davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Omaha daily bee., 1897-10-29

Jury Upholds the Newspaper for
Telling the Truth.


A libel suit of more than ordinary interest
has just been concluded at Hartford, Conn.
On q recent occasion the oratorio OF Eli
jan was performed In that city. Before
1t had progressed far II was apparent to
those upon the stage and to many In the
audience that one Of the solo singers MIR.
Max Heinrich. a gentleman well known
throughout the country on the concert stage
was not In a sober condition. After brief
attempt to sing his part he arose aud went
off the stage and the performance continued
without him. ON the following morning the
Hartford Times in its report OF the per-
formanCe did not mince matters but plainly
called spade spade-ln other Words
stated that the performance was marrcd be-
cause this particular singer was intoxicated.
MIR Heinrich promptly brought suit for
libel, claiming damages In the sum Of $25.-
600. During the trial many OF the best pcOpo
In Hartford voluntarily came forward and
supported the assertion OF the Times, and
after long and impartial investigation Of
the charge and the hearing of numerous
witnesses Oh both sides the Jury brought
in verdict generating the paper. 1t took
the position that the Times had not been
actuated by malice towards MIR Heinrich in
any respect that 1t had not shown any vim
dtctiveness, but that having made sure Of its
position It had simply told the truth. The
point at issue In the trial was the right Of
a newspaper to critcse and tell the truth
about a public performance and public per-
help entertain a public audience and he
had voluntarily placed himself in condi-
ton which made him unfit for public APP
pearance. To that extent he had defrauded
the audience by not fulflling his contract.
and the newspaper in question without any
display of malice had told the reason why
the audience was disappointed
In other words, the jury believed the
Hartford Times told the truth and told it
In the interest OF the public and by its YER
dict sustained the right of newspapers to
comment upon the facts of performance
for the witnessing of which an admission
fee is charged. To that extent the Times
fulfilled its responsibility to the public, and
it is to be congratulated that its course has
been sustained as right and proper. Mean
while the occurrence has its lesson for Mr..
Heinrich. He is justly held in high esteem
as one of the foremost singers upon the
American concert stage and in the past he
has given unusual satisfaction wherever he
has appeared. 1t is to be regretted that he
made this serious slip, but all will be for
given and forgotten If he will be more careful
in the future. He is too good an artist to be
spared.
Omaha daily bee., 1897-10-29
personal AND OTHERWISE.

Today is Arbor day No. 2 in Indiana.
Indiana political workers will view with
disfavor the proposition to abolish the 50
bill.
The state of Illinois will probably get at
least $4,000 az inheritance tax on the Pull
man estate.
Paul L. Dunbar. the negro poet Of Ohio,
has been appointed to position in the Ii
brary of congress at Washington.
Hon. Thomas B. Reed has just had him
self photographed in a standing collar and
a brilliant te Mr. Reed regards this latest
picture as the best he has ever had taken.
A large hospital for children is to be built
and endowed in New Orleans by the widow
OF the late Richard Milliken as a memorial
of her husband, who was one OF the largest
sugar planters in Louisiana.
The Knights of Pythias have raised S12 900
for a monument to John r. Rathbone, the
founder of the order 1t will be placed in
New Forest cemetsS. in Utica, the owners
of the cemeteEs donating a plot of 10000
feet. III
A Pittsburg jtIryl awarded a woman a YER
dict of $50 900 sgainsfa liquor dealer becauge
her husband loadeE up on liquor and per-
mitted a freight tran to grind his leg of
If the verdict fstands there will be quite
strain on thej!qasr dealers leg.
Stewart NJ Brice, who has been nomi-
mated from the Fourth assembly district
for the New York legislature and indorsed
by Tammany is a son of ex-senator Calvin
s. Brice of Ohlo and New York. He is said
to be a young man Of brilliant attainments
and much popularity This is his debut in
politics.
Referring to thetlate ex-United States SEN
ator Robertson al South Carolina, a Wash
ington correspondent says. Perhaps his
greatest persopal defect was his pride in
his wealth and a common saying of his in
social gatherings and around dinner tables
in Washington wss: Il don't scratch a poor
mans nose.
Connecticut man on trial for embezzle-
ment set up the plea that he was a victim
of masked epilepsy" and did not know
what he was doing when he took the money,
but he was convicted, nevertheless. and sen
fenced to three years Imprisonment
Masked epilepsy" then, it appears, is not
a good defense to charge of theft.
Count "Boni" de Castelane who married
Miss Anna Could and lives in Paris has
been requested by a delegation of the mayors
OF the Department of the Lower Alps to
stand as a candidate for the Chamber OF
Deputies for the reimbursement of Castel-
lane, where the Castelane family origi-
mated. Count Castellane accepted the inyl-
tation, and will stand as a republican If
he is elected he will be the only Frenchman
representing a city of his own name in the
French Parliament.
Omaha daily bee., 1897-10-29
AGAINST MOB La W.

Governor Atkinson of Georgia is one
of the few southern governors who have
| shown a proper sense of the enormity
of mob law and have not hesitated to de-
clare against it in the most unqualified
and uncompromising terms. The GOV
ernor of Georgia would employ drastic
measures in dealing with this form of
| criminal lawlpssncss. In his message to
| the legislature he suggests among other
| things the passage of law Subjecting to
large indemnify every county wherein
the crime of lynching is committed.
| Doubtless this would tend to the repres-
sion of such lawlpSsness, but there
should go with it other penalties, some
of them applicable to officials who not
infreuucntly are in Il measure re-
sponsible for lynchings by reason of
dereliction in the matter of taking
proper precaution for the protection of
persons against the mob. An official
shown to have failed in his duty in such
ease ought to be punished and leg!sla-
ton providing for this would undoubt-
edly have Il wholesome effect
Governor Atkinson very properly says
that the fact that lynchings take place
in the north, where there is less provoca-
ton for them than in the SOUTH fur
nishes no excuse for tolerating the crime
in the latter section. The fact is, the
south has set the bad example in this
matter and therefore its people ought to
make every effort to rcpreSs mob law.
or the more than 100 lynchings that
have occurred in the United States this
year nine e-tcnthS were in the south, over
eighty of the victims being negroes.
This does not exceed previous records,
but it is certainly bad enough and while
Georgia is not first in the list of states
where mob law has prevailed there has
been so much of it there as to fully
Justify the governor of the state i'll
directing attention to the matter. 1t
may be doubted however, whether the
legislation he suggests will be enacted,
because there is n very strong popular
sentiment in Georgia that is not averse
to lynch law.
Omaha daily bee., 1897-10-29
A pROTECTTON LESSON

AS we have more than once pointed
out there is no better illustration of the
merits OF the protective policy In de
veloplng our material resources than Is
to be found in the extraordinary prog
ress of the tin industry, There have been
no very recent statistics as to the state
of this industry as whole. but the chief
of the bureau Of Industrial statistics Of
Pennsylvania has just completeda report
showing the condition of the tin in
dustry In that state. from which 1t ap-
pears it is hourishing. There were over
5000 persons employed in the industry
in Pennsylvania last year and the prod
uct was valued at nearly $5,OOO,OOO, the
facts showing that the state has become
the largest single plant producer of tin
plate in the world
AS the Philadelphia North American
observes. it is interesting in the light of
these statistics to look back upon the
protests which were made against the
first protective duty on tinplate, con-
tanned in the tariff act of 1890. Every
democratic opponent of protection
denied the possibility OF the develop
ment Of the tinplate industry in this
country. Even in 1892 when number
of tinplate mills had been established
and the industry was gradually being
developed, Mr.. w. J. Bryan declared in
the house of representatives that tin
industry could not be established in the
United States and sought to show that
the tariff had increased the price of
tinplatc. Yet in the seven years that
have elapsed since the Mckinley law
was enacted this industry has not only
been firmly established, but produces al
most enough tinplate to supply the home
demand. while the price is much lower
than when we depended on n foreign
supply. In time our tin, like our steel,
will command the markets of the world.
Omaha daily bee., 1897-10-29
------=---7----
A PACIFIC RESPONSE

The American public must wait some
time for the full text of Spnin's response
to the note of Minister WoodfOrd, but
| enough has been learned in regard to
the nature of the reply to give assurance
that it is pacific in tone and contains
nothing which this government can
fairly regard as offensive. 1t is stated
that the Spanish note elaborates IN re-
spcct to lilibuStering expeditions, but
not in n way to reflect upon this gov
eminent or upon the present admins
tratiGn. unless the expression of hope
that President Mckinley will follow
preccdents in enforcing the rules Of in
ternatl0naI law can fairly be regarded
rs implying that he has not done so,
Such Il construction. however, would be
strained and assuming this feature of
the Spanish reply to be correctly stated
in the dispatches there appears to be no
reason why our government may not
properly take notice of it by showing,
as it can most concluSively do, that
there has been full and faithful compli-
ance with its obligations in this partic-
ular. AS we have heretofore said in
reference to this matter, the United
States has taken every precautiOn for
the enforcement of the neutrality laws
and has strictly observed its interna-
tional obligations toward Spain, in the
opinion of not few American states
men going much farther in this direction
than was necessary in view of the fact
that Spain has never admitted that a
state of war exists in Cuba. The Span
ish government evidently regards the
shipment of arms and munitions of war
as Il violation of the rules of interna-
tional law and if this is its view it will
undoubtedly be assured by our govern
ment that there is no remedy. The right
of our people to sell arms and munitions
of war to whomsoever will buy has been
too long maintained TO be interfered
with now.
1t was not to be expected that the
Spanish government would fix n date
for terminating the conflict in Cuba and
the expectation of that government that
the United States will give the new
policy for Cuba the required time for Il
test Of sincerity and efficacy is reason
able Undoubtedly very few Americans
have any faith in the success of that
policy. Not only do the Cuban leaders
declare that it will be rejected by their
followers, but the Spaniards of the
island are opposed to it, on the ground
that the Cubans are unfit for the meas
ure of self government which the new
Omaha daily bee., 1897-10-29
Crops ana Cash in Nebraska

Though the great drouth Of the last two
months has diminished the production of
grain end other farm products in Nebraska.
the figures as given by the State Board Of
Agriculture are staggering in th2iT maGn tnde
This is the estimate made by the board fOT
the years yield:
Wheat (bushels). 80, ,967, 1856; corn. 237 907 :
96t; oats, II 234, ,7G9; rye. 639S 343: potatoes,
9,S76,32l; barley, 2,987 ,S76; fax seed 296 384;
hay Cons. 4,9Sl 1873; sugar beets tons. 1SO =
OS0; chicory (tons), 6722 The report places
this value upon the products, computed at
values on the local market: Farm products,
500 $40 965 21 dairy products, 50 43S 600; eggs,
$3.50 900; poultry, 81, 567 PAS; live stock $751;
800 OO0"
1t is easy to understand. in view of these
statistics, why the Nebraska farmers are
going to hold their crops themselves. Their
deposits in the savings banks. like those of
their brethren in Kansas, are large and they
do not need money at present Indeed, so
great is the glut of cash that the country
banks no longer solicit deposits and have
stopped paying even 3 per cent interest to
dcr9stOrS. Under these circumstances what
do the western farmers think or Bryaa's com
paint that there is not money enough to
transact the business of the country? Do
they still believe they are oppressed by the
wicked banks? What is their Cotnon of the
Bryan theory that they will never be pros.
porous until he is elected president and has
opened the mnts to silver so their debts can
be scaled down so or 60 per cent?
Omaha daily bee., 1897-10-29
IOWA PRESS COMMENT.

Burlington Hawkeye: Burlington factories
are running day and night. We are unable
to see any argument in this fact for voting
for tho calamity walters ticket either state
or local.
Des Moines Leader: Horace Boes is right
that the test of a democrat can never be his
ability to believe that with silver 40 cents
on the dollar this government can take all
the silver in the world and hold it up to gold
at the ratio of 16 to 1. Such insanity would
damn any party in the world if it stuck to 10
long enough.
Waterloo Courier: Chairman Walsh Of the
democratic state committee is off after rains
bows again. He predicts that Fred White
will carry Iowa next Tuesday by 10000 plu-
raility. Last year Walsh predicted that
Bryan would beat Mckinley in this state by
10000. There is no evidence that Mr.. Walsh
has perfected himself as a prophet since last
fall and he missed his guess then by about
$1,000 votes.
Dea Moines Leader: The Chicago Record
printed a cartoon that fairly represents the
present Iowa political campaign. 1t pictures
a farmer asleep on his grain sacks while
two rival spellbinders Shrek in his ear. The
campaign of 1897 will be long remembered
as the most apathetic and Indifferent for
more than a decade. This condition can
hardly help produce a small total vote.
Omaha daily bee., 1897-10-29
PAYING THE FULL PRICE.

Springfield (Mass.) Republicans: Notwith-
standing repeated assert! MS that the road
was not worth more than he promised COM
mittee offer of $50 100000 the committee it
SELF hastens to increase its bid by 5000 900
for one parcel of the property alone rather
than delay the sale or risk the chance OF
losing possession.
Globe Democrat: In the sale of the Union
Pacific railroad the government will get the
full amount of its lien. This is a great
triumph for the Mckinley administration.
When the read was started a third of a
century ago nobody supposed the government
would get back in direct cash any OF the
money which It put into the wo,k. 1t was a
great military as well as economic enterprise
and it was expected to pay the peCOle Dy
uniting the Pacific coast with the Atlantic
and IN developing the west many times for
the money expenditure which the government
made. This, of course, it has done. 1t will
do more than this, however. for the govern-
ment is obtaining the full amount OF its
claim
Minneapolis Journal: The reorganization
committee. having now bid up to the govern
meut's lien, this haltng business is settled
so far as the Union Pacific main line is con-
cerned. The COVE. nment gets the full amount
OF its claim and the committee gets the
road cheaply. Congress will never act upon
ia mode of settlement. 1t has been tested
for many years and has sgnaly failed as
there were always enough senator's to save
the Pacific roads from compulsory adjust
meat. The charge that the government has
shown bad faith in the matter of postpone
mont of the foreclosure sale is nonsense, as
the president has Qefect liberty to accept
any other bids previous to the date of sale or
to seek n pOstpOnement of sole in order to
get higher bid. The proposal to adjourn
the sale brought the further increased bid
of the reorganization committee, which offered
no objection to postponement but because
the aterests Of the security holders and the
syndicate demanded speedy action raised the
bid promptly to the face of the government
claim FOR principal and interest.
Omaha daily bee., 1897-10-29
UNCLE SAM AS LAND OWNER
4 Few Million Acres SIN on His
Hands.


According to the annual report of the com
missioner of the general land Office at Wash
ihgton, the United States government still
OWNS nearly 600 900 600 acres of land, in addi-
tion to the 1863 900 600 acres embraced In
Alaska. This land is in twenty-five states
and territories. Montana stands at the head
OF the list, with II 800 900 acres. There are
still 100000 acres of public land in Kansas
5000 acres in Missouri and 10, 500 900 acres
in Nebraska.
The greater part Of the governments pos
sessions consist of arid lands and mountain
Gus districts, which are unfit for agricultural
uses. Though without much value at the
present time, many million acres of this great
public domain is destined al some future
time TO support large population by means
OF cultivation with the aid of irrigation and
the present growing sentiment in favor
OF experiments in government operation of
industries will probably result, before many
years, in the construction of vast irrigation
systems In the arid regions by the United
States government There Is an excellent on.
portunty, there, to test some of the popular
socalistic theories without a disturbance of
the existing industrial and social conditions
and without any chance of serious loss to the
government.
There are many people in the United States
who are inclined to approve a good many
features of the single tax idea, for example,
but who are too conservative to advocate an
application of the theory to lands already
controlled by individuals Such persons
would welcome some experiments with the
theory in the regions now owned by the
government. which can be made arabic by ir-
rigaton and it Is not at all unlikely that a
well considered plan for developing these
lands and putting them into use, with the
government as a great landed proprietor
and the people as lessees or renters, may be
adopted by congress before many years. In
time these lands will be a source of great
wealth to some one, and as they are now
owned by the government and there is
strong sentiment in favor OF launching the
nation into an experiment of that sort, there
seems to be no good reason why the gov
ernment should not undertake, by irrigation.
to put large bodies Of arid lands in cond-
tiOn to yield the treasury a substantial reye-
nue., and at the same time make test Of
the effects OF such an enterprise on the so
clal conditions, the industry and the enter
prise of people who are anxious to take part
in such an experiment.
Omaha daily bee., 1897-10-29
SHORTAGE IN THE uEEF suprLY.
Reported Decrease in the Number of
Cattle Marketed.

NHiCuSO NUlpnlCle.
! paper devoted to the cattle interest
| which generally publishes trustworthy re-
| ports. says that there will be a decrease of
! 20 per cent in the number of cattle mar
| keted this year. There is NJ reason to be-
lieve that this statement is published for
| the purpose of affecting the cattle markets.
The report is of interest as it indicates a
! higher price for beef in the wholesale and
retail markets. 1t requires but small in
| crease in the cost of cattle on the hoof to
make an excuse for the market men to add
2 or cents pound to the price of steaks
and. roasts. Yet it is but justice to say
that the stock yards men stand quite an
advance in the price of cattle before they
increase the price of beef to their regular
customers.
The worst Of the report as to the scarcity
OF cattle this year is that it indicates a more
serious scarcity next year and for succeed
| ing years Not only is there shortage of
cattle fit for the market this year, but the
2-year-ods, the yearlings and the calves are
less numerous owing to several causes. The
low price Of cattle has discouraged produc-
ton Hard times and a shortage of feed
severe winters and the uncertainty of prices
at the ranches have contributed to paralyZc
the cattle industry.
1t will, therefore, be two. three or posi-
bly, four years before there will be a full
supply of cattle again for the markets. Beef
cattle are SLOW growth. If a shortage oc-
ours it cannot be ended in a single year.
Time must be given for the cattle to mature
to the beef stage This requires three or
four years.
In this respect a short cattle crop differs
from a short hog or sheep crop. Hogs and
sheep come to maturity in a single year.
They are like grain crops. shortage and
nigh prices one year excite increased pro-
duction and the supply is again abundant.
But as to cattle, when a shortage is ascer-
taincd a term of years is necessary to supply
the deficiency SO we must apprehend high
prices for beef perhaps for more than Il
Vpar t1r tUp in ha f,ttrra
Omaha daily bee., 1897-10-29
Mail Discrimination In CHICAGO.
Ll...n. l.. L.-a


The Postoffice department has no justifiCa-
tion in making a discrimination in favor )f
the newspapers of one city as compared with
another. Still it is by no means certain that
the department considers justification of it's
course necessary. The experience in this
part of the country, where the practice Of
arranging the mails to suit the wishes of the
Chicago newspapers has been in operation
for several years, does not Indicate that such
justification is required The trains carrying
the mails to western points are held in Chi
cago merely to accommodate the newspapers
of that city. Tn this way the business in
terests of the western cities suffer from the
delay to the mails. There is, therefore, an
additional grievance to that of the news
papers of other western cities which are un-
fairly dealt with by the system of govern
ment aid which permits Chicago papers to
have the mail trains waiting till the presses
have run off late editions to be sent out in
competition with the papers Of adjacent
states. 1t is probable that the New York
papers are simQy adopting the Chicago
scheme which has worked so easily.
Omaha daily bee., 1897-10-29

Among the matters in which populists
used to demand reform was the perver-
sion of the state capitol into political
headquarters, the impressment of state
house employees into the service of po-
Etical organizations and the assessment
upon the state salary roll for campaign
funds. All these abuses We're in crying
need Of reform from the populist stand
point so long as the republicans We're in
control of the state government, but no
sooner has the populist machine taken
control than they are repeated in more
extreme forms than ever for the benefit
of the fusion candidates for office.
Omaha daily bee., 1897-10-29

Attorney General Smyth and Judge
Sullivan ought to get together and fix
up some kind of Il story that will eX-
plain why they are recorded in the leg
islative house journal of 1887 on oppo-
penitentiary contract extension, the sa-
line land grab, the Doodle gambling bill
investigation and all the other vital
issues with which that legislature was
called on to grapple. If Smyth was
right must not Sullivan have been
wrong?
Omaha daily bee., 1897-10-29

printed on the official ballot four times
in order to make sure that all the
political mongrels will find an excuse
for voting for him, 1t is an open confes-
sion that there Is no creed he is not
willing to embrace and no party he is
not willing to desert for the sake of n
political job. And that's what's the
matter with Mel Redlield.
Omaha daily bee., 1897-10-29

The popocratic organs that are insist
ing the money stolen by BARLEY is alto
gether lost to the taxpayers put little
reliance in the popocratic attorney gen
who have undertaken to stand good for
any shortage in Bartley's accounts for
the periods covered by them and if the
state does not recover on one of them it
will be because its claims are not Wig
orouSly pushed.