davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-15
THE KANSAS FARMERS AND MIR.
LETTER.

When 1t was reported that farmers in
raise a fund for the relief of Mr.. Letter,
who was crushed by the breaking of his
wheat corner, it was regarded as the in
vention Of a newspaper writer. 1t is now
stated that the story is true and that action
has been taken to collect cent a bushel
upon the wheat crop of this year to reward
the man who was ruined in his efforts to
maintain an artificial price therefor 1t is
probable that the Kansas farmers profited
last winter by the conditions which Mr..
Letter assisted but did not create Mr..
Letter was crushed because he undertook
to maintain the price of scarcity in the
presence of a very bountiful crop this sea-
son. He failed because he did not recog-
nize that the natural law of supply and de-
great scarcity, with no indications of the
next crop, Mr.. Letter was able to maintain
a high price. This he could do because he
was acting in harmony with the conditions.
When a bountiful crop was promised, Mr..
Letter, with 800. 600 at his control. could
rot have maintained for long time the
dizzy prices of last April. The Kansas
farmers seem to be laboring under the de-
fusion which ruined Mr.. Letter. They seem
to believe that If some man with an album
dance of money should go into the field now
to maintain very high prices for wheat he
would be able to do so.
The remarkable thing about the matter
is that Kansas farmers have for ten years
been passing resolutions denouncing the
operators in the wheat pits in Chicago, and
demanding a law which would destroy spec
ulative sales. The fervor of their denuncia-
ton of ''soulless trusts cannot be eX-
celled. Now they turn about and actually
propose to raise fund for the most extern
sive speculator that has appeared in the
markets for years, and applaud trust that
was designed to destroy that natural trade
in wheat and to enhance the price of the
bread of the world byvmaintaining arti-
fetal price. This means that the trust in
the abstract is a wicked device of million
aire monopolists, but the specific trust in
which a special industry is to be benefited
is a promoter of prosperity. The Kansas
farmers are no exception.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-15
TOWNSHIP STATISTICS.

Captain John B. Conner, chief of the
Bureau of Statistics, will be able to give to
those who are interested in township gov
eminent the most complete statistical in
formation that it is possible to obtain. For
the first time in the history of the bureau
the work of ascertaining township expendi-
lures has been undertaken. When it shall
be completed those who care for it can
have full information regarding township
expenditure The blanks were sent out July
1 and the returns must be made during
August. Should any trustee neglect to COM
ply with the requirement of the bureau he
will be reminded that continued neglect will
involve fine of 500. 1t is due to the trus-
tees to say that their reports are coming
in rapidly at the present time, indicating
a general compliance with the requirement
the month of August.
The inquiries made in the blanks which
the bureau has sent to township trustees
extend to every source of revenue and to
every lawful expenditure. The receipts of
each of the several funds must be given,
and the expenditures must be given under
each fund by items In the road fund, for
instance, the trustee must show how much
has been expended for bridges, for repairs,
for implements and for supervisors. The
school expenditures must show how much
has been paid for fuel, furniture, build
ings. repairs, blackboards etc. A complete
statement must be made of warrants is
sued redeemed and outstanding, with the
rate of interest paid, and the township debt
not represented by warrants.
Thus the annual receipts and expenditures
of every township in the State will be OBJ
tanned. If unusual expenditure is made
or if the trustee is carrying a large surplus
of money it will appear. Doubtless these
reports will be tabulated apd printed, thus
giving taxpayers the most valuable in
formation that has ever been within their
reach regarding the management of local
governments. 1t is this kind of information
that the Bureau of Statistics should collect.
When such work is intelligently performed
the bureau is one of the useful branches
Of the state government.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-15

which was act of demagogy at that
time. but is now piece of stupidity. 1t was
admissible at that time to asser. that the
people were the victims of the money pow
er, that they were growing poorer as the
years pass, and that wheat would fall to
twenty-five cents bushel if the country re-
manned upon the gold basis. Many people
listened to these falsehoods and false pre-
djctions. 1t took many fair-minded people
more than two months after the Bryan con-
vention to ascertain that the stories which
the dull imtators of Coin told were
falsehoods. All is changed now. A Warrum
harangue Of 1896 is as much a misfit as a
fur coat with the mercury at 50 degrees
The man who breaks into the joyousness of
an old settlers meeting to tell the happy
people that poverty and want are stalking
through the land. that labor is unpaid or
idle, and that farmers are mortgaging their
farms to get bread, is too stupid to be called
a demagogue. The people know that the
conditions of industry and business are vast
ly improved since two years ago. Farmers
know that the past two years have been
the most prosperous for them of any in
long time Even the Populist Bank Com
missioner of Kansas has told of the unpre-
cedented improvement in the condition of
farmers and the discharge of mortgages.
Official reports from all of the agricultural
States show that mortgages have been paid
off the past two years as they never have
been before. Commercial papers report
great gains in the volume of transportation,
and treasury reports show that the volume
of money has increased very much in two
years. A Minnesota paper recently stated
that money has been offered on farm mort
cages at 51a per cent. Mr.. Warrum is not
looking for such facts because they hurt his
business but people very generally do know
that the country is having much better
times than it had two years ago, when he
committed his harangue to memory.
Among other things, Mr.. Warrum told the
old settlers that the farms of the West were
mortgaged for more than their assessed
value. That falsehood was refuted by the
census of 1890. In 1889, in Indiana, there
were 106,553 mortgages on farms, for $74,-
552 217, upon 3042 per cent of the whole
stead of being mortgaged for more than
their assessed value in Indiana the farms
are not mortgaged for Is per cent. of the
value put on them by tax officers.
The Democratic committee should call Mr..
Warrum in and give him some other speech
to commit for the campaign of 1898 than
the WORKOUT and out-of-date harangue of
1884,
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-15

The Michigan City News publishes letter
from young man of that town who is serv-
ing on a United States ship in West
Indian waters. Following is an extract:
We made landing at Mole ST. Nicholas.
1t is quite an interesting place. though there
is only one white man there He is
Frenchman, and is telegraph operator,
French, English and American consul. The
head man at Mole st. Nicholas is the gov
ernor general. He is big black fellow: and
he apparently has the worst case of the
swelled head | ever saw. He dressed
up when we saw him in a uniform as fol-
lows Overalls. with a big red flannel stripe
down the legs: big double-breaSted coat,
which looked like relic Of the ark. He had
two brass buttons on 1t. and the rest of 1t
was fastened with safety pins. III also had
a pair Of epauiets on his shoulders, which
| could swear had been through all the
revolutions held in these parts for the last
century His costume was finished up with
a cooked hat and an old sword. When oar
captain went ashore he was met at the land
ing by this colored Individual, and 1t nearly
killed us fellows in the boat when our cap
tain saluted him.
Mole ST. Nicholas is port of Haiti, the
negro republic, so the picturesque person
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-15


There is a sentiment abroad that the vet
Grams of the war with Spain should be adj
mitted to the Grand Army of the Republic
in order to perpetuate lnat organization.
Unless something of this kind IS done the
society will pass away under the inexorable
laws of nature. No provision has ever
been made for carrying it on after the nat
ural span of life of the veteran of the civil
war. 1t is not wise that there should be
such a plan The veterans of our war with
Spain are just as worthy and as noble as
any who fought In the war for the Union.
But the c. A. X. was especially formed to
keep alive the sentiments that animated the
North during the terrible civil strife, and
to its membership man who wore the
gray is eligible. Those who are serving in
the present war are neither Northerners
nor Southerners; they are Americans. Many
of them were high officials in the Confed-
crate service, and if the proposal for their
admission is adopted the q. A. r. might as
well consolidate with the Confederate Vet
Grams Association.
If there must be society let there be
new one, called the Society of the Spanish
War, or some similar name. These young
soldiers stand for different sentiment than
that which ANNA ted the now grizzled vet
Grams of a hundred battles. The men of
Santiago and Manila are the representatives
of a greater United States than was
ever dreamed of before.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-15
A Romance of summer Sens.

Varina Anne Jefferson Davis, better
known as Miss Winnie Davis, makes her
second essay in novel writing in "A Ro-
nance of Summer Seas" Her first story.
"A Yelled Doctor" was we'll received and
had merit. This one reveals quite gift in
story telling. "A Romance of Summer Seas
is a love story purporting to be told by an
American traveller in the smoking room OF
a country house The scene of the tale
changes from the Oriental steamer Sultana
in Eastern waters. to Hong Kong and Yo-
kohama. The characters, including some
English people and some Americans, are
well drawn the plot is ingenious, and the
story has action and movement enough to
crate keen interest. The conversations
are bright and the occasional descriptions
of travel are realistic. In short. it is good
story and a creditable piece of literary
work. New York: Harper Brothers.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-15
In the sargasso Sea.

This story, by Thomas A. Janvier, Is z
new variation upon theme that has been
the subject of many before-the immortal
Robinson Crusoe theme. The present
authors hero is a young graduate of Stew
ems Institute, who takes passage for Africa
on a ship which, unexpectedly to him, turns
out to be engaged in the slave trade After
various misadventures he finds himself in
the Weedy waste Of the dreaded Sargasso
sea, the only living person upon wrecked
and broken vessel. The sea is a graveyard
of dead ships. Jumping from the deck of
one to another he loses himself and is
threatened with starvation. which he only
escapes by a lucky find. He finally discov-
ers big deserted steamer with a black cat
on board on which he makes his escape
with a lot of treasure This impossible story
is made quite thrilling and romantic. New
York: Harper & Brothers
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-15

This is the appropriate title of volume
by Moses Colt Tyler. 1t contains sketches
selected from considerable number of the
same sort written by the author during a
residence in England from 1863 to 1866 and
originally published in the Nation or The
Independent. The sketches do not aspire TO
the rank of history and no attempt is made
sive or systematic They simply aim at fur
nishing "Glmpses of England" in some of
the aspects of it's social political and liter
airy life which interested the author and
which he makes interesting to the reader.
Although the sketches were written many
years ago they possess real interest in the
pictures they present of English life and
Character and of notable persons New
York: G. p PutnamS Sons.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-15
Tribute to General Poland.
Listener" in Boston Transcript.


There is great pathos in the death of an
other man whom the Listener was very
proud indeed, to call his friend, General
John S Poland. Here was a man who was
a soldier to the core and who, sas the COM
mander of brigade of regulars at Tampa,
bound for the war-a brigade composed OF
regiments in at least two of which Poland
had himself served, and knew and loved
found his fondest ambition realized, Then
ali at once came the order detaching him
from his chosen service and sending him
back to Chickamauga! Poland went with
the command and the service that he COW
eted and for which every moment of his
military service had fitted HING and at
Chickamauga he contracted typhoid fever
and died of it at Asheville. Such an ending
illustrates the fortunes of a soldiers career
General Poland, like many another soldler'
not only took with perfect grace every dls-
appointment that the service brought him.
but was never in the slightest degree en-
Uttered. He was as simple-hearted as
child and as direct, as gentle ana as uh-
euIlVocal OF act and speech.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-15

The Democratic candidate for clerk of the
Supreme Court, Henry Warrum, may be ex-
cused for abusing the courtesy Of the old
settlers meeting at Broad Ripple, Thurs
day, when he was called upon to speak. by
making a political harangue. on the ground
that he either did not know any better or
saw that it was the only opportunity he
would have to speak to a large audience.
Such an excuse might do for some classes
of people. but not for man who is fit to be
the clerk of the Supreme Court of Indiana.
But a violation of the courtesies of the
occasion was not Mr.. Warrums only Of
Tense: he repeated his old harangue of 1896.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-15
Two Good Fighters.
Washington Special.

Sergt Basil Ricketts,, son of Gen. James
B. Ricketts,, who commanded the famous
battery at Gettysburg, is back from San
and is extravagant in the praise of the two
commanders of that famous regiment-Gen.
eral Wood and Colonel Roosevelt He sai0
that no description of the heroism of these
two men does them justice. They were all
over the field at San juan" he said, gand
it was miracle they were not shot. Both
were shining marks for the Spanish sharp
shooters It's a wonder Roosevelt wasn't
shot eighty times He seemed to be spos-
sessed of two ideas. One was to fight like
the devil and the other was to protect his
men from the fire of the enemy. Wherever
he would see one of his own men exposing
himself unnecessarily he would go at that
fellow like wild man and order him To lie
down or get behind a tree. All this time ne
would be standing up utterly unmindful or
the hail of bullets that flew around him.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-15

In this story Frank Stockton undertakes
to narrate the events that grow out of the
schemes oAa village matchmaker-an elder
ly maiden lady of eccentric personality. AS
a matter of course, in Stockton's hands
some of the events prove to be quite re-
markable 1t is evident that he is not sure
from chapter to chapter how affairs are go
ing to turn out and he manages, perhaps
Internationally. to secure the readers sym
pathies for one girl who is in love with the
There is room for suspicion that he tossed
UP a penny before writing the last chapter
to decide which of the fair madens should
publishers.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-15

in which commissioners or plenipotentiaries
exceed their constitutional authority is void
from the beginning. 1t is assumed as a mat
ter of course that the Cortes will ratify
treaty made in accordance with the terms
of the protocol; but If a minority should
insist that the surrender of Spanish terri
tory without previous legislative sanction
by vote OF the Cortes'' made the treaty
null ard void they might cause trouble. We
may expect Spanish trickery till the last
moment
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-15

1t was stated early in the peace negotia-
tions that any agreement made by the
French ambassador on behalf of Spain
would be subject to approval by the Cortes,
and the protocol was signed with that I'M
Outstanding. The same rule applies with
more force TO any treaty the commission
ers may make. for the Spanish constitu-
ton provides that Spanish plenipotentiaries
cannot treat for the surrender of any Span
fish territory without previous legislative
sanction by a vote of the Cortes." This re-
quirement creates a peculiar situation. An
authority on international law says:
If the power OF a sovereign or of a gov
eminent IS limited by ground law, written
or unwritten, treaty cannot override that
constitution No one can lawfully exercise
power which does not of right belong to
him. Thus under constitutional forms
where the treaty-making power is placed in
particular hands no others can exercise IL,
and where 1t Is limited in extent IL cannot
be lawfully exercised beyond that limita-
ton.
According TO this rule. which is recognized
BY all writer's on International law. treaty
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-15

During the fiscal year which ended June
80. 1898. few more than 229,OO0 immigrants
came to this country, which is the smallest
number since 1879. During 1852 about 100000
Germans came to this country. or $4,000
more than came from all countries during
the last fiscal year. At that time the Ger
mans led. and because they and the Swedes
and Norwegians constituted the larger part
of the immigrants, there was no objection.
Last year the Germans. Swedes and Nor
wegians were but q per cent. of the entire
number, while the Poles were IA and the
Italians 70 per cent. 1t may be said that
the. falling off in immigration renders a
more restrictive immigration law unnecessa-
ry. but so long as 10000 immigrants come to
US who are ignorant and poor to pauperism
TO crowd the ranks of common labor, a
measure which will keep them out of the
country is necessary.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-15

The Harpers are to publish Merriman's
'Roden's Corner in book form early in
September.
Among the novels promised for September
publication by D. Appleton & Co. are The
House of Hidden Treasure" by Maxwell
THE Lust of Hate" by Guy BoothDy and
THE Gospel Writ in Steel" by Arthur
Paterson
The Century Company promises DR..
Mitchells The Adventures of Francois" in
book form in October.
Henry Cabot Lodges STORY of the Rev
olution." which is now running as serial
in Scribners Magazine. will be brought out
in two volumes by Charles Scribner'S Sons
about the middle of September.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-15
A HOOdOO,

You might have known you could not
win with play called The Katydid, said
the rural uncle.
"Why?" asked his nephew, the manager,
who was staying on the farm for the sum-
mer.
"Katydids a sure sign of frost" and the
old man chuckled to think how well he was
up in theatrical terms.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-15

philadelphia Pr

Ex-President Harrison's consent to take
part in the campaign in Indiana is an indi-
cation of the prep rations the Kepqnilcahs
of that State are making to carry the cleo
ton There are only congressman ana minor
state officers to be chosen. but no risks Will
be taken and no losses invited. The result
in Indiana will have more than local sig
nificance. The Republican state convention
adopted the most pronounced gold platform
framed this year. The plank reads In part
as follows: The Republicans Of Indiana are
unreservedly for sound money, and are
therefore opposed to the heresy to which
the Democratic party Is welded, OF the lrSe
and unlimited coinage of both gold. and sill
Yer at the ratio of IS to /. which we regard
as absolutely sure to debase our money and
destroy our private and public credit and
cause general business disaster. There Is
no doubt from this plank where the Indiana
Republicans stand andlthere ought to be no
rousing majority.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-15
BOOKS OF THE TIME.



Via Lucis'' is the title of a novel whose
author. Kassandra Vivaria. young Italian
woman-very young to judge by her por-
traits said to be protege of Gabriel
d Annunzio. That she is worshiper at his
shrine is shown by a number of admiring
allusions to him in the story. and also by an
obvious imitation of his style To her credit
be it said she does not follow his example
to the extent of depicting scenes of gross
depravity or studies of lawless passions.
The atmosphere of the story, however, is
morbid and unwholesome, and is worth
reading chiefly as a psychological study of
the author. showing as it does the pessi-
mistic bias a youthful mind may possess.
The tale relates the history and describes
the mental development of young girl.
born in Rome. whose mother died when she
was child, and whose father a rather dis
reputable member of an honorable family.
cared nothing for her. Left much to herself,
she read all the books that came her way,
from French novels to religious works, and
when she entered convent school at fifteen
possessed precocious ideas on a great va
riety of subjects. She presently resolved
that she would lead a religious life, but aft
er considering the characteristics of the
various sisterhoods decided that all were
mined to found an order herself. To that
end she formulated long series of rules
suited to her ideal ssterhood-thS at the
mature age of siXteen AT seventeen she
left school to spend the summer at a coun-
try place with a young girl who had been
her friend and there had a violent love
affair, but under the advice of her father
confessor, who saw in her good material
for a nun, she turned the lover away, went
back to the convent and prepared to carry
out her early purpose of conservation TO the
church The mental strain and the demands
of convent life upon her physical powers
broke down her health and also taught her
that she was not fitted as she had sup
posed, for the life of a nunnery, or, rather,
that it was too cramped an existence, IN
teIectually, for her. Accordingly she ran
away and took refuge in France, where she
was found later by her old lover. and was
the story here after the conventional Gus
tom but closes it with the discovery by the
heroine after two years of married lie,
that exactly as religion had failed to sat
isfy her, love for her husband had ceased
to be absorbing, and that her future exist
ence must be one of discrimination and UNI
happiness. She had, in short, tried various
paths through the world and all mad
brought her into the desert. 1t is a depress-
ing tale, but is well written and toucheS
on some features of the religious orders IN
Italy in a way that throws curious light
on them. The author evidently possesses
much literary ability, and may in time
emerge into a more cheerful atmosphere.
The book is published by George II. Rich
mond & Son, New York.
The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-08-15

The third volume of the Biographical
Edition of Thackeray's Works, which is be-
ing published by Harper & Brothers, con-
tains 1.-THE Memoirs of Barry Lyndon, Esq,
written by Himself; The Fitzboodle Papers;
Catharne, a Story; Mems Wives, and
some other short stories and sketches. Mrs.
Anne Thackeray Richie continues TO give
sketching acts Of the life and surroundings
Of her father at the time of his writing of
the work. These sketches add materially to
the interest of the work and make this edi-
ton unique.