Waterbury Democrat., 1901-05-25
HEARD IN PASSING

There is probably some truth ln the explanation saying that the extraor- dinary efforts of the republicans to make headway in the south is largely due to the expectations of their lead- CTS that states in other sections will shortly break away from the party for one or another reason.
 The latest officials to discover that anl extensive European trip, at public expense, wash necessary part of his of fcfaE duties, is MT O. P. Austin, the Hanna-made statistician of. the United States treasury He says he is going to study the statistics of European gov ernments, but everybody knows that he can only get access to the published statistics, and that they could be had in Washington as easily as in the countries that publish them.
 The full bench of the supreme court of Massachusetts has tusI decided that the use of the trading stamps, so call ed, by merchants, is not illegal, and the act of 1898 in that state, passed to prevent the use of such devices, is declared to be intellectual, the court even going so far, apparently, as to intimate that statute prohibiting the use of trading stamps would be uncon- stitutional, as has been decided already by courts of other states.-Merid Journal.
 Perhaps a higher tribute has never been paid to the efficiency of newspa- per reporters in general than the stringent orders which Emperor Will liam Is said to have issued that, they shall be excluded from all public and semi-public functions where the em- peror intends to speak. Dhe emperor's entourage and the police have been given instructions to render impossi- ble the stenographic reporting of speeches or the taking of notes there on. There. are some other public talk CTS besides this German emperor whose speeches stand in quite as much need of careful editing before being published to the world at large Hartford Times.
 The trustees of the Putnam camp ground at Bedding want $S,000 for museum building and $5,000 for care of the grounds for the next two years The cost of caring for historic places is becoming quite a burden on the state treasury. The state is paying or has paid handsomely toward the pur- chase or support of the Putnam camp ground, the Groton battle ground, the Putnam Wolf Den, the old Stone house at Guilford, and other places The liberality of Carl Stoeckel of Norfolk has saved the state the purchase of the John Brown house at Torrington The requests for state aid for caring for historic houses is a somewhat re cent idea. Possibly in time it will reach the caring for all the ancient buildings where Washington stopped Hartford Times.
 The machinists of the country are meeting organization with organiza- tion. They have discussed the various phases of the question at issue, and are remarkably well informed on the merits of their cause. The men are not clamorous, bul calmly determined. They claim to have much money at their control, and are persuaded that they have justice on their side. Their conduct is surprisingly good. If they continue as they have begun they will win host of sympat tIiZers. It is be lieved that they have more friends than ever before and they are deter mined to deserve the good wishes which they are receiving on all sides. Moral support is good, even though it be not manifested with the ostenta- tious blowing of. trumpets in the mar ket-place. May the rlSnC prevail, anu may the rights of employer and em- ploye be strengthened and safeguard ed by this most remarkable movement in the history of strikes.-Catholic Transcript.
 The striking machinists of New Ha- ven and of Connecticut in general are getting along very well. It is evident that they do not belong in the Albany trolleymen's class. They are showing the sagacity and moderation that com mand public respect, and such quali- ties always win sympathy and approv- al. Events are showing that their demands are not unreasonable. With machinery doing the work that men used to do and doing it ten to twenty times more rapidly, the question at issue is not how many hours of hard bodily labor are performed, but how we'll can the Wage-earner direct his machine to secure the best and largest results. There is another consideration that the men are taking into account If these great machines are run con- stantly through the long days, multi plying many times the best production of hand labor, how long will it be be-