davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Omaha daily bee., 1899-03-05
SPENDING GOVERNMENT MONEY

~
In the United States senate Friday
Mr.. Platt of Connecticut spoke against
the practice of accepting amendments
to appropriation bills without due con-
sideration. He said that the Fifty
fifth congress would go on record as the
most extravaganza that had ever held a
session in Washington. 1t is well that
the Connecticut senator called the atten-
ton of the country to this carelessness
and wen reckleSsness with which the
senate sometimes votes away the money
of the government, though it is t. be
regretted that he did not find an earlier
opportunity to expose this fault.
The tendency to lavishly eXpend the
public money has become so strong that
unless a decided check is put to it the
load of taxation upon the people must
be made heavier or the public debt piled
up to be a burden upon future genera
tons. The expenditures of the govern
ment are largely in excess of the rev.
enues and while there is no promise of
the latter growing to any material cX-
tent there Is good reason to a%pprehend
that the latter will increase. Under
such circumstances whoever raises his
voice against careless appropriations
and eNtravagant expenditure, as Mr..
Platt has done in the senate and Mr..
Cannon in the house, performs a most
valuable service to the people.
"A Washington correspondent quotes a
republican representative as SAYING:
1T is cruel the way the government
money is now being spent. l do not so
much mean the amount, for / think more
ought to be appropriated for certain
things, but the manner" He remarked
that our system of making appropria-
tons is hopelessly chaotic. There is
no person with Il general oversight
either of appropriations or expenditures.
as in the British government, for exam
pie. The auditing officers of the treas
ury generally follow certain technical
redtapc rules, but no auditor cares to
take his official life in his w hands by
striking out boldly against Il thing be-
cause 1t is foolish, provided the law war
rants the expenditure. The correspond
10y "'''i N'''hS bll curing tAulllltS
OF waste, remarks: "This subject of
extravaganza is so large that if n man
were to attempt to give with any detail
the foolish expenditures of the federal
government he would have To write Il
very large book. The prediction may,
however, be safely made that this thing
Will have TO stop some time. We need
a better system of regulating expendi-
lures, n fuller public knowledge of the
way money is used and an improved
public conscience. Some time this will
become the great issue and the party
that gets on the wrong side of il will
be in danger" The most serious OBJ
stacle TO economy is the lack Of con
science in legislators, who however
loudly they may publicly talk against
extravaganza do not hesitate to prac-
tlce 1t If thereby they can make capital
with their constituents. 1t Is in the
labyrinth of committee and subcommit-
tee and conference committee that the
opportunity for extravaganza is found.
1t is important that the mex congress
shall have impressed upon it the fact
Omaha daily bee., 1899-03-05

The commissioner of immigration at
New York reports that more Spaniards
have come to this country as home
seekers since the close of the war thar
came during the entire year preceding
the beginning of hostilities. These
people, unlike much of the previous i'm
migration from Spain, are said to be
fairly intelligent and are rather promis-
ing candidates for American citizen
ship, as they almost invariably give as
the reason for leaving their native land
high taxes imposed upon them there
and the greater freedom and better op-
portunities of accommodating property in
this country.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-03-05
WHO CAN DRAW THE LINE.
westward March of the Line of Oc-
cupatiOn of Farm Land.

j. Sterling Morton's Conservative.
In the benighted times when the first set
Element of this transmissourl country by
white men began the line Of its successful
occupation was laid down by their incredu-
lily along a strip of land not much wider
than that which comprises the river tier
of counties. In fact, uplands were gener-
ally excluded as being the next thing to
barrens and it was mainly to bench lands
and bottom lands along small streams and
rivers that the soil for successful %cultiva-
ton was restricted, in the public opinion
Of four and forty years ago. The longi-
tudinal line underwent a gradual march to
the westward by the agency of individual
enterprise until the grazing lands were en-
countered and invaded, followed by a re-
action, abandonment and much loss and suf-
fering to the reputation of the state at large
as an agricultural region and to the resO-
lutte men who undertook the conquest.
The Conservative was recently asked by a
prominent citizen of Hastings at what point
it would now draw the line of longitude
beyond which agricultural industry could
not be profitably prosecuted. It's moment
airy representative declined to attempt to To-
cate that absolutely unknown line of longi-
tude, If Dawson, Adams, Buffalo and other
counties can beat the world on wheat in
dependently of irrigation, who would ven
ture to locate 1t on this side of the foot
hills of the Rocky mountains?
Omaha daily bee., 1899-03-05
TIE rlErr.ELrrn cnNnRnss.

The record Of the F%ifty-ffth congress
is now history and It constitutes II Of
the most notable chapters in American
legislative annals. Perhaps no other
congress had presented to it questions
of more vital concern TO the interests
and welfare Of the nation and with few
exceptions these were wisely dis
posed of.
Called in special session Immediately
after the Inauguration of the present
administration, the first duty of the
last congress was to give the country
tariff legislation which would at nee
increase the income of the government
and revive the long-depressed indus.
tries of the country. 1t is needless now
to point out the good results of this
legislation. 1t is apparent to every
body. While the revenue under the
existing tariff law has not quite come
up to expectation, the effect of the law
in infusing life and activity into our
industries has been all that was hoped
for. Its operation has confuted all
the theories and predictions of its OPP
poncnts. 1t was, in their view, GER
tain TO check the exports of manufac-
turcd products, but on the contrary
these have grown steadily and largely
since the law went into effect and are
still growing. We were told that it
would be harmful to labor, but on the
other hand since the law went into eff
feet labor throughout the country has
been better employed than almost ever
before. At this time there is not only
a good demand for labor in nearly every
industry. but in some of them wages
are advancing.
1t was, on the whole, a patriotic con-
gress. When the administration found
that war was inevitable and asked for
a generous appropriation with which to
prepare for wal it was promptly voted.
There was no hesitation or delay in Civ
ing the president authority to raise a
volunteer army and TO enlarge the reg
ular force. In these respects, as in
providing money for war purposes by
means Of special taxation and the issue
of bonds, democrats and republicans
stood together in support of what was
by the administration to be nee
essary to carry on a foreign war. Lib
eral provision was made for increasing
the navy and az army reorganization
measure passed which, while not just
what the administration asked, is prob
ably satisfactory to the country.
In the matter of appropriations the
congress far exceeded any
preceding congress and this was not
due entirely to the war. The charge
against it of extravaganza is, therefore,
not without warrant and this is its most
serious fault. Had it been less lavish
in expenditure there would be no Just
ground of criticism. For this fault
the senate was more responsible han
the house and but for the firm stand
taken by the leaders of the lat
ter the demands upon the treas
ury would be larger than they are.
Credit is due to Speaker Reed and to
Cannon of the house appro-
priations committee for their efforts to
check the disposition to extravaganza.
Undoubtedly the country will concur
in the sentiment of President McKin-
ley, that "the Fifty-fifth congress had
performed its extraordinary duties man
Omaha daily bee., 1899-03-05
SECULAR suors Ar THE PULPIT.

Boston Globe; Rev. Madison C. Peters OF
New York thinks 1t very wicked for rich
men to give big ]banquets in New YORK
while 10000 poor people have no coal and
sCant food. What he means Is that the
banquets are given to the wrong crowd.
Boston Transcript: The convention OF
clcrgymcn that desire to put the name Of
Christ into the constitution might accom-
plish more IL they would devote their efforts
to keeping the country up to the spirit OF
Christ that is already in the constitu-
tiun.
Buffalo Express: The action OF the At
lanta ClcrEymen of the Methodist church
in denouncins the lobbyist and agentt Of
the church for securing the appropriation
from congress for property destroyed in the
civil war is commendable. Several clergy
men insisted that the acceptance OF the
money would be "a stain on the Methodist
churCb, which should bring shame to all
members OF their denomination They are
right.
Baltimore American: The pope, in his
American letter, strikes the keynote OF
other things besides religion when he says
that all virtue must be active. 1t Is owing
to the comatose condition Of virtue, not only
in private, but also in public life, that vice,
which fully and practically realizes the
philosophy OF activity, has everything its
W way. There is plenty of virtue, for
example, in active affairs, but If it were
a little more energetic in the showing there
would be a vast difference in the conduct
of affairs.
Springfield (Mass.) Republican; The
Methodist Bishop Fowler thinks lit is too
bad that it was necessary to kill some of
them'-the Filipinos-but the islands will
pay for our civili2ing influence, as a school
teacher is reimbursed for his pedagogical
services" If the inhabitants then prove
unfit to govern themselves" he goes on.
without showing when or where they are
to get the chance to try, except in their
graves, lit will take but a generation to
make the newly-acquired territory Anglo
Saxon. Then let the Filipino keep up or
go under, just as suits his caliber and in
clination." And Of course it is as a humble
follower of the lowly Jesus that the bishop
speaks.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-03-05

The imperative need of a revision of
the insurance laws has been cmpha.
sized by the disclosures If the invcsti-
cation instituted by the legislature into
the administration of the insurance
bureau of the state auditors office.
The most t~lagrant abuses that have
scandalizcd that office during the last
ten years have had their origin in the
crude and i~lldigcstCd laws governing
the supervision of insurance companies
and the fast and loose methods that
have enabled insurance inspectors to
levy blackmail on insurance companies
with impunity while at the same time
tilching thousands of dollars from the
pockets of the taxpayers. Among the
insurance bills now pending before the
legislature the bill introduced by Rep
resentative Weaver is most comprehcn-
sivc. Its most vital features are the
proposed separation of the insurance
bureau from the auditors department
and taxation of insurance companies
and limitation of inspection fees. The
propriety if not necessity of the di-
vorcing of the insurance bureau from
the auditors department is conceded
on all hands. The safeguards thrown
around p~olicyholders and prohibition of
eXtortionate inspection and license fees
must also meet with universal approval.
The principal objection TO the
Weaver bill has been raised by
representatives of the life insurance
companies conducted on the mutual
plan. Their contention is that taxing
mutual companies is taxation of their
~policyholders and that means the taxa.
ton of their dependent families. This
point, however, is not well taken. If
it be true that the proposed tax upon
mutual life insurance companies must
be borne entirely by the heirs of policy
holders the imposition of an inheritance
tax would be subject to the same OBJ
lection. In either case dependent fam
lilies are compelled to pay a part of
their inheritance to the state; whether
the inheritance is the product of an in
surance policy or Il farm, a business
block or stocks, bonds or chattcl prop
erty, is immaterial so far as the de-
pendent family is concerned.
The contention that Il TAX on life in
Surance is a tax on thrift is equally I'M
tenable. Property in any form is the
result of thrift, but its taxation does
not encourage improvidence.
The real bone of contention of the
insurance companies is the proposed .
per cent tax on gross receipts, which
they resent as eXorbitant, if not pro-
hibitive. On this score there NAV he
some justice in the demand for a ma
terial concession. While asserting its
right to tax insurance companies on
their income from its citizens, Nebraska
should place no embargo upon foreign
lie insurance companies by unreason-
able taxations in any form. 1t would
be a great mistake on the part of the
legislature to provoke Il repetition of
the maximum railroad rate contest by
imposing a tax which would not stand
the test of the courts. If the . per cent
tax on gross receipts is too high in com
parison with the tax rate prevailing in
other states this side Of the Mississippi
it would be the part of wisdom to re-
duce it to a point that will not leopard
lie the passage of the Weaver bill or
endanger its validity in the courts.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-03-05

The confirmation of Dewey as admiral
and Schley and Sampson as vice adj
mirals gives the navy a decided %prepond.
erancc of high war officials. The rank
of admiral corresponds to that of gem
eral, a position that has never existed
in our army, with but two exceptions,
and entities that officer to draw Il salary
of $4,000 per year. a vice admirals
rank is the same as that of Il lieutenant
general and his pay is $4,000 per year.
Thus it will be seen that while the
highest Office that exists or is likely soon
to exist in the army is that of major
general with a salary of $500 per year.
The navy has three officials who, in
point of pay, precedence and other for
malities, are away beyond anything that
ambitious generals may hope to reach
for years to come, if ever.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-03-05

Following hard upon the big order for
American locomotives for the Midland
railway of England comes another and
larger one from the state railroad OF
Sweden and Norway. The reason given
for placing 1t in this country is the same.
The American manufacturers can do the
work quicker, better and at a lower
price than can those of any other coun-
try. These reasons are not only salts
factory to the parties making the orders,
but to US, for it foreshadows the day
when we shall begin to furnish the
European railroads the bulk Of their
locomotives is at hand.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-03-05
LIFE.
Rocky. Mountain News.

'NN .
Silently, swiftly, one by one
We march down the aisles of time;
Musical murmur and mournful moan,
Plaintive pleading and tender tone,
Blend in a living rhyme.
Hope and happiness, faith and fame,
All are swept along
Into a future misty and gray,
PeOpled with phantoms grim and gay,
Some with a curse and some with a song.
Lives that We're fun of happiness,
Others that teemed with sin:
Shadowy phantoms of bygone days
on a suffering soul turn full their gaze,
And we long for the might have BEEN
But the longing is vain, for the past Is
dead
And a passing present is all we know.
Futurity's riddle we may not read,
But the pains of the past with its lust
and creed
Should tell us the way to go.
Prince and pauper are peers in death.
Their ashes are blown where their Feet
once trOd,
of the past with its veal and woe
Into the future of doubt we go,
Christian and pagan to face one God!
Omaha daily bee., 1899-03-05
BLASTS FROM RAM's NORM.
.eli. denlnl cnrcs self.

Seli-deuial cures selt-estcem.
white ncckties do not make saints.
There are no gloves made that will hide
heart stains.
In cuItiya,ing your virtues, be sure ana
uproot your vices.
Don't cover your neglected duties with
The cloak OF excuse,
The bell may be very musical, but 1t does
not make the engine so.
Preachers should aim to prick the heart
instead OF tickling the ear.
lie who n~eglects present duties may never
ovortake future opportunities.
a little cloud may hide the sun, and a
little doubt may destroy our peace.
Ephraim was cake on enc side and dough
on the other. His family sim lives.
Some actions. like frescoc work, only re-
veal their color after they have been done
awhile.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-03-05

DR.. Miller, formerly of Oneida county, will
have many congratulations from his old
home upon his election as president of the
Greater America exposition. 1t is now a
great many years since he went TO Omaha,
winning fame and a name for himself. but
all the while he has not forgotten the county
of Oneida nor its prominent men. He was a
great admirer Of Horatio Seymour, as the
bust of that distinguished statesman recently
presented bears eloquent testimonial. DIR.
Miller will make an excellent executive Of
fcer for the exposition and his friends here
believe a better choice could not have been
made.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-03-05

Chicago Record: whats an empty title,
AN empty title is your mothers way of
calling me the head of the house,
brooklyn Life: Miss ~FIirty-lIow do you
like my new engagement ring?
Miss C~utting-lts u beauty; when does 1t
come Off?
Detroit Free Press: Ambrose. do you
Yes; my wife and the cook go to church
SO much that | have to-
Puck: Jenkins-Baby was not we'll, Ell?
You ought to call in Or, Brown. We sent
for him last week and the moment he saw
our baby he guessed what the trouble was.
JaCkson-What was il?
Jenkins-Pins.
Philadelphia North American: Mrs. Blimm
The Dodsons at last have a girl they hope
Mrs. Grimp-Absurd! Where is such a girl
Mrs. Biimm-she was born to them yes
terday.
Judge: "They say marriage is n failure
THERE'S a great difference"
"NNhy?'
"In marriage the wife takes the husbands
name, and in n failure the husband takes
the wife's name
Chicago Post: "If / am not Mistaken
she said, "he is thinking seriously Of mar
riage."
llltiSNNAllll' way ~ tiNNNS "NS "a ~
geOuS boy
Brooklyn Life: Mrs. Naborly-Is your
aunt ON your mothers or fathers side,
Johnny?
Johnny-O, sometimes on one side and
sometimes on the other. Depends who's
getting the best of 1t.
Chicago Tribune: Miss Vera de Muir
Well, here we are in the conservatory. and l
believe that rosebud has scratched my
cheek. Will you please look and see?
o, how dare YOU!
Mr.. Fairleigh Trapt deeply penitent-
Forgive me-, Miss Vera. l couldn't help 1t.
" - Let me see, darling, If there isn't a
scratch on the other check.
Detroit Journal: "Algcron, ! forgive you!
Darling, how generous!" sobbed the con-
trite husband, altogether overcome.
With deft caress she strove to soothe MS
emotion.
"Yes, Algeron, I forgive you she whis-
pered, softly. and now that there is thus
no longer a skeleton in our closet have
room to hang up two or three more dresses,
Algeron, dearest!
Cleveland Plain Dealer: Great geniuses,
they say, are always abSent-minded.''
"Yes. but don't fool yourself; all absent
minded people are not great geniuses.
Judge: Irishman-E'ry me two aigs.
Waiter-IIow will you have them done
hard?
Omaha daily bee., 1899-03-05

that the people, the taxpayers, Of the
country are fully alive to the situation
ana that they expect the strictcst econ
omy in expenditures consistent with an
efficient public service. They do not
want a ~niggardly administration of the
government, but they do desire that the
money they supply to carry on the gov
eminent shall be expended judiciously
and prudently for those things which
are legitimate and necessary.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-03-05

AS great as were the exports of 1898
1t seems likely that the American man
ufacturer will send 1899 down to history
as a record-breaker in this line. The
exports of domestic manufactures are
already $23,0O0,0OO in excess of any
previous given period and while they
now amount to over 81, 200, 900 a day
evidences are not lacking that they will
go much higher during the spring
months. But while this is true our
manufacturers are supplying the home
market as never before in the history
of the country. The imports of manu-
featured goods during the last seven
months decreased to $147, 200, 972. a
marked falling off over the same period
of last year, leaving n clear trade bal
ance in our favor of $50, 1000, 900 on these
goods alone. If any more satisfactory
evidence of thoroughly healthy pros
perity is wanted by the calamity bowler
he must be eve more unreasonable
than his worst enemy has heretofore
supposed.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-03-05

Increases of wages to workers in the
iron and steel mills of the country, af-
fecting many thousands of wage earn
ers, ore of daily occurrence. While
the great west does not contain many
of these mills it will be indirectly a
great gamer. Every dollar of addi-
tiOnal wages means added ability to
buy and pay for the products of the
farm and increased demand means in
creased prices.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-03-05

The cruiser Brooklyn, with Vice Ad-
miral Schley in command, will take the
remains of Lord H%erschell back to his
native land. The two veterans of
Santiago-ship and commander-will
doubtless receive a reception in Eng
lish ports which will be memorable in
the worlds annals, both on account of
themselves and the mission of friend
ship which takes them across the ocean.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-03-05

During the Dreyfus trial the strange
conduct of the ''veiled lady played n
conspicuous part in securing a convic-
ton and all France wondered who she
was. The evidence of E~starhazy makes
it plain to every reader of Dickens that
her name was Mrs. Harris" the init
mate but noneXistent friend Of the i'm
mortal "Sairy Camp
Omaha daily bee., 1899-03-05

The Japanese navy now has a
cruiser which, it is said, can give the
American cracks-the Minneapolis and
Columbia-a lively race. The Japan
csc were compelled to come over to
this country, however, to have it built.
The new ship, on which the flag has
just been hoisted, is also the crack
cruiser of the Japanese navy in other
respects than speed.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-03-05
Greed and Conquest.

We may continue to send troops to the
Philippines from now until doomsday; We
may put the natives to the sword and their
homes to the torch; we may boast OF vic
tories and applaud the heroes of a brief hour,
but until We gain a victory over the sug-
gestlons of greed and foreign conquest
neither humanity nor justice will be salts
fed.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-03-05

The people of Nebraska will send up
a fervent prayer that If Il commission
Is appointed to compile the statutes of
the state it will also compile an intelli-
gent index. To the average searcher
after legal lore a signboard printed in
Sanscrit would serve as well as those
now available.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-03-05

Italy is demanding its share in the
wreck of empire in the Orient and has
demanded the cession of a port and
contiguous territory. When all the de-
mands are complied with China itself
may be forced to apply for n port or go
out of the shipping business.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-03-05

The row between the handwriting eX-
perts in the Adams poisoning case will
be bad enough, but it will be altogether
a tame affair when compared with the
settlement of the question which Il
of the buff kids discovered the clue.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-03-05

A Texas man, under sentence to be
hanged, has confessed that he com
mitted two crimes for which innocent
negroes were lynched. Not long ago
a mob at Roanoke, Va, had Il rope
around IA mans neck and was just
swinging him into eternity when the
oma in the case confessed she not
only never saw the victim before but
also that no crime had been committed.
His life was saved, but his reason was
dethroned and he went to n madhouse
an incurable maniac, These are but
two instances where many might be
adduced, but they should be sufficient to
demonstrate how easy 1t Is for mob ven
geance 10 fall upon the innocent instead
of the guilty. The south should study