The progressive farmer and the cotton plant., 1905-05-02
EDITORIAL
CURRENT EVENTS: THE TREND OF THINGS
AS WE SEE 1T.

once declared: "Faith and don't behave half the
lies they tell about Irish mistakes are true any
howl" It seems that an even smaller part OF the
Russo-Japanese war rumors are true. Last week
brought conflicting reports of engagements and
of engagements to be, but it seems that really
nothing was done. One story which obtained
wide circulation was that of japanese repulse,
but so general has become the faith in the Japan
ese star, that is, it discredited by probably
most people who would have promptly accepted as
true any story of Russian reverse. Ihe stars In
their courses seem to be fighting for the little
brown men. There is coming to be sort OF ia
tastic belief that they can't be beaten similar to
that which our Confederate soldiers held with re-
gard to Stonewan Jackson.
Death of Gen. Fitzhugh Lee.
The South was shocked Saturday morning by
the news of the sudden death of Gen. Fitzhugh
Lee which occurred in Washington Friday. Apo
plexy was the cause. General Lee had been much
in the public eye of late by of his position
as President of the jamestown Exposition pro-
iect. Everybody remembers his services as Con-
sul-General at Havana prior to the outbreak of
the Spanish-Arnerican War; and the part he
played when the conflict actually began. General
Lee was nephew of the great Confederate chief
tain, and commanded with gallantry in the Vir-
ginia campaigns. A story which we have
ing direct from him seems worth repeating in this
connection 1t was just after the surrender at
Appomattox, and General Fitzhugh, riding back
through Amelia County, was halted by old
farmer who was plowing mule alongside the
road. ooh, it's all up with u.s." he replied to the
farmers questions General Lee has at last
rendered to Grant" General Lee surrendered?"
Indignantly echoed the man from the plow "May
be that hummer Fitz has surrendered. but General
Lee-the real General Lee-he never surrendersl"
And he went back to his blowing, incredulous of
the information and ignorant of the informant.
''He that Maketh Haste to be Rich.''
Last weeks news began with the sensational
story of the defalcation of Frank G.. Bigelow
President of the First National Bank of Mil
waukee. The exposure was sensational not only
by reason of the enormous amount of money in
volved Bigelow's accounts were short million
and a half dollars). but also by reason of his
prominence in the financial world Only last
year he was President of the National Bankers
Association, this being sufficient evidence of his
reputation for ability and honesty. Gambling
ruined him; the desire to get rich quickly having
overpowered him, he used the banks funds for
speculative purposes, and went deeper and deeper
into the quagm1re until the end came-and a man
once preferred above his fellows goes out hope
lessly disgraced. It is an enlarged edition of our
Thomas W. Dewey episode last year.
The Shake-up in Insurance.
An even more sensational development in high
finance is the exposure of corruption in the man
agement of some of the great insurance COM
panies of the country. Mr.. Lawson, whose love
Of tho hizarra nict 1oJ
him into some exaggerations in his "Frenzied
Fnancen clearly had q very substantial hasis Of