davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-05
Personal AND OTHERWISE.

January sales in Pittsburg will not affect
prices of councilmen. The goods have been
removed from the bargain counter for an
indefinite period.
Uncle Sam may be a trifle slow i'm dis
pensing awards, but ne gets there. A
Pennsylvania man has just received a
check for Sc cents. his share OF the loot
captured by a union gunboat in 1868.
Thanks to the tendency of wedding cake
TO improve with age the huge loaf pre-
pared for the Elkins-Abruzz wedding need
not be thrown away. 1t will be as "fit' as
ever when it appears at the wedding OF
the most beautiful Italian girl in Chi
cage.
The Pennsylvania man who predicted the
world would come to an end December q
is carefully keeping out of reach Of his
dupes. A few deluded mortals who hoped
to take on celestial wings caught colds in
stead.
An expert in such things calculates that
as two Sunday cocktails induced a Chicago
man to caress a friend with a loaded
salad dish, two like corrections would make
a Kansas man sob for more. Such are the
mysteries OF thirst.
The story that it took $4,000, 900 effectively
to bury the dual rulers of China will be
read with outward evidence of inward
grief by the undertakers of Baltimore. In
the monumental city any sum over $50 for
a funeral is regarded as unseemly eXtrava-
GRANGE by the solemncholy brethren.
Mime. Heink. the robust singer
and mother of a large family, naively ex-
plains why she prefers the United States
to the fatherland. I'm the United States"
she says. II gave last year 100 concerts,
each netting me $1,000. In addition I made
some money in singing into monographs"
Gomez, the new dictator of Venezuela,
is said by an American correspondent to
be an apt pupil of Castro, and to have out
classed his master as a cattle rustler. Con-
siderable artistic skill was displayed in
swiping the presidency, but there is some
doubt whether the maverick will take the
brand.
Chicago aldermen are convinced that their
services are worth $500 a year to the city,
but as several of the members are hold
overs, whose compensation cannot law
fully be raised, the more liberal associates
allowed them Secretaries who will alb
sorb the difference between $500 and $500
a year. This is a sample of the brand of
nerve that makes Chicago famous.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-05
A COUNTRY.
Immense Loss of Life in Earthquake
Zone Was Inevitable.
New York Evening Post.

New 1OTk ENtulilB rust
The vast loss OF life which has befallen
the Tyrrhenian coastlands Of Italy was due
in large measure to the extreme congestion
of the population. italy as a whole supports
IS inhabitants to its every square mile. In
Sicily the ratio is 375 10 the square mile
and about unhappy Messina the ratio rose
to ass. We think Sicily as so exclusively
an agricultural countryside land of wheat,
oil and citrons-that 1t is surprising to
find over one-fourth of its population OF
some $500, 600 c~ongregated in cities having
more than 20 900 inhabitants. OF such cities
there must be between fifteen or twenty.
The soil has had to stand the wear Of
constant cultivation from the times when
Sicily fed Athens and Rome, but the island
is still a gTanary and a garden spot. 1t is
still parcelled out among great land owners.
holders of the ancient l%atifundia, who, with
their tenants and subtenants, crowd to-
gether in the cities when the weeks or
the seasons cultivation is done. With
them they not infrequently bring their
farm animals and thus give TO Sicllian
cities an aspect of particular sloyenliness.
That a catastrophe Of nature coming upon
such human congestion should work i'm
mense loss Of life was Inevitable
Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-05
WHAT RESOLUTIONS COME TO.
An Early Example for Later Day Good
Intentions.
Golfers Weekly.

Golfers Weekly.
The end OF the good resolutions made on
January / usually sets in about the end
of January. Just as well, perhaps, for at
the best they are frozen and unhuman
devices to attain uprightness. 1t may be
the third week in January; it may be Feb
ruary: but they are pretty sure to so by
the board at last. A very lifelike document
Is the diary of the crusty old DR.. johnson.
We select a few jottings;
'176O. Resolved, To rise as early as l
can.
'llSl. My purpose is, To regulate my
sleep.
"l764. My purpose is from this time, To
rise early.
1884 (September) 1 resolve, To rise early
not later than six, il 1 can; l hope sooner,
but as soon as l can.
1875. My resolution, I propose to rise at
eight, because, though l shall not yet rise
early, it will he much earlier than l now
rise, for I often lie till two.
'1769. I propose and hope to rise early in
the morning, at eight, and by degrees at
six.
"1T2. I hope to rise by degrees more early
in the morning.
"17I4. I hope to rise at eight"
Evidently no lack OF good resolutions; yet
only a few years before his death we find
him writing:
Il have now spent about fifty-five years
in resolving; having from the earliest time
almost that I can remember, been forming
schemes of a better life. I have done moth
Ing. "'' My life has, from earliest years,
been wasted in a morning bed"
Few would agree with Dr.. Johnson's
estimate of his life, but we may concede
that his resolutions were not OF greal
assistance.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-05
COUNTY BOARD ORGANIZATION.

For the next twelve months the
county board for Douglas county will
consist of three members elected as
republicans and two members elected
as democrats. If the democrats had
three members and the republicans
only two members. it goes without
saying that the democrats would or
ganize the board and take upon them
selves the responsibility for its acts,
With a majority of the members
elected as republicans, the republicans
will be charged with responsibility,
and while the minority members may
share the credit for good work, they
will try to put on the majority party
members all the blame for mistakes.
And yet there are rumors current
that the republican members Of the
Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-05
THE LEGISLATURE.

Another legislature il about to con-
vene duly commissioned to make and
unmake laws for Nebraska. Although
the democratic preponderance in both
houses is large. the present prospects
are that the session will be replete
with turbulence and tribulation, but
extremely doubtful of fruitful results.
The fact is that, broadly speaking,
there are no %grievously crying ills
aflicting the people of this state, wait
ing to be cured by legislation. That
is the present democratic legislatures
good fortune. The last legislature,
under guidance of a progressive re-
publican majority, CAV the people re-
lief from long standing evils and did
the work 80 thoroughly that little
more is to be desired.
Efforts will be constantly made to
persuade members of the present leg
islature that they we're chosen on
specific issues, requiring the redemp-
ton of particular platform promises.
The most of them, however, were run
ming on two platforms, with divergent
or conflicting pledges, hone of which
was really at issue. In other words,
Nebraska has a democratic legislature
not because Of the platforms promul-
gated, but because of a combination
of corporate interests that wanted to
rebuke the republicans and to insure
immunity from the democrats.
Unfortunately, Mr.. Bryan has pub
licly announced hat Nebraska is to be
made an experiment station for the
various legislative fads and fancies of
the Denver platform rejected by the
nation at large. If so, hat will be
Nebraska's penalty and punishment,
because no other state-republican or
democratic-with the possible excep-
ton OF Oklahoma, will undertake seri-
ously to carry out that program.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-05
DEFICIENT M1DD1ES AND CADET.

DEFICIENT MIDDIES AND CADETS.
D~iscouraging reports come from both
West Point and Annapolis of the lack
of progress by the young men being
educated as the future officers of the
army and navy. The cadet corps at
West Point is about 100 below the
normal number and of these some
thing like sixty have already been
posted as deficient in their studies
and advised that unless marked i'm
provement is shown, they will be
dropped.
The situation is no less disturbing
at Annapolis, where 233 of the mid
dies, or more than o%ne-fourth of the
entire number, have been posted as
deficient in their studies and more
than three-fourths of these are def
cient in navigation, the knowledge of
which is the most important of the
branches taught at the academy.
The students at West Point and An
napolis are supposed to be selected
from among the brightest and most
promising young men of the country
and the training at the two institu-
tions is supposed to be the finest in
the world. The failure, or threatened
failure, therefore, of nearly one-fourth
of the young men in the two schools
must be set down either to over strict
tests, to lax discipline, to a fault in
the quality of students selected or to
a mistaken course of study.
Millions have been expended on
these schools in the last few years and
everything done to improve the equip
ment, yet never before have such dis
c%ouraging reports been received of the
work. The schools are literally sup
ported at public expense and have the
best teaching corps available, and the
favored students are expected to make
good and can have no good excuse
for failure.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-05
A PECULIAR BOYCOTT.
Race Track Interest Striving to Bull
dOEe New Orleans Papers.
P%ittsburg DISPATCH.

TllNSDuIb DlSpdlCH'
An application OF a judicial principle, now
under debate, comes from New Orleans in
a form that will produce little dissent
among the moral, At that city the gam
bling interests are charged with organizing
a boycott against newspapers that oppose
the re-establishment of race track gam
bling. Judge Saunders OF the United States
district court is stated to have brought the
reports to the attention of the grand jury,
with the following comment:
We cannot permit a quasi-criminal poT-
ton of this population to censor and die
tate what the newspapers of this city shall
public questions. And il there Is a con-
spiracy OF this kind then IL behooves you
to investigate ii thoroughly and indict the
men engaged in 1t.
On the moral question, which at this dis
lance is the chief issue, the judicial utter
ance is ~indisputable. The case presents
clearly the dangerous character of the or
ganized boycott II can be so easily per-
verted to the uses of the INSCRIPTIONS and
immoral, and, as illustrated in this case,
had the boycott been successful. applied TO
the suppression Of free discussion and the
sitting OF independent opinion.
That is a phase of the boycott which no
thoughtful mind can overlook. But as a
merely collateral point, since the president
has been so holly criticised as desiring 10
! encroach on state rights, and the courts
have been pointed out as the barrier to
such aggressions, it is impossible to refrain
from the inquiry what a United States judge
has to do with a boycott which by the
statement OF the case is limited to a single
state, and under what national statute OF
constitutional clause a federal grand jury
could find the indictment as suggested o.
the quotation above.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-05

President Roosevelt's latest mes
sage to congress makes lively reading,
This message is the answer drawn
out in response to a resolution of con-
gress asking for further information
on the work of the secret service and
an explanation of what was taken to
be a reflection upon the personal in
tegrity of its members in that part
of the annual message dealing with
the secret service.
Mr.. Roosevelt comes back along two
lines. First, he disclaims intention to
attack personally any member of o n
gress and asserts that a false construc-
ton was placed on his previous words,
to which misunderstanding the con-
gressional inquiry is due. Second, he
reinforces his reasons and argument
for restoring the appropriation for the
secret service without limitation or
conditions.
While many question the propriety
of injecting into a presidential an
nual message language that could be
so readily distorted into a serious re-
Election on unnamed congressman, all
must concede that the president
brings proof from the record that what
he said was strictly true in the sense
that he now explains it; and, further
more, that the usefulness of the secret
service is in danger of great impair
ment, IL the restrictions placed upon
it at the last session of congress are
to be continued.
The president submits convincing
proof that the secret service has been
of i~ncalculable value in safeguarding
public interests and shows that 1t is
absolutely necessary that the service
be under one head with possibility OF
assignments of men to the different
departments as needed. This position
Of the president is fully supported by
the history of the land fraud cases in
Nebraska, the Beef trust investiga-
lions, fight against Standard Oil, and
all the active work for enforcement
of the reform legislation enacted with
In recent years. Whether Intentionally
or not, congress seriously hindered the
work of the law-enforcing branch oil
the administration by placing limita.
lions on the use of the secret service
and the people will be with President
Roosevelt for removing those limita,
tons.
In this latest message, however, the
president again invites criticism by
drawing on the personal equation. His
mention by name of men employed
merely as attorneys for law breakers
is calculated to cast a cloud upon
them and fails to distinguish between
legitimate and illegitimate service or
behalf of their clients. 1t seems hardly
fair to shield offending congressman
and derelict federal officials by with,
holding their names, while at the
same time holding up to public view
fully identified private citizens against
whom no charge is preferred.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-05

Prospective Legislative Experiments
in Nebraska.

st. Paul Pioneer Press.
Nebraska has "a hen on" in its legislative
chambers this winter, in the person of
William j. Bryan, who is brooding over its
proceedings to make it sure that certain
grand ideas Of his shall hatch out in APP
propriate legislation. He thinks that so far
as possible the declarations of the Denver
platform should he embodied in state en-
actments. Well, it is always better that
a remedy, or r suspicious article Of food.
should be tried on the dog before It Is
dealt out to the family; and Nebraska will
serve the purpose OF Il dog, in trying the
effect of Bryanite nostrums, possibly even
better than Oklahoma. The republicans
or Nebraska, who were so Weakened
that they permitted their state to 60 demo
cratic-the only falling star in the northern
~galaXy-wil get only what is properly com
ing to them if their state legislature shall
make a fool of itself.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-05
LINES TO A LAUGH.

That picture is by an old master" the
owner stated proudly. "
,"Umph. umph,' commented the critical
adelphia Ledger.
Esmeralda-You seem to be acquainted
with that shop girl who nodded TO YOU.
Gwendolen-Yes; / don't dare TO snub
her. She sold me most of the pompadour
I'm wearing and she remembers it.-Chi-
1T does seem queer unused the man
who seemed to be thinking aloud.
What seems queer?' asked the innocent
pystander' who had overheard the remark
mLhat people who don't know right from
wrong usually go wrong" answered the
loud thinker, Chicago News.
Nell-IIe's a college boy.
Belief thought so.
Nell-From his conversation?
Belle-No, l was too busy listening to his
clothes TO hear what he had to ~say.-Phila-
Il made my husband cross this after
noon" said Mrs. Caller.
How was that" queried Mrs. Homer.
He was on the opposite side of the street
and l beckoned him to come over ex-
claimed the other.-Chicaso News.
with an omlnous frown President Roose-
welt heard that history was being revised
history I'm making" he said, and sum
moned an expert on ccpyright-Philadel-
phla Ledger.
Sho-They say girls cant throw straight.
but when a girl throws 4 sly glance |
notice she generally hits the mark.
He recently b~itten)-Yes-the easy mark.
Boston Transcript.
Mrs. De Flashleigh dressing for charity
bal)-I suppose III have to wear all my
diamonds, Livingstone?
Mr.. De Flashleigh-Do as you please,
dear; but II they fatigue you, don't expect
me to lug them around.-Puck
II hid a Christmas present from nay hus
band and now / cant find it,. But then !
might have known he'd discover It,"
why, what was it?"
"A bottle of rare old brandy. cleveland
Plain Dealer.
Fladger-How do you like your new
preacher?
~Dlgsby-First rate. He's so agreeable 4;
never talks religion 10 YOU at all, you
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Press.
Teacher (of night ~schooD-Here we have
the familiar quotation, where ignorance is
bliss tits folly to be wise" Give an ex-
ample in which ignorance may be said to
be bliss.
Shaggy-Haired Pupil-well, the wild ami
mails in Africa ought to be in bliss. They
don't know what's going to happen 10
them in about three months.-Chicsgo
Tribune.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-05
MESSINA.

Alas. that beauty so divine should die.
And ia one moment pass from mortar
sight,
Likt some sweet star upon the brow OF
night,
sky!
o guardian angels. did We sleeping lie.
Instead Of watching, panoplied with might,
So that no thief should steal that jewei
bright,
And change a joyous song into a sigh?
Be still crushed hearts! naught do We
know but this:
Deep grief has come to take the place OF
bliss;
For beauty asks, binding dun and grey,
A starless, moonless night instead Of day.
All wisdom is with God, and all Is well,
Though heaven may drop into the mouth
of hell. GEORGE W. CROFTS.
West Point, Neb.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-05
An ExempIar of Socialism
Boston Herald.

Socialist J. C. Phelps Stokes explains
that the reason why he doesn't divide up
his fortune among those who helped to
produce it is tina 1t would give them only
about a quarter of a cent each and would
do them no good. This is practically the
same reply that the elder Aston once made
to a like question as to his fortune, but it
failed to satisfy his socialistic critics. who
continue to d%enounce the possessors of big
fortunes Just the same. Socialist Stokes
occupies a glass house.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-05

According to the local democratic
organ, the old standbys OF the legis-
lative lobby will be mighty lonesome
figures at Lincoln this winter, If they
are there at ALL" 1t is much more
probable. and in fact already demon
strated, that the old standbys of the
lobby" will simply be replaced by 1.-The
new standbys of the lobby" but that
the lobby will be there just the same
and no more lonesome than hereto
fore
Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-05
RELIEF FOR STRICKEN ITALr.

RELIEF FOR STRICKEN ITALY.
The public will approve the action
of congress in promptly authorizing
the president to expend as much as
100000 for relief OF the stricken dis
tricts of Italy and in using battleships,
transports or any other vessels of the
navy in carrying on this splendid
work. The action of congress had been
anticipated by the president who, with
congress in recess, has directed the
Navy department to land supplies and
naval stores at such ports as might
be designated by the italian govern
ment and to use the officers and men
of the navy wherever their services
were needed.
Later accounts of the devastation
wrought by the earthquake in Sicily
and southern Italy sweep away the
hope that its extent has been exagger-
ated and it must now be accepted as
one of the very greatest calamities in
possible to overestimate the dire ex-
tremity of those left alive in the
stricken district and in need of sue,
cor. In such times, the relief is best
that m quickly and there should
be no delay In carrying out the mis-
sion of the congressional a%ppropria-
ton. 1t will require years for Sicily to
recover from the effects of the catas,
trophe and relief provisions must be
made on a basis to extend over sew
eral years, but the crying demand now
is for immediate help for those, who
though fortunate enough to escape
with their lives, find themselves in
great danger of starvation.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-05
Excessive Toll of Life.
Philadelphia Record.

IIIIuUNIDIII" INVNVTU'
The excessive loss of life and the eX-
cessive waste of material in the operation
of American mines as compared with the
lesser losses in the more difficult and
hazardous work in English and German
mines furnishes sufficient cause for active
government regulation. TIL best results
may be anticipated from the willing CO.
operation of humane mine-owners. Where
there is lack OF cooperation compulsory
means of relief are fully justified.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-05

If the people who annually protest
against the street fair as an unworthy
appendage to the Ak-Sar-Ben festiyi-
ties want to do anything to make their
protests effective they will have TO
start in right away.The only way TO
abolish the street fair is to provide a
Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-05

The various state organizations Of
county officers seem to be maintained
for the purpose of influencing legisla-
ton affecting those particular offices.
If this influence we're exerted occasion
ally for the benefit of the public these
organizations would be entitled to
credit, but If their influence is to be
exerted only for the benefit OF the in
cumbents of the Offices for the time
being they will soon lose their pres
tige. The general public is apt to &C
quire the idea that all the county off,
GERS get together for is to figure on
raising their own pay, giving them
selves more help and reducing the
amount of work.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-05

Mr.. Edison says this will be a great
year for inventors. Wish some in
ventor would hurry along with a de-
vice that will close the window when
the alarm clock rings in the morning.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-05

The new State Board of Optometry
in the eighteen months that it has
been operating in Nebraska has taken
in a little over $4,000 in examination,
registration and other fees. Nothing
the matter with the eyesight of the
three members constituting that
Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-05
Challenging Fate.

Boston Transcript.
Probably at this very instant there are
souls-not all OF them connected
the real estate business, either-who
are planning the new Messina.' There
been a city on it's site for twenty-five
centuries, which is not merely a coinci-
dence, but an Illustration of the persistency
OF trade routes.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-05

The zeal of our democratic congress-
man to prevent our democratic mayor
from being vested with the power to
appoint police board members is easily
understood,
Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-05

The Winning of the South" by
William Howard Taft, promises to be
quite as interesting a volume as The
Winning of the West" by Theodore
Roosevelt.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-05
Consider the Difference.

Statisticians inform us that the cost Of
living has increased $50 per cent during the
last 100 years. Still. it will have to be
admitted that living is worth a good deal
more than it was 100 years ago.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-05
Senator Aldrich is said to

Senator Aldrich is said to be
alarmed over the prospect of a radical
tariff bill to come from the house and
is accordingly preparing one of his
own to be offered as a substitute in
the senate. This report will be a hard
blow to the democratic editors who
have insisted that the house bill would
be an attempt to revise the schedules
inward.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-05
Missions of Mercy.


Now, when the great armored ships of
war can be swiftly sent to Italy on err
rands of mercy, peace and goodwill, there
will probably be less objection to the enor-
nous expenditures of the nations in build
ing them,
Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-05
OVERRIDING the Jubilee Business.
Pittsburg Dispatch.

That proposition of having a grand
reconciliation observance on Lake Erie of
the centennial of Perry's victory, with
Great Britain and America Joining, might
be all right, but don't grow so effusive as
to alter the immortal message Of They
are ours by adding w are theirs also
The FrenHh-Canadians and the British
fraternized at Quebec's tercentenary, but
history was not mutilated.
Omaha daily bee., 1909-01-05

The Omaha Street Railway company
is trying 20 improve The ventilation of
its cars and asks the cooperation of
its patrons to meet that end. What
would IL have the passengers do? All
ride on the rear PLATFORM