Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, May 5, 1902, Page 4

‘THE ©OMAHA DAILY BEE. E. ROSEWATER, EDITOR. G. PUBLISHED EVERY MORN TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION Daily Bee (without SBunday), One Year. Dally Bee and Sunday, One Year lllusteated Bee, One Year Bunday Bee, One Saturday Bee, One nr soien Twentfeth Century ¥armer, One Year. DELIVERED BY CARRIER ee (without Sunday), per copy.. 3¢ ee (withol per week..120 Bee (Inclu per week.17c unday Bee, per copy.... avessoans vening Bee (without Bunday), per week.i0¢ Evening Bee (ncluding Sunday), per week . 1 Complaints of lrrey should be addressed t. Departmints. -+ orpcs. Omeha—The Bee Bullding. Bouth Umaha~City Haii Bullding, Twen- fifth and M street "Coundfu streets. €l Clreulation Blufte—10 Pearl Street. Chicago—1640 Unity Building ew Vork—Temple Court. ‘ashington—l Fourteenth Street. CORRESPONDENCE Communications relating to news and editorial matter should be addressed: Omaha Bee, Editorial Department. BUSINESS Lii1 [ERS Busjiess letters and remitiances should be addrese The Bee Publishing Com- pany, ™ REMITTANCES. Remit by draft, express or postal order, ayable 1o The Bee. Publishing Company. nly f-cent stamps accepted in payment of mail accounws. Parsonal checks, except on Omaha or_eastern exchange, not accepted. THE BEE PUBLIBHING COMP. STATEMENT OF CIRCULA' State of Nebraska, Do > (George B Tzachuck, Publishing Company, says that the actua mplete coples of Gvening ana Sunday Bee pri the month of April, 102, 1. being duly sworn, number of full and The Dally, Morning, ted during follows: Net daily average GEORGE B. TZBCHUCK. Subscribed in my presence and sworn to before me this 30th day of April, A. D. (Beal.) M. B. HUNGATE, Notary Publle, gttt — When Omaha boasts an automobile club it will give its rivals the horse laugh. 4 According to most rellable cable ad: vices, Dewey day was not celebrated at all in Bpain. o Chicago feels better now that St. Louls has been compelled to follow the Chi- cago example and postpone its world's fair for a year. “Nothing' 1s settled until it is settled right.” This adage applies as much to the battle for equitable taxation as it does to any other conflict. gy With a laundry combine to screw up prices threatening them, the only thing for Chicago peoplé to do is to retaliate by buying washboards and flat irons of thelr own, Those Chinese rebels who are looting captured villages at every opportunity must be imbued with an ambition to maintain their record against that of the European invaders of a year ago. ——— Perhaps the true explanation of the postponement of the Louisiana Purchase exposition is the desire to give 8t. Louls & chance to finlsh up the job of expos- ing and unloading all the rest of its boodle municipal officers. — Becretary 8haw looks for the treasury surplus to continue in spite 6f the re- peal of the war taxes and the stoppage of the revenue derived from them. If he were serving under a democratic ad- ministration he would have to fortify himself against a deficit. S— If ex-Senator Hill is to have sole com- mand and supervision over the demo- cratic campaign In New York state this fall as forecasted, Colonel Bryan may be depended on to be too busy to make any speeches in that part of the ene- my's country should he be invited there, E— Thete is well-defined rumor that Joseph Bartley has taken a very deep interest In the reorganization of the Omaha police force and has served no- tice to this effect upon Chlef of Police Donahue. It would seem that Mr, Bart- ley from béing a financler is about to become a municipal reformer. Sm—— The city council knows how to ex- pedite business when it wants to and how to procrastinate when it wants to. It can hold & special session to pass the billboard ordinance in five minutes. by the watch, but it also ma s to find insurmountable obstacles to transacting business that is most pressing. aa————— If Omaba people would put a little less money In wildcat mining ventures and alr-bubble of} schemes and more in substantial Omaha enterprises calcu- lated fo bulld up the city and furnish employment to wageworkers here at home, they would accomplish more for themselves as well Sggp— . It 1s Just as lmportant for the tax- payers to have the county assessment roll made up on equitable valuations of taxable property as it Is to have the city assessment roll properly con- . structed. If the men who have been making the fight for tax reform are in earnest they will direct themselves to tn county board in ample time for the 1 county assessment. , A Manlla takes direct issue with @overnor Taft In his statement that thg hope of orderly government in the Philippines lies in the educated classes. It declares that the present educated clagees are treacherous and ‘ and that our hope must educating ghose Dot educated in the arts of de- ‘This looks like as for the com- THE RECIPROCITY TREATIES. The decision of the senate committee on foreign relations to report favorably all the reciprocity treaties before It, ex- cept those with Argentine and with Great Britalu pertalning to Jamalca, was unexpected and gives promise of though It does mnot assure the ratifica- tion of those treatles, each of which will be amgnded 8o as to provide that it shall not take effect until the same shall have been approved by the con- gress.. This is a concession made by the senate to the house of representa- tives, in view of the elaim of the house to the right to pass upon treaties which affect the revenue. Thus If these reci- procity treaties should be ratified by the senate they will still have to be favor- ably acted upon by the house of repre- sentatives before they can go into effect. However, the supporters of the reci- procity policy, so strongly urged by the late President McKinléy and fully ap- proved by his successor, will be gratified at the action taken by the senate com- mittee and will hope that it will result in putting these treaties Into effect. Those to be favorably reported are the treatfes with France, Ecuador, Nie- aragua, Santo Domingo and the several British West India islands, with the exception of Jamalca. The treaty with Argentine was negatived mainly for the reason that a reduction of 20 per cent was provided for on hides, sugar and wool, while that with Jamaica also pro- vidés for a reduction of 20 per cent on sugar and admits free of duty frufts that come in competition with the fruits of Florida and California. The most important of these treatles Is that with France and it has consequently encoun- tered the greatest opposition. As a matter of fact, however, the United States gets better concesslons under this treaty than are accorded to France and there is every reason to belleve that it would result in very materially bene- fitlng our trade with France. It Is by no means certain, however, that it will be ratified, since it will be as vigorously opposed now as heretofore by the inter- ests which it affects and which are in- fluential in congress. p—— THE ANTI-INJUNCTION BILL. The antl-injunction bill which has passed the house Is very likely to fail in the senate. It is sald that Senator Hoar, who has charge of the measure in the senate, has expressed an inclina- tion to drop the whole matter, and ghould he determine to do this it is more than probable that no action will be taken on it in that body. There was some opposition to the proposed legislation in the house, but it was not given an opportunity to manifest itself, though had it been it probably would havé had no effect, as clearly indicated by the vote on the measure. The influence, however, which was patent with the house will doubtless not be so strong in the senate and the nature and possible effect of the pro- posed legislation may be expected to recelve more careful consideration and thorough discussion In the senate than was given it in the house, although in the latter body it received a good deal of attention. An elaborate report in favor of the bill was made by the chalrman of the judiclary committee, which if not absolutely conclusive as an argument for the proposed legislation was certainly very strong. There was also a minority report pointing out the objections to the measure. These two reports showed that the subject had been pretty carefully considered in committee, but it was not discussed in the house as it will be In the senate if brought before that body. The measure {8 supported and urged by organized labor, which it is intended to protect against injunctions under certain clearly defined conditions. The bill prohibits injunctions under some cir- cumstances, as for example in the case of combinations of workingmen for a purpose that would be lawful and proper on the part of an individual. The passage of the bill by the house was & victory for labor, but It may not be successful with the senate. 1IN HONOR OF RUCHAMBEAU., There appears to be quite as much Interest in France as in this country re- specting the unveiling of the statue of Count Rochambeau, which will take place at Washington City on May 24. The French government will be repre- sented on the occasion by a distin- guished delegation, the members of which were addressed on Saturday by President Loubet, who spoke in the most cordial and friendly terms of the United States. The Parls press un- doubtedly volces the general sentiment of the French people in its references to the coming event, which seems to be regarded as promising to strengthen the good relations between the two re- publics. Lafayette was the Frenchman whose memory I8 most revered by Americans, but Rochambeau did a service in the revolution that gave him a just claim to American gratitude. He came here purely as a military man, commanding the . forces of French troops which France sent to our assistance. He ap- pears to have been an excellent offi- THE OMAHA PAILY E: Rochambeau should be regarded and ae such it 1s eminently appropriate. The delegation that will represent the French government and people at the unveiling of the statue, at the head of which is the commander-in-chief of the army, will recelve the most cordial and generous hospitality while in the United States. It will be an opportunity to show Low gratefully the American peo- ple still feel for the great service ren- dered by France in the struggle for in- dependence. Emesm———— THE CAMPAIGN REFURM. The campaign for tax reform begun some months ago by the Real Estate exchange had for its maln object the more equitable distribution of the local tax burdens that was to terminate in a material reduction of the tax rate. Such a result was only possible through a substantial increase in the aggregate of the assessment roll. That object should not be lost sight of in any program that may be brought before the exchange for the tinal settlement of the issues now before the city council. In 1898, when the assessment of prop- erty for city taxation was placed in the hands of a single tax commissioner and Tax Commissioner Sackett fixed 83 per cent as the standard of valuation, the levy was only 24 mills. In the year 1901 with a 40 per cent ratio the levy was 34 mille, It goes without saying that last year's levy could easily have been re- duced to 30 mills even with the in- creased school tax had the franchised corporations been compelled to pay on the same basis as other property re- turned for taxation. It was the good fortune of the fran- chised corporations that no court had up to this year pronounced upon the validity of that part of the revenue law that allowed the bonded debt to be de- ducted from thelr total valuation for assessment. Now that the highest ju- dicial tribunal has pronounced this pro- vision unconstitutional, the corporations will have to fare the same as the owners of mortgaged real estate. The décided Increase in their assess- ment under the mandate of the court cannot be regarded as an oppressive im- position on them, but as a long-delayed relief of the other taxpayers. While 1t is true that several millions of personal property has escaped taxation for a number of years, that fact does not con- stitute an offset in the assessment of the corporations. Whatever hardship has been endured by excessive taxation has not pinched them, but it has welghted down real estate to the point of conflscation and almost destroyed property values in Omaha. The supreme court has placed the tax- payers of Omaha in position to reduce the weight that now rests upon them, and we feel sure the rank and file of taxpaying citizens will not countenance any scheme of compromise that does not assure a levy at least as low for this year as it was in 1898, when the assess- ment was at the ratio of 33 per cent. The taxpaying citizens of Omaba do uot expect the city or the county board to discriminate against the franchised cor- porations or to take undue advantage of them In the execution of the mandate of the court; on the contrary they desire to have them treated with the greatest lib- erality compatible with the instructions {ssued by the court. But any attempt to temporize and evade the plain letter of the law as construed by the court will simply mean a continuance of the fight without cessation in season and out of season. — It may be good tactics, politically speaking, for the popocrats to exert all of their influence to folst upon the re- publican party candidates whom they know to be the most unpopufir or vul- nerable. For that reason it was good politics for every democratic and popu- listic paper from the World-Herald down to pray for the nomination of Governor Savage. For the same reason, doubtless, the World-Herald has pro- jected James H. Van Dusen as its pre- ferred republican candidate for gov- ernor. In justifcation of its impertinent intrusion as voluntary counsellor and monitor to the republicans of Douglas county the World-Herald declares that “The Bee's policy 18 to oppose every man regardless of his claims who happens to have incurred the enmity of The Bee's editor.” This is literally true, but the World-Herald omits to state that the men who have incurred the enmity of The Bee have been men who proved themselves unworthy of a public trust or men whose records should bar them from all positions of honor and trust. “But no rogue ere felt the halter draw with good opinion of the law,” and in every instance where The Bee has op- posed a tattooed candidate either for nomination or election its motive has invariably been impugned and its op- position ascribed to personal enmity and malice. Eeemmm—— The impression is sought to be con- veyed that the billboard ordinance passed by the council as an excuse for repealing the preceding ordinance em- bodies regulations sufficient to control the billboard nulsance. There is noth- {ng in the new ordinance, however, that regulates or represses anything, but sim- ply a provision that new boards shall be cer, who co-operated most heartily with General Washington and who kept his soldlers in such a high state of dis- cipline to win from the Americans of that day a recantation of their be- lief that French troops were necessarily disturbing elements in a communlity tralned up in the Puritan tradition. Rochambeau's éhlef clalin to fame rests in Yorktown. He lived years after that, but his fortunes were not happy. The French court belitfled his services. He was one of the last of the marshals of the old regime, tried to make bead with raw and disaffected troops against the enemles of Frauce, tell under the suspicion of the terror- ists, was put in prison and narrowly escaped the guillotine. Rochambeau lived until 1807 and was hailed by Na- poleon as “the father of the French army.” It is therefore as & tribute to the’ French army YHat (b statue 0 built subject to the supervision of the city building Inspector. All the dan- gerous rattle-trap fences that now fester our thoroughfares are to be left where they are and legalized indefinitely. while the license feature by its terms guar- antees a practical monopoly to a single bill-posting concern. The repeal of the original billboard ordinance is & distinet backward step which Omaba should not take. —s———— Extracts from a letter from General G. M. Dodge, well known as one of the ploneers of the Union Pacific, point out that the rallroads In Cuba and their methods of imposing charges and doing business obstruct the development of the {sland in an almost prohibitive way. General Dodge asserts that it has never been known for & through car of frelght to go from Havana to any other port without chapge and that there 1s no ex- change of business bétween, ports, while freight rates are from 12 to 25 cents a ton per mile and passenger rates about 10 cents a mile. Great expectations are laid that a new line now building from Havana to Santfago will break down these high-board raflway tariffe. From this it appears that Cuba is still in the stage of railway development of the border days of our western states, but with a falr prospect of soon catching up. The developmeht of its internal com- merce must depend upon transportation facilities rather than tariff concessions with other countries. The eapitalists who work out & modern rallroad system for Cuba can evidently do most for it Just now. The Interstate Commerce commission has issued accident bulletin No. 1, giv- ing a compilation of the statistics of railroad accidents for July, August and September of last year, made up from the monthly reports of the rallroads, returned under a new law enacted by congress a year ago. While the totals exhibit the tremendous life risk on the raflroads all the time, the most gratify- ing part of the bulletin is that showing a notable decrease in the accidents arlsing from car couplings due as is pointed out to the introduction of auto- matic couplings and the improvement of the coupling devices. The estimate of the bulletin is that this class of fa- talitles has been reduced at least one- balf within the past two years. An- other feature perhaps of more interest to the rallroad manager than to the public is the money cost of railroad accidents which is computed for the period considered to be approximately $600,000 a month in damage to cars, engines and roadway alone, to say noth- ing of indemnity for the injuries of victims. The chief criticlsm to be passed on the bulletin is the tardiness of its appearance since its contents lose much of their value by reason of beiug 80 far behind date. Our diplomatic establishment in Cuba under the provisions of the bill passed by the house will consist of a minister and two legation secretaries at the capl- tal and u consul general at Havana and a consul each at Clenfuegos and Santiago. Cuba will also have to es- tablish agencies in the United States to look after its relations with this country. For Cuba this experience will be its first introduction in diplomatic circles, as heretofore Spain bad always kindly performed that duty for it. Sclence and Sentiment. Philadelphla Ledger. There is not much sympathy between sclence and sentiment. The latter sees at Niagara a magnificent waterfall, while the former sees only & magnificent water power. —_——— De s Follow the Squeal. Baltimore American. 1t 1s one of the oddest things in life how reporters as a class invarlably misunder- stand and miereport the men who get into trouble whenever they begin to.talk. It 1s a wonder that any confiding public man can be found willing to air his griev- ances at all. American Capital Controls. 8t. Louls Globe-Democrat. Ninety-eight per cent of the 200 steam- ships in the new trust are foreign bullt and, 1t is stated, will remain so in order to re- taln the foreign subsidies now pald. It is a curfous fact that American capital ie pre- dominant in such a venture and the final results of the investment cannot even be guessed, Capable of Great Deeds. New York Sun. The billlon and hundred million of dol- lars and more which the Boer war h: cost England recalls grimly Kruger's prophecy that the confiict would “stagger bumanity.” On the other hand, the hero- fsm with which the Boers have defended their country is splendid evidence that human pature i ble of great deeds. Wealth in Thoroughbred Stock. Minneapolis Tribune. ’ A herd of Angus-Aberdeen cattle at the Omaha stock yards this week brought the highest prices ever pald for thoroughbred cattle at that point. Stockralsers and farm- ers all over the country appear to be waking up to the good business policy of breeding the higher grades of stock. A scrub cow in a dairy will “eat her head oft" every year and make her owner no richer, while a thoroughbred animal, if rightly managed, will pay good returns on her cost and keep. - Palma's Welcome Home. Philadelpbia Record. It is altoy r delightful to note the eftusive joy with which the Cubans ex- tend bands of welcome to their elected president on his tour across the island. We can take some share in the transport with which the islanders look forward to the actual pos: jon of the freedom for which they have longed because of our strong interposition in their behalf. Had we been as free to give them the benefit of our markets as we were to snatch them from the grip of Spain our content would now be well-nigh perfect. Give the Co Chicago Chronicle. In such & muititude of arrogant trusts it is dificult to say which is the most In- solent, but just now it looks as though the bard coal trust was entitled to that di tinction. To anpounce & monthly advance of 10 cents per ton for Do other reason than “wo need the money” is perhaps the most cold-blooded proceeding yet accredited to any of monopoly's brood. Most of the trusts have the grace to soften their preda- tory operations by lying about fincreased expenses. advanced Wwages or some such mendacity. The coal trust .simply robs the consumer and tells him he is lucky that the robbery lsn't twice as extensive. . A Pretty Story Spofled. Chicago Tribune. One cannot help suspecting that a great many of the witticisms attributed to dle- tinguished men would, if truth had a hear- ing, reach the same final catastrophe in which Admiral Dewey has invoived ibe one tributed to him in 1898. “Why did you buy so much coal?’ cabled Bradford of the Bureau of Equipment in Washington. [“To burn, replied Dewey from his flagship Olympia at Manila. This was the form the story took in its rounds through the press. Naturally, Bradford was sunoyed. So, at last, was Dewey. The story was not oaly untrue but persistent. Error, crushed to earth, will rise again. Finally, there has been published & reeent exchange of letters between the two admirals which sets the whole question at rest for ever. ‘““There is no truth in the mewspaper story,” says MAY 5, 1902. FOR THE STATE TICKET, York Times: There Is no better candidate for governor than John H. Mickey, nor will there be. BEverybody can support him and be proud to do it. Wausa Gazette: The more we consider the matter the more satisfied we are that Judge Roberteon of Norfolk is the right man for the republican nomination for gov- ernor, Wayne Herald: It looks as though Judge W. M. Robertson of Norfolk wolild bave a large per cent of north Nebraska with him in the race for the republican gubernatorial nomination Tekamah Journal: P. L. Rork attended the meeting of the republican congressional central committee at Norfolk last week. He brings home very encouraging reports of the candidacy of W. G. Sears for gov- ernor. Grand Island Independent: The best sug- gestion the Independent has yet observed in the matter of selecting a state treasufer to succeed Stuefer comes from the Burwell Tribune and St. Paul Republican—that Peter Mortensen of Ord would make an ex- cellent treasurer. Kearney Hub: There are a great many republicans who prefer that Hon. A. E. Cady should be the republican nominee for governor than a candidate for congress. The party needs one of its strongest and best known men as its candidate for gov- ernor and Mr. Cady would fill the bill com- pletely. Chadron Journal: One of the most favor- ably spoken of candidates for governor this fall on the republican ticket is Hon. W. M. Robertson of Norfolk. Mr. Robertson came to northern Nebra: in the early days and since that time has been closely identified with the things that tended to make the state what it is today, always lending his support where it was needed. Tekamah Journal: Hon. W. D. Haller of Blair is mentioned by the Washington county papers as a candidate for the re- publican nomination for lleutenant gov- ernor. The republican party could hunt a long time and not find as good a man as “Blll" Haller. Mr. Haller's candidacy, the Journal is confident, will not be used by him to in any way prejudice the candidacy of Burt's candidate, W. G. Sears, for gov- ernor. Norfolk News: The supporters of W. M. Robertson for governor are growing in number and the enthusiasm inspired by bis name ls increasing in intensity and fervor. Commendatory words come from all parts of the state and the indlcations are that by the time the convention meets in Jute he will have a walkaway for the position. Such an outcome would please bis friends immensely and they would take off theirn coats and work with a will for his election, knowing that their efforts would result in governor who would be a credit to York Times: Hon. J. H. Mickey, being the only candidate for governor in this congressional district, is entitled to the support of the entire district, and probably will get the most of it. He is about the kind of stuff good runners and good OV~ ernors are made of. He served, bravely in the army, and afterward eettled on a farm near Osceols, where he has lived nearly thirty-five years. He has been liberal with his money, but has made a good deal, and 80 has plenty left. He is an uprigh cessful man and has had some legislative experience, though he has been very little in politics. He was in the legislature when the Slocum liquor law was enacted and was a leading supporter of the measure. Atkinson Graphic: Several republican papers throughout the state have given the Graphle credit for launching a governorship m for Hon. M. P. Kinkald. While the done nothing of the kind it has ure to note the response from other papers, several of which are now booming Kinkald for governor under the impression that he is a candidate. This is an error which we haven't time to trace to its source, but we have a lurking suspicion that some of the Platte country congres- slonal aspirants could tell all about it. There is no state office too good for Mr. Kinkald, but we may as well state right row that he is not a candida r any of them, but is in the race-fap_congress for keeps. The people of the Sixth district need him to represent them in Washington and that is where they are going to send him. 8o call off your little ruse, gentle- men, and look elsewhere for gubernatorial timber. —_— PERSONAL NOTES. M. Gerome’s gigantio eagle for the bat- tlefleld of Waterloo is to occupy the place of homor at the Champs Elysees on, Paris, which will open on May 1. Casimir M. Chodzinski of Warsew, Poland, will arrive in Chicigo next mcaith with a plaster of paris ®tast of his desigp for a statue of Thaddeus Kosclusko, which 1s 1o be placed in one of the parks of that clty. Dr. Edward Everett Hile has the dis- tinction of being the old prominent American author since the death of Thomas Dunn English. Colonel Thomas Wentworth Higginson, who comes next, will be 80 in December. George P. Sherman, one of the oldest citizens of Milwaukee, was an eye-witness of the trlumphbal pageant in New York at the time of Lafayette's last visit to this country. He is 0 one of the few men now living that beard the famous Webster- Hayne debate in 1830 at Washington. A medical journsl printed in Philadelphia raises the question of Cecil Rhodes’ sanity, basing doubt on the South African mil- lionaire’s idea of founding a world unity by syndicating all nations in & secret so- clety of millionaires. The paper says that such & notion “has something of an insane BITS OF WASHINGTON LIFE. nts Observed on the Spot. Just mow social Washisgton s on tip toe over a charity garden party and bazar scheduled to come off at the Spanieh legn- tlon. Ladies high in official circles are to take leading parts in the affair, costumed as flower girls, cigarette peddiers, bar- tenders and venders of hot tamales. Thir- teen inches from the turf is the rule for skirts—which lends picturesque excitement to the event Scenes and Ine Among the young women in the Navy de partment is one who Includes among her dutles that of indexing the official mail signed by Mr. Darling, assistant secretary of the navy. She is gifted with a real sense of humor, which aids her in over- coming the monotony of her work. The other day ehe was chatting with some female acqualntances and one of them asked what her duties were. “Oh, I don't do much, but read a 1ot of letters signed ‘Darl- ing.' " Her friends made desperate efforts to find out who the enamored swain was, but the young clerk with admirable sim- ulation of coyness refused to give detalls. Senator Stewart, who has been in Wash- Ington for many years, has an old negro retainer who comes around twice a week for some money. He made nis regular bl-weekly call the other day. The eenator gave him a dollar and sald: “Jim, I'm getting tired of this sort ot business. You are an able-bodied man. Why don't you go to work instead of liv- quality in it.” Mounted on a “single-footer,” Mr. Shaw, secretary of the treasury, goes for a ride nearly every afternoon. is so smooth that the rider gets much exercise as though he was swinging in & hammock. But then the secretary on such trips looks more like a man dolng his duty than out for & pleasure ride. Colonel *Abe” Gruber, the New York man-about-town, entered a swell Gotham restaurant with some friends and ordered luncheon. After waiting & long time he called an attendant and asked him how long be had been employed there. “Two weeks,” was the reply. “Ob, then you not our waiter,” sald the bungry patroi “We gave our orders about three weeks| ™ age.” Mr. Rhodes is one of the few men who bave bad statues in their lifetime. Many will no doubt be erected to him now that he s dead, but meanwhile a colossal figure in bronze of the maker of Bouth Africa is standing in the studio of John Tweed of Chelses, London. It was exeouted to the order of the citizens of Buluwayo, and is intended for the market place of that town. It is related of Finley Peter Dunae creator of the famous “Mr. Dooley, while visiting at the home of E. C. Bené- dlet, the New York banker, his attention was called to the fact that his host Jection of books was lacking in representa. tive American humorists. Mr. Dunne vol- unteered to make Mr. Benedict a gift of what he lacked. Not long afterward Mr. Benedict recelved by mail a volume of “Bill Nye" and & collection of Willlam J. Bryan's campalgn speeches. the ing on my charlty?" e ‘' ‘Deed, boss,” sald Jim, reproachfully, you aln't the kind o' man to be askin' me to ®o to wuk now. is you? Why, boss, it's too hot to wuk.” i Wi snorted Senator Stewart, I haven't seen you work in the winter any, elther."” : be crazy! It's fah too col’ to wuk in de wintah.” President Roosevelt apparently knows no moment of relief from the strenuous life. One Sunday morning on emerging from church he found outside the door a boy wearing the uniform of a High school cadet The lad’s blouse was unbuttoned and he stood in rather a slouchy attitude. “Is that the' way to wear your blou in- quired the chief magistrate sharply. “Why don’t you look neat and smart?’ The boy blushed, buttoned up his blouse and stood up straight, whereupon Roosevelt nodded his approval and strode away. Senator Teller was called from his seat in congress a few days ago to meet two political friends from his home state, re- ports the Washington Post. The visitors were very tall men and they had to stoop in order to converse with the senator, who is a man not above medium height. While the three were engaged In conversation Senator Spooner, who, with the exception of Simon of Oregon, is the shortest member of the senate, passed through the marble room. He took in the group with an ex- pression of great interest upon his face, and when his colleague had returned to his place, he turned to him and said: Do all the men from your state grow as tall as that?” “Oh, no," responded Teller, “‘those two were exceptions. They belong to the Lill- putians.” The queerest lobby that has been seen about the capitol in years is trying to se- cure the passage of the Gallinger bill. It is composed of veterans of the civil war and every one of the members is min either an arm or a leg. Every meeting day of t pension committees the “‘limping lobby,” as it is called by the irreverent capitol employos, makes its appesrance: There ate fully fifty veterans engaged In the work of securing additional pension to those permanently crippled in the war. The Gallinger bill, as reported in the sen- ate, provides a pension of $45 a month for those veterans who have lost either a hand nized fleet, consisting of eraft pes cullar to the lower stretches of the Father of Waters. One of these fleets, under the command of “Admiral” R. B. Cook, has Just beén attacked and scattered by the sherift of Coabomo county, Mississippi. The flagship, Shgmrock IT1, Jersey Woods commander, has been asized. The flagship will probably be sold to satisty a tax of $1,500, the fines and miscellancous costs of court “Admiral" Cook and “Commander Jersey Woode will probably be compelled to work out their fines on the levees. The consorts of the flagship that succeeded In getting over the state line are, of course, exempt from the jurisdiction of the sheriff of Coahomo. It 1s pleasing to learn that in this paval engagement no blood was spilled. It does not appear either from the dispatches that any whisky was spilled. The sheriff of Coahomo has vindicated the majesty of the law In this inetance, but he will not pre- vent other whisky fleets from returning. The risk may be great, but the profits are tempting. ¢ The people of the river countles of Mississippl are not very different from the people of New York City when there drouth, If they are denled the privil of slaking their thirst in one way, they slake it in another. FRANCHISE TAXATION. Importance of the Decision Rendered by the Nebraska Supreme Conrt. . Chlcago Post There {8 reason for belleving that the great decision of the Illinols supreme court in the famous auit against the State Board of Equalization contributed not a little to- ward the victory of the people of Omaha over the loeal public service corporations. The Nebraska case, fromn one point of view, is more striking than our own, for in Illt- nols the constitution and the revenue law are in perfect harmony. All that our courts had to decide was whether the state board had performed its duty under the law and the constitution. They held that the ments of franchis and capital stock had been so unreasonably low as to justity the imputation of fraud, and directed new assessments. In Nebraska, it seems, the revenue law permits capital stock corporations to de- duct the amount of their bonded Indebt- edness from the fair or full market value of their property, inoluding franchises, for taxation purposes. This rule prevalls in certaln eastern states, where corporations obtain their capital by iseuing stock rather than by borrowing. Enligh of corporate finance have rey as inequitable and unreasonable, and recent developments have demonstrated the cor. rectness of their view. The tendency has been toward the conversion of stocks into bonds, and to hold that property the form of a share of stock ce taxable when converted into a bond is manifestly absurd. At any rate the Nebraska supreme court has declared the provision in question null and vold, and held that corporations must pay taxes in proportion to the value of thelr entire property, the same as other owners of property. The value of intangi- ble property is to be determined by taking for a basls or index the market value of the caplita] stock. No other indicla of valu . nampd. The court has granted a writ of manda- mus requiring the city council of Omaha to reconvene as a board of equallzation and reassoss the street rallway, gas, water, electric light and telephone compani There must be no dlscrimination; the prop- erty of the corporations is not to be tazed at a higher rate than property generally. It actual cash value was not used by the astessors as.a basis for al ment, the Boatd of Equalization must take the prp- portion or percentage that was used and bring up to the same level all property fall- ing below it. This direction accords with the doctrines of the circult court opinion 1o the Chicago tax case. LIGHT AND AIRY THOUGHTS, or a foot and $60 a month for those who bave lost both a foot and a hand. There are now 158 veterans living who lost both hands or arms during the war, They recelve a pension of §100 a month, while the seventeen veterans who lost both feet receive but $72 a month, Representative Burkett of Nebraska was tormerly an Iowan, and he well remembers his first visit to the state of which he is now a citizen, | “When 1 was a boy,” said Mr. Burkett to & Washingtor Post man, “I was a great base ball crank. I was the catcher on the nine of the Missouri Valley college, and to Nebraska to play against a nine in the Tri-State league. Iowa was a probibition state, whereas in the town of Blair, where we made our first appear- ance, liquor was plentiful. Our nine, I am sorry to say, ylelded to temptation. When t me w led 1 was the only sober man in the party. I remember that the shortstop, In trylng to stop & grounder, fell down and did not get up for twenty min- utes. When the score stood 76 to 0 again us, we gave up. Mr. Burkett has never lost his love for the game, and may be relied upon to con- stantly grace the grandstand with his dis- tingulshed presence. Senator Platt of Connecticut was build. ing & house. He had occasion to hire a carpenter, who was a plaln, unvarnished son of New England. “You know all about carpenter work?" asked Senator Platt. “Yes, si the reply. “You can make windows, blinds?"” “Oh, yes, sir.” “How would you blind?"* The man thought steadily for several minutes. “I thiok,” He remarked finally, “that I would punch him in the eye.” SCATTERING A WHISKY FLEET. doors and make & Venetian Fate of Philanthropists Who Sought to Quench a Thirst. Chicago Inter-Oce Several prohibition count in Miss #ipp! border the Mississippl river. Several other counties that have no prohibition laws also border it. There are no severe re- tions upoen the liquor traffic in Arkan- and Tennessee. Of late it has been no- ticed that there was more drunkenness in the “dry" river count!ss of Mississippi than in the “wet.” This was due to the enter- prise and energy of the Arkansas and Ten- bumboat men. But only in part. Another there has been more drunkenn “dry" river counties than in the that the thirst has been greater in the for- mier than in the latter. Whisky being on fap in the “wet” counties, the people of drinking habits bave been moderate in the use of it. Whisky being under the ban in the “dry" counties, there has been an im- moderate demand for it whenever a barrel has been opened within or along their bor- ders. This will not appear either new or strange to the people of Iowa or Kansas, who have bad an opportunity to observe the workings of what seems to be & uni- }:hl.!ldelphln Pres: How were the pres- nts?" ‘1 wasn't at_the wedding, but I'm sure she didn't get many." “How do you know?'" “She practically admitted it. She told me she didn't get any duplicates at all.” Wasghington Post sald Mrs. Grumps, marry yun'” “Yes," sald Mr, Grumps. “And I sald ‘Yes?' " “I remember it. We both always did talk too much.” \ Detrolt Free Press: Mrs. Wider Weed: My first husband had his faults, but heart was on the right side. dl"duhhy No. 2—1s that so? ed. Chicago Tribune: 7’1‘«7%0?— Girl—T dldn’t understand you. s;{‘ again Trate Citizen (who has been trying for five her attention)—I wasn't minutes to secure saying anything. 1 was grinding my teeth. Philadelphia Bulletin: ““Don’t you think my dl#!hlerl volce has money {n it, pro- fessor “‘Money, madame? Yes, yes. Oh, much leaye her to me, money—much. Only madame, and T'll prove it.” And he did prove it, to his own satisfac- tion, at the rate of §2 a lesson, Chicago Post: “She says she'll bave to have a new bonnet before she can sing in the chotr.” well?" I, he says that she'll have to sing in the cholr to get the money for a new bon- net. ‘Do you remember,” 'when you asked me to No wonder he Puck: Bhe—Tell your mother I'm 8o sorry 1 haven't been to see her ‘lately; but the distance Is so great and the weather has been so bad, I haven't dared venture. He—That's all right. Don't Bhe'd be very sorry if you had a Chicago Por self-made man. But, my dear sir,” returned the other, “why are you so anxious to reflect on your man-makinj JOHNNY'S HISTORY LESSON, mention It. he sald, am a Nixon Waterman in Saturday Evening Post. 1 think, of all the things at school A boy has got to do, That studyin’ hist'ry. s worst of al Of dates there An' though I study day an’ night nly one I've got just right— That's fourteen minety-two. Columbus crossed the Delaware In fourteen ninety-two We whipped the British In fourteen ninety-two. At Concord an’at Lexington We kept the red-coats on the run While_the band played “Johnny Get Your an' square, un, In fourteen ninety-two. Pat Henry, with his dyin' breath- In fourteen ninety-two— Sald, “Gimme liberty or death!” In fourteen ninety-two. An' Barbara Fritchle, 80 'tis said, Cried, “Shoot If you must this old, gray head, I'd rather stea In fourteen ninety-two But ‘twould be your own in- The Pllgrims came to Plymouth Rock In fourteen ninety-two, An’ the Indians standin’ on the dock Asked, “What are you goin' to 467" AN’ they sald. “We seek your harbor dreat That our children’'s chilaren's children dear May boast that their foreathers landed here In fourteen ninety-two." Miss Pocahontas saved the life, In fourieen ninety-two, Of John Smith, an’ became his wife In fourteen ninety-two. An' the Bmith tribe started then an’ ) An’ now there are John Smiths everywhere, versal law—that the appetite for liquor grows with the difficulty experlenced in satistying it At 8ll events the bumboats of the lower Mississippi have pald perticular attention to the “dry” counties’ and the business of quenching thelr thirst has expanded until its demands require the service of But they didn't have any Smiths to spare ' In fourteen ninety-two. Kentucky was settled by Danlel Boone In fourteen ninety-two, An' 1 think the cow jumiped over the moom In fourteen ninety-two. Ben Franklin flew his kite so high He drew the lightnin' from the sky, An' Washington couldm't tell & ie In fourteen ninety-two,