Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, February 9, 1903, Page 4

4 THE OMAHA DAILY BEE: MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1903. HE ©OMAHA DALy BEE E. ROSEWATER, EDITOR. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION Dally Bee (without Sund: Daliy Bee and Sunday, Or 0 Lllustrated Bee, One Year 3% Bunday Bee, One Year 0 Baturday Bee, One Year Ll L8 Twentieth Century Farmer, One Year.. 1.0 DELIVERED BY CARRIER. Dally Bee (without § day), per copy. 2c ally Bee (without munday), per_week.. .12 all ny), per week Bos (Including Bunday Bee, per cc Evening Bee (without Sunday), per weck 6c Evening Bee (ncluding Sunday), per week i 10c Complaints of irregularities in dellvery should be addressed to City Circulation De- rtment s OFFICES. ha—The Bee Bullding. Soutn" “City Hall Building, Twen- ty-fifth and M Streets. Council Bluffs—10 Pear] Street. Chicago—1640 Unity Bullding. New York—2328 Park Row Bu Washington—501 Fourteenth CORRESPONDENCE. &a Communications telating to news and ed- \toriu] matter should be addressed: Omaha Bee, Editorial Department faing. treet. 4 BOOST FOR THE BOUK TRUST, One of the bills recommended for passage by the lower house of the legislature 1s house roll No. 32, entl- tled “An Act to Provide Cheaper Text Books and for District Ownership of the Same.” A much mere appropriate vided that the contract price of such books shall not exceed the lowest price REMITTANCES, Remit by draft, express or postal order, B‘ynhla to The Bee Publishing (yc;nn&nlngi ly 2-cent stamps accepted in pa: Al accounts. Berscnal checks, except on mall accounts. tern_exchange, not accepted. on’?}‘l‘fi"{!fi'fi‘ PUBLISHING COMPANY. STATEMENT OF CIRCULATION. Béhio of Nebraska, Doug 8s. George B, Taschuck, secretary of The blishing company, being duly 3 o e metul mumber. of full and eomplete coples of The Daily, Morning, Evening and Bunday Bee printed during the month of January, 198, was as follo 1 1. HEBRNERREEREEE Total Lesa unsold and returned cop! Net total sales Net average sal o8 GEORGE B. 3 Subscribed In my presence and sworn bef this 31st 4 " il M. B. HUNGATE, (Seal.) Notary Public. The two Dewets must come out of & fighting mold. Having no longer a British enemy to fight, they are sald to be fighting one another. S— Lincoln birthday banquets will again be utilized by democratic orators to claim Lincoln’s accord with political views he would indignantly repudiate if allve, E— Mr. Rockefeller plainly made a great mistake in sending telegrams to mem- bers of congress to kill the anti-trust bills. He should have wired to John N. Baldwin. e (overnor Mickey has not yet begun to unlimber his veto pen, but the chances are good he will have to call it into requisition before the legislature adjourns. Em—— It is found that the city hball roof leaks. The giasticutuses must have lost their ability to develop a thirst that will enable them to absorb all the water falling on the roof. That Omaha Is united and in dead earnest in demanding equal taxation for all classes of property, corporate and in- dividual, was manifested by the mass meeting at the city hall, E————————— Rumors about the impending absorp- tion of the Great Western railroad have been afloat In New York for several weeks, but these floating rumors may only be part of a scheme to boom rail- road stocks. Bx-Senator Allent notes in his paper that the future of fusion In Nebraska seems at this time to be uncertain. He might add that in this respect the fu- ture of fusion in Nebraska is very much lke its past. ——— The suggestion is made that the Com- mercial elub give up its top story quar- ters and come down to the ground floor, where it ‘can get nearer to the people. It can get nearer to the people without changing its quarters. f—=a—— Arizona does Mot take kindly to the compromise proposal to admit it to statehood only after consolidation with New Mexico. It evidently looks upon union with New Mexico as a marriage without possibility of divorce. Ep— The customary threats are being made that the foreign insurance companies will all withdraw from Nebraska if they are made to pay any more taxes in this state. But the Insurance companies will always go wherever they can do business at a profit. L Omaha shippers do not relish the new traffic policy that holds freight trains back for full loads and slows up the running schedule. If maximum profit is to outwelgh every consideration of pub- lic convenience with the railroads, the next step will be to start no passenger train until every seat is occupled. E————— Referring to the agitation in various states for more equitable taxation of rallroad property, the Rallway Age says then guaranteed to any dealer, or other individual or corporation in the United States, to be determined “as herefnafter provided,” and furthermore that such contract shall guarantee to such dis- trict any further reduction that may be granted elsewhere during the life of such conttact. Inasmuch as the bill is abruptly cut short without any hereinafter provision, nobody can guess just how any dis- pute about prices arising after the pur- chase of the books s to be determined. The darkey in that woodpile is, how- ever, easily discernible. The bill is nothing more nor less than an act to make compulsory the purchase and dis- tribution of free text books In every school district in Nebraska from the kindergarten to the highest grade in the high school. The limitation of contracts to five years is a palpable decoy. Its practical effect will be the dumping of five years' school book supplies into every district whose school board can be worked by the trust agents Into forestalling the wants of the district by four years. This will readily be done on the plea that an order for five years’ supply will Insure lower rates than an order for one year and the clincher for the bargain will be the clause in the con- tract that will allow the board to ex- change out-of-date books for new ones. Such a deal looks very tempting on the face, but will in the end leave the school districts at the mercy of the trust, which gets much the best of the bargain in securing a five years' guar- anty of patronage, getting the money in advance and taking the chance of the books being worn out, damaged or destroyed before the five years are up. — AN AMERICAN NAVY LEAGUE. Several Buropean countries have navy leagues and one has just been incor- porated in New York, with General Benjamin F. Tracy, former secretary of the navy, as its president, with a number of other prominent citizens members. The purposes of the league are to spread before the people the con- ditlon of the naval forces and equip- ment of the United States and to awaken public interest and co-operation in all matters tending to aid, Improve &nd develop their efficlency. The league will publish a paper and the intention is to secure members in all parts of the country. . The question of building up our navy 18 commanding a great deal of interest and there appears to be a very general public sentiment favorable to nate- rially strengthening the sea power of the United States. This Is shown in the expressions of a number of state legislatures and indeed there is rarely to be found any opposition to maintain- ing the policy of naval construction. There may be difference of opinion as to how far this should be carried, but there are very few who do not think that a very considerable addition should be made to the present force, in order to assure security for our remote pos- sessions, our commerce and our rights and interests everywhere, The fact that the United States is now fourth or fifth in naval rank, so far as the num- ber and tonnage of ships is concerned, and that European countries are steadily strengthening their power at sea, seems to make it imperatively necessary that this country shall not yet halt the work of bullding up its navy. It is not necessary that we enter Into rivalry in The public has long been more or less familiar with the audacity of the com- binations and trusts within the sphere of their business operations. It has learned someching of the methods by which they have crushed competition and sought to establish monopoly. It that “it 1s to be a trylng winter for cor porations and for lawmakers.” 8o long as the railroads continue to evade their just share of the public burdens it is trylng on the other taxpayers all the year round. \ Given the opportunity and the man of genius will develop. This is doubtless true of Representative Koetter of. other men. Before his election to the legislature nobedy in or out of Omaha dreamed that he was a profound stu- dent of educational institutions and no- body suspected him of having a bent for educational reform. But the opportunity came to Mr. Koetter and he embraced it by introducing more school bills than all the other members of the present knows that they have exacted rebates from the railroads in c¢ontravention of the law, thereby enabling them to drive others out of business. It is well un- derstood, also, that the influence of the combinations has been insidiously and persistently exerted to prevent legisla- tion for the protection of the public against thelr evils and abuses. All this has been done with a degree of secrecy. The trusts have carried on their operations so as to avold, tar as possible, attracting public atten- tion or seeming to defy public opinion. They have been particularly careful to senators of the United States not to enact anti-trust legislation. It is a startling disclosure and will strengthen and intensify the anti-trust sentiment of the country as nothing else could have done. TIts audacity Is, 8o far as we know, unprecedented. We do not re title for this bill would be an act to|eall any attempt to Influence legislators ald the school book trust in unloading | o bold and brazen as this. Rockefeller's a few carloads of school books upon the | appeal is not alone for the trust of people of Nebraska. which he Is the head, but for all of The bill in question is very brief, but | them. Finding futile their secret and its wording Is both ingenious and |insidious efforts to defeat legislation, catchy. Section 1 empowers and makes [ they openly, through the head of the it the duty of district school boards and | parent trust, say to United States sen- bbards of cducation in cities of the |#tors that anti-trust legislation must be first, second and metropolitan classes | stopp and trustees of high school districts to [ There should be no question as to the purchase all text books necessary for |answer to this most insolent appeal. the schools In their districts, and they | The bills that have passed the are further authorized to enter Into a [and the house—the Elkins and the Lit contract with echool book publishers for [ tlefield measures—should be enacted a term of years, not exceeding five, pro- [ Without delay. The country will ex- pect this and it secms safe to say that 0o member of either house will now oppose these measuvres, which ac- ceptable to the administration and will be an important step toward a proper and adequate supervision and regula- tion of the combinations. The trust magnates will find, it can be confidently predicted, that in their audacious at- tempt to defeat the popular will they have committed an Irreparable mistake. They should haye been satisfled with the conservative policy recommended by President Roosevelt and embodied in the measures before congress. This policy would work no injury to any corporation that is complying with ex- Isting laws and dealing fairly and hon- estly with the public. If now the de- mand for more drastic legislalion shall become stronger and more intense, which is very probable, the combina- tions may realize that high-handed at- tempts to control legislation and dictate the policy of the government respecting them will not be tolerated by the Amer- ican people. are ——————— LUST, STRAYED OR STOLEN. More than a year ago several “well- defined rumors” were put in circulation by the occupants of the fifth floot in the city hall. On the strength of these startling revelations the Board of Edu- cation adopted resolutions requesting the judges of the distriet court to call a grand jury to investigate the well-de- fined rumors, alleging that involuntary contributions, tantamount to blackmail, were being levied and collected from gamblers and keepers of disorderly re- sorts, and that this corruption fund was being divided between the mayor, the chief of police and another party not specifically named. The grand jury was duly convened and many witnesses examined, but their testimony utterly failed to substantiate the well-defined rumors. Thereupon the disseminators of the “well-defined” de- clared that the grand jury inquisition proved a failure because the vietims who had been blackmailed for alleged protection did not dare testify to the facts for fear of police persecution. When the new Broatch-Baldwin police board assumed charge of the police de- partment it was confidently predicted that the proofs to substantiate the well- defined rumors would soon be forthcom- ing and a horrible stench would per- meate the atmosphere when the lid was lifted. The reform board has now been in full control of the police for more than six months. New officers in active sympathy with the element that started the well-defined rumors have had ample time to scour the fleld and search the innermost recesses of the proscribed dis- trict, but up to date not a trace of the alleged levy and distribution of black- mall has turned up. ‘Whether the well-defined rumors have evaporated or whether they are lost, strayed or stolen has not transpired. Those who have been on tiptoe for the explosion of a bombshell are still looking, OMAHA'S FORCED CUNTRIBUTION. Omaha is by no means a deadhead in the indissoluble partnership that exists between it and the state of Nebraska. On the grand assessment roll for 1902, which aggregates $180,091,192, Douglas county is represented by $25,301,835, and four-fifths of that amount represents Omabha’s share of the assessment for state and county taxation. The amounts paid into the state treasury by Douglas county for the ten years ending Decem- ber 31, 1902, are as follows: this direction with any other nation, 1898 .§ 207,809 78 but simply that we Jdo not allow our- 1894 . M6718 41 selves to be so outstripped as to fall to u. 191,512 98 the rear of all of them. Within a few | isor - years our Taterests have been greatly 1898 A extended and our relations with the 1899 rest of the world much enlarged. It i Is impossible to foresee what complica- 1902 "8 tions the future may have in store, but —_— it is the part of wisdom to be prepared Total ... o for any exigency that may arise This is an average of $1¢ per Doubtless the navy league will prove | @nnum, or fully one-seventh of the to be a useful organization. state tax paid by the whole state, Four-fifths of the total paid into the TRUST 4UDAOITY. state treasury, or $1,303,506.17, repre- | sents Omaha’s forced contribution dur ing the past decade toward the main- tenance of state government and state institutions, making an annual average of $1. 0.61 since 1892. This is coun- siderably more than 10 per cent of the running expenses of state government. It stands to reason that a reductlon of city taxes in Omaha, which would follow an equitable assessment of rail- road property for city purposes, would tend to increase materially the value of Omaha realty, and an increase in the value of real estate would be followed by higher assessment for state purposes, 80 that in the end the state would gain will be shown when the machinery pro- vided for is set in motlon. The only present object the measure will sub- serve 1s to afford lncrative business for lawyers and supply some people with soft jobs at the expense of the tax- payers. Here is & piece of prophecy by a popu list papér taken not from one of its issues of 1806, but from its latest num ber in the year 1003 Mark this announcement. Before the expiration of five years there will be a bimetallism established by all the leading nations of the earth, and after that we shall have no more of the single gold standard {dlocy. But the same authority indulged a great many similar predictions during the two free sllver campaigns which failed to make good. Word from hington Is to the effect that democrats are much plaased over the result of the Colorado senato- rial election returning Teller for an- other six years. Not that they recog- nize much of democracy in Teller, but they know a renegade republican fs always more bitter against his former associates than men of opposite polit- feal faith, There is nothing small about Judge Gordon, as all the world knows, His guide, philosopher and friend, Judge Eller, is sald to be preparing papers to test Gordon's salary claim in the courts for the period since Judge Berka has been on the bench. The perpetual claimant will never let up until he stops drawing salaries on account of heart faiture. — Secretary Hitchcock deserves credit for standing pat against the frauds at- tempted by the land grab ring on the Winnebago agency in connection with the Indian heirship lands. If the land grabbers were only givea free rein it would not be long before the Indiau would be parted from all the land al- lotted him as a means of support. | B 8o long as Omaha and South Omaha pay fivesixths of the taxes in Douglas county the farmers of Douglas county will very naturally oppose county divi- sion. But why should they oppose a merger of the government of county and city, which would reduce their taxes still further by reducing the expenses of county government? —_— Omaha has an improvement club in every part of the city and every im- provement club should speak out for equal taxation of railroad property by the city. Relieving property here of the taxes it has been paying for the railroads would do more to encourage improvements than any other one thing. —— Cause and Effect, Chicago Post. It {8 now proposed to amend the anti- football bill in the Missouri legielature so to place high balls under the leglslative an. Perhaps it i3 the playing of high ball by the lawmakers that has led them to seo such evil things {n football. Rivalry in Land Grabbing. Chicago Chronicle. ‘With great zest for the enforcement of the land laws the cattle barons have taken to killing Wyoming eheep raisers who have unlawfully squatted on the government do- main. The barons evidently deem them- solves capable of doing all the land-grab- bing that may be necessary to absorb what is left of Uncle Sam's landed estate. _Silllest Waste of Time. New York Tribune, the establishment of a national theater in the United States and & censorship of the stage Is the silllest waste of words that might readily be imagined. Conmgress will never grant a subvention to opera or drama or establish a censorship of music or plays in this republic, and there is no good reason why any federal legislation of that kind should be asked for. Some Facts Forgotten, St. Louls Republic. Dr. Edward Everett Hale, properly hon- ored by Boston as a great and good ma; strenuously opposes the American sent ment in favor of an increase of the Amerl- can navy. Has the venerable divine for- gotten how earnestly Boston appealed for raval protection in 1598, when bombard- ment by a Spanish fleet was feared? A sufficlent number of formidable American ships are good things to have around, end Boston keenly realized this truth less than five years ago. PERSONAL NOTES, The Navy department has asked Hobson to reconsider his resignation. So it is still a case of Hobson's choice. J. Plerpont Morgan has one of his coun- try homes situated in wilds 50 remote that deer from the adjoining forest nibble the honeysuckle decorating its veranda. Grover Cleveland has been elected vice president of the Princeton Fish and Game Protective assoclation. This will be alarm- ing news to Colonel Henry Watterson. The notorious Li Luen Ying has started a native paper In Pekin, called “The Daily Imperial News.” The empress dowager is & patron of the organ and has ordered all the officials to subscribe to the paper. The “literary fellers” are doing very well in politics. Booth Tarkington has nominated a United States senator, and Winston Churchill has pushed two bills through ‘the lower branch of the New Hampshire legislature Morgan and Rockefeller have had a fall- ing out because the lutter was caught lend- ing money below the established 4 per cent rate. This Is what labor men call “rat- ting” & job. Tke Millionaires’ union should now expel Rockefeller In the month of J attended eighteen di teen successive nights public men who attend such functions frequently he eats very little on these occaglons and drinks with corresponding abstemiousness. After three years' litigation the heirs of the late Joseph O'Hare, & San Franeisco capitalist, have agreed on a compromise. uary Senator Hanna r parties on eigh- Like most other materially by the repeal of the law that allows raflroads to be returned on a mileage basis for municipal taxation. A protracted ex post facto discussion of the Howell-Gllbert water works bill mask their efforts to defeat the demand for anti-trust legislation. This caution has now been abandoned and the first and greatest of the trusts, the Standard Oll, through its president appeals to is scarcely necessary except so far as the principle of home rule and some of the ill-digested features of the hill are involved. That the bill is erude and de- fective ln several essential particulars The estate was valued at about $60,000, about half of which has been consumed in legal expenses. One firm of lawyers re- celved a little over 312,000, Cougressman Goldfogle of New York was towing a party of his constituents around the capitol building. Pausing in the ro- he sald: “That is a pleture of Washington giving up his commission.” One of the party, a practical politician, observed regretfully: “I didn't kuow Washington was such a sucker as to give up bis commisslon, Hew much weas it?” The idle chatter concerning schemes for TAXATION OF RAILROADS. Alnsworth Star-Journal: To assesa all property at its actual cash value would be a good basis for the revenue committes to work on Kearney Hub: 1f the proposition to as- sess rallroad terminals is a bad thing for the people of the state, possibly it can be explained why the rallroads have so0-sud- denly taken up the cause of the people. Some people are suspicious of the fight belng waged by the raflroads against the so-called Omahna idea Beatrice Express: Ths ordinary tax- payer, who earns his dollars by hard knocks, and hates to see them get away, cannot understand why the corporations should be granted special privileges, for the money of the corporations come easy, and there is plenty of it. The burden of the poor would be greatly lightened if the corporations were required to do their full duty. Springfield Monitor: The legislative com- mittee that {s trying to draft a revenue bill for Nebraska is composed of elght lawyers, one doctor, two lumbermen and two farmers. It Is said the committee ia tully able and competent to get up a bill worthy of the people, but the question s, will the members do what they are capable of dolng or will some corporation wurker slip in and spoll things so far as the people in general are concerned? Albion News: Does anyone seriously pre- sume that it the additional tax it is pro- posed to assess against the valuable ter- minal properties of the railroads was merely to be deducted from what they al ready pay on their whole system, that they would be tearing their nether gar- ments and spending money to defeat the change. They make a very plausible argu- ment, but is it true, that is the burning question? Central City Nonpareil: The members of the Isgislature who are losing consid- erable sleep just at present over the prop- osition to formulate a new revenue meas- ure are a'l agreed as to one of the main causes for the present inequality in the system of taxatlon, snd thet is the son-of- a-tinker who lies to the assessor every year about the amount of property he owns. It he could be made to tell the truth the whole question would at once be solved. Hastings Tribune: There fsn’t anyone in the state, unless it is the railway mag- nates and other capitalists, who does not desire a change in the present method of taxation and as the law stands today the poor man, or small property holders, is compelled to pay his full quota of taxation while the more wealthy ones and capital- ists have a way of paying about one-half of the amount they should put up. Almost any change made in the present system would be for the better. Imperial Republican: The revenue laws of the state certainly need revising. The state’s finances have been getting in just a little worse shape each year, with no reliet in sight. While the state has gradually been growing in wealth and the cost of government largely increased, and the as- sessed valuation shows a gradual decrease for a number of years, we are forced to the conclusion that some means for raising the assessment to a figure that will yleld sufficient revenue for state purposes Is absolutely necessary. This is what the present legislature seems to understand and is planning to curtail expenses and enact suitable revenue legislation. Rushville Recorder: Last week we pub- lished a brief article from Lincoln, in reference to the Omaha taxation of rail- way terminals scheme. We published the article in good faith, and ignored Mr. Frank Harrison’s reference to remuneration for putting it before our people. We have never yet been paid for editorlal space and never hope to be. Perhaps In our haste we might have overlooked the fact that Mr. Harrison was a journalistic free lance employed at present by a railway lobby; but this is not to say that rallroads have neither views or ts in the discussion of matters of taxation affecting them- selves. We have never yet subscribed to the doctrine that a railroad is a soulless corporation; neither have we asserted that the rallroads should be allowed to escape their full share of taxation. In all mat- ters of taxation we have only one idea and that s that all should be treated alike, even in the matter of discussion. Auburn Post: The people from all parts of the state are demanding a revenue ldw of our present legislators, and it seems to the Post that it would be an act of wisdom on the part ef our lawmakers to adopt the Kansas revenue bill in its entirety, as that bill is the result of two years' study on the part of a commission appointed by the last leglslature to investigate She revenue sys- tems of various states and draft a bill. The commission consisted of three members of the house, two of the senate and three state officers, the treasurer, attorney general and the state auditor. Ten thousand dol- lars was appropriated for the expenses of the commission, which visited all of the western states and studied their revenue systems and talked with the officials and found wherein their weak points lay. The commission found only ono state where the revenue system was satisfactory, that being Indiana, and they needed some changes. The Kansas commission took the Indiana law as a baels and drafted one of Its own, every section of which has been unani- mously agreed to by the commissioners. As all of the conditions of Kansas and Nebraska are almost identical, the rail- roads and rivers run east and west through the entire length of the state, the large cities are In the east and the west is given up to grazing, it would seem as though Nebraska might profit by the labors of the Kansas commission and adopt its revenue bill almost entirely. Ord Journal: The railroad tax bureau is getting In its work agaln and is sending out articles to prove that the taxing of | depot grounds, side tracks and the like in Omaha would deprive other portions of the state taxes that are due them, and many papers are taking up this ery without stop- ping to think. We all believe in just tax- ation, or at least we all advocate it in epeaking on the subject. Then why is it right for the rallroads who have vast prop- ertles In the citles where they get the same fire protection as other property there, have the same advantages everywhere and then pay taxes on no more property there than in some little school district in the interior part of the state where perhaps they have not even a stopping place, say nothing about & depot? The same is true in cltfes like Grand Island, Fremont, St. Paul, Ord and the like, For instance, the Union Pa- cific pays taxes on $4,200 in Ord, while it pays far more than that in many of the school districts down the line. No one who will stop to think will say but what the railroads should pay on the amount of road they have in the corporation, and thefr buildings, elde tracks, englne houses and other property besides. In fact, the $117.60 that the Unfon Pacific pays in taxes, to the city of Ord is little if any more than would be paid on the amount of lots and blocks they own in the city, If that property be- longed to private parties and was not used for raflroad purposes. The contention that the railroads should pay taxes om thelr bulldings, ete, in the places where they are located is all right. The franchises, value of rolling stock and that class of property showld be assessed as at present and then be prorated according to the number of miles, 83 it Bow is. The bill be- fore the legislature should not only make Omaha property taxable there, but the same ehould be true in other towns as ell, ROUND ABOUT NEW YORK. Ripples on the Metropolis, Four owners and boosters of the “Infal lible Safety Wheat Syndicate,” a get-rich quick swindle, have been gathered in by This {8 the firs plucking the the authorities and jailed bunch of scores engaged in e In the | Vermont T | WEARY OF FOLLY, Loeal Option. . 8t. Louls Globe-Degiocrat, -| The cavse of prohibition recelved a heavy blow In the triumph of the local t option idea in the election which has just taken place in Vermont. Prohibition has gullible, which the authorities have sup- | been in operation in Vermont for just halt pressed, and the suppression is accom- & century. The “Maine law," called thus panfed by the customary announcement from the state in which it originated, wi of the relentless war on the swindlers. &dopted in Vermont in 1852, and has been Every few weeks the newspapers of the theoretically in force ever since. Some op- land contain exposurcs of such swindles, Pposition was made to it early in its days, yet none of these concerns fails to obtain’ and this has been growing in strength. thousands of dupes and the promoters are The triumph of the license candidate for usually shrewd and wealthy enough to es- cape punishment entirely or to get off with light sentences After the exposure of the “Miller syndi- cate" the swindlers who were playing a governor in the election September, in \ the most exciting contest which Vermont had known since the eivil war days, fore- shadowed the overthrow of prohibition, which has now come in the spectal elec- similar game sought cover for a while, but tion on that issue which was ordered by during the past few months they have be- | the legislature, come bolder, and while there is no great| As in all the rest of the states in which tendency now among the general public |prohibition has prevailed, under constitus toward speculation, the number of victims | tional provision or by statute, the inter- is large enough to materfally enrich the 'dict had been evaded in many places in schemers. Vermont, especially in the larger centers. . The majerity against prohibition in the In January the authorized capitalization of new concerns that filed papers in the ecastern states with a capital of $1,000,000 or over, as well as increases for companies previously in existence, reached a total of $177,080,000. In December the total was $97,250,000; in November, $115,140,000, and in October, $244,650,000. In July, which w: the record month of 1002, it was $46 400. The fncreased ease in money, which per- mitted of the acquisition of funds for new enterprises was responsible for the large increase in January ¢ver December. The January total of 1903 makes a good show- ing compared with that of 1802, when the aggregate incorporations reached $146,950, 000. . The total was distributed among the va- election just held is small, but it répre- sents a movement which has steadily been growing, and which will probably soon be ovorwhelming. Under the system which has now been adopted by the people, all | Vermont's towns and cities, after March |1, 1903, will be permitted to decide, by votes of their citizens, whether or not in- toxicants shall be sold in them. There is no doubt that most of them will decl | favor of the sale, under restrictions high license. Of the largo number of states which, at | one time and another, have had prohibi- tion, by constitution or act of the legi lature, only five have been left—Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Kansas and | North Dakota—in recent years, and Ver- mont now drops out of the list. Maine, rlous eastern states as follows: New Jer- | the first state which adopted it, did this sey, $98,000,000; Maine, $39,800,000; New In 1851. Vermont followed its example in York, $20,680,000; Delaware, $12,000,000; 1852, New Hampshire in Kansas in Connecticut, $7,000,000; Pennsylvania, 18¢1 and North Dakota’ in 1889, Other 600,000, Total, $177,990,000. states than those here mentioned had pro- A Brooklyn electrical englneer has just patented a devico that, it is asserted, will make impossible such a disaster as occurred last week at Westfleld. It is @ slgnal appli- ance that will work in connection with the present semaphore system, and will dis- play the signal on board the locomotive immediately before the engineer's eyes, 8o that it cannot be obscured in fog or dark- | ness, and if it is a danger signal, will put on the airbrakes and stop the train, even though the engineer be dead in his cab. The signal works in three ways at the same time. It displays for a danger sig- pal & red light, blows a whistle and puts on the airbrakes simultaneously. For a hibition for a few years, but abandoned it, as Vermont now does. Neal Dow, in the closing years of his lite, had lost faith in the efficacy of his policy of liquor exclu- slon, and most of his old disciples who are still alive are evidently beginning to be skeptical about it. The.chances are that even in Maine and Kansas the days of prohibition will not now be long in the land. | PASSIN ASANTRIES, your daughter trusts me, sir, why can't you?" “She doesn't care how much a thing costs, and 1 do."—Brooklyn Life. “No," said the freethinker, “I n I have any falth in hell." R i precautionary signal it simply puts on a | ‘“True,” replied Rev. Goodman, “so you'd green light in front of the engineer's eyes. {’,’rl.'fl have some here.’—Detroit "Free In order to make the system doubly sure, the semaphore lights now in use may be left on the semaphores, 8o that there will be signals on the cab and alongside the track. A large reilway system is consid- ering the adoption of the invention. In the meantime, the question of com- pelling rallway companies that are using engines of the type of that which caused such havoc at Westfleld, N. J., to hava two men in the forward cab is being vigorously agitated in New York. “Does the learned court, in its intelll- gence, feel that I will be better next July than now?” asked Ezekiel Esau Young of Magistrate Flammer, in Jefferson Market court the other day. “If your honor will permit, I will relate unto you the circumstances which brought me hither.” “Proceed,” said the magistrate. “I was strolling along Eighth avenue last night, and my walk begat a thirst; thirst suggested drink, the price of which, alas! Herbert—Did you get what you wanted yesterday? Horatlo—DIdn't even get what I deberved. Herbert—You'll hardly get that In_this world, you know. I should think you'd want 'to stave it oft as long as posstble.— Boston Transcript. s docs 1t take a woman 10 talk to, her husband while “How many yea: to learn noi he's shaving “I don’t know. I've only been married elght years."—Pittsburg Dispatch. Towne—I never knew a man with such optimistic self-assurance. Browne—8tuck on himself, eh? Towne—Well, rather. He's eo sure of finding himself famous some day that every morning when he wakes up he puis his hand behind his ear and listens for the aj g'“" of the public.—Philadelphia Catho! tandard. Gabberton, “if I were'to become suddenly deaf and dumb st would 1 do?. echoad the freight ayer of the combination. ““Why, I'd send for an undertaker, of couree.”Chicago ews. “What would i»ou?n,—dur," queried Mrs, 1had not. A damsel crossed iy path, and | My wife.” sald Mr. Tounglove, proudly, t languages. I asked the maiden for assistance. The | SN\Upat' replied the crusty oid pachelos s appeal produced one penny. I then ap- | “not all at once!"—Detroit ifree Pre proached a man and requested him to give The Peach. me four more pennies, and with that b e amount 1 might buy & Dickel drink. He | When he 'popped” and recsived a refusal gave me the 4 cents, and then arrested me. [ He gxclaimed, “Yow're a peach, I de- d clare!" Ho s devold of sympathy, your honor, and [ laretr " B L B L he who is without sympathy for his fellow man is not of the elect. I have spoken.” have me infer That my, charms with a peach's com- “You have, and, I understand, been com- pare mitted five times,” eaid the magistrate. | .wwell,” he said, “since your question com- “You have been correctly informed, most | pels me to spenky “ 4 e sole poin eness you own lenient judge,” replied Ezekiel, “‘and, ac Are just Fhu uperniious. down o8 your cording to the new law, which {s uncon- stitutional, you have the power to send me up for 160 days. But I protest. I am a free-born citizen of these United Stat and I crave your clemency, The uncertain- ties and possibilities of this mundane ex- istence, that—" ““We are uot dealing with futures,” broke in the court. “But, your honor, it {8 to the future we must look. Are we positive of anything? Even you, with your intelligence, to which I bow, do not know that you are alive. Be merciful, for the quality of mercy is not strained; it blesseth him who gives as well as him who recelveth. . “This fellow will talk all day, if you let broke In Smith, the “bridge” officer; an oldtimer. “Six months,” sald Magistrate Flammer, and Ezekiel Esau Young was led away, vowing vengeance on Smith for “buttin’ in.* Go-Between as a Study. Chicago News. Quigg and Lessler having been exon- erated, the attorney general will please look into the case of Philip Doblin more closely. As a product of American political institutions Doblin may be a profitable sub- Ject for study. cheek And the fact that your heart is & stone.” ~Philadelphla Catholic Btandard. MILLS OF THE SOLONS, Pittsburg Dispatch. Now the mills of legislation, Here and there’ throughout the natlon, Are all running to the limit of their speed; Long and steady s the grinding, For the statesmen keep on finding P"“,""‘"" to jam in hoppers that they eed. With an earnestness gurprising Everything they're scrutinizing, Framing bills for which there seems to be no cause; ‘Water, earth and eky they're scanning In the'vigor of their planning— Anything will suit in grinding out more laws. Though each state, as well as hation, Gags on too much legislation, And has laws for which there's not the slightest need, Stil] the number keeps on growing, And the statesmen keep on throwing Grist and push the mills to limit of their speed. Often there Is sore vexation, And 2t times there's indignation, But at 11st we to these laws may gladly turn; For w And men feel the pinch that's cruel, They'll be thankful they have tons of laws to burn. n scarcer grows the fuel, Drive it away! Drive it away!! That woli :h cough of yours “Coughs are deceitful, de- structive. They tear delicate membranes, prevent healidg, and prepare the way for seri- ous lung troubles. Quiet your cough. Bring rest to your throat and lungs. For60 years the doctors have prescribed Ayer’s Cherry Pectoral for coughs, colds, asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia. J. 0. AYER 00., Lowell, Mass. =] I Eo T