r,
Till: BEE: OMAHA. FTUPAY. JANUARY 27, 1911.
THE OMAHA DAILY ItKK
lUl'MDED bt EDWAH1) HDSKW A 1 k K-
VH.'TOfl IWSKWATKII. fcLMTOR.
Kntfii'd lit Omiln posloffire a. aeiond
claia trailer.
TERMS OF fi u HSC It ITT ION. i
Fundi; Be. on ysr Ii
Ulur.lav )(, oik yar l ."
Ially He (without Kundav), one year..M.t)
IJlly and Gun.iay. one year 4 iw
LELIVEKKU BY fAKKIKR
Evening I'ce (without Sunday), per- we e
Kvmi) it lire (with fiundait. per week.. 1"0
lHlly fr dnHndlng imimy). per wk. Lie
lally Bee (without unoav. pr week..lic
Ado ten all complaint of Irrtg'-la i itles in
4:iv.ry to City circulation Luparimtnt. i
OFKICLS.
Orraha-Tha Ree BuiMlnr.
Roi th nmihi-Kt N. Tw entv-fuurth St.
Co in. II Bluff.-15 rlcott street.
Ll -oln-.6 Little Bullrtlnat
t'h'i go-l 4!i Marquette Building,
rtrsa Clty-Reliar'-e Hullilfng.
New York 24 Went Thlrtv-thlrd stree'.
Waaiilngltm-TDf) Fourteenth Street. N. W
COHRLSroNUfcNCE.
f'ornmunl -atloris relating to new and
dltorlaI matter ahould be addressed
unialim Bee. Kdltoi lal I'epat tment.
H KM ITT A NC ICS.
Remit by draft, eiprem or poMal order
peyawe to The Bee Publishing Company
Only rnt viator received In paymml of
niail accounts i'ersonal check exi ept on
Omaha and eastern exchange not accepted.
STATF.MKNT OF CIRCULATION,
f'ate of Nebraska, Douglas County. a
Dwlght Wllltame circulation manager of
The Bee ruhllnhlng Comrany. being duly
worn, says that ha actual numi.er of full
nd complete Co pice rf The Iallv. Morning.
Kvenlng and Sunday Beea printed during
the month of December. U10, waa a fol
lows: 17 43,610 1
t 44,000
43.3C0
4a,a
43,79
43,47
' 4,CS
43J3
48,8M
1 43.400
11 44,380
11 ...43,880
1 43,400
-J.tM
1 43,70
11
it
to
II
It
It
14
II
II
...44380 1
" 43CTo'
43640 j
...44,300
...44,330!
!!44,400'
2T 44,350
II 48.850
It 43,0
II 43,880 !
1.; 43,840
43
Total .1,36A,70
Raturnod Copies 11,433
Net Total .
DiJiy Average
1.344.SB7
43,304
DWIOHT WIM,1AM3.
Circulation Manager.
Subscribed In my presence and kworn to
before me this llet day ut December. UlOi
KOBBRT HUNTKH.
Notary public
kabecrtbera tearing; tbe rlty tem
porarily aboal4 bare Tke Uee
walled to 'then. Adilraa will ba
cbaatted mm Urn urn requeued.
As wo understand it, Champ Clark
la to be only a limited czar.
Visit the Land show before it closes
or you will regret it afterward.
That mild weather ought to have
thawed out a few of those senatorial
deadlocks.
Thus far the president has not ac
ceded to the democratic squall for an
extra session.
The membership roll of the Com
mercial club is close to the 1,000
mark. A good push should put it
over.
Never mind, the capital removal ad
vocates will have their inning under
initiative and referendum, if not
sooner.
That Boston newspaper that Is up
braiding Montana for re-electing W.
A. Clark senator should at least wait
until it hus.
It transpires that Or. Herman C.
Hunipus has been bumped out of the
directory of the American Museum of
Natural History.
It is reliably rumored that Governor
Foss of Massachusetts Is a very mad
man since the senatorial vote was an
nounced in his state.
Mr, Bryan might be politically In
terested to know that an Illinois man
given up for dead came to life in a
morgue the other day.
Our new democratic senator-elect is
billed to orate in Baltimore. The next
thing we know he will be performing
for Tammany Hall in New York.
Continuing our search for former flrat
puge cclebrltlea, what has become of
Dowlc, Jr., the great unklssed? Ex
change. Kissed into the discard long ago.
For some unaccountable reason we
have had no eruption from Jasper L.
McBrien for aeveral weeks. Such
quiescence ia altogether abnormal.
The gay life has a few friends left
in Kansas. The legislature defeated J Vermillion county. Illinois, In some
that bill that prevented women from WByg remind one of the old-time re
appearing in public in tighta or knee Ugious revival, when confirmed Bin
skirts, tiers marched up to the mourners'
" bench and poured 'out their woes of
The Iowa senatorial contest should j gHef and gought forg,veneg8 ln the
not be allowed to come to a close for ,lregence of frlend arid foe allke ,t
some time yet. for several citizens of ; often requlred a lot of co,irag, to in
the state have not been entered as 8plre the aplrlt of repentance.
candidates. j So u mugt be a crucft test of some
If Mr. Rockefeller does not hurry i
lie will have, in addition to the horror
of dying rich, the pang of being out
done by Mr. Carnegie to haunt him in
his Udt days.
it is going to take a lot of oil to
smooth those troubled democratic
waters, and "Joe" Bailey's stand-In
with certain aupply interests may yet
serve hla parly well.
The people who rail loudest against
the unreliability of the press are
usually tbe first to mislead and de
ceive newapapera when it will serve
their personal Interests.
Richard Olney and others who
signed their names to a statement of
alx reasons why the Panama canal
ahould not be fortified forgot to name
sixty or more reasons why It ahould be
fortified.
Harmon Wilson and Clark
Refore the' Harmon faction of
monacy loses itself in rapture over'
('ovrrror Wnodrow Wilson's aliena
tion of the old Kuard behind former
Senaioi James Smith. Jr.. in New Jer
sey It had better take an Inventory of
alock in Ohio. Governor Harmon, we
are told, Is toh adroit a politician ever
to make the mistake that Wilson madej
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Thus we see the Ohio governor heir to
a united and harmonious following In
bis own state as an asset In his presi
dential candidacy, while Wilson haa
split his party In New Jersey at the
outset, offending novera whose sup
port he will need In his effort to land
the democratic presidential nomina-
Hon next year.
Hut Is this a true pic ture of the sit- !
uatlon? Hid Harmon keen his hands I
off of the senatorial fight In Ohio, and
If he did. did he not thereby offend
John It McLean, w ho had decided that
ho should have the toga that fell from
the shoulders of Senator Hick? As a
matter of fact, this Is Just what hap
pened, and today there Is a wide gulf
fixed between Harmon and John U.
Mclean, owner of the Cincinnati En
quirer and leader of a very considera
ble faction of the democracy, a man
who alwaya stood on close terms with
the same Interests which Wilson la
gald to have alienated In New Jersey.
lle wanted Harmon's support for the
senate. He felt Harmon owed it to
him and should pay his political debts.
McLean had been a leader of the Har-
mnn narlv
uuiii tin guvtMiiur a Liu
president.
He Is out of that party
now.
Where, of course, Harmon may have
an advantage over Wilson on this one
point Is that he may be able to claim
quite as large a following with the ln-
J terestB as McLean could' wean away
from him, and perhaps larger, for not
only haa he always been allied with
that element In politics and business,
but, being in office, he may have more
to offer for the support of these inter
ests than McLean would have. That
Is a question to be determined.
The man who really is keeping to
the middle of the road, offending no
one Just at present. Is the suave and
genial Champ Clark, the third big
figure In the democratic presidential
free-for-all. When it comes to adroit
ness and practical politics, the iRIs
sourlan la there and he will have to be
reckoned with from now on. To be
sure, bis' time for making mistakes
will come when he takes up the duties
of speaker next December, but in the
meantime both Harmon ' and Wilson
will not be denied any such chances.
The Sulloway Pension Bill.
It is a matter of some doubt If most
of the veterans of the civil war would
not oppose the Sulloway pension bill
if they thoroughly understood its pro
visions Under this bill every man
who served ninety days in the civil
war or sixty days in the Mexican war
is eligible alike to its benefits with the
man who actually gave his time to trsu
defense of his country and became a
real soldier. It see in b scarcely fair to
place men who never smelled powder
on the same level with those who went
through grape and shrapnel and en
listed for that war and the next. If
this bill, which adds $45,000,000 to
the pension roll, bringing it up to
$200,000,000, were out of the way,
then legislation which really Bought to
give deserving old veterans the re
wards to which they are entitled
might be framed and secure favorable
consideration.
It ia not opposition to pensions, or
to acknowledging the natlon'a debt to
Its defenders who offered their lives
for their flag, that prompts disap
proval of this particular bill, but
rather it ia a firm conviction In the
Justice and equity of pensions that in
spires careful scrutiny. It' Is opposi
tion to fraud, not to pensions, that im
pels so many real friends of the real
soldier to hope for the defeat of the
measure in the senate. Heretofore
In the whole history of pensions and
pension legislation positive proof of
merit and service has been required,
but under this bill the undeserving
would share benefits equal to those
which go to the most deserving. The
soldier must be the first man inter
ested in protecting the pension fund
from wrongful invasion.
The Political Mourner's Bench.
Those ingrowing reforms shaking
I the vitala of Adama county. Ohio, and
I of these political mourners to lave
their sin-smitten consciences ln this
I pool of reform just now bubbling over
ln these two baliwlcks. Tbe com
I parison gains force, too, In matching
the fervor of tbe old parson's plea
with the virile influence needed in the
present case to bring many a man to
a realization and confession of bis
guilt. It la not the apontanlety of the
penance that gives significance to the
mourning now going on. Elae the re -
form judge in Illinois who set in mo-
j Hon thla great wave of political purl-
ficatlon would not have thoughtfully
Included in his instructions to tbe
grand jury the condition that the in
vestigation of vote buying and selling
should not extend back further than
eighteen months. It la only through
a ruth let. disregard of that judicial
injunction that tbia judge now finds
j himself on the way to the mourners'
I bench, just as do other officeholders
whr fi eultcd In righteous con-
de-!'pm', VoUtW, when this j
courageous Judge Issued tils ir !
I orders.
Hut a serious state of affairs is re- I
vealed by these Inquisitions and
doubtless some good will come of ,
I them. It Is a matter of regret that
i in the Danville Investigation, at least, t
mere politics Bhould have been found Hnue to expand, but the west will se
to be one of the'lmpelling motives and lure Its share of development only by
.....
inr uences at tne nottom or tne wnoie
tning. it ia not at an surpiising, now-i
ever, for such radical reforms are not
likely ever to be ahtomatlc in char
acter, as these have been represented.
Nt th Right Remedy.
Governor Aldrtchs special message
t0 tbe legislature offering a remedy
for election frauds and drawing a
vivid picture of alleged corruption In
Omaha as an argument in support of
his proposal, we fear hits wide of the
mark. Although repeatedly In varl-
oub parta of his communication tbe I
governor says that everything he
charges Is notorious and of current
knowledge, he relates the story to the
legislature as If It were a new and
startling discovery. The facts are
that election frauds are seldom, If
ever, perpetrated In Omaha on a large
scale because of the vigilance of The
Bee and other newspapers, which ex
pose them regularly on their first out
cropptngs. and because they cannot
succeed in the light of publicity.
The Bee has been hammering for
revision of registration laws and elec
tion laws before Governor Aldrich had
his attention drawn to this subject.
But the abuses which The Bee would
have remedied go not only to the pre
vention of fraud, but to facilitating
the exercise of the franchise by votera
now required to go to so much trouble
to be registered, or to swear their
votes In, as often to prefer self-dis-franchlsement.
What we should have
In Omaha is some kind of a perma
nent registration bureau with periodic
revision of the lists for those who
have changed residence or become
voters since the last election.
Confusing the registration boards
with the election boards, Governor Al
drich would revolutionize our whole
election machinery by taking over to
himself the appointment of all judges
and clerka of election in cities of
more than 15,000 population. It goes
without saying that no governor at
Lincoln could appoint 400 election
officers for Omaha and South Omaha
except by taking the word of some
body recommending applicants to him,
and it would be doubtful if he could
do even as good a job as the present
appointing officers. The existing laws
require the appointment of election
officers from lists furnished by the
various political committees, with pro
portionate division between them to
insure bi-partisan boards. Under the
law each Judge and clerk of election
must be an elector residing in the pre
cinct at least one year, the evident
purpose being to secure election offi
cers not easily imposed upon because
personally familiar with the votera of
their precincts. The Improvement most
desired Is one of efficiency, which
would hardly be secured by merely
removing the appointing power from,
Omaha to Lincoln. It might possibly
be secured by establishing a sort of
civil service examination system and
requiring applicants for election-booth
offices to submit to reasonable testa to
get on the eligible list.
If the governor's special message Is
prompted by- his personal altercation
with the city clerk of Omaha, it is un
fortunate. We believe that if, ho
studied the subject more carefully he
would realize that, although there is
room for Improvement, his remedy is
not the right one.
Warship Short-lived.
The fearful cost of maintaining a
navy commensurate with the demands
of a great nation may be realized ln
the simple, statement that today the
United States has forty-five vessels,
aggregating ln cost $138,000,000, on
the retired list, some of them ready
to be sold for Junk. The list includes
battleships, armored and semi-armored
cruisers, monitors, unarmored
cruisers and gunboats. Some of the
moat famous vessels that ever flew the
American flag are among them. Every
vessel, for instance, but one, that par
ticipated In the battle of Santiago ln
the Spanish-American war, Is there.
The one still above the dead line is the
New York and it is being overhauled
at a cost of $500,000, having deteri
orated to the extent of losing Its name,
like the great Texas, which is being
supplanted by tbe new dreadnaught,
Texas.
The average life of the first-class
battleship is from ten to twenty yearB
and few of them remain ln the front
rank after the first decade. It fur
niahea something for our pro-navy ad
vocates to think seriously about when
such vessels as the once-famous De
troit that cost thla government $1,
233,000, sell, aa it did only a few days
ago, for $20,000. Many other equally
famous vessels are fast ending their
days of usefulness in harbors or navy
yards for minor purposes, having long
since passed out of the stage of service
aa battleships.
Until the day of universal disarma
ment every powerful nation will have
! to maintain a strong navy, but never-
I theless the impulses of the radicals
1 should find restraint in facta like
j these. England. France, Germany and
tbe United Statea are, li la said, bur
dened with scores of vessels com-
pletely out of date aa first-class ahips
of war and BO we are urged to dump
these vessels w hlch but a few years
wr. hullt at a cost of millions
Into the acrap pile and build others
greater in Strength and cost. It is a
question If this nation could not prof-
1tably cull halt In its prodigal ex-
penditures for war fleet, without en-;
otuupmis us mirrran auroau. 11 mum
(keep up th standard of navsl effi-
cleticy, but It does not have to respond
to the wild denmnda of chronic Jingoes
to ' that.
This great country of ours will con-
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tunities of the west as superior on one
aide to those of the south and on the
other side to those of the Canadian
possessions on the north.
If Mayor "Jim" had by accident
been elected governor, wonder If Mr.
i Aldrich would have been urging the
legislature to empower the governor
to name the election officials Of
Omaha, South Omaha and Lincoln on
petition of 10 per cent of the votera.
If the Nebraska legislature will
hurry up and pass that law raising the
pay of jurors from $2 a day to $3 a
day we may be able to keep the serv
ices of some of those millionaires who
have been drawn on the Jury panel for
this county.
The Houston Tost thinks they must
have a namby-pamby sort of Jurors In
Kansas City because a colored man
got only three yeara for stealing three
horses. Not that so much, perhaps,
as that they have a poor stock of
horses.
Why a senatorial deadlock In pro
gressive Iowa when the knot could be
bo easily cut by the Oregon plan di
rect primary? Colonel "Lafe" Young
is willing, and even dares the other
fellows to come In swimming with
him.
The latest county option bill pro
poses to submit the question of wet or
dry to the voters in any county on pe
tition of 20 per cent of the voters.
Why not make it 10 per cent plus the
governor?
A limit of one saloon to 1,000 of
the population would also cut the
School board's revenue from saloon
licenses in half. Still, tha might bej
made up by doubling the license fee.
In the Vanal Way.
Louisville Courier-Journal.
The tobacco trust which professes
through an attorney to be the friend of
the planter, stuck to him that Is to say,
stuck him-through thick "and thin.
.
Great Load Lifted. -
Springfield Republican,
flown continues to go the cost of living!
The salt trust ha reduced Its price 3n
cent a ton on account of overproduction,
which means, If extended to the ultimate
consumer, a saving of something less than
1 mill on a five-pound bag.
Rapping a Nervy Bnneh.
Pittsburg rdspatch.
The Montana legislator who demand an
Investigation of the re-election of Sena
tor Lodge In Massachusetts overlook on
Important point. In a state represented ln
the senate by Multl-Mllllonaira Clark In
vestigation, , like charity, should begin at
home.
Scientific Economy,
Indianapolis News.
If Wall street's suspicions are correct,
scientific management ha made another
advance. In other words, salaries for the
heads of corporations will not be more
than M.000 a year Instead of $80,000 or
$100,000 a year, heretofore paid to soma
corporation president, who have got a
good deal of fun and notoriety out of life.
Aatlqalty of the "Jackpot."
New York Sun.
It may be true, as Senator Gamble says,
that the "Jackpot" as a fund to corrupt
Illinois legislator date back to a time
when the Hon. Shelby M. Cullom was
elected aenator, but It 1 singular logic
that regards the fact as having any bear
ing upon th case of Senator Lorlmer.
Senator Gamble considerately observe
that there was no taint on Mr. Cullom'
last election. Otherwise the veteran would
have grave reasons to protest.
Life Toll la Mine.
New York-Tribune.
. The number of lives lost In coal mining
operation ln this country from 1398 to 1808
was 20, 29S, or 111 death for every 1,000
men employed. That 1 a much higher rata
than obtains In Oreat Britain. France,
Austria, or Germany. An appreciable sav
ing In life I expected to result from the
creation last year of a federal Bureau of
Mines, which la to try to Improve mining
methods here and to teach miner to be
more careful and systematic. There 1 a
great field for such missionary work.
People Talked About
Randall G. Davis of East Friendship,
Me., who Is SS years old, has cut eight
cords of wood In the woods this winter
Just for exercise, and he has been in the
woods chopping on soma of the coldest
days.
Ex-King Manuel hss been diligently
studying English. He hss nothing but
praise for the manner In which he has
been received In England, and particularly
for the way in whlcti his desire for com
plete privacy has been respected.
Miss Anna Bromley of Unlontown, Pa.,
who has been awarded a silver medal and
$2,000 for educational purposes by the Car
negie commission. !s a modest heroine
She swam to and rescued from drowning
Philip Fackenthul, In Uarnegat bay, and
was "Just scared to death," she says, when
she helped the man from the water.
The crown prince of Germany Is an
enthusiastic photographer and he is mak
ing good use of his ki owledge of the art
on his trip to the far tart. A recent addi
tion to the great collection of pictures
which he is sending to Germany shows
the crown princess walking across a broad
meadow, back of which huge mountains
rise. She is accompanied by two yellow
boys, carrying golf outfits.
Pf. I. I Kascher of Brooklyn. N. Y . savs
old men and women should be encouraged
( lo rnl!Bgv affair of the heart; it staves
I off old age. Senility, the doctor declares,
i largely due to a depressed state of mind
i 1J ful, nd Lrace ke"P ,heir
clothe tidv and beg.n all over the game
of 1f, Tl grt,ml M)jnt , pr),b,m
j to maintain a courtship without a resulting
j marriage, who Ha car aod uti certain tits.
i
Washington Life
Soma Interesting has
ant Conditio Obr
at ta nation a capital.
The hotel lobby was packed full of hu-
i nmnltv-a maelstrom of molng group.
aome badge-plaatered, and the ueua! per
centage, of home-made colonels. Judges,
senators and minor fixtures of wayback
polltica. The retired senator, from force
of habit, was there, closely observing the
shifting panorama and shedding leflectlve
reminiscences. "My boy." he remarked to
the correspondent of the St. 1-ouls Repub
lic, "after a lifetime of this It becomes
rather tiresome. Meander around that
crowd and you will gather the Impression
that the whole t'nlled States are here.
How many are there In this lobby, actu
ally, would you say? Maybe 200; say .W-.
the vote of one small precinct or town
ship. And how many ballots are cast In
this country'.' Something like 12.0H0.iXi. If
I remember aright.
"This 1m an axe-to-giind crowd, here to
tell congress what to do and how to do
It. Remember, there are no pusses now
adays. Consequently, who conies down
to Washington to these conventions':
Mostly folk who can afford to waste the
money and the time.
"If auch I my opinion why am I here?
The Washington habit, my boy, that all.
Luckily I escaped from the wreck of my
political fortune possessor of a fine farm
back in the old state which shouia be
sufficient to supply any man's wants. But
when 1 am on the farm I somehow long to
bo back In old Washington; yet. being
here a while, I am soon convinced of the
superior attractions of the farm.
"This city has peculiarities, vanities, ec
centrlcltiea all lta own. The man who
stays long enough acquires a Washington
lingo, Washington habits of thought, a
Washington character. The atmosphere Is
apart from anything else to be found In
the I'nlted States. Once a Washlngtonlan
and you are lonely anywhere else In the
country Just a the real American abid
ing elsewhere than within thla ten square
miles are lonely In Washington. The new
comer here, whether representative, sena
tor, official, or what not excepting, of
course, sight-seeing visitors, for whom the
buildings and a near view of celebrities
I enough leads a miserable existence for
the first year or two. But gradually he
begins to fit In, gets the cynically wise
view point, sees the sham and begins to
sham himself which Is playing the game.
Loathing he learns to like and stays on
year after year."
Representative Macon of Arkansas has
opposed at every stage the plan to make
Commander Peary a rearadmlral as
a aiscoverer lor tne discovery oi
the North pole. At times, during the
examination of Peary by the house
committee on naval affairs, Mr. Ma
con showed amazing knowledge of Arc
tic affairs In the questions that he put
to ' the explorer. It remained for Repre
sentative Dawson of Iowa to floor the
Arkansan. ln the final questions of the
committee Macon entered the room with
his arm full of documents.
"Describe the artificial horizon you used
ln the Arctic ocean?" he demanded sud
denly of Peary.
"What Is an artificial horizon, Mr. Ma
con?" Interrupted Dawson.
"Don't you know?" asked Mr. Macon.
"I do not," replied Mr. Dawson. "I wish
the gentleman from Arkansas would en
lighten me."
"Captain Peary," said Mr. Macon, "please
tell the gentleman from Iowa what an ar
tificial horizon Is. While you are doing so
I will look through my papers here." And
the committee laughed.
A Associate . Justice Harlan of the
I'nlted States supreme court was riding
downtown from the capltol recently, re
late the Washington Times, a woman en
tered the car carrying a bundle, which she
placed next to the distinguished Jurist.
In a moment or two Justice Harlan's at
tention was transferred from his news
paper to the bundle beside him.
"Oh. that heavenly odor," . sighed the
Jurist a he sniffed the air.
"I It possible, madam," asked Justice
Harlan, "that I smell mint?"
"Quite possible, Judge," replied the
woman.
"I thought so; we are fond of mint In
my country." remarked the Judge.
"fco I understand," was the answer, "and
Just to show you that I appreciate that
fact I will present you with a bundle of
this mint."
"Thank you, madam, thank you," said
the Judge, as he burled his nose In the
mint. "This Is truly delicious. It make
me wish for well, you know a native-born
Kentucklan can't help ah, the fact of the
matter Is that when one has the mint and
the mint only there la something missing.
You will pardon me, won't you."
Thereupon the Justice doffed his silk hat,
dropped the bundle of mint Into th crown,
restored the hat to his head, bolted from
the street car and hastened to the nearest
place where a skilled hand could do Justice
to the mint.
TAX SYSTEM ATM,l'ATED.
Great Opportunity for Reform
Worth While.
Minneapolis Journal.
Governor Woodrow Wilson of New Jer
sey In his Inaugural address describes the
present system of taxation as utterly ab
surd, having been devised In another age
for conditions that no longer exist. He
argues a new modern taxation.
The subject of taxation Is the most dlf
flcut with which the government Is called
upon to deal; but that Is no reason why
it should be entirely neglected' or why
we should fear to rid ourselves of a sys
tem that is antiquarian, InequUable. un
equal and oppressive.
Governor Wilson does not recommend
soma particular reform. He boldly In
dicts the whole system as worn-out and
absurd. The system of taxation In prac
tically all our states Is not a thing that
can be patched. The old feudallstic and
personal property taxation ought to go
entirely and a new taxation be substi
tuted. The defects of our present system of tax
ation are patent. It lie at the bottom of
the corruption of the people; it encourages
misrepresentation and perjury all along the
line; it burdens the poor, although no common-sensed
man can blame the well-to-do;
It ia. In short, ridiculous and evil.
Most of our difficulties proceed from
the obsolescence of our laws. We have
an antique taxation, an antique finance,
an antique legal procedure. When these
three are modernised thoroughly and ade
quately, a great deal of pressure upon
the nation's brain will have been removed:,
and nerve, temper, suspicion of govern
ment and skepticism as to honesty will
be relieved.
What the nation needs Ia reformers who
know what to reform and how to reform.
New York had such In her former Gov
ernor Hughes, and it looks as If New Jer
sey bad such In her present Governor
Wilson.
a roale llaiter.-l n.
I Washington Post.
j .,, ( Wa , niinnlng h,.r (n bus,
I noi pretty well but that won't prevent
lot ot Americana trying to blp br da ib
The Bee's Letter Box
Oontrtbatlon on Timely Snblert
Hot exceeding Two Hundred Word
lr XnTlt4 from Oar Beadar.
t'nr ( leaner Mrerte.
OMAHA, Jan. W-To the Krtitor of The
Uee' If the ultimate authority over
Omaha's charter rights lies, as ou say,
with the legislature, then let some In
fluence be brought to bear upon the legis
lators that will open their eyes tr the Im
perative need of larger appropriation for
keeping Omaha's streets In a cleanly and
healthful condition. It Is simply a shame
that residents and taxpayers of this olty
have to put up with streets In their present
condition. It Is not only a matter of cm
barrassment to anybody with a particle of
civic pride, but It Is dangerous to health.
Who does not believe that much of our
tvphold fever last spring was due to the
fact that snow and slush laid on the streets
throughout the winter, leading to a fright
ful condition when the spring thaw came"
It Is folly for us to be asked longer tn
endure these costly hardships. Oninha
ought to take the mailer of keeping Its
streets In first-class condition In Its own
hands, anyway. Why wait for the law
makers gathered from the rural towns and
hamlets of the state to tell us what we
may do? Can't we go ahead In some way
and raise supplementary funds ourselves
for the purpose, or am I now expostng a
woman- natural Ignorance of the weighty
matters of state? I know enough to know
something ought to be done, at least.
MRS. It. C. L.
Dispose of Hoodlum.
OMAHA, Jan. W. To the Kdltor of The
Bee: I am not a woman, but I have a
wife and a sister and they have occasion
to be on the downtown streets a great deal,
and in their behalf, as well as that of other
women. I would like to say a word on the
street corner ' hoodlum, the man who has
nothing more to do than plant themselves
on curbstones and ogle at girls and women
I suppose every city has this nuisance to
contend with and I doubt If Omaha Is
as bad In that respect aji some others. But
it Is bad enough. There Is room for Im
provement. Let's have the Improvement.
Recently I was waiting for a car at Six
teenth and Famam streets, when I. I"
common with many others, was attracted
to a fist fight hy two men Just below
the northwest corner. I learned after that
the victor In the fight had pummelled one
of these mashers for offending his wlfe.
whom the hoodlum did not know. Every
Iwdy seemed to feel that the fellow got
what was coming to him and I can say
ho got a good deal. 1 think Just a word or
two from our policemen would be suf
ficient at least to minimize this annoysnce.
L. F. M.
SNAPSHOTS AT CURRENT EVENTS
Minneapolis Journal: A lot of dinosaurs
have been discovered In Utah, but they
were all standpatters.
Cleveland Leader: The sultaln of Sulu
has written back, after his visit, that
Cncle Sam Is the best uncle ever. Uncle
pays his salary.
Denver Republican: Not a single news
paper article on the reduction of cost of
high living has mentioned that airships
are coming down.
Pittsburg Dispatch: If Mr. Carnegie
keeps on distributing It at the rate of
$10,000,000 a month, he may manage to
escape the disgrace of dying rich.
Washington Herald: A woman prose
cuting attorney out In Seattle Is prosecu
ting a woman for tampering with a gas
meter, before a woman JuVy. Heaven help
the gas company!
Philadelphia Reoord: With Addlcks
emerging from (he political Junk shop,
JrKRANtCH BACHji
Kiramieh x HaIh
PSaimos
Fifty Years of Record Breaking Piano Perfection.
The delicate lines of the architectural designs in the
Kranich & Bach Pianos, the beautiful voice like tones, Ihe
skilled workmanship of the interior of this high-class in
struments puts it where it belongs, i. e, the pinno for t tie
artistic home.
Mignon Grand, in mahogany; price only $700
Upright .' $150 Up
A- mospe eo. DiVtit.
P. S. Piano Bargains, from $35 I 'p. Masy P.-iymeiits.
FIFTY-FOUR YEARS
of continuous management; hi years of steady growth in hkscIr.
Founded In 1SST byAuguslui and Herman Kounlze
Nationalized In 1S6:I with a paid up caplial of $:i;.,miu.on.
This has been increased from time to time, the stockholders' invest
ment now being represented by
Capital S 500,000.00
Surplus 850,000.00
Undivided Profits 100,000.00
551,450,000.00
rvori
rVIl r
liBanlcof
there need be no surprise if old Rl Van
Winkle bobs tip and enters the senatorial
contest at Albany.
Cleveland Plain lvab-r: A Nebraska j
woman remarks that "bald heads nol
pretty and clean enough to kiss. If a
Cleveland woman would say a thing like
that, all nirn would start the fashion of
shaving their heads.
Houston Post: The last ten millions
Carnegie unloaded was parted with as ft
Joke. How would you like to be the only
available target around Andy when one
of his coin-separation Jokes was attaining
a pressure of about t0 pounds to the
cubic Inch?
PUNGENT PLEASANTRIES.
"t'harley's perfectly wild ocr his tie
motor car." remarked a limn t.. a friend.
"Wild over It!" responded the lutter.
"You should see and hear hhn when lies
under It !" I.lpplncott s MuKztne.
Mrs. Ctiauss 1 11 never foi ni t the ti'isht
you proposed to me. You acted like a
perfect fool.
Mr. UnaKKs-Thivt wasn't acting.-rhihi-delphla
Record.
W aller tin eheap restaurant I - ' Serainhi 1
cj;gs 1? I.'i cent and omelet Is 'Jl cents '
tines! " list Is the difference'.""
Walter tyaw nltiK)--' l' c ccnls." lto.-l ci
I Holm.
""Won't you try a piece of my wife's an
Kel cuke?"
"W ill It make an angel of mc?"
"That depends upon the klml of life you
!... 1... ' II . It....
Manager I wish we could apply to dead
heads the principle of trolley cms.
Friend What I that'.'
Manager - Pay as you enter Rait Ini": e
American.
Thomas -Tid. when is (he freedom ..f
the city given to a man?
Dad When his wife noes count v;.
for the summer. Harper's Htizir.
"Do ou consider these article li nc-c .
oils'.'" asked the editor, severely.
"They must be." replied Mi s. 1 ins i::.;!.'
"Kveryliody I have rend them to iim
they can't be taken seriously." -W uslili':
ton Star.
GUESS AGAIN.
Some people think because the nil' Is frluln.
And all outdoors Is cold as (IrccnUnd's
ley.
That poets, too. are frost -bound, but the)
fact Is-
Conditions are with poets vcrsy vlcy.
If people think because the world Isfroslv.
We poets all must straightway cr-ase to
gush.
They've pot one guess a-comln', for tlin
fact Is -
Jack Frost has not the power to nuke
a poet hush.
The wssids are strangely silent.
But, oh. tnv heart's a-throbblir
For somewhere way. way off. I vow.
I almost heard a robin.
The trees are bare, and peevishly
The leaf-lorn branches fret;
But sorely, oh. somewhere, I know,
I smelled a violet.
The little brook obedient.
Still holds Its tongue hut say
I almost beard a babble
Beneath the Ice today.
The earth Is cold and frost v.
Hut the blue sky Is serene.
And on a pun-soHked brink I saw
A gentle hint of green.
And one cold evening I saw,
Revond the western hills.
Some yellows that I know we'll find
Ere long In daffodils.
I went out for a hike today,
For I'm a reckless rover.
And In a sheltered spot 1 vaw
What's goln' to be some clover.
And altho' It Is midwinter-
You mav doubt this If you please
But I've heard of people hereabouts
Uettin' sturg by bumblebees.
And, oh, you folks who think a put's llns'a
I'sn't hint of spring bees use of frost v
panes.
You're on the wrong car board an ocean
steamer
For foreign parts go tell thnt to the
Danes.
Omaha. BAYOI.L NK TTtKLF..
twti ."a
mallM
M 41 .A -4'" -J