davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-04
sOURCE OF
Newspapers Indispensable in the
Final Writeup.
New York World.

new 1OIh NOIlu'
At the meeting of the American His
torical association at Washington this week
one of the interesting papers read was
that by William Nelson on American
Newspapers Of the Eighteenth Century as
Sources of History" Mr.. Nelson took is
sue with Bancroft's remark that you can
not write history from newspapers"
That might be true for the period of
American history with which Bancroft was
most interested, as the colonial press was
hampered by official censure, but in the
evolution OF the press since independence,
a historian, as Mr.. Nelson remarked, who
ignores that field will miss "a great and
valuable mass OF material" Even In a
study of the revolutionary era the news
papers, brief as they were, throw much
light on the life OF the people, and with
out that our conception OF events would
be fragmentary and the meaning incom-
plete. In the absence OF the telegraph,
telephone and news organizations, and
with editorial comment usually covered
by a paragraph or two, 1t is readily under
stood why Bancroft gained little material
from the newspapers in writing his earlier
volumes.
Letters, journals, diaries and public docu-
ments then as now were Invaluable, but
In recent times their relative value as COM
pared with that of the newspapers as
chroniclers OF the events of the time has
greatly decreased. As James Ford Rhodes,
the historian. in speaking before the assoc
citation on the use of newspapers for his
tory in the period from 1850 to 1877, re-
marked, they are indispensable ito get
at all the facts. to go to the bottom OF
things" Mr.. Rhodes also acknowledged
the aid he derived in the period mentioned
from the editorial comment of such great
Journalists as Greeley, Bigelow, Raymond.
Webb, Bowles, ThurIow Weed, schouler
and Medill.
No historian of any period since the
modern development Of the newspaper
would dream of writing history without
consulting the newspapers of the day as.
TO use Mr.. Rhodes language, ian ample
and contemporary record OF the past"
Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-04

Not only do we have county and
state taxes due and delinquent at diff
ferent times from city and school
taxes, but also a difference between
the times when personal and real es-
tate taxes become delinquent for
county and state. In other words,
every taxpayer who pays on both per-
sonalty and realty and who takes adj
vantage of the time allowed must
make three trips to the ~treasurer's
office at three different times and the
treasurer must make three separate
tax collections and issue three separate
tax receipts.
That there is no good reason for this
multiplicity of tax payments is self
evident. In no other city in the state
is the same system employed. Every
where else but in Omaha a single tax
bill is rendered with distinct items for
taxes due county, state, city and school
district and the payment is made in a
lump sum in exchange for a single re-
ceipt.
The peculiar condition existing in
Omaha is an outgrowth of the CONSOLE
dalton of city and county Treasured
and may have beer excusable for the
transition period, but its continuance
is no longer necessary.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-04
Great Historic Region.
nov York Eveninr Posi-.

OAA evening TO6l.
The country in which earthouake. flood
ana fire have spread ruin is one Of the
great historic regions OF the world. Scien-
lists say that Sicily-C alabr lies on a
seismic boundary formed by the meeting of
TWO geologic formations. But Sicily and
calaoria have witnessed the clash OF other
than geologic forces. Reggie di Calabria.
as Hhegium. was one of the cities OF Magma
Graeoia, where Greek culture blossomed
almost at its highest. and where Pyrrhus
fought with Rome for supremacy IN the
Mediterranean. With Rhegium. Rome
closed its conquest of Italy, and with Mes
sina 1t began the conquest of its first prov
nee and OF the world, Europe and Africa
Iought out their battles in Sicily during the
Punic wars. and Normans and Saracens
commended there a thousand years later
Now Messina and Reggto di Calabria are
lald in ruins by a titanic convulsion that
Is reported to have cut a new course for
the strait of Messina. so that Irlvssas
would find the task of sailing bet ween
scylla and Charybdis harder than ever.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-04
THE FIGHT ON DIR. WILEY.

'
With the demand that he be de-
posed, some of the manufacturers of
the country have started an open wor-
fare on DIR. H. w. Wiley, chief chemist
of the Department of Agriculture.
Secretary Wilson refuses to discuss
the matter other than to state that he
has no intention of removing DR..
Wiley, but, on the other side, 1t is
asserted that other members of the
board with DR.. Wiley have been pro-
mitigating regulations in connection
with the pure food law, without con-
sulting him and In defiance of his
orders. DR.. Wiley has been connected
with the government for twenty-five
framing of the pure food law than any
other one individual. He has con-
Quoted many experiments touching the
effects of adulterants, coloring mat
ter and cold storage on food products
and has been vigorous in his efforts
to enforce the provisions of the pure
food law. His latest order prohibited
the use of benzoate of soda and
copper s~ulphate in preserving and
coloring canned goods. The manufac-
turers have APPEALED from his decision
and have demanded his removal, as
sorting that goods are not made pois-
onous or injured by the use of color
ing matter or the preservatives they
employ in the canning.
Whether DR.. Wiley is right or
wrong should be determined without
difficulty by experts. Meanwhile, DR..
Wiley's associates on the Board of
Food and Drug inspection have issued
permits to the manufacturers to go
on using these c%olorings and preserva-
tives, provided the fact is plainly
stated on the labels. But this does
Gals in question are injurious to
health, their use should be prohibited.
If they are not injurious, their use
should be permitted without embar-
RAISING restrictions.
Great progress has already been
made in the protection of the consum-
ers by the adoption OF pure food laws
in the nation and in the different
states, and the demand is for intelli-
gent enforcement of these laws until
the evils the public has complained of,
have entirely disappeared. The de-
velopments at Washington indicate
that the fight on DR.. Wiley is really a
fight on the whole pure food move
mnnt
Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-04
Earthquake Ravages I'm italy.

springfield CMass.) Republican,
NO inhabited part of the earth's srrfacs
Is so subject to destructive ouakes as the
region about the strait Of Messina which
mas again been visited by a vast calamitv
from this cause. Every century within the
scope OF recorded history has seen this
Calabrian region of Italy afflicted. TO a
greater or less extent from earthquake
and there have been frequent periods Of
time when 1t has been almost continuouslv
subjected to these disturbances. We must
go back, however. to 1888 to find ANYTHING
equal to the present experience in destruc-
uveness. Like this one, that earthouake
shock shook down many OF the Villages
or Calabria and, passing under the strait OF
Messina. leveled most of the city of Mes
slha and caused a tidal wave which conn
\pleted the destruction. as now. The esti-
mated loss of life at that time was 100. ON
and 1t is quite possible that this astound-
ing figure of mortality will be reached IN
the present case. 1t is a matter of record
that for seventy-five years, following 17ss
this region of Italy lost 1l1,OOO Inhabitants
from earthquakes more noteworthy for
their frequency than for their special de-
structiveness.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-04
ScylIa and Charybdia.
Washington Star,

In those old, old times when gods ana
goddesses were so very like human beings
mat they felt such primal passions as love
and Jealousy 1t was quite common for them
to vent their spleen upon unhappy NOR
tails who offended them by Transforming
the victims into animals. birds, trees and
rocks. 1t was in this way that the con-
Venient channel of flowing he
tween Sicily and Italy became beset by
TWO serious perils. Gree hated a beautI-
ful mortal woman named ScylIa. because
a certain fisherman preferred scylIa IA
herself, and she changed the luckless
maiden into a hideous monster and set
dogs and wolves to bark around her
ScylIa preferred death to such a state. so
she flung herself into the straits of Mes
slna' at their narrowest point, on the
Italian side, and became a great rock.
looming in the very course OF vessels. Just
10 give the men who followed the sea
their full measure of trouble Jupiter Sc
leeted a woman named Charybdis, against
whom he had a grievance, and changed
her into a vicious whirlpool. placing her In
this guise on the other side OF the straits
from Scylla. where Messina harbor is To-
Gated. After that the fishermen had all
they could attend to in navigating the
straits, and often in avoiding Scylla they
Tell into the nav of Charybdis.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-04
WHY TAFT WAS ELECTED.
Southern Democrat Suggests an Elk
tr~aOrdinary Mission.

Charleston News and Courier (dem.).
Mr.. Bryan says that Mr.. Taft was
elected through a combination Of the
financial. commercial and industrial In
terests Of the country" and that he
would rather remain a private citizen
than be president and be subservtent to
those interests. as Mr.. Taft must be, under
the conditions tina elected him." 1t would
appear from what Mr.. Bryan says that It
was very fortunate for the country that
he was not elected. What other inter-
ests are there really that are to be Sub
served" but the financial. commercial and
Industrial interests? That seems to a X
in everything that lie worth serving-the
merchants, the bankers. the manufac-
turers, the workingmen, and the farmers.
Mr.. Taft ought TO be very much pleased
with Mr.. Bryan's tribute. It Is the best
thing that has ever been said about him
Yet the great Nebrasksn Is picking his
flint again for another race for president,
According to the dispatches the other
day h. is willing TO respond as long and
as often as the democratic party calls
for him. But there won't be no demo-
cratic party" In 1912 II he shall be nomi-
mated again. Somebody ought 70 tell him
so-Henry Watterson. or Josephus Dan.
iels, or Urey Woodsoh. or Norman p.
Mack; somebody he will believe.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-04
NEW BUILT.
Development Chiefly in the Western
states.
P~hIIadelphla Preas

Philadelphia Press.
Fewer miles OF new railroad track were
laid down in the United States in 1908 than
In any preceding year since 1897. More than
three-quarters OF all the new trackase this
year lies west of the Mississippi
Railroad construction in this country
reached its maximum In 1902, when 5000
miles were built. Only So per cent OF that
amount has been laid this year. II Is I'M
necessary to go into details to show why
such a large decrease should occur in 1908.
The reasons are patent 20 all.
But even a severe trade depression could
not halt the keen competition thai is evil
dent in the far west. More miles OF new
road were built In Montana than any other
state. and nearly all of 1t was paid for by
three big systems. which are under the
domination OF two rival groups of men.
Competitive railroad building in the east
has not been seen on any very important
scale. barring one exception for a long
is just the reverse. The Hill-Morgan faction
on the one side and the Harriman-Rocke-
Teller faction on the other. are reaching
with vigorous hand for new c~onquests.
The extraordinary ease with which a
company like the st. Paul can finance a
t-ranscontinental trunk line which. with sid
ings, aggregates 220O miles. compared with
the throes through which the Northern Pa
cific had 20 pass, is an eloquent comment
airy on the vast expansion OF American
wealth since Jay Cookies day. Now the
work is done without creating a ripple on
the financial sea. Then II laid the founda-
ton OF a panic that shook the world.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-04

ABUSING THE FRAMING PRIVILEGE
Two congressman have been notified
that the typewriters they attempted to
send to their homes under their con
gressional franks are being held at
the postofice in Washington awaiting
the payment of $19 in postage on
each. The members have. of course,
protested to the postmaster general
and a ruling has been asked on the
right of a mere postmaster to withhold
from the mails anything offered under
the frank of a congressman.
The incident serves to call re-
newed attention to the abuse of the
ranking privilege that has grown to
be little short of a scandal. The pur-
pose of the frank was to enable MEM
bers of congress to send their official
letters and printed public documents
through the mails without the pay
ment OF postage. Even that privilege
offered leeway for abuse by allowing
the campaign committees of both
parties to flood the country with ex-
tracts from the Congressional Record,
and inserted originally in the Record
for Just that purpose. The greater
abuse, however, has been in the use
of the frank to sending all sorts of
stun through the mails free of cost.
1t is a matter Of record and common
knowledge in Washington that mem
bers have used the frank to send their
personal belongings, ven household
goods, through the mails. One thrifty
Kentucky congressman used to send
his laundry home every week under
a frank and an eminent statesman
from Illinois sent his household goods
and his library home under a frank,
the total filling two freight cars. So
greatly has the privilege been abused
that a postmaster general reported a
few years age that the cost of carry
ing the franked matter of congressman
was as large as the annual deficit OF
the Postofice department.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-04
Personal NOTES.

DR.. Edwards, of the Carnegie institute
is now in Shanghai getting ready to make
the first magnetic survey of China
"one must not forget that the people
on whose authority the reports are sent are
all made with terror And Ferrero knows
Italians.
The approaching centennial of his birth
is putting into print many pictures of the
Martyr President Lincoln. None have yet
come to notice as beardless as the Omaha
high school statue. One photograph taken
the day before the assassination shows the
short beard with which he is usually rep
resented.
One OF the three memorial windows
unveiled the other day at Plymouth church,
Brooklyn, showed a group of four dis
tinguished American women-Mrs, Harriet
Beecher Stowe, Mary Lyon, Emma Willard
and Catherine Esther Beecher-described
as the four great educators cf American
w~omanhood.
If reports from the Orient may be re-
lied upon the Grand Vizier's list of sem
ators to be submitted to the sultan OF
Turkey for approval will contain the
names Of two Jews-David Effendl Motifs,
first dragoman of the imperial dlvan, and
Behor Effendi Eskenazi. a emb of tho
state council.
A granddaughter OF Philip Freneau. tho
revolutionary poet, Miss Mary Hammell
Oh Locust Grove, l.. l., is under inquiry
as TO her sanity at the instance of neigh
bors. who found her starving and freez-
ing in the house where she has been liv-
Ing alone. She is wealthy but persists in
denying herself food and warmth.
To the list of self-made men whose
business fra nRartioDa arnhraaod m
ordinary variety of interest must be
added solomon Andrews OF Cardiff. who
died at the age OF 73, leaving a fortune
Of A.Ss0,0o. Unable to read or write,
he started business by hawking pies and
tarts that he had baked himself. Before
long he embarked In ether enterprises
and became wealthy.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-04
No Cause tor Worry.

According to the report of General Bell,
chief of staff of the army, the infantry
is too weak and the cavalry is superannu-
ated. Such was the case with both the in
fantry and the cavalry before the war OF
1912 and the war with Mexico, and, above
all, the stupendous civil war. But thanks
to the volunteer militia the country wor'
ried through these crises with compare
lively small aid from the regular army.
General Bell imparts the assurance now,
however, that the long marches and other
tests of endurance inaugurated by the
president have done much to elevate the
physical condition and morale Of officers
and men. Let us rest happy in the con-
viction that the country is safe.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-04
CONSOLIDATE TIE Taxes.


If the coming legislature wants to
make a hit with the taxpayers Of
Omaha and at the same time relieve
the ot1cial tax gatherer of unnecessary
expenditure OF time and money, it will
consolidate the taxes imposed here on
real and personal property for the sup
port Of state. county, school and mu-
nicipal governments. AS 1t is now the
ordinary taxpayer in Omaha is con-
fronted with this confusing schedules;
County and state taxes due November l
each year.
County and state personal taxes delin'
quent December /. same year.
County ana state real estate taxes delin.
quent May l, following year.
City taxes due May l. each year.
City taxes delinquent July J. same year
Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-04
The Record Disaster.
Springfield CMass,) Republican

S~pringfieId (Mass.J RepuDIIcah'
In the more remote parts Of the world
many cases might doubtless be cited Of
greater destruction of human life from
earthquake than is now afforded. But
along the pathway of civilization few ex-
periences have been met with so sweep
ingly deadly as the one now reported from
the cities along the Messina strait. The
destruction of Lisbon by earthquake and
tidal wave in 1855, when a loss of life va
riously estimated from 10000 to 10000
persons, is to be thought Of in this con-
n~ection; and tradition has it that the shak-
ing down of Antioch and villages round
about in the year 526 destroyed over 2Oo,-
900 lives. But within the range Of au-
thentic record this latest Calabrian earth
quake is apparently to be written down as
the most destructive Of all.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-04

The appeal of the democratic organs
to the democratic legislators to fulfill
their platform pledges in order to hold
the confidence of the people who
elected them sounds very well. But
how does it fit in with the appeals
made during the campaign by the same
democratic organs asking the people
to turn down the republican law
makers of the last session notwith-
standing the fact that they had scrupu-
lously redeemed all their promises?
Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-04
oRAToRY SAVES THE PIECES.
Famous Figures OF speech Untouched
by Natures Commissions.
Kansas city Times.

Kansas City Times.
Scylla and Charybdis cannot he de-
stroyed. The mere rocR that was known
as scylla may have been cngulfcd. The
whirlpool that was Charybdis may be now
and henceforth the calmest water Of the
Mediterranean But seylla and Cnarybdii
will endure as long as oratory flows IN
Kansas and Missouri.
Mr.. Chairman. what do we seer The
Scylla Of corruption on the one side; the
Charybdis of oppression on the other
Or-"Who shall guide the grand old ship
Of state between the Scylla Of anarchy on
the one hand. and the Charybdis OF cor
porate greed upon the other7' In such
immortal words are these cherished fig
ures OF the spellbinder fortified against
destruction by earthquake, volcano and
flood. Virgil may have supposed that he
had given the repository for their fame.
Indeed. It may be admitted that he did
have something to do with II as a starter.
But the real shine is here with the vest
ern orators.
"Pelion" has been piled on ossa" many
a time. High Olympus has been scaled
so quickly and so often as to make a
Swiss Alpine climber envious. "The dogs
Of war" have been held in leash over time.
The "Rubicon" has been crossed almost
as frequently as Caesars wife has been
declared TO be above suspicion. The
"Ides OF March have done duty for No
vember a thousand times for each cleo
ton. These have all done and will con-
tinue to do "yeoman service for the
s~pellbinder. They have been almost as
effective as the warning that Caesar had
his Brutus," or the reflection that Alex
ander sighed for more worlds to con-
quer."
But of all the eternal band none other
is comparable TO Scylla and Charybdis.
They have been, facile princeps. the favor
ties, Filling every requirement OF sound
and antithesis. No period so effective as
they supply. No climax so sure to get
a hand and establish a reputation.
scylla and ChArybdis are not destroyed.
The awful calamity that has swept over
southern Italy has at least spared the
western world that devastation. The sug-
gestion that IL the worst came to the worst
the pillars of Hercules might take their
place is wholly impertinent and needless.
Transplanted to America ScylIa and
Charybdis have became Institutions, secure
as the Declaration of Independence, and,
like the declaration, enshrined In the
hearts of the multitudes.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-04

That was all; but it was sufficient, and
William H. Taft understood that his resig-
nation OF the portfolio of war had been
promptly and emphatically declined.
Mr.. Taft has never ceased his earnest
advocacy of the reduction of the tariff on
Philippine sugar and tobacco, and II Is a
safe prediction that unless the national
legislature shall already have granted the
urged concession 1t will play an important
part in his first annual message TO con-
gress; but during the campaign OF 1904
Chairman Cortelyou did not again assign
the uncompromising secretary Of war to
speak in any section where the growing OF
sugar and tobacco constituted one OF the
important industries.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-04
Crusade Against Food Fakirs.
Boston Herald

DR.. Wiley, chief chemist of the Depart
ment of Agriculture, and the protector
Of food purity, will be better appreciated
because of the enemies he has made. The
protest Of the National Molasses Refiners
association against his ''pernicious ac-
tivity" is evidence that his crusade against
undesirable food preservatives is genuine
and effective. The protest of food manu-
facturers against his Interference" with
their methods and practices will not dis
credit the service he has rendered in the
detection and prohibition of unhealthy in
gradients in food products.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-04

The citizens of Bath, Me-. the birth
place of Charles w. Morse, are petit
tioning the courts to release Mr.. Morse
on bail. pending a new trial. Morse
has been sentenced to fifteen years
Imprisonment for huge financial
frauds in the banking business. The
loyalty of his fellow townsmen at
Bath must, of course, be pleasing to
him, but the efforts are in decidedly
bad taste, considering the charges
against Morse and the effect that his
release would have.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-04

Lower rents in Omaha would be
highly desirable from every point of
view, and so would a more liberal pol
icy on the part OF most landlords with
reference to repairs and ordinary ac-
commodations to tenants. II the Real
Estate exchange will tell us how to get
one or both it will do the community
an inestimable favor.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-04
Practical sympathy.

y 1NAh ~ hbhilNs
The only compensation Immediately dis
cernable in the case of such appalling ca
tastrophcs is the almost universal outpour-
ing of sympathy in practical forms. The
collection of funds for the relief OF the suf-
fering began in this instance at many points
before any appeal for help had been made,
and we hope that, however inadequate TO
replace what has been lost, they will be
large enough at least to save thousands
from starvation.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-04
II MONTHS md THE JEWELS
Harper Bazaar

Gsrnets. January's gems, mean Victory
and Power"
February Amethysta rule sweet Aztec
tons" hour;
March with JaspeTs decorates those who
are Wise and Bold"
AprilS deep-blue Sapphires reign where
Truth" is bravely told;
Chaleedonies belong 70 May; their message
Is Good cheer;''
The Emeralds of June declare Immortal
Life " clear;
July claims Diamonds "Purity''-freedom
from spot or stain;
August's sky-blue TuTquoises stanl for
"Worldly Gain"
s~eptember's chrysolites, proclaim. Hops
Ever for the Best
The Beryls Of October. tell Of "HIppiness
and Rest"
November,s glowing 'Topazss are types Of
Faithful Friends"
December's blood-red Rubies sing: Gods
Power Never Ends."