There is some expert testimony which Texas cannot well afford to Ignore. One Controrersy Settled. Washington Post. The Baltimore banquet settled at leas't one controversy the democratic party has not gone dry. Levelheaded Caatlon. Pittsburg VHspetch. The announcement that Mr. Taft is to keep out of state politic Is further evi dence of his levelheadedness. State poli tics In most states nowadays Is no place for a peace-loving gentleman. Recasting; aa Ola rrocria, Loulsvllla Courier-Journal. Mr. Edison says gold will eventually be made out of common clay. It Is now when a person of superior powers of analysis and a high order of courage sits across the table from a lump of clay that lacks th grit to raise on three of a kind. Sociable Tlaies la Iowa. Springfield (Mass.) Republican. People In the west are more "folksy" than we of the east. W note as an Instance of this that a day or two after the In auguration ceremonies In the state capltol of Iowa at Dps Moines, last week, a re ception was given there which was par ticipated in by the legislators and their wives and the state officers and their wives. The decorations for the two oc casions were the same. In this way the Iowa wives ar given some share In that acquaintance which comes to the legisla tors by virtue of tbelr office, and these social occasions are the means of starting friendships that last. 1.1'THER BlRBAttK'9 WONDERS. Novel Realts Caaae from Sclenttflo Cnltlvatloa. Hampton's Magaxlne. Luther Burbank has evolved a walnut tree that grows to commercial value In tw1v years;' he "3 developed a flower that will not fade, a pitless plum, a plum with th flavor of a Bartlett pear, a white blackberry, a plum cote (combined of an apricot and plum)., the wonderberry (a oross between a raspberry and a California dewberry), given perfume to flowers that did not possess it, changed the odor of others, and produced new scents and new blossoms by various processes of selection and crossing. He Is seeking now for the seedless appl and the downless peach and doubtless he will find them or make them. Burbank does not believe that his meth ods ar applicable to plants alone. He as serts that In this nation, where so many typa commingle, ther will be produced eventually, the finest race the world has vr known. He declares that the nation must consciously strive toward that ideal, giving Its young an environment of love and health and wholesomeness. Though ruthless in his destruction of the plants which do not fit his botanical purpose. Mr. Burbank advocates no destruction of the unfit In the human race. He claims that our modern system of education forces th child far toe much, and that there ahould b no school save play and out of door until the child reaches th age of 10. People Talked About James A. Farrell, new president of the United States Steel corporation, will have to worry along on C0,WiO a year. Charles M. Schwab and W. E. Corey, as presidents each received IIOO.OUO. Edward Qrannla, representative to the New Hampshire legislature from tlare- mont, ia th third generation of his family to represent Claremont. His father, Lau rens Grannls, represented Claremont about seventy years ago, and Timothy Grannls, tMward's grandfather, was representative about 100 years ago. The genealogical and historical re searches of W. Lewis Kane of West Ches ter, Pa., hav convinced him that Uncle Joe Cannon Is a descendant of a Norman baron who made the Incursion Into Kng land with William the Conquerer. The insurgents hav Insinuated more than once that the strain is still effective. No record has yet sppeared of the cham pion oyster-eating democrat at the Balti more banquet. Whoever claims the heavy weight belt must first settle with the na tional chairman. J. L. Mortis of Van Vleet, Mass., who at a Christmas dinner disposed of 141 oysters, when the restaurateur shut off the supply, fearing Morris would burst. After disappearing twenty-two years ago and believed dead by his family, John Reed, aged '!, was reunited recently to his wife and three children In Ualngerfleld. Tex. II haa returned to find seventeen grand children. Reed's children accidentally got a clue that the father was living In Ar kansas. They invited him to return and he did so. Every time tU )ouiik emperor of China Is taken ill the royal physician are 'noti fied that their salary is cut off until his majesty Is perfectly well again. The pas sionate seal with which the physicians of the royal household work to get the em peror back Into a condition of health where their salaries will begin again Is said to be something astounding. In the twenty-four yeais of his life Wal ter I a. Gardner of St. Charles, Mo, has had the misfortune to suffer twenty-four fractures of various bones of his body, lie also has suffered five dislocations and lost by accident one finger on his right hand and three on his left, lie is still somewhat dloabled from his Istest accident, when a horae Wicked him, breaking his left arm for tbe eighth Urn. Around New York atlpplae a tbe Cnrreat of Ufa ae laea la the Ort American MtrooM from Bay ta Bay. The 1SI1 wane scale cf the WW men who aie members of the New York Build lnS Trailr council has .hist been Issued. The schedule Is based on eight hours' work twr dc. with Saturday halt-holidays, and all IikbI holidays oleiP1. Work on Suii- " or holidays, or after the noon hour on rates. The schedule Includes: Bricklayers, 5. W) per day. overtime. ior hour, Il.tO. plumbers. to.M and 11.40; carpenters, and gl.26: masons, 15 and 11.23: Ironworkers. I and II. S: metalworkers. 14. Ti and l 1: dtcorators. 14. .V) and II. 15: hollermakers, 14. 25 and 11.10; painters. 14 and tl.Oj. Help ers in the various trles receive from 13 to 1:1.80 per day, with overtime at 71 tents an hour. In his article In the American Magaslne on the futility of the laws governing per sonal property taxation In New York. A. J. Nock describes the following method used by one concern to evade this tan: "One concern doing a large business In New York refused Its assessment, and re ported Its headquarters as at Wading River, In Suffolk county. The office of such a corporation ought to be as con spicuous as the Statue of Liberty In a place like Wading River, but the local assessor could not find It. never did find It; er.d the assessment lapsed. "The Inwardness of the case was this. The attorney for the corporation had a country house at Wading River. , He had the firm's name painted on a very small tin sign, posted unobtrusively above his kitchen door. One a year or oftener he addressed a letter to himself at Wading River In car of the firm, -dropped It Into the local postoffice in the morning and took It out at night, thus being able to take oath. If necessary, that the firm re ceived mall at Wading River. Then once a year h gathered the directors together, brought them down from New Y'ork in his automobile, under cover of darkness, and together, as the law requires, they held the annual meeting of the corporation at Us principal office at Wading River. "it was an easy matter. The corporation was there, its sign was there, it received mall there. Its annual election of officers was held there, all strictly as th law di rects, and it waa simply up to th local asseSKor to find and assess It if he could." Six 'undertakers and their assistants, armed with instruments and embalming fluids, stood in front of the bar of Hrady's hotel on upper Third avenue Just at th 1 o'clock hour one morning last week and demanded to know of Mr. Keenan, the bartender, why he was not dead. Every one of the six had been summoned by tele phone with calls for service for "poor Mik Keenan, rest his soul," who had died of pneumonia. Bright's disease, delirium tre mens and smallpox, according to th notifications. Keenan thinks some Joker in the back room of the saloon where the telephone booth Is at the service of the public Is responsible. The management of the hotel offered a reward of 1100 for the discovery of the miscreants. The police were called In, but declined to act. The chairman of a New Tork committee In search of a pastor has discovered a new financial poalblllty. 'I waa at my table in the club the other day," be aald, "and happened to mention the need of our church. One of the men at -the table turned-to m ojSfullfr" and aald: 'I'll give you fciS If you will tak our minister. . . "Paid another, 'Hold on, there. How many are on the committee?' I answered that there were seven. 'I'll give you r0 apiece It you will take ours,' he said eagerly." Begging is said to be a calling that sharpens the faculties. It certainly de- velps sometimes an Ingenuity of Impud ence, as may be seen In a tetter which re cently came to the office of the New York Post and which the paper prints, omit ting names and places: 'I am a married man, 38 y-ears old, em ployed as electric car motorman seven years. 1 'vork thirty days per month. With losing only on day !n fifteen month my saliy affords us only a moderate liv ing. "I bav a daughter who Is a stenographer. "With a full determination I started a campaign some time ago to make us a home In by donations from the weal thy. I have a good portion towards It al ready; but not enough. Pleas slip a 16 or a tl bill In enclosed envelope and send it to me and see If you ever miss It. Help me succeed. "Use hospitality one to another without grudging." I Peter :. 'The young chap whos morals I trem ble for Just now Is my nephew." th city salesman remarked. "He has a position as errand boy in a banking house. He 1 a bright lad and as steady as they make 'em, but sine he got that Job in th bank his women relations are urging him Into crime. They do not advise him to pick his employer's pocket or run away with the day's deposits, but the principle In volved is Just as reprehensible. They ask him to abstract a few bags that the silver money Is carried In. The women want those bags for sofa pillow covers. They are made of material that will never wear out and feathers and down simply can not sift through. By boldly asking for what he wanted the boy has secured enough bags to encase his mother's sofa pillows, but if he supplies the rest of the family I see nothing ahead of him but a career of crime." Ice water, tea. sandwiches and maga sines had been sent up to room 417 In a New York hotel, but presently the bell rang .again. The boy w ho had been dis patched to attend to the woman's needs returned with the report that what she wanted that time was six empty spools. "Spools?" said the proprietor. "You are crazy. "Maybe so," said the boy. "but If I am 417 Is crasy, too. That is what she said. spools." The proprietor's wife found the spools among the children's pla things and the proprietor took them up. "I was afraid," he said, "that the boy had made a mistake. Mix empty spools." "Yes, that's right." she said. "You have no clothes hooks In this room; nothing but nails, and rusty nails, at that. I don't like to hang my clothes on nails, but by slipping thexe spools over them the cloth is protected from rust and the nails can t punch holes." Japan's Grapple with taarrh). New York World. The sentence to death of twenty-four persons concerned In the anarchist ; plot against the emperor of Japan may be taken as a measure of Its seriousness or of the severity of Japanese Justice. Which ever conclusion Is accepted, the fact is clear that Japan under modern conditions of development is confronted with a prob lem familiar to all civilized countries and which seems inseparable from national progress every whera The Bco's Letter Box Contribution on Timely gubiaote Wot Exceeding Tw arnadred Wor4 Ar Xavtt f rem Oar rs. Initiative and Referendum. OMAHA. .Inn. Jl.-To the Kdltor of The Hee: W have been somewhst amused to note the care with which th pollticlana are approaching the Initiative and referen dum, about the ssme sitvoint of caution the prurient msn mHnifeaia In Doing lc h'nd a mule with which he Is not ac (It'aintfd. These leaders of modern thought. Wok uon It as being of the nsture of the late primary, uncertain In its results Th mount of uh and oratory expended at and oerore tne primaries st i election, in J sounding the slogan let the people rule, was accomanled with an assuiance that has quite disappeared now that thee are up against the real thing. Rut why should they hesitate? the proposition Is not . very new, It had Us birth as far hsck ss IW. when the populists polled over Tn.Oii votes In the state. At that time It whs looked upon by both of the leading parties as wild and fanatical, it was even ridi culed and dismissed with s wave of the hand. The proposition as now advocated at this time amounts to this, that the peo pie at the polls can pass more Intelllnrntly on matters that they desire in the way of legislation than their representatives when assembled for that, purpose. Rut now that the time has come to act, some questions arise, among them the following "Shall a Majority of All th Votes Cast at the Elec tion Ieclde. or Just a Majority of Those Voting on the Proposition?" It must not be forgotten, however, that the cry has been "Let the People Rule." and In mat ters of this kind the people are those who vote" at the election where the proposition I determined, and a majority of all who vote Is necessary In order to get an ex pression of the people. If this were not ih case a very small minority might pass a measure and In that event the people certainly have not declared for It. Now keep In mind that th reason given for the referendum, is that legislatures do not reflect the will of the mass of the citlsenshlp. but often only th minority, th thing the referendum seeks to remedy. loes it follow that those who do not ex pressly vote "no," fall to mak themselves felt? By no means for th reason they know that their vote will count as much a if they had written "no" on their bal lot. We can safely assume that Is what the framers of the constitution understood when they drafted the Instrument. There are many who vote for amendments that do not understand what they are voting for. For example a large number at the late primaries voted for the amendment on suf frage, who thought they were voting for woman's suffrage, when In fact they voted to deny the franchise to a certain class of men for five years. In the legislature we require a msjor of all the members elected thereto to p;u.i a bill, no matter how trifling the bill may be. Minority rule is out of harmony with all the reformed movements of the time. It Is safe to assume that th man who des not vot for a measure does not want It and he ahould be allowed to ex press his disapproval by not voting for It. That Is th reason amendments have not carried In the past, the people did not want them and refused to go on record In their favor. In these times of light ning reform "Let th people rule." J. II. PRESBON. M bat are Tfcer Afraid, Of . . . HOlTirijMAHA, Jan. n.-To the Editor of The Bee: I read that our lawmakers shy at accepting an Invitation to lunch as guests of the Block Yards company while visiting in Bouth Omaha. What ar they afraid of? Have they so little confidence la themselves that they fear they may be Influenced by a bite to eat offered them In pure hospitality? If we have any law makers who would be suspected of being bribed with a fre lunch, th Nebraska legislature must be in a bad way this yesr. " J. H. A Word fur the Retailer. OMAHA. Jan. 21-To th Editor of The Ree: Many people are Inclined to blame the retailer for high price without giving him any credit for doing business on small profit. I am familiar with th grocery trade and know that success is seldom at tained and then only by most economical methods and personal application, its not a bed of roses by any means, the average grocer ha to start out before daylight to buy bis market supplies snd he returns to his store by 7 o'clock. II then unloads and puts hla horse In th stable and hitches up the satn or another horse to his de livery wagon. The cost of delivery la usually overlooked by thos who complain. Not long ago I overhead a grocer talk ing over tbe phon: "Ye, this is Meyer; yes, ma'am, la that all you want? Will it do if I send it about t o'clock this after noon? My wagon will be making deliveries In your neighborhood at that time. Oh, you must have It at once? All right I'll end th boy as soon aa h comes In." 1 asked what the lady had ordered. "Hhe wanted a package of yeast," said Meyer, "aud I have already made two deliveries to her house today. I must send the boy with this yeast, although my profit on It is less thaa a cent.' I cannot afford to lose th lady's custom." In the old days, customers used to go shopping with a market basket and carry their purchase borne with them. The present day customer wants a whole grocery store brought to the back door In response to a telephone call. A. & K. SAID IN FUN. "it la said that distance lends enchant ment to the view." "Yes, but I have always noticed that the nearer 1 can gat to a stack of bank notes the mote enchanting It appears." Chicago Record-Herald. Kmployer Are you a married man? Applicant No. sir; that acar on mv face came from being knocked down i' an automobile Philadelphia Telegraph Bacon And you say your brother has settled In Canada? Egbert No. 1 didn't say so. I think he went there to get out of settling. Boston Transcript. Saplelgh Are you positive tbat Miss Cut ter is not In? The Maid-Yea. sir. I'd lose my Job If 1 wasn't Rostoa Transcript. The governor of North Carolina had Just made his memorable remark to the gov ernor of South Carolina. "Yes." sighed the chief executive of the Palmetto state: "and this 1 the dark of the moon, too!" Hut thev fcund some native moonshine and indulged. Chicago Tribune "What makes you so sure that young man will make a great diplomat?" asked one statesman. "I heard him talking to a policeman w ho held bun up berause the lights were out on his automobile. " Washington lar. "Why Is that woman silting so lonely and apart from the group of busy talk ers?" "She has no conversation worth listening to. Never in her life had any kind of an opera Ion performed." Hal il more Amen- n. "Whets the hsrdest thing about roller skating when you r learning'.'" asked a hesitating oung man of th Instructor at a rink. "The floor," answered th attendant Youth's Companloa. REDMOND STIRS UP IRELAND Savi Veto of the Lords Will Bo , -------- 9 I Abolished. ! 1 j DISMAY SEIZES ONE FACTION Irish Lender's lntrinenl Vies! lcM , nlle He Una Mnde anil t nMsi-s I'nrnrr in Ul of Hrltlsn' I I.I.-S. MiN'lxiN Jn. iSpe. lal r.ihli tmm.l - Intense frdlnK hs hern . . i-' through oin irrmnn nv jouu i.chimi'hii 'I'-unii-predli'tlon n Huhlin ni thf Kino'i' t t" rclcMsle the ssuios of the rn. if "Krln's friends In Noiih America." thst the veto of the lord would he nl.ohvhod before the coronation siul without en largement of the chamber for "swamping purposes. It Is the niot definite phophei r lo hss made since he assumed the leadership of the "regulars.'' who believe It to be based upon a hint received front the prime min ister, despitn the fact Hint Redmond bracketed with a warning to tho liberals of what would happen if pioiiusr wer not kept. In t'lster the sentiment Is one of dismay. Nor Is the anxiety In thst quarter lessened) by the action of the Nationalist press Iri reminding Irishmen that this year is rn one hundredth anniversary of the be ginning of O 'Council s Hgltstion for Cath olic emancipation snd the repeal of the union. "Iet us push on boldly and patiently.' says a Ouhlln paper, "never forgetting the motto of O'Connell, 'Hgltate. sRitate, agU tate.' " Say Irish Are Ton tlnatr. t'nionlsts In London challenge the pre diction as one more case of "Irish count ing chickens before they are hatched " According to the tory view, when tha Asquith parliament bill qsmiies th lord the latter will meet It iiiarely with aj scheme for self reform and with amend menls going to the root of th contro versy." King George's intervention at. this lateil stage will effect the compromise wtolch, according to the unionist oraties. Is "really as much desired by liberals aa by unionists." It la the possibility of unsatisfactory amendments to the bill that accounts ton, the warning Mr. Redmond has given Mr. Asquith the possibility that the measura of self control to be given Ireland will fall short of her necessities. His assertion that he has no Objection to a home rule bill so drafted as to fit In with a "larger plan" Is not novel.- Ho haa made It frequently. Th crux of the dispute Is th undis closed snd as yet undetermined character vi ino oronu project or nevouiiion. 01 local government In all parts of the United Kingdom now forming In Mr. Asqulth's mind. The devolution might prove Inad equate from the Irish viewpoint, though deemed ample by Scotland and Wales. What amendments the lords have up their sleeves Is the question In nationalist circles. At the moment there is not the least symptom of a cleavage in the ranks of th coalition. Mr. Asquith leads with Jaw set hard anil glvet, no signs of fear of nationalist re volt. Redmond's promise to stand firm. "Without regard to minor Issues, provided the cabinet la true to the pledges as '.to veto and home rule." means tbuy Asjiu;tii Is not to be badgered oy him oif nny ques tion of tsctles. Irishmen are nutpiiously staunch alili.i. Mr.' Balfour has admitted as "much. They will cling to the coalition unless, and until, vent ' infringement upon police regula tions. SENATORIAL DRIFT, New York, Sun; The Sacred Codfish, that old palladium of Massachusetts liberties. Ih plunging and leaping In most ungodly glee. Let It beware, let the accursed reactionary beware! Foss is entirely capable of order ing It into cakes or oil. Sioux City Journal: Henator Hitchcock. addressing the Nebraska legislature In acknowledgment of his election under the Oregon plan, gave earnest assurance of being a party man. The Oregon plitn. how ever. Is not a party measure. It Is Intended to impair party rule In the election of sen ators of the t'nited States and to promote the Influence of Independent voting. - The Oregon plan calls for a nonpartisan elec tion, and It la a long step toward bringing all primary elections to that basis. Pan Fianciaco Chronicle: Senator-elect Works declares that there must be a new alignment of parties. If he can contribute, to that result he will deserve credit, pro vided the lines are so drawn that sensible men will know Just what pollticlana of his kind really desire. Such knowledge should prove a great assistance to those who would like to know where they "are at. ' but who cannot do so because of the vatjue neas of the demands and the utter Im practicability of much that the professional reformers are urging. Springfield Republican: Rhode Islands tendency to send to the senate at least on man of business and usually the other sen ator does not count Is illustrated again In Mr. Lippitt's election. Rrtiator Aldiich was successful as a wholesale grocer before entering public lire, and Senator l.lppltt will tak to Washington a profound knowl edge of cotton texlles. Mr. I.lppllt might almost tie called the senator from Manvllie and the social twhei so much of his cotton cloth is made). It is also to he said concerning him that the Ippltts are an old family and have been a power in Ui plantations for many generations. IF I WERE CARNEGIE Detroit Free Press. If only 1 were Carnegie. With coin to give away, I'd hang up money prises for The things we need today. I'd give a million to the man Who would Invent a scheme Wrereby the Janitor oould sleep And still let us hav steam. I'd give a heap of money for A fountain pen, 1 think. That one could fill and not appear As though he'd bathed in Ink. I'd hire anmelmdy to Invent A keyhole with a light For use when 1 come home from lodg At 10 o'clock at night, i I'm sure I'd give a million to The man who would deiise A flannel undershirt that would When washed, not shrink In sit. And when he had Invented that I'd mak him doubly rl h If he'd denaturlse the stuff And cure It of Its Itch. - If only I were Carnegie, With coin to give aay, I'd offer money to the man Or woman for a play That wasn't built on naughty themes Or filled with silly slush. A play that grandma might behold And never have to blush. Nolice to Corporations. l'ubllsh your notices of indebtedness In The Uensuii Tinirs, a legal medium which answers legal purposes without undue publicity. oct only fl Stock holders For your owu unl tlon invlst tbat tbe-e notices be published annually. For further psrilculars, blanks, etc , tele phone lioiiglua L'IGS. or call at the Omaha office ol th Hen.oii Times. tZd Uoulu Itth SL