Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, November 30, 1903, Page 4

mMmDmBm B ROSEWATER, EDTTOR PUBLISHED IVIR' IIORNINQ TERMS OF. SU B!LR-IP‘I'ION Dadly Bee (without inn\llu) Ono Year. um DELIVERED BY CARRIER. Daily Bes (witaout Bunday), per cop Daily Bee (without Sunday), per l‘uc Daily Bes (including Sunday), per "week 110 Bunday Jee, pe o Eventng Bee (without §:nday), per woek b Eveni (nchuding Sunday 100 irregularities in delivery addressed to City Circulation De- OFFICES. Omaha— a—The Bee‘ Bulldln&ul , Pwens 8outh Omaha—C ty-fifth and Al Couneil Eluffa—do Pearl Street. - lua. Unity Bullding Now Forkun Fark Row Hunlding. ‘Washington—$01 reunumh Street. CORRESPONDENCE- Communications relating to-news and odl- torial matter shouid be sddressed: Bee, Editorial Department. REMITTANCES, e, Remit by dra or postal order yande to Th-“boo Y ibliahing Company, 2-cent stam ted in payment of accounts sonal checks, except on mana br oastera gxehanges, not accopted. OTHE Be PUBLISHING COMPANY. " STATEMENT OF CIRCULATION. Btate ot Neb Douglas County, George B. Taschuck, secretary of The Publishing Company, buing duly ew t the actual number of full wmplau coples of The Dally Morning, vening and Sunday Bee printed durl the month of October, 1%3, was as follow 1 28,800 17 28,831 week Complaints " of should be . partment. Net total sales.... Net average sales.. GEORGE B, TZ8CHUCK. - Subscribed fn m. d sworn_to h.r:r- me this m{ K, nl%c‘!:bs:;‘, D., Charley Crow Dog is said to be the first Indian to rob a postoffice. Prob- nh{y be won't be the last. There is an available balance of $3,600 in the Omaha library fund. Here is a chance for a persuasive book agent. Not until we hear from the high school debater will we know precisely what should have been done about the isthmus, e The city election in South Omaha is still four months ahead of us, but there is already much talk and some specula- tion as to the probable outcome. Bix weeks hence there will be another opportunity for the Board of County Commissioners to adopt New Year's res- olutions to turn over a new leaf. — The morning that the Dreyfus case is reopened is the morning a wearied pub- lic would prefer to otersleep, much as it sympathizes with the captain, * m— If this thing keeps up there will no# be enough room in the city hall for Muyor Moores and President of the Couneil Zimman at \he same hour ot the day. The man who writes merely, “En- closed find check,” expresses quite as much sympathy as he who prates of how his heart is wrung by others' mis- fortunes. The hand which Servia’s new king is now extending in ostentatious friend- ship to Uncle Sam is a trifle too freshly stained for the old gentleman to selze it with real comfort. . Some Inquisitive people would like to know why Police Commissioner Broatch burned those Vie Walker checks instead of depositing them in the archives of the clty. v Germany proposes to establish four more consulates in the United States, and it is worth noting that two are to be in the gulf states, where a few years ago the commodities imported from Ger- many would not have paid the salaries of the consul Members of the British Parllament, while in Paris, were entertained with Louis XV, dances by ballet girls, and at a luncheon immediately thereafter “expressed desire for closer relation be- tween France and England.” So, then, it is to the danseuse, rather than the diplomat, we may look for the peace of the nations. —_— Willlam Jennings Bryan's conference with Croker in Tondon is apt to place AMr, Bryan in the position of one who bas goneé to England to find out if he had best run for prestdent of the United States. Obviously the doctrine of doing things “without the ald or consent of hny other nation on earth” is suffering decline, EEEmT— General Reyes comes tospropose that ythe United States accept the Panama canal concession from Colombla without jpaying a cent to the Republic of Colom- bia. Had Colombla refrained from play- ing & game of holdup, and accepted the $20,000,000 bonus offered by Uncle Sam, there would have been no occasion for General Reyes to pay a visit to the NEW YORK REPOCLICANS Differences between leading repub- lleans in the Empire state has caused New York to be placed in the doubtful list for next year's national election, Mnit these differences having been adjusted and harmony restoréd, there is good reason to belfeve that the state will be republican next November. Last week Governor Odell and Senator Platt had a conference with President Roosevelt, the result being that the two New York leaders reached an absolute agreement politically and will work in perfect uni- son with each other and with the presi- dent. The coulerence is said to bave been wholly satisfactory and the prom- ise 1s that Platt and Odell will together put forth their very best efforts to thor- oughly organize the republicans of the state for next year's campaign. There has been talk of a considerable opposition in New York to Mr. Roose velt and some have ventured to predict that he would not get the delegation from his own state in the republican naticnal convention. There I8 nothing to wasfant this in what was said by Odell and Platt after the conference. Both declared that the president will have the unqualified endorsement and hearty support of Empire state repub- lHeans. Senator Platt is quoted as say- ing that there will be no contest over control of the state convention and its delegation to the national convention will be solidly for Roosevelt. Of course in the corporations that are understood to be unfriendly to the president and are supposed to Be laying plans with a view to compassing his defeat there are some republicans, but the number of such 18 not so large as to warrant.any feeling of apprehbension in regard to their course. Moreover, it is quite pos- sible that there has been some exag- geration respecting the opposition of cer- tain finanelal interests to Mr. Roosevelt. While should these interests become notably aggressive the effect might be to induce a large portion of the inde- pendent vote, which In New York num- bers several hundred thousand, to sup- port the republican national ticket. The feeling is very strong that if corpora- tions make war upon the president, be- cause of his expressed determination to enforce the laws, they must be de- cisively rebuked by the people: (The democratic success in New: York City by no means assures the state to that party next year and now that re- publican differences have been adjusted and the leaders have pledged themselves to work together for the success of the party, it is strongly probable that New York will be in the republican column in 1004\ SE— \ A FUTILE MISSION. The special representative of Colom- bia who is im Washington for the pur- pose of proposing that Panama be re stored to Colomiia and of offering to our government all the canal conces- slons asked in the treaty that was re- Jected free of cost, will find his mission utterly futile. No consideration, it is entirely safe to say, will be given to any proposal he may make involving a change from existing conditions. It ought to be obvious to so intelligent a man as General Reyes that our govern- ment cannot recede from the position it has taken in regard to Panama and to say the least it I8 not complimentary to this government to assume that it might be induced to change its attitude and allow Colombla to force the seceded state back Into the union: Were the United States to do this it would be subjected to the ridicule and reproach of the civilized world and would lose respect everywhere, even on the part of the Colomblans themselves, the more intelligent of whom ean hardly seriously expect anything but failure for the Reyes' mission. Colowbia, according to the statement of its speclal envoy, is now willing to give the United States all the conces- slons asked for in the treaty which its congress rejected without the payment of a cent. The mercenary and greedy politiclans of that country are too late with their offer. They were given am- ple opportunity to replenish the bank- rupt national treasury and do their country an inestimable benefit. They rejected it and now realize the great folly of having done so, but the awaken- ing will do them no good. There is no tempation in Colombia’s offer to give us all we desire without charging any- thing for it. The United States wants to pay for whatever it gets, but it ob- jects to being blackmailed as the Co- lomblans sought to do. Our govern- ment has negotiated a treaty with the new government of Panama, the first article of which pledges the United States to guarantee and maintain the new republic. That pledge will tainly, be faithfully fulfilled. Althongh the United States undoubtedly could have secured all the concessions pro- vided for in the treaiy for a much less sum of money than it is proposed to pay, yet this country will give the Re- public of Panama the same amount that it stipulated to pay Colombla, thereby placing the new government on a sub stantial basis financially. The representations which Gengral Reyes is authorized by his government te make to our government will. of course be listened to respectfully, but acceptance of them 18 quite lmpossible, It seems that he hopes to obtain the sup- port of the South and Central Awerican governments, In this he is also doomed cer- United States. etsymTmcre——_— After a thorough investigation of con- ditions tn the Cripple Creek mining dis- trict General Bates has advised the War department that In bs judgment there 18 nothing in the situation to warrant the: calling out of regulars, The hyster- feal people that denounced President Roosevelt for refusiug {6 honor u requi- sitlon for regulars before the Colorado authorities had wade an effort to sup- . press turbulence with the help of the Netioual Guard il realise to disappointment. Few of them have any sympathy for Colombia and these will hardly take a position hostile to the action 'of the United States. The idea that any of those countries ave ap- prehensive that thds natlon may seek | THE\ OMAHA DAILY enterprive for the carryhlg out of which Panama declared its independence LIFE INSURANCE FUR FIRBMEN The ecalamity that has befallen the families of Omaha's gallant firemen who perished in the Ninih street fire suggests the propriety of life lnsurance for every member of the fire department, mod- eled after the compulsory life insurance system that has prevailed In Germany for all classes of public service émployes during the past fifteen years. While the city charter permits the granting of pen- sions to the widows of firemen who have lost their lives in the discharge of duty, life Tnsurance that would cover all cases of death would be far preferable, Under the German system of compul- sory life insurance the government pays one-half of the premium and the In- sured pay the other half. Assuthe that the average age of insurable firemen is 8Q years, policies insuring their lives in standard companies could readily be ob- tained at a cost of $30 per $1,000, or from $75 to $80 per annum for a policy of $2,500. This would involve an average premium of $75 per annum, and if the city were to pay onehalf the members of the department would be required to contribute $3 per month from their regular wages. These policies would be a valuable asset for every firemau and afford a pro- tection to his family, not only so long as he remained in the departinent, but after he leaves the service, if he saw fit to keep up the policles at his own ex- pense. Estimating the total membership of the fire department at 125, the cost to the city would be equal to $375 a month, or $4,500 per annum, a sum that the taxpayers of Omaha would cheer- fully contribute for the protection of the families of men whose lives are de- voted to fighting fires at the risk of life and limb. On the othe® Nind, the de- duction of $3 per month from the sala- ries of firemen would be no serlous hard- ship, especially to the class of firemen who have not yet contracted marriage. In any event, the suggestion is worth considering. The scheme ecannot, per- haps, be put into effect without some additional legislation in the way of amendments to the charter, but that would only be a matter of time. ‘When it comes to the game of politics, that much caricatured individual, Mark Hanna, 18 not to be outdone by any man in the land. On Tuesday last President Roosevelt entertained a delegation of labor leaders at luncheon at the White House, and on Thursday morning San- ator Hanna entertained the same labor leaders at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in more regal style. The courtesies of the smooth plutoerat did not stop with the sumptuous breakfast. He kept close to the labor men in the corridors of the Waldorf, and introduced them to cap- tains of Industry, millionaires, governors and political celebrities, so that when the labor men left the hotel to take the traln back for Montana they were con- vinced that the best friend they had on earth was the peacemaker from Ohlo. e The unqualified condemnation by the Real Estate exchange of the ordinance granting a ten-year franchise to a firm that !ntends to disfigure the streets of Omaha with street corner sign poles will e wiili the geweral approvai of al classes of citizens. There is absolutely no excuge for granting such a concession to anybody. The only compensation the city is to receive is free street signs on the advertising poles and on buildings occupying street corners. This does not mean that the company is obligated to paint or fasten street signs on every corner, but only on such as they may see fit to occupy with their poles, that will be ornamented with advertisements that may not only offend the eye, but slock the moral sensibilities. R SpE——— Chicago 1s now wrestling with the question whether the city has authority without a specific grant of power from the legislature to establish municipal gas and electric lighting plants that would sell light to private consumers. Inas- much as Chicago already owns and op- erates an extensive plant for electric street lighting, its right to dispose of part of its product to private consumers could scarcely be called in question. It is a foregone conclusion, however, that any attempt to supply electric light for private consumption will be contested by the public lighting corporations until tl‘c supreme court of Illinois affirma- tively decides that the city may do for itself and its citizens what it is author- ized to do through private corporations. Ep—m————f—— If Mr. Harriman keeps on building cut-offs and boring tunnels a few years longer Omaha will be absolutely midway batween New York and San Francisco and Los Angeles. Twenty years ago the distance from Omaha to San Francisco wus 1,760 uiles, while the distance to w York was 1,500 miles in round fig- ures. Now the distance rfrom Omaha to San Francisco is only a rraction more than 1,600 miles, and by the time the Los Angeles line, whick is now more than 2,000 miles distant from Omaha, is com- pleted that city will be within 1,500 miles of Omaha. \ ] Seven state governors have to divide honors with two race hbrses at the Live Stock exposition in Ohicago this week. But then, it is wholly a live stock show with no distinetion between kinds. The governor of Utah may well bear in mind that the safest place for a min- ing strike conference is outside the guard lines and upon an eminence com- manding & view of both eamps. » Lord Roberts prefers to resign as com- mander-in-chief before that office ceases aggrandizement at thelr expense ap- pears to be entirely baseless. At any rate none of them has indicated such a feeling. As to the Colomban threat of forcible meascves against Panama it is to be regarded as mere bravade, since Colombia must fully understand that she will not be permitted to attack the new republie or 1n any way {mperil the to amount to anything: hence his ill- health is not so mueh of an inconven- lence after all ——— Hetter Keep Oul Portiand Oregonian. Japan s in danger of being nagged into a war with Russia, as was France into the years needs to disastrous war with Germany thirty or more age. The island empire BEE! take couneel of her wise men now as never before. If war with Hussla must coms, It woul be most unwise for the weakee power to precipitate It P ——— Tee Precious to Waste, Town Toples. An unnecessary lie ls & mistake; lies are 100 usetul to squander, “Have Sw Met” Washington Post. Tha restoration of the canteen In the con- gressional commlittee rooms I8 proving so satistactory that it is quite probable the favér will be extended to the army. Bouguet for Engineers New York Tribune That Utah “cutoff” across many miles of Salt lake s undoubtedly a marvel as a raflroad exploit, Our American engineers are of this spirit—the harder the task the more eager they are to take it up the Chestnut Tree, Minneapolis Times. Again we are told that Porfirlo Dias s about to surrender the presidency of Mex- feo. It will take a physiclan's certificate that the gentleman fs In articulo mortis to convince the world that anything of the kind is about to happen. Shaki; Not Worth the Price. Kansas City Journal. The conviction fs growing among Amer- fcan, cities that natlonal political conven- tions are not worth the guarantes de- manded for them. The time may come when the big conventions will esteem It a tavor to be entertaine A Satistactory Situation. Philadelphia Press. There is a strong disposition on the part of every democrat In the country to have his exclusive presidential aomination and to repudiate every other democrat's candidate. This s & very satisfactory situation—it it only continues, —_— “It Pays to Advertise.” Indianapolis Journal. This is the day of the press agent. The services of this functionary, formerly con- fined 10 theatrical syndicates and corpora- tions, are now in demand in every enter- prise. The latest fleld for the press agent h found in the advertising of cities. Philadel- phia fs about to spend $100,000 in calling the attention cf the country to herselt, and At- lanta, Ga., has already spent Immense amounts for space in well known publica- tions. No matter what you have to sell—a dog, a canal or a city—it pays to advertise. A Refreshing ovation, Louieville Courler-Journal. The heirs of the late Willilam L. Elkins are certainly notable exceptions, as heirs g0 nowadays. The rule is that a man is not allowed to devise his property to charitable purposes if his kindred can prevent it. But Elkins left a codiell to his will for the es- tablishment of a Masonic orphandge for girls, and although the codicil was legally invalid because executed within thirty days of the death of the testator, the family fs determined that its provisions shall be car- ried out. It is refreshing to find a family which concedes that a dead man had any right to devise his property as he chose. ket Aty It Was Magaificent, United States Investor. The United States Steel corporation was the chef d'ouvre of the new school of finance, and, viewed in the light of more re- cent events, one cannot help admiring the sweep of power which must have been In the minds of its projectors; control the ore deposi’s; manage every process from mining 0 the highest finished product; have as al- les great trnn-m}‘uunn ‘corporationt realty and construction companies; solve the problem. of reggtion’in the iron,and steel Industry and make it a substantlal gentle- man, recelving a steady income from year to year, instead of belng In the position efther of_a “prince or a pauper.’ It was magnificent, but time has shown that it was not economics. UNCLE SAWS LITTLE JOKE. Lumentation of Cement Barkers En- gaged in the Holdup Busines) Detrait Free Press. The man who wilfully decelves a guile- less, confiding trust is no gentleman. And yet that is the grave charge against Uncle Sam, The government fs bullding a 33,000,000 dam across Salt river, Ariz., and expects to use 200,000 barrels of Portland cement in the work. The estimated cost of cement was $3 per barrel. But the cement trust unexpectedly discovered that it couldn’t supply the cement at less than $9 a barrel. The government didn't rebuke the cement trust nor murmur at the price. The gov- ernment simply started in to bulld a $100,- 000 cement plant of its own. Now enters the humorous element. The cement trust heard that its confidence had been betrayed. It had been given no op- portunity to come in and explain how it had unintentionally overstated its first bid. It had been tricked. To Washington ruf- fled cement kings are flocking from all parts of the country—to protest against this “injustice.” Congress is to be asked to pass & law “preventing the government from competing with manufacturers.” Ob- viously the government has no right to offer the slightest resistance to private par- tles engaged in a perfectly legitimate hold- up business. Obviously when the govern- ment feels that it is being shaken down it may be allowed to expostulate quietly and politely attempting to appeal by purely argumentative methods to the generosity and patriotism of the cement magnates. Beyond this the government cannot prop- erly go. e " BORROWING TROUBLE, Philadelphia Press. There are people who are already bor- rowing trouble over the responsibilities and burdens which the United States will assume in accepting a practical protec- torate over Panama and entering on the prompt construction of the canal. They conjure up visions of untold difficulties. 1t a nation were to be influenced by that timid and hesitating spirit it would never do anything. No great undertaking is ever projected without risk of obstacles and complications. The American people long since determined that an interoceanic canafl should be constructed and that, it should be under American control. That enter- prise from the first has involved hazarde, difficulties and the possibility of complica- tions. Had it been carried forward under the Colomblan treaty with divided authority it would certainly have presented delicate and troublesome questions The Panama affair, instead of complica- ting It, has greatly stmplified the problem and made the pathway much plainer OUT OF THE ORDINARY Alfred Miles, a famous tailor of Bond street, London, died recently fortune of 000. Mr. Mi nown to many Americans, w (lul‘ Im' he started business $ome sixt. with a capital of just avorite plan of advertsing with him was to print handbills und persuade cabmen to leave them in thelr vehicles. Bedvugs, although they kept a family from IIQERA; ned furniture, could not un Wil C *Bllllnr'dh u;{ ¢ for apartments in the Ho on street, in the fashionable Back Bay Alstrict of Boston. Judge Forsaith gave b t for the amount in dispute—§i72— -n’ Tefused to consider a counter claim of 000 made by Safford for loss of rest And his chattels. None fl'lhuul “ introduced as & w! Amerou ‘t“ numerous ‘o the MONDAY NOV ‘MBER 80, 190: DITS OF WASHINGTON 1. d Inol the Bpot. During President Cleveland's setond term and while republican officlal heads were dropping into the basket, Mark Twaln was traveling abroad and became interested in the fate of an Amerfoan consal located At a German port. The consul had ex- tended experfence In the service, an ex- ceflent record, and for these reasons alone was entitled to reappointment. Twaln em- bodied the facts in a characteristio letter, which he addressed to littlo Ruth Cleve- land, knowing that the lotter would reach the family circle. The ruse worked well, for the consul was undisturbed. An inci- dent of similar tenor illustrating the em- cacy of a child's pleading, comes from Washington n connection with the nomina- tion of John C. Pollack for judge of the federal bench in Kansas. The Kansas dele- gation was split over the judgeship. Sena- tor Long and representatives Murdock and Campbell were backing Judge Pollack, who is a member of the state supreme court. The fight grew hot and charges against Pollock were laid before the president. It was asserted that he had played poker with and won money from many members of the bar. But there were other charges of a nature highly distressing to Pollock's fam- 1y, The president told the delegation to go to the capitol and ballot till they could agres on a man. They went. While they were at work “Cy" Leland, Kansas republican leader, dropped in at the White House and began to talk to the president about the Pollock case. He told the president how distressed the judge's family was over the charges against him and showed the prosi- dent a letter which the judge had recelved from his little daughter, Lucille, 15 years old, who is In Topeka. The judge is in Washington. The letter read: “Dear Papa: Why don't you go to the president and see him? 1 know he will not belleve all the nasty things said about you after you talk to him. It is a shame for those men to say what they have about you." After reading the letter the president rang hiis bell for his secretary. ““Loeb, I want you to send in the nomina- tion of John C. Pollock for that federal judgeship In Kansas,” he said: Turning to Mr. Leland the president took from his buttonhole a beautiful rose. “I want you to personally give that ro to Luctlle and tell her the ident of the United States sent it to' her,” he sald. "It our children have faith in us there can be no great wrong in any of us. Persons who have found it difficult to decipher the hieroglyphics on Uncle Sam's mail boxes, which show the hours of col lection, will appreclate an automatic a rangement which an inspiring inventor 1s Just now endeavoring to persuade the Pos office department to adopt for its boxes throughout the length and breadth of the land. A dlsc revolving Inside the box bears néar its edge the hours of the seferal daily visits of the mail collector and an aper- ture at the side of the box is so arranged as to permit only one of these hours to be Reen at a time from the outside. The open- ing of the box by the postman causes’the dise to revolve and In the little aperture appears the hour of the next collection. The thing is exceedingly simple and as the figures on the disc are-large there can be no difficulty in determining the question “when will this letter I am about to mall start on its journey to its destination?" On the 6th day of next month Chauncey Depew will formally open the season of dinner-giying in Washington by entertain- ing that other happy groom, Thomas C. Platt, and the latter's bride. Coreoran house js to be lavishly decorated for the occasion. It would appear that Mrs. Platt looks forward to cutting a good deal of a soclal figure, for she is laying in quite a supply of winter dresses. Before her mar- riage she dressed simply, but some of the confections in her post-nuptial irousseau are sald to be of an elaborate character. had pulled out all the ltopl and was gor- geously speaking on Cuba, “Cuba 18 the land of perpetual flowers," he sald, “of stately royal palms, the Bo- hemia of the dreamer, generous in tropical fruits, the home for the painter and for the poet, the paradise of the islands of the sea—one long, harmonious, brilllant, inde- scribable mental melody." e stopped for breath. “Hey, BIll” whispered Representative Ruppert, “better roll another pill or you can’'t keep it up.” Senator Culberson wanted to get an ex- tract from a report of the committee on foreign relations printed in the Congres- slonal Record, and as a public document. Senator Cullom objected because the ex- tract was too long. He suggested that it be printed as a public document, but not in the Record. ““Well,”” gald Benator Culberson, “T guess I shall have to take what I can get.” Senator Tillman hopped up. “Hold on,” 'he sald to Culberson, ‘‘you can beat that If you read it here it must g0 Into the Record, and the objection of the senator from Illinols won't be any good.” PERSONAL NOTES. There is hope for the south when wé see that Hén. Hoke Smith and his adversary fought with their fists instead of revolvers. Mme. Wong saw « foot ball game while she was back in Connecticut and politely refrains from expressing her opinion of it as a game of civilisation. J. Wayne Ames 1s dead at Gypsum City, Cal. Mr. Ames was known over a large section of the west and especially in Kan- sas, as the exact double of Abraham Lin- coln. Dbis lite., Dr. A. Koch, the professor of journalism at the University of Heldelberg, not only lectures on his subject, but makes his pupils write editorials, reports, correspond- ence, baok reviews and criticisms of enter- tainments. After elght years of valuable service as librarian of the Cambridge, Mass., publio library, Willlam L. R. Gifford is about to sever his connection to accept the position of librarian of the Mercantile Library as- iation at St. Louls. Chicago receives meekly, though it is not cast down, the criticlsm of a foreigner who etood regrettully in front of one of the big skyscrapers and remarked he first story is Roman, the second is Greek, the third is Greco-Roman and the fourth is catch-as-catch-can.' On a steamer over from London the other day there was only one “eligible man" and fifty-five unmarriel women among the cabin passengers. We should like to mee the kind of man who would be considered eligible after he had been discussed by fAfty-five women, The ,four-ton bronze statue of the late Governor H. 8. Pingree of Michigan that will be erected in Detroft by the people of that state will arrive in Detroit on Fri- day or Saturday of this week. It was completed st the studlo of Rudolph Beh- warz, the seulptor, in Indianapolis, The Hawailan delegate to congrese, Prince Kalaulauoals, was chatting with a friend, who said to him: “You people in congress don't seem to be accomplishing much in the way of legislation at this extra session.” “No, e mot passing many laws,” sald “Prince Cupld,” as he is calied, “but h“ll the mileage some of us dra: He was a newspaper man nearly all | RAIDING THE PUBLIO LAND, Operatt, Low Grand Jur New York Mall and Express Tt fs estimated that the United States Kovernment now has left 100,000,000 acres of land on whieh, with frrigation and other improvements, men might live. Some of it Is very good land, indeed, if ft has water Most of it I8 poor compared with the £60,000,000 acres of public land that has been #old or given away ia forty years, Never In the history of the world has #uch w vast domain been distributed ns this. If the Romans, after conquering Gaul, had divided all the land equally among the inhabitants of the Itallan penin- sula it would have been a small trans- actlon In real estate compared with this And the United States did not give this land merely to its own children. It handed it over freely to Jew and Gentlle, to its citizens and to the stranger within its gates, The homestead and pre-emption laws did not operate swittly encugh in the disposi- tion of this land to sult a great many peo- ple. Therefore the desert land law, the timber culture hct, the pensfoner's widow and commutation provisions, were got up, &]mlla the land go faster. It has gone ich fasier even than was anticipated. As things now are, It is a matter of serlous doubt whether more land has not been taken in the last five .years in excess of actual and bona-fide settlement than has been taken legitimately. The way in which this viclous principle has worked s fliustrated by the indict- ments just found by a United States grand jury in Loufsiana. Under the “commuta- tion clause” of the homestead law, various large lumber corporations have sent the poorgst sort of hirelings upon valuable pine lands, where they have gone through the form of settlemgnt upon homesteads. The law provides that a settler may get a title to his whole homestead after only six months' residence by paying $1.25 an acre in cash, instead of getting it free by stay- Ing on it five years. These Loulsiana pine lands are worth much more than §1.25 per acre and a cheap man's hire for six months on every quarter section. The pretended settler is a dummy—he turns his home- stead, when title s obtained, over to the corporation, The big companies have by this means possessed themselves of many thousands of acres of valuable timber. A prearrange. ment of the kind is unlawful, but it is very difficult to prove the prearrangement. This anethod has now resulted in 220 {ndictments in Loufsiana—which {s but 4 beginning. 1f congress is at all responsive to the public demand it will stop up all these land leaks at the regnlar session. The timber culture law has been repealed. The desert land law should be, too, and the commutation elause of the homestead act. The law should be adapted to frrigation conditions in the arid belt,_and a stop ab- solutely put to the obtaining of land by any other than actual and bona-fide agri- cultural settlers. Cheeked by a DEMOCRATIC ABERATION. Danger of Oppos the Administra- tion’s Panama Policy. Indisnapolis News (Ind.). It would not be surprising if the demo- crats, as s rumored from Washington, were to array themselves as @& party agalnst the Panama canal. There have only been hopes, not acts, thus far that tho old axiom that the democratic party could be relled on to do the wrong thing was no longer true. The temptation In the present case, if rumor be true, 18 too strong for that party, and unless the un- expected happens it will go off into a mulish oppgsition to the country’s ifiterests just in time to bruise the popular hope that it had awakened to sanity and been so rehabllitated tha* it might become a real factor in public affairs. Look at the situation! Here we have been for years trying to build an isthmian canal. We worried Great Britain and were ready to repudiate our treaty with her it we were not allowed absolute and ex- clusive control of any canal. It was given to us. Then, after long debate, we came into the room of the Panama canal under the threat of the Nicaragua route. Then weo were “held up’—this gieat nation made sport of—by & petty South American republic that proposed to blackmail us and make us a laughing stock before the world, after we had sp truculently de- clared that we and we only should bulid the canal. Then here comes the revolution by which Panama swings free from the blackmallers and seeks our protection, and the way of the canal lles open to us. At this juncture comes the democratic party, and, like the mugwumps, proposes to palaver about purity and legality, and that sort of thing. When we devised the greenback as & bitter war necessity the democratic party took the same course. Its reverence for law was shocked to the center. The nation must dig, if nced be, but it must not, by all that ‘was holy, use this pestiferous paper device to save its lte. Wa did use it a war measure. Then, having crossed the bridge in this fashion, and no longer needing the struc- ture, we proposed to tear it away. We will return now, we rald, to the era of real money. “Never,” shouted the democratic party, “that flimsy plece of paper is real money.” S0 now, when we have found a practical way to bulld the canal the democratic party shows signs of being shocked In its reverant instinets for purity and legality, and threatens to do its best to cripple Well, It it must be so, it must. We “reckon’’ this America can han- dle Colombia and the democratic party at the same time, and build the canal into the PROBING TOO DEEP, Oruel Surgery in the Bowels of the' Shipbutlding Trast. Philadelphia North American. It the methods of Samuel Untermeyer, | counsel for the complaining bondholders in | the Ehipyard trust investigation, are to | be tolerated, what in the world s to boe. come of the eminent financters who wreckel that corporation? Mr. Untermeyer be trayed a brutal desire to get at the facts In the case, He Insists upon asking que- tions which no one who acknowledges the | astute intelligence and patriotic enterprise | of Mr. Charles M, Schwab aud other gon- | erous distributors of watered securities can fall to regurd as fmpertinent, More- | over, this obstreperous limh of taw law frames his interrogations In languegs | proper enough, no doubt, In tha sniviasl courts, but shacking beyen’ ' .eaure to { the respectable exponents of nlgn fnenca At the hearing on Tutscw: Isst he charged that Mr. Schwab had triéd to | ““bribe” Lewis Nixon to agree to the Schwab plan of reorganization. Heretofore Mr. Untermeyer has shown repeatedly a discourteous determination to find out who loaded the Shipyard trust down with crus! ing issues of stocks and bonds; he has manifested o reprehensibie curiosity to know who profited by these issues; he has | even ventured to Intimate that there was a conspiracy to defraud investors, But this talk of a bribe must be regarded as outside the limit, When a political worker offers dn “un- convinced” voter §5 or $10 for his vote, that 13 a bribe; when an anxious litigant saves his case by handing $25 or $i0 to a juror, that s a bribe; even when a few thousand change hands over a little matter of legls- lation the transaction may still be called u bribe. But when a multi-millionaire suggests that he is. willing to pay ten timss their market value for bonds if the bondholder will ‘agree to sign away the interests of investors who have trusted him—that is a “business proposition.” Mr. Untermeyer ought to know that. His shameless disregard of the trus meaning of words and his dense insensibility to the privileges of able financiers will get some- body Into prison if he is not checked. —— MIRTHFUL REMARKS, Bhe-—-1 saw _you, sir, with that horrid widow! And I'shall send back your pres- erts ot (:ne He-Dor't send them to me. Send them to the widow.—~Town Toples. A man recovered a verdict for $20,000 from a ‘railroad for the loss of his legs. “Luck dok,” waid the pauper. - Poor feliow," said the’ millionaire.—Saturday Evening Post. Mrs. Buxton—That hateful Mrs. Knox made a \ary mean- comment upon my age toda: Mr. Hllxlon—Dld ehe say you were get- tin, \frl Bux(on—Nu, lndeed. Bhe sald l 'stiil looked quite young.”—Phi'adeiphia Press “But,"” they expos uln\!fl. “this s really negpe of your busine: “That's’ why it's 8o interesting,”” sho re- plied—-Chicago Post. ] Crabshaw—You say you wish your Christ- mas present to be a surprise, and yet you state oxlcll‘ what you want me to get you. Now, how can that be a surprise? Mra, Crabshaw—It will be, my dear, if I get it.—Bmart Set. “The figures show,” sald the statistical boarder, “thi t there 18 only one divorce In suggested 2,000 marringes, ““That's the reason, ?l x'osl o -me of the as such a declded the soubrette at the 0 table, “‘why advertising varser —Chh:no Tribune. “See Tere!" cried the unfortunate man who had married a widow, for me to please you, I suppose ever compATIng me unavorab] You'd like to get hack to him wouldn't you?" 1Ol no she replied aweetly. “I'd rather get forward to No. 8."—Philadelphia Press. “What did )OII expect when lel married P ery litie aha replied poutingly, “ont ““Ver) E," she replies ou! y, *on! that lywould be pernnlledpln do just I.& pleased.” —Chicago « Post. The single man may seem to be Quite free from care and trouble, Until some day he ascertains That he has got_a double. ’ ~Yonkers Statesman. AT THE CORNER GROOERY. James Bartori Adams in Denver Post These strikes throughout the country that are plrfll)‘lll']# trade And cauring'suff'ring in the poorer ranks Are the result of cunning schemes adroltly planned and laid Through selfish aims by agitating cranks Kre iong a flow of blood will dren¢h our sorely stricken land For frafricidal war welll surely see, And capital will feel the blow of labor's mighty hand— I heard it at the corner grocery. The people are becoming tired of Teddy's ron rule, They think e s too strenuously gay; ty as a janitor and stubborn as And ki ku ke one ‘when lhlnll don’'t come his way. A great revolt is sure to come n.mnn( the rank and file, And Grover In the chalr again we'll see; The democrats will take the reins and run things fer awhile— T heard it at the corner grocery. nada will soon be ours, annexed by o of arms, capture her as easy as you please Then 808 again the country will be rife with war's alarms-— Well scrap with Johnny Bull upon the His mighty men-of-war we'll crush, they'll sink from sight before The ships that bear the banner of the o0, And _every forelgn power will give old Sam the floor— 1 lieard it at the corner grocery. The trusts will soon be throttled, corpora- tions be no more, The men of willions’ forced to divvy up. And every high officiel who is rotten to the core Will whine for merey Mke a beaten pup. Dishgnest paliticians to the cross-arms will a huni Eloctions from rascality be fre Then will m.» opening ode of the millentum bargain. Waltham Keep "1'71: Perfecled American of interesting information fne opon request. be sun I heard It at the corner grocery. Watches time. Watch,”” an lllustrated book about wwatches, will be-sent American Waltham Waici Cempany, Waltham, Mass. From Maker to You. Means Just what it says in the DECATUR STORE. We are state A's- tributors for the factory, two prices— All the shapes and all the leathers—but only $3.50 and $5.00 18521