Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, January 31, 1903, Page 6

‘ TH OMAHA DAILY BEE: SATURDAY, J ANUARY 31, 1903 THE OMAHA DAILY BEE ROSEWATER, EDITOR PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. TERMS OF Dally Bee (without Su Dally Bee and Sunday, One Year Lilustrated Bee, One Year Bunday Bee, One Year Baturday Bee, One Year.. {9 . Twentleth Century Farmer, One Year.. DELIVERED BY CARRIER. Dally Bee (without Sunday), per €opy.... ¢ Daily Bee ¢without Sunday), per week...1%c Daily Bee inciuding ny), per week..i7a Sunday Hee, per copy n be Evening Bee (without Sunday), per week 66 Evening Bee (Including Sunday), per Complaints of irregularities in delivery should be addressed to City Clreulation De- partment, OFFICES. Omaha—The Bee Bullding South Omaha—City Hall Building, Twen- ty-fifth and M Streets Council Blufts—10 Pearl Street Chicago—1640 Unity Bullding. New York Park Row Bullding. Washington—#1 Fourteenth Street CORRESPONDE Communications relating to news and ed- ttoria) matter should be addressed: Omaha Bee, Bditorial Department JBSCRIPTION STATEMENT OF CIRCULATION. ate of Neb Youglas County, se. ¥ Georso B. Rechiion, sceretary of The Bee Publishing company, being duly swurn, says that the I numbcr of full and complete copies of The Dally, Morning, Evening and Sunday Bee printed during the month of December, 1902, was as follows: 32,250 17 1,120 18, 81,470 19, 31,000 31,040 81,820 EEERRIRRBENS 80,510 o 80,910 Total ey Less unsold and returned coples. total sales . Net average sales . GEORGE B. TZSCHUCK. Subscribed fn_my presence and sworn to before me this 8let day of December, A. D. 4502, M. B, HUNGATE, (Beal) Notary Publie. Having elected new officers, Douglas County Democracy will try to land a few more offices. the now The vacancy In the Alliance office is a plum that will be sought and fought for. at once. land greatly Don't all speak SEE—— Senator Dietrich stated the situation tersely when he said the reclprocity treaties pending in the senate were “In statu Quay.” Candidates for municipal office are al- ready as thick as blackberries in June and we are still facing the midwinter month of February. General Funston refused to speak when called upon to respond at the Kansas day banquet. General Funston ‘s making progress. And now a San Salvador volcano is cutting up capers. But it is too late to mtervene in the canal treaty already negotiated with Colombia. e Having found out what a good thing ~eit is for them to have a short supply, ~sthe coal men would like to have thelr aarvest time made perpetual. A debate between Governor Cummins of lowa and Senator Hanna of Ohio on the subject of letting well enough alone would afford an Interesting enter- tainment. If any more ex-policemen with shady vecords are lylng around loose who have not yet connected with the force under the Broatch reform board, they should basten to present themselves and clalm the reward of reinstatement. —— As usual, nearly every department of the city government khows where it can use to advantage considerably more money than the charter limit allows. But these ambitlous officers will have to continue to cut their garments ac- cording to the cloth. Se—— The European blockaders want Venez- uela to make them preferred creditors Instead of making them take chAnces like ordinary claimants. They ought to set up an_ International collection agency and invite assignment of claims on stipulated commission. It 1s getting perilously close to the time for the municipal tax levy, and it the school board wants to meke a hit with the taxpayers by wringing the water out of Its budget and reducing its demand for a school levy of 2.3 mills, it will have to start a-moving. When a round-up of the ecity council- men for a special meeting is-eminently successful within twelve hours of a fallure to get a quorum present at the regular meeting, it might be in order to deck ahsentees were it not that there might be more in it for them to be ab- sent than present. — Phe generosity of mewmbers of con- gress with the public money is illus- trated again by the Introduction of a bill to {ncrease the annual salary of the president from $50,000 to $100,000. This is doubtless intended princlpally as a prelude for a bill doubling the salaries of members of congress. ——————— The proposed constitutional amend- ment #futhorizing the merger of the A VICIOUS ROAR FROM NEBRASKA CITY. The most ratyd rallroad organ in Ne- braska today i= published at Nebraska City under the misnomer of the Tribune, Its vielous attack upon Omaha and its roar about the alleged plot of Omaha “to rob every county In the state outside of Douglas and Lan- ter countles of much of the railroad taxes they are mow, receiving” will create no surprise in Nebraska City and Otoe county, where its subserviency to corporations 1s well known. The Nebraska City rallroad Tribune claims to have discovered In the cam- paign waged by the Omaha press on the rallroad tax question a conspiracy to divert the rallroad tates frow ,the retaining counties of Nebraska into the capacious maw of Omaha tax eat- ers, and In the effort of the Real Estate exchange to repeal the clause In the charter that requires the ssessment of railroads for municipal purposes on the mileage basls “an attempt to steal the lion’s share of the taxes for Omaha and slip this' deft scheme down the throats of country members of the legislature on the plausible basis of raising rail- road taxes Taking its text from Head Lobbylist Baldwin, the Nebraska City organ promises “in some future issue to pro- duce facts and figures to show that this sugar-conted Omaha scheme will make a reduction in the rallroad contribution to the school districts of Otoe county of from 12 to 25 per cent.” This is a startling revelation that should chal- lenge popular attention. If it is true that the assessment of the Burlington depot and depot grounds and the Union Pacific terminals and bridge in Omaha for city taxation would keep a dollar of railroad taxes from any school district in Otoe county, it certainly is an unholy scheme that' should recelve no countenance from any member of the legislature. But every ratlonal person knows that levying a city tax at Omaha on depot grounds and buildings can have no more effect upon Otoe county taxpayers than levying a eity tax upon the Bur- lington bridge at Nebraska City would have on the taxpayers In Douglas county. With the same propriety the Nebraska Olty railroad organ - might contend that the assessment of the franchises of the Pacific Express com- pany at Omaha would take money ot of the school district and county treas- urfes of Otoe and all other counties where the Pacific Express company malntains local agencies and does bus- iness. It would be just as logical to contend that levying city taxes at Ne- braska City upon the owner of a team who 1s also compelled to pay county and state taxes would rob the school children in Cass county of part of their patrimony. But none are so blind as those who will not see. The Otoe county railroad organist pronounces the campaign for more equitable railroad taxation a sham and appears to be oblivious of the fact that all the railroads in Otoe county were assessed In 1902 for $525,423, when by rights assessed on a conserva- tive basis at one-sixth their agtual value they should have been assessed for $1,843535. In other words, Otoe county fs justly emtitled to more than three times as much tax from railroads as they are now paying aud every dol- lar of tax the rallrcads are allowed to get away with has to be paid by the other taxpayers. ' Property owners in Nebraska City are not only compelled to pay their share of the county taxes which the rallroads manage to shirk, but they also bear uearly the entjre| burden of taxes imposed for maintain- ing municlpal gevernment. The rallroad organist s, doubt- less, also oblivious of the fact that the Otoe county railroad assessment ten years ago was by several thousands higher than it was last year, although the propertie# of the railroads there have doubled and trebled in value since 1802, While the raflrond Tribune can see nothing wrong in this, we appre hend that the taxpayers of Otoe county will see & good decal of rank Injustice in it — CONSULAK SERVICE REFORM. In the United States senate a few days ago the question of reform in the consular service recelved some consid- eration, several senators expressing themselves in favor of a reorganization of the service, on some such lines as proposed in the bills before congress. Senator Lodge sald he 1s not one of those who believe that the consular service is elther bad or inefficlent; he bad no sympathy with the indiscrim- inate attacks which have been made upon it, as was done recently in the bouse of representatives; but he was also very far from believing that it is beyond improvement. “The defects in our consular system,” said the Massa- chusetts senator, “are not In the ac- tual personnel at any givem time, but in the lack of permanency of tenure, and in the failure to advance the best trained men in the service to the more important posts as they grow in expe- rience and therefore in value.” He urged that the value of a consul to the business interests of the United States, other things being equal, 1s almost in exact proportion to his length of sery- fce. He thought it would be greatly in the Interests of the business of the Unl- governments of Omaha and Douglas county In part or in whole as introduced in the senate Is not as clear cut as was the amendment on that subject sub- mitted by the legislature of 1895. Con- stitutional amendments should not be awbiguous or verbose. That Representative Thompson is & cautious and sagaclous politician may be evidenced from the fact that he wants it distinetly understood that his bill to make the abstraction of domes- tie fowls, buying stolen fowls and con- cealing fowls a penitentiary offense in Nebraska lnstead of a misdemeanor ‘was introduced by request. ted States to, as far possible, have a body of men as consuls, the mass of whom have had some training Ia the service, who understand foreign lan- guages, and who realize that when they enter the service there 1s a fair oppor- tunity for regular promotion. “Instead of taking an entirely new man putting him into § post of the highest impor- tance, it would be better if he could be put into ome of the posts of less impor- tance and some wan better trained and of longer experience advanced to the more impeortant place.” This is manifestly the policy that ghould be pursued. It is in accord with sound businesss prineiples and the -con- suls being distinctively commercial agents, having as their most important duty the promotion of trade, there is every reason why the service should be regulated upon business principles and the requirement was never so strong as now. It is true that the consular serv fee of the United States is neither bad nor inefficlent. It has been very much improved during the past ten years, and the majority of consular officials are doing excellent work. Oredit for this has been freely accorded them by other countries. The best mea In the service are those who have had the longest ex- perlence, thus proving the contention of those who favor permanency, of tenure with prospect of promotion for faith- ful and efficient performance of duty. Those who urge reform desire that the high standard which has been reached shall be maintained and if possible im- proved, and It is mnecessary to this that the consular service shall be di- vorced from politics and put upon a basls requiring merit and ftness to se- cure and retain a plage in it The committee on military affairs of the United States senate Thursday discussed the attitude of Germany in the cussed the attitude of Germany in the Venezuelan difficulty, with the resnit that it was decided to make certain provision in regard to seacoast defenses, 80 as to be prepared for a possible ex- igency. The discussion is said to have been earnest and the conclusion reached that the United States make it plain that the honor and dignity of the coun- try would be maintained. That Germany dominates the Venez- uelan situation 1s obvious, the other al- lies doing pretty much as the Foreign office at Berlin ‘suggests, The aggres- slons have been committed by German warships. Yet so far as the United States is concerned the German govern- ment has shown every desire to avoid giving offense and is understood to have glven the most explicitt assurances that it has no intention to do anytiing this country would disapprove. Utter- ances of the German newspapers or of irresponsible men in public life cannot falrly be taken as reflecting the views or the attitude of the government. Only a few days ago the new diplomatic rep- resentative of Germany to the United States publicly stated that it was the desire of his government to end the Venezuelan difficulty as“soon as possi- ble and that Germany sought to culti- vate American friendship. While, there- fore, the decislon of the senate commit- tee on military affairs may be judicious, we are unable to see any good reason for apprehending trouble with Germany. On the contrary, there are very strong reasons for thinking that country would make great sacrifices to avolid serlous trouble with the United States, The Venezuelan difficulty will be set- tled, it can confidently be predicted, without any impairment of the friendly relations between Germany and this country. » THE TRAFFIC CONGESTION. The congestion of railroad traffic on the trunk lines from the west to the Atlantic ports has become a serious matter, However reansuring as an evi- dence of abounding prosperity, such a situation has its drawbacks and disad- vantages and these are being felt by | Dboth western shippers and eastern ex- porters. A traffic representative of one of the Inl'x"nt trunk lines going ‘into New York sald a few days ago lh’t the rallroad. companies are physieally un- | able to handle the unprecedented vol- | ume of traffic offering. He stated that they have neither sufficient locomotives, cars mor tracks; that they are doing their utmost and the people who are complaining apparently do not appreci- ate the work the railroads are doing or the proposition the railroads are up against. Recently the Lake Shore road practically gave notice that it could re- celve no more grain and it is sald that the Pennsylvania is In the worst shape | of all, its condition being so bad that | its western connections decline to de- | liver grain to it for elevators situated on its system. A Baltimore grain ex- porter, in & communication a few days ago to a local paper. stated that many vessels were at that port awalting car goes and that the delay was causing heavy loss to exporters. Referring to the situation, the New York Journal of Commerce expresses the opinion that it is primarily due to the suppression of competition. It re- marks that the growth of business, es- peciully in the last five years, has been steady and continuous, and, barring any serious crop fallure, its Increased volume could be approximately calcu- lated upon. “If there had been any- thing approaching even a regulated competition between the lines of trans. portation during these years, each would have been preparing to secure its full share by ample provision for handling it. It would have had a sur- plus of facilities when traffic was rela- tively light, but this would bhave en- abled it to meet the demand when the full tide came. All the rival lines would not bave found themselves over- whelmed at once and in a struggle with congestion at important points, wilule vast and varied interests were sub- jected to delay and loss on their count As it is there are virtaally no rival lines, but practieal consolidation of the trunk lines Into a single controlling transportation from the west to the Atlantic ports, checked only by the Gulf and the St. Lawrence com- petition, which has no great effect. It system is pointed out that In building up the combination there have been so-called economies in equipment amd facilities | for handling and expediting traffic. The alm hag been to adjust equipment to the assumed needs of the whole com- bined system and give it a unified di- rection for the common profit. The effect bLas not only been to restrict | hours should not be exceeded. | der 7 equipment and facilitles to the caleu- lated needs of the entire trunk line system and to deprive them of elastic- ity, but new fivalry has been excluded Of course the congestion will soon be relieved. It cannot continue beyond the opening of lake navigation. 'But It is significant of what may periodically oceur under the system of railroad com bination or “community of interest,” with its policy of “economies” in equip- ment and traffic facilites. Towa's supreme court has just de-| cided that the state law requiring rail- | ronds to equip their cars with auto matic safety coupling devices does not apply to locomotivek and tenders and | that the rallroads may still expose the lives and limbs of their employes to the | deadly hand coupler in connecting the locomotive to every train. ,The lowa lawmakers should see to it that this de- fect be fixed up, and it would not be a bad plan either for our Nebraska legis- lators while in to make sure that the Nebraska automatic coupling law 18 not lamed by the same loophole as the Iowa law. ——— The renomination by President Roosevelt of Director of the Mint Rob- erts for another term digposes for the present at least of the stories of Mr. Roberts' expected retirement from that position. So far as the public is con- cerned it is satisfied with Director Rob- erts’ conduct of the mint and his re- appointment means that the president is likewise satisfied. sesslon Tmporters and manufacturers of coy- ote scalps and bear cub paws will do well to deposit their trophies with the state auditor at the earliest moment before the law offering bountles for the destruction of wild animals in the state of Nebraska 18 repealed. This has been a most lucrative business, but there must be an end to all good things. A great many house roils and senate files designed to regulate the invest- ment and deposit of educational funds are being rolled and filed In the legisla- ture, but no effective protection for the educational funds can be secured be- fore the submission and adoption of an amendment to the constitution cover- ing this vital Issue. Receiving an Equivalent. St. Louls Globe-Democrat Expenses at the White House have been gradually Increasing during the past year, but the country, cannot complain that it is not getting good service. ‘Where Fietion Thrives. Philadelphia North American Congressmgn Lessler denies any collusion with the self-confessed perjurer Doblin. It 18 curious that a place where so many liea are told should be named after George Washington. Hanging Hope on Lawyers. Washington Post. Jim Tillman boasts that forty lawyers have offered to defend him. It is a boast that tends to create the impression that an abnormal amount ‘of defending, is going to be necessary in his ca: Good Will Toward the Last. Chicago Chronicle, The penitent but anonymous citizen who bas sent $1 to the city hall as consclence money and asks the municipal officials to meet him In heaven .evidently does not know much about the crowd that holds forth in the municipal building these days. Cruelty to Animals, New York Tribune. The bill which has passed the house of representatives and 18 now before the senate, permitting railroad companies to keep cattle and other live stock in cars without food or drink for forty consecutive hours, ought to be defeated. This is legis- lation for the promotion of cruelty to animals. The present limit of, twenty-eight That 1s liberal enough to shippers and railways alike. Advantages of Foot Ball. Casper Whitney in Outing. There are other games as interesting as foot ball, but foot ball happens now to be the most popular, and hence is made the target for all the slings and arrows of the unsportly. It 18 vigorous, to be sure; it demands more physical effort than any other game, but, if mot abused, it gives larger returns to the participant. It has an element of danger, but no game lagking that spice fs really worth while, It is & mental and a physical stimulant which strengthens not only the body, but dentands quick thinking, and it develops patience and courage, and promotes clean llving and temperance, These are not mere words; they may be verified by any one who cares to take the trouble to make a fair investi- gation at the nearest school or college. GIVES ITSELF AWAY. Surprising Admission of Great Britain in #he Venesuelan Matter, Kansas City Star, One of the greatest surprises of the whole Venezuelan affair is the announcement by the British forelgn office that Great Brit- ain, and not Germany, took the initfative in bringing about the alllance between the two powers. The statement, made by a high British authority, that this announce- ment was forced by Germany through a threat to publish the diplomatic corre- spondence, 1s entirely plausible. With amazing self-containment the British au- thorities have permitted the people of the United States and the press of their own country to belleve that Germany was the instigator of the joint movement and to express themselves accordingly. The won- is that Germany did not force ac- knowledgement earlier, especially consider- ing the unfriendly feeling that has aroused in this country Great Britain's belated changes the aspect of the and lessens the promise of an early ad- justment of the difficulty. It absolutely dismisses the thought that the London gov ernment might, through displeasure over Germany's policy in maintaining the block- ade, withdraw from the alliance, and move for independent settlement. It empbasises the blunder made by England In going into the alliance—a blunder that has been recog- nized by the English people and commented upon pretty freely by the English press, and which may yet cause the rosignation of the Balfour ministry. It does not, how~ ever, change the opinions of the world as to Germany’s rash procedure In Venezuelan waters. It frees the German government 1o a measure of the suspicion of having designedly sought to ally itself with Bug- announcement case somewhat, land in a deliberate scheme to barass the United States on the Monroe doctrine lasue. i including those of almost every known or- | ues most highly 1s one given him by the | modesty is given | mentioned | diptomatic miss was obliged to admit she OTHER LANDS THAN OURS, King Oscar of Sweden, who has been obliged by i1l health to temporarily abdi- cato the sceptre, fs reputed to be one of the most learned men In Europe. He is a member or honorary member of nearly every important academy or association ot sclences, in addition to which he has at- tained fame as a poet, linguist, critle, in ternational arbitrator and athlete. He is the possessor of hundreds of decorations, der of knighthood, but the medal he val- Humane Soclety of France for stopping a runaway team on the streets of Paris. A characteristic {llustration of his extreme by a story told of his examination of some school children. Hav- ing asked the class to namo the most fas | mous monarch of Sweden, a small girl Oscar II. When pressed to | mention a notable event of his relgn the knew of none. “That is right,” remarked | the king. “I don't know of any myselt." 1t the nation is happy that has no history the Swedes own that privilege. King Os- car spoke the literal truth. The only stir- ring event of his reign was perhaps the Norwegian poet Bjornsen's challenge of the king to a duel. The appointment of Dr. Rapdall David- son to the archbishopric of Canterbury is but another illustration of how the Scot ls conquering south of the border. The arch- bishop of York is likewise a Scotchman. In the British government ten Scotchmen | are drawing yearly £37,617 from the treas. ury, viz: Arthur Balfour, the premier; Gerald Balfour, secretary for tho Board of Trade; Mr. Ritchie, the home secre- tary; Lord Balfour of Burleigh, secretary of Scotland; H. T. Anstruther, a junior lord of the admiralty; Hon. T. Cochrane, pazliamentary secretary for/the home of- flee; A. B, Law, parliamentary secretary for the Board of Trade; Sir R. B. Finlay, advocate for Scotland, and Scott Dickson, sollcitor general for Scotland. Moreover, the earl of Minto, governor general of | Canada, 18 a Scot, and Lord Hopetoun, until recently governor general of Austria, is of the same nationalit Some doubt has been thrown by recent travelers upon the correctness of the ac- cepted notion that China is a land of teem- ing population. It has been asserted that the human hives along the seaboard and the great rivers of China ought not to be taken as a basis for estimates; that in those parts of the empire which lle off the main routes of traffic (the natural and artificial water courses) the population of China s comparatively thin. A census recently taken by the Pekin government for the purpose of assessing taxes to meet the indemnity payments seems, however, to prove the accuracy of the older esti- mates. The census shows that the eighteen provinces of China proper contaln 407,737, 305 inhabitants; that ‘Manchurin has 8,500,000 and Mongolia, Thibet and Chinese Turkestan a little over 10,000,000. The total population of the empire is 426,447,325, ac- cording to this enumeration. The absolute reliability of Asiatic statistics is ques- tioned; nevertheless, the agreement of the results of the census with the accepied estimates s so close as to invite confl- dence. The statement that the Chinese empire contains one-third of the human race will hereafter be regarded more than ever as an approximate truth, The Rand in general and Johannesburg in particular are in the hands of what ir probably the most complete railroad mo- nopoly in existence, and the fact that this is controlled by the government does mot better conditions. The freight rates from the coasts to the Tranevaal are so high that only the comparatively wealthy can live in comfort there, enjoying luxuries in the way of furniture and the like such as they have been accustomed to at home. Rents are abnormal, very moderate houses in decent localities renting for from $2,500 to $3,000 a year and everything else fa proportionately dear. There is only one remedy for this—the reductions of charges on the railways from Natal and the Cape, which are paying dividends to the govern. ment large enough to make private core porations green with envy. Import duties on foodstuffs, building materials and min. ing necessaries might be abolished until ordinary economic conditions return, to the great advantage of colony. The fact that no especial honor has been conterred upon Lord Curzon for the suc- cessful way in which he has “pulled off” the Durbar is creating some surprise, even in England, but the fact i5 that Lord Curzon occupies a position which makes it difficult to give him a distinction such as would usdally follow an event like the Durbar. ‘He is not a British peer. He de- clines to become one, and it Is, therefore, impossible to give him & step in the peer- age. It is true that he is an Irish peer, and it might be possible to offer him a step up in the Irish peerage. Lord Palmerston, for inetance, was a viscount in the peerage of Ireland, and it would be quite feasible to confer the same rank, or even an Irish earldom, on Lord Curzon. Apparently, however, King Edward does not care to create Irish peerages or give promotion to existing Irish peers. In these circum- stances, the only distinction that can be’ conferred on Lord Curzon is one of the | orders which he does not already possess. e The removal of that great Enj stitution, the Postoffice Savings bank, from its “present location to more commodious quarters in West Kensington, makes salient the remarkable growth of the enterprise. In 1880, when it had to move to get more room for its business, it bad 8,185,000 de- positors, and its deposits amounted to $168,000,000. Now its depositors number 9,000,000, and the deposits count up to 000,000, Originally designed for the benefit of the working classes, the bank now has all kinds of depositors, including many children and the wives of men why bave bank accounts elsewhere. The great popularity of the institution is due to its safety, the British government {tself standing behind it. Deposits as small as 25 cents are recelved. Searchlights for men. Powerful searchlights of such Intensity | that their rays will throw into bold relief | every object that fire fighters may want to [ seo aro likely to be installed among the equipment of the Chicago fire department | on wagons especially equipped for the pur- pose. Marshal Musham and City Electri- clan Ellicott now have one of the lights of 60,000 candle power which they intend to test on the fireboat Illinois at the foot of Tllinois street The big light s supplied with power from a new steam turbine engine, said 1o be the first (o be applied to any commercial use In Chicago. The turbine is expected to realize 80 per cent of the power stored up in the fuel. With the light the whole equipment welghs 600 pounds. The rays pouring from so concentrated a | source of light would dazzle the eye and to meet this objection a shield has been de- vised which will confine the gleam as far as possible to a point. Pilots in the lake and on the river are particularly to be pro- tected from the danger of blinding. When turned an & bullding the light is expected to stream through the windows and fill the house with light practically as strong as the rays of the sun. The ef- fectiveness of such a device In the saving IS IT A BOOMERANG DEC Prematare Rejoleing of T Over a New York Court Rullng. Chicago Post Tt is not impossible that the New York franchise-owing corporations have over reached themsolves In their artful attempt to annul the admirable and equitable law for the taxation of their special privileges as real estate. The decision of the appel- late court, which they halled as a great victory, may turn out to be a bitter defeat for them. That would be an (nstance of poetic as well as practical justice. The question now under discussion Is this Does the declsion affect the essential fea- ture of the law, the asscesment of fran- chises as real property, or does It invall- date only that tricky amendment whih vests in the State Board of Tax Commis- sloners the power to assces this species of | taxable property? The prevailing opinion uses this lan- guage: “I am forced to the conclusion that so much of the act as provides for the assessment of a special franchise by the State Board of Tax Commissioners is un« constitutional and vold.” “So much of the act” s not the whole act, and all the judges distinctly upheld the principle of franchise taxation. In another place the opinion says: ‘““Therefore, when the legis- able list the so-called spectal franchise, the duty of assessing it devolved at once upon the local assessors. Its creation at once brought it within the scope of thelr official dutfes.” This seems to fmply that the assessors are entitled and bound to assess the fran. chises regardless of the provision of the law which places this power in the state board. And. this is the construction now put upon the decision by the comptroller of New York and by the author of the original act, ex-Senator Ford. The latter says: It unquestionably leaves the orig- inal Ford bill intact. It has now been de- clded that the two amendments put in at the suggestion of Governor Roosevelt:are vold. The principle of franchise taxation 1s in no way attacked by the decision.” It Mr. Ford and the comptroller are right, what a boomerang the declsion will prove to be for the tax-dogging and tricky cor- porations! Not only will they have to pay franchise taxes, but they will have to ac~ cept the valuations of the local assessors. Cunning sometimes overreaches itself, and there is such a thing as getting holst with one's own petard. The ease goes to the court of last resort, and the people have a bettar prospect of ultimate victory than the corporations. POLITICAL DRIFT, The state of Maine is out of debt and awfully lonesome. Mayor Carter H. Harrison of Chicago is hustling for a fourth term. There is quite a flood of trust-busting bills in the New Jersey legislature. They have as good a show as a snowball in the Sahara. Governor Pennypacker of Pennsylvania urges the enactment of a measure restrain- ing ne per criticism. Campaign lashes must have made a lasting !mpression on the governo A Kansas lawmaker advocates a law for- bidding the eating of snakes. There are a few jiggers of mercy in the measure. To sce snakes Is sufiicient punishment for a drug-store jag. The mayor of the bustiing city of ‘Worcester, in the old Bay sta hy noble example of self-abnegation. He has vetoed an ordinance raising his salary from $2,600 to $4,000. The Utah-: legislature has resolved that a newspaper comment comparing the mem- bers from San Pete county to jackrabbits “casts serious reflection upon the intelli- gence and fitness for work of the 1 lature.” The Titan ex-Governor of Texas, the ample of Cincinnatus, and has taxen to the cultivation of cabbages on a tremendous many trainloads of the savory vegetables 0 Intimately associated with corned beet. “Cy" Sulloway of New Hampshire is the tallest man in the national house at pres- ent, measuring nearly 6% feet, but in the next house he will give way to Representa- tive-elect Ollle James of the First Ken- tucky district, who s not only taller than that, but larger in proportion, welghing 350 pounds. An Ohio man who died in Idaho recently achieved distinction in his native state by losing power of speech during a campaign in which he was a candidate. Triumphant election restored his power of speech. It was the first instance on record where a Buckeye lost his conversational talent with an office in sight. All told, the city of Boston is to collect this year from real and personal property $15,979,373, which is $217,640 less than the assessment of taxes for the previous year. The expenses of the year are estimated at $19,425,152.69, or a little over $500,000 1 than last year's figures. In some parts of the United States Finns are becoming an {mportant element of the voting population. One advantage thoy have over immigrants from many European countries is that the proportion of 11- lteracy among them is infinitesimal, % of 1 per cent only, while among the immi- grants from southern Italy, Russ! gal and Poland it varies from 50 to 70. By the last census there were in the United States 63,440 natives of Finland, of whom 19,000 resided in Michigan, 10,700 in Minne- | sota, 5,100 In M York, 2,800 in Ohio, 2.700 in California, 2,700 in Washington and 2,100 in Oregon. lature deemed it wise to add to the tax- | set a | colossal J. S. Hogg, is emulating the ex- |4 scale. Next month he intends to ship north | ROOSEVELT AS A BUSINESS MAN. No Man Retter Earns His Pay Than | the President, James Ford Rhodes in Scribner's, Mr. Roosevelt merits the encouragement and sympathy of all lovers of good govern- ment, and he is entitied, a8 indeed is every president, to considerate and forbearing cridelsm. For, ardently desired as the office s, it is a hard place to fill. Through the kindness of President Roosevelt, 1 have been enabled to observe the dally routine | of his work and T am free to say that from the business point of view no man better earns his pay than does he. Mr. Bryce re marks that a good deal of the president work is like that of the manager of a rail WAY. R0 far as corcerns the consultation with heads of departments, prompt de- cisions and the disposition of dally mat- | ters, the comparison is apt It a great American raflway and a manager like Thomas A. Scott are borne in mind. But the rallway manager's labor is done in comparative privacy; he can be free Arom interruption and dispose of his own time in a systematic manner. That is impossible for the president during the session of congress. Office seekers themsolves do not | trouble the president so much as in former days; they may be raferred to the heads of the departments; and, moreover, the | Introduction of competitive examinations |and the merit system has oporated as a reliof to the president &nd his r binet of- ficers. But hearing the recommendations by senators and congressmen of their friends for offices consumes a large amount of time. There are, as Senatog Lodge has kindly ‘nformed me, 4,818 presidential offices and 4,000 presidential postoffices; in | addition there are army and naval officers to be appointed. The proper seloction in four years of the number of men these figures 1mply is in itself no small labor;: it | would by a railroad manager be considercd n onerous and exacting business. But the | rallway manager may hear the claims ot applicants In his own proper way, and, to | prevent encrohchments on his time, may | glve the candidates or thelr friends a curt | dismissal. . MIRTHFUL REMARKS. Pretty fast horse, eh?” Fast? 1 should say so, Why, start out for a two-mile sieigh him and get back before it thaws. ngton Star. asked the friend ““Colonel, how did you catch that cold in your head? Taking off my hat in an elevator, suh.” What did you do that for?" “There was a picture of a Jady hanging up in it, suh.”—Chicago Tribune. Mrs, Gayman = called, her sleepy husband. “If you're wn town with Asa you'll have to urry. Asa's up.” “Aces up?’ replled Gayman, sleepily. “You win the money. I never did have any luck.’—Philadelphia Post. “Ira! Get shaking oing. do; uj The Manayunk Philosopher rises to re- mark that a woman In a decollete gown al- ways reminds him of an oyster on the half- shell.—Philadelphia Record. Plattytude—There is always room at the top. $ierrit—Yes, but the fellows who are up there are monopolists.—N. Y. Times. Naggsby—They tell me young Tryfler has peen guite another chap since his rich uncle kicked him out and made him shift for himself. Wagesby—Yes: the Kkitk out of doors served as a sort of bloedless operation for congenital worthlessness.—Philadelphia 8. “But suppose,” sald the eastern girl, uppose, when you're out alone in the evening ‘Wwithout ‘a chaperon, some man should accost you?" “I'd swat him one.” replied the western giri, calmly, “and ihat's more than the chaperon could do."—Chicago Post. ‘Wissum—I was surprised that you should hit that little fellow at the seance. He was somewhat Intoxicated, I grant vou, bt he is one of the leaders among the spiritua ists and they dldn't like your assault upon him at all. leasing you, Wissum. me to strike a happy t time 1 do It you lame me.—Boston Transcript. id the man who was at the news stand, 14t deal of poor lterature is gotten out now?” “I'm not expressing any opinion,” an- swered the somewhat haughty attendant. “L am here to sell the stuff and not to read it."—Washington Star. Boy (on hither side of line fence)—If I had a fence like yours I'd take it off and let it rest a while. New Boy (on the other side)—If T had a face like yurs I'd see if I couldn't rup, it [ for enou, to give it a washin'."— Chicago Trib ‘ e JOHN BULL PROTESTS. New York Sun. Oh_William, stop bombarding! Oh, Billy, please be nice; Stop’ calmly disregarding My excellent advice. Picase be a little wiser Be good and com Oh, Billy, be a Kaiser, Not a fireworks display. ©Oh, heavens! what's that roar there? What are you shelling at? That little speck, on shol A fortress! It's a cat! Your head, my friend, 1s swellin With all 'this blamed pow-wo: ©Oh, Wiiliam, dear, stop shelling ‘That doubtless neutral cow! I do not mind blockading To gather in your debt, But all this canonading Has got my nerves upset; T'm down here, willy-nilly To help your' gunning sport, rm oh, confound it, Billy, That hen 18 not a fort! 1 don't see what I came for, Nor how to get aw: Nor why I lent m: This German holiday! Bl whd bombarding habit Is Damn! He's at it stil]; Oh, Lord! by ! T'll leave y! This is the time of the year to look remaining garments after a ing to share the loss with our cus There are a few more of those CHI sold at $2.00 and up to $9.00, $1.5 30C BOY; as $1.00 ECKWEAR to be had at 2 SHIRTS AND SHIRT W now 2ie. GLOVES (the warm, leather —have of life and minimizing danger to firemen is the main object of introducing the light —Chicago Chronicle. clothing—and other articles of masculine splendor, charged too much heretofore, but because we are willing to let the remainder of our broken lines of winter merchandise go for less than they are worth The resson for this is a simplo busin busy season. them over, and, as the season Is pretty well advanced, we are will- A Sudden Drop for sudden drops in the pries It isn't because we reason—these are the We don't want to carry tomers. LD'S VESTEE SUITS at $1.50—that nd $2.00 SHIRTS to be had now for $1.00 $1.00 SHIRTS to be had at 7ic (all sizes except 16) AISTS (slightly solled), that sold as high kind) for 25c. S TROUSERS—that sold from $5.00 up—are now $3.50. e Ulsters and Suits—from broken lines and odd si been very materially reduced No Clothing Fits Like Ours, Browning [dhe 33 R. S. WILCOX, Manager.