Omaha daily bee., 1889-05-04

spect Tor peace and order. The Vlndicatlon
of Parnell is already complete, but when
| this investigation is ended the result will
present him rs man whose wisdom, patriot
| ism, forbearance and unselfish devotion to
the cause he champions, entitle him TO an
| illustrious place among the greatest who
have striveu for the rights of the people
against the oppression and injustice of their
| rulers.
| -
The financial and Industrial condition OF
Germany at present appears TO be that OF ex-
treme depression. correspondent at Ber-
| lin of an English journal thinks the present
| economical situation in Germany should be
made the special study of national econ
| omists. He believes that many of them
| would be induced to revise theories which
| they now defend with much skill. He insists
| that the distribution, not the accumulation,
| of wealth is the life-blood of commerce, and
| while wealth accumulates at present in Ger
| many in large amounts in the banks of COM
| bined capital, 1t is far from being properly or
| profitably distributed. He next proceeds to
draw a comparison between Berlin, on the
| one hand, and London and Paris on the
other in order to illustrate the enormous
difference between accumulation and distribu-
tion of wealth in Berlin. While speculation
is assuming vast proportions the commercial
| classes, especially the shop.keepers, complain
that business is slow and profits small. Only
| the vendors of cheap and shoddy articles are
prosperous. So, he claims, that the growth
of the Berlin stock exchange does not indi-
cate corresponding increase in national
wealth. On the other hand lie contends
that while in Paris, London and Brussels the
retail traders are not at their ease, yet 1t is
admitted that money circulates more freely
ana in incomparaby larger amounts in the
commercial channels of those cities that it
does in the cities of Germany. This writer
concludes that the stagnation in the circula-
tion of money in Germany, and the further
fact that the quality of goods bought and
sold in that country is inferior to those
bought and sold elsewhere, are largely due
to the system of conventions and syndicates
which work exclusively for the benefit of
small number of producers, while it restricts
the spheres of commerce and thus fails to
promote the solid and general prosperity of
the people.
The death of Crown Prince Rudolph
caused the discontinuance this year Of the
ceremony of footwashing which had before
been annually performed by the emperor OF
Austria, This is the first time during the
emperors reign of forty years the function
| has not been discharged by his majesty Some
years years ago the empress ceased to per-
form her part In the yearly ceremony owing
to failing health but last year the emperor
went through the formality of washing the
feet OF twelve old men. The religious SER
vice of the footwashng was instituted IN the
middle ages as a lesson Of humility to the
proud emperors of the Hapsburg dynasty,
| and every year for the last four centuries,
with occasional exceptions, as in 1SiS, the
reigning emperor has washed the feet of
twelve old men, while his consort has per-
| formed the same Office for twelve old women.
| The present emperor has always officiated at
| this ceremony with a remarkable and touch
ing reverence, but there is no denying that
| the function had somewhat outgrown popular
reverence, and was no longer in keeping with
what strong-mInded people call "the spirit of
| the age" The twelve old men and the twelve
| old women who had been selected, as usual,
| from among the poor Of Vienna to figure in
| this years ceremony have received the Gus
! somary bountes-that is, each complete
| suit of clothes. a purse full of gold and sill
| yer coins, and dinner of four courses, with
silver cover, goblet, and wine jug.
~
Under the repeated punlshments inflicted
| upon them by British troops the natives OF
| West Africa will at length realize that it is
| dangerous to interfere with the march of
| trade. The destruction of the chief town
| of the Wandab tribe, in the interior, north
| east of Sierra Leone, is the latest practical
! lesson taught them OF late years great
| impetus has been given to commerce in this
region by the tribes converted to Moham-
| yho haya
| on the coast and have become the interme-
diaries between them and the negroes of
the interior. These latter, however, resent
| the intrusions and encroachmeuts of the
| traders and their go-betweens and have for
| generations been In the habit of blackmailing
| and plundering travellers. Occasionally also
| they have attacked the trading stations.
| While commerce doubtless does not appear
| as sacred in African eyes as in European, yet
| the progress of trade is unquestionably that
| of civilization, and wherever the sway of
| white men extends the horrible natives prac-
| tices of beheading and of making human sac
rifices by the hundreds are checked or abol.
| ished. The advance of European civilization
| also dimnishes slavery. American merchants
are interested in these movements, there be-
| ing growing use Of American products in
| West Africa.
| NJ
| The pork packers of the United States will
! be interested in the settlement that Russia is
making an attempt to get hold of the trade
in salt pork, which is a new export for that
country. Papers on the curing of pork,
ham and bacon are being read at different
towns by experts who have been sent abroad
to study the subject. Theoretically" says
the English consul at Tagganrog, "this new
industry seems easy to introduce, but its es-
| tablishment on a practical basis IN south
Russia is doubtful The economic condition
| of the inhabitants must first be raised con-
| sideraby before any care will be bestowed
| by farmers Oh cattle, which at present are
| sadly neglected and miserably fed, as is
shown by the meat selling IN the market
| Reports show that the trial shipment of salt
| pork (twenty-thtee railway wagonloads),
made from Ele4 were very successful but
later exports from other points left mar
| gin of profit, which will alone deter Russian
traders from seriously taking up this branch.
| The government, however, is fostering this
| industry. The imperial banks are empow-
| cred to make advances of 30 to go per cent
| ~, .ha val,,a ond An n0n rn blou ba,,a baan NJ,