davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-12

the height OF the highest mountain In the
world-Mount Everest. in the Himalayos.
IL the same number OF stamps was piled up
In the form OF the ordinary sheets OF 100
each, IL follows that the stack would be
over a NTH OF a mile high.
During the year 1898 the number OF spe-
cial delivery stamps sold was about $780,
600. II is only reasonable to suppose that
the average Journey Of the special delivery
messenger Is half q mile. Indeed. that Is
an absurd underestimate; but let 1t 20 at
that. On this assumption the total distance
Travelled for special delivery in 1898 was
about 2.625, 900 miles. That Is a very con-
siderable space to traverse, as may be real
lied when 1t is considered that a messenger
boy, in order to accomplish that total dis
lance, would have to 90 about 100
times around the world, or Ave times to the
moon and back.
1t appears, from figures furnished by the
Postofice department, that the average per-
son in Massachusetts,, including men. women
and children. spends $3.50 on postage per
annum. New York comes second with an
expenditure Of s2.27. The District Of
Columbia third with $2.16. Colorado Is
fourth with s1.93, and Connecticut Is Nth
with $3.50. The states ranking lowest In
this regard are South Carolina. with %
cents per capita; Mississippi. with "a cents;
Alabama, with 35 cents; Arkansas, with 81
cents, and North Carolina. with Al cents.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-12
LABOR WANTS SOUND MONEY.

There Is no more ingenious exponent
of the free silver question than ex-
Governor Altgeld, as there is probably
no n more sincere than he In advo-
eating the free coinage of silver. In
an interview while in Omaha Mr.. Alt
geld said: Free coinage Of silver
leans that the expansion of money
volume shall begin at the bottom with
the labor which digs the metal u OF
the ground" Others, whom he char
acterized as financial quacks, "would
have the expansion Of the money vol
ume begin at the top, 30 that the
added quantity would have to go
through all the capitalistic channels
before a dollar Of 1t would reach labor"
According to this the workers In the
silver mines, who number only a few
thousand, would be the first beneti-
gradually as more silver was added to
the currency other labor would profit
by the expansion.
1t Is possible hat free coinage would
somewhat enhance the price of labor
employed In silver mining, but IL 1t
should have the effect upon the price
of products which the silverites claim
1t would, the mine workers would get
no benefit from the advance in the
value of their labor. They would re-
ceive more dollars for their work, but
In purchasing power their increased
earnings would enable them to obtain
no more of the necessarles Of life than
their present wages, II so much. AS to
other labor, its price would not be i'm
mediately enhanced by silver eXpan-
sion, but the purchasing power of its
earnings would mt once decrease to the
extent Of the rise In. the price of com
modities measured by silver. Besides,
free silver coinage, while 1t would
doubtless have the effect to stimulate
mining, would so disturb and unsettle
the general business of the country that
much Of the labor now employed would
become idle. Thus while a few thou
sand workers In silver mines would be
we'll employed at perhaps some increase
In wages, a many times greater num-
Der of other workers would be with
out employment, while those who con-
tinued at work would find their earn
ings worth less In exchange for com.
modities. How long this condition of
AFFAIRS would continue no one can soy,
Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-12
THOSE "IMPUDENT REBELS"

Philadelphia Record: It may be, indeed.
that the Spanish have coded to us not only
an archipelago but also an u~lcerous and
burning quarrel with the natives, although
there 10 no evidence Of this save in the
strained situation Oh the Island OF Panay.
II conquest Of guerilla insurgents must fol-
low the defeat and overthrow Of Spanish
power in the Philippines the future Of the
archipelago will become a grave question
In federal finance as well as in American
politics.
Buffalo Express: II at any time while
the Philippines were Spanish territory the
Filipinos had captured the town Of Iloilo, we
Americans would have clapped our hands
in appreciation. Wo should have had no
doubt then as to the capacity of the Flip
mos to govern the place. Very likely the
same members OF congress who used to in
troduce and argue for the resolutions recog-
nizing the independence OF the Cubans would
have been offering resolutions for the indie
pendence Of the Filipinos.
Cleveland Plain Dealer: The situation is
far from reassuring, but the administration
at Washington processes to be confident all
will be well. Nevertheless, preparations are
making for asserting the authority Of the
United States at Iloilo as we'll as elsewhere
a. SAO hiAAppihCo IL thC ilipluOS pei dbl III
their unreasonable claim that having driven
the Spaniards out without outside help they
are entitled to independent rule OF the ter
ritory freed by themselves. Having hoisted
the flag OF Filipino freedom they want to
know who will haul it down." Any i'm
perial expansionist will tell them their po-
sition il absurd. We have bought them
for $40, 900, 900 and they must be free under
our flag only.
Chicago Tribune: 1t would be regrettable
from every point of view II the present signs
Of hostility among the Philippine natives
towar the United States should lead to an
open rupture. 1t would be a mistake on the
part Of the Flipinos for which they would
inevitably have to suffer and 1t would make
the task Of the American government hard
where 1t ought naturally to be easy and
pleasant. The authority Of the United
States must be maintained, however, what
ever Aguinaldo and his rebellious Malays
may do. II General Otis manifests the same
tact and friendly generosity as the presi-
dent has embodied in his proclamation 1t
ought not to be necessary to use any harsh
means with the natives, but in the case OF
open rebellion there should be no half way
measures.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-12
ATTACKS on CIVIL SERVICE.

Chicago Times Herald The few hundreds
or few thousands Of idle fellows who are
waiting about for federal Jobs may make
some politicians think they are the whole
people, but as a matter OF fact they are a
very small and uninluential part OF the
people. A party that is bound to have them
may get them easy enough, but It will lose
everything else.
Chicago Post: 1t is sheer nonsense to
talk about the appointing power Of the
president having been 'throttled." Honest
and faithful executives welcome this as a
deliverance. instead of an invasion OF their
prerogatives. And the people are as salts
fed as their chief magistrates. The question
is settled and the spoils champions should
cease wasting their energies.
indianapolis Journal. The action Of the
national house Of representatives in strik-
ing out the civil service appropriation is
open to the suspicion Of being for
political effect, as everybody knows the
senate will restore the appropriation and an
sist upon 1t. II the house action should pre-
vail the political effect might be very
different from what some of the anti civil
service men imagine.
Indianapolis Journal: BY all means let us
rid ourselves of the odious merit system be-
fore we fill the colonial offices in order that
we may make the same brilliant success Of
Imperialism as Spain has made, instead Of
following Great Britain's sad example. And
let us be thankful that we have statesmen
in congress who are shrewd enough to see
the danger which lies concealed in the
deadly merit system, and who are brave
enough to attack 1t, even though the people,
misguided creatures. who do not know
what is good for the country, are strongly
in favor of sticking to a plan that makes "a
public office a public trust"
Indianapolis News: These gentlemen will
lind when the question comes before the
house that the friends Of the law will have
little difficulty in defeating this petty as
sault on it. There never has been a time
when the feeling in favor of the merit sys-
TEN was as strong as 1t is now. The ne
cessity for maintaining at least a temporary
government in distant islands has made the
people realize the Importance Of choosing
men for fitness rather than for their sup
posed claims To think that with the
new and complicated problems pressing on
US We are going to do anything to revive
the old spoils system is to do scant credit
to the good sense Of the American people.
The law will stand, and congress will, as it
has been doing for years, vote the appropri-
alton for the civil service commission.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-12

Senator Crows bill t empower
boards of education absolutely to fix
the amount Of school tax to be levied
without the aid OF consent Of the coun-
Gil will draw heavy fire from Omaha
taxpayers. While the friends of the
public schools, and for that matter all
the people, are deeply interested in
maintaining the public school system
on a high plane, it is a very serious
question whether the Board of Educa-
ton shall have the sole power to fix
the school levy regardless Of condi-
tons. Such power conferred upon the
school board would be an incentive to
reckless extravaganza and the intro
'duction Of frills and novelties in the
public schools that should form no
part of a public school system. With
no check upon its expenditures and no
responsibility to the people beyond
possible retirement at the end of their
term, the school board would be
tempted to venture into schemes that
would not be dreamed of so long as the
board must depend upon the concur
renee Of another branch of municipal
government.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-12
Personal AND OTHERWISE.

Robert Knight. the cotton king Of Pro-
violence. R. l., started life as a ~penniless
farm hand.
The Heard family OF Washington, Ga,
preserved unchanged in their old house the
room in which the confederate cabinet held
its last meeting.
Colonel George B. NJ. Harvey, who is at
the head of a syndicate which has bought
the street railway systems OF Havana for
SLATE, 900, Is an old journalist.
Tom Watson, the Georgia populist, ex-
congressman and a candidate for the vice
presidency in the last presidential election,
has written a two-volume history Of France,
which so competent an authority as George
Carey Eggleston pronounces serious and
scholarly, though full Of fault as well as
attractions.
During the course Of a speech in the SEN
ate the other day Mr.. Caffery of Louisiana
read a long extract from a large, cloth
bound volume. Some Of the phrases at
tracted the attention Of Senator Spooner,
who was among Mr.. Caffery's auditors. and
DO asked: From what is the senator read
Ing? ?" II am reading" replied Mr.. Caffery
With crushing emphasis, from the consti-
ution of the United States"
Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-12
KILL OFF ALL HOLD-UP BILLS.

During every session of the legisla-
and by collision to attack interests
supposed to be vulnerable.
In many instances the avOwed object
of such bills is blackmail and extor-
ton. Sometimes the introducers of
hold-up bills do not comprehend their
import, being imposed upon by profess
siOnal hOld-ups that make legislative
bOodling a fine art. In other instances
members Of former legislatures have
gone into partnership with boodlers in
the lobby and deliberately used their
power to levy forced contributions upon
various corporations and individuals
whose business was threatened. Thus
bills are proposed to touch the school
book trust, the insurance companies,
the cigarette manufacturers, the liquor
dealers, the telephone and telegraph
companies, stock yards and last but not
least the railroads.
There Is a wide difference between
an honest attempt to regulate and re-
strain ~monopolies or abolish abuses in
the interest Of the public and the dras-
tic bills purposely framed as radical as
possible with no intention of enact
ment, but solely to bleed the interests
aimed at. While the inexperienced
lawmaker is not always able to detect
a hOld-up bill at sight, most of them
can be uncovered in short order. AS q
general thing men behind hold-up bills
do not want them pushed. They pre-
fer to turn the screws on slowly until
the victim comes 10 time and then they
engineer to have the bill pigeon-holed
or made harmless in committee.
1t Is the duty as well as the interest
Of all reputable members of the legis.
lature irrespective of party to have all
hold-up bills killed off as soon as their
nature is disclosed. Such a course will
thin out the lobby and save the legis-
lature from scandal more effectively
than anything that could be done.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-12
ON WITH II NEW.

AS the old year sinks down in times ocean,
Stand ready to launc with the new,
And waste no regret nor emotions
AS the masts and the spars pass from
view.
Weep not If some treasures go under,
And sink in the rotten ships hold,
That white, bonny bargue sailing yonder,.
May bring you more wealth than the old,
For the world Is forever improving
All the past is not worth one Today,
And whatever deserves our true loving
Is stronger than death or decay.
Old love. was 1t wasted devotion?
Old friends, were they weak or untruoY
Well, let them sink these in midocean,
And gaily sail on with the new.
Throw overheard toll misdirected,
Throw overheard ill-advised hope,
With aims. which your soul has detected,
Have self as their center and scope;
Throw overheard useless regrettng
For deeds which you cannot undo,
And learn the great art Of forgetting
All things which embitter the new.
Sing who will Of dead years departed,
! shroud them and bid them adieu-
And the song that I sing happy hearted
Is the song Of the glorious new.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-12
Fusion members of the legislature are

Fusion members of the legislature are
evidently bent on doing away with the
State Board of Transportation and its
secretaries. In this they will find re-
publicans willing to assist. The motives
behind the two parties, however, seem
to differ. The republicans consider 1t a
worse than useless adjunct of state gov
eminent which can well be dispensed
with without loss. The f~usionists wish
to abolish the board in order to unload
a job lot Of politicians who have fas-
tened themselves on the party and for
whose action or inaction they do not
desire longer to be held responsible.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-12
MILES OF POSTAGE STAMPS.
Some Idea of the Millions that Were
Issued Last Year.

1SSueu ALuSt hSuE
Washington Star.
Uncle Sam printed Just a few postage
stamps during the year 1898. The number
of 2-cent stamps issued during the year was
about $500, 900, 900. Such a number. OBJ
viously. is beyond the grasp Of the human
mind, but perhaps the matter may be made
more clear by putting 1t otherwise.
An ordinary 2-cent stamp Is exactly one
inch long. From this fact, by a little calcu.
lation, 1t Is easy to discover that the number
OF stamps OF this denomination issued In
1898, placed end to end, would extend a dis.
lance considerably exceeding IS, 900 miles.
In other words, they would make a continue.
Gus strip OF stamps, each one adorned with
the head of the father Of his country. stretch.
ing In a belt more than once and a half
around the equator.
OF course, though the 2-cent stamps are
those principally used, there are others.
Enough 1-cent postage stamps have been
issued during the year 1898 to stretch from
New York City. by way OF Europe and Asia.
to Bombay, India, II similarly arranged in
one strip. All other stamps, as to produc.
tion and sales, are Of minor Importance com.
paratively speaking, but it is interesting to
know that almost exactly one mile of 81
stamps were manufactured for the demand
OF 1895. or s. stamps the production was
equivalent to a little more than half q
furlong, or about one-ffteenth Of a mile.
Now, II all the postage stamps printed by
the United States government in 1898 were
placed one on top OF another, as neatly as
might be without putting them under
pressure, how high do you suppose the pile
Of them would be? There Is no use guess
ing; you would never get 1t nearly right,
unless you went to work to calculate 1t for
yourself. The $500, 900, 900 stamps Of all de-
nominations printed during the current
year-the statement. of course, is approxi-
mate-would tower to an elevation OF twenty
one miles. This Is more than three times
Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-12
A EurOpean Bluff.
Philadelphia Times

1t is scarcely to be believed that Germany
and France will permit this country to ga
the length of passing retaliatory laws which
shall exclude their food products from this
country, foY when the row is all over and
such laws on both sides have been repealed
the.trade lost during the interim will not be
easily regained. 1t will be hard at first to
do without certain sausages, cheeses ald
wines or to pay higher prices for those a.
ready made here and stamped with foreif
labels, but the boom which will ultimately
be achieved by the American brand OF thee
goods will create an appetite for them whia
cannot be eradicated.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-12
Boston Transcript.

Senator Hoar's searching question in his
Boston Merchants association letter: Have
you ever reflected that a permanent ~incfease
in our expenditure Of $50, 900, 900 a year.
which we cannot withdraw, is precisely The
same thing as adding to our national debt
IS, 900, 900, 900 at 8 per cent?" has done the
business for "lmperialism'' with many who
listened to it. Five billion dollars for a
trade less than Santo Domingo's is not such
a bargain as business men sanction. If no,
good business is 1t good politics?
Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-12

The Biscuit trust has promised to be
good If the attorney general Of Ohio
will only let 1t transact business in the
state. This simply demonstrates what
a real live attorney general can do IL he
has the disposition.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-12

The United States senate has kindly
consented to make the peace treaty
public. With no intention to hurt the
feelings of the senators 1t may be stated
the newspapers accomplished that task
sometime ago.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-12

An Iowa man has been. declared
legally dead because nothing has been
heard from him for seven years. If this
is the correct rule the country must be
full of politicians who are dead and do
not know II.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-12

What Is left of the Spanish feet in
the West Indies, a few small gunboats
which remained in the fortified harbors,
Is now on its way home. 1t should be
carefully preserved as a relic of that
sad but glorious past of which the Span
ish profess to be SO proud.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-12

The farmers in the legislature ought
to keep their eyes peeled to catch on
to bills introduced by lawyers whose
main object to get into the legislature
was to change the laws to suit inter-
ests OF clients whose cases promise
them a heavy contingent fee.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-12

There Is danger that the state will
be flooded with too many mutual in
surance companies organized princi-
pally to give soft berths to schemcrs
who have nothing to lose aud every
thing to gain from organized benevo-
lence at other peoples expense.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-12

1t will be unfortunate II the sequel OF our
war with Spain ends in our fighting and
defeating those whom Spanish tyranny drove
into insurrection, and yet present condl-
lions are such that, II this alternative Is pre-
scented, we must courageously face 1t, even
though we may regret that some other
means OF adjusting difficulties has not been
presented. hs
Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-12

Senator Farrell and his committee on
mines and mining may have some work
to do before the session is w There
are always more or less mines laid dur
ing every session and II he al prevent
his populist brothers from being blown
up BY some Of them he will be fortunate.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-12

Strange the little fistic encounter be,
tween Messrs. Sharkey and Mccoy
should create such a furore when Euro
pean legislative bodies are furnishing
almost daily larger and more animated
spectacles Of the same kind.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-12

The fruit and produce commission
men Of the United States are having a
convention. They are reminded that the
objections to expansion have no refer
ence to the size Of berry boxes. 80
Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-12

Governor Leedy has a duel on his
hands as a result Of questioning the
veracity Of an ex-member of the legis-
lature. The ex-legislator had referred to
the ex-governor in equally uncompli-
mentary terms. Nothing short of a duel
will vindicate disrupted regulations.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-12

Are


Now is the time to
paints painting sea-
son and we can pant
you right. We can do
it for $3.50, for So. for
$3.50, for So and for
$3.50. This includes a
big range of pants,
many regular lines, all
our odd pants and all
pants left from suits.
There are some splen-
did bargains. You can
save from soc to $500
on every pair of pants
you buy. Our display
in our windows will
show you what they
are, and the materials
are of c%assimeres, che
viots, clays and wors-
teds, and a pair Of
these pants either at
$3.50 or $3.50 will
make an old coat and
vest look like new.
Come and get first
choice.
Sale now on.
WBRoxH1NdKlHdt@
Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-12
why An Increased Armyf

DPT tNoPup'N"H'
General Miles lays down the axiom. which
the administration would follow, that there
should be at least one soldier to every 1000
of population in the greater United States.
II England followed that rule she would
now have 800, 900 soldiers to police her 30O,-
OOO, 900 Of dependent subjects, outside the
United Kingdom. II America needs one
soldier to every 1000, how is 1t that the
British empire can get eallons with a much
smaller ratio?
Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-12
Admiral Dewey's Politics.

Admiral Dewey's two brothers and his
nephew at Montpelier confirm the statement
that he is a republican. The admiral HIM
self said 50 in an interview published in
former years. Mr.. Bryan need fear no rivalry
from Dewey in a democratic convention.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-12

Carter Harrison came out f~iatfooted
for free silver at the ratio of 16 to /
without the aid or consent of any
other nation on earth, but that does not
reconcile Altgeld to Carter Harrison's
candidacy for reelection as mayor Of
Chicago.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-12
Havana's Private Slaughter Pen.

TOoos
The frightful discovery has been made that
the room adjoining the dining room OF the
Spanish military governor in Havana was
used as an execution and torture chamber.
There is no telling how many miserable
spring chickens and innocent quail met their
dismal fate there.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-12

At first blush Senator Van Dusen's
primary election bill will commend
itself to men Of all parties who desire
to purge u political system Of cor
rupt methods at the source. 81
Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-12
Let II Go MT Tint.
Kansas City World.

hdH5dS CITY WUVIU.
1t is the intention Of the captain general
Of Cuba to introduce a few American police
men into Havana to teach the native police
men their duties. How to find the side door
will be the first lesson.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-12

make are not only loud, but unusual.
They resemble neither the baying OF
n donkey, the barking of a dog. the
hootlng Of the owl, the purring Of tom
cats or any sound that usually ema-
mates in the night time from man or
beast. 1t is proper to remark that MIR.
Weaver's intentions are doubtless
honorable and for aught we know he
may be aiming to do away with the
loud and unusual noises of a charivarl
concert troup under the garden wall
Of the house occupied by n bridal
couple.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-12
from Santiago afford a splen-

Reports from Santiago afford a splen-
did Illustration of the contention Of
sound money men that the laboring
classes suffer most from bad monetary
conditions. Merchants, whose business
1t Is to keep posted on the values of the
different kinds of money in circulation
there, protect themselves, but the Ia
borer gets the worst of it at every turn.