davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Omaha daily bee., 1901-02-02
Personal NOTES.

The Danish legislator who has started
a newspaper to oppose the sale OF the
islands TO the United States is in danger
of infringing on Editor Bryans patent
Frank Rockefeller's cattle ranch in Texas
Is about eight miles long and varies from
two to four miles in width. Here Mr..
Rockefeller spends nearly all his leisure
time, and he is then, to all appearances 9
typical cowboy.
Sir Charles Gavan Duffy, X. c. NJ. G., has
presented to the Royal Irish academy his
valuable collection OF books, manuscripts
and curios relating to Ireland His Ballad
Poetry OF Ireland" which was issued in 1s45,
has passed no fewer than fifty editions
Grover Cleveland has accepted honorary
membership in the Mercer County On.
JD Foxhunting association, which num-
hers about seventy-fve sport loving Tren-
tonians. Mr.. Cleveland in his letter to the
secretary OF the club, hopes that his ac-
ceptance will not involve danger to "the
| life or limb OF an old man"
The horrors Of the outrages, massacres
and looting in China by Christian soldiers
! leads a correspondent OF the New York
Evening Post to observe that "the Chris,
tian warrior Of today is on the same plane
as his ancestor who lived in the period
OF the cave bear and the mastodon, eN'
| cept that today he uses more deadly
weapons"
After thirty-flve years OF continuous serv-
! ice Chief Justice Depue has resigned from
the New Jersey supreme bench, That his
! intellectual power is unimpaired may be
! gathered from a remark he made on an
! nouncing his intention 10 resign. II much
prefer" said he. Ito withdraw when the
public may wonder why do so than to wait
until the public shall wonder why do not -
Queen Victoria was a grandmother at fC
and a great grandmother at CO. Her hrst
grandchild Is emperor OF Germany, and her
first great grandchild is the daughter OF
the emperor's oldest sister II was mem
Der OF famous Boston military company
visiting in London who, in toasting Vic
toria. spoke Of the queenliness Of th'
woman and the womsnliness Of the queen.
Omaha daily bee., 1901-02-02
RAISING A NEW ARMY

The army reorganization bill having
passed congress will doubtless go into
effect at once as there will be no delay
on the part of the president in signing
it. Under this measure the army may
be recruited up TO the maximum of
100000 men and some doubt has been
expressed whether the number of men
required can be enlisted between now
and June 80, when the term of enlist
mcnt of the volunteers in the Philip
pines expires. Senator Hale, in a
speech on the bill, said the secretary of
cruting up to the measure which the
act demands. He points out that the
best that has been done in the army in
the way of enlisting during the past
year has been at the rate of 1000 a
month. In the five months between now
and July l that rate would give only
5000 men. Adjutant General Corbin,
on the other hand, has expressed the
opinion that there will be no difficulty
in recruiting the army up to the max
lulhll' thpuSl 'tIldlllN lllc uSuItS XIV tll
by himself do not Justify his confidence.
II is possible that with some slight
relaxation of the tests imposed at the
recruiting stations enlistments can be
increased but there must be great
spurt forward in recruiting in order to
secure the 10000 men required In the
next five months, and it is indeed eN-
tremely doubtful whether this will be
realized 1t is assumed that perhaps
1900 soldiers now in the ranks vii, re-
enlist, bounty being offered for re-
enlistments, but the probability is that
no such number of the volunteers will
remain in the army, so general is the
desire among them to return home.
Grant that number OF re-enlist.
ments, however and there must still
be- recruited 10000 men and to secure
that number for service in the Philip
pines will plainly be no easy task.
As we pointed out some time ago con-
gress should have provided moderate
bounty for recruits and we note that
this is the opinion of some military men
ut Washington. Failure to raise the
new army within the required time
would be most unfortunate, but it is
clearly possible.
Omaha daily bee., 1901-02-02
ANTIQIITY or VICES.
Some Very old Crafts that Thrive In
Modern Times.


The letters and inscriptions OF Ham
murabi, a king Of the Babylonan dynasty
dating back to 22OO B. c.. which have
recently been translated. throw most in
teresting light not only upon the antiquity
OF vices OF a financial kind, but also upon
the manner in which they were punished
In those faraway days. In one of these
letters Hammurab notifies his cor
respondent that case OF bribery has been
reported to him. and that the man who
offered the bribe, the man who took the
bribe and a witness to the transaction are
in Babylon. The officer is further notified
to apprehend all these men. as well as TO
set seal upon the money upon whatso-
ever was offered as the bribe, and cause
it. and all the parties to be brought before
him for summary punishment. The out
come of the case is not reported but as
Hammurabi, the Amraphel of Genesis, was
absolute in power, 1t is not unlikely that
two Babylonians lost their heads as a
salutary warning TO others.
The second letter bears upon the question
OF mouey-lending in these ancient days.
a serf had informed the king that Ami
ellati, notorious usurer had laid claim to
| certain lands which belonged to him and
had appropriated his crops. The king, after
| looking into the matter found that the
| usurer held a mortgage upon only small
part Of the serf's acres, and ordered that his
| pledge should be returned to him and that
! the usurer should be brought to him for
punishment, the registry OF title being held
| sufficient to defeat a usurious claim-a
| feature OF land laws which, curiously
enough. is now advocated in England.
These two letters, over 1000 years old,
show not only the antiquity of the vices of
/ hut al In
which justice was administered sometimes
in the early days OF the race, In the
bribery case the briber was held as
equally guilty with the bribed In the
usury case the Babylonian sbylock lost
not only his interest. but his principal, and
was punished besides. In the bribery mat
| ter the king was determined not to touch
the hush money. 400 ounces of gold so
| he ordered his officials to return 1t to the
| briber, after deducting 39S ounces for legal
| expenses and 2 ounces for fees to the
servants. which shows that Hammurabi was
| crafty as well as just Justice, after all,
| has not made much advance in the last
! forty one centuries; on the other hand Its
| administrators today might learn a useful
lesson from the study of the Hammurabi
| tablets
Omaha daily bee., 1901-02-02
soME OF ora DoCToRs.
sample Instances of Learned Wen"
Posing as Experts.

t'nIduelluld httbIu
The overplus of doctors Of medicine has
been subject OF comment for many years,
and young men have been urged to seek
sCme pursuit which would offer better
rewards and a more certain living to con
scientious workers. The phrase There Is
always room at the top" however, has
upheld thousands Of bright young men
whose natural bent Is for the practice Of
medicine or surgery. That there is, in truth.
room for thoroughly educated physicians and
surgeons is suggested by the revelations OF
ignorance on the part OF some OF our doc
tors who have succeeded in making a liy-
ing by private practice or in the public
service. For great many years the lead
ing medical colleges OF the country, par
tiCularly those in the eastern states, have
required or have seemed to require a high
degree Of preparatory knowledge OF those
who have applied for entrance. and the
examinations required for graduation have
been regarded as eXacting In spite Of
this college elevation of the standard of
medical education, 1t is undeniable that
some of the business which should go 30
the efficient has fallen into the hands Of
bloCkheads
In the Smell will case, now before the
court in Chicago, "a physician OF promi-
as an expert on insanity. He expressed
such obviously absurd opinions that the
attorney for the other side exclaimed to
the Judge: "Why, this man doesn't know
what insanity is Doctor" he shouted.
turning to the witness. do you know what
an advefb is?" The witness admitted that
he did not. well. then" Justly observed
the lawyer, what can this expert know
about medical terms IL he doesn't know
an adverb from a noun" The attorney
then mentioned the best known works OF
the leading writer's on insanity and nervous
disorders-works which are used in the
medical schools as text books-and asked
the expert II he had read any OF them.
Again the witness answered in the negative.
Only the sudden adjournment Of the session
saved the expert from the astounding con
fession, in reply to a question, that he had
never read any work on insanity.
This display Of ignorance had its parallel
in the results of Judge Cons examination
Of a New York police surgeon. Finding
the medical official ignorant OF the simplest
facts in relation to his profession the law
yer asked him IL he had read the works
OF Esculapius. Not all OF them" was
the modest reply. "Of course" said the
lawyer you know that Esculapius is a
German and the highest authority on nerv-
GUS diseases" "Oh yes" replied the
police surgeon; but | read a translation
OF some OF his books 1t should be said
that the medical profession in New York
has had nothing TO do with the choice OF
police surgeons. This particular shining
light admitted that he owed his appoint
ment to politics
Omaha daily bee., 1901-02-02
TAN REDUCTION BILL IN DANGER


The tax reduction bill may not pass
at the present session of congress. The
senate finance committee has not def
nitely decided upon a program for the
consideration of that measure and the
hesitation shown in this particular is
strengthening the suspicion that 1t Is
not intended to seriously push the bill
to passage at this session. Moreover.
the senate bill is obnoxious to repub-
lican leaders of the house, who, 1t is
said, are disposed to regard the> action
of the senate committee in entirely re-
casting the bill as an infringement
upon the constitutional prerogative Of
the house to originate revenue meas
ures. The house is tenacious of its
rights in this particular and II Is not
to be doubted that 1t would assert its
prerogative if the bl!l should be re
turned to It,
The indications are, however, that
there will be no action on the meas
ure by the senate. The fact Is that "A
number of republican senators believe
that the proposed reduction in revenue,
amounting to nearly S4O,0O0,O0O as esti-
mated, cannot safely be made and in
view of the increasing expenditures
side. The public expectation in this
particular is therefore very likely to be
disappointed.
Omaha daily bee., 1901-02-02

mcnt. II must he remembered. too.
that the same people are supporting Il
dual government for city and county,
which could readily be consolidated,
with great saving to the community,
were 1t not for the constitutional pro
visions requiring separate. county or
ganization.
The tax rate question will be with us
from year to year in much the same
form. To keep the levy within reason
able bounds would require work along
two distinct lines. First, n more
equitable and comprehensive assessment
of property for the purpose of taxation
and second, n simplifcation of the city
government and eventual consolidation
Of city and county offices that dupli-
cate one another's work.
Omaha daily bee., 1901-02-02
THE TROUBLE BORROWER.
Mashingtnn Star


The man who borrows troube-wil he
kindly step this way
We read so much about him In the papers.
day by day.
greet him with smile,
For we're truly fascinated by his philan-
thropic style.
He is worried most to death for fear tho
people up In Mars
Are making vain cndeavors 10 converse
beyond the stars.
And he says the yellow peril" may de-
stroy our cultured plan
And put us ALI In serfdom to the callow
Chinaman.
He's going round in sackcloth, for he says
IL hurts his pride
To hear the talk OF canal that isn't
fortified.
He weeps and says that Caesars ghost IL
stalking through the town.
And presently the president will wear an
And our nnarcal system, he declares with
dark dsmay,
VIII land the population in the poor-house
some fine day
And Wen get standing armyp that de-
lights TO terrorize
And they'll massacre civilians just for fun
and exercise
oh this man who borrows trouble--he is
very, very kind,
To take so many mighty obligations on his
mind,
And leave US to enjoy the passing season,
with its cheer
And revel in prosperity; so long as It Is
Well let him take these burdens he 50
Genislly invites;
We will give him what he asks for every
time he calls or writes.
We will lend him all our troubles, and his
store shall know no lack
And he'll be unwelcome only when he tries
to pay them back.
Omaha daily bee., 1901-02-02
THE TAN RATE QUESTION

The city council Is once more con
fronted with the question of the tax
rate for the coming year, which must
be decided at it's next meeting, when,
under the law, it must pass the annual
tax levy ordinance.
Every time this question comes up a
conflict between contending forces Is
precipitated- the one side the prop
erty owners clamoring for the lowest
possible tax rate, and on the other the
demand for the necessary expenses for
running various departments OF munich
pal government, coupled with the out
standing obligations which must be
maintained unimpaired. If the obliga-
tions of the city are not provided for
out of current funds, they must be car
ried along with constant drain of in
terest cost
Two causes stand at the bottom of the
apparent high tax rate in Omaha:
one is our radically defective system
of assessing property values, by which
the listed valuations are far below
actual selling prices, while great deal
of taxable property escapes the assessor
altogether. Under our separate tax
commissioner the assessment has been
practically doubled in the aggregate, but
the inequalities have not been com
pletely wiped out. And it Is unequal
taxation that is unjust taxation.
On the other side, the inhation OF
municipal expenditures dates back &c
the boom era, when the framework OF
our city government was constructed oil
the basis of a population of 10000 ant
the garments cut with Il view to still
further growth. Compared with cities
placed on an equality with Omaha 10y
the census of 1900, our municipal gov
ernment appears 10 be top-heavy II
spite Of constant efforts at retrench
Omaha daily bee., 1901-02-02

An extra session of the Fifty-seventh
congress appears probable. Although
both the president and the republican
leaders in congress are said to view
with much reluctance the prospect Of
an extra session, running probably
into midsummer, yet the conditions are
such at present as to warrant the be
lief that the convening of the next con
grcss very soon after the expiration Of
the present one will be impcratiyely re-
quircd.
Undoubtedly the appropriation bills
will get through although. as happens
at every short session, some of them
morning Of adjournment OF course
If any Of these bills should fail Of pas
sage an extra session would be unavoid-
able. but there are other important mat
tcrs which ii now seems are not likely
to be acted upon at this session and
which the president may regard as of
such urgency as to make 1t his duty to
promptly convene the new congress.
Perhaps the matter of paramount i'm.
pOrtanCe relates to Cuba. This was
considered by the cabinet a few days
ago and IL is understood to be the
opinion of the administration that this
government should insist upon certain
stipuations as TO the relations hereafter
To exist between the United States and
Cuba. II has been expected that the
',I. 1r fn
submission TO this government by the
middle of the present month, but it ap-
pears likely that the date OF its com
plctiOn will be later In that event
the present congress will not be able to
give the constitution the careful scru-
tiny that is desirable and the president
Is said to be Of the opinion that it would
be neither prudent nor Creditable to de-
fer this matter to the regular session of
the new congress next December. He
thinks the Cubans should not be com
PEELED to wait another year before being
allowed to put government in opera
tion.
Legislation for the Philippines at
least To the extent recommended by the
Taft commission, the administration
also evidently regards as of urgent i'm
portance. 1t looks improbable that
anything in this direction will be done
by the present congress. since the op-
position to the Spooner bill or any simi-
lar measure could block action. 1t is {,
very serious question whether existing
conditions respecting the Philippines
should be allowed to continue for an
other year, when in the Judgment of the
commission proposed legislation would
tend to pactcation and Improvement,
and the failure to provide such legisla-
tion would of itself almost Justify an
extra session of the next congress. The
canal question Is another important mat
ter, though not of so great urgency
The proposed currency legislation can
| safely wait for the next congress
though its enactment at the present ses
! sion is TO be desired.
The really pressing matters relate tc
Cuba and the Philippines and If moth
ing is done regarding them at this ses
sion the calling OF the new congress IN
extra session Is to be expected.
Omaha daily bee., 1901-02-02

The burning OF the Coates opera
house in Kansas City is another eau
ton To the danger to which theaters arc
always exposed. Had this fire occurred
while an audience was still in the
building it would doubtless have caused
Il great loss of life. These periodical
confiagrations in opera houses and the
aters call for rigid enforcement of the
building regulations and the application
of other precautionary measures TO pre-
vent similar disasters in every city II
the country.
Omaha daily bee., 1901-02-02

The Cuban constitutional convention
has met its first serious difficulty in
the matter of the presidency of the
country. A large element would like TO
see the services of Gomez to his
adopted country rewarded by making
him the first president, but Gomez is
not Cuban. There is no question
that on the broad principle it is good
policy to limit the eligibility to that of
flee to natives, but it seems hard that
the one who has done more than
any other for Cuba and the Cubans
should be denied the honor.
Omaha daily bee., 1901-02-02

News from the Philippines is to the
effect that the board of inquiry has
acquitted Captain McCalla of the
charges preferred against him. The
public will rejoice at this. The bluff
old captain redeemed himself from
former discredits during the war with
Spain and marked several scores up on
the other side. AS the leader of the
American forces in the first effort tC
reach and relieve Pekin he earned still
further credits, and the country would
regret to see him dlsgraced or even
humiliated by reprmand.
Omaha daily bee., 1901-02-02

Minneapolis Tribune.
1t is estimated that the support Of tramps
in the United States costs over $4,000 900
annually which is contributed by beneyo-
lent people or by people from whom the
vicious tramps pilfer. II the tramps could
be set to work, there would be some quid
pro quo for this expenditure, and the
tramps on the whole would be much hap
pier, for the majority of them lead a truly
miserable existence. The energy which they
expend and the hardship which they en-
dure in lodging dogs, brakesmen, officers
Of the law and irate farmers and house
keepers would, if properly applied support
them all in comparative comfort.
Omaha daily bee., 1901-02-02
Increased Cost of Governments.
Philadelphia Record

Unless some very vigorous pruning shall
be done. OF which there is no sign, the ap-
propriations for the second session of the
FiftysiXth cOrieress will reach $500 900, 900.
The appropriations for the first session
were s7l0,150,s62.SS. The total appropris-
tions will be greater than they ever were
before and will include, approximately,
$1,000, 900 for the navy, sll3 ,OOOO, 900 for the
army, $50, 900 for river and harbor i'm -
provements, $40, 100000 for pensions and
other tremendous sums. What the Fifty
sixth congress, now drawing near its end,
will do cannot yet be told with exactness,
but its appropriations will be greater than
those OF any previous congress.
Omaha daily bee., 1901-02-02
Fair Dealing with Cuba.

fHlladelpnla RECORD
Whatever may be the defects OF the con-
stitution adopted for Cuba by the Havana
convention, it embodies unquestionably the
will Of a majority of the Cuban people Tn
der the terms OF the order constituting
the convention lite work must be accepted
by congress, and this duty should be by no
means delayed until next winter, when the
regular session Of the federal legislature
will begin. To postpone until December the
acceptance of an instrument submitted in
the preceding January would be to invite
suspicion and distrust in Cuba and to offer
practically a premium to disorder and open
rebellion throughout the island.
Omaha daily bee., 1901-02-02
Popular Election of senators.

PWIaUeIphIa KeCOrd
The senatorial deadlock in Delaware, to-
gether with the similar impasse in the
Nebraska legislature, because two great
railway companies whose lines traverse the
state cannot agree upon a candidate. point
alike TO the natural conclusion that con-
tests for federal senatorships should be
waged in the broad field OF public selection,
and not behind the swinging doors OF legis-
lative halls. Under existing political con
dtions in the United states opposition to
the election OF senators by the people means
recreancy to popular government and free
Institutions.
Omaha daily bee., 1901-02-02

s7i adjutants. co. corporals. p 1876 soldiers.
3i2 musicians Then. the native part OF
the colonial army is to consist Of 592 SER
Ecants. 23os corporals ami 2i96S native
soldiers.
The to1t of the new canal bill has been
communicated to the Prussiau Diet II is a
revision and extension 81 the scheme Of
1900 which proposed 10 connect the Rhine
uiih thr Elbc by means Of canal navi-
gable 'Jr vessels ot considerable tonnage
and 'o sanslzc the Weser from Bremen
10 NIndfn where the canal would cross II.
Among iho many objections which we're
brought against this plan was the charge
that ~ would benefit only the western half
Of the monarchy The poorer agricultural
provinces TO the east of the Elbe would, It
was urged. actually suffer from the creation
Of a cheap means OF transport which would
lessen the price % foreign agricultural
produce on the Berlin market. The gov
erumcnt nov has expanded the original
biz into a measure providing for the eN-
, tension % the canal system In all parts OF
the Kingdom. This will. OF course involve
much greater expenditure II contains
seven different schemes. Of which the
total cost TO the state Is estimated at 3Sa.
OiO, 200 marks, or nearly 500 900 900. These
include the Rhine-Elbe canal which, 1t is
calculated. will cost 260.7si700 marks,
ship canal between Berlin and Stettin. 20
cost ~ 500. 900 marks; a waterway connect
ing the oder and the Sistuls OF which the
cost together with that OF a channel rem
dering the Wsrthe navigable for ships from
Posen to the junction OF the Netze, Is esti-
mated at % ,63i 900 marks, and a canal con-
Meeting the province OF Silesia with the
canal joining the oder to the Spree The
bill further proposes that the state should
participate in the work Of improving the
flow OF water in the lower oder and the
upper Hayel 10 the extent OF 40,9S9.0
marks and $50 900 marks respectively.
and should contribute the sum OF 9,336 900
marks towards the canalization OF the
Spree.
The recent elections IN Austria for a new
, Reichsrath have resulted in a sort OF Wat
erloo for the ant-semite and clerical poll
itcahs They have been beaten right and
left, much to their surprise. a. they fancied
the flowing tide was with them. The pros
poets OF Austria are not, however i'm.
proved. The new members OF the Reichs-
rath are not predominately factionists OF
the old sort. but their pan -Germanic and
pan. Czech ideas are radical and will prob
ably continue to make parliamentary gov
ernment impra acticable. The agitators have
at length fred racial and religious animos-
tiles to such an extent that Francis Jo-
sephs checkerboard empire seems ready
TO tumble TO pieces Hungary is not divided
to the same extent as Austria, but Hun
gary. too, now shows signs OF breaking up.