Omaha daily bee., 1889-03-17
FOR THINKING MEN.

minishhg in England, IL is srapidly increasing
in the United States. During the past few
years American crime has increased not less
than on e-third, and the growth OF the prison
population has, unfortunately, been steadily
progressive since the year 1880. At the close
Of the first half Of this century the proper
tion of prisoners TO the million in the United
States was 900, being one to every 2, ,44S per-
sons; but by 1880 tho proportion had risen TO
l,16o to the million, or ! to s55 Of the popula-
tiou. This did not include juvenile dolin-
quents, who would have raised the proper
tion to 1 in 7l5. In 1857, when the population
Of England and Wales was about 10, $50, 900,
the average number of penal-sorvitude SEN
tences in this country was 2,5Sa but by tho
end OF 1887, when the population had risen
to over 1880 00o,. the average number Of
such sentences had fallen to 962, On the last
day Of 1869 there were II ,660 persons under
going sentences of ponal servitude in Eng
land and Wales, the population then being
2l,6Sl,000. But In July 1885, when the popu-
lation had advanced to nearly 2s 900 600 tho
penal-servitude subjects had fallen to 6,92l.
The conviction Of soldiers and sailors has
gone down greatly; while with regard to
women, although 1856 were sentenced to
terms Of penal servitude in 1888, in 1887 only
s. were thus convicted.
1t Is not perfect machine, the British
constitution, aud the cynics say that 1t has
not been improved in the last sixty years,
obs erves tho St. James Gazette. But at
least we have no need to copy American in
stitutions, although the home rulers are
aften appealing to the constitution of the
United States as precedent Because each
of the different states which are called
United has legislature and an executive
of its own, it does not follow that every dis
trict which would like to set up politics on
its own account is therefore allowed the priv
ieges which It claims but as IL Is TO tho
custom of the United States that home rulers
make their appeal, by the example of tho
United States let them be condemned There
is a colony Of thriving and industrious and
peaceable folks called Mormons; but be-
cause they entertain views Of matrimony
which are properly repugnant to the views
of the majority of the citizens of the United
States, the colony of saints is mercilessly CO.
creed under the denomination of an alien
legislature. 1t is idle for them to say that
they have natural right to home rule. That
may be, says the government, but what will
you do with it, If you intend TO use 1t for a
purpose which we consider to be immoral,
why, you shan't have it, and that's the end
of it.
We form bad habits so easily, says the
Christian Union that it is mistake not to
watch ourselves at least as closely as we
watch others. This is especially true in re-
gard to language, not only grammatioally,
but to avoid forming the habit of using ex-
clamatory words that have not particle Of
sense in the way we use Splendid"
'horrid," lawful" "magniicent" and a
host of others. If you tell an incident that
Is pathetic, or should induce sober, serious
thought, to have it met with word that
does not express any relation to pathos shows
your listener most superficial thinker, and
you must lose respect for his mental power,
while it is by no means certain you do not Of
fend In the same way and start tho same
thought in another.
The other day two young girls were in
car, one telling the o ther something that In.
terested them both greatly. When she
finished she leaned back saying: "Wasn't
that awfull" ayes, it was" said the other
emphatically, and they both giggled. Now,
of two things: they were perfectly heart
less, or the thing told was not awful. Most
probably the latter, for they continued their
Journey in the utmost good humor. 1t is not
WlSe W IOTlu tuc VI ubiuR CAITuptBdub
language it is like paying too dear for your
goods, and no one does this who knows their
value.
A few years ago the American congress
labored under the impression that the classi.
fcation of the press as the fourth estate was
an error, says the New York World and that
the position belonged TO the congress of tho
United States. At ali events our distin-
lnI
as being on much higher plane than "news-
paper men" and were disposed to snub the
latter on all occasions. Correspondents and
reporters were relegated to the reporters,
gallery, excluded from committee rooms ank
taken to task on nearly every occasion IL they
managed to obtain information through their
own resources. When Greeley and Ray
mona were in congress, the one in 1S4S and
the latter in 1864, they were constantly called
to account for articles in their respective
journals. Poor Greeley, as non -combativs
as child, was personally assaulted by ruff
fanly congressman, Albert Rust Of Arkan-
sas, in consequence of some comments in the
Tribune Even Brooks of the Express did
not escape.
All this is changed. Journalists who are
now in congress are honored by their asso-
ciates, and they write their contributions to
the newspapers to which they are attached
at their desks while attending to public du-
ties. They sign their names to letters act
ually critcsinG their colleagues. A few
years ago as correspondents they would have
found 1t difficult to obtain the privileges Of
the floor.
A recent Russian report on the agrcultu-
raj situation in leading grain exporting coun-
tries holds that "the position of the Indian
grain market cannot OF course, be compared
in the least with that of the United States OF
America, as the native rural population are
in Il state of poverty, debt and complete igno-
rance, while the ordinary productiyeness OF
the soil is not equal TO that of America In
fact, the present exports OF wheat from
India to Europe must be considered artfi-
cial and only temporary, owing to rice being
the staple food of the natives. Should tho
consumption of wheaton bread become more
common, India, with her comparatively low
power of production, will be Obliged to be-
come an importing cointry. Indian exports
may be called artificial for another reason;
the cultivation of wheat Is proportionately
too dear to withstand steady competition in
Europe"