davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-19
COMING home % AT LAST.

WASHINGTON, July ~17.-(speciaI)-
Congressman Dave Mercer Of Omaha re-
turned tonight from Atlantic City and will
leave for home tomorrow. He will visit
the supervising architect in the morning
and see what can be done toward hurrying
the work of constructing for the new In
dian warehouse at Omaha, for which an
appropriation Of SIS, 900 was passed on the
last day Of the session of congress.
Mr.. Mercer says that he will have no
difficulty In securing a denomination in the
Second district and will, he believes, be
elected by a larger majority than ever. He
believes the republicans will carry every
district in Nebraska in the congressional
election.
This piece Of news out Of the Lincoln
Journal should make the Mercerites re-
Joice. Our Dave is coming home 90 at
last, not because his presence is Of any
moment in the impending campaign,
since he is already as good as renom-
mated and reelected for a sixth term,
but out of pure habit, just to keep his
promise to visit Omaha this summer as
he has done once every two years.
The>fact that Mercer has torn himself
loose from Atlantic City c~ontradicts the
former reports that he has been detained
at Washington in the heated season by
important department work that re-
quired his personal presence. There is
also a slight inaccuracy in the explana-
ton that MERGERS home run from Allan
tic City by way of Washington is for
the purpose Of visiting the supervising
architect to see what can be done to-
ward hurrying the work of constructing
the new Indian warehouse for Omaha,
for which an appropriation of $4,000
was passed on the day congress ad-
journed.
There is to be no new Indian ware
house built in Omaha, but the $3.50
vas appropriated for a quartermaster's
warehouse, with the erection of which
the supervising architect has nothing
whatever to do. Army buildings, In
GLIDING quartermasters' warehouses, are
all planned by army officers and eon-
structed under supervision of army off,
GERS and under direction Of the War de-
partment. Under ordinary usage the
chief quartermaster of the Department
Of the Missouri. who is right here In
Omaha, will exercise supervision over
the construction after the plans are APP
proved.
This fact is as well known to Mercer
az 1t is to anyone else, so his return
from Atlantic City via Washington un-
der p~retepse that he had to call ON the
supervising architect to expedite the
construction of a new warehouse has
the same elements Of deception and
humbug that has characterized every
step in MERGERS sixth-term campaign up
to date.
Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-19

tween this Douglas county bond pur-
Chase and the Burt and Cunning county
bond deals, however, will not hold
water. In neither Burt county nor
Cunning county was there any excuse
for the state treasurer to deal through
brokers at all. as in the one case the
middleman used school money to buy
the Burt county bonds and then sold
them back to the state at a profit, while
In the other case the school fund held
the Cunning county bonds that were sur.
rendered and replaced with funding
bonds, but allowed the middlemen to
clip or several thousand dollars of
coupons while the new bonds were In
transit. The blame for the present loss
to Douglas county win have to be shared
by the county commissioners, who have
been short-sighted, and the state treas
urer, who might by a little extra effort
have bought the old bonds from the
original holders.
Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-19

Governor Cummins of Iowa persists in
asking pertinent questions OF the railway
attorneys, who are pleading for low as
sessments of railway property in Iowa,
using the same bunco stories put for
ward in Nebraska 1t has been discov-
cred in Iowa that the official returns OF
the railroads to the assessment board do
not tally any better with the official re-
ports of their stockholders than they do
in Nebraska, where hagrant d~lscrepan-
cies are admitted. 1t does not matter
in which state, the railroads are all a
unit in trying to get as high rates as
possible on their traffic and at the same
time to evade as much Of their due
share of the tax burden as possible.
Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-19

The City of Venice has decided to tax
itself 100000 for rebuilding the col
lapsed Campanile, that stood in the
square Of st. Mark as a monument of
Italian art. 1t will take several years,
however, before the Omaha Board Of
Education will spend $4,000 for the
lone tower that looms ~conspicuously on
paper over the roof line of the new
High school building and was to have
been made such a striking object of adj
miration for all tourists. Omaha is not
ancient enough yet to venture into the
Campapile business.
Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-19
MISSOURI LIGHTS THE WAY.
Right OF seif-Defense Defined In Dog
gone Fine style.

gone Fine style.
Chicago Tribune.
Once there was a man who sued another
man because the other mans dog chased
his cat. He said his cat had suffered from
nervous arrangement ever afterwards and
that her value as a household pet had been
impaired. The attorney for the defendant
held that the dog had not chased the cat
out Of any malicious desire to derange her
nervous system, but simply out of good
humor and regard for tradition. He was
taking advantage Of the inherent, inalien-
able, and immemorial right the dog has al
ways had to chase the cat whenever be
pleased.
A similar right has Just been established
for the dog in Missouri. Mr.. Simon ewned
a thoroughly exemplary dog called Jupiter.
Mr.. Quinn owned q less exemplary boy
called Willie. Jupiter was basking IN the
sun when Willie found him. To Willie's
taste basking was rather slow fun. There
were other things that would add more
zest to life. Accordingly, he tied a tin can
to Jupiter's tail. Now, Jupiter was lot q
bully, but neither was he a non-resistant.
The can annoyed him. He bit Willie.
Willie ran home and told his father. HIS
father prosecuted Mr.. Simon. Fortunately
Judge Sidener was a man OF d~iscernment.
His decision was that Mr.. Quinn was to
pay the costs of the trial. The dog was
not to blame, for, as the decision most ad-
mirably says:
ANY dog has a legal and undeniable right
to bite any man, woman, or child who pur-
posely and with intent to disturb said dogs
tranquility and peace of mind does attach
or cause to be attached to said dogs tail a
tin can or other weight which will impede.
or tend to impede, the progress Of said
animal. A dog which bites Its prosecutor
in such q cause is acting purely and hon
estly In seif-defense. and Is as justly i'm
mune from punishment as the man who
strikes at a burglar in defense OF his own
life and welfare"
This seems NJ more than reasonable, and
It is to be hoped that the courts Of other
states in the union will a the same
stand. The tincanned dog has rights
which deserve recognition.
Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-19

According to reports from st. Louis,
negotiations are in progress for the
absorption by the company which owns
the present terminal facilities centering
In the Union station in that city of the
proposed new st. Louis Belt & Terminal
Railway company, the consideration
amounting to more than $20,00o,000.
Railroad attorneys and tax bureaus,
however, will continue to maintain that
when it comes to assessment for taxa
ton the valuable terminal facilities EN-
joyed by the railroads in the great cities
are to be counted as a mere bagatelle
without any real value except as dis
tributed over the whole mileage.
Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-19
Americans winning I'm Africa.
Pittsburs Chronicle Telegraph.

PlttsDurB Chronlcle-IeieBraph.
English observers who have been sad
dened by the invasion OF Europe by Amer
lean business men have now another cause
for sorrow. The British trade commits
sioners who went to South Africa TO look
into the business prospects express their
amazement that their fellow countrymen
have been 50 slow to grasp tina opportuni-
ties for peaceful conquest. SO numerous
now that the clash OF arms Is over, War
has been followed by an immediate and en-
ergetic return to business. In all the
principal centers OF British South Africa
there Is renewed activity. They are put
ting up steel akyscrapers in Capetown,
johannesburg and other cities and In many
ways making preparations 70 keep uD with
the worlds progress. The British commits
sioners are thoroughly disguised to ind
that English firms are unprepared 10 axe
advantage Of the great business oppor-
tunities offered. while Americans are book
ing orders At excellent prices and promis-
ins expeditions afliyerS.
Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-19
TaInr c0vDITtoNs pnIITur

The fact that In the fiscal year just
closed our exports declined and imports
increased, thereby reducing the trade
balanceSis not to be regarded as a seri-
GUS reaction from the conditions that
have prevailed for several years and
given this country an enormous advan-
tage In the international trade account.
Even with a decrease in exports of $780,
100000 and an increase in imports Of
nearly $4,000 600, the trade balance
amounts to $~4s0,OOO,000 in round num-
bers, which is certainly a very COM
Portable balance, which can safely be
relied upon for the liquidation Of the
greater part Of the transactions between
the United States and Europe. 1t has
been exceeded, but it brings the aggre-
gate Of our apparent international bal
ances for the last six years up to the
colossal figures OF 81, 700. 100000, or al
most as much as the national debt at the
close Of the civil war.
Those who carefully study trade sta
tistics find no cause for alarm in the APP
parent loss to this country Of $1S5 ,O00,-
600 as compared with the figures of a
year ago. The falling off in exports
was due to a considerable extent to the
partial failure of the corn crop last
year, there being a decrease of $62,000.-
600 In the exports of corn. or about
three-ffths Of the total decline as COM
pared with the previous year. AS to
the increase in imports 1t is to be re-
garded with satisfaction, since 1t was
due chiefly to the great activity of our
domestic industries. Our manufactur-
ers have been importing steel billets and
plates because the domestic production
could not supply the demand. In
creased imports are In part explained
also by the larger demand for luxuries
which the growing wealth of the coun-
try has created. The aggregate of i'm
portations for the last fiscal year is the
largest ever recorded and there is moth
ing remarkable In the fact when the
Astounding prosperity Of the country is
considered. A very large number Of
our people are nov able to buy imported
articles who could not do so a few years
ago and as the trade statistics show
they are doing so.
On the whole, therefore, it Is apparent
that foreign trade conditions, notwith-
standing the changes as compared with
a year ago, continue healthy and there
seems to be nothing in the situation at
present to disturb confidence. The
promise for good crops is favorable and
our exports Of breadstufts and provi-
sions during the ensuing year are likely
to be at least as large as those Of the
past year and perhaps larger. The for
eign demand for our manufactures is
well maintained. A considerable addi-
ton within the year to u stock Of gold
Is assured, it being estimated that
Alaska alone will furnish about $780,
100000. If all Of which there is now
favorable promise shall be realized there
appears to be no reason why this coun-
try should not have for the next two
or three years ven greater prosperity
than it has yet known.
Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-19
REAL OrPONrST OF TRUSTS.
Liberation Of the I~nexorabIe Law Of
supply and Demand.
New York Mail and Express.

supply mnu Demand.
New York Mail and Express.
The enactment Of legislation to control
trusts is a task so formidable that VIZ
doubt whether it can be successfully ac-
complished at this time, when the public
mind has yet to regard them In more
friendly light than necessary evils" and
the trusts themselves have still to work
out their own commercial destiny. The
EFFORT, Of course, should be made and un-
doubtedly win be made in congress next
winter, for there are many features OF
the trust problem that concededly need
the restraint OF law. but we are also to
keep IL In mind that trusts are after "
an Industrial evolution and therefore not '
to be unfortunately set Town and at
tackled as a menace to the oountry's well
fare.
They have proved a strength rather than
q weakness. Instead OF being Gin restraint
OF trade they have been a potential factor
In a period OF unprecedented Industrial de-
velopment and prosperity. Obviously they
cannot be attacked without attacking our
entire Industrial interests and for that rea-
son the conservative lines laid down by
President Roosevelt in his Pittsburg speech
fix the limits to which all reasonable peo-
pie will agree.
1t is quite a different task, however. to
formulate legislation that will stand the
test OF eonstltutionality and at the same
time prove responsive to the Just demand
for proper supervision Of these great cor
porations. Most of them would welcome
legislation not framed in the hostile spirit
Of populist octopus hunters. They desire
to organize and conduct their business law
fully and they are as much interested IS
anyone else In preventing the organization
Of corporations for piracy or stock-jobhing
purposes. The so-called trust" OF today
is the partnership Of other days-the part
ners being many instead Of few. II must
be managed strictly on business prlnci-
pies or It will go to the wall. Quite a
number have already sunk under the bur-
den Of over capitalization. Others are sure
to follow.
A more inexorable law than any statute
framed In Washington Is responsible for
the early demise of these corporations
the law Of supply and demand. The
American dollar frames that law. 1t Is
alert to opportunity. eager for investment.
hard to beat in competition. 1t is at work
all the time against the trust" that In
fiates prices or seeks return on wateredk
stock. And It will come nearer solvinEN
the trust problem than will any legisla-
tion enacted by congress. Congress can do
much and should do something to make
unlawful some Of the present practices OF
the trusts" but individual American en-
~terprise and capital will after all prove to
be the real and vital force against them.
Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-19
ILosIN0 DEAL.

The recent purchase for the state
$26S,00o t~wenty-year Douglas county
bonds, just refunded by the commits
sioners Of this county at 3% per cent In
terest, is a losing deal for the taxpayers.
The fact that it Is a losing deal has al
ready called forth an alleged explana-
ton printed In the Lincoln Journal, to
justify the handsome profit pocketed by
the bond brokers who negotiated the
transaction. This explanation is as fol-
lows:
This arrangement saved the county be-
tween $40. 900 and $40, 1000. By waiting for
the expiration Of the Ave years when the
bonds mature the county might not be able
to refund at such a low rate as az per
cent interest. Even II they could make
such terms at the end of i've years. the
| present bargain Is said to show a saving
Of at least S26. 800 to the county. Five per
cent interest on s2es.0OO for five years
would amount to 367, 900. Add to this the
8 per cent interest for twenty years would
give a total Of 1921. SOC. Under the present
arrangement the interest on the same
amount OF bonds at S% per cent for twenty
years would be 1901 900. or s2e, 800 less than
under the first proposition.
The only proper way to characterize
this statement is important If true"
A resort to grammar grade math-
ematics. however, entirely disproves
these figures. The $26S,O00 of bonds
refunded by the commissioners of
Douglas county had five years to run at
5 per cent, when they would have been
payable or refundable without any pre-
MUM to the bohdholders. Under the
proposition made by the brokers acting
for these bondholders the unexpired
five years were waived and new twenty.
year bonds bearing 3% per cent interest
were exchanged for them.
Assuming that the state board would
have been equally ready to have in.
vested the school money directly with
the county on a 3 per cent basis, Doug,
las county taxpayers in these twenty
years win have gained for i've years the
difference between o and 3% per cent in
interest payments and lost for hfteer
years bAC uAhCAChCc DcbNccu GA anu (
per cent In interest payments. Striking
the balance and counting nothing for de
ferred payments, the gain to the tax
payers Of this county is 6h per cent anC
the loss 1lh per cent. making a net LOST
of 5 per cent on $26si000, or $13,40O. Ii
other words, the transaction win cos
the taxpayers OF Douglas county $13,4OO
although the profit to the brokers anC
the bondholders whom they represent Il
still greater because OF their ~advantag'
in the rate Of exchange.
SO far as the state school fund is con
cerned. it is nc poorer and no richer thar
II 1t had been able to buy 8 per cen
bonds directly from the county, and 1T
inability to deal direct is due 10 the fac
that 1t did not hold the old bonds an'
vas thus In nc position to surrendea
them for refunding, II the state eOult
have bought the old bonds on a 8 pc
cent basis and then exchanged then
with the county for funding bonds run
ming a longer term, the taxpayers o
this county would have been saved thei
loss, while the school fund would havI
had the same investment
The attempt TO draw an analogy be
Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-19
ANEW SUGGESTION


The suggestion reported to have been
submitted by the Russian minister of
finance to the British government and
the powers that signed the Brussels
sugar bounty convention, proposing the
consideration Of mean to protect In
ternational commerce against the arti-
fetal depression of prices by the
processes of trusts, is novel. Russia, SO
far as we are aware, has no combina-
lions of the trust kind, but the govern
ment has pursued a policy regarding
beet sugar by which that article was
sold cheaper abroad than at home. The
action of the Brussels conference inter-
feres with the Russian sugar policy and
at the same time the manufacturers of
Russia, ia spite of a considerable tariff
protection, are being undersold In their
own markets by foreign manufacturers.
This is a situation which is naturally
causing the able finance minister Of the
empire, NJ. de White, a good deal of
anxiety. He is of course most DESTROYS
to build up the industries Of Russia
and as he sees in the growth of ON
binations an increasing menace to those
industries he would inaugurate a COM
mon movement, embracing the indus
trial nations Of Europe and perhaps the
United States. TO prevent what he terms
the artificial depression Of prices"-that
is to say, he would put a stop to the
n. n n n nnkNNVn ~ nnU anannfHF NEnlI1nU
cheaper abroad than at home. 1t is
needless to say that this is a PROPOSE
ton which, while coming naturally
enough from the Russian government,
is not likely to receive serious consid-
Grafton from any other government.
Neither Great Britain nor Germany, for
example, would consider a proposition
for governmental interference with the
business Of their manufacturers in for
eign markets. If a British or German
manufacturer finds 1t e~xpedient to sell
his products for less money In Russia
than in his home market that is no
affair OF the government. This applies
as fully TO combinations or trust as TO
individual manufacturers. 1t may be
entirely compatible with the Russian
system for the government to undertake
the regulation Of the prices Of cOmmO-
dities, but no other European govern
nlent will attempt TO do this. 1t is
therefore entirely safe to say that II
the governments make any response to
the Russian suggestion the general an
swer viii be that it is an impossible
plan.
A st. Petersburg paper says that II
an international agreement, as proposed
by the finance minister, cannot be
effected. the only remedy Is increased
Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-19
Renent. OF . Big crop.
sd. LIQUID alobe-p emocrat.

bI LOUIE HIuDo-DcMOCfdI.
The 2,5eQ. 900, 600 bushel- corn crop which
is promised will make short work of the
remaining farm mortgages in the prairie
states II It comes. This will be 1000, 000,-
900 bushels In excess Of the yield OF 1901.
A crop Of anything like this size will mean
cheaper food for the country. too, and will
help to put the pork and the beef prices
down. Corn is the biggest Of the country's
crops n when 1t is large there is usually
prosperity in the agricultural regions as
we'll as elsewhere.
Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-19

Consul General Bragg may have been
indiscreet In describing the impressions
made upon him by the Cubans in a let
ter to his wife in his blunt and honest
way. but that should scarcely furnish
sufficient reasons for his recall as con
sui general OF Havana, where he is
nothing more nor less than the CONNER
eial agent OF the United States. But the
old commander Of the Iron brigade
ought to have known that a woman
can't be expected to keep a secret even
U she has been married forty years.
Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-19

The 18th Of July has come and gone,
but the prodigal has not yet put in an
appearance. Evi1sntly he is waiting
for the return qf Mayor Moores. who
viii present the stFanger with the keys
Of the city and his telephone number In
case he should get into trouble during
his biennial 'sojpnrn between congress
sional primaries and election day.
Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-19

Railroad hold-ups are becoming SO
frequent that pretty soon every locomo-
tive will have to be converted into an
arsenal and every baggage and express
car will have to be ornamented with
gatling guns, while male passengers will
have to wear side-arms and female pas
sengers carry bottles of sulphuric acid
to use while the hlghwaymen button
their CATERS.
Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-19

New regulations and rules are to be
promulgated by the Omaha Board of
Health, which are said to cover some
thirty pages Of typewriting. The first
rule to1observe during all seasons of the
year is, keep your head cool and your
feet warm.
Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-19

Germany need not be alarmed over
the prospect of a meat famine. Uncle
Sam will be glad to honor acquisitions
accompanied by the market price, when
ever Germany relaxes its exclusive reg
nlations,
Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-19
IN THE sTREET CAR.
somervtlls Journal.

Somervflls Journal.
She smiled at met
A sudden thrill shot through me as I met
her eyes.
She smiled at mel
A glance from one so fair no man could
help but prize.
She smiled at mel
My happiness and pleasure how could 1
disguise2
She smiled at me!
Ny foolish, foolish heart wa fiIled with
glad surprise,
She smiled at mel
She smiled at mel
Her bright. expressive eyes upset my calm
She smiled at mel
Instinctively / quickly took a more becom-
ing pose.
She smiled at mel
Alasl l hesitate the reason to disclosed
She smiled at mel
1 had 4 ~-eat big streak OF black across
She laughed at mel
Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-19

customs duties. This is the course that
Russia win be compelled to adopt IL
she wants to keep out foreign competi-
ton and allow her industries to grow.
but that might be a serious matter for
the masses of the people, who are in no
condition to pay higher prices for what
they need. At all events the Russian
plan for dealing with trusts will GER
tainly not be adopted.
Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-19

A belated search among his papers
has uncovered the Tilden club banquet
Invitation that was addressed to Colonel
Bryan. about which there has been so
much dispute. The only regret now is
that Mr. Bryan did not receive the docu-
ment o o enough to send a prompt
response while his ire was at the fever
point and he could have done fuller Jus
tice to his rutied Feelings.
Omaha daily bee., 1902-07-19
Much Method in HIS Madness.
PHILADELPHIA Press.

Those who canno explain the exploits
Of the outlaw Tracy in any other way are
arguing that he is insane. A more reason
able explanation would be that the people
along his route Of escape and the men who
are trying to capture him are insane. He
Outwits them SO easily and gets the drop"
on them so quickly hat they and not he
seem to be troubled with a disordered mind.