Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, March 9, 1895, Page 4

ally Fles (Without Aty Hee and Sunda x Months hree Mon(he . iny ee, O aturday Tice, eekly 1 menee agsz238 Ong Year e Year. OFFICES aha, The Tice T 3 Bonth omam. Sine ‘Corner X and 24th Sts. Counell TIares, 12 Pearl Sirect. Chicngo Office, 317 Cliarber af Commeres, e York, Tsoma 1, 1 and 15, Triune Hidg. Washington, 477 F Street, N, CORRESPONT o Al communicntions relating to news and edi- torial matier should L addrecyed: To the Editor. BUSINESS LETTE All business Bddressca | (o Prats, prae, mado payi A \ tances should be Tee Publishing company, ehocks and postoffic orders 0 company. COMPANY. P CIRCULATION. v of The Bee Tub. rn, says tha 1 wumber of full and ete_co ©f the Duily Morning, Evening and printed during the month of Februar an follows: T'nse nrpan 10 and veturned anor hafore me and day of March, 1595 ¥ N. P. FBIL, Notary Public. The fate of Tom Reed scems to be svorrying his enemies a great deal more than his friends. The investigation er will soon be on in full blast among the member: fhe Nebraska legislature, Beiween corruptionists and fncompe- fents on the police force the public has 5o choice, Both classes must go, With Secretary Morton and Pres Cleveland both absent from Washington at the same time the government will bear close watching. Now if Delaw: up fer choice of United States senator the complete roster of the Fifty-fourth con- gress can be made up and published. It remains to be seen whether the new anti-lottery law leaves any loopholes for the lottery promoters. If it does it mon't be long before the latter will hav found them. : The legislature this year is indeed In hard luck. St. Patrick’s day falls on Sunday, otherwise it might be able to adjourn over another holiday before final disbandment. That proposed removal of the state fair by legislative enactment is not in- terfering with the State Board of Agri- _culturc’s preparations for this year's exhibition at Omaha, If those check raisers continue their operations in the trail of the railroad pay car the spring fashions among railroad men will show a decided ten- dency toward larger checks. Postmaster Martin has been in office for a whole week and the mails are still running with their customary regu- Aarity. There doesn’t seem to have been any hoodoo thus far about Mr, Martin. The suggestion of the governor of Illi- nois that the state ought to get higher rents from the lands belonging to the school fund might commend itself to the ithoughtful consideration of Nebraska's legislators. Here's a chance for our betting friends to indulge in a little friendly competition. Which federal building will be ready for occupancy fivst, the new Omaha postotlice or the new South Omaha postoflice? Congressman Mercer succeeded at the last moment in raising the limit of ex- penditure for the South Omaha post- office site from $10,000 to $15,000. The ardor of the real estate vendors will be correspondingly raised, The state fair managers arve not going - to neglect the speed department this year. They propose to put more money in speed ving stakes than they ever have before. With anything like favor- able weather they will find that the in- xestment will bring good returns. E———— The people of Chicago act as if the only thing preventing their immediate possession of a new postoffice building 18 the delay in the Treasury department in adopting plans. They will soon find out that there are plenty of places for delay after the plans are agreed upon. The claim for relmbursement mitted to the legislature by the ex-state fmpeachables has been once more re- Jected, but we must not imagine that that is to be the last of 1. The claim Wwill be pressed again before the next legislature and reappear like Banquo's ghost until it gradually drops out of slght from sheer exhaustion, sub- Governor Altgeld thinks that the ten- auts of school lands in the state of 111i- nols. ought to pay as much rent as thely neighbors who are tenants of private individuals, Strange how he should be- come possessed of any such notion, The Idea of exacting full price for the use of public property! The thing is unheard of on this side of the Atlantic. It is safe to say that the penitentiary contractor will offer no objections to the bill for the abolition of capital punish- ment. Nothing profits him more than the services of long-time conviets who are not released the mowment they be- come expert at the work assigned them. The penitentiary contractor will wel- cowme all the life convicts who wmay be sent his way, PENITENTIARY CRUBLT Now that the legislature has decided to prosecute an inquiry Into the charges of cruelty made against the officers of the state penitentiary by two recently discharged convicts it should see to it that the investigation is a thorough one and wot a forcordained farce. If the warden or attendants have been guilty of brutal and inhuman practices the people have a right to know it and to insist that the proper remedy be ap- plied. At the same time we must recognize in the beginning the difficulties that Dbeset every Investigation of this natur The testimony of couviets is naturally looked upon with a certain degrec of suspicion, and aside from convicts and ex-convicts the only witnesses that ean be introduced ave the attendants im- mediately interested, The convicts who still have terms to serve or who depend awon the fayor of the warden for the benefits of the parole law are under powerfnl pressure to withhold the truth if the trath is ging to the men who ise this control over them. In a E s manner the ex-conviet is subject to the impy fon of motives of revenge for grievances arising during incarcera- tion But shrewd eross-examination onght to disclose whether the evidence presented s based upon fiction or fact. If it is developed that cruelty and un- y violence have been prevalent within the prison walls those who have abused the authority entrusted to them should not be permitted for a moment to remain in a position where they can continne their inluman practices. A periodical investigation into the conduct of the penitentiary must in it- solf exert o healthy influence upon the discipline maintained in that institu tion. But it does not need this investi- gation to remind the legislature of its duty to make some new provision with reference to the maintenance of the penitentiary conviets. So long as the contractor remains in his present pre. carious situation the whole conduct of the penitentiary must be in a more or less demoralized condition. The legis- Iature should at once take steps to re- n po ion of the penitentiary and to place it on a basis of rigid but humane public management. necesss THE SILVER LEAGUE CANDIDATE, The so-called Bimetallic league, in its manifesto announcing the projected or- ganization of a free silver party, ex- pressed a preference for ex-Repre- sentative Sibley as the presidential ndidate of the mnew party Mr. Sibley represented the Twenty- sixth Pennsylvania district in the Pifty-third congress, having been elected by a fusion of democrats, popu- lists and prohibitionists. The congres- sional divectory records that he is ex- tensively engaged in farming and stock raising, is a manufacturer of lubrieating and signal oils and is interested in various other manufacturing and busi- ness enterprises. He is reputed to be a man of large wealth. The only public positions he has held are those of mem- ber of congress and mayor of the town of Franklin, Pa. Mr. Sibley is a native of the state of New York and is 45 years old. He has shown himself to be a man of strong if not altogether sound convictions, Joseph €. Sibley belongs to the radical clement of the free silverites and be- lieves that all the economic ills which prevail are due to the fact that silver does not occupy an equal place with gold in the monetary systems of the world. In a speech in the house just before the “final adjournment of con- gress Mr. Sibley said that “the friends of free silver coinage in the United States hold to the doctrine of bimetal- lism, not because of ownership of silver mines, but because of the curses that have followed falling prices throughout the world—because they are firm in the conviction that with our mints open to free and unlimited coinage at the old ratio the S-cent cotton of today will be the 10-cent cotton upon the re- enactment of the law which served this country so well for eighty yes The people who fayor free and unlimited coinage at the old ratio hold that it will give the farmer §1 instead of 50 cents for his wheat.” He further declared that “silver and all other articles of produc- tion, even labor itself, have followed the decline in the value of the ounce of silver bullion since its denial at our mints of free and equal colnage.” In view of the fact that Mr. Sibley is likely to be the leader of the free silver party in the campaign of next year his views expressed on the floor of congress assume an interest they would not otherwise possess. It will be observed that in common with all the advocates of the free and unlimited coinage of silver at the old ratio by the United States Mr., Sibley attaches no importance to production in Its bearing on the prices of com- modities. It could not be expected that he would do this in the case of silver, although as a matter of fact the pro- duction of silver during the last twenty years has been largely in excess of the production of gold, which has un- deniably had an influence in depreciat- ing the former. But it would seem that a8 to cotton and wheat the matter of production should have some considera- tion. Does not the enormous inerease of cotton crops furnish a sufficient ex- planation of the fall in the price of cotton? This certainly is the view of the American cotton planters, who are proposing to reduce the cotton produc- ing are Is not the same true of wheat, the production of which in this country rose from 230,000,000 bushels in 1871 to 611,000,000 bushels in 18017 There was a decline from these highest figures in the last three years, but it wis morve than made up for by the in- creased production of other countries, particularly in Argenting, which in the past two years has become a la porter of wheat. The world's produe- tion of wheat belng largely in excess of the demand, the price has gone down, vegardless of silver. On the inquiry into the causes of agricultural depres- sion by the house committee on agricul- ture, of which Mr. Sibley was a wem ber, Mr. David Lubin of Sacramento presented his views at length, saying doung other things: “If today the price of silver was 120 and the price of wheat under conditions in which they are today with agricultural machinery in the cheapest land and labor countries of the world, there Is strong probability that wheat, notwithstanding, would be no higher, or would not be near as high as under the former conditions.” Mr, Sibley was so much impressed with what Mr. Lubin said that he declared he could not “deny the truth and the justice of his proposition.” Tt can be easily shown that there has been no concurrence, as the free silver men claim, between the fluctuations in the prices of silver and the prices of other commodities during the last twenty yoars. A letter written by Mr. Sibley is pub- lished, in which that gemtteman ex- presses fear of the growth of the spirit of anarchy in this countr) If his ap- prehension Is ever realized it will be in consequence of the teachings of the element which has put him forward as a leader. It is he and the other ad- vocates of the free and unlimited coin- age of silver at (he old ratio who are fostering unrest and dissati stion and thereby sowing the seeds of anavchy. MONETARY CONFERENCE DELEGATES There is nothing surprising in the fact that the last congress, having decided to appoint delegates to the proposed in- ternational monetary conference, lected five out of the six from the ranks of the free silver men. Indeed, if there is any cause of surpr it is the fact that the whole number was not chosen from that element. The senate, with its free silver majority, did not hesitate to select three men who can be de- pended upon, in the event of a confer- ence being called, to stand firmly for the free coinage of the white metal at the ratio of 16 to 1, and the speaker of the house might, with equal propriety, have done the same thing. It was the intention of the resolution regarding the appointment of delegates that this should be done. At any rate this ap- pears to be the only fair inference from the course of the senate, It was mani- festly the purpose of the free silver men that congress should be repre- sented in the conference entirely by del- egates of their views, so that if the pres- ident should select, it is presumed he will, men of opposite views, there will be a marked preponderance of free silver sentiment in the conference from the United States. As it is, there will probably be only a majority of one in support of extreme free coinage views. There can be no question that five of the congressional delegates do not rep- resent the sentiment regarding silver of a majority of the people of the United States. Four of them are from the south and from states whose financial relations with the rest of the world are comparatively insignificant, while the other is from the greatest silver produc- ing state in the union. Whatever may be thought of the ability of these men— and perhaps they are as capable as any who could have been chosen from the free silver ranks—it is hardly to be ex- pected that they will exert much influ- ence in an international conference to which European governments will send some of their ablest financiers. They are likely to be regarded simply as poli- ticians voicing the views of their Imme- diate constituents rather than as states- men speaking for the whole people of the country. The members of the dele- gation who will probably exert the greatest influence in the proposed con- ference are those whom the president will appoint. There appears to be no reason to doubt that a conference will be called, Germany taking the initiative, and that it will be held some time during the present year. As to the possible result of such a conference there is wide opportunity for speculation. LET THE BUSINESS MEN ALONE. The present legislature seems bent upon harassing the industries and trade of the state. Whether or not there has been a fixed policy of hostility to our manufactures and commerce is open to question, but there can be no doubt of the menacing attitude of our state lawmakers, as exemplified by nu- merous easures seriously considered and now pending. Omala seeins to hay been singled out for attack. This may be due to the faet that no law could be passed in restraint of trade that would not cripple Omaha to a greater extent than any other business com- munity in the state. Barly in the session a bill was intro- duced for an act to impose heavy licenses upon commission merchants, the object of which was to protect shippers from alleged dishonest commission merehants. Its practicability would require demon- stration at heavy cost to our business interests, The attempt to make men honest by legislation is, to say the least, questionable, while the provisions of the bill, if enforced, would injure and embarrass commission merchants in every important trade center in the state, The law prohibiting the manufacture and sale of oleomargarine, as has been conclusively shown by The Bee, is an uncalled-for blow to our trade interests, the effects of which will be felt almost solely by the manufacturers of Omaha, The puerile attempt to legislate the state fair out of Omaha was born of a desire to hamper our trade interests, for the location of the state fair is purely a business proposition. The bill to prohibit the sale of clgar- ettes in this state can, if passed, have no other effect than to cripple, if not destroy, fitable trade now yed by the jobbers of this city and state. However laudable the ef- fort to stop the consumption of cigar- ettes in Nebraska may be, there are considerations attending this proposed measure which ought to be the means of defeating it. Wholesale merchants in our leading cities sell cigarettes in nearly every state in the west. The traffic is @ profitable one, The pro- posed law will not reduce the consump- tion of cigarettes .in those states, but will deprive our jobbers of their right to the trade they have worked up and permit jobbers of competing distribut- Ing points to step iu and take the trad> out of-their hands. Buslness in this state Is alwost at a | standstill. Qur merchants are con- tending against . sadverse conditions never before Bngfyn. They need all the help that caf be afforded, from whatever soutbe. ;That they should at this time be dulifécted to hostile and senscloss legisiation is eyond compre- hension. Instead- of flladvised laws in restraint of {¢ade they should be given measures in promotion thereof or else left seyerely alone to work out their own salvation There is an_ additional count to be urged against, the constitutionality of the Dill to permit the state to take a change of venue in the Barrett Scott murder eases, So far as the Barrett Scott murder cases, for which the meas ure is specially designed, are concerned, it is plainly ex post facto legislation. post facto legislation has been de- fined to include, first, making an act in- nocent at the time it was committed criminal, and, second, if the act be al- ready a crime, increasing the penalty or lessening the evidence necessary to conviction or altering in any manner the situation of the accused to his dis- advan The enforcement of the posed law would deprive the accused of right which he enjoyed at the time the act was committed, namely, the right to a trinl in the county in which the in- formation is filed. It would make con- asier than before. The consti- Nebraska forbids the enact- ment of ex post facto legislation. Even if the proposed law were otherwise, within the purview of the constitution it could mot be made to apply to the Barrett Scott cases, tution of If County Attorney Baldridge sue- ceeds in recovering for the county on the numerous personal appearance bonds that have been defaulted he will be doing what no previous county at- torney has done. He must, howeve realize the magnitude of the task before him. Douglas county has never re- covered a cent on bonds given for the appearance of offenders in her courts, and there are law who contend that the bond is not drawn that can not be punched out by a persistent and shrewd defense in the courts. There is no doubt t what are really o often accepted for the soners. On others the smen are good and would, in many cases, produce the missing principal if proceedings were pressed against them. A series of suits to recover on the de- faulted bonds will at least stir up the sureties to a sense of their responsibil- ity. se of pr 1t looks as if the depository law were with us to stay. It ought not, however, to remain in its present imperfect condi- tion. There are certain defects which call for amendment in a way that will strengthen its gperation and insure the public against depositories with inade- quate bonds. Fach county and state board should be forbidden to accept as surety any officer of the bank making the application. If there 1s no bill for this purpose beford the houses of the legislature the governor has. good grounds for sending one in with recom- mendation for passage. A poll of the legislature on the ques- tion of abolisking capital punishment disclosed a number of members who were noncommittal, but who exhibited “a distinct leaning toward the gallows.” We sincerely trust that this leaning will be promptly overcome. The legislature would be justified in interrupting its sessions and exerting all its reformatory influence upon these members who are threatened with this terrible fate. No effort will be too great to counteract the force that Is carrying any of our legisla- tors straight to the gallows. Hurmless Windup. Globe-Democrat. The republican house will make the two years more of Grover and his party com- paratively harmiess to the country. e A Democratic View, St. Louls Republic, The passing of this congress is strongly suggestive of the explosion of a bunch of firecrackers under a tar barrel, The noise is all over, but we still have the bad smell. —_— Regulution by Syndicate. Cincinnati Enquirer. The smart gentlemen who cleared about 39,000,000 the administration bond bar- gain ' have an option on the credit of the government for some moiths to come, They will no doubt regulate the outflow and in- flow of gold at the United States treasury according to their desires for future specu- lation in government securities. . Republics Not Ung Philadelphia Lodge It {s calculated that the aggregate of the appropriations made at this session of con- gTess is but $2,000 short of $500,000,000, The greatest single item Is pensions, for which $141,381,570 is allotted, equaling the total expenditure for the army, navy and post- offices combined. In view of this the United States can scarcely be charged with being an ungrateful country toward its needy vet- eran soldlers, teful, —_— Bring On Your Gold. New York Sun, We repeat that Colorado can easily market all the gold mined In it. There has been trouble for some years in disposing of {he state's silver, but that was because the sup- Py, Jargely éxceeded the demand, and there 8 not any such danger in regard to gold. The world will promptly absorb this year's Colorado gold produet, even if it should be twice or ten times as’‘great as last year's, “The gold bugs arejingatiable, for the reason that they cannot retaln the vellow metal In thelr wystem, but must disburse it ‘for o service of i nearly as fast as they take it. ity b Encouraging Trade Revival, 8t. Louls'Giébe-Democrat, The removal of he peril of chan the financial or revenue laws for th mainder of this year' nt least must a stimulating effect. on trade. There is an Immense recuperaliVe power in business in this country, and it will have a chance to assert itself 'from ihis tUme forward. A rvndllr discernible! trade improvement will doubtless appear Withjn, the next fow Another encouragiffy condition 1s the steac increase in the treasury gold reserve, which 18 now up to a higher point than had been touched u:' N.n“‘\‘!e]ru mbAths past, The tend. ency, too. Is Mkely. 4o cgntinue upward fo tim: ‘Ri the wold Contracted for i thiond cent purchase has mots been delivered, but is coming to hand as rapidly as noeded. 1n the meantime the exportation of gold has ceased, and the runs on treasury ar- over, The deficits, too, al on the decrease, and are likely to disap 4 month or tw On the whole the busin outlook is brighter than at any time since the crisiy came in the summer of 1593 OTHER LANDS THAN OURS. How enormous are the strides which have been made by Great Dritain during the past quarter of a century in the direction of democracy may be gathered from the fact that Mr. Herbert Gladstoze, speaking on behalt of the administration and as the chiet of the public works department, has announced that the estimates about to be submitted to Parllament by the chancellor of the exchecquer will include the demand for a sum to be used in the erection of a statue to Oliver Cromwell. It has always been a matter of comment that at West- minster, where rulers good and bad, great and little, exist in Mgy, no sculpture should do honor to the memory of the protector. The omission can only be explained by at- tributing both to Parliament and to the crown an unwillingness to give an official acknowledgement of a successful rebellion. Cromwell, it may be remembered, made short work of the House of Commons, and presided over the government that made even still_shorter work of King Charles by lopping off his head. That the legislature and the soverelgn should have, after a lapse of well nigh three centuries, decided offi- cially to honor the memory of this great republican by erecting a monument to him speaks volumes not only for the liberality and enlightenment of Queen Victorla and of her constitutional advisers, but also for the development of democratic and progressive sentiments on the part of the people—senti- ments to which crown and cabinet are mani- festly ylelding in this matter, e The appointment of Prince Lobanoff as Russian forelgn secretary and the probability that he will be promoted to the chancellor- ship are in keeping with the report of an alliance between Great Britaln and Russia. The British government undoubtedly favored the appointment of M. de Staal, at present Russlan ambassador to Great Britain, and the fact that he was passed over and a statesman selected who is not in any way pro-English In feeling, and rather favors Austria, argues a foreign policy on the part of the new czar that may yet bring about important political changes in Europe. The new foreign secretary never favored the idea of an alllance between France and Russia, the former country may now have to renew her friendship with England. It would be strange if there should be a restoration of the first triple alllance, which was composed of Russia, Germany and Austria-Hungary, and if such a thing should be brought about it would only serve to mark the turn of Germany to Bismarckian ideas. A hint has been given out that there will be a_meeting this summer of the three emperors, Nicholas, William and Francis Joseph. In the days of the old kaiser these occasions were frequent. They were at least picturesque and they were food for political prophets to found predic- tions upon. It another should be held it may again be a subject for gossip, but that will be all. The progress of individualism has been too rapid in Europe for any coterie of rulers to be able to meet in conclave and keep back the idea of freedom. e The czar of Russia does not make his inten- tions known through the Russian provincial newspapers, else the statement of one of the latter might mean something. It Is set forth in that journal that Russia will not tolerate any partition of China which will give Japan a foothold in that empire. It is even stated that Japan must abandon all hold on Corea, because Russia will not tolerate a Japanese protectorate there. Probably the czar has not authorized any statement of what he wants or of what he does mot want and will not have, vet there may be a fact at the bottom of the statement. For Russla intends to ab- sorb the entire continent of Asia north of In- dia, not today, not even within ten years, but at some future time, and from time to time. Russia has powerful nelghbors on the west, whd will not permit her to take what she wants of European Turkey. Eastward Russia has no formidable nelghbors on the mainland. The valor and warlike accomplishments of Japan have no doubt given the czar some bad quarter hours. He must regard Japan a menace to his ambitions in the east. But ex- actly as the czar refrained from stepping In beétween Bismarck and France when the latter surrendered Alsace and Lorratne, he must re- frain from interference with Japan in adjust- ing matters with China. This country cannot regard dictation from any European quarter as tolerable. Japan will no doubt be reason- able In its demands, but it has fought to vindicate a principle of national honor and honesty, has expended millions of treasure and much blood, and may reasonably demand the independence of Corea and the cession of all disputed territory. This demand, if made, Including indemnity, should be supported by the civilized world. Certainly Russia should find itself alone and unsupported if it attempts to deprive the victor of his lawful rights. It is not probable that Japan will demand any territory on the mainland, because that would be a burden. But all disputed territory, if ex. acted, should be ceded without protest from outsiders, one Bulgarla appears to be in an exceedingly bad way. The government has managed to quarrel with Austria and Turkey, the two powers whose friendship and support have constituted until now its principal source of strength and independence, the late czar having been given to understand that he could not assail Bulgaria without involving himself in war with one or the other of these nations. Russia has until now spurned all the obsequious advances made by the prince in the hope of obtaining recognition as a ruler, even although with the object of giving satisfaction at St. Petersburg he has intrusted rortfolios in his cabinet to men implicated in attempts on his life. The treasury at Sofia is empty, the credit which Bulgaria enjoyed upon the foreign money markets at the time of Stambulof’s over- throw has vanished, and the thrifty Bul- garlan farmers and peasantry, who con- stitute nine-tenths of the population, are not only unable to pay the new and heavy taxes that have recently been enacted, but even find it beyond their power to pay those which were brought into existence three years ago, the fall in the price of wheat and agricultural produce having had the effect of converting their dues to the state from a tenth to a third of their entire crop. Un- der the pretext of economy almost 80,000 officers and men have been dismissed from the army and turned adrift upon the country without means of subsistence or employment, while the money thus saved, instead of being paid into the treasury, bas been diverted to other uses of a less creditable nature. In one word, something much akin to chaos prevails in the principality, and unless Stam- buloft ylelds to the solicitation of the people, and, forgetting all the base Ingratitude to which he has been subjected, consents to come to the assistance of the prince whom he himself placed upon the throne, the days of Ferdinand as ruler of Bulgarla may be considered as numbered and bLis reign on the eve of its close, elther by abdication or deposition. e Ismail Pasha, the ex-khedive of Egypt, who built the Suez canal, and who died at Constantinople last Saturday, was counted a dangerous person in Constantinople, where bhe had lived since 1886, He was never reconclled to his deposition from his vice- royalty in Egypt, and resisted abdication until he was forced to yield by England and France in 1879, Then be established imself at Naples, with his harem and all the accessories of oriental luxury that his enirmous wealth could purchase. He never lost his lust of power, and never ceased to intrigue for it, and when ho demanded, a dozen years ago, that he should be paid for sugar plantations and other lands in Egypt which bad been confiscated and’applied to- ward the payment of his debts, . Turkey complied with the demand and paid him $25 00,000, largely to keep him quiet. Finally he was permitted to go to Constantinople and build himself a magnificent palace, which Highest of all in Leavening Power.— Latest U. $, Gov't Report Rl ABSOLUTELY PURE Baking Powder has been his prison ever since. For years he has beon forbidden to leave its grounds, and while allowed every luxury he conMd de- sire, the sultan's distrust, if not fear, of him has denfed him his liberty. It was rumored fome time ago that he had been poisoned, and this report may now be revived, since he has died. —_—— rEOPLE St. Touls, t0o, has the Lexow fever. The influenza of Burope is rapidly bring- Ing the population to its sneeze, What (hie country needs just now is a patriotlc organization to preserve American helresses for Americane. Mayor Hopkins of Chicago wants a re-elec- tlon, and wants it bad, on a one-plank plat- form—"Down with the (rusts”” The legatee of Carter Harrison evidently hankers for a violent political death. Speculations on the total of the fncome tax places it at $60,000,000. A quarter ot a mil lion persons, estates and corporations will put up the cash and enjoy the great Ameri can privilege of kicking. It is given out in knowing quarters that the returning ex-congressmen will go to work and earn a living. Good. Persistent activity for a year or two will partially overcome the evils of congressional disstpation. Although " the council of Chicago fs dis- pensing franchises with a lavish hand, there 15 no vielble means of support for the assor- tion that Omaha’s retired municipal states- men have moved to the lake city. John O'Brien of Duval, Fla., died recently and left a will which it will be dificult to take into court and prove. It is written with pencil on the wall near his bedside and reads thus: “Mrs. Arnold—God bless her—shall have all T leave.” The Roman Catholic archbishop of Cashel, Dr. Croke, has been for twenty years tho chief clerical figure in the Irish nationalfst movement. He still gends his check to the Irish Parliamentary fund, but in his last letter accompanying a subscription he says ““The hope of obtaining a legislature for our country within a reasonable time is no longer entertained by reasoning men.' The effect of political campalgning on women is shown In the case of the wife of the governor of Georgla. She was unusually active in furthering her husband’s ambition, managed his campaign, and was successful beyond her expectations. Now she fe under treatment for a mild form of kleptomania although there is no evidence that she par- ticipated in the count of the ballots, The long cherished project of a municipal union of St. Paul and Minneapolis has been shelved forever. Heretofore Minneapolis was represented as a charming young lady who was not averse to a jolly flirtation with St Paul. But the moment she hinted at a de- sire to take the capitol under her wing with- out the surrounding population hate suc- ceeded admiration. The match is off. But that is not all. St. Paul transforms the graceful gazelle Into an overgrown hog, with a mendacious curl on its tail. If that cut does not draw more blood than, a Cuban revo- lution, then surely is gallantry dead and Laughing Waters pitched in dirgelike keys. ——— I0WA PRE comm. T. Des Moines Leader: The city elections held in the cities and towns of Iowa Mon- day indicate that the democrats are getting their gecond wind. There Is no great land- slide, but the drift 1s plainly with the dem- ocrats, Red Oak Express: The petrified man re- cently exhumed near Centerville has been recognized by a lady who viewed it as her long 'lost father. At sight of the object she burst into tears and then went off and replevined the stony cadaver. This in- volves a legal fight for possession. Taken all around, the story is very touching, and, with the example of affection shown, might melt a heart of stone and make possible mutual recognition. Sioux City Tribune: There must be com- menced in all _seriousness the propaganda which made Towa almost a democratic state. It should be remembered that in compactness is one of the greatest elements of strength. It is the ten thousands of Xenophon, ‘not the myriads of Xerxes, which most profoundly affect the course of human_events. The “democratic party of Iowa must prepare itself for the dawning of that better day which is certain to come, when the darkness of defeat will roll away before the gorgeous trappings of the sun at_prosperity. Sioux City Journal: The act passed by the Towa legislature at its last session, un- dertaking to provide for female suffrage in certain school elections, may cause a good deal of trouble. That is about the only effect that it can have. The act is undoubt. edly unconstitutional. Tts unconstitutionality Jvas clearly polnted out to the lekislature, but for some Inscrutable reason It neverthe: less persisted in putting it in the statute book. The school election in Sioux City is a case'In point. The validity of the vote for certain purposes may be put in doubt by the statute.” It may Involve litigation, In any event it will cause a good deal of needles trouble In holding the election and in the preliminaries. Such legislation is not only nonsensical, but also mischievous. If the prople of Towa want woman suffrige there s a plain way to get at it, and the plain way s to change the state constitution. The people of Iowa have limited the suf- rage to males. This Is a fact which the reformers have strangely overlooked. e Shaking the Cuckoos for Ducks, New York Recorder, It was heartless on the part of Mr. Cleve- fand to_leave the flock of starving cuckoos who have just been driven out of the capitol roosting around the white house while he hied himself away on the Violet to make gunshot acquaintance with the ducks of North Carolina, The president has been all along prom- ising his faithful birds that as soon as March 4 came he would find warm nests for them in the government dovecotes, and this is how he treats them. It would have beén far more humane to shoot_every one of them before beginning the North® Carolina duck slaughter. The cuckoos are erated. indeed to be commis- PASSING OF THE OBJROTOR. Philadelphia Record: After thirty-five years of public lite AMr. Molman of Indiana goos back to his farm poorer than when he left it. Such an experience from the wil- crowned prince of economista Is hard to recs omcile with the giib copybook theory that “economy I8 wealth,” Kansas City Star: Considering the fact that “there’s nothing fn it," that 1s to eay in politics, Mr. Holman has been very busy for thirty-five years in seeking nominations for office. There was at least a living In it for Mr. Holman, with opportunities which, perhaps, he was too honest to take. But what a commentary Is this on politics that a man should grieve, while the whole na- tion marvels, that he goes out of office poor as he entered. Philadelphia Pross: The retirement of such chronie and narrow-minded objectors as Representative Holman, who has made a virtue of his parsimony, cannot be looked upon as an unmixed evil. In fact it Is rather an uemixed blessing, as the whole tendency of Holman and his imitators was to save at the spizot only. Their objections were often of the most petty type, and they It any made the name of “economy” ridiculous. Some one with broad judgment Is needed in every con to call a halt on unnecessary expenditures, but the cheeseparing statesmen are not in that class Chicago Inter Ocean: man, ‘“the great objector,” says that he leaves congross, after thifty-five years of service, poorer than when he first went to Washington. This is not cncouraging to young fen entering public life, Congross- man Holman has nover been charged with oxtravagant living, and no one doubts his personal honesty. But there are thousands of men who do live on less than $5,000 a year, and when civil service reform is the nd congressmen do not have to securo end money on their followers it v enough for a congressman to live Congressman Hol- on his sala A TENDI T0 TICKLE. Atlanta Constitution whisky freezing, majo akes no difference to, t lover of cracked ice." “Just think of me, sir, I'm a gre 4 Philadelphia Reécord: ‘“Thers's one satf stion I having your legs amputated '8 the, Manayunk philosopher. “The doe- tors can’t pull them' any more. Chicago Tribune: Alderman—Who are you and what do you want? o0’ Party twith Tantern) My name s nes, Let me pass, I'm not looking for Don't tell any- home from 1 am as much Indlanapolis Journal: “And now,” said he barber, who had inhcrited a fortune, and now 1 can eat onfons in the morning whenever I darn want to.” Galveston News: If figures never lie, then oman's shoulders are higher than her head, Philadelphia Record: Blobbs—What's the difference between gloyes and policemen? Slobbs—Give it up. Blobbs—Well, gloves are usually on hand. Rockland Tribune: The man with a little hair trailing about the lower zone is right in the Napoleonic swim with his bony part. (If this appears a trifle weak in spots it must be remembered that o does a good deal of the other Napoleon literature of the ay). Chicago Record: n restaurant)—¢Gimme pigs’ feet and a dish of mashed potatoes extra, Waiter (shouting the order through his hands)—Trilby for one; little Billee on the side! (Inbasement Detroit Free Press: ‘‘Defore I start T will fix up a little,’ said Amy, as she got her rouge pot and enamels. “Ah, that puts another face on the mat- Wwas Mabel's comment, New York Herald: Briggs—I was readi a paper in the elevated this morning, an the man next to me was wild. Griggs— Why? Briggs—1 turned it over before he got " through, ‘Washington Star: “Bill Doolan's band has been captured in Oklahoma,” remarked the newspaper reader, ““You don't say 80, retends to keep vhat was Bil ‘Sweet Marie? WILLIE'S CHOICE, Chicago Record. “Willle, you are naughty, And {roublesome to me; If_you are not a better boy, No angel 'you will be." replied the man who posted, but _doesn’t. band doing? “Playing “Who wants to be an angei?" Willie at once began. “1 bet you I'll be satisfied To be a railroad man.” —_——————— CONGRESSMAN’S WELCOME ROME, Chicago Post. I am glad your pesky howlin® Now is done, ‘Cause_you thought that we were growlin' Jest fer fun; But you'll find you'were mistaken, That our confidence is shaken, An’ you'll be, when we awaken, On the run, You have been too blamed expensive For our taste; An' your bills were too expensive— Too much waste. You must do some tall explainin’, For your course was mighty painin’ AN’ your power now is wanin', So make haste, We are glad, of cour Here today, Gladder than we are to meet you When away: But you've cost like all tarnation, Acted like you owned creation, But you're ‘back at this here station, An’ you'll stay. e, t0 greet you and a lot of other colors. colors, styles of ha Crofut & Knapp. We are also showing a new BROWNING, Reliable Clothicrs, S. 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Just Our line of Mackintosh Caps, You KING & CO,, Cor.15th angd Douglas Sts.