davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-30
FEELING THE LOBBYIST.
Arkansas Statesmen Grappling with
Great Problem.
na,I- nnni Ia

81. Louis Repuolc.
Senator shackfeford has introduced bill
into the Arkansas legislature which shows
that his conception OF the making
function possesses effectiveness as well as
originality
The bill would make 1t hereafter unlaw-
tul for any person or persons to lobby with
any members OF the general assembly, or
approach or talk to any OF its members on
any measure pending or to be introduced.
unless such person shall wear while in the
statehouse or on the statehouse grounds
badge indicating his business. This badge
Is to be so worn that he who runs may read
On 1t shall be printed the lobbyists name
the measure for or against which he Is lob
bying and the side or interest he Is advo-
eating.
This precaution would prove useful in
warning new members against the true
character and calling OF persons whom they
often mistake for smooth faced clergymen
appealing for state aid to charitable insti-
tutions. timid school teachers working for
raise in their salaries or rural taxpayers
interesed in the formation OF a new county.
1t will put the old members on their
guard, not so much against the insidious
and dangerous lobbyist with whom they are
doubtless acquainted as against keen-eyed
constituents VINO may De ODSciNihB 'hS Noi'
, pany they keep and who win tell the folks
at home.
Senator Shackleford's measure extends only
to requiring the class Of persons who IN
tertere with legislation, generally in Il
detrimental way, to wear the insignia OF
their calling in the state house ground and
buildings. This is, probably, as far as the
scope of legislative authority will reach In
such matters.
II it were legally practicable, professional
lobbyists not only should be required to
wear badges while in the capital during
session OF the legislature but should be com
pefled to write the word lobbyist after
their names on the hotel registers and have
the doors OF their rooms placarded with their
names and the character Of their business.
Missouri and other states might take the
cue from Arkansas in this matter and i'm
| prove upon the original plan.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-30

j, Sterling Mortons Conservative.
How many thousands of acres of the pub
lie school lands of the state of Nebraska
have been sold?
To whom have they been sold and when
and at what prices?
These are practical questions. They are
questions which will command an answer
il they are embodied in a joint resolution
and passed by the senate and house OF rep
resentatives. The public school lands and
the public school funds ought to be described
specified and plainly set forth in tabulated
form at the assembling of each successive
legislature. The taxpayers OF Nebraska
ought to be informed definitely and plainly
as to how the school lands are leased how
much they amount to in acres; where they
are located, and how many have been sold
to whom and at what prices. More than
that Nebraska taxpayers should know what
the permanent school fund amounts TO IN
cash and how the same is now invested
There cannot be too much light let on &c
school lands and school funds. In the ligh
they are always safe.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-30
THEY WANT NO PART IN 1T.
Pointed Views of Americans Back
from the Philippines.

Boston transcript.
1t was the fine flower of young American
manhood that came marching home from
Manila the other day-the Astor battery
They are a full-faced, rosy checked lot of
upper crust New Workers, and as jolly and
sensible in their views of life as a healthy
American should be. They are well edu-
Gated and capable Of forming opinions on
any of the live topics of the day. so that
when sixty-seven out OF seventy-three of
them say that nothing save necessity for
fighting would induce them to return to the
Philippines 1t Is worthy of consideration
by all sane persons.
One keenly intelligent young fellow says
that it is no place for civilized man to
make his home, and another equally in
telligent declares that no man WHO has any
idea of what America or Europe contains
TO make life worth living even at its poorest
has any business there. All agree that the
Philippines, both soil and people, are filled
with disease, that in town and country they
are dirty, hot and unhealthful. Several OF
the soldiers aver that the American bunco
steerer is a comparatively harmless ind-
vidual beside the natives, who constantly
lie in wait to rob newcomers.
All these things and more are said b.
members OF the Astor battery, and 1t should
help to convince every thinking man that
we want none OF the Philippines. In truth
no one but Aguinaldo does seem to really
want them, and so Why not let him have
them In peace? Our missionaries militant
who are the hottest after the Philippines
can doubtless find with the patriots there
all the fighting against the Spanish Catholic
priesthood that they want
Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-30
LIFE'S TRAGEDY.

I was once young. bithesome and pretty,
And life held pleasures in store:
When wealth and its comforts around me
Made friends of the rich and the poor.
But years passed away and my beauty
Was followed by wrinkles Of care,
And wealth took the wings of the morning
Which floats lightly away on the air.
When loved ones and neighbors forsook me,
And lonely and feeble was l.:
They lef. me alone there. to die.
But my dear old Bible is near me
And tells me of One long ago
Who Travelled the hills of Judea
To rescue from sin and from woe.
It tells of His father in heaven,
And how in His infinite love
He sent the loved son of his bosom
To show them the straight road above.
And how in all His earth mis- sion,
In toilinR and praying for men.
They despsed and rejected His teaching
And plotted His earth life to end.
But look! Oh, I see the angel!
'Tis coming with white robes for me;
All pure and bright in the morning
Wen cross DER the Jasper sea.
When they come in the morning to wake
And find that my spirits fled.
Then gently they'll tell my children:
You may come. for your mother y
dead"
Then over the hills from the poorhouse
My body they'll carry away;
But ] shall then be with Jesus
In that beautiful home to stay.
Stanton, Neb. TOPSY.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-30
RaJ.IDT REEDRti

When the Australian ballot law wus
enacted by the Nebraska legislature the
chief object of its trainers was TO en-
courage intelligent voting and insure
an untrammeled secret ballot. Those
objects were fully subserved in the law
that provided for the printing of Off.
cal ballots with the names of oil candl-
dates arranged alphabetically and re-
aured every voter to indicate with n
crossmark the candidate of his choice
for each office. Under this law the CO.
ercon of voters was made absolutely
impossible and the corruption of the
voter most difficult.
The only defect was the omission of
safeguards against the corruption Of
voters under the disabled voter plea
whereby purchaseable voters could fur
nlsh proofs of delivering their votes
through the collusion of election officers
designated to mark their ballots for
them. Instead of correcting this evil
the last legislature repealed the whole
some provisions of the law that com
PEELED voters to mark the name of each
candidate separately and opened the
way for confusion and partisan dis
elimination. The disabled voter trick
was multiplied tenfold by the wholesale
voting under emblems and the secrecy
of the ballot destroyed by placing the
election officers in position to spot vot-
ers who fail to vote stiuight ticket.
The voting by crossmarks under
eagles and roosters also opens the way
for duplication and complication. The
candidate nominated by two or more
parties is given unfair advantage over
the candidate nominated by only one
party and the ballot is needlcssly en-
larged to proportions of n blanket sheet.
While unscrupulous partisans are al
ways ready to resort to any measure
that promises to promote the interests
of their own party at the expense of
its opponents. fairminded citizens of oil
parties do not approve any device in.
tended to abridge the independence of
the voter or to put a premium upon
ignorance and fraud. They desire to
insure free and honest expression Of
the popular will through the ballot box.
This should be the end kept in view by
the legislature in revising the election
laws.
The original Australian ballot law as
introduced into Nebraska was good
enough. Even If that law cannot be
restored, the cumbersome pictorial bal
lot should by all means be done away
with and the voter again compelled to
mark the name of each candidate he
desires elected. This much at least the
people of Nebraska have a right to ex-
lnturp
Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-30

there Is no human agency In the counting.
No ignorant or dishonest officers can alter
the figures They are registered by the ma
chino and the watchers at the polls can see
whether or not they are transcribed accu-
ratey. In case OF the death OF a candidate
a few days, or even a few hours before an
election, the name OF substitute candidate
could be put on the ballot without trouble,
FOR. IL there we're not time to print IT,
typewriter card could be Inserted
1t is calculated that use OF the machine
In state with the voting population OF
New York would result In a saving OF
5000 900 every two years. The cash reg
lister" has ccmc Into general use and the
long use OF business men has demonstrated
its usefulness. It is easy to understand that
the employment OF the machine in elections
would make the corruption OF the ballot
almost impossible. as II does its own count
ing. declaring the result as to every can
didate the instant the polls are closed. II
could be so easily protected against viola
tion that election contests would be rarely
known. 1t should be adopted in all the
states and the people could well agree to
a tax for their purchase so that they might
be furnished the voters Of every precinct.
There was one objection to the machine
which seemed TO be insuperable-it did not
provide for the man who wished to cast a
scattering vote for some one who had not
been named by any party. But that has
been remeded by adding a blank column
in which the voter can write or print any
name he chooses.
The publication OF the ballot began with
the adoption OF the Australian system and
the registration laws. The voting machine
will reinforce them by insuring the ab-
solute accuracy of the count and the lmme.
diate declaration OF the result. Under such
an arrangement. x the machines were util-
lied in every state Of the union, the exact
result Of a presidential election would be
known as quickly me telegraph could
transmit the vote, FOR the'e would bs 10
delay in counting. It is The utilization -
science against the ballot sisalsr s-d gives
the voter the FULL benefit 0: ah electoral
privilege.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-30
Personal AND OTHERWISE.

Senator Vest once took lessons in boxing,
and, like Governor Roosevelt, is an expert
at 1.-The manly art
Frederic r. Coudert, the New York
hnancier, got his title Of "the lion of Wall
street" because Of his expression and
whiskerr.
Senator McCumber, recently elected from
North Dakota, is described as about 43 years
Of age, smooth faced, with light hair and
blue eyes.
During the last thirty years nearly all
Indiana's senators, Mcdonald, Voorhees,,
Harrison, Turpie, Fairbanks and Beveridge,
have been Ohio men by birth.
Edward B. Talcott, the young broker who
has Just retired from Wall street, after
amassing a large fortune, is base ball en-
thus!ast. and himself a pitcher OF no mean
ability.
The record Of club meetings in Detroit for
last week, as given In the Free Press OF
that city. shows thirty-two pedro one whist
and three euchre clubs, three classified in a
general way as card clubs" and two
literary clubs.
Edwin c. Gibbs, an insurance man OF Gin
cinnati, says his company refused to insure
the yacht Paul Jones for $1,000 Just prior to
its departure for New Orleans, and on look
ing it up for a complete description con-
cuded at once that such craft had no
business on the gulf at this time Of year.
The Philadelphia North American, pup
lished by Clayton McMichael & Sons, has
been sold to r. e. A. Dorr, one OF the pub
fishers OF the New York Mail and Express.
The North American was established In
1884, and seems destined to verify the pre-
diction Of It's founder. This paper comes to
stay"
Charles NJ. Pepper, whose friends in
Washington are urging his appointment as
the librarian of congress to succeed John
Russell Young, was for several years the
chief correspondent at the national capital
Of the Chicago Tribune. Before the out
break Of the Spanish war he went to Cuba
to represent syndicate OF newspapers. and
he is now at Havana in the same service
ExSecretary Of the Treasury Carlisle is a
frequent visitor to Washington and was seen
the other day In one Of the long, dark cor
ridors OF the treasury building Old negro
messengers many OF whom were appointed
by Carlisle, stood with bowed heads as their
former chief passed by They all love Car
Isle and, despite his gruff manner he was
one Of the most admired men who ever pre-
sided over that department.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-30
General Malaria In Cuba.
RnItipo Ora SIM

General Wood threw valuable light upon
what to many persons has seemed an un-
accountable mystery, that, with quarter
Of million of troops in the island, and
under such generals as Martinez Campos
and Weyler, the Spaniards should have
made such little progress during three
years toward suppressing the rebellion. They
were fighting, not simply handful OF
ragged, poorly armed insurgents, but what
was infinitely more formidable-the climate
mo troops stationed in Cuba" said Gen.
eral Wood, had escaped the diseases due
to the climate. This fact accounted for the
non-aggressive character OF the Spanish
campaign in the island and, he thought, ex-
planned why as many as 100000 Spanish
soldiers were required in service there. He
had found that the Spanish were affected
by the climate just as the Americans are
and also that the Cubans themselves were
under constant liability to malaria. Often
as many as SO per cent of the Cubans were
disabled"
Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-30
POLICE JUDGE AND POLICE BOARD.

Omaha cannot enjoy police protection
so long as the police court and police
force are at constant war with each
other. The conflict between the police
and police board on one side and Judge
Gordon on the other is not of recent
| origin. Complaints about the persist
ent lenency of Judge Gordon toward
the lawless classes date back almost to
the time when he first assumed the
| office The police under the various
chiefs, including Sigwart, Gallagher
and White, have been unanimous in
the verdict that it is utterly impossible
to keep the city rid of professional
crooks and disorderly people under ex-
listing police court methods.
| The controversy has now reached an
| aggravated stage that calls for decisive
action. The title of Judge Gordon to
the Office he holds is at best very
slender. Able lawyers express the
opinion that his only title comes by
possession. The decision of the SUI
preme court declaring unconstitutional
the section of the charter providing for
the election of Police judge has left
him in the role of a hold-Over by suffer
ance. Up to this time the mayor and
council have not felt called upon to
take any steps looking to the appoint
ment Of new police judge. But the
clash between police court and police
board will compel action.
A house divided against itself can
not stand. When the police court loses
the respect Of the officers and the law
less elements look to the court for pro-
lection from the police the community
suffers irreparable injury. Under eX
listing conditions and in view of his
questionable right to hold the office, the
shortest way out would be for Judge
Gordon to resign. If he prefers to enter
the lists in fight with the police boarC
and council he will have no claim upOr
the sympathy of law-abiding people
The police may have been wrong II
some instances, but it is not to be pre-
sumed that all the policemen and al
the police boards have been in con
spiracy against him.
At all events the time is at hand FOL
lputting an end to the perpetual polio,
court scandals and squabbles.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-30
THE REVENUE PROBLEM

The policy of expansion. if carried out.
may render necessary the raising of
more revenue; it certainly will not allow
the government to reduce taxation. The
expenditures are now in excess of the
receipts and while the latter have been
growing there Is no reason to expect
that they will ovcrtake the former in the
near future. if the policy favored by
majority in congress shall be successful.
OF course there will be no revenue legis-
lation at the present session and whether
there can be any by the next congress
reducing taxation Is probematical.
Representative Russell of Connecticut.
n member of the ways and means com
mittee. in Il recent interview expressed
the opinion that legislation is not likely
to be attempted during the next con-
gress with the sanction of the majority
party, for the reason that we shall
hardly then know what the future de-
mands upon the federal treasury are to
be in relation to the new dependencies.
There are many uncertain elements in
the revenue problem. The Nicaragua
canal project, If it carries. will require
a considerable annual expenditure. The
increase of the army and navy will call
for large amounts but just what
amounts is yet to be determined. Then
there Is the question of the future OF
Cuba, Porto Rico and the Philippines
and what proportion if any they will
pay of the expenses of maintaining gar
risons and erecting fortificatiOns. If the
F'ilipinos resist American occupation
and attempted rule. as it seems certain
they will do. the task of subjugating
them may call for Il heavy expenditure,
for we should have to at least double the
American force now there and perhaps
| maintain such a force for several years.
A conflict between the United States
and the natives of the Philippines
would necessarily demoraliZe trade in
the islands and prevent the realization
of the revenue that could otherwise be
had from them. AS to Cuba, our eX-
penditures should not be very much if
| any greater than at present and if
conditions there improve as hoped for
the revenue should be sufficient to meet
large part or all of the expense and
the same is to be said of Porto Rico.
Such are some of the unknown guam
| ttes that must be considered in con-
| nection with the question of revenue
and they make it practically certain
that the American people cannot ex-
pect any relief from taxation for sew
| eral years. Il see no reason" said Mr..
Russell, "why the business community
should not proceed upon the assump-
tion that existing laws will remain in
force for at least three years" We
confidently believe that if the expan,
sion policy as now proposed is car
ried out these laws will be found made
| quate to meet the expenditures Of the
government.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-30
SAFETY APPLIANCES on TRAINS.
Marked Reduction in the slaughter
and Manning of Railroad Men.

washington iOSt.
Although the courts have slashed so many
and such large pieces of from the inter-
state Commerce commissions construction OF
the law that this very capable and energetic
board has little ground left to stand on. it
still manages to get up annual reports that
contain much interesting matter. One OF
the most welcome facts found in Its latest
report is that the diminution of slaughter
and manning of railroad employees still con-
tinues During the year ended June 30, 1897,
there were 1,034 fewer railroad employees
killed and 4, 4,O62 fewer injured than there were
during the year ended June 80. 1893. The
total number killed during the year first
mentioned was 1,693 while there were 27,-
667 injured. We get a hint OF the value or
safety promoting inventions and the impor-
lance of using them from the statement that
there has been a reduction Of so per cent in
the number OF employees killed while en-
gagged in coupling cars, this being due to a
great increase in the use OF automatic
couplers. which render 1t unnecessary for
brakemen to go between the cars while
coupling. In total Of 1,156,616 freight cars
owned by railroads in the United States
there are 1928. or 80 per cent. now FUR
nshed with self-acting couplers. while OIL
666 or A per cent. have air brakes. 1t Is
also shown that 29,175, or 80 per cent. of the
total number of locomotives in this country
are equipped with driving wheel brakes.
1t will probably surprise many OF our read
ers to learn that employment upon our rail-
roads is safer than 1t is on English lines.
This report states that while in this country
there is but one man killed annually out OF
every 600 who are engaged in coupling and
uncoupling cars. the death rate on British
roads Is nearly twice as great. the fatalities
occurring In the proportion Of to $780,
Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-30

Commissioner Peck now finds that the
S65OOOO appropriated by congress will
be entirely insufficient to give this cOun-
try the kind of n display that our prod
ucts should have at the Paris eXposi-
ton, and he wants another appropria-
position will give this country a chance
to do lot of effective missionary work
along commercial lines, just where it
Is most needed. While nearly every
nation in the world participated in the
Chicago exposition, there was no such a
gathering of importers commission mer-
chants and manufacturers as will gather
at the Paris exposition. The attendance
will be especially large from those
countries which deal almost exclusively
with France and Germany, and these
people are the very ones upon whom
we should impress the opportunities and
advantages of transferring at least a
part of their business to the United
States. This country would lose great
opportunity to establish new trade re-
latiOns If we failed to fully demonstrate
to the world what we are doing and
what we can do in all departments of
industry, and in view of these facts
we should spare no reasonable expense
in furnishing an exhibition of our prod
ucts that shall be in every respect
fairly representative.
Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-30
VOTING MACHINES.
An Argument in Favor of Adopting
Mechanical Appliances.
MINNEAPOLIS Times,

An Argument IN FuNOr Oh
Mechanical Appliances.
Minneapolis Times
The greatest improvement in political
methods during the last few years in this
country has been the adoption Of the
Australian system of secret voting at the
polls. Its great advantage is that 1T makes
IL possible to secure an unbiased and un-
coerced expression OF the peoples will
But no sooner have we familiarized our
selves with its use than there comes new
proposition which promises to secure the
same results with greater accuracy and even
less danger of fraud-a voting machine that
has already been tested sufficiently to dem
onstrate it's entire practicabilty. This ma
chine is constructed on the cash register
principle and is thus described:
Before voter enters the compartment to
register his vote he has an opportunity to
inspect in the polling place an exact fac
smile of the ballots suspended on the wall
inside of the booth. He can ascertain the
position on the ballots for each candidate
for whom he wishes to vote and has moth
ing to do when he enters the booth except
to push in the knobs opposite the names Of
the candidates of his choice. This operation
rarely occupies more than half minute and
full minute is ample time. There are no
ballots to assort and fold. The suspended
ballots are different colors and the voter
who cannot read can vote by color or by
numbers, which are placed opposite in
dividual names. No trace whatever is left
as to the character OF the vote cast 1t Is
added automatically to the grand total but
nobody can find any evidence as to what its
political complexion was. What is perhaps
of even greater importance than all else.