Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, October 1, 1893, Page 13

-——-m-m-m———— VENICE AND HER CONDOLAS | Beautiful Oity Foll of Marvelsia Art and | Arch BRILLIANT WITH HISTORIC REMINISCENCE ecture, Like & Thousand Tule Bridges—Gliding Stroots iked with Throngh Artistio Narcow Cathedral and Churehes ~Palaces of Splendor. Brussees, Sept. 15, 1803, —To the Editor of Tue Ber: The city of Venice, in Italian Venerin, she of such thrilling history, is one of the most charming places in the world She sets out at sea, as 1t wero, quite alone in her grand beauty, her quiet undisturbed by tho roar of commerce that lends such a dim to the other great marts of the worla. To enter this city is indeed to leave the world behind the railway enters by means of a bridge more than two miles in length stralght seaward from the main land, giving one the impression of moving on the water in & railway train This bridge is considered one of the great fustitutions in the railway world. Tt consists of long embankments and some 225 arches, and cost nearly $1,000,000. By the time one hes the first embankment the white city looms in sight, 1ts towers and and domes coming nearer until the not fook quite so un oa picture, an une lway station hums with the voices people and the rummaging of baggage only. There are no carts, no express wagons. traveler in carrying his hand bagg trunks through the station to the gondolas drawn up in a line just across the platform. As is weil known, Venice is built upon roup of several islands, in what is called a agoon, and is quite a distance from the main Iand. On approaching the city oue sces de- tached from iv buildines, such as hospita ote., each on'a tiny island, and appearing as if they had risen di- Tectly up from the sea. The lagoon contain ing the more than 100 Vene islands separated from the Adriatic by 5 row sund bank, which is divided through by islets, one of which in ancient times was known as the Porto do Lido, the main entrance for ships, while now the deepest channel or islet through this bar i8 known as the Portoc 0. Through this the great vessels n city. The islands containing the city with a population 00 are all small. ana are connected by somie H78 bridges, a fact that makes it possi- ble for one to walk all over the city through the narrow, hall-like passageways, which all well paved and well kept. But fo) dinury traffic and travel the waterways or canals are the regu horoughfares, the gondolas the vehicles. The canals are’ nar- Tow, some of them so much 5o as to admit of only the passuge of two gondolas at the same time, while others will easily admit of four or five at one time. The Brondway of Venice. The chief or larzest of the islands is the Islodo di Rialto, which means islands of tho deep stream, and which gives the name to the famous bridge. The Grand canal, a marine “Broadway' true enough, divides the city into two unequal parts as 1t curves along through it from one end to the other. Thero are 146 small canals, the whole forming a network of stree The Rialto bridge is across the Grand canal. Ttisa wide, high arch, with shops on each siae. These shops, small and narrow, wherein are placed a wonderful medley of articles from beads to blankets and all sorts of trinkets, were a Jong time ago occuvied by Jows as jowelry shops and must have then presented a pretty sight. 200 or 300 years the only nal. 1t is built on 2 0f 12,000 piles, 6,000 on each side, is of marble, an arch of seventy-four feet'span and thirty-two feet high. = Very near this beautiful arch is the oldest church 1 Venice, said to date from 520. The church is closed as being dangerous, ust in front of it is the little square of Shakespeare's Rialto, or the Merchants exchange of that time, and at one side of the square, now a vegetable market, is an interesting column of Egyptinn granite. 1t is approached by steps and supports 4 kneeling figure, From this column it was the custom 1o promulgate the laws of the repabli There are several such monuwents in Venice, h used for like purpose in that time of no newspapers. Tho Square of St. Mark’s. To all that is grand and lovely in Venetian architecture it would seem that the Square of St. Mark's would lay claim. This square, known as La Pinzza, is the centor of both business and amusement, and is surprisingly small iv area, measuring not more than 576 feet in length, by from 180 to 270 feet in breadth. But then itis St. Mark's squaro in Venice La Piazza is faced on one side by lorious cathedral,another by the Procur: Vecchie with the clock tower, in which, in view of the public, the hours are struck on a big bell by two bronze figures; the Procuratic Nuove, built inthe seventeenth century,and the Nicoya Fabbrica,connecting the two, added under Napoleon in 1810, which unites all in one great palace, The square thus formed is n_center where all of Venico may be scen under the arcades, On the north and west sides aro some of the most dazzling shops to be found, the display made to glitter by the show of ewelry, precious stones, fine carvings in vory, silver work, porcelain, paiutings, old coins, glass and laces. Fop these last two mous for the manufacture thereof. There are soveral lace fucto one of which employs 8,000 persons, Thero are, however, not so many persous, perhaps not more than 8,000 or 10,000, engaged in the making of laces in Venico as there ure in Brussels, though living here is much cheaper. Of course the city 1s very much smallor than the Belgian capital. It is interesting to com- are the work in this line of the two cities. th produce exquisito results, Opening to the south of La Plazza is a smaller place known as the Pinzzetta, whereon adjoins the famous Ducal palace, which has in its rear that *sentimental humbug,” the Bridge of Sigus, the opposite side contaming the library and mint, the south opening Lo the sea, and where are the two great columns of granite, one bearing the winged lion of St. Mark, the other the statue of St. Theodore. The Oathedral of Venice, From this one readily understands why » view of the cathedral is nov obtainable from the water front. This fact is very disap- pointing to many persons, too, But did the eathedral front the Grand canal thero would be no St. Mark's square, the like of avhich there is no othor, great cathe- dral is of marvelous richuess in form, size and embellishments. 1ts_ walls inside and out stow an area of 45,790 square feot, more than un acre, of mosaic work, all of in- describablo loveliness, and the decorations fn bronze, gilding and rich marbles are equally as splendid und profuse. The altars, the or?nn. the lnmps, the glorious choir, all in perfect harmony with the murvelous walls snd ceilings, The floor level, while its patterns are beautiful Dwing to the foundations being affected by the soa, or at least the foundations are all made by piles being used in great numbers, and it weuld seem that the sea was the eause, the floors or pavements present a yery uneven surfuce, 1t hasa rise aud full like the waves. Bul this' has been notice- sble for hundreds of years. Ropairsare now and then made, but the floors are not leyel, mor ever likely to bo, 'hé oathedral is of Byrantine style, with o fow additior in Gothic of the fourteenth century and Reuaissance terations of the seventeenth, the church If dating from the eleventh century. great dome rises from the center, and ur smaller ones crown the cruciform struc- ture. From this form it is easy to imagine ‘what play there is for decoration of the noble interior. 1Its gold (s a warvel, us seen used in overy nook, on all surfaces, The ctures are all in Mosaic, and are vumber- 8s. ‘Ihe chapels are rich In Mosaic, bronze, silver and all kinds of precious church adoroment. The soft light prevailng gives one a lasting impression of the noble edifice, @sjecially if lust seen while glorious music song, such asonly can be found in so ficent a pile, is prevailing. ‘There are no horses in Venice, no cats and no dogs, but thousands of pigeons. These are s0 tame that they come in such toLa Plazzs that bhe pavemeut presents a queer | Constantinople. In [ In 1800 ire a-flutter with the lovely white ver-gray things, while many made happy by being allowed a popular juvenile amuser liar spa and sl a sweot babe is to feed thom, tin this pecu Four Venerablo Steed But while only doves are the live pots of ity, there are four magnificent bronze horses over tho portals of &t. Marks, facing this square, and_which are no doubt the most valuable steeds in the world. At least one gets this idea from the proud ] a8 he dilates on their interesting history. These four .conze horses, while pricoless to the city, are a historical quartet of no mean record Their exact origin secms unknown, but it is claimed that they were carried from Egyot to Re turies ago, where it is known they for a Jong time adorned the top of one of the noble arches of the forum, from where Constantine ried them to 1205 they were taken om Constantinople, the Turkish capital, to Venice by Marino Jeuo, where they re mained unditsurbed until 1797, when Napoleon 1. areived in Venice, as he had a way of doing, sooner or later, in _each capi lof Kurope, In that year the bronzo ities were carried to Paris and placed on the arch do Triumphe in the Place de Carrousel, which beautiful structure was modelad after the arch of Severus at Rome. apoleon began the arch ao Trimphe I'Etoile, the most magnificent tri um phal i in the whol 14, and these bronze horses wore to adorn its splen did height. But disaster come upon the mighty Corsican, and in 1515, when a general justment of affairs took placo, when Paris yielded back to other cities their treasures 50 ruthlessly c by that despoiler, the bronze hor ied back to Venico 10 the delight of that city, and replaced over the portal where they now stand, Notable Churches, Venice, like nearly every other European capital, and especially the capitals-of Italy, abounds in fine and interesting churches. 1f church is not famous for its architect- its marbles, its windows, then it will bo monuments or paintings, ch one“is a treasure in architocture or its priceless con- tents. Here, besides St. Mark's, are thir- 0 fine churches, deserving of note, of de- ption, as well as many of only local in- t. San Zamipalo is interesting from act that it was the former burial place of the Doges. Many of their monuments are to be seen. The church of the Jesuitsis famous for its interior, its walls being coy- ered with imitations of draper. vhite marble inlaid with green. one of the three most pre buildings in Ttaly, the Sistine Chapel at Rome and the Campo Santo of Pisa being the others, 18 notable for the sixty-two pictures painted on its walls by Tintoretto, There is such poor light thit the picrures can only be i the early morning. It is said the, painted for their places in the dark and are, for the most part, only vast sketches, made io produce under a favorable or certain de- gree of shadow the effect of finished pic- tures. They are unique productions, & none but Tintoretto would have under: the task. Innone of his other works did he betray such exalted powers. The Church of the Frari contains au ele, t monument to i 0 tomb and monument of the great b} a, from a design of his own, besides many other fine monuments and o few fine paintings. Owng to the wealth of beauty in church possession, numerous galleries and libraries, stupendous palaces, n large number of which, as well as the finest, are situated on the Grand canal, many of the largest con- verted into hotels, the gondolas and water- ways which are so strange and fascinating, one seems to drift on dreaming away the days, lost in visions of the tune when the whole world paid homage to this bride of thesea and potentates feared her frown, 1t is difficult to rouse one's self to a state of real activity that would take one through the great slace tories and glass works, where such marvelous skill and patience are displayed, to study the problem of in- dustrial life in this peculiar center. In the i all engaged in y de- partment are women and girls. Some of the best latent are paid 12and 14 cents a day. Their hours ares eight Lo six, their quar- tors are neat, licht and comfortable, and in nearly all cases the workers secm content and happy, in every case as well and neatly d sare persous employed in an Amer blishment at § ) per week. nagers of these ractorics are delighted to receivea call from strangers, and the foreman and saleswomen proud and happy to show one through the various de- partments, displaying patterns, explaining methods, describing the merits of one school after anoth showing the marvelous pieces in finished state and answering questions. The work is so beautiful, em- ploying the usc only of steady ey dexterous fingers of patient women as siton their chairs, bent over the cushion held on the lap, that one canpot but teel it is really easy and nice to make lace. This inaustry under the patronage of the queen, © who not only appreciates tho exquisite art for ,its beautiful vroducts, but the fact that the thousands must be em- ployed. Each avenue must be watched, de veloped and utilized. Luce making ei home, food und clothing to the toiler: The glass works tmploy several women, They enamel, design and do many fine parts in that line. To see perfe glass one must view the proaucts of V 5 The display of finished pieces, in fact the fruit of the factory, is vewildering in not oaly design, colors and purpose, but finene purity, utility. Even splendor may be or hanced by this perfect fabric. Historie Buildin s, One cannot make Venice seem real. He looks upon the palace of Desdemona, that of Byron, the Brownin s tho grens Ducal palace, the work of Venice, which Ruskiu tells us for a long serics of years employed her best architects in its masonry, jon and svands her imaginanon, and focls that it is all a shadowy dream. Tnis Gothi Ducal palace was begun in 1501 and finished m 1423, 1t has suffered from two great fires —1470 and 1574—after which all was per- restored, and the prisons across the canal and the Bridge of S ding to them, were added. The entrance to the alace is by the Se nu, or iants’ staircase of white marble, and shows two colossal statues. “The interior is a rich lery of Venetian art. The great council hall, one of the largestin the world, con- tains tho portraits of seventy-five of seventy-six Doges, and Lintorretto's Paradise, world. One visits a few of the dungeous where were contined those doomed to punishwent, ‘They are of low ceiling, of brick, stone and mortar; cold, damp and as dark as the cata- combs, In one of the tiny corridors botween the cells yet remains the threshold on which the prisoner’s head was placed for decapita- tion, the fastings still attached to the wall, the floor or pavement the same, over which the blood of untold numbers has washed, The Bridge of Sighs is of uo particular meri avall, and of a lute period owing its interest to its nawe and toa kind of ignorant sen- timentalism of Byron. The author, w. D, Howells, somewhere terms it, *“I'hat pathetic swindle, the Bridge of Sighs." The Pieturesque. To see and enjoy some of the summer amusements of these qaict people, music loving and joyous natured as they are gondola will' carry one over the rippling waves from the Grand canal to the Lido. Here one gets a magnificent view of the islands and lagoons and the aporoach by water. One sees near here some of the great var vessels of Greece, the fair cuunlrf‘fivu duys to the south, and several of the black war monsters of the sea belonging to Italy. After a Joyous gliding over the water for three quarters of an hour one reaches Lido. ‘I'his is the long narrow sand bank elsewhere spoken of. The Lido is beautiful beyond de- scription, rich” 1 its park of lovely trees, tropical plants, flowers and flue promenades. One m walk across or take a train to the sea front, where are the noble casinos and thousands sof feet of bath houses on the water's edge. Ropes are carried far out in the sea and watch boats stationed, manned, in case of need by some mexperienced or reckless bather. From the great Casino balcony and the platforms of the bath house one is looking 1n the very face of the old Adriatic furrowed by great breakers as they roll majestically ~ shoreward, sounding a soft sea wurmur as if tuned by the semi-oriental shores of the other side. Here one may bath in the warm and gentle waters and truly feel all the eaning of the exclamation of the world- wearled one, Vevice, Lido, Lethe. Here ure thousanas of bathers making merry with the waves and coloring the sea with ever changing colors as the bright costumes flash on the view. as the effort of Amusements. The Casiuo furulshes scausewent for thou- | paintings and los. ands and is remarkable for actness to which all {ts appurtenances at tain. The music ard acting is_superior, un like anythiug in this lino elsewhere. To | “Fra Diavola” here makes one love Itatian opera. Such unexc banditti canonly be | Italian, only Ttalians can so perfoctly sing and play The Lido gives one a ploa: ot its froquenters arl 10 be represented as they 1ze and the ex ng improssion 11 classes seom k to enjoy its There is a quiet in their manner ming dignity wholly unlike any ther people under liko circunistances. The French are sunny and_eay, laughing the Germans hearty and some: heavy, active and quite y. ame love of music is found. The Ttalians render music as a language of the soul; the French with a mirth and merry hoart that secms almost contagious, its meaning alw the ( ., as an analyt artist whose y living is im bued with love of sound of harmony. Among all scems to prevail wmtensa love of country and home beauty, which lends a Kkind of contentment and restfulness un- known to uctive, restless weste or new world citizon. 1t is this characteristic, no doubt, whict: has enabled the land to pro- duco these romarkable cathedrals, ¢ The splenc and palaces, in . 0 great features that constitute Kurope the vich aud beautiful show place she fs. It is a contentment and love that makes home and home-band beautiful, and life rounded in development and pleasurible, Avice C. [RROROF sk BOND INVEST T COMIANLES, als, universiti WILLARD. Ident Driggs Defends Thom Against Titiclsms Mado by the Newspapers. Owmana, Neb., Sept. 28.—To the Fditor of TurBee: Several articles have appearod in the columns of Tre Bee during the past | Equitable fouror five woeks, in which the authors have endeavored to hold the bond invest- ment business up to the public gaze in the worst possible light. As but two of thes wero editorials (tho balanco commu- nications) it would seem that some verson on the outside 13 manifestingra very unselfish intorest in the welfaro of the people in gen- eral. For selfish motives a man will sometimes lay himself open 1o the chargo of libel, ns has the writer of the article in the Sunday Morning Beg, headed, “scotched but not squelcned,” but it is a rare thing that one lays himself on the altar of sacrifice solely in’'the interest of the pubti o that we ger } and if one can be found of a personal nature the peoplo are not slow to recognize the real on. e article referred to in Tie SUNDAY Ber us false statements which lead me to and in so doing 1 will, with your per- mission, give to the public some information in reply to pric icles from the same source, appearing in Tue Bee during my ab- sence cast. As usual with men who have noargument, ridicule has been thrown at the statoment that thelife insurance underlies the ope tions of bond investment companies. Lot us investigate insurance a little and make some comparisons. Before me as 1 write a covy of the re- port to its policy holders of the Equitable Life Assurance society of the United covering its operations for 1892, On page 26 of this report, under the heading, “‘A Brief ption of the Tontine Poliey,” I “If the policy holder should chance to die within a Stip- period (calied the tontino the full amount assured is paid to eneficiary, but without profits, 3 the policy holder does ot die he himself receives a liberal dividend of profits at the end of the period. Moreover, the policy holder is not forced to continue it, but is given tho opportunity of withdrawing from the society on most advantageous terms at the end of vhe period.” The period is either ten, fifteen or twenty years, as the policy holder may select ay the beginnin Following th 7 to B2 inclusive, are six examples (to quote from tho report) “igiven to show the results accomplished 1 the last twenty years.” The: amples are of twenty-year tontine policies, issued in 73, tontine period complete in 189 Atthe age of 50 the annual premium charged v $17.18. It follows, therefore, that every pe son aged 50 taking a tontine ol with this company in 1873 dying the f year boqueathed - to his' beneficiary $1,000 at a cost of $47.18, making fa profit on the investment of over 2,000 per cent. 1 say investment because life’ insurance is but an investment, the returns of which ar upon the contingent of death, dying the second year leave thesame legacy, but at double the vost, still with nearly 1,000 per cent profit. dying the third year, the same legacy at a profit of over 600 per Vi ear of the twenty ing these enormous profits, or playing thissomething for nothing The question may very properly be asked, where does the money come from t do this? Does it come from the company’s pockets? At the beginning of (close of 1 their assets were 810,605,058 ; surpius, 81,504, nty years, until the close of 1802 (cnd of the tontine p y have mcreased their assets 1o 81 2 or nearly 500 per cent increase, plus increased to 31,180,915, or over 2,000 per .cent increase. Su the enormous profits paid to beneficiaries during these twenty years never came from the company’s till. Perhaps it w contributed by the sur- vivors, who are privileged to withdraw at the ena of twenty years on advantageous terms. Among the examples pr sly re- ferred to 1 find on page No. 50,5333 for 5,000, age at issue 26, premiums puid 34,782, pre cash $3,002.85, being a return of £167.35 for ¥100 paid in premiums, On the last y the report 1 re tontine poli sucd by the Equitable society twenty 0se tontine period expires in i b cash surrender value greater than the sun of the premiums paid, All twenty-year tontine endowment policies show a return of the premiums paid with in- terest at rates between 6 and 7 per cent per annum.” Surely the profits are not from this source. Where, then, shall we-look for this profit if the company has grown rich, the survivors received all their money back with interest, and the payments by the de- ceased could not possibly earn it? It is cluimed that as insurance policies are nonforfeitable aftor three anbual payments have boen wade, that the lapses are very light. Let us investigate. The Kquitable company wrote i 1592 200,490,316 new busi- ness. They show an increase of outstanding instirance for tho r of #16,007,088, therefore a cancellution of $154,422,028. Their detailed report o the insurance commissioner shows paid to policy holders §16,534,447, of which 3,833,102 was paid for the surrender of $24,. 133,117 insurance, thence the $16,534,447 can- celled 06,888,011, leaving +$117,593,717 can- celled without 1 cent cost to the company, In other words these figures represent the lapse element in i The premium income for divided by out- standing insurance, shows an averago premium collected for the year of $40, If the lapses above shown had paid this aver- age premium but once, the profit from this source in 1502 was #4,703,748, or nearly on half the amonnt of death claims paid in the sumo yeur, $10,401,052 ‘The combined reports of thirty-one com- panies for 1892 show total canceliations dur- ing the year of . Total payments to policy holders by same companies,§08,881,- 7585 difference or cancellations without ' cost 10 tho companios, 504,903,804, or 1215 per cent of the business in force at the close of the year. In these figures we find the solution to the problem, an suswer to the question, where doos the money come from 10 pay these profits already showu? It is argued that lupses in life insurance are offset by the risk takol Every policy issued is oalled a visk taken. ‘The Equitable company quotes from ~ DeMorgan: “Other things being equal, that company isthe safest in which the largest number is iusured.” Is it not strange that the greatest safety lies in in- creasiug the risk! The fact is there is no risk. Insurance compauies operate upon the law of averages which has been determined by past experience. They can tell in advance how many deaths will occur in & given time, among & given number of people. They koow from the same source how many lapses they can expect and the only problem they can solve 1 advance is the amount they wiil lose by poor investments, if they make any. From their mortuary tables they can figure the exact awount necessary froim each per- son annually in order to provide a fund that will furnish at death $1,000. By past experience in lapses they know how much they can safely reduce that amount iu fixing the cost tothe people, total aluo cach ge of THE_OMAHA DAILY BEE: SUNDAY. OCTOBER 1, 1893-TWENTY PA $0 that they may share in the it m this source. - That thdy do not make their rates too low is showmwtv the fact that mpany, prgviously referred to as A sample 1 to their asscts in 1592 all of their inc y from invéktment, also £10,421 861, or nearly one-third of their premium in come. 1Is there any furthe of oS sary to substantiate the statement that the largest, it not the ohly, source of profit to the policy holder is from lapses? companies are condemued by writers pre viously reforred to for introducing this source of profit into ¥heir plans. Can we commend a principle’ in one case aad decry it 1 another? The examples previously referred to in the report of the Equitable | 1y show the actual cost of life insur. ance on those policies to have varied £8.70 por £1.000 per annum at the agi 3 £15.40 per #1,000 per anhum at the age of 41 "The reports of thirty vies 1o the in surance commissioner show that 28 per cent of their annual preiniums for 1592 was used for sent paid for cent (the remainder) for awals and investnent to . pay tontine ndowment maturitios. Bond invest ment companies devote 50 por cent of their premiums to immediate payment of maturi ties, 371§ per cent to withdrawals and in vestment in a fund for final cancellation of obligations in winding up the business, 1214 per cent for currant expenses. Is there, then, such a wide difference? Both issuc a contract which 1s kept in force by the payment of promiums, Both divide th premium into three funds. Both uso one fund for current ‘expenses. Both use an- other fund for immediate payment of con tracts, one paying on the contingent matur- ing contracts by death, the otherona _con- tingent maturing them by number. using the other fund for investment to puy withdrawals and later maturing contracts Both operate upon the law of averages and both have the samo sources of profit, viz., lapses and investment. Where, then, is tho difference? Simply in the contingent upon which the money is paid as stated above. Can it be that so slight a change transforms plan that has hitherto received the high- est commendation, for the good it has done to uatold numbers, into a fraud and swindle, and deserving the severest censure of the public ns being eutrageously inconsistent and opposed to the public good ? According to the report of the Equitablo company this plan was devised in 1863 and for the past twenty-five years numerous companics have boen operating it without unfavorable comment, paying millions of dollars to their patrons and at the same time rolling up fabulous sums in a: which are increasing continually. cent -edition of Public O, appeared in which In a re- crment the United States we 000,000, or one and one-half times the interest-bearing debt of the nation, When such profits as life insurance com- san be produced by vhe of plan that is acknowledged le y is it & wonder that men seek to utilize the plan for investment, when to do so it is only ssary to change the contingent on which the money is the contingent being a fuctor in the plan that has no bearing upon its ability to vroduce profitable returns? Something over two years ago a company in M introduced into its plan a multi- ple with which to determine its table of ma- turities. Upon the appearance of their ad- ising matter a building loan company had it forwarded to the PostoMice depart- ment at Washington, attached to an opinion by their attorney pronouncing it a lottery. In tho absence of the assistant attornoy gen- eral the law clerk of the department decided against the company and closed the mails to them. Upon the return of General Tyner he reversed the decision and reopened;the mails 10 the company. Sineo that time many prom- inenent aptorneys have not only endorsed General Tyner's opinion, but together with innumerable merchants, manufacturers, bankers, real estate and insurance men, doc- tors, ete., became investors in bonds. In view of these facts is it strange that good men have not only lent their namos and 1n- fluence to the business, but have given it their time and energies? - Is it not strangor that oneshould be found with the boldness and temerity to pronounce it a fraud and apply the appollation of dupe and ignoramus to the long list of business and professional men who are now. carrying bonds in these companies? & Great men, however, do not always agree. Judge Thomas, the present assistant at- torney general, does not take the s that h the mails to all companies who use a ple in making their table of maturitie no restrictions have been placed upon those who mature numerically the writer of the articlein Bee to remark that the companies are otched, but not squelched.” He also ne- cuses them of prosecuting the sale of bonds in out-of-the-way places with a vigor born of desperation and attempting to malke a long and grand haul before the day of reckoning, which is soon coming. Were he called upon to prove this statement in court he would be in rather a bad predicament. This statement has no foundation in fact which of 1tself gives color to the belief that there is a malicious intent behind it. Anm inquiry at the express oftices in Omoha will al the fact that the bond companies are not sending or receiving any appreciable amount of business by express as stated, in fact nothing but what they would at any other time in the ordinary course of business. An examination of the books of the companies that are excluded from the mails will 1 the fact that they are not selling bonds atall. The “'signiticant calm” referred to *in bond investment eir- cles,” if significant, simply means that there are men engaged in the business whoso hon- esty and integrity of purpose huve never been questioned by those who know them. Men have gone into the business, believing, after a thorough investigation, that it was just as lawful as life in surance, the legitinacy of whi is unquestioned, = men ' who still believe in it and who will conduct it with the free and unlimited uso of the United States mails and without confliction with the laws of state or United Stites or not at all. Men who, rather than resort tothe courts to establish a point that many good lawyors tell them can be made, prefer to change their plans so as to eliminate any suspicion of lottery and are accordingly quietly awaiting thé results of changes sub- mitted for the approval of the department authorities, Men who, rather than enter into any newspaper controversy, would pre- fer to bear any reasonable amount of abuse and devote the time necessary for reply to their business. Sometimes, however, forbearauce coases to be a virtue. In view of the fact that bond companies have been incorporated in ten different western states besides Nebraska and that the statutes of many others will permit such incorporation, I wonder if the members of our legislature will take kindly to the eriti- isms on their past work, as ‘made by the writer of the article in T NDAY BEgr? 'he policy of states generally is to permiv poration for any legitimate business. To permit in one caseand exclude in an- other where the business is lawful savo class legislation, ioh is in conflict w the constitution. As the legislature cannot anticipate every businéss that might want to incorporate, they chu only, in justice to all, enact a broad statute and oxclude the unlawful, They can enact laws to regulate business betwien the public and corpor tions created by their‘dots, and in the exe ciseof this power, should enact laws for the government of bond inyestment coiipanies, placing them under tife supervision of the insurance commissioner, require them to make an annual report to the commissioner and exact an indemnity bond, as they do from insurance comprmies, operating the same plan_for the pupose of furnishing in- surance. No fault should be found with them for not doing this before they had any knowledge of the occhsion for such laws. ‘I'he legislature will meet in about another year and if the bona investment business is such o fraud and swindle as has been repre- sented by the articles referred to, it will manifest itself so unmistakably by that time that the legislature will set its foot down su hard as to crush it out of existance. On the other hand, if it has merit they will no doubt recognize it and enact suitable laws to regu- lateit. 1Inthe meantime, do not condemn it hastily, but investigate it and let reason be the judge. Building and loan and insurance men are not competent to do so, as they are pn:i]udwed—-huhdmg loan men because they find in bond companies strong competitors, and life insurance men ‘ause in the bond business facts and figures in connection with the insurance business are brought to the notice of the public that heretofore were only matters of record in the offices of the company and the iusurance commissioners. Very truly, W. W. Diiaas, President Missourt Valley Loan and Invest- meut cowpany, the | Bond | Both | OPENING. YOU- ARE-INVITED MUSIC FROM 7 TILL 10 P. M. OUR FALL OPENING OCCURS Tty Fioy o Sty 0, 551 MORSE DRY GOODS CO,, Mirth. A Newly Arranged Store. Goods. OMAHA, NEB. Music. New Departments, Beauty. New Bright, Beautiful Belongings. Music Thursday Evening by Musical Uuion Orchestra, For the Ladies: AT OUR OPENING We will give free, pie to Mr. partmont. name in full, Tomorrow we sell Special values in ladies’ and children’s cloaks at 83. 50. Some very choice ladies’ all wool Reefers in black and colors at §5.00. This department is prepared to meet all emergencies, all styles, all colors, all tastes consulted, all sizes fitted; no disappointment for any lady, See our new fur neck scarfs, with animal’s head and claws, Tomorrow we sell Ladies’ kid gloves, in all the popular shades of the season. They are worth $1.25; buy tomorrow at 69c, Tomorrow we sell Dress goods, and all ladies are interested in dress goods. particularly when they can buy them cheap. Beautiful French serges and henricttas, all worth 65c a yard, tomprrow at 39¢ a yard, Best filty cent black dress goods in the city, In novelty dress goods we show the choicest ever secen in Omaha. We have positively EV- ERYTHING new and bright in dress fabrics, to one thou ladies, one thousand handsomely decor :s of Chinaware, and to insure getling a souvenir, write your name on this adver- tisement, and send it, before Tuesday Lawrence, in house-furni Your name will be kept on rec- ord and you can call for Thursday between 7 and 10'p. m. Frcgyzam. March—Our Bilrtation “Tho Brida Sclection~Erminie oo dakol Potpourri—Grand Ducness .....Offenbach Southern Planta- ) ... .Songs ushington 1ost Sousn ousn Rose Lavall Ovorture Medicy tion March- Overfure — Dichter und Bauer ... 1IN V. suppe 8¢ 0 stion—RBohemian Girl,. it chocs s L O DeWite ut Danee, ted noon, ng de- = Medley- our souvenir on Put your A. Tlorinan Tomorrow we sell Blankets—good blankets, at 98c a pair. For 83 we'll sell the best blan- ket ever shown. 'Tis worth $5 in gold, siiver or brass, and good value at that, For the past two wecks we've been selling hundreds of blankets, and buyers voluntarily assert, “They never saw such great values.” There never was a better time to buy BLANKETS, Tomorrow we sell Ladies’ heavy ribbed underwear, nat- ural color, French yoke, no drawers, would be good value at g1.50. and you can buy them tomorrow at g9oc a garment, Tomorrow we sell Extra quality towels at 12}c, Heavy oatmeal towels at 17c, Dollar and a quarter napkins at 98¢ a dozen, An immense white bed spread for 98c, same as sold elsewhere for $1. Your hoy Can get an all wool suit, pretty pat- terns, extra pants and hat to match, the entire outfit for g5, These are suits mothers have yearned for; they are suits you long have sought and we have sole control of them in Omaha, UR HOSIERY and MEN'S FURNISHING departments will give some splendid bargains tomorrow. Men's handsome 5oc neckwear for 25c. derwear at 75c. Mep's natural gray fleece lined underwear at goc a garment, Men's fall weight un- Bargains will also be given in handkerchiefs, muslin underwear and infants’ knitted garments, DON'T LOSE SIGHT OF THURSDAY. Be with us and we'll make it pleasant for you at our Grand Opening, It Pays to Trade with THE \/IORSE Dry Goods Co., OMAHA, NEB,