davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-11
AN lMpERArlrE pnrr.

Whatever turn the state treasury set
Element may take, the imperative duty Of
the legislature is to take prompt steps for
a thorough investigation of the condition
Of the states finances
Public confidence in the late state treas.
urer has been seriously shaken by his
reckless disregard of safe business
methods his wilrul perversion of IN, pro-
visions Of the depository law and his
farming out of trust funds for private
gain His persistent refusal to keep the
taxpayers informed as to the amount of
money in the various state funds and
the banks in which 1t is deposited natu-
rally gives rise to the suspicion that the
trcasurcr's books have been doctored and
illegal transfers made from one fund to
another to suit his personal convenience
and to accommodate favored deposit
tories. BY this manipulation the state
has suffered heavy losses and the fioatng
debt has been unduly expanded, while
there was money in the treasury to dis
charge the obligations.
While the treasurer is civilly and Grim
inally liable for these lawless acts and
abuses of authority, the executive depart
ment will be in no position to enforce
the law until the legislature shall have
asccrtaincd officially .how, when and
where the states funds have been placed
and misplaced.
In making this inquiry the legislature
should see to it that the accountants en-
ploycd are men of the highest integrity
and tried experience. 1t is an open Sc
cret that former legislative investiga-
tons have been turned into farces by the
juggling Of the figures by men foiSted
on the committees, either hy the men
whose acts were under examination or
by their bcnlsmen. who might be called
on to make good any shortage.
As to the possible injury TO the credit
of Nebraska from the disclosures of such
an investigation, it cannot be greater
than the damage already inflicted. The
wcll-groundcd suspicion that things are
not straight and the fear that sooner or
later Il big hole will be uncovered in the
state treasury are far more damaging
than would be any report which Il leGis-
lative committee may make. The whole
sooner the better
Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-11
RIGHTS OF THE cRowLER INVADED.

Nebraska City Press: Omaha is the only
town in the United States where laboring
man has been known to go out on a strike
because his employer refused to permit him
to rush the grower.
Grand Island Independent: Omaha has
been the scene OF big strike. Six team
Sters OF a delivery company walked OUT
because the foreman refused TO let them
rush the growler." This mutiplies the evil
dence that the coming republican admnistra-
tion has not been a success.
Hamburg Qa.) Reporters Express drivers
in Omaha have gone out on a strike simply
because they were not allowed to rush the
can" Their families may be suffering for
the necessaries of life. but 1t must be re-
membered that the ''downtrodden" laboring
man has a few rights that must not be
tTamDlel uOon
Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-11
OMAHA BEE MONDAY, JANUARY II, 1897.

portunity 1g develop and expand, thereby
creating dglRkter demand for American
labor.
Those who are expecting or npprehend-
Ing an extreme high tariff measure are
pretty suEe 1Y be disappointed. There
is eXcelleAt IRuthority for saying that
Presidcnt'rlect Mckinley Is not in favor
of legislationpf that Kind and undoubt.
cdly his views will have great influence
In shaping fhe character of the new bill.
That it will be n thorough protection
measure Is OF course assured. but it will
also be framed with reference to incrcas-
ing the revenue of the government and
this excludes the idea of a very high
tariff. Besides, extreme duties would be
likely to defeat tariff legislation. since
there are probable democratic votes in
the senate for II moderate tariff which
could not be had for II radical measure.
The task that the ways and means COM
mittce has before it Is not free from diff
hculticS. but there is reason TO expect
that the bill it will frame win be ac-
ceptable tD the best Judgment of the
country. though it may not fully meet
the demands of some interests.
Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-11
DO WE COvET CANADA.
silly Assertion of n Politician out of
job.

Philadelphia Times
II all the world were as uncasily Jealous
as some politicians are there would never
be peace. 1t is doubtless a reason why
wars were so constant in the old days, before
the United States showed the possibility of
getting along without them, that the poll
ticians then had all the say and the people
were not consulted. Some politicians have
not learned that those days are past and
they continue to talk as though war were the
one object of national life. But the people
only laugh at them and they do not fight.
There are some American absurditics who
are always proposing to go out and seize
something-Cuba or Hawaii or whatever it
may be-under the preteXt that some other
nation is coveting 1t and will take it il we
do not. Only this foolish talk will excuse
the counter absurdty of Britons like Sir
Charles Tupper who has been making fool
speech in London upon the necessity of
strong measures for the protection of Canada,
which the United States, he declared, was
anxious to absorb"
Where has Sir Charles found the evidence
OF this anxiety? The people of this country
are no doubt willing to have Canada fall
into the lap of the United States" as he
elsewhere expressed 1t, whenever events shall
rpen TO that end, but our widest jngoes
have never proposed forcible absorption,
except as an incident OF war otherwise
provoked. 1t is not unlikely that IL Canada
were actually independent, so that 1t could
be held directly to international obligations.
the friction over the fisheries and kindred
complications might lead to a war that
would end in absorption and to this extent
tho union with Great Britain Is a protection
to Canada and an annoyance to lis: but from
the American point OF view the absorption
of Canada in the United States is only
thought of as a possible result OF mutual
Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-11
THE FUNDING BILL.
A Carefully Planned Measure 10 Pluck
the cGoVernmcnt.


The Pacific railroads lobby, with Mr..
Huntington himseD IN command, will within
a few days demonstrate the full capacity of
its persuasive powers. The proposition of
this measure (the pending bilD is in effect
that the indebtedness OF the Pacific railroads
to the United States amounting to between
one hundred and two hundred million dol
lars shall be viewed paid and cancelled,
IL the roads will merely pay in interest and
sinking fund installments combined less than
per cent annually ON that principal for
cighty-hve years. In other words, Uncle
Sam is to say to the roads. If you will post
pone paying what you owe me for nearly
a century and will pay me meanwhile less
annual interest on the debt than / am COM
PEELED myself to pay for what borrow, then
will cancel the principal OF your debt and
you need not pay It,
The indebtedness to the government Is
now secured by second mortgage, The
first mortgage, according to the funding
bill advocates, SO impairs the value OF the
governments lien that 1t cannot be safely
foreclosod. II Is proposed under the fund
ing bill arrangement to strengthen the gov
ernments security by nearly doubling the
lrst mortgage lien which is prior TO It, In
Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-11
The RothschiIds and silver.

The announcement that the Rothschidl
have. in the past four months, bought 127
silver mining claims in one district in New
Mexico will dampen the ardor of a good
many free silver advocates. The idea of
keeping up a campaign which, If successful,
will greatly add to the riches of this much
hated firm of rich financiers will go against
the grain with many populist. 1t will
puzzle the free silver advocates to account
for this action Of the Rothschilds. Are they
extending their conspiracy against silver by
endeavoring to control the output of the
metal so as to immensely increase the supply
and force the price down to lower level
than ever, or do they foresee the ultimate
success of the fight for silver and are pre-
pairing to reap great profits from It? The
probabilities are that they are investing
money in silver mining just as they might
invest money in brewery companies, or any
other enterprise, with the expectation OF
reaping the legitimate profits of a rightly
managed enterprise Just as any business
man would do.t But 1t will be difficult for
many Americans to abelleve that the Roths-
chids would go into any sort of enterprise
without some far-reaching and hidden mo-
selves at the expense of the rest of the
world, lad D.
Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-11

II is not reported that the contracts for
war vessels given by the Japanese govern
ment to American shipbuilders contain any
mention OF premiums for extra speed, nor
is 1t necessary that they should The Jap
anese have been shrewd enough to order
some OF their vessels in this country and
some in England, letting It be understood
that subsequent orders will be given to the
yards turning out the most satisfactory
work. This Is inducement enough to put
all the builders on their mettle, and to Sc
cure for Japan the latest and best results
In the art OF shipbuilding The American
builders have every reason to expect sue
cess In the competition, since their work In
recent years has compared very fayorably
with similar work turned out In England
Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-11
The Fewer Changes the Better.

The greatest need of the country at large
is stability in monetary affairs and indus
trial conditions. Without assurance OF such
stability development is hampered con-
tracts limited. investments uncertain and
credits unsettled Stability of industrial
conditions may be secured by leaving the
general list of satisfactory tariff schedules
undsturbed, while amending the few that
need amendment, and making the recon-
mcndations OF official experts the basis Of
future changes, The republican party ought
to follow this course, since its popular stand
ing is inseparable from its dealings with the
real interests of the country, and wise policy
i3 always good politics for the responsible
nOlitical agent.
Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-11

The affirmation by the supreme court
of the decision of the district court
which imposed upon Douglas county the
burden of refunding the money paid in
by purchasers of poor farm lots finds the
county poorly prepared to meet the OBJ
legation. Although the final settlement
has been hanging in the balance for
months with the chances at least doubt
full for favorable outcome for the
county, no preparation has been made
for an adverse decision.
Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-11

William Il. Curtiss. who made n tour
of Japan Il year ago for the Chicago
Record. pronounceS the various tales
about threatened Japanese competition
with American manufactured goods to
be made ont of the whole cloth. "No
steel vessel" says he, "was ever built
in Japan, except from material that was
cast in Europe. No carpet was ever
woven in that country. Travellers buy
shirts and collars of English linen in
Yokohama, where they are very cheaply
made, and perhaps n Japanese trunk
may have been exported, but If so some
traveller brought one home as Il curl
osity. Japanese shoes could not be
given away in the American market
There is one bicycle factory in Japan
which turns out about four machines
n week, which could not be used upon
our roads and would not carry the
weight of an average American. but
answer very well in n country where
the highways are as smooth as an as
phaltum pavement and where. the pco-
pie are small of stature" If these are
the facts the prospect of Japan wreSt-
ing from the United States its COM
mercial supremacy in any market is
yet number of years removed.
Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-11

Governor McIntire of Colorado in
eludes In his message to the legislature
a recommendation that provision be
made for the participation of that state
In the Transmississippl Exposition.
Colorado can and will make the most
imposing ana instructive exhibit of min
eral resources ever gotten together for
public Inspection. The people of that
state are anxious to be represented
In the exposition ana the legislature
Will elicit only commendation by acting
upon the governors pertinent advice.
Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-11
The Durning Question in the Want.

Senator Thurston of Nebraska says of
Cuba: This is burning question that
demands action" and he adds: 81 don't
know so much about the situation in the
east. I know that the people out west are
that something be done" 1t
may be so; but so far as can be judged from
a careful reading of many western ex-
changes the question that burns the hottest
in that section of the country is the low
price of corn, which has resulted in its en-
ployment as fuel.
Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-11

The people of this vicinity ought soon
to have conclusive proof whether n
surety company, bond is better than a
personal bond. The absconding treas
urer of a, local corporation was bonded
in one of these companies and the pub
lie will have more than usual interest
in learning whether the loss is to be
promptly made good or whether liability
is to be STAYED off by appeal to the
courts
Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-11

One thing should not be omitted from
the new charter, and that is some kind
of provision that will effectually
prevent councilmen from putting
through jobs between the time of cleo
tion and the time the newly elected
cOuncilmen take their seats.
Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-11

Ambassador Bayard is TO be the guest
of the prince of Wales in his palace
at Sandringham before his return to
America. Mr.. Bayard's successor will
have a difficult time in keeping up the
social record set by the present am
haSSndOr
Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-11

The intention of the railroads to con-
struct fine new vinduct ut Fourteenth
street is entirely commendable and
should be encouraged. Perhaps in due
time one or two of the viaducts now ex-
listing may be put in safe and passable
order
Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-11
Legislative Music Widespread.

Nearly every great state in the union is
now experiencing a violent attack of legis-
lature. The disorder is periodical in it's
visitations, and is at times both costly and
useless. The utmost that the victim can
do under the circumstances is to keep an
eye on the cash box and hope for better
things
Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-11

with one.tenth the sums. The public
would like very much to know whether
or not Il state treasurer can openly dis
regard the spirit of the law and court
loss of the funds belonging to the tax
payers by placing them in banks which
he knows will never be able to re-
pa,. tl,,u,
Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-11

If the state treasurer We're compelled
to make and publish monthly state
ment of the amount of public funds
in his custody and the sums deposited
in the different banks he would not dare
to use the taxpayers money to bolster
up tottering concerns that have no bust
ness to exist
Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-11

Mayor Broatch's idea of a careful
business administration must be some
thing different from that of the average
taxpayer. Approving an ordinance
raising the salary of his own secretary
and turning down increases in the
salaries of clerks in other offices is busi-
ness with vengeance.
Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-11

II will be well for local consumers to
see that their names are not on the list
which the retail grocers are preparing
of customers who can pay and refuse to
pay and are to be made to pay.
Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-11

Why should the city require two
superlntcndents of the fire alarm
service? This is a question the police
commissioners might PROFOUND to them
selves with propriety.
Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-11

And now we understand what
prompted President Barton of the
Omaha smelling works to drop 10000
nickels into the Bryan free silver slot
during the late campaign. 1t was not
so much free silver he was after as it
was free lead. But every silver man
does not own Il lead mine in Mexico.
Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-11
Music and Mechanics.

An Iowa man wants his piano allowed to
come into the country free of duty under the
clause in the statute which provides that
the tools of mechanic shall be exempt of
duty. Doubtless the man made a proper
estimate of his musical abilities.
Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-11

Before the legislature does another
thing 1t ought to don an investigating
mood ana inquire fully into the man
ner in which such large deposits OF
state money came to be made by the
late state treasurer with banks which
no prudent business man would trust
Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-11
Democratic support for New Tariff


The votes of two or three democratic
pected by the republican leaders. They in
tend to make the bill appeal to intelligent
men of moderate views in the opposition
parties. That is, while the duties will be
adequate they will not be high enough to
bolster up the trusts. and they will at the
same time furnish abundant revenue, which
at present is a very serious need.
Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-11

If the legislature wants to distribute
copies of Governor Holcombs message
1t can secure The Bee containing the
message in full at II price much cheaper
than any printer can quote on Il pam
phlpt
Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-11

st. Joseph is asking the Missouri leg
islature to make the mayor eX-officio
chairman of its Board of Police Com
missioners. Experience everywhere
teaches that the chief executive of n
city, who is responsible for the main
tenance of good order, should have
voice in the management of the police
department
Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-11
Another Reason for Grntifi cation.

1t appears that Iowa is about $170, 900 bet
ter off than she had expected to be at the
close of the last year. This adds to her
splendid republican majority another rea-
son for Eratifcation ON Eer part
Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-11

The electoral college meets today. The
electoral college has shorter sessions
and longer vacations than any other
college in the country.
Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-11

Bryan is now operating upon the rule
of hitting every gold democratic head
that he can see.
Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-11

A few days longer and the complete
roll Of the next senate will be avail
able.
Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-11

Total C2l aOt
copies ...................... O5i9
Total net sales,.. Gi2 3eG
Net daily 49, 75S
GEORGE Il. TISCHUCK.
Subscribed in my presence and sworn to be-
fore me this I'd day Of January, 1897
N T.. FELL,
Seal Notary Public
Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-11
srArnMENr OLE c1RcuLArloN.


Douglas County.
George B Tzschucl; secretary OF The Rec Pub
fishing company. being duly sworn says that the
actual number OF full and complete copies OF The
Daily Morning. Evening and sunday Bee printed
during the month Of December, 1896, was as fol-
Evening journal., 1897-11-10
NEWS Of NEW CASTLE
AMERICAN huMoR.
The Genuine Article Is Becoming
Very Scarce.

The Genuine Arttcle - becomihB
Very Scarce.
America was once famous for its hui
nor. 1t was a continental humor. an
extravagant humor, a humor that de-
lighted in antitheses and contradiction,
but it was genuine and hearty and con-
tanned many honest laughs 1t is
pertinent question to ask what has be-
come of this humor? Are its makers
gone? Have they left it no successors?
So it seems, for, while never before in
the history of the republic have there
been so many professedly comic pub
lications, and while never before has the
joke been as assiduously pursued, never
before has the output of real fun been
os pitifully meager and small.
The comic papers, although in num-
bers as the sands of the seashore, con-
tain little else but boiler plate jokes.
The situations never change, new ideas
are never introduced, everything is as
hopelessly artificial and jejune as the
perspective of q Chinese landscape
painting. There is no episode except
the one of catastrophe; no lovers eX-
cept those kicked off the premises; no
tramps but those fleeing from the pitch
fork of some caricatured agriculturist
or lodging the assault of an impossible
dog. Bicycling is limited TO corpulcnt
lniddle-aged persons or to shadowy
spinsters, or to scorchers whose physi-
economies are borrowed from the rogues'
galleries. All negroes are represented
as balloons. all Irish as barbarians, all
Germans as beer-drinking idiots, and
all Hebrews as people intent upon de-
frauding insurance companies.
We are told that the caricaturists have
a new device by means of which they
now work by mechanical process. The
p=oduct indicates that the machine has
rone into general use. As the essence
of fun is surprise. who can be amused
when you know before a look at the
cover not only the general run OF the
contents, but the detail as we'll? The
poverty Of mental resources shown by
our so-called comic weeklies demon
stratcs that to be funny all the time is
not to be funny, and that to be humor-
GUS all the time is to be Systematically
| dull. American humor is becoming eX-
tinct, and the substitutes for it are
the dreariest outputs in the world.
There was American humor, and
there have been American humorists.
The equal of "Phenix" Artemus Ward,
Orpheus c. Kerr, Mark Twain. Josh
| Billings, Charles w. Foster, Q. X. Phil
ander Doesticks, p. B.; Philip Welch,
Hans Breitmann, and the like nowhere
existed. Persons, old or young, who
feed the broad columns of the so-called
comic weeldies are happily anonymous.
-Des Moines Lender.
Evening journal., 1897-11-10
CHEAP WAY TO GET NEWS.
Economy shown by business Men on
the Alley aI.v Trains.

Economy Shown by business Men on
the Alley "L" Trains.
Even q penny is a large amount of
money to people these days. In fact it
has looked quite large to n considerable
portion of the travelling public ever
since the transportation lines COM
menced operations, and men have been
accustomed to read papers while in
transit and abandon them when near
ing thesr getting-of places. This read
ing the paper on the trains is as much
an industry with many men as the
daily business at their Offices. They
buy the papers at the stations where
they get on the alley 81" trains, read
them hurriedly while riding north
ward and toss them aside at Twelfth
street. They are of the class who stand
up between the two last stations in or
der to crowd to the front door and get
off first.
In every car there are always men
who do not rush to get off. They play
with watch chains, gaze at the readers
and vary the monotony by looking out
of the windows. They have no papers,
but they want them. So when the busy
readers rush to the front and leave
their dailies behind these thrifty men
prowl about under seats and on seats
looking for chance to procure the
news at no cost to themselves. The
trainmen, of course, are busy on the
platforms and have no opportunity to
pick up the papers when the owners
have abandoned them.
Now, these economists have favorite
sheets. They seize the first at hand on
the chance of finding one of their favor
ite publication. Then they hold on
grimly, still looking eagerly about. If
they locate one they most affect they
seize upon it with n look of eXultation,
drop the other and pass out Of the car
calmly folding up the paper as il they
had been immersed in the news and
never noticed how near it was TO Con-
gress street. It's cheap and nobody no.
tices them, as they suppose.-Chicago
Chronicle
Evening journal., 1897-11-10
camnhor trees in FIoridn.

The failure Of the worlds supply of
canphoU would deprive mankind of a
great boon. There is probably no
actual danger of such failure, yet the
camphor trees of China, Formosa and
Japan have been destroyed so rapidly in
recent years that the question has been
discussed whether they can be replaced.
It would be desirable, if possible, to
cultivate them in lands lying nearer to
the great centers of civilization, and eX-
periments are said to Lave shown that
che climate of Florida is we'll suited to
their growth. Cultivated in Florida by
scientific methods, it is claimed that the
life of the trees could be saved, instead
of being destroyed, in the process of col
lecting the precious gums as has hither-
to been the case in the east.-Youth's
Companion.