Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, January 23, 1894, Page 4

4 THE OMAHA DAILY BEE. | VATER, Editor, PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. Dally Nee (withont Sunday) One Year Dafly and Sunday, One Y ori 81x Months it o Montha Tieo, Onin Vi 8 800 10 00 500 2 60 2 00 150 05 JENCE. ine 1o news and edi- To the Editor CORREST AN eonimun torisl matter whonld be BUSINESS LE All business letters and remittane ada) blisting shold b Ooma compa JSHING COMPANY. OF CIRCULATION rankn niglas, | huek. seavetary of THE IEE Pub- docs wolomuly swear thai the of Tiie DAILY DEE for the week 0, 1894, Witk 45 (0lloWh 1ishin Actual elelation endin, Sworn by pr 1 N i, foro me and subseribed in U day of Ja y Notary Pub'le THE income tax bill is about to be launched upon the congressional sea, with the chances of shipwreck slightly in the ascendant, LET the senate act upon the new su- preme court nomination without delay. The business of that court ought not to bo trifled with to gratify the animus of any single senator. THEATRICAL marriages for advertis- ing purposes only seem to be coming to be once more the fashion. Now that the pace has been set, no ambitious actress can afford to get along without them. THERE is something startling in the possibilities of beet sugar culture and manufacture. Nebraska could build 200 factories in the Platte and Elkhorn val- leys withoutsurfeiting the home market for the sugar. Tur indications, as judged by the reserve in the New York banks, point to an easy money market and an abund- ance of capital for investment. If the several prejects now on foot in Omaha are matured before spring the, chances of getting them under way are very fair. THE proposition made to the Towa legislature that a tax of one-quarter of 1 per cent be levied upon the gross re- ceipts of all insurance companies doing business in the state will be watched with a great deal of interest. A fran- chise tax is a novelty in the west, and Towa seems to be disposed to experiment with it Tne Towa legislators propose to take hold of the Russian thistle and to pro- vide for its extermination by compelling the farmers and local authorities to cut the weed before it goes to seed. There is nothing to prevent the farmers of Nebraska afflicted with the Russian thistle from adopting this remedy, even without special legislation on the subject. .CONGRESSMAN ToM JOHNSON is get- ting out an edition of 250,000 copies of his recent tariff speech and says that he will have 1,000,000 printed if the people call for them. The size of the edition won't make much difference to the finances of Mr. Johnson. All he will have to do is to adjust the price of eteel rails to 4 new schedule and the revenue will pay for both rails and speeches. THE Beet Sugar Growers association is going about its business in a sys- tematic way by organizing the farmers in each separate precinet of the county. There is no reason why the farmers ia the vicinity of Omaha cannot supply all the beets required for several large sugar factories. As soon as the first season’s success is demonstrated the rest will be smooth sailing from that time on. ALL that profuse talk about Senator Gray’s prospective elevation to the bench of the United States supreme court proves to have been premature. Senator Gray will be allowed to serve out the term for which he has been chosen while continuing to defend Mv. Cleveland’s pot policies on the floor of the senate. Senator Gray can be much more useful to the president in his pres- ent capacity. TaE avidity with which Lincoln men are gobbling up the suline lands dis- counts the plaintive assertions that the lands are valueless. The state has been euchered out of several hundred thou- sand dollars by the manner in which these lands have been appraised. This statement is made av the risk of per- sonally affronting the soveral thousand collego students who make the capital oity their temporary home, but it is nevertheless true, THE people of Colorado ave gradually climbing out of the slough of despond into which they rashly plunged them- selves last sammer when the Sherman act was repealed. They are beginning to realize that they can make more money wining gold than they can by delving for silver. The improvements in mining machinery and the reduced cost of transportation from mine to smelter has very materially reduced the exponse of gold mining, and the yellow metal is likely to have a boom in the silvor statos. EBRASKA securod a larger quota of the foreign mmigration last year than either of the two states to the north and to the seuth of h With ,proper ad- vertlsing of her rosources and ade- quate inducements to immigrants No- heaska oughit to do relatively better than she hns dono in tho year just com- meneing. The number of arrivals who on lending dectared this stato to be their destination In 1803 was 3,154, @ number which could be sevoral timoes ineronsed with ghod results to both lmmi- grants snd the stute, THE BOND QUESTION IN CONGRESS. I'he proposal of the secretary of the | treasury to fssue bonds in order to pro- vide for the doficiency in revenues prom- 1808 to become a topic of interesting dis- cussion in congross, Secretary Carlislo is to appear before the judiciary com- mittee of the house tomorrow for the purpose of explaining his proposal, after which the committee is expected to take action npon the rosolution of Represent- ative Bailoy of Texas, declaring that the secretary of the treasury has no authority to wuse the proceeds of bond sales to pay current ex- pensos. A spoech on the bond question in the senate is also announced for Wednesday, so that it will be seen the subject is commanding very earnest attention in both branches of congress. It is not doubted, according to trust- worthy opinion, that the Bailey resolu- tion will be favorably reported to the house from the judiciary committoe, that committee having in the last con- gross made @ report in line with the olution. That report affirmed the of the sccretary of the treasury to sell bonds under the resump- tion act for the purpose of redeeming United States notes, but expressed the opinion that the proceeds of such sales could not be re right legally used for any other purpose. As this is the position of the Bailey resolu- tion the judiciary committee, whose membership is substantiaily the same asin the last congress, can hardly do otherwise than endorse the resolution and make a favorable report upon it to the house. What its fate will be in that body is somewhat problematical. It will have the support of the silver men and the fiat money advocates, to- gether with the politicians who fear the effcct upon the party of thus increasing the public debt, and it will be antagonized by the administration democrats. What position the republicans will take re- garding it is yet to bo disclosed. But the consideration of the resolution will not be entered upon until the tariff bill is disposed of, and as the discussion of s0 important a question will undoubt- edly consume some time it is very likely, unloss something else interposes—as the proposed injunction—that by the time it is ready to act upon the Bailey reso- lution the bonds will be issued. 1t is stated that the treasury will be ready to make the issue during the first week in February, and from the fact that the secretary has gone on with his preparations, notwith- standing his knowledge of what is con- templated in congress hostile to his policy, it is to be assumed that he pro- poses to pay no attention to this oppo- sition, As herctofore remarked regarding the position of those who insist that the sccrotary of the treasury cannot issue bonds for any other purpose than that of maintaining a gold reserve for the redemption of United States notes, it is perhaps technically correct, but what is the real condition? The sec- retary has been using the gold reserve to pay the current obligations of the government until it has been depleted to the extent of $30,000,000. If he has done this lawfully, and no one appears to question that he has, he can continue to use this fund for current expenses so long as he deems it safe to doso. He is authorized by law to issue bonds to maintain a gold reserve of such amount as he shall think necessary to main- tain the parity of the several forms of currency. This is a matter within the discretion of the sec- retary. He may think 875,000,000 of gold enough or he may consider it necessary to have a reserve of $125,000,- 000, When specio payments were re- sumed the borrowed gold reserve was $05,000,000. Now if the secretary of the treasury can lawfully use this fund for current expenses, as he has been doing, and he possesses the authority to main- tain the gold reserve at such amount as he shall deem necessary by issuing bonds, it is impossible to sce why his present course isnot entively proper and legiti- mate or how it in any respect contra- venes existing law. It ought to be safe to predict that the action of Secretary Carlisle will be sustained by congress, as both within the law and fully justified by the circumstance: A GRADUAL REVIVAL. Reports from sources other than the commercial agencies show that thore is a gradual revival of industrial and busi- ness activity, The statements of the trade papers generally are to this effect. The improvement is slow, the progress by cautious steps, but it is noticeable. There is something in this to encourage hope and to brighten the outlook for the tens of thousands who are most anxiously waiting for the time when they will again have the opportunity to earn a subsistence. It is to be expected under the circumstances that business men will feel their way along with xtreme caution. Thoir experience dur- ing the last six months so weakened their courage that it will in the nature of things be a long time before they recover it wholly, and it is possi- ble in their excoss of caution many will not make the best use of thele oppor- tunities. However, conservatism is not only to be expected, but it is wise. The economic policy of the country for the next four vears is not yet established. No one can say positively what it will be. The new tariff bill may pass the house of representatives with few changes and probably will do so, but its ate in the senate is not so well assured. It is quite possible that it will undergo material changes in that hody and bo- fore it reaches the president bocome in important respects a quite differ- ent measure from what it is at present. Such contingencies business men are bound to consider and so long as they are to be considered caution and con- vatism will characterize the course of all depurtments of business, But it is gratifying to find that the situation is not getting worse and i5 really improving, however slow and gradual the process of recovery. If the country can get back in a year, or even two years, to the state of prosperity that prevailed for soveral years before the period of distrust and depression set in we shall be fortunate. It isnot to bo doubted that this would be attainable THE OMAHA in oven a shorter time than a year if the proposed new tarift policy were to be abandoned, but this is some- thing not to be hoped for. How long it will take to readjust business to the new conditions that will be created by that policy no one can determine. 'To some extent the work of readjustment is now taking place, the rosumption of indus- tries being at a lower cost for labor, but this is not all, though the chief thing, that will have to be accomplished. An- other question is whetber, after the r adjustment of businoss to the new condi- tions, the country can realize as high a degreo of prosperity as before with the wagos of labor largely reduced. It would seem porfectly obvious that it cannot. With the great body of wage earnors compelled to econo- mize in their living expenses from 10 to 20 per cent, if they undertake to save anything from their earnings, it is pluin that the general prospet ity must be un- favorably affected, for the theory that the price of commodities will fall in pro- portion to the decrease in the cost of labor will undoubtedly in the long ran be found erroneous. One fact is always to be kept in mind, and that is that the population of this country is so large and its consuming capacity so great that there is less danger of a prolonged industrial depres- sion here than in any other country. The indications that the country has seen the worst of the depression which began a year ago and the promise of a gradual recovery of prosperity will be heartily welcomed by everybody. THE SUPKEME COURT NOMINATIO With all promptness consistent with the responsibility vesting upon him, Pres identCleveland hasrecovered from what- ever disappointment the rejection of the Hornblower nomination may have caused him and has sent to the senate the name of another man as his ¢hoice for the supreme court vacancy, and one which to all appearances promises to be a good appointment in every respect. ‘Wheeler H. Peckham has for years been a lawyer of prominence in New York City. He has taken active part in re- form movements of various kinds, not the least of which was the anti-snapper convention of two years ago, to which he was chosen a delegate. He held the po- sition of district attorney for a brief period in 1834 and is now president of the New York Bar association. Sixty- one years of age and with an experience of an extensive law practice for years, he cannot be open to the charges which were preferred against Mr. Horn- blower on the score of legal inox- perience. If a justice of the supreme court is to be chosen outside of the present and past incumbents of inferior benches Mr. Peckham’s selection will offer as wide an experience in legal mat- tors as could well be desired. But Mr. Peckham'’s nomination seems no more calculated to assuage the feel- ings of those sticklers for senatorial courtesy than did that of Mr. Horn- blower, whose rejection by the senate they compassed. It emphasizes more than ever President Cleveland’s dester- mination to ignore the Hill-Murphy ma- chinein the distribution of NewYork pat- ronage and to confine his appointments to the anti-snapver wing of the democ- racy. Senator Hill said publicly last week that he would be pleased with the nomination of Judge Rufus W. Peckham, a brother of Wheeler H. Peckhaw, to this place, and it is quite possible that he will not take offense at a selection that comes so near his own choice. But it was intimated that this desire on the part of Senator Hill was not so much for the welfare of any member ot the Peck- ham family as to secure “a vacancy in the place on the New York state court of appeals which Judge Rufus W. Peckham holds, to which, with Gov- ernor Flower's assistance, he might secure the appointment of one of his trusted machine democrats. So far as the principle for which Senator Hill and his followers contended in their fight against the confirmation of Hornblower is concerned, namely, that they should be consulted by the president in regard to appointments from their states, the new nomination rests upon the same basis as the old. In nominating Mr, Peckham the presi- dent has performed his duty in the matter at least for the moment. The demand for a full court to take up cases of grave cons!itutional import requires that the senate perform its duty with equal promptness, A repetition of the dilatory treatment accorded the Horn- blower nomination will not be received by the people with the patience recently displayed. The president’s opponents may be trusted to rake up any objec- tions that'may possibly be urged against Mr. Peckham, If they fail to produce real reasons for his rejection the ap- pointment should be quickly confirmed. WHO WILL REAP THE BENEFIT? A gentleman who wants to see his name in the paper has been accommo- dated by THE BEE in the publication of a communication in which he roundly scores the rich men of Omaba for not building the Union depot at their own oxpense. Taking the stock-in-trade arguments of the freo trader as his text, he declares that if the scheme is profita- ble it will be undertaken without a bonus, and if it is not sure to be profita- ble then the bonus is thrown away. Now, in the first place, the capitalists of Omaha have all their means tied up in various enterprises, such us stock yards, smelting works, distilleries. breweries, elevators, mills, hotols, banks, street railways, ete. The only object they have in view is to bring about the er tion of a metropolitan union depot. They have themselves to- gether for this purpose because the Union Paeific is in the hands of reccivers and cannot complete the depot already begun nor build a new one until after a settlement with its creditors, which may take five years or more. The other roads that center in Omaha aro also in no condition to build the much-needed union depot even if they were disposed to undertake it, All that can be rationally expected is that if the Jnion Pacific goes into the new depot they will all fall in Tine and pay thelr share of the rental for the use and occu- pancy of the depot. It is therefore manifest that Omaha DAILY BEE cannot get a union depot within the next five yoars, if ovef, unless foreign capi- tal can be brought here to carry out the project. The bonus whinh the Metro- politan company 'askl the city to vote is simply the basis on which our local capi- talists oxpect to enlist foreign capital- ists to advance 4 mfllion and a half on which, in due time, they are to get in- torest in the shapo of rental from the various roads, Bved with a bonus of $300,000 it is not wbsslutely certain that the money can’ be’seoured. The Ne- braska Central, with a bonus of three quarters of a miltion,was unable to float its bonds to carry oub its gnterprise. Tosumup, nobody in Omaha will be en- riched by the bonus, but the heavy busi- ness end of the city will be made more compact and the whole city will reap in- caleulable advantage from focusing all the passenger travel and traffic upon one point and make the heart of the city accessible to overybody that comes and goes in and out of town. THE 10WA LIQUOR LAW. When the Towa lagislature convenes today, after a week of rest, it will face several of the most interesting problems that have been brought forward in the Hawkeye state since the original adop- tion of the prohibition law. Of these questions the modification of the prohib- itory liquor law easily takes precedence. In its last platform the republican party of the state relegated the question to the counties, leaving it open to the voters to determine the complexion of the legisla- ture for or against the repeal or amend- ment of the law as it stands. The re- sult of that election is still uncertain. In both branches the republicans are in the majority, but whether the sentiment is sufficiently strong in favor of the change to make its ac- complishment possible eannot be told till action has been taken in the caucus. The election of ex-Governor Gear to succeed James F. Wilson in the United States senate may be taken in a measure as indicating the sentiment of the legis- lature on this topie. Governor Gear's outspoken opposition to prohibition would not vecommend him to the straightout advocates of the dogma, who hope to see it brought up in the con- gress. His victory in the senatorial cau- cus must then indicate that the radical element of the prohibitionists is not in the majority among the republicans. Just what the modification will be is the question. The out and out prohibi- tionists take ex-Governor Larrabee'’s platitudinous remark, “Thé legalized saloon shall never again gain a foothold on Towa soil,” for their shibboleth, and, rallying around it, have declared that any change in the law will be made in spite of their protests. Thero is a strong element in the assembly that favors the Gateh bill, which ‘b];ovides for local option by counties. ;Between these two lie many individual plans for solving the question. C'hie[ of these is the *‘mulet” plan, evolved by Editor Sabin of Marshalltown' and championed by Speaker Stone. This is simply a scheme to legalize the fines now collected in such of the cities "as recognize the futility of combatig the saloon and have set up thaupractice of collecting monthly a stipulated sum, which is charged nominally as a fine for the con- duct of a disorderly house.. While this method presents some fascinating fea- tures at first glance its utter imprac- ticability becomes apparent when har- mony between it and existing legiela- tion is sought. Even were it free from the objections raised against it on the score of its conflict with the constitu- tion, the fact that it is only a makeshift condemns it. The desive is to settle the question once and for all and remove it entirely from politics. The diversity of individual opinion on this question seems to indicate failure to agree, but the imperative necessity of settling the matter will doubtless lead the members to agree in caucus on some measure which will secure the desirad effect of continuing the force of the present law 1n counties where it is effective and giv- ing to those cowaties where the law is inoperative the vight to regulate the traffic in liquor by means of license. In this light the passage of a local option law seems inevitable. The republican party will be held ro- sponsible for whatever legislation may be had on this question. There is no doubt but the success of the party in last fall’s election was in a great meas- ure enhanced by the belief of the people that through this party some relief would be afforded and that the question which has now been for fifteen years a cause of discord in the party would be effectually disposed of. The party can- not shirk this responsibility. It isa duty the members who are in the as- sembly owe to the party and to the peo- ple to so act as to avold any charge of duplicity or cowardice in dealing with what will never be settled so long as an attempt is made to enforce a state-wide prohibitory law. NOTHING 80 well shows the extent to which the bond investment swindles had been exploited in the west up to the time that the federal postal authorities took proceedings to,put a stop to their operations a8 theneport of the receiver of the defunct Chicago concern, whose officers were made an example by the government. The réceiver was able to find only $449 n ‘assets, even the furniture in thie palatial office having been held, under chattel mortgages, Thac Habilities he es- timates at #55,000,000, that is to say there are supposéd. to be 55,000 bonds ontstanding upon which the owners have made partia] payments. Many of the dupes have c¢ontinued t> send in theiv installmentsinithe vain hopo thut i o1 TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 1894 will bo resuscitated and that they may get their monoy back if thoy only wait long enough. Many of them must bave been roped into the scheme in the face of the exposures of its fraudulent nature in the newspapers, which gave them due warning. Such onjsodes go a great way to confirm the saying of the great showman, Barnum, that the American people want to be humbugged. the concern THE INC AX BILL, An internal revenue bill has finally been agreed upon by the democrats of the ways and means committee and a feature of it will be an income tax of 2 per cent on personal incomes in excess of §4,000 por annum and on all incomes derived from corporations, regardless of the amount. It is proposed to require all persons receiving moro than $3,500 to report the amount of their income to the local collector, who will examine the returns and make up a list of the taxable incomes. He may accept these returns or institute an investigation in any case where he thinks a return is not truthful, and a person found to have made an untruthful return will have to pay twice the ordinavy tax and may be otherwise punished by fine and impris- onment, It is assumed that about 85,000 persons will be subject to the tax and that it will yield in the neighborhood of $30,000,000. Corporations are required to pay the tax and deduct it from the dividends of stockholders. The inequality and injustice of the proposed personal income tax will be apparent when it is said that it would compel a very small fraction of the peopls to contribute to the rev- enues of the government for benefits which are enjoyed by the whole people in common. The 85,000 citizens who are expected to pay this tax will not derive therefrom any addi- tional privileges or advantages of citi- zenship, Tt is essentially cluss legisla- tion—a penalty upon enterprise, indus- try and supevior capacity. [t would bear unequally even upon the rich. It would take from the carnings of pro- fessional men, and of capital actively employed by its owners, but would let go free unproductive real estate, which is rising in value through the improve- ment of the locality in which it is situ- ated. The man who invests his capi- tal in undertakings which give em- ployment to his fellow men and benefits the whole*community is to be punished by a fine on part of his earnings, while he who merely waits upon time and reaps the reward of the labor of others is to escape. Asto the tax on incomes from corporations, while perhaps less indefensible than the other, it is based upon the erroneous theory that it will fall upon the corporations rather than upon the people. The idea that the corporations are always the few is a mistake. Stock in the national banks, the railroads, the real estate and improve- ment companies, in short, in every form of corporation, is scattered over the country, and it is manifestly absurd to talk of taxing the net incomes of these corporations by any method without at the same time taxing the people. In- deed, it is demonstrable that in any event this proposed income tax would ultimately be borne by the people. It cannot now be said with certainty what the fate of this proposition will be in congress, but the probability is that it cannot pass either branch. [t will encounter a vigorous opposition in tho house, and if the republicans decide to antagonize it there are enough demo- crats opposed to the scheme to irsure its defeat. Its passage by the house, how- ever, is among the possibilities, but it is believed that no snch measvre can possi- bly get through the senate. The pro- posal of an income tax stultifies the rec- ord of the democratic party. Comforting Reflections. Denver Republican. 1t is o comfort to reflect that thera will be soven years of republican rule to put the governinent inu pasition to pay tho Carlisle onds when they mature. g in ooy The Omnipresent Grip, Boston Globe. The assertion that the grip 1s due to mild winters does not quite tally with tne fact thav they have it worse in northern New Ingland, where the mercury plays between 152 and and 20> below, than they have it in the rogions where it is almost constantly mild. e e, Where, Oh Where. Glohe-Den.gerat. The proposed income tax will only add $30,000,000 & year 1o the revenue of the goy- ernment, according to the estimates of its supporters. Where will the remaining #5,000,000 of the increased deficit to be caused by the enactment of the Wiison bill come from? ——r, Too Much Government. Kansas City Star, The Samoan islands are neither rich nor Powerful, but_the greatest nations of the world—the United States. Germany and ireat Britain—seem unitedly to b unible to govern the natives satisfactorily. The trou- ble is that Germany wants to Germanizo and England to tnglishize the islands in their old-time style, and neither will trust the disinterested United States, —_—————— Slow Process of Kecovery. Chicago Post. Recovery from a business depression con- soquent upon an acute and necessarily ex- hausting form of financial panic must in the natuve of things be a slow process, but there is every assurance that conditions are im- proviug. Fictitious values, in the form of corporate overcapitalization, are rotting down, but the general business interests of the country began working up from hardpan sixty days ago. The betterment in the situa- ticn is already marked, To the oriticism that the industrial estab- lishments which have started up are putting men to work on short time and at cut wages, the reply is made that the fact that they can start up at all is encouraging. A few short weeks ago such & move would have been im- possible oxcept at heavy financial sacrifi Now employment is given labor on 1 that, while not showiag a profit on the capi- tal employed, very certainly do nov entail actual loss. With the lapse of time the Highest of all in Leavening Power.—Latest U. S. Gov't Report, al Re LS Baking Powder ABSOIVUTELY PURE I PEOPLE AND TIHINGS. Recent disturbances in Ttaly fndicate a re- vival of Carrara-boom-de-n, 1t 1s to be hoped thore will be no painful embarrassment at the coming Samoset jubi- lation, ‘I'he Cincinnati Commercial Storling Morton as a mugwump. ous an insult demands berlud An increased tax on beor insures an in- croase in the pump pressure and u vorre- sponding elo¥ation of the cotlar, Tho want of democratic unity in congress is_accentuated by the doleful ible-leaded offorts of the St. Louls Republic to get the party togothor, respostful democrat suggests to the ed tho advisability of borrowing and working Quoen Ldl's nx, now that the implement is disengaged. Dr. Raffn, a bacteriologist of Nantes, has discovered 6,000 microbes on a square inch of a playing card. Thore seems to be no doubt but t doctor nad a full deck. General Gourka's great ambition was to lead the Russian army of invasion into Ger- many, Heis dying with ambition unsatis flod, and also minus a largo crop of painful disappomntments, “The orchestral row of tho sedate sounats objects to the nude fizure of a young man on tho design for a Columbian modal. Substi- tute the figure of a young wowan aud the nate will do the rest. Politics makes strango companions. There is Orator Carl Schurz stumping two congross districts in New York City for Taminany nominees, while Iditor Carl Schurz is pumping invective into Tammany through the columns ot Harpor's Weokly. The Stanford millions appear to have shrunk from $5,000,000 to £2,000,000, and loud hints of hypothecated socuritics are current in Califormia. If the thireatened suit for an accounting is prosecuted u seusation of na- tional magnitude may be looked for. Washington is putting out feele matter of colebrating in 1000 the centennial of tho establishmont of the nationai capital. It is not proposed to agitate the question prematurely, but the residents appreciate the importance of an early application of national lubricator, Colonel Nicholas Lotz of Reading fur- shed supplies to Washington's army Valley Forge. His heirs claim he was ne paid in full, and will shortly present to congress for nearly §4,000,000. Ther lots of heirs who have subscrined the ne sary funds to press the claim. The gleeful announcement that last year was & most profitable one for ~the antheacite conl barons serves as a diagram of the matchless grip of the combine and its looting abiliies. Compared with the stand and deliver systom of tho barons, the offorts of the St. Joo hold-ups may bo classed us petty larceny. —— XPIRING BELL PATENT. classes J. So griov- on the TOE Washington Star: The Bell telephone patents may all expire, but the tele- phone girl who persists in assuming o pleasant tone when she informs you that line is will continue in effect. Kausas City Journal: The Bell telephono patents expire on the 30th of the present month. 1In a short time, therefore, the pub- lic may expect to enjoy the benefits of this useful service at something like reasonable rates St. Paul Globe: The business public will be rejowced to learn that all ef- forts to perpetuate the telephone mon- opoly have falled, and the last of the patents covering that invention will ex- pire on the lust day of the present month. Of course tho monopoly will continue to do business at the old stand, but there will be sufficient menace in the fact that compe! tion may be successfully undertaken to con pel a reduction in telephone rates, which will be highly acceptable to the business public. Chicago Times: Becau: the Bell tele- phone patents exvire in a few days a few oversanguine newspapers would hayo us ex- pect material reduction in the rental of tele- phones. They might as well promise that because no patent longer exists on telegraph instruments telegraph tolls in this country will suddenly go down. The telephone busi- ness isone that admits of no competition. Monopoly is essential to the excellence of its service. Therefore it is & business which should be conducted by the people and for the people. Chicago Record: On the last day of this month the last patent on the essential parts of the Bell telephone will expire, and these instruments, which have heretofore been obtainable only by renting, may then be bought and sold like any other commodity. The price, whatever it may be at first, will be moderate, and, pertiaps, merely nominal. The expert on electricity who contributed to the Record’s New Year review estimated that a pair of telephones may soon be bought for from $10 to 15, or even less. For large business concerns whore oftice telephones will be of great con- venience, for use in homes and for those de- siving private wire connections the expira- tion of the patent and the consequent cheap- ness of the telephones will be a matter of material benefit, But for the great majority of the public and for those who must have telephones in communication with the pub- lic exchange the expiration of the patent will have no immediate effect. The Bell company still has many patents on switch- poards and switchboard apparatus, and, what is of more importance, it is firmly in- trenched in the possession of the public ex- changes. The prospects are that the cheap- ening of telephone tolls will come first in thi smaller towns and villages, where opp: tion to the company now in control can be more casily organized. The largest n fine elothe: Your money’s worth T BROWNING, KING NEBRASK U AND NEBRASK NS, A Hamilton county woll hunt panned out one coyoto and 103 rabbits. The Niobrara firo department has ordered anew boll. The money wis raised by balls, J. ¢, Naylorof Callaway slipped and fell on o Hroken Bow sidowall and broke his arm Rov. B, T. Quam has resigned the pas. torate of tho Norweglan Lutheran ehurch at Nicbrara James Connolly of Ponder has de Tns family, leaving thom i aire dist is said to be a bigamist An Atkinson man has applicd fov a patent on a rotary engino, Ho expects to make to makn his fortune out of the invention. A Boston _man wants to know what in. ducements Wisner will offer for the locition ofa boot and shoe factory cmploylng 100 hands. he now heating avparatus in tho Rieh ardson county court house cost §85, and the building “of the necessary chimney footea up §160, Whilo Cal_Asher was harrowing in his fleld near Carloton, using four horses, the team ran away with him and the ha w passed ovor his body, Ono harrow tooth penetrated his loftsido below tho heart and _another similar wound was found ou his right side, He lived twelve hours after being found by neighbors. Ho was about 40 years of age and leaves a funnly of six childron, About thirty of the leading stockmen of Steridan and westorn Cherry county and the part of South Dakota adjacent thoroto miet in convention at Gordon and organized the Northwestern Stock association of Sheridan county and adopted a constitution and by-laws, ‘Tho objeet of the organization is the mutual protection of the interests of those enguged in the stock business and the enfor tin that section of the laws re- lating John Curry of Cherry coun ident and C. McKee of Cher ary and trenss urer. serted ss. He il tdelphia Ledger. The imperfections of the Wilson tariff bill are frankly confessed by the chairman, who, having reported it as a comploted measure, is now engaged in offering scores of amend- *0ts to it, The amendments aro of no great importance, and most of them make the duties still lower than they w n the original bill. The voting thus far shows tnat party lines are to be drawn on the bill in the house. Whatever Mr. Wilson pro- poses is adopted by a party vote. In the senate, howover, & new bill will be evolved and finally a conferenco committeo will draft o third measure, which will be the one pre- sented b the president. B LING WIS, ter Democrat: A man with an gination is too Hable to use it for u TATY ays that under the mbling n Bookmaker's con- tracts aro not binding. n to twenty-four inches boks olusive, but there are men who will endeavor to get 'round it. 2o Tribune: hen that man came to b, sir, he conldn’t write his name. And S worth millions." 1ppose he has rite? That ma cattle pen in Chicag carned to writo by this sir, wields the finest Washington Star: wouldn't caro so much,” said Timmins, “it [hadn't signed the thing." - “What's the matter?" asked §immons. “Why, I wrote a bit of verse with a line in 1t calling passionately for a new ideal. The fool printer set it up us calling for a new deal.” Indianapolis Journal: Friend—Iow tall are W o v (champlon bicyclist)~That de- am measured. With a ' n tho way Yratgnt With o tape straight edge, about five feet. line, six feot one. Olncinnati Commercial: “Kind sir, = pra; w shilling for my six bungry chiidron.™ ® y sorry, but 1'm not buying hungry children’ Just now; fact 1s, I've got nine of my own at home already A TOAST. Washington Star. Here's a health to the quiet, man— He's a Dlessing; doubt it; ] Here's dismuy to the one who obscures all he'r industrious there's none who will one By his tumult in talking about it. -— WAIT A WHILE, Somerville Journal, For three whole weeks now-—-hear him boast! Smith hasn't smoked. For threo wholo weeks Jones has gone dry— He's almost choked. Brown has his diary writton up Completo to dute. Whito has his personal cash account In model state, But wait s while! You'll soe Smith with His favorite pipes. Friena Jones will try a little gin To cure lllg Rl;l))um S Brown's dlary won't bo brough St Ee)c'lil l)ltlmlfiud n:fllll. 8 And as tor Whito, iy cash actoun i WL b6 a sight. "Pwas over thus. The glad new year Is ushored in With most commenduble resolves To koep from sin. That it will bo a lasting change Men have no doubt; Butmost of them backslide before The month is out. ca ora and #3llars ot s on Earth or your monay b still giving’ L on all o Neither CAn AT AT AL AmA A A=A asne s ;Lo | BROWNING, 'S Will pay the express If you send the monoy for §20 worth or more b1 A A L \[)! Lt This picture has nothing to do with the fact that we are 25% Trousers has this, ‘calls your attention oft ur Men's but it KING & CO., W. Cor.15th and Douglas Sts, ,L,"! ] (4 :}L_ L A