Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, February 22, 1902, Page 6

THE OMAHA DALY BEE E. ROSEWATER, EDITOR. PUBHIII.D 'VIRY IORNIND TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. Duly Bon (without sm&z, One Year. .84 a l ? T*"llhli tury Farmer, One e CARRIBER. i'"'hm" ), per copy without Sunday), per week. unofi" r"n,‘:«wu DELIVERED B ‘;’i..,..é.“ lhfllfl be addressed 1o Clty \,lrcull!lon Dl- partment. OI‘FKCEI Buildin iy Hall' Bunam.. Twen- !tre . Court, urteenth Btreet. CORRESPONDENCE. Communications relating to ne ter should be addressed: Depart men BUSINESS LETTBERS. l“fi" and remittances should be IA"" Bee Publishing C g ublishing Company, REMITTANCES. Remit by drate, express or postal order, able to b“pPublhhmv‘ Company. 2-cent lum accepted in payment of mail accounts, ersonal nal checks, exoept on Jun H" PUBLIRHING % :rA"l;fum OF CIRCULATION. 3"1‘ B. Taschi ok, Scratary 1: the Bee hing " C: being duly aworn ¥ u:uul pumber 5o Ty "Dally, ol Bunda, "ot }‘."nu.'ry."' ol and »~di- Omaha COMPANY. Y< ud EBURNRRIUREREREEE Net total sales. Net dally average.. All signs point to a brisk spring trade. The wise merchant will prepare for it. The Omaba Woman's club is threat- ened with a ructure over the color line. ‘The clothesline would be a safer topic of -discussion. Our old friend Tom Blackburn has been seelng things again. He should take something for it before he gets in too bad a way. Eppe—— Commodore Metcalfe might have at Jeast had compassion on the public suff- clent to have fired his battery one gum at a time instead of all at once. r——— - Bx-Treasurer Meserve has been re- leased pending trial on the embessle- ment charge on & ball bond for $1,000. That does not look much like political persecution. Errm———— | With the United States, Great Britain, Germany and Japan each placing a foot in the Ohinese doorway, neither Russla por any other country is Ilkely to at- tempt to close it. - ——— South Omaha people can console them- selves with the thought that they might have avolded all this municipal fracas bhad they taken more kindly to the an- mexation proposition. Towa leads all the states of the union In the value of its livestock. This, ecoupled with its rich soll and its pro- gressive people, tells the story of the -+ prosperity of our nelghbor. pe—p——— One of the designs on the souvenir with Talier, Towne, Web Davis and a few others for polnters on how to make the exit really spectacular. meg—— ‘The Steel trust has purchased several of the most important iron mipes in plylng to the big company. ege— Optimism Is & good thing, but when it takes the form of promises in the pro- motion of public enterprises that cannot be kept the reaction is sure to be detri- mental. A good, clear vislon is as neces- = An unusual number of murders have been committed in lowa during the past year, but the facility with which lowa courts are disposing of the cases and Juries are briuging in verdicts of gullty will probably have a restraining idflu. ence In the future. e Democratic papers are inquiring what TRRANLS T F T AN AN THE BIRTHDAY OF WASRINGTON. Public observance of the anniversary of Washington's birthday, which years ago was general, Is now rare, but while the stimulus to popular « patriotism which the former-time public demon- strations gave is no longer afforded, reverence for the memofy of George Washington is as strong and sincere now as It ever was. He still holds first place In the hearts of his countrymen, still towers above all others as the em- bodiment and exemplar of the loftiest patriotism, is still esteemed the greatest and grandest figure in our history. This being universally acknowledged, it Is needless to dwell upon the charac- ter of Washington. It will be more profitable to revert to the wise and ph- triotic admonitions be left his country- men; some of which are new particu- larly applicable when we are cultivating the friendghip of all nations. Washing- ton earnestly counseled this. “Observe good faith and justice toward all na- tions; cultivate peace and harmony with all,” says the farewell address. He ad- vised agalnst Inveterate antipathy to- ward particular nations and passionate attachment for others, saying that “antipathy in one nation against an- other disposes cach more readily to offer insult and injury, to lay hold of slight causes of umbrage and to be baughty and untractable, when acecl- dental or trifiing occasions of dispute occur.” He declared that “the nation prompted by fll-will and resentment sometimes impels to war the govern- ment, contrary to the best calculations of policy.” In euldvnln. peace and harmony with all nations this republic 18 following the counsel of its first pres- ident. The wisdom and patriotism which en- abled Washington to dominate most of the great men of his time still exert a potent influence and 'twill continue to do s0 as long as the American republic lives. His last message to his country- men is an unfailing inspiration to loy- alty and patriotic duty. o ———— GUVERRMENT DEPOSITS IN BANKS, Soon after going into office Becretary Shaw wrote to 4 New York congressman regarding a measure providing for the deposit of government funds at interest in national banks. The secretary of the treasury sald he thought that some pro- vision for the deposit of surplus funds of the government with national banks, upon security other than government bonds, would be wise, and he also stated that if the government had real- ized 2 per cent upon the funds which bhave been deposited in banks since the national banking law went into effect it would have recelved $32,000,000. In view of the large treasury surplus and the importance of having a large part of it made available for use in the business of the country, the question of providing for an extension of the de- posit of government funds in national banks is of consideiable consequence. Bills looking o this have been intro- duced in congress and doubtless some action will be taken. It is statéd that there are two principal questions of different character connected with the surplus that are being considered by certain groups of congressmen. Some are chiefly exercised by the fear that the government will not get the maxi- mum advantage from the surplus and some that the withdrawal of money from circulation will have & bad effect upon business at large. Both groups seek to remedy matters by a change in deposit requirements. One of the bills introduced provides for the collection of interest on government deposits In banks, letting the present bond deposit requirement stand, while another pro- poses that interest shall be collected on deposits of government funds, but that these may be secured by a first llen on the assets of the banks. 8o far as the question of security is concerned, the government would per- haps be amply protected by a first lfen on assets, but it 18 very questionable whether this proposition would be pop- ular. On the other hand, with bonds at their present high price, it is unlikely that the banks will be. willlng to ‘pay interest to the government while at the same time compelled to malitain such valuable securities on deposit. There I a pretty general feeling that the banks should pay interest on government de- posits, but as they cannot be compelled to take deposits, consideration for the business interests of the country must determine the policy to be adopted. The expediency of making a large part of the treasury surplus avallable for the use of the people is unquestionable. SEmm——————— ADOPTING PUBLIOITY. Some of the great industrial corpora- tions are recognizing the expediency of &topting publicity regarding their af- fairs. The example of the Steel trust in this respect has been followed by the National Biseuit company, which in its Just published annual report makes a very full presentation of its affairs and methods. In the detalls given un- favorable features are not concealed and the report is a clear and candid statement for the information which is altogether creditable to the managers of the company. That it will prove ben- eficial to the corporation, so far as com- mending it to public confidence is con- cerned, Is most probable. It s to be expected that other indus- trial corporations will come to see the wisdom and the legitimacy of giving stockholders and the public reasonable information concerning their financial condition and business affairs, for It ought to be plain to all of them that they cannot long retain the confidence of thelr stockholders and the public un- less they do this. A corporation that persists in carrylng on its operations secretly and withholds Information as o its condition and methods even from those who have lnvested in its stock, must inevitably give rise to the suspl- clon that it is not being judicipusly and hounestly managed. No corporation whose affairs are properly and honestly conducted can have a sound and suffi- clent reason for not allowing those who bave money in it to know what It Is dolng and the corporation that with- holds this information must sooner or later lose the faith of stockholders. This is a simple business proposition which it would seem all the managers of the industrial combinations should understand and act upon. The men at the head of the great steel corporation recognize it and it has worked no in- Jury to the business. It can do no in- Jury to any corporation whose business s conducted on a sound basis. On the contrary, there Is every reason to be- lieve that every such corporation—that is, those that are properly and honestly conducted—would find a reasonable de- gree of publicity of declded practical advantage. It would certalnly give them a standing in public confidence Which they cannot otherwise secure. It is generally conceded that publicity is one of the best safeguards against the trust system, that it is necessary to protect the public from whatever Is harmful or dangerous in that system. This being so the people will insist that publicity be required of the industrial combinations by law and It would be good policy on the part of the combina- tions to meet this demand before they are compelled to do so. Sp———— KXIT OF REDELL. The final order of dismigsal following on the findings in the trial of ex-Fire Ohief Redell is the natural consequence of the impossible position which Chief Redell assumed when the charges against him were originally filed. In- stead of accepting the situation and meeting his accusers with a refutation of their charges, Chief Redell, under the influence of bad advice that has Proved so costly to him, preferred to defy the authority of the police com- mission under which he had been serv- ing by refusing to recognise its authority to discipline him In any way. The evidence brought out at th:: hear- ing will certainly convince every un- prejudiced person that the ex-chief had called down upon himself his unfor- tupate dilemma ‘and had given good grounds for some measure of discipline. That dismissal was the only sufficient penalty in view of the insubordinate at- titude taken as soon as the charges were preferred, if the discipline and eficiency of the force of the fire department s to be maiotained, will also be readily hgreed to by every one who realizes What the essentials are to a well-manned fire-fighting force. Although ex-Chlef Redell had outlived his usefulness as a member of the Omaha fire department, it is only fair to say that the department owes much to the work he has done. At the time he was called in to take charge our fire department had reached a low ebb of effectiveness. Chlef Redell infused new lite into the demmllued force by bring- ing modern methods of fighting fires into requisition. There s no question but that under his supervision the men in the department made great.advances, but he brought with him, also, the sparks of disorganization and insubordi- nation which, fanned by favoritism, vindictiveness and cruelty on the part of the chlef, culminated in the necessity of his retirement. With the disturbing eiement removed ‘which hung over the department in the possibility of ex-Chief Redell's reinstate- ment, the efficiency of the department should be raised to the highest possi- ble standard and every effort made to repress dissension and enforce strict discipline, by which alone this result can be achleved. Emmees— As was to have been expected, it has been discovered that there is a little joker in the innocent bill to modify the charter for the East Omaha bridge in- troduced by request by Senator Millard and alveady passed by the senate. The bill was doubtless drawn by the com- pany's shrewd attorneys, who are al- ways up to some trick to take advantage of the publiec. The company has suc- ceeded so well in evading the require- ments of its original franchise that it would like nothing better than to be relleved altogether of such obligations as cannot be turned to account in the financial exhibit. The inducement to the granting of the charter for the Bast Omaha bridge was to give us an inde- pendent and competing outlet for trafiic and no attempt to bottle it up now should be countenanced. — The reorganization committee of the Asphalt trust proposes to merge into one company all the various paving con- cerns operating in this country. The reorganization committee evidently thinks the supply of suckers was pot exhausted by the defunct asphalt com- bine that tried that very game as to asphalt paving and falled most misera- bly. e=reresme— Several American rallroad lines, through their officers, bave taken occa- sion to deny that they have any inten- tion of absorbing Mexican roads. The government of Mexico has a way of bolding rallway officials to account for accidents which is not to the liking of the magnates. ———— South Omaha is rapidly acquiring the reputation of being the best market for fine breeding cattle as well as for ani- mals for slaughter. The Nebraska and lowa farmer knows that the best stock i8 the most profitable and under present prosperous conditions has the mouey to buy. S What & Tale it We ‘Washington Post. Some day the British lion may write & book on “Some twisters My Teil Has En- Be. Baltimore American. It is sald that there are 300 real daught- ers of the American Revelution--that Is, woman whose fathers took part in the of independence. They have lived to & great finish to the work their fathers started, and it also empbasizes the fact that If Rome was not bullt in its day, natfons are in this. Pluek in the Horse Trade. 8an Francisco Chronicle Great Britain may get out of the scandal in the War office over the high price pald for horses without smirching any officers, but it can hardly comceal the fact that some of them were very poor hands at a horse trade. three fine sporting gentlemen who met in Marlborough House the other day. What Sir Thomas Lipton knows about yachting, what Bdward VII wishes be had roulette no doubt would bave enl! conversation. It is belleved, howev they discussed the mebular hypothesls and opened & small bottle. MUNICIPAL GRAFTING. tly Exposed Leslie’'s Weekly. How utterly corrupt the governments of the great municipaliti of the United States have become hi st been disclosed in St. Louls. Several prominent mem- bers of the city councll, Including more than one wealthy business man—more the shame—have been indicted for bribery. A combination of members of the municipal assembly was made to pass a bill grant- ing valuable franchises for extensions to a local street car concern. For this privilege the combine was to receive $185,000, $75,000 of which was deposited in & box in one trust company and $60,000 in another, representative of the street car combina. tion retaining one of the keys and a mem- ber of the city councll the other. The bill was promptly passed by the city ecouncll, but before it could be rushed through the house of delegates the supreme court in- terfered, and the rellroad company falled 10 secure the coveted franchise. It them refused to pay the money on deposit to the members of the combine, and the con- troversy waxed so warm that the circuit attorpey’s attention was attracted, the grand jury took up the case, the scandal ‘was exposed and indictments followed. BShocking as this transaction appears, it 1is no different from those which have hap- pened in nearly every large oity in the United States in recent years. PR A RELIEF FOR POSTAL CLERKS, Their Ca to Be Pre 4 te Com- gress in the Right Way, Chicago Record-Herald. Since the postmaster general has issued an order prohibiting postal ployes golng to Washington to urge the ssage of leg- islation affecting the service the ca the tal clerks has been taken up by business men in various parts of the coun- try who recognize the hardships of the service and the uncertainty of promotion. The objects sought by the postal clerks are (1) an actual ipstead of a nominal eight-hour day, and (2) that the entire m of promotions, including advance- ment In pay from $600 up to $1, 00 and $1,400 & year shall be Ilnllr strict provision of the law. ployes in the government service, should not enjoy the full advantage of the elght- hour working day to which the goverament is committed. As a matter of fact they are forced to work Sundays, holidays and nights or €0 long as there rem mail to be distributed. The second object, sought is to remove advancement in rank and pay from the discretion or diecrimination of tl post- master, which in practice degenerates into favoritism, and make it follow merit and experience according to & fixed and un- deviating rule. There can be no doubt that the service would galn in efficiency through the pas- sage of the red legislation, for men can do better and mo ork when they are not overworked and when inspired by the certainty that advancement walts om fidelity and efficiency and not op any man's favor. e A POLITICAL FAKE, How It Originated, and How It Grew and Was Dissemi Indianapolls Journal. A few days ago a citizen of this town, who happens to be vice president of the National Manufacturers’ association, went to Washington to invite President Roose- velt to be present at the annual convention of the association to be held in this oity in May next. Arrived at the capital he made an appointment with Benator Bever- idge to call with him at the White House and introduce him to the presidemt. The call and the introduction were made, the invitation was given and the callers left. No other subject was discussed but that of the invitation. This was & commonplace and every-day occurrence, but it furnished & starting point for the evolutionary pro- cess, When the citizen returned from Wash- {ington it occurred to a creative reporter of the Sentinel that here was a chance for a story. The reporter must have what Shakes- peare calls ““an apprehemsive, quick and forgetive brain,” for out of this common~ place incident he constructed & story to the effect that the citizen referred to was a prospective candidate for vice president on the republican ticket in 1904; that Semator Beveridge had indicated his purpose to sup- port the eltls candidacy. “It is slso understood,” the story went, “that Presi- dent Roosevelt looks with favor the movement, and that when Mr. — called at the White House recently the president asked him how he would like to be on the ticket with him in 1904 This was printed in the Sentinel as & true story with sen- sational headlines intended to emphasize its accuracy. If the publication had stopped there the fake might be said to have “died but in order to give it a further of truth it was sent as a special olnoul to & number of outside papers. In this second stage of evolution the fake took on seyeral new features in the form of pre- tended detalls relating to an alleged po- litical movement which it was averred bad been In progress several -months. It began,” sald the special, “with Senator Beveridge and New York and Pennsylvania politicians who are very close to President Roosevelt, about the same time. It sald several of thege New York and Pennsyl- vania politicians “bave been in Indlanapolis within the past twe months to confer with 3 about the matter,” and gave pretended detalls concerning the In or careless editors and publishers as with headlines still further exaggerating it. Thus the fake was fully launched. It was promptly denied by Semator Beveridge and the citizen referred to, but the papers which published the fake probably will mot pub- Mish the denials. The only foundation for the story was the citizen's visit to Wash- ington on the errand above indicated, all the rest, including pretended particulars, personalities and politics, being made out of whole oloth. The incident shows how an infinitesimally small germ may, with morbid environments and care’ul fertiliza- tion, be developed into great proportions. Such evolutions have a sclentific interest, but they are & disgrace to American jour- ualism. 190’. THE DANISH WRST INDIBS. What Mark Twala Wrote About Them Thirty-F Yeats A Thé Danish West India islands, about to tranefer thelr soverelgnty to the United States, were the object of extended negotia- tions, having the same end in view, over thirty years ago. Mark Twaln was the ‘Washington correspondent of the New York Tribune in 1867 when the question of pur- chase was under consideration and wrote several let ridiculing the proposition. One of the: etters, dated December 10, 1867, 1s a characterlstic “jolly"” and werves to show the change public sentiment has undergone in a third of a century. Under the heading, “Information Wanted," Twaln wrote: ““Could you give me any Information re- specting such jslands, if any, as the gov- ernmeént I8 going to purchase? “It 1s an uncle of mine that wants to know. He is an industrious man and well disposed and wanta to make a Yiving in an bomest, humble way, but more especlaily he wants to be quiet and unostentatious. He has been to many of the new islands—St. Thomas—but he says he thinks things are unsettied there. ‘"He went down there early with an at- tache of the State department, who w sent down with money to pay for the nd. My unecle had hie money in the same bank, and 50 when they went ashore, getting @ receipt, the sailors broke open the box and took all the money, not mak- ing any distinction between the government money, which was legitimate money to be stolen, and my uncle's, which was his own private property, and should have been re- spected. “But hn came home to get some more and went back. And then he took the fever. There were seven kinds of fever down there, you know, and as his blood was out of order by reason of loss of sleep and gen- eral wear and tear of mind, he failed to oure the first fever, and then somehow he #ot the other six. He is not a kind of man that enjoys fevers, though he is well mean- ing and does always what he thinks is right. 8o he was good deal annoyed when it appeared that he was going to dle. But he worried through and got well and tarted & farm. He fenced it in and the ext day that great storm came and washed the most of it over to Gibraltar or around there somewhere. He only eaid in his patient way that it was gone and couldn't bother about trying to find it and where it went to, though it was his opinion that it went to Gibraltar. “Then he Invested in & mountain and started a farm up there, 50 as to be out of the way when the sea came ashore again. It was a good mountain and a good farm, but It wasn't any use—an earthquake came the mext night and shook it all down. It was all fragments, you know, and so mixed up with another man's property that he could not tell which were his fragments without golng to law, and he would not do that because his main object In golng to St. Thomas was to be quiet. All that he wanted was to settle down and be qulet. “He thought it all over and finally con- cluded to try the low ground again, espe- clally as he wanted to start a brick yard this time. He bought a flat and put out 10,000 brick to dry, preparatory to baking them. But luck appeared to be against him. A volcano shoved itself through there that night and elevated his brick 2,000 feet in the air. It irritated him a good deal has been up there and says the brick all baked right enough, but he can't get them down. At first he thought maybe the government would get the brick down for him, because the government bought the {sland ft, t Lo protect the property when 4 man has invested In good falth; but all ‘he wants {s quiet, 80 he is not going to ap- ply for the subsidy he was thinking about. i’ ““He went back there last week in a couple of ships of war to prospect aro: a the coast for a safe place for a farm, w! he could be qulet, but another urthmnkc came and hoisted both of the ships out into one of the interlor counties and hq came near losing his life. So he has given up prospecting in & ship and is discouraged. ““Well, now he don’t know what to do. He has trled Walrussia (Alaska had just been bought of Russia), but the bears kept after him so much and kept him so on t jump, as it were, that he had to leave the country. He could not be quiet there, with these bears prancing after uin all the time, ‘That is how he came 1% the new island we have bought, St. Thumas. “But he is getting to think St. Thomes is not quiet enough for a man of his turn of mind and that je why he wishes me to find out if the government is golng to buy any more islands shortly. He has heard that the government is thinking about bu; ing Puerto Rico. to try Puerto Rico, if that i ulet place. How 1s Puerto. Rico for his style of a man? Do you think the government will buy it?" ——— POLITIOAL DRIFT. The recent Tild ers provoked at- tacks of indigestion in silver quarters. The Boston Globe suggests that, while ‘we are reviewing our geographles, the new addition to the nation's territory be named the “Roosevelt West Indles.” David Bepnett Hill is not stralning his volce these days. He cherishes (he hope that his example will induce the Honm. Richard Olpey to stick to his private affairs until the nomination of 1904 Dblows over, Political police captains, with an eye for business, flourish amaszingly in New York. Two of the number recently acquired prop- erty valued at $360,000, all of which, they claim, was saved out of & salary of $2,760 & year and perquisites. Friends of ex-Mayor Josiah Quincy of Boston say that he canmot be the demo- cratic nominee for governor of Massachu- setts or for & seat In congress at next tall's election. He is now in Mexico and wants to attend to business. Congressman Champ Clark has pulled out of the r for the broga of Senator Vest of M url. Mr. Clark throws & boguet at himself by proclaiming that his duties in congress forbid him giving any of his precious time to senatorial fence bullding. The assessment rolls of New York state indicate & total property valustion of 95,754,420, Owing to the large indirect taxation, the rate of direct taxation to be levied on this valuation will probably not exceed 12-100 of & mill, or less than the rate estimated by Governor Odell in bis annual message. The rate last year was 1 21-100 mills. Speaker Henderson is being handed = series of tender roasts for baving inti- mated, in & letter to & comstituent, that many lies about congress are semt out by Washington correspondents. Several ed- itors resent the reflection, and audaciously assert that congressmen should scquire & reputation for truth before challenging the guardians of that commodity. The supreme court of Ohlo has sustained the corrupt practices act i its application to members of congress &s well as to state, county and municipal officers. The act re- quires a detailed statement usder osth of the expenses of all candidates for office during their campaigns for nomination and election. Comgressman Russell challenged the validity of the act when applied to elective federsl officers, but the court holds that it applies to all candidates for office, ‘whether state or national. OTHER LANDS THAN OURS, The London which according to the re- cent report of the registrar general of the British metropolls contains 4,686,341 inbab- itants, is not the Greater London, but ls the London that is made up of twenty nine boroughs, whose collective affairs are administered by the London County Coun- cil, and it covers 74,839 acres. Of these boroughs the old city of London, with but 26,038 resldents, le the smallest division, and Islington, with a population of 384,991, somewhat larger than Pittsburg, the larg- est. Outside of the County Council's elrele there is a “Greater London” that fofces the urban and sfiburban population of what s essentially one great center of human activity ve the 5,000,000 level, so that within a few miles of the old city of London there is a grouping of population almost as large as that of the state of Pennsylvania. Aside from the fact, there- fore, that London is the hub of the Brit- ish empire, it is the physical, visible dem- onstration of enormous size in the way of a contiguous and continuous bullt-up reglon that makes a profound impression that ranges from squalor the world knows to a superfine slegance and magnificenck seen wowhere else the globe over, P n government eliminating all foreigners fre public services. Formerly there were a number of British engineers in the employment of the various rallway administrations, but as these passed into the possession of the crown, the forelgners were offered the op- tion of becoming Russlan subjects or re- signing their posts, and with extremely few exceptions, the latter alternative was adopted. For a long time exceptional priv- lleges were extended to the large number of forelgn naval constructors, artificers and shipwrights, chiefly of British nation- ality. These were so plentiful, fndeed, in the Rusian admiralty yarde at one time that two or three of the earller-bullt bat- tleships of the Black sea and Baltic fleets were practically foreign-built ships built in Russia. The whole body of these for- elgner: large majority of whom are British, has now been weeded out of those establishments. The imperial government is now compelling many of the the leading private maritime companies to dispense with the services of foreigners. Pursuant to a ministerial order, the Russian Steam Navigation and Trading company of Odessa, the I st concern of its kind in Russla, has J given notice to the three remalning first-class British engin its employment, all men of twenty-five that they must forthwith n subjects or resign their The R is gradually o It is evident that the British government is wide awake to the importance of the part which the colonies are likely to play in future wars and to the value of the present organization of all their military resources for oftense and defense. Already two distinguished soldiers, Sir George Clarke and Sir Herbert Chermside, have [ been appointed governors of the states of Victoria and Queensland, and now Vice Ad- miral Sir Harry Raweon, one of the most brilliant officers of the British navy, who undoubtedly would be selected for high command in the event of a maritime war, has ben made governor of New South Wales. Thus the governor , general of Australla 1s provided with a kind of s| clal privy council of unim able thority on all military and naval matters. Sir Harry Rawson is only 58 years old, but has served for forty-five years. In 1857 he was present at the capture of the Pelho forts and since then he has been employed in all quarters of the world. He was one of the umpires at the British aval maneuvers of 1893, and was in coh- mand of the ceremonies at Spithead when the body of Queen Victoria was borne in state from Osborne to Gosvort. o One of the bills before the French Cham- ber in which the ministry {s most deeply in- terested is M. Basly's measure, fixing eight hours as the maximum work in the mines. A said to approve given to it by the government Is nnrdld a8 a bid for the labor vote at the comli elections. The bill, however, doés not on the immediate application of the bours' day, and, in fact, an amendment of M, Basly insisting on the immediate appli- cation of this principle was voted down by 869 to 196. What it provides for is an eight hours' day after four years. In the view of the legislative committee, the changes in- volved will result |n & diminution of pro- duction, and thereby alterations in the gen mines. Hence the necessity of giving the i companies time to adapt themselves to the new conditions. The bill, therefore, pro- vides for nine hours' work during the first two years, then for eight and a half hours, and for eight hours at the end of the fourth year. If in operation it does mot prove satisfactory to the miners, they will find no diffeulty in making their views known by A mass vote. The sliding-soale system minimizes the danger of disorganizing the mines, and the present provisioms, if largely experimental, have the immense advantage of belng popular. M. Basly, himself one of the most authoritative spokesmen of the French miners, will vote for the bill as it stands. Its opponents do not appear to be powerful. Thelr chiet objection to the scheme ls that it violates the principle of the inviolability of human liberty e In diplomatic circles in Vienna considera. ble credence is attached to the rumors that King Alexander of Servia is anxious to sell bis throne for a comfortable round sum, which be hopes Russia will guarantee if he gives his consent to a protege of Russia succeeding him. It is belleved that Queen Draga has inspired the king with this idea. She, it is sald, Is tired of belng a queen without the nec: y funds to the state even of a princ: 8h the: fore, prepared to exchange all the empty grandeur of her exalted position for the solid comfort of a fortune invested in a manner which will guarantee a happy old age for herself, whatever happens. King Alexander Is sald to be too devoted a hus- band not to think exactly as his queen thinks. 1t is asserted that negotia ate proceeding with Russia likely to lead 1o a renunciation by King Alexander of the Servian throne, and that the son of Prince Peter Karageorgevitch, Prince George, who is belng eduoated in St. Petersburg, will be the next king of Servia, with a regency to govern during his minority. BRIGHT AND BREEZY. Chicago News: Miss Singleton 1s all well enough for those who are and 'lnt to m‘rr‘ ‘edderly—Yes, and for those who are married an ety ngle want to forget it. Detrolt Free Presa: —Eleanor, dear, ou are such a vlvul us young woman ":):lt lb:‘ afrald I shan't be able to make You ol Eleunor.well. ldnr perhaps you would be wiser not to try. hln(ton Btar: m-?“’ Chubbs s & mustache,’ 4" one young Hadn't observed It” sald the othe Probably ‘not. « He's raising ft of his Not neariy 8o much trouble, and he atch it grow. Philadelphia Press: “Abt sighed the romantic young woman one of the tulunnsb\a Lenten -o:our-m at the h “T wonder why the ocean moans rrhup-." sald the ome crab or lobster tow." ractical youn Pinohing 1ts under: m{ Tribune: any- (hln‘ ot will cure rheumatism " in lnqnlnfi the ¢ SUSIOMAL. . ihe @ . o druggls pluf llon[ Ku.m the ceuntar towsrd the medl- cine shelves, e have several—er—reme. dles that uo hl‘hly—m—mflmlfllndcfl for rheumatism.” nEhiiadelphia, C-(‘I:‘nllo Standard: *'Bes rel” cried tim, "1 thought you lnid lhnl counex was well watered?" ell?" replied the real estate man. ‘'Well, there's no wllfl' there at all, ex- cept artesian—' a Then, 1t must be we??wr-:g:-ed mastat 108 Chlcago Post: ‘““Why don't au arbitrate " anked the' Y runsers “ropled”” tha " 9s mm ran “when We fot ' feud n.:ua here thers aint no man dares to be , for ain't no n.nundoelufluunnm Baltimore Am-rlun Havl heard that r dealer's househ: m.u.a“'fl b twins, the -ymfizlmm trtond "% hear you n t ¥ a1 mn:,brndot wo- fers down at you: . "o replied. the cigar man, it 1s stogles.” THE 23D OF ;-IIIJAI'. One of the last ?ml 'nl ‘Willlam Cullen Pale is th “ And bris nny hours; T T wiRd pest fores preme o N Yet has no month a pro\ldar “Y» Not even when the summer O'er meadows in thelr abray. Or autumn tinis the glowing woods. For thi chlll season now again rin in its annual round, the morw When, greatest of the sons of men, Our glorious Washington was born. here, beneath an icy shisld, Lty the mighty, Hudson flows! BI! snowclad fell en fleld roadening the lordly river goes. The ;uden storm that sweeps through ace And rends the oak with sudden f¢ h Cu\ rllll no ripple in his face, o SReee. cken his majestic course, Thlu. mld the w{nck of lh Apd' Years -uv:cualnt Increase of honors loy Hats Our entire line of Bpring Hais and Caps are all ready for you. The styles this season are much larger and very becoming to most men—and the man we cannot make be- coming in our Hat department will have to change his face. STETSON'S FAMOUS SOFRFT AND STIFF HATS— 83, See Window. 50 AND THE FINEST LINES TO BE FOUND AT $3.00 and $2.50. “No Clothing Fits Like Ours.” K 3@ Exclusive Clothiers and Furnishers. R. 8. Wilcex, Manager.