Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, December 23, 1902, Page 6

THE OMAHA DAILY BEE: TUESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1902. THE ©OMAHA DAILY BEE E. ROSEWATER, EDITOR. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION afly Bee (without Sunfay), One Year.$4 ally Bee and Sunday, Une Year, eee & llustrated Bee, One Year. PERTETTT Bunday Bee, One Year . Baturday Bee, One Year gisesgbisnve Twentleth Century Farmer, One Year.. LW DELIVERED BY CARRIER. Dally Bee (without Sunday), per copy 2¢ Daily Bee (without Sunday), per week....12c D Bee (including Sunday), per week..1ic Bunday Bec, per copy..... Evening Bee (without Sunday), Evening Bee (Including Sunday), week ‘e . . . Complain irregularit should be addressed (o City partment. ty-fifth and M Street Couneil Bluffs—10 Peari Street. Chicago—1640 Unity Building. New York—2328 Park Row Bullding. Washington—1 Fourtecnth Street. CORRESPONDENCE. Communieations relating to news and edl- torial matter should be addressed: Omaha Bee, Editorlal Department. STATEMENT OF CIRCULATION. of Nebraska, Douglas County, 88.: rge B, Tzschuck, secretary of The Bes Publishing Company. being duly sworn, ®ays that the actual number of full and complete coples of The Lually, Morning Evening and Sunday Bee printed during the month of November, 1902, was s follow FrERE S cmmanamen 81,310 Total ... Less unsold and ret Net total sales.. Net average sales GEORGE B. TZSCHUCK. Bubscribed in my presence and sworn to pefore me this %0th day ot November, A D. (Beal) HUNGATE, Notary Pubie. Santa Claus may be able to wear his furs after all. — Having passed the shortest day of the year, Father Time will now resume his policy of daylight expansion. — Our Dave's last omnibus postoffice bill will make its appearance early in Jan- uary “after we get back from home.” Sp— 01d 1902 seems to be in a hurry to fill in its full quota of casualties and accidents before it has time called on it. Lucky the tax assessor does not make his rounds right after Christmas while the presents are still “beautiful and costly.” Paraphrasing the great poet to fit new conditions, some men are born arbitra- tors while others have arbitration thrust upon them. Our wealthy men who may be at a Joss in what direction to exhibit thelr holiday generosity might remember the auditorium fund. ————— By this time Mr. Harriman ought to know something about the Unlon Pacific lockout. The question is, What is he going to do about it? a— Excitement in the tariff debate seems to be confined chiefly to the lengthy disquisitions in the editorial columns of a few Iowa newspapers. ‘Wall street banks have not asked the secretary of the treasury to come to their relief for several weeks—and there is really danger tlat they may get out of the habit. A carlond of westhound Christmas mail was destroyed by fire at Syracuse, N. Y., and those who are disappointed in hearing from their eastern friends will know where to charge it. / 1| —————— Kipling has fired a steel-pointed poem at the Anglo-German alliance. It will have about the same effect as a volley of birdshot would have on the steel-clad ‘turret of a big warship. ‘When It comes to ralsing the limit of the lighting fund, it should be remem- bered that Omaha now spends more money for street lighting than most American cities of its population. Sm———— Putting down a new cable in the Pa- cific while Marconi wireless messages are shooting across the Atlantic without so'much as a by-your-leave to the eable companles Is a sort of electrical paradox. Nebraska democratic editors have re- covered sufficlently to prepare for their annual meeting to devise ways and means of keeping up their courage. Ne- braska populist editors have not yet been heard from. E————— If the United States senate puts in all its time of the present session on state- hood bills, it ‘will at least save the coun- try from a lot of half-baked legislation that might otherwise percolate through the congressional hopper. —_— It might be well to settle the pay of the isthmian canal commissioners in ad- vance. The size of the stipend and per- quisites will have much to do with de- termining the amount of pressure ex- erted on the lineup of the applicants. The government of The Netherlande has declded to malntain a position of strict neutrality with reference to the Venesuelan trouble. To translate into plain English, the Dutch do not propose to burn their fingers in some other per- son's fire, — Politics and religion may not always mix, but Christmas philanthropy mixed with politics during the Christmas sea- jon may prove a good investment. That is evidently the distilled essence of the (7!:!19- contributions of the Jack- sonlan candidate for mayor and his chief of staff. o0 this w DISTRUSTFUL OF GERMANY. The opinion expressed by a former minister of the United States to Ven- ezueln, that it Is undoubtedly Germany's design to see how far she can go without becoming Involved In actual war with country, and that she wants to foree our hand on the Monroe doctrine, 1s undoubtedly shared by many. Within the past year or two men prominent in | public affairs have expressed distrust of | Germany, professing to belleve that she contemplated the acquisition of territory in this hemisphere by colonization or 100 | Otherwise, regardless of the well known position of the United States. Officers of our navy have been quoted as saying that our next war would probably be with Germany as the resuit of an at- tempt by that power to contravene the Monroe doctrine. It would be difficult to present any very substantial ground or reason for this distrust and suspicion of the nation whose government has in the most un- qualified way declared and manifested its friendship toward this republic. When last year Germany informed our government in regard to the claims against Venezuela and the method it was proposed to take to collect them, that government gave the most explicit and salsfactory assurances that it had no de- signs upon the territory of the southern republie. It has strongly and with evi- dent sincerity disclaimed any desire to possess even so, much as a coaling or naval station in this hemisphere. Noth- | Ing has occurred in connection with the existing trouble to cause a reasonable doubt as to the sincerity of these as- | surances. On the contrary, Germany has again stated that she Is not secking and does not desire territory and she Is willing to submit her claims to arbitra- tion upon such conditions as will Insure their payment if the decision should be in her favor—an obviously proper and legitimate requirement in dealing with an irresponsible country like ‘Venezuela. The fact that many Germans have gone to South America and that In por- tlons of that continent, notably in Brazil, there are considerable colonies of them, has created the impression that this was a movement on the part of the German government having for its object the gaining of a foothold which would ulti- mately enable it to acquire territory. There 1s not the slightest evidence, how- ever, that the German government has had anything more to do with the emi- gration of its people to South America than to the United States. They have gone to the southern countries for the same reason they have come here, that is, to improve their condition, and they are generally loyal to the countries to which they have gone, the Germans in Venezuela even, as has been reported, having condemned the action of thelr native land. The notion that Germany wants to force the hand of the United States on the Monroe doctrine has nothing at pres- ent to support it. Whatever opinion the statesmen of that country may hold re- garding the doctrine, they will respect it, because they know it would be futile to do otherwise. And this equally ap- plies to every other European power, STEEL TRUST EXPANSION, The absorption of the Union Steel company by the United States Steel cor- poration and the reported negotiations for sale to the trust of the most ex- tenslve iron and steel corporation in Ohlo, shows that the trust is making headway in removing competition and establishing a monopoly. It is stated that the great combination gave the former owners of the Union Steel com- pany a clear profit of $15,000,000 or thereabouts, which means more than 100 per cent on their total Investment. It is probably prepared to pay in the same proportion for the Ohlo corporation which it is seeking to buy. The trust must do a great deal more purchasing in order to secure the com- plete monopoly which it undoubtedly alms to establish, but if unchecked it may ultimately accomplish its purpose. It is suggested that what it hae already done furnishes an Interesting object les- son for speculators and promoters eager for large profits quickly won. It makes the Steel trust, remarks the Cleveland Leader, a shining target for attacks by men whose object Is to make the great- est possible quantity of money in the least possible time. It seems hardly possible that a monopoly of fron and steel production can ever be established In th's country, but there is no doubt that this Is what the men in the United States Steel corporation are contemplat- ing. — PROTESTING MERCHANTS. The merchants of Germany trading with South America, and particularly with Venezuela, are protesting against the policy of the government toward that country, which they reasonably think will result in a loss of business tas them. This 18 doubtless inevitable, for the bovcott of German and British geods in Venezuela has already been ncted and it is altogether probable that other South American countries will show their sympathy with the sister state by refusing to buy German and British goods. These countries may quarrel among themselves, as they fre- auently do, but when & foreign power attacks any of them they are one In sympathy, as has been shown In the present instance. Germany has had a very considerable perhaps wholly lost is a serfous matter to them. Meanwhile the course of the United States in regard to the trouble promises to prove very favorable to our commercial relations with several of the southern countries. We think it will be very generally admitted ‘that the policy of President Roosevelt and Secretary Hay has been eminently wise and judi- clous. WHAT ABOUT CHARTER REVISION? Public discussion of the proposed amendments to the South Omaha charter will begin this week under the auspices of the mayor and city council of that town, and will doubtless be participated in by taxpaying citizens of all classes and all shades of political opinion. The charter of Omaha is, if anything, more defective than the charter of South Omaha, but no steps have as yet been taken toward charter revision by public discussion that would enable the Doug- las delegation to formulate charter amendment bills in conformity with the demands of taxpayers and citizens. ‘While the popular mind eannot prob- ably be diverted from the all-absorbing Christmas distribution, preliminary steps should be taken without further delay for public meetings to be held within the ten days between Christmas and the convening of the legislature. An op- portunity should be given to representa- tives from this county to the legislature to acquaint themselves with the popular demand. The Douglas delegation should by all means be Informed and instructed as to the nature of the amendments that are tmperatively needed for efficlent and economic munieipal administration. The magnitude of the interests in- volved should impel the commercial bodies and taxpayers generally to make public declaration as to changes that will meet their approval and changes deemed by them detrimental to the pub- lic interest. Unless such action is taken Omaha will be torn up during the ses- slon of the legislature and the city will be scandalized by the washing of dirty linen before legislative committees that can and should be avolded. Omaha’s prosperity has been serlously crippled by snap judgment charter leg- islation railroaded through at the tafl- end of the sesslon by lobbylsts repre- senting contractors and corporations in- terested In defeating charter reforms in the interest and for the protection of the community. The only safeguard against such dark lantern work is publicity and full and free discussion before the ses- slon of the legislature opens. If any very radical changes “in municipal gov- ernment are contemplated they should be fully ventilated before they are em- bodied into the statute. ) THE SYSTEM OF GRAZING LEASKS. Any legislation for leasing the public land to cattlemen in Nebraska and other western states must be considered with most scrupulous regard to the public in- terest. The public land Is the heritage of the people and any disposition of it in large quantities, whether by lease or otherwise, should be jealously made and under the most careful safeguards for the best ultimate results, There {s force in the view that im- mense tracts of western land still owned by the government are not suited for farming nor to be taken up in quar- ter sections by home builders under ex- isting land laws. Much of it is of a character and so situated that it will not grow grain nor can it be irrigated. This has been demonstrated time and again by the failure of those who have attempted general farming. As was fully developed by investigations under the Agricultural department, the only use that can be made of this land is by grazing its thin grasses, and it has to be done by handling it in considerable tracts. These facts are well ascertained, but they do not alter the further fact that occupation and enclosure of the grazing lands are in large part illegal. Many of the cattiémen have gone on In viola- tion of the law and it is unquestionable that extensive frauds under the home- stead and other acts have been perpe- trated. There Is no excuse or justifina- tion for a situation that has been rife with scandal, and certainly the time has come when it ought to be finally wiped out. At present a strong disposition is man- ifested to solve the question by Inau- gurating a system of grazing leases. If it 1s undertaken care must be taken to impose such restrictions as will prevent the exhaustion of the grasses and to preserve the title safely for any future contingencies that may arise, for It is not easy to foresee all the uses that the progress of agriculture may develop in any particular kind of land, But the most difficult thing to provide for will be the securing of fair access for all to the privileges of grazing tbese lands. The just complaint is that they have been too much monopolized by a com- paratively few large companies, and no system is wanted or should be tolerated that will maintain or fortify such mo- nopoly. It would be better to leave the law as it Is, and to enforce its provisions rig- idly against all violators than by incon- siderate and ill-guarded changes to in- augurate on these lands a new era of monopoly and scandsl, and to establish it under conditions which it would be more difficult than it now is to uproot. Some ambitious member of the coming trade with Venezuela and it was steadily growing. A Berlin paper is authority for the statement that $150,000,000 of German capital 1s invested in Venez- uela, which may be somewhat ex- aggerated, though undoubtedly the amount Is large. It Is easy to understand, therefore, the anxlety of German merchants 1in regard to the possible effect of the pending trouble upon the future of their trade not only with Veneszuela, but also with the coun- tries In sympathy with her. It has cost them a good deal to secure this trade and to have It greatly reduced ‘or Nebraska legislature can earn a reputa- tion for himself by procuring the enact- | ment of a law that will give the people more prompt election returns. As it is the newspapers have taken upon them- selves in this state the task of gathering election figures for the benefit of the gen- eral public—often not only without the co-operation of the officials in charge, but sometimes over their deliberate obstruc- tion. The law should provide a com- plete system of reports from the various election boards to the county clerk and from the county clerk to the secretary of state, and there should be sufficient penalties for willful neglect or delay to make it worth while conforming to the law. The expense within the various counties should be borne by the county and the expense of communication to the secretary of state should be borne by the state. The cost, however, would not be at all heavy compared with the eatisfac- tion the people would get out of it. Under the new rules of the Chicago Board of Education teachers in the ele- mentary grades in the public schools who successfully pass a promotional ex- amination will be entitled to a raise of $25 a year until their salaries reach a maximum of $900. At the first promo- tional examination, made last week, only 150 out of 1,100 teachers employed In the elementary grades presented them- selves for examination, but the test proved eminently satisfactory. This is a new departure that will doubtless be emulated in the near future in other cities. Promotions of public school teachers, whether in the elementary or in the higher grades, should be made on merit and not on political pull, and those who are best equipped and most effi- clent should receive the higher salaries in thelr respective grades. ——————— The Iowa Board of Control recom- mends the creation of a fund, so that when a bullding of any of the state institutions is destroyed by fire or other- wise, it can be replaced without wait- Ing for action by the legislature, which may not meet for a year or more. The fire losses are distributed to the tax- payers, but the inconvenience and time that is lost on the present system are very serious. Public opinion unani- mously favors the board's plan, and it Is in fact no more than a formulation of business views of the people regarding the subjeet. S—— Making the Old Man Puff, Cleveland Plain Dealer. John Bull would do well to ask himself if he is wise In getting into such fast and reckless company. The kalser scems much too gay for his gouty old companion. But the Money Gets There. Saturday Evening Post. Congress is divided into two parts. The house originates all appropriations and the senate appropriates all originations. Then & joint committee disjoints both and de- cides what shall be done, Real Strenuous Life Chicago Record-Herald. Venezuela has had 104 wars in seventy years. The number would undoubtedly have been larger if it had not been for rain and darkness and other clrcumstances that were beyond human control Where Do the Profits Got Philadelphia Record, One of the most unfathomable mysteries of the age fs: What becomes of the profits of the coal industry? The mine operators make nothing, /nor do the carrying compa- nfes, nor the wholesale dealers, nor the re- tailers, nor the miners. It appears to be a bad business all around. Flattering Vote of Confidence. Minneapolis Journal. When President Roosevelt proposed to Great Britain and Gérmany that they sub- mit the Venezuelan matter to The Hague tribunal they proposed in reply that he do the arbitrating himself. That is a flatter- ing vote of confidence in our government and particularly in our courageous and up- right chief executive. The American people are not the only people who have acquired a high {dea of Theodore Roosevelt. Limit of Service in Philippines, Indlanapolls Journal. A recent roster of the United States troops in the Philippines shows that there are none whose service there began earlier than September, 1900, and a considerable number who arrived there in 1901 and 1902. Three years s about the limit of time that American soldiers ought to serve there con- tinuously, and it will probably be the policy of the government to change them as often as that. TWAIN'S TRIBUTE TO REED, Humorist Touches Upon the Pathos of the State Death. Mark Twaln in Harper's Weekly. He wore no shell. | His ways were frank and open, and the road to his large sym- pathies was straight and unobstructed. His was a nature which invited affection—com- pelled ft, in fact—and met it half way. Hepce he was “Tom” to the most of his friends and to half of the nation. The ab- breviating of such a man's name is & pat- ent of nobility, and {s conferred from the heart. Mr. Reed had a very strong and decided character, and he may have had enemies. 1 do not know. If he had them, outside of politics, they did not know the man. He was transparently honest and honorable, there were no furtivenesses | about him, and whoever came to know him trusted him and was not disappointed. He was wise, he wasshrewd and alert, he was a clear and capable thinker, logical rea soner and a strong and convincing speaker. His manner was easy and engaging, his speeches sparkled with felicities of phras- ing thrcwn off without apparent effort, and when he needed the hafpy help of humor he had a mine of it as deep and rich as Kimberley to draw from. His services to his country were great, and they were gratefully acknowledged. I cannot remember back to a time when he was not “Tom” Reed to me, nor to a time when he would have been offended at being 8o addressed by me. I cannot remem- ber back to a time when I could let him alone In an after-dfnnmer speech if he was present, nor to a time when he did not take my extravagances concerning him and misstatements about him in good part, nor yet to a time when he did not pay them back with usury when his turn came. The last speech he made was at my birthday dinner at the end-of November, when natur- ally I was his text. My last word lo him was in a letter the next day; a day later I was illustrating a fantastic article on “Art” with his portralt among others—a portralt now to be lald reverently away among the jests that begin In humor and end in pathos. These things happened only eight days ago, and now he is gone from us, and the nation {s speaking of him as one who was. It scems incredible, impo ible. Such a man, such a friend, seems to us a permanent possession; bis vanishing from our midst ls unthinkable, as unthink- able as was the vanishing of the Cam. panile, that had stood for a thousand years and was turned to dust in a moment. 1 bave no wish, at this time, to enter upon light and humorous reminiscences con- nected with yachting voyages with Mr. Reed in northern and southern seas, nor with other recreations in his company in other places—they do not belong in this paper, they do not Invite me, they would jar upon me. 1 have only wished to say how fine and beautiful was his life and character, 1a|\d to take him by the head and say good- bye, as to a fortunate friend who has done w his work and goes & pleasant journey. There is a Santa Claus Philadelphia Inquirer Some ignorant and superserviceable per- sons can always be found at this time of year who think they are called upon to re- form the human race by saying there is no such person as Santa Claus or Kris Kringle, and that to teach children bellef in such a mythical personage is Idiotic and subversive of good morals. We have re- celved a letter from a little tot to whom® rumors of this kind have come and she wants our opinion on the subject. We give it gladly. Of course there is a Santa Claus. Don't belleve anyone who tells you to the contrary. The Inquirer is nearly 76 years old, and it has been one of its grandest pleasures annually to chronicle his appoar- ance and distribution of rich gifts. 1t we belleved there were no Santa Claus or that he would not arrive on schedule time this week we should feel ltke going out of busi- ness, for life would scarcely be worth liv- ing. Our little correspondent need not be wor- ried by the arguments produced, such as that it would be impossible for Santa Claus to do all the work in one night, or that no one has ever seen him or that if he is as £00d as he is claimed he would distribute his presents better. Such arguments as these have been brought against every good man and every good institution that ever existed. A very wise man wrote a book to prove that Napoleon never lived, and he made a very good argument, too, but that ald not alter the facts. It is true that Santa Claus has a big job ahead of him, but he is ruled by love, and love is the most powerful thing in the world. It can do any- thing and has been the mainspring of all the good things the world has ever known. 1t is also true that Santa Claus s never seen, but that is his own affalr, Neither has anyone ever seen love or goodness of any kind, but we know that they exist and that without them life would not be worth lving. Alwo at times he seems to some of us to be unfair in his discrimioation in the matter of gifta, but he usually manages to have something for everyone, and at least all of us can get as much love and bless- ings as we want. That Is because he comes to celebrate the birth of the Christ child, through Whom the world is being made better and better all the time. It is not always the material things which bring the most happiness, and surely there are some rich people who seem to be the most miserable on earth. Santa Claus brings the best things in abundance to all who want them. Surely there {s a Santa Claus. When you find all the kindness gone out of the world, when all people hate each other and try to do all manner of evil, when the earth becomes unendurable, them you can belleve there is no Santa Claus, and not before. But so long as there are loving words and tender hearts and unselfishness, #0 long as people love to help each other and make each other happy, just so long you may belleve that Santa Claus is the most real person in the world and you must pay no attention to people who will not believe anything except they see it. These are the blindest people In the world. ““The things that unseen are eternal,” sald one of the best and wisest men who ever lived, and it is true. Santa Claus may not bring us all the things we want; perhaps that would not be good for us, but he will bring us joy, and that is always good. BITS OF WASHINGTON LIFE. Minor Scenes and Incidents Sketched On the Spot. Half a dozen senators called on the presi- dent recently to talk about some important position which was about to be filled. The senators found Mr. Roosevelt more inclined to discuss “Bill” Sewall, the noted Maine guide, from whom he had just received a letter. Finally one of the senators sald: “Mr. President, you seem to be much inter- ested In this gulde.”” *‘Yes, senator, I am,” replied the president. “Blll is an interest- ing man and a real friend. He is the only man in the United States who on writing to the president about an office or any- else thing ‘Theodore. addresses him as ‘' Friend “Uncle Joe” Cannon was opposing the plaza teature of the new Union station bill. Uncle Joe Is against the contemplated scheme for beautifying Washington on gen- eral principles and he never misses an op- portunity to protest. “I wore my old slouch hat one day,” he said, “and went over to the Congressional library, where they have the models of this great scheme for beauti- fying Washington. The man in charge sized me up right the very first time as a countryman from Illinols. “ ‘What's 1t all about? I asked. “He told me in detail. ‘How much will it cost? I asked agaln. “‘The cost is estimated at a thousand million dollars.’ *‘Great Scott!’ I sald. stand 1t?" ‘* ‘Sure, stand it.’ " ‘Will the people he replied. ‘They've got to Representative Champ Clark of Missouri once gave some vivid verbal sketches of Mr. Reed which the latter's friends rec- ognized as true to lite. i “In the greenback year in Maine," said | Mr. Clark, “he escaped defeat by only 115 majority. When he went to supper he thought he was defeated. When he re- | turned to headquarters after supper his followers set up a mighty shout. Not hav- ing heard of his election, he said to them: ‘You are making a tremendous fuss over the corpse.’ In relating that incident in his lite he naively remarked: ‘“The coun- try came near losing the invaluable serv- ices of a great statesman on that occasion.” Army and navy officers are enjoying a hearty chiickle over the discomfiture of a well known retired officer who is a familiar figure at several clubs, reports a Washing- ton correspondent. This officer has a son of considerable promlse, but of tender years. A few years 80 the story goes, the officer married a fortune and soon after | dlscovered that he had heart disease and went on the retired list. ‘“Jack” sald a visitor to the son the other day, “what are you going to be when you grow up?” “Well,” sald the S-year-old, with grave deliberation, “I've been thinking of that for some time and I think that when I'm a man I'll get heart disease and go on the retired list, just like papa. It 18 the declared experience of all Arctic and Antarctic travelers that which is com- monly called in temperate regions ‘raw | weather” is much more trylng than the | rigors of extreme high or low latitudes. This view 1s emphatically shown by Lieu- tenant Peary, whom a Chicagoan saw in Washington this week. It was rather a chilly afterncon and the man of Arctle tame was closely wrapped in a heavy over- coat, the collar turned up over his ear He sat just over a heater in a street car and the Chicagoan, who felt quite comfort- | to the institution last April. | college bearing his name. able on the platform, was much surprised. The Washington correspondent of the New York Evening Post writes: The annual miracle is again to be chronicled. George Graham Vest is still alive and in the | United States senate, keen, alert and strong of mind. The robust, like McMillan, drop | out; old-timers like Hawley fall and stay away, but Vest, a physical shadow, scarcely able to stand alone, returns year after year. A few weeks ago his son, well and hearty in the morning, sank in & night and died. | But this wonderful little glant seems destined to live on in spite of all pre- dictions and appearances. As long ago | the struggle over the treaty of peace with Spain in the early months of 1599 the newspapers speculated on the effect his death would have on the final roll call for ratification. When he was. brought into the senate to ¢ast his vote he looked the trailest man who had ever mustered energy enough to get to the capitol. He has been tailing gradually since, but is still on duty | whenever he can be. His remarks at the | last session, in the discussion of the | | Hampton Roads conterence, were made peculiarly impressive by their allusion to | the fact that he was the only survivor of | the eenate of the confederacy, and he added | that as he should not be long in joining his twenty-five colleagues on the cther side, in justice to their memory he wished to offer ithe historical correction which he then presented. | The appointment of a day for eulogies on the late Semator Sewell of New Jersey | recalls a reminiscence of that gentleman. | He was on the appropriations committee and on one occasion he and Congressman Cannon were on a conference committee. They disagreed about something and each showed & good deal of stubbornn Pinally Cannon said: “Well, gentles am prepared to stay here until the gives in." Turning to the clerk of the ap- propriations committee General Sewell said quietly: “Mr. Cleaves, will you have my | meals served here until further orders?” Mr. Cannon stared aghast, made some con- cession and eventually the trouble was smoothed over. In talking about it later “Uncle Joe" sald: “I always bow to the will of the majority—first, because 1 ecan’t help myself, and, second, because I fre- quently have found the majority wiser than myselt.” Benator Wellington of Maryland has a mysterious admirer. He {s about as much surprised that anyone should single him out as an object of admiration is any- one who has watched his erratic political course. One day when he sat down to his desk he found a large bunch of Amer- fcan Beauty roses. the gift. A few days later he found an- other and much larger sheaf of the same flowers, bearing the words “Semper Fidelis.” There was no name and none of the pages or at- tendants could learn how the roses reached his desk. The senator is getting a bit nervous over this mysterfous manifesta- tion. PERSONAL NOTES. Joaquin Miller has made a great deal of money out of his lands in Texas. Congressman Beldler of Cleveland owns mines in the Maselllon district from which about 750,000 tons of coal is taken an- nually, but he s unable to obtain fuel for his home in Washington. A bottle dropped into the sea by a New York man has found its way to England, where it was picked up on Chesil beach. Interesting, but, of course, the best bot- tles travel in the opposite direction. The will of the late Herbert R. Bishop of New York leaves $55,000 to instal in the Metropolitan Museum of Arts his extra- ordinary collection of jades, which he gave This will make the museum possessor of the richest treasure of this sort in the country. According to the statement of Walter Damrosch, leader of the celebrated Phil- harmonic orchestra, Andrew Carnegle offered to give $500,000 to perpetuate that organization if others would subsoribe as much, so as to make the permanent fund $1,000,000. No public document bearing King Ed- ward's signature ls ever carried by post- men, though the king's private letters are usuaily Intrusted to the ordinary post. Wherever the king may be two king's mes- sengers or more leave London every day bearing official papers that his majesty must deal with immediately. When the late Genepal Wager. Swayne was military governor of Alabama he es- tablished the first school for negroes in the south, at Talladego, where mow stands a He also issued a military order permitting the use of negro evidence, the exact wording of which was incorporated in the constitution of the state and has been followed by the other states formerly fn rebellion. Senator Clark of Montana is supposed to be worth nine figures, but when he arrived in New York from Europe with his nilece a few days ago he did not have money enough to redeem his baggage. Tho amount was $1,600 and he tendered his check, but the customs officer could not ac- cept It, as the rules of the department expressly demand payment in “gold or its equivalent.” The senator went to his hotel and later sent his representative with the required amount in satisfactory form. The Job Pays Well Cincinnat! Enquirer (dem.) Colonel Bryan's material prosperity may be looked upon as a vindication of the pol- fcy of keeping right on running for the presidency after the close of the poll He has kept in the public eye and hi maintained himeelf as the organ of a large part of the population. No card accompanied ! attached to which was a card ! THE OLD RELIABLE Absolutely Pure THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE LIGHTS AND OUR EYES, Medical Opinfon Concerning Recent ' Statements. American Medicine, In our fssues of March 8 and April 5, 1902, | we noticed the newspaperish delusion that failing eyesight is a result of civilization, ; and that the proof of this is in the increased use of spectacles. We said that the saf- fron-colored medical journals would soon be echoing this nonsense. This has come true, and we read Iu our contemporaries that “failing eyesight is the deplorable but unavoldable concomitant feature of ad- vanced civilization,” that the habit of wear- ing glasses is the proof of this, a habit growing not only in Germany, but all uver the world, and that gas and the electrie | light have much to do with this eyesight tallure, possibly, also, dust and fog, and | traveling underground. The cure advocated is that “an individual sbould avoid poring over small print by artificial light, except when absolutely necessary.” Poor news- paperdom! To write without thinking, without any knowledge of the faots, und without seeking any knowledge, is 30 easy that in the stilted language quoted, it seems “ a deplorable but unavoidable concombant feature of advanced civilization.” A little time ago this same writer explained that the fll-health of Carlyle was due to “the insanitary and sedentary existence he led.” He dld not care to learn that Carlyle's “ex- | tstence” was not insanitary and absolutely not sedentary, because he exercised in the open air the greater part of the waking portion of every day. In the same way our contemporary advises the use of the rush- lights and tallowdips of our ancestors in- stead of our superior gas and electric lights, Spectacles, we may add, are not a proof of talling eyesight, as there is no sclentific proof whatsoever that the eyesight of civ- 1lized people Is failing, and there is every reason to believe that it is Improving. It there were proof of failing oyesight the cure for it is not to “avold the poring," but to get proper spectacles for the porer. POINTED REFL CTIONS, Baltimore American: Spartacus—I won- der why the Indlans used just one pipe in_their conclliatory conferences? Smarticus—Because they didn't have a pipe apiece. Detrolt Free Press: Christmas dear? Daughter (home_from boarding sehool for the holldays)—Oh, yes, mother! 1 have one stocking all mended. New York Sun: smoke. Benham—Keep quiet: I don't want every- body to know that I bought this suit at a fire sale, Mother—Are your preparations quite complete, Mrs. Benham—1 smell Harper's Bazar: The Parson—Your wife, siry fs trylng (o run my church: Witherby—If that is really the case the only thing for you to do is to join my poker club, New York Tribune: Diogenes was hunt ing for a flat, “But," he exclaimed, “you advertise five rogms and a bath. Where is the bat “The bath?” repeated the janitor, non- chalantly. “Oh, yes! You take that before vou come here.” Pleased with the idea, the old cynic pur- chased a tub, and henceforth was never seen without ft. Washington Star: “A senator must at- tach a great deal of importance to in- fluence, must he not?” sald the young man who 18'learning the politics business “Yes,” answered Senator Sorghunm, “in- fluence and affluence.” MY SECRET, 8. W. Gillillan in Baltimore American. Though you be wiser far than I, 1 cannot envy You. The busy world has countless ways I may not learn, ‘tis true, Yet one grand truth l've won at last, From which the lore of all the past And all the coin that e'er was cast Could never make me part: I've found the secret door that leads Into the human heart. Mythology" Al history’s a blank— 1 know not who won Waterloo, The allles or the Frank; Yet while I know the hidden road Down which the tides of care have flowed That lent a human heart its load, Content Ll play my part, And g full oft the way that leads Into the human heart blur to me, For he who finds the path by which The heartaches come and go, Who speaks the sympathetic word That lightens human woe, Will aye be loved by those who feel His tenderncss about him steal; From him they care not to conceal The tears that fain would start. I'm glad I know the door that léads Into the human heart. We are ve: proud of ilc fact that doc- turs so gener- ally indorse Ayer’s Cher- ry Pectoral. There aretwo reasons for this: First, we send the formulato any physician upon request; and, second, the physician “ That's all u?l. [Keop, on giving 4 to hien. sees for himself that the medicine is all we claim for it We make no extravagant claims, We raise no false hopes. Aver’s Cherry Pectoral Sixty years of experience make us believe that this is the best medicine in the world for colds, coughs, croup, bron- chitis, and all other throat and lung troubles. And the doctors agree with us. Thres stues : 2ic., Soc., $1.00. J.C. AYER CO., Lowell, Mass.