The Topeka state journal., 1902-10-09

ing the field pieces and their limbers in
irregular patches of the three primary
colors, red, yellow and blue, they have
been found to harmonic SO exactly with
any sort of background or surroundings
as to be almost indistinguishable at a
relatively short distance even with
powerful glasses and by persons know
ing their location. The dodge may be-
come valuable as protective device,
but masked batteries are of little service
unless the gunners know how to shoot,
1t is less important that gun be clev-
erly painted than that it be well pointed.
New York World:
The campaign for public decency in
ST Louis is progressing with orderly
celebrity r. NJ. Snyder the promoter
of the Central Traction bill. was on Sat
urday found guilty Of bribery after a
brief trial and sentenced to five years
imprisonment Two indicted members
of the house of delegates are named as
witnesses for the people in future
Doodle cases, besides the go-between
Murrell. Today the October grand jury
crookedness. Before the end of the year,
the prospects are, disagreeable task of
municipal housekeeping will have been
thoroughly accomplished.
Great credit for the success Of this
fight against public corruption is due to
Circuit Attorney Folk and to the ST
Louis P'ost-Dispatch, which brought out
the facts upon which the prosecutions
talso be spoken for the promptness of
the Missouri courts. which shows in
marked contrast to the dilatory pro-
cesses of the law which in New York
shield the guilty and disarm justice.
New York Press:
commission is coming to America
to seek the causes of the decline in
British industry Meanwhile the cot
ton spinners' union is planning a strike
or S00O0 operatives in the Lancashire
and Yorkshire district because of the
introduction of an American spinning
machine that enables the manufacturers
to cut down by third the number of
their employees.
Chicago Chronicle:
! Some of the most strenuous advocates
of public ownership are Chicago office
holders who have given the people a
continuous performance for some years
| in neglect of duty, incompetency. inc
fhcfency and indifference.
Public ownership of great business
enterprises will not end with the trans
fer of these properties to public agents.
| How many of the public ownership
| hall would be selected by anybody to
manage an important private business
of any description?
Judging by his record in the building
! department, for instance. where at pres
ent his sole duty is to enforce the writ
| ten law. what sort of management
would Peter Kiolbassa provide for the
apartment houses of Chicago if they,
/ like other public utilities" were to be
| included in the grand rainbow-chasing
scheme of municipal ownership?
Cincinnati Commercial Tribune:
In his weekly letter Henry Clews says
/ that it was the action of Secretary
| Shaw lin relieving the banks from
| keeping a reserve in government depos-
its, and in accepting other securlity for
government deposits than United States
bonds that saved the stock market
from panic. and that it is now the
| duty of congress TO revise the treasury
system that it may be modernized land
save the country from a repetition OF
such experiences IS those of last week.
If it was the action of Secretary Shaw
1 that saved the stock market from a
panic, there should be need of no mere
legislation in that line. and it is a SER
/ iOuS question whether there should he
1 legislation of any sort for the special
/ benefit of the stock market. which can
avoid re2etiriOns of the scenes of last
week by ceasing stock gambling. by
| quitting the practise of stock watering
and by contining itself to a business as
/ legitimate as the nature of stock Job
bing will permit
If congress is to modernize the treas
ury system at the demand of Wall street
stock operators. it might find the reor-
ganization unsuted to Other business
! interests of the country. The United
| States should not be called upon to ap-
ply a salve to the stock market every
time the stock brokers get nit and es-
pecially when the-T get hit by dealings
! in illegitimate, or heavily watered. Sc
curities. Uncle Sam is in business
neither for his health nor for the health
of any particular branch of trade, COM
merce, industrial or financial interests.
If there is to be REORGANIZATION of the
treasury s--stem, it 1hould be on the
lines OF prevention of the occurrences of
last week and not on the .t-.es of hold
ing the treasury for the purpose of
helping the stock markets out of every
financial strait brought about by stock
gambling.
! Washington Post:
/ At this time two Democratic presiden-
/ tial aspirants are prominently before the
I country-one in Ohio. the other in New
York; one a protese Of Bryan, the other
| anti-Bryan one a platform that fully in
dorses the Chicago mistake of 1896 and its
/ reaffirmation in Kansas City in 1900 be-
sides presenting other specifics of various
sorts; the other a platform that ignores
| Organism, but contains q Social Demo-