davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Omaha daily bee., 1908-11-17
INCREASE OF TRAFFIC.
should Put an End TO Talk OF Rais-
ing Freight Rates.
San Francisco Chronicle.


San Francisco Chronicle.
Manufacturing activity will soon be again
at its height and the railroads of the coun-
try will have to handle both the raw ma
terial and finished products. In prepara-
ton for the increased traffic, it is stated
that already the railroad companies Of the
country have confirmed orders for iron and
equipment aggregating nearly $25O,OOO,
which has been filed subject to confirma-
ton after the election. Reports filed with
the Interstate Commerce commission show
that the operating expenses per mile Of
road are already nearly equal to those
which prevailed before the panic, in which
case they will unquestionably soon exceed
them, and the operating cost per mile is
a very good Indication of the volume of
business. OF course, averages for the roads
OF the entire country prove nothing what
ever as to an Individual road. They only
show general conditions and tendencies.
The business of the we'll managed and most
successful roads must in the nature of
things be above the average.
Among these successful systems none
stands higher than the Union and Southern
Pacific, whose business suffered much less
during the period of depression than most
1900 ApoNSp "iAoSt lbllldBt utpCHub ~
largely on manufacturing activity. There
has been much talk Of raising freight rates
by reason OF the largely increased cost OF
operation, which cannot be denied. The
plea was made that, while fixed charges
had not decreased and could not do so,
the falling off in traffic had been so great
that the profits did not afford fair re-
Enumeration to stockholders. With the rapid
iDpraa 40 of > afffr urbIab tg ortlo,+tr -.
pending. the public will not believe that
there is justification Of any increase of
rates until 1t is proved in court. And such
proof, to be satisfactory, must make it
clear how much cash has actually been in
vested by stockhelders and how much
profit is. claimed as compensation for risk.
That some profit Is just no honest man
will deny. That unreasonable profit should
be permitted no honest man will contend.
That there was risk in early railroad build
ing is proved by the enormous mortality
among early railroad corporations. Those
which survived the period of wreck.ng are
doubtless entitled to income on more than
actual investment, But the majority OF our
present railroad corporations are reorgan-
~izatlons and the new cash invested at
those times was not put at much risk.
~ 'HNS iSSPNS' eoSH lS"u ohu edcn system
Is in a class by itself and must be Judged
by the facts as In their cases may appear.
The increment OF value in a railroad pushed
into a wilderness cannot be called unearned
increment. Those were investments which
made other increment possible. Railroad
companies are entitled to all that they have
earned. but the public will never consent
TO allow them all that they and the COM
munities which they serve can earn. There
must be give and take. 1t is probable,
however, that rapid increase of traffic may
remove the subject from discussion.
Omaha daily bee., 1908-11-17
talk to his British neighbors will likely
result in no harm.


The receipt by the State department
at Washington of a draft from Madrid
for S59e,S5O concludes the payment Of
a claim against the Spanish govern
ment which has beer in process of set
Element for seventy-four years and
which furnishes an illustration Of the
rapidity with which interest accumu-
lates on unpaid obligations.
Under the terms of a treaty made
with Spain in 1894, certain American
citizens we're awarded claims aggre-
eating $500 $50, with interest at 8 per
cent, pending final payment. The
Spanish authorities pursued their
usual policy of putting off until to-
morrow everything that should be
lone today and so paid the interest
regularly until the outbreak of the
Spanish-American war in 1898. At
the conclusion of that struggle, the in
terest in arrears was paid and the
annual interest has since been kept
up. The final settlement shows that
Spain has paid in excess of 80 100000
in interest, or a total of more than
$4,000, OOO-in settlement of an or
iginal debt of $599,S50.
The bright feature of the incident is
that Spain has recovered sufficiently
from its disastrous colonial expert
ments to be able to pay as it goes.
Omaha daily bee., 1908-11-17
THE NEXT NJ

Having failed to land him in the
White House on three successive and
different paramount issues, it may be
presumptuous to discuss Mr.. Bryan's
next paramount issue before the
wreckage OF the last has been cleared
away. Coming events, however, cast
their shadows before and that another
paramount is in prospect around which
Bryanites will be asked to rally is al
ready heralded by our old friend Ed
gar Howard in his Columbus Tele-
gram, which comes as close to being
the oficial Bryanite organ as anything
could be with the exception alone OF
Mr.. Bryan's own Commoner.
Judge Howard has been an intimate
associate and a faithful follower of the
Sage OF Fairview at all times. When
Mr.. Bryan came out for government
ownership Of railroads Judge Howard
hoisted the government ownership
banner and formed himself into a gov
eminent ownership league, with him
self as president, When Mr.. Bryan
called in government ownership as an
issue Judge Howard hauled down the
flag, but merely put it aside where he
could easily get it at the first oppor-
tunity. He insisted all along that Mr..
Bryan had not abandoned advocacy of
government ownership Of railroads,
but had merely agreed to let 1t rest
temporarily and was just as much COM
mitted to 1t as ever.
And now comes Judge Howard with
public notice that the government own
ership of railroads is to be listed as the
next Bryanite paramount. This is
what ne says about it:
We believe sentiment for public owner
'ship will grow very fast, now that the peo-
pie have had a new object lesson in the
power Of the railroads to control elections.
We believe It will grow so fast that at the
next presidential election this problem will
be almost paramount. We believe that Mr..
Bryan would have polled a million more
votes than he received last week IL his
party had boldly declared In favor of gov
eminent ownership. At no time since the
acceptance Of the doctrine of government
ownership has the Telegram wavered in
support OF It. and today we regard it as
the great issue upon which the common
people Of the country will unite to wrest
the national government from control OF
those who now administer public affairs in
harmony with the wishes of corporate
wealth.
Now, we all have fair notice, and Mr..
Bryan, too. The little inconsistency
in the fact that were 1t not for the rail-
road opposition to the republican
ticket here in Nebraska Mr.. Bryan
would not have carried his own state
may be ignored and the claim that Mr..
Bryan would have polled a million
more votes had he stood ~squarely by
his government ownership doctrine is
not worth while disputing. All we
need say is that. If Judge Howard
speaks by the card, as he usually does,
the next paramount on which Mr..
Bryan will try to lead a forlorn hope
will be the government ownership Of
railroads.
Omaha daily bee., 1908-11-17
THE KAIsER's DIPLOMACY.

The remarkable demonstration in
the German Reichstag, in the form of
a criticism OF the kaiser for that in
terview In which he talked Turkey"
to the British people serves chiefly to
direct attention to the unique position
of Emperor William in political and
diplomatic Europe. Those who imag-
ing that the exciting scene in the Ger
man congress presage a curtailment of
the independence Of the kaiser forget
that the emperor has a will of his own,
and ineradicable belief in the divine
right of kings, and. what is more to the
point. has the power under the Ger
man constitution to do just about as he
p~leases. This Is made plain by a quo
tation from the constitution which
reads:
The emperor shall represent tho empire
among nations, declare war and conclude
peace, in the name of the same, enter into
alliances and other conventions with for
eign countries. accredit ambassadors and
receive them. For a declaration of war
in the name of the empire the consent of
the federal council shall be required, ex-
cept in case of an attack upon the terri
tory of the confederation, or its coast. So
far as treaties with foreign countries re-
fer to matters which, according TO article
1, are to be regulated by the legislature of
the empire chat is to say, trade, passports,
colonization and emigration, protection of
German trade abroad. the consent of the
federal council shall be required for their
ratification, and the approval OF the Diet
shall be necessary to render them valid.
The entire direction and control of
the foreign relations of Germany, save
only in the matter Of treaties. is vested
in the kaiser and he is at liberty to lee
ure England, bullyrag France, scold
the Balkans and make faces at Russia,
if II pleases his royal will. There is
not a word in the constitution requir-
ing him to consult the Reichstag, the
chancellor OF anyone else about his
conduct of foreign affairs. The kaiser
regards himself as the divinely APP
pointed custodian of Germany's for
tunes and does not consider himself
In the least bound by man-made con-
stitutions. He makes policies and mi
tiates them without regard to his chan
cellors and the German people, con-
WINGED of his patriotic loyalty, have
hardly protested against his one-man
rule.
AS a matter of fact, the interview
which created such excitement
throughout Europe contained little
that was new. Practically every fea-
ture of 1t was known to diplomatic
Europe, except perhaps the statement
that when the British were meeting
reverse after reverse in the Boer cam
paign the kaiser sent to his grand
mother, Queen Victoria. a plan OF &C
ton which was finally adopted and led
to British success in the conflict. I'm
der all the circumstances, there is lit
tie prospect that the kaiser's peculiar
diplomatic methods will cause any
lasting change In his relations toward
other European powers or affect his
position with the Reichstag or the peo-
pie. Germanys' high place in world
politics today is due largely to Emperor
Williams efforts and his little plain
Omaha daily bee., 1908-11-17

The reiterated announcement that
Senator Nelson w. Aldrich of Rhode
Island will not be a candidate for re-
election when his term expires two
years hence calls renewed attention to
the fact that while the senate remains
republican, with a prospect of so re-
naming for at least six years, there
has been a marked change in its per-
sonnet and a practical passing of the
old regime which achieved the reputa-
ton, deserved or not, of refusing to
respond promptly to the will and best
interests of the people OF the country.
This work of senate reorganization
has been in progress for several years
and several members of the old guard
had been displaced by younger blood
and more progressive men before the
opening of the 1908 campaign. Sem
ator La Toilette opened the program
by defeating the stalwart Quarles of
Wisconsin. Senator Spooner of the
same state withdrew in time to save a
fight, allowing a La Toilette choice to
take his seat. Curtis of Kansas had
from Montana and Pettus and Morgan
of Alabama, Lattimer of South Caro-
lima and Bate of Tennessee had been
succeeded by representatives of the
young democracy Of the south.
AS a result of the elections this
month, or of the primaries preceding
them, several other changes are slated
for the mex congress-. McCreary will
be succeeded by a republican from
Kentucky, but this republican gain is
offset by the loss of Hemenway of
Indiana, who will probably give way
to John w. Kern as a consolation
prize for his defeat as vice president
on the Bryan ticket. Bristow will sue
coed Long of Kansas and the change is
looked upon as a victory for the pro-
gressive republicans. Cummins will
succeed the late Senator Allison Of
Iowa, and Crawford will succeed Kit
redge of South Dakota. Ankeny, an
other "reactionary," has been de-
feated by Congressman Jones in
Washington and Fulton of Oregon
will probably be succeeded by Cham
b~erlain, a democrat, who must be
elected by a republican legislature I'M
der the peculiar state primary law. The
venerable Teller of Colorado, who has
caucussed by himself since 1894, will
be succeeded by a democrat, Charles J..
Hughes of Denver. Senator Plat,
whose career in the senate has re-
Elected no credit on either the nation
or his state, will give way to a repre-
sentative New York republican. In
Ohio, the legislature is republican, but
instead OF Foraker will likely select
some mar in sympathy with the Roose-
velt-Taft policies. Missouri, although
choosing a republican governor and
giving it's electoral vote to Mr.. Taft,
has a democratic legislature instructed
to return Stone to the senate, Governor
Folk having been defeated in the pri-
mary expression.
All in all, the changes in the senate
hold hope of progress in the reform
legislation needed and demanded by
the country.
Omaha daily bee., 1908-11-17
Personal NOTES.

If everybody who owes a letter would
write it n considerable dent would be made
in that postal deficit.
The foster father of 'Chimmie" Fadden
was buried In the New York landslide.
"Hully gee! Politics is on de blink, see?'
Adorned by a $4,000 necklace" is part
of the description of a recent bride How
ever, It is possible to be a successful bride
without this.
Harry Devendorf, secretary to James s..
Sherman, as congressman, Will he APP
pointed secretary to the vice president. The
position pays 1900 a year.
THE horse is growing in public estirla-
ton. For the first time in the history of
New York horse shows he is said to be at
tracing more attention than the toilets.
The government has decided to ask the
supreme court for a writ of certiorari in
tho Standard Oil case. This is a fine
chance for the courts to show whether the
writ of certiorari is worth all the trouble
1t makes in the newspaper offices.
A practical joker in a New York suburb,
who pretended to be dead In a church
yard and then scared the church choir by
coming to life, was sent to jail. This is a
humorous way of approaching Jokes OF the
kind which should be prevalent in every
community.
The death is recorded Of Miss Julia Gas
kell. daughter Of the author of Mary Bar
tom and of THE Life of Charlotte
Bronte." In her childhood Julia was the
pet OF Miss Bronte. Mrs. Gaskell has told
us that a strong mutual attraction eX-
listed between them. "rhe child would
steal her little hand into Miss Bronte's
scarcely larger one, and each took pleasure
in this apparently unobserved ~caress."
Omaha daily bee., 1908-11-17
A Warning to Fnirview.

bTOOhIy LuBIV NHu' UVTHI'
The democratic executive committee, the
headquarters of which are in Columbus, O.,
have already put forward Judson Harmon,
governor-elect, for the presidential nomina-
ton in 1912. This has been done without the
consent of the Peerless One and without
consultation with him. II the Peerless One
would not lose his title as the perennial
democratic candidate for the presidency, he
must be up and doing. The campaign for
1912 must be begun now. There is no know
ing what damage to prescriptive rights may
be lone by these restless and impudent
country committees In eternal vigilance
only is the price Of continued presidential
nominations There are, indeed, treacher-
Gus and faithless murmurings up in Mime
sofa OF a name that sounds like Johnson.
Time must not be lost.
Omaha daily bee., 1908-11-17
NATURE STUDIES IN AFRICA

w. j. Hampton in New York worI
The Lion and the Unicorn, g. 'cf ''ai
The Lyre-bird and all ....
The auna of the Afric wilds
Are waiting for the call
To lure them from the hunting man
And to the timber tall.
The Elephant will pack his trunk
This is no joke, although,
1t sounds like one, because unless
He packed 1t, don't you know,
lie couldn't get along at all,
Wherever he might go.
The Walrus on Sahara's wastes
Is scratching in the sand
To make a hole to hide himself
From that destructive hand;
And Ducks, with life-preservers on,
Are out of sight OF land.
The Grizzly Bear will climb a tree,
AS Grizzlies always do;
The Red Deer of the White Nile field
Are looking mighty blue.
And Bengal Tigers, in their stripes,
Have skipped from T1mbuktu.
The tall Giraffe will duck his nut
And tie hs neck I'm knots;
The Leopard will, with due regard
For safety, change his spots,
And all the Tapirs will light out
To fire the Hottentats.
The fierce Opossum and the Coon,
Through fear will lose their fat,
The Drum-Bird in the forest deep
WIN beat a wild ~rat-tat,
And Vampires, everywhere disturbed,
VIII go off on a bat.
The Africanus fauna bunch
Is booked to get its share
When Roosevelt strikes that sunburnt lar
And opens up for fair;
And II there be an Octopus
In hiding anywhere
Between the Cape and Pyramids
'Twere better he beware.
Omaha daily bee., 1908-11-17

Governor-elect Shallenberger will
make a pilgrimage to Oklahoma to
look into banking conditions there. 1t
is a safe assertion that the more he
studies the Oklahoma bank guaranty
law the more he will find in it that
should not be copied in Nebraska.
Omaha daily bee., 1908-11-17
safeguarding the Public Domain.

There is an active movement on foot
to bring about the withdrawal from the
market of all the public land which
may be made available for cultivation by
creating irrigation systems. 1t may APP
pear to some that 1t is a case of locking
the door of the stable after the steed has
been stolen, but those well posted know
that there is a good deal of Uncle Sans
domain which may appear worthless to-
day that will at some future time be
made as valuable as any land out of
doors.
Omaha daily bee., 1908-11-17
why Disturb the Dead
Boston Transcript.

The decision OF the Georgia Daughters
OF the Confederacy 10 erect the monu-
ment to Captain Wirz. not at Anderson
Vile. but at Richmond will be received
by the Richmond people with feelings
more easily imagined than described.
There is not room for IL near the Lee
nor the Washington monument. and Rich
mond may we'll wish hat Georgia would
let the dead and unbeRutifui rest.
Omaha daily bee., 1908-11-17
WITHOUT ENTANGLING PLEDGES.

WITHOUT ENTANGLING PLEDGES.
The statement of Chairman Hitch
cock that President Taft will not be
obligated to n individual through
any pledge made during the campaign
by any member of the national commit
tee" must be reassuring to the country
although those who know Mr.. Hitch
cock and Mr.. Taft, would need no
guaranty Of the latter's entering upon
the duties of his office without any
ante-election bargains or promises that
would diminish his freedom of action
in an administration for which he must
bear the responsibility.
Just before the election in 1904,
Judge Parker made the charge that
Mr.. Cortelyou was collecting funds in
Wall street on pledges of immunity to
trusts II Mr.. Roosevelt were elected.
The president promptly and vigorously
denied the charge and it was soon
proved, after the election, that there
was no warrant for the Parker charges.
In the four years that have elapsed,
Wall street, by its unceasing and re-
lentless war against the president and
his policies, has demonstrated that the
Parker accusations were far from the
truth.
Pledged to a continuance of the
Roosevelt policies. MI. Taft would
have far greater reaso for rejecting
overtures from corporate interests and
for keeping free from any entangling
! alliances with all who have so bitterly
Omaha daily bee., 1908-11-17
Our amIabie local contemporary. the

Our amiable local contemporary, the
world-Herald, calls attention Ito the
manner In which consolidated wealth
Is ~encroaching on the (~newspaper)
publishing field" The world-Hersld
ought to know. It cannot forget the
big block of money put into its own
Golfers by the silver mine bullionaires
in 1896 to convert it to the advocacy
OF 16 to 1 free coinage.
Omaha daily bee., 1908-11-17

The democrats have made a net gain
of FIVE in membership of the lower
house of the next congress. The "only
democratic congressman from Me-
braska" will have two more democratic
associates from this state after March
4. but he will still be in a lonesome
minority.
Omaha daily bee., 1908-11-17

Even though the cause is not dis
closed, Omaha's first big fire this
season should be a warning. See to
it that the fiues are clear and the COM
bustibles at safe distance before the
cold weather requires the furnaces to
go at full blast.
Omaha daily bee., 1908-11-17

Three new questions concerning the pay
ment of the death benefit nave been be-
fore the War department last week. One
is the case Of an enlisted man who was
drowned from a boat he was using with
another soldier 'in search of Shells 1t is
held that a qualified approval has been
given by the department to certain forms
OF athletic sports, but It has never been
held that grabbing and gathering shells
or aquatic exercises generally, were in
cluded In the list of authorized sports. The
death OF the soldier is, therefore,, regarded
as not in line of duty. Another case has
been that of the suicide of an enlisted man
who killed himself in a period OF mental de-
preston. In the absence of testimony that
the mental condition was incurred by the
fault OF the soldier, it is held that the
soldier was insane and that the insanity
originated in the line of duty and that the
suicide may properly be attributed to the
same cause with justification for regarding
the death as having occurred in line of
duty. A third case embodies the death of
two men of the coast artillery corps who
were killed by a collision of an electric car
with the automobile in which they were
riding in the streets of San Francisco. The
men are considered as not having been
ordered to perform any duty which re-
quired their presence in the automobile.
They were absent on pass and on private
business, neither being in a status OF duty
at the time of the fatal accident. 1t is
accordingly held that in these cases the
deaths were not contracted in the line Of
duty. o. o. ,
Omaha daily bee., 1908-11-17
Shoemaker, stick to Your Last.
Nyo,, U.-lr Mail

Hereafter bankers will be bankers, pure
and simple, not would-be "Napoleons of
finance" So the law has always contem-
plated; SO n public opinion, no longer
blinded by the glare of quick success and
merctricious method, will insist; so the fed
eral courts nave decreed by successful
criminal prosecution; so this state has or
dered by statutes which make further
chain banking impossible.
Omaha daily bee., 1908-11-17

1t will be a relief to the president
dinner guests without consulting the
newspaper correspondents or the gen.
eral public. y
Omaha daily bee., 1908-11-17

Iowa commercial bodies are going
to ask the legislature to make an APP
preparation to encourage the immigra-
ton of desirable citizens into Iowa.
This should be coupled with an appro-
priation to encourage the emigration
of undesirable citizens out of Iowa.
Omaha daily bee., 1908-11-17

Returned Italians, according to a
cable from Rome. are celebrating Mr..
Taft's victory in Italy. Too bad Mr..
Taft will not have the appointment
of the Sicilian postmasters.
Omaha daily bee., 1908-11-17

South Omaha's professional poll
ticians are already beginning to pro-
test against possible annexation legls-
lation. Why should they get excited Z?
Did not the whole democratic legisla-
tive ticket win out in Douglas county?
Omaha daily bee., 1908-11-17

The War department recently received a
communication from the father Of a mill
tiamen who was said to have contracted a
disease while attending the joint maneu-
GERS in his state. The fond parent was OF
the opinion that the general government
should reimburse him for the expenses in
CURED in restoring the guardsman to
health. He has been informed that there
Is no appropriation available for such pur-
pose and that the state troops do not be-
come a part OF the army when they take
part in joint maneuvers and do not at any
time enter into the service OF the United
States. His case is clearly one for the
state authorities to settle.