Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, March 20, 1903, Page 6

e . S THE OMAHA DAILY BEE: FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 190 THE OMAHA DALY BEE E, ROSEWATER, EDITOR. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING TERME OF SUBSCRIPTION. Dally Bee (without Sunday), One Year. Daily Bee and Sunday, One ijlurtrated Bee, One Year Sunday Bee, One Year Saturday Beée, One Year i Lby Twentieth Century Farnier, One Year.. 1.00 DELIVERED RBY CARRIER Bee (without Sunday), per copy ly Bee (without 8unday). per w 1y Bee (Including Sunday). per we punday B r copy tvening Bee (without Sunday), per week 6 Beo (Including Sunday), per Complafnts of irreguiarities In deiivery should be addressed to City Clrculation De partment. #.0) 6.00 OFFIC Omaha—The Bee Bullding South Omaha—Clty Hall Building, Twen- ty-nfth and M Strects Councll Bluffs—i0 Pearl Street. Chicago—1640_Unity Building. New York—2828 Park Row Bullding. Washington—1 Fourteenth Strect. CORRESPONDENCE Communieations relating to news and edi- torlal matter <hould be addressed: Omaha | Bee, Editorial Department REMITTANC Remit by draft, express or postal order, payable to The fee Publishing Company Only 2-cent stamps accepted in payment of malfl accounts. Personal ch ex Omaha or eastern exchange: HE BEE PUBLISHING' ( pt on t accepted MPAN STATEMENT OF CIRCULATION State of Nebraska, Douglas County. 8s.: George B Taschuck, sceretary of The Bes | Publishing’ Company, being duly sworn, says that the actual number of full and | complet, coples of The Dally, Morning. | Evening and Sunday Bee printed during the month of February, 1903, was as follows 20,160 15 0,220 | 16, 31,820 1 13. 19 . [ 0,200 30,610 Total.. iess unsold and returned coples et total sales ¥ Net average sales.. £ GEORGE ¥ SCHUCK. Subscribed In my presence and sworn to belore me this 28th aay of February, A. D. 1908, M. IATE, (Seal.) e The intimation that the courts will have the last inning at amending the pew revenue bill is well taken. Perhaps all these blizzards and floods are sent at this time just to clear the srack for President Roosevelt's western tour next month. Members of the railroad lobby at Lin- coln who feel that they have been slighted should send their photographs to the cartoonist at once. An executive sesslon of the United States senate used to be deseribed as a secret session, but the secrecy part of it bas becomc simply one of those fictions of the law. President Cleveland has celebrated his sixty-sixth birthday anniversary. It is violating no confidence, however, to say that no message’of congratulation came | Washington, CUBAN TREATY RATIFIED. The ratification of the Cuban reci- procity treaty with amendments will the re-subm!ssion of the convention to the Cuban senate; which last week approved the treaty as nego- tiated. Whether or not the changes made will interfere with a reaffirma- tlon by the senate of Cuba is uncer- tain. There fs some opposition to the arrangement and it is possible that this will be strengthened by the action at though the amendments really of no very great im- portanc Their result would be to SOmew! reduce Cuba’s customs reve- nue, but not to any very serlous extent. It is only on this ground that any ob- jection can be made to them, yet it is quite probable that Cnba may ask some further concessions In return for ac- coptance of the amendments. If not the treaty will ective at once, the proposed provision requiring ap- proval by congress not being adopted. Otherwise there will be no change from existing trade relations. These are at present favorable to Cuba, the United States buying more from that country than it sells to her. The statistics show that the volume of our fmports from Cuba during the last four years has been steadily increasing, while our exports to the island last year decreased. The value of our pur- chases from Cuba in 1902 was nearly $40,000,000, while we sold to that coun- a little more than $23,000,000. Under present conditions other countries sell | most as much to Cnba as does the United States, yet the island still finds this the best market for her products. Of course under reciprocity we should sell a good deal more there than we now do, but even then it Is likely that the trade balance would as a rule be favorable to Cuba. It is to be noted that last year we imported less raw sugar from Cuba than in the preceding year, indicating that the island is al- ready finding other markets than ours for her principal article of export. I¢ is also evident that Spain still holds a good grip oa the Cuban trade and that all the other European countries are urging their manufactures on the islanders with increasing persistency and generally with. good results. The influence of European manufac- turers and merchants has been exerted in Cuba in opposition to reciprocity. Tt will perhaps now be renewed and have the support, at least Indirect, of the governments, some of which have al- ready indicated. their . dissatisfaction with the negotiation of a treaty between the United States and the island re- public. The amendments to that con- vention may not jeopardize it, but there will be uncertainty regarding it until the treaty is again acted. upon by the Cuban senate. necessitate made become eff REVIVING FOREIGN TRADE. The revival of our foreign trade, as shown in the late statistics of exports, posed test oath bill was not drawn but | government to its very foundation not %0 many years ago. for factional ends. In plain English, the test oath bill is gotten up to pro- mote the ambitions of men who desire to break Into the city hall at the fm- pending city election by the wholesale disfranchisement of their opponents at the primaries. A more effective way would have been to enact a law au thorizing and requiring the judges of election at the next republican city pri mary to reject the vote of every repub- lican who will not take an oath to vote for del distribute all the municipal offices from mayor down to members of the Dou las delegation in the legislature such political friends as they designate. Such an emergency doubtless does exist, and why should not the legisla- ture enact a law that will compel the people to give them the offices regard- less of competency or merit. may IMPROVINt THE CONSULAR SERVICE. President Roosevelt and Secretary Hay are said to be determined to in- crease the efficiency of the consular service In every way possible and to that end incompetent or undesirable consular officers will be investigated rigidly. It is stated to be the wish of the administration to keep the service out of politics and political influence to prevent the removal of incompetent men will be of no avail hereafter. have recently been asked to resign for cause and it is understood that the State department may call for the res. ignation of some others who are be- lieved to be incapable of properly per- forming their work, or are so consti- tuted personally that they Injure the good name of the United States abroad. There are probably not many such in the service. American consuls are unquestionably men of good habits and character and perform their duties, but there are some of whom this cannot be said and the soonet the service is rid of these the better for the efficiency and reputation of the servi The determination of the president not to permit political in- fluence to protect unworthy consuls officlals will be heartily approved by the commercial interests concerned in having the service reach the highest attainable usefulness, As a whole it is not bad or inefficlent and eompares very favorably with the service of any other country, but as was said by Sen- ator Lodge, who has given a great deal of attention to the consular service, it is not beyond improvement. Although congress has failed to do anything for the betterment of this service, It is in the power of the administration to do much in this direction and there is every reason to believe this will be done, —_—— Several Councilman Hascall has evidently lost his proverbial cunning. During his checkered career in publie life his forte has always been to play the role of ates only who are pledged to | and | The great majority of | Rot Think of the Fun. Baltimore the most inable is that of a One of Americ pathetic sights ndsman trylng to un- imag- derstand the printed description of a racing vacht. Where H mony s Needed, Kansas City Journal, Congress ought to do something to pro- mote friendly weather forecasters and the weather. relations between the Half the time they act like entire etrangers. Tu On the Hot A Indianapolis News. Now that it has been announced that Mr. Cleveland will attend the dedication of the St you can probably, position, right carefully make n wes! with your be tern tour and Louls ex- it you listen est ear turned toward Nebraskae, heat some additional re- marks, Trikes d Out of a Job, Baltimore American, The United States consu! I at Montreal was fired for talking too much. Were that rule walks to ba of life adopted generally employment the would be rushed to death. I that the vacancy left by the too-talkative gentleman was filled with the appointmcat of a newspaper man. Farce in all the burenus t 1s significant of Senatorial Secreey. Chicago Chronicle. Senators Spooner and Depew made elabo- rate speeches on the canal treaty Saturday, the scnate being all the while in executive morning the newspapers printed as full reports of the speeches as they would have done had the senate been session. Next in public session. day And so 1t goes, day after Notorlously the secrecy of the senate is as much of a pretense as the courtesy of the senate. Yet every little while senators haggle over the question of removing the “seal of secrecy” in favor of some speech made in execut ive session. Overworking the Iinjunction. Philadelphia Record. A United States judge in Kansas City has issued an injunction upon team drivers in that city forbldding them from asslsting the employes of the express company who are on a strike. The ground of the injunc- tion 1s that the goods carried to and from the rallway stations comstitute a share of interstate commerce and that the interrup- tion of the carrlage of such wares is a violation of the Interstate commerce law. But what {f the team drivers should rudely refuse to work, and thus violate this in« Junction? Would they be arrested and im- prisoned indefinitely for contempt of court? Hardly. Another Semate Absurdity. New York Press. Extraordinary and highly absurd theories in the senate have ceased to surprise any. one, but if it were possible to feel astonish- ment at anything coming from that hody as “august deliberation” at surely it would be the ridiculous supposition—as implied in the amendment to the Cuban treaty that during its existence there shall be no re- duction in duties on sugar coming from any other country—that the senate can make a treaty or congress has the power to enact legislation which shall remain in force forever, and the power to nullify in the present any purpose or act of congress in the future! e ‘Westward Swing of Population. Springfield Republican. Thirty-seven perioent of the population ROUND ABOUT NEW YORK. es on the Carrent of Life fn the Metropol Filled with devotion to the higher ideals prevalent in New York's artlstic circlos a local judge swatted a vender of rag-time music who profaned the atmosphere ono of those foggy days too dear to the metro polftan heart. The judge had been asked to enjoin the rag-time grinder from over working his organ within hearing distance of the Metropolitan Opera house, where classic music has ite home and where the aristocracy doth congregate. The prayer of the petition was granted. Hereaftor the son of Sunny Italy must take himself and his barrel to less sanctified precincts and avold shocking the ears attuned to classlc song. Having performed his duty courage- ously the judge softly hummed, “They All Look Allke to Me." The two western girls were on a visit to the east, and they were enjoying them selves immensely, reports the Brookiyn Bagle. But somehow there scems to be & conflict of ideas between them and thelr hostess. She had strict ideas of propriety, and they apparently only thought they had They had determined to show that the were fully up to date in social matters, but —here's woat happened. Two western young men happened to bo in New York at the same time and they In- vited the girls to go to the theater, with a lttle supper to follow. The girls promptly accepted it. The hostess, in whose charge they were, ralsed her hands in horror when she heard of it. “It will never do,” said she. *You must be chaperoned on any such occasion as that ““Chaperoned!” exclaimed one of the girls. “Why, of course, we'll be chaperoned. You | don’t suppose we'd meglect such an impor- tant feature as that, do you? We're not entirely ignorant of social usages.” “Then it's all arranged?” t course, it's all arranged.” T'm glad of that,” said the hostess, with rellef, “‘but it would have been just as well to consult me. Who is to chaperon you?" “Why, Ethel will chaperon me, and I will chaperon her,” was the ingenious reply. There are many shops which claim the credit of being the smallest in the city. Some are tucked in out-of-the-way corners or else are merely portions of other large offices. What Is actually the smallest shop in New York is located at 439 Sixth avenue. Here, in the neighborhood of the large de- partment stores, with elevated and surface cars passing the door, Mynher van Gelder presides in what he is pleased to call his “Little Art Shop.” Mynher van Gelder believes that small beginnings make great endings, and so has chosen the little shop, which measures only 2 feet 13 inches in width and a few inches more in depth, to turn out what he claims to be the perfection of art. His specialty, which he learned at the National Decorative school, in Paris, is the paint- ing by hand of lodge, fraternity or soclety emblems on the dfal of watches. This work | does not require the keeping on hand of a great deal of stock, so that one visiting the shop will find, besides the proprietor and the chair upon which he sits, nothing but a small box of paints and a writing tablet, which the artist rests on his knee while at his work. So small is the shop that a customer has not space to stand inside with the proprie- tor. Even the examples of the artist's work have been placed in a showcase out- side the door, for lack of room within. He was a little, old man with a “left- over-from-last-ye: appearance, but when A PUBLICITY PRESID) eves In Letting the People Know What wall R e is Dol Street Journal President the of Affairs the protective tariff statesman to attach his name to some dis- tnetlve governmental policy, especially if relates to one of the questions to that policy of Immedinte interest the people of the i not and country importance Mr. Roosevelt enncted into law But sometimes a statesman who s eager and able to apply a policy to others is un- willing to apply It to his own affairs, 18, therefore, of Interest to know that Presi- dent Roowevelt’s rule in the conduct of the White House business is the rule of pub- lielty. No other president, it is safe to say, has ever transacted bus s s0 mauch in the open. By this we do not mean that there 18 any unwise exposure of executive policy before the time fs ripe for publieation. Mr. Roosevelt 1s not continually rushing into print. He never says in haste what he in- tends to do, to repent in lelsure after he has discovered that what he promised was un- wise, of belng impetuous and even erratic, Mr. Roosevalt has in fact developed a rare con- servatism of executive epeech and action. But no one has visited the White House Quring the time he has been president with- out being {mpressed with the wholesoma alr of publicity that pervades the place. No one {s seen there putting his hand to the side of his mouth and whispering in the ear of another that no ome else may possi- bly hear. Thero is nnJanlng of business in a corner or in the dark. Whatever the president chooses to say he says right out loud, #o0 that all who care to do S0 may hear, and often, indeed, he speaks 8o stren- uously that one cannot help hearing. This may sometimes be embarrassing to others, but it is a safeguard for himself, and a guarantee, so far as he {s concerned, that the business {n hand is to be conducted without suspiclous mystery. There is a frankness and openne all that the president does that is of his sincerity and honesty. brusque at times, but it is brusqueness without a string. There is something re- freshing and healthy in the way in which he goes through the exacting routine of the White House busin His visitors are sometimes startled by the frankness with which he may announce his decision in some important matter in their presence, and it 1s a sure proof of his ability to read the character of those who call upon him that. the confidence he places in their dis- cretion {s so seldom abused. The men who don’t like this kind of thing are the politicians who delight to pull secret wires and surround all they do with an impenetrable vell of mystery. Imagine the feelings of one of these men going to the president to exercise his “pull” in be- half of some candidate for office and hear- ing the president talk out loud about it before a group of persons. That some have taken offense {s probably true, but that the interests of the public business are ad- vanced by such a policy there can be no question. about DEFEAT CONCEDED Democracy Hope for 1004 Based on Hard Times. St. Louls Globe-Democrat. “The future of the democratic party,” sevelt's name ia identified with the poliey of publicity as applied to corporations, just as Hiaine's was Identified with the policy of reciprocity and MeKinley's with that of the It s a great thing for a discover publicity, but he has the credit of having ndopted it as a remedy for most of the evils that attach to the trusts and as having been able to have it actually 1t For a man who has the reputation | proof He may be PERSONAL NOTE! President Roosevelt has recelved from John Redmond, the Irish member of Par | liament, of Dublin, & box of shamrocks | It i reported that Marshall Field has offered to erect & museum on the Lake Fron park, Chicago, which may cost as much as $10,000,000. Having forbidden the sale of liquor in the capitol at Washington, the august sen ators are reduced to keeping secret plies in the committee rooms Commander Seaton Schroeder, the re called governor of Guam, has just arrived in San Francisco and it is rumored tha he will succeed Captain Sigsbee as intelligence officer at Washington General Fitzhugh Lee, referring to Vir | sinta’s proposal to place a statu Robert E. Lee in the natlonal capitol he thinks they should honor Washing the successtul, as well as Lee, the defe Dr. Willlam R. Brooks, director of Smit | observatory and professor of astronomy Hobart college, has been awarded the coms | medal of the Astronomical Soctety | Pacific for the discovery of his twenty comet. The Brunswick, Mo., Brunswicker say the Amicitia club last week “tripped (he | light fantastic toe,”” which an irreverent Kansas contemporary says, in order make it intelligible to the Missourians means that the “Friendship club bad a | rag soctal.” According to J. Scott Clark, head of the department of English at Northwestern university, the four greatest living literary men in America, according to their rauk | are Willlam Dean Howells, Thomas Bailey Aldrich, Edmund Clarence Stedman and Henry Van Dyke. The Swedish explorer, Sven Hedin, i3 only 38 years old. It was expected that | after his arduous and dangerous trip ‘o central Asia he would rest a few year | but he is already busy with mew Asiatic | plans. He has also spoken of an attempt | to reach the north pole “in an entirely new and comparatively easy way. sup SAID IN FUN. Laffan—Who is that protty girl ovec thers by the bay window? lIsn't she a poem Grofat—She {s. She's a poem you ought to know. Come along, and I'll introdu; you.—Philadelphia Pre: Reddy Mulline—I see Chimmy goin Sunday school yestiddy. Sammy Sweeny—Yes; some guy told him Christmas come agin in March.—Puck ter Minister—I understand, my friend, that you have found marriage to be a fullure Spudgins—Well, then, you've been i informed. 1 brought sult for divoree four times and lost every time. I's too blame | successful for me. Schoolma’am—And now, Johnnte, hear you bound Alaska Johnnle—Oh, no you don't. Yer can't me tangled up in _any of yer old in national disputes.—New York Sun. let m Mrs, Brown—80 you were out again last night, eh? Bfown—No, 1 was in, and I'll gi $10 for your share.—Defroit Free D' “Yes,” sald the proud father, “my ter s ‘golng to sing ‘The Wearing Green’ at the St. Patrick’s day celebration “Indeed,” commented the candid Egucst listening 'to the voice of the daught ‘Well, the Irish are a persecuted race aren't’ they?'—Chicago Tribune. daugh- of the He leaned against the trolley post and asked the starter in the street when the next car would go. ““Which way?” the starter Inquired. or down?" “I don't care (hic). Which way's the cheapest ?"'—Brooklyn Eagle. “Up ““There is something about the desplsed goat that all boarders might imitate,” re- marked the boarding house landlady, What {s 1t?" queried the gang around the festal board. The goat,” replied the dining room e feeds is a condition calculated to dispel ap- prehension regarding a continuance of prosperity, at least for the immediate future. The export returns for Feb- ruary were not only largely in excess of the United Stataa.4re to be found in the drainage area of the Atlantic seaboard, 16 per cent in that of the great lakes, and 53 per cent in the Mexican gulf area—or 96 per cent for the area whose waters find their way finally into the Atlantic ocean. The remaining 4 pe~ cent resides in the says Hon. George G. Vest, “depends upon the condition of the country in 1904.” The republicans, according to the ex-senator, have staked everything on the malnte- nance of the tariff, and “if the present con- ditlon of' affairs can be maintained until 1904 the democrats can not win. The re- queen, “isn't particular as to what from William J. Bryan. the crowd of shoppers entered the Sixth on,”"—Chicago News. avenue elevated at Twenty-third street the female contingent of strap hangers found they had an energetic friend. He wore an old silk hat and a bright pink rose fastened in the buttonhole of his shiny frock coat. Bruin hibernate a few years and then come back refreshed and forgiven. This time, however, he imagines that his curved path will be straightened out by a few explanations, but it won't. The primary election test oath bill, which is belng rushed through the leg- islature as an emergency measure, is in Aunt Hetty—An' you say the city folks is o extravagant? Aunt Samantha—Awfull Why, Cousin Fanny here never thinks of bakin’ her own bread!—Puck. many respects a counterpart of the odious Pennsylvania Ripper bill, Members of the legislature should not forget that they can serve their con- stituents as well, if not better, by kill- ing vicious measures as by loading the statute book up with half-baked bills, It is not often that the licutenant | governor gets a chance to vote when the senate is tled, but Lieutenant Gov- ernor McGilton will not hesitate to rise to the occasion as often as it is pre- sented. — The name of Hamilton Fish on public papers as assistant treasurer of the United States at New York will look strangely familiar to people who trans- acted public business with his fatber, Hamilton Fish, as secretary of state. One day Our Dave is coming back to Omaha post haste to even up old po- litical scores and the, next day he is| planting himself in a fat public office in New York City. If he can get the fat office in New York he will waive the revenge in Omaha. [ A terrible emergency exists for the primary election inquisition at the com- ing Omaha primaries, but no such emer- gency was visible at the primaries held | in Lincoln only last month. How easy for factlonal law makers to manufac- ture emergencles to order. ———— Three pillars in the rotunda of the Montana state house are sald to huve suffered serious injury from the shock of a recent earthquake. Had these pillars ouly been inside the legislative halls they would have beeu sufficiently bardened to withstand all any shocks. and — Cheap power would add 50,000 people to Omaha's population before the next census and a 50 per cent dnerease in population would produce a corre- sponding incregse in the value of all property In Omnba. The power canal project offers a feasible plan to give us cheap power. Se—— The revival of oath-bound, dark lan- tern political socleties in Omaha Justi- fies the suspiclon that political crooks aud boodlers have a design on the next adwinistration which they cannot achleve In the open. Honest men will fght shy of Ku-Klux methods of puri- fying city politics. Bats and owls shun the daylight. President Schwa the United States Steel corporation declares that be Is glad te be back at work, the number of interviews that came from Mr. Schwab from all parts of Europe it was patural to suppose that Le had been kept busy all the time he Was abroad hunting for reporters who would relieve him of his troubles, rom of the corresponding month of last year, but probably the largest for that month on record. There was a notably large increase in the outward movement of corn and cotton, which is regarded as particularly gratifying at this period as tending to strengthen our situation abroad and facilitate the borrowings in the European money markets rendered necessary by our congested financial conditions. Imports continue large and the New York Journal of Commerce observes that while our exports show a very satisfactory reviving tendency, it seems practieally certain that owing to heavy imports the annual excess of exports will prove much smaller than for sev- eral years. Still there will be a very generous trade balance in favor of the Unlted States at the close of the fiscal year, a little more than three months hence. For the elght months of the vear ending with February the excess of exports was over $300,000,000, so that this country is still largely on the safe side of the foreign trade account, with every assurance of remaining so. WHERE IS THE EMERGENCY? Under whip and spur House Roll No. 236, the Nebraska Ripper bill, requiring every voter at a primary election to dis- close how and for whom he voted at the preceding election, is belng rail- roaded through the legislature with this proviso: Whercas, An emergency exists, therefore this act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and approval. The question that naturally suggests | itself 1s, Where Is the emergency that calls for the immediate epactment of | such a drastic law? What bas hap- | pened remotely or recently that would Justify the legislature to enact and the governor to sanction such a departure from the fundamental principles of self- government—a measure that is made to destroy a most sacred prerogative of American cltizenship—the secrecy of the ballot. What emergency has arisen that would justify such a radical departure from the bedrock principle of the fran- chise—the right of every citizen to ex- press his will through the ballot box without being aceountablg for his choice of public servants to any human being either before or after election? What emergency has arisen that calls for an immedlate ediet to empower primary election judges to pry into’ the eon- sclences of citizens who desire to exer- clse the privilege of designating whom they prefer as candidates of the party with which they are affillated? It is said that the republican wem- bers of the Douglas delegation to the legislature have declared that an emer- gency for such an uarepublican measure has arisen in the ¢ty of Owmaha for the purification of primary ¢lections. As & matter of fuct the pro- The citizens of Omaha are onto him and no amount of palaver will reconcile them. It is not simply his political course on the open door ordinance, but on scores of other measures, including the closing of doors against the appeal of the Real Estate exchange for the fair assess- ment of franchised corporations and his persistent creation of overlaps in defiance of law that must be explained. The promotion of General Charles F. Humphrey to be quartermaster general of the United States army puts a staunch friend of Omaha at the head of that important division of our mili- tary service. General Humphrey was for many years attached to the old De- partment of the Platte, with headquar- ters at Omaha, and is perfectly familiar with western conditions and needs. In his administration of the quartermas- ter's department we may be sure that the departments of the west will re- celve every attention which they de- serve. For ways that are dark and tricks that are vain the heathen Chinee sald to be very pecullar, but the heathen Chinee Is not a circumstance to the childlike and bland methods by which the understudy of Billee Saun- ders, who wants to be mayor or treas- urer of Omaha, is pushing through the legislature a primary election test oath scheme under the pretense of !ts being concelved and designed for the purifica- tion of primary elections. Senator Newlands wants Uncle Sam to extend an invitation to Cuba tu come into the American fanily as a state in the union. been the other way, the people desiring admission to the union asking Uncle Sam for the privilege, Tt is pretty safe to assume that when the Cubans want to come into the United they will not be bashful about declar- ing themselves and knocking at the door. Aspirants to succeed Judge Caldwell on the beneh should take note t he case Involving the Northern Securities company before the United States cir- cuit court at 8t. Louis. Judge Caldwell would not particinate In this hearing unless he expected to retain his judicial position at least until after the opinions are written and the judgment handed down. ‘The people of France are said to take very cordially to the course of the United States in buying out the Panama Canal company. They ought to take to it cordially If it means no further pos- sibility for repetition of the Panama canal scandals that shook the French is | Hitherto the procedure has | States | Pacific area. last United States census Such is the finding of the There has been a mighty swing of population westward within & hundred years, and thither pop= ulation continues to swing. The region di- rectly drained by the Mississippi river now holds one-half of the people of the country, and it promises to hold a considerably larger proportion of the total population of the United States in the years to come. RAILROAD TAX DODGING. sota Balks the State Trea Attempts to Cheat ry. Minneapolis Journal. Minnesota has had a railroad gross earn- ings law for th irty years. Under that law the railroads have made their own reports of gross earnings. Those reports have never been checked up till within the last year. At the special session in 1902, at the in- stance of Mr. Johnson, the public examiner, he was authorized to check these reports, to examine the accounts of the railroads and see whether they were making a proper re- turn of gross earnings for taxation pur- poses. He made the examination and claims that the railroad companies owe the state $275 000 of back taxes for the years 1896 to 1901 inclusive. How much they owe the state for evaded taxes prior to 1896 will probably never be computed in detail, for the state of Minnesota has a statute of limitations running against itself by which it is barred from attempting to collect unpald gross earnings taxes more than six years old. It was no easy task to figure out how much Minnesota had lost even for the past six years thro ugh {ncomplete returns of gross earnings, but it has been done so well that the railroads have aiready acknowi- edged the state’s claim to $120,000 and have | paid over already nearly that amount to the state. Another fact accomplished s that as a result of this examination and public show- ing of the amounts due the state the ac- counts of the railroads will hereafter be so kept, so authorized long to review as the publ them, c examiner is at least, that the state will secure about $100,000 annually mere than it would otherwise have received. The public examiner also holds that under the constitution taxes should be levied on | large items of railroad property that have heretofore escaped taxation altogether, but which make up a part of the gross earnings | railroad of the companies. From these sources It is estimated the revenues of the state should now be about $90,000 annually. Now let’s see how this thing stands Here is $120,000 of back taxes in the treasury, or is as good as there. There is the balance of f the $275,000 which will probably get there In time, in whole or in part There {s a reform in railroad bookkeep- state There is the discovery, w : | ing which means $100,000 apnually to the is sitting in the heariug of the merger | bich ought to be worth something to the legislature, that other property belonging to railroads Is es- caping taxation through loosely drawn laws, to the amount of $90,000. And yet here is a proposition before the legislature to repeal the act of 1902 au- thorizing the public examiner to examine rallroad accounts, put & stop to his further investigations in that direction and in effect administer a rebuke to him for hav- ing done this work which has resulted in such enormous gaing !n revenues And, as If that were not state. to the enough. it is even proposed to reduce the compen- satlon, already too small for the work of this important office—more {mportant in the hands of the pregent officer than it has ever been before 18 fhe bistory of the state. There was a look of amiability in his gray eyes which did not find its inspiration solely with an evident acquaintance with the flowing bowl. A row of men characteristically oblivious to the line of feminine marionettes dangling back and forth in front of them occupied the seats. The defender of the falr sex promptly arose and with a courtly bow of- fered his seat to an elderly woman, who, lurching madly back and forth, was vainly endeavoring to keep possession of a number of bundles she carried. Then the enter- tainment bega; “Sure, and It's a pleasure, ma'am, little man replied to the woman's thanks. “It's no more than any gentleman would do."” He eyes the apparently unconsclous row of men before him with an expression that raised a laugh in his corner of the car, and by good-natured guying he made them, one at a time, give up thelr seat to a woman. One man held out a long time, but finally relinquished his seat. “Good boy, good boy,” cried the man foyously. “Now, we're all right. I've gone clear past my station, but I was bound to see you give up that seat. When a man smiles, though, I know he's got a soul Goodby to ye all. I can always get along with the ladies, but once in a while T have trouble with a man. You see, I'm married and I have been well trained. I'm glad you're all comfortable. Now, don't worry 1 won't get off till the train stops.” The little, old man, with his good-natured mile, his pink rose and silk hat, passed out into the darkness. The rumor that Mary Anderson (Macam e Navarro) is to come to America next month has given rise to the report that she will appear in a benefit performance ten- dered to Clara Morris. { learned the only foundation for this report is in the fact that Madam de Navarro, on Jearning of the distress of the veteran actress some months ago, wrote a pathetic letter {ntimating that she would be pleased to give such asglstance as would be acceptable. Should Mary Anderson ap- pear on the New York stage again ticularly for a single performance, it Is safe to say that the tickets would a tremendous premium. Since her retire- ment from the profcesion she has appeared | only in readings for the benefit of English charity organization: Sults for damages agalnst the city con tinue to be entered as the result of the ex plosion of fireworks on election night, No vember 4, 1302. In one week the comy troller's office received the statement of claims for $42,600 arising from this cau in addition to a smaller claim by one of the householders on Madison avenue for dam age done to his residence. Suits filed to date include demands for several hundred thousand dollars which the city is call upon to compromise or defend. sym- par command As a result of her work at the Sport man’s show at Madison Square Ga White Fawn, a girl of the Abanaki tribe has organized a class of twenty young soclety women, who are anxious to learn the art of basket making White Fawn had so many offers of pa for instruction in weaving that she de- clded upon the class limited to twe and had no difficulty in filling the list a few hours. She says her first lesson was highly successful, and that she was prised ai the aptitude of her puplls White Fawn was born on the banks of the St. Lawrence, In Canada nighly Intelligent and well educated ing French and English, besides her na- tive tongue. sur lilllo\ | the So far as can be | | | en | publicans will ascribe the prosperity which may then prevail to the Dingley tariff, and the majority of the voters never will stop to analyze the truth of the claim.” Dis- claiming any knowledge, too, of whether the democratic factions will get together or not in the approaching campaign, and also declaring that he had no knowledge of Bryan's intentions and no right to speak for him, he added that Bryan “will cer- tainly appear at the next democratic na- tional convention, and will be an aggres sive factor in whatever is done.” As an enthusiastic supporter of Bryan in 1896 and 1900, and as & man who knows as much about democratic conditions and chances as any other person on his side, these re- marks of the veteran Missouri statesman will attract the country's attentlon. General business calamity is the only thing that will afford the democrats a chance to win, according to the word of one of the most experlenced and clea headed of the country's democrats, and neither that statesman's nor anybody else whose opinfon on the subject is worth anything sces calamity in the immediate future. The bank clearings last week in the country at large had a long lead over those of the corresponding week of 1902, the gain being slightly in excess of 12 per cend. The business fallures at the same time were less than they were fast year at this time, showing that although trade fs brisker than it was a year ago, | 1t 15 done under better conditions and the financial mortality among the traders is lees. The earnings of the railroads keep above the line for last year at this date, although twelve months ago the roads* income was at very high figures. That genera! opinfon leans toward op- timism regarding the business conditions is shown by many indications. One of these e the fact that the record for prices of seats on the New York Stock exchange has recently been broken several times, one seat a few days ago selling at $52,000, and another just afterward at $83,000, while the highest price ever previously paid was $80,000. It s to business men throughout the country that the financial adversity is not in sight which would be necessary to give any chance of success to the demo- ¢ Neither is the harmony in sight without which that party can not make even as strong & canvas as it did in 1900 clear HER LENTEN SACRIFICE, Baltimore American. See the mald with face of sadness, Void of every trace of Gladness, And with not a_single Hint of Sweet con- Tent. Bhe's a picture of de- Jection, Filled with hopes that fear de- Tection— She's the girl who gave up issing During Lent. There's the mald who gave up Sweet thing: And refused oft to Eat thing Though her teasing friends try Hard to Circum- Vent. Though she's full of vague dls- ‘Tresses, Yot she doesn't shun ca- Resses Like this girl who gave up Kissi ‘When these Lenten days Are over, And we're all ike plgs In clover, There'll be market for the Kisses Bhe has Pent. And each lad that's wise or wiser Will be calling on Eliza~ She's the glrl who gave up issing During Lent. In the Morning after a night's rest is & good time to have your eyes examined for glasses. Neuralgic Headaches find pain in and sbout the eyes, often at- tributed to other causes, are usually dus to the meed of proper glasses. J. C. HUTESON & CO., 213 8. 16th St., Paxton Block. RAIN COATS The Rain Coat if light enough in weight to serve als o as a Spring Overcoat. It is really a most convenient and almost a necessary garment. $10 to $25 Spring Overcoats, $10.00 to $30.00. NO CLOTHING FITS LIKE OURS. vowning, Jnaa> Go. R 8. Wilkws Menager.