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kWffl THE WODLD'S
BEST
It CRIME INCREASING?
Whenever a crime of unusual turpi
tude is committed, and particularly
whenever a number of ' such forbid
ding events occur in quick succession,
we hear much about the "epidemic of
crime' accompanied by lugubrious
comment to the effect that wickedness
is increasing, that it is outrunning
the growth of population, that the
country is rapidly degenerating. It
has become the settled conviction of
minds chronically indisposed to look
tipon the sunny side of things that the
criminal population is increasing at
a more alarming rate than at any
time in the country's history, yet no
prof is at hand to support this pessi
mistic view.
Penologists are awaiting trust
worthy and sufficiently comprehensive
statistics on this interesting subject.
Samuel J. Barrows, Commissioner for
the United States on the Interna
tional Prison Commission, declared in
a paper published In 1903 that for
want of any comparative statistics in
the United States It Is extremely dif
ficult to say whether criminals are in
creasing with reference to the popu
lation, inasmuch as -so much depends
upon the activity of the police. Mr.
Barrows observes that as social rela
tions multiply the standard of pro
priety and good conduct and of social
protection is constantly raised, and
when now laws are rigidly enforced
''vie, may expect an Increase for the
time being in the number of offenders
until society has adjustodltself to the
new requirements."
It may be noted that the system of
news gathering has been brought to a
high pitch of efficiency in our day.
Every crime of importance occurring
almost anywhere in the country is im
mediately reported. We hear very
much more about crimo than our for
bears did. The diligence of the re
porters and the news agencies creates
the impression that the world is
growing worse. The law-abiding
millions attract little attention.
Philadelphia Ledger.
A CHANCE FOR PUBLICITY.
If it were possible to compol tho
national committees to keep an accur
ate record of and publish a true ac
count of their expenditures for cam
paign purposes a work of the utmost
Importance would be accomplished.
England has virtually eliminated tho
bribery of voters in her parliament
ary elections by requiring that each
candidate's campaign expenses Ehall
be recorded and made public
If the campaign fund accounts were
made public, instead of being kept
secret, there would be no neod to
"fry the fat" from corporations or
men. AH the monoy actually neces
sary for an honestly conducted cam
paign would be willingly contributed
by public spirited citizens of either
party, Only through publicity, full
and complete, will campaign funds
cease fo be corruption funds. Phila
delphia Ledger.
THE PEST BRAIN WINS.
The Japaneso are well-informed
and wait steadily with wonderful self
control until their preparations for
the grand attack are quite complete.
It is In brain that they beat the Rus
sians, whose soldiers die in heaps',
with all their old heroism, and who
suffer -less in morale from defeat than
more mobile or better-commanded
troops. They are there to. die for the
Czar, and they do their duty with a
splendid untiachingness which rivals
that of the Japanese. London Spec
tator.
WBITECS
HUMANE EDUCATION.
Tho world is only half civilized,
while the majority of peoplo look with
Indifference on the overworked and
overladen horses. The horse whoso
footsteps are beginning to totter witb
age, yet still dragging heavy burdens;
the horse whose hopeless eyes and
prominent bones tell that he is al
ways hungry; the cat crying for food
In the homo where there Is plenty,
and turned off with a few miserable
scraps that on'iy acute hunger could
force any animal to eat; the starved,
deserted cat; tho kitten dropped in
the. stroets; the faithful dog deprived
of liberty and miserably cared for;
tho butterfly struggling with the cruel
pin that fastens it to the wall; the
half-crushed toad by the 'wayside; the
bird lamenting for his stolen nest;
the dead bird mvrdcred for sake of
weak and vain women all these sad
sights may be seen every day. Tho
law doos not reach them, for it is
only cases of uxtrcmo cruelty that can
be punished, and who can begin to
estimate the immenso amount of suf
fering thaU constantly goes unpun
ished? Our Four-footed Friends.
THE RUSSIAN SOLDIER'S TEST.
That the Russians have fought so
well after three months of stoady de
featt and retrograde movements
sr oaks highly for the character of the
rank and file. Over-burdened and ill
thod as they have been, fighting far
from home in tropical heat, for reasons
utfknown to most of them, tho position
of the enlisted men has been bad
enough to try the Spartan three hun
dred Should there now be a severe
defeat, followed by a rapid retire
ment of the army upon Mukden or
Herbin, the troops will bo subjected
to the severest test to which armed
men can be exposed. Only an army
splendidly disciplined, well command
ed, devoted to its officers, and euthu
Einstlc in its cause can come through
null an experience without disastrous
re-nlts. Of the Russian army of to
day it is only known that the men are
generally devoted to their officers. It
must not bo forgotten, moreover, that
the early disasters of 1877 in Bul
garia did not prevent the Russians
from going to tho very walls of Con
sontinoplo later. New York Post-
CULTIVATE A HOBBY.
"Since the home woman is the li
dispensable woman, it is a pity she si
often allows herself to fail in her ful
development and reward," says an ed
Horial in Harper's Bazar. "She is apl
to be so unselfish and so conscientious
that fJie lets the four walls of hom
narrow about her, and the simples
remedy is to havo at least one out
side interest. Tho woman who takes
up one hobby, one charity, one lino of
work beyond her household oares,
and follows it steadily, .will find that
it brings freshness and power with it.
It becomes both outlook and Inflow
to. her. And tho woman with a hobby
grows old so slowly that sho often
never grows old at all, but keeps to
the last that freshness of Interest
which is the mark of-youth."
GOOD SAILORS FROM THE WEST.
The recruiting service of the navy
Is getting plenty of desirable young
men of American birth just now,
especially from the west, and it is a
singular fact that a western lad
makes a good sailor, though he may
never have seen salt water beforhe
Joined Ills ship or arrived at the train
ing station. But the quality Is in the
blood of the race and a few genera
tions passed on the prairies does not
eliminate it. New York Freii.
A Day on the Farm
Nejw York Society Frolic.
A New York society woman recent
ly gave a clover home entertainment
which she culled a day on the farm.
The arrangement of tho room was
planned to represent a farm. Tho
floor had been carefully sanded, tho
carpet being removed. Elaborate
furniture had been replaced by chairs
of 'rustic build, and one corner of the
room was filled by n plain wooden
bench, on which shone half n dozen
dazzling milk pails. Chickens and
ducks of toy shop variety strutted and
waddled, or rather seemed to do so,
hero and thcro over tho pand.
Each guest on entering received a
little program decorated with water
colors. The decorations wore minia
ture scenes sketched in country' places,
such as a farmer at the plow, a hay
stack with a moon behind It, a milk
maid carrying palls.
Each card gave the order of the
evening, which was as follows:
A Day on the Farm.
1. Driving tho cows to pasture.
2. Drawing water from the well.
3. Loading tho liny wagons.
4. Supper.
Driving the cows to pasture proved
a fascinating bit of nonsense. The
The Hay
cows were wee brown creatures be
longing to tho baby's barnyard set.
Each player was given three cows to
drive. Tho driving had to be done by
sundry little taps with a stick, not by
a long, steady push. The route over
which they were driven was the cen
ter line of tho room. If in her prog
ress any cow fell, the driver was
"discharged." Tho object of the sport
was to see who could in the shortest
time drivo his cows to pasture with
out having any of them meet with an
accident.
Drawing water fiom tho well, tho
second number on the program, was
no less laughable aud could not fail
to embarrass the most self-possessed
competitor. However, as all the farm
ers wero subjected to tho same labor,
no ono considered it wIbo to Jeer at
the efforts of a fellow laborer, as he
Alabama Editor Honored.
Major W. W. Screws, the veteran
newspaper man, chosen president of
tho National Editorial association, is
editor of the Montgomery, Ala., Ad
vertiser. Major Screws was born in
Alabama sixty-five years ago and bat'
passed all his active life within that
state. He has been postmaster of
Montgomery and thrice served as sec
retary of state.
might become oven more absurd.
( For this feature a hugo wooden tub
in the center of the room, lubelcd in
largo letters, "Tho Well," was filled
with water. Two diminutive buckots
from a doll houso outfit were brought
out by tho hostess. Each player In
turn was obliged to tako the buckots,
fill thorn at tho well and then run
around tho room holding a buckot in
either hand. Tho farmer who spilled
tho least water In his progress won
tho point.
Tho egg hunt followed. The eggs
to bo searched for were small, oval
bonbons, and were hidden about the
room. Sotno were red, somo whlto and
some blue. Tho red egg counted ono
point, tho white two points and tho
blue three. Fifteen minutes were al
lowed for the search, and little baskets
were presented in which to put one's
spoils. At the end of tho time allotted
tho eggs found by each searcher wore
counted. Tho counting was done not
according to numbers, but according
to color values.
Tho haymaking contest was herald
ed by the sudden appearanco on -tho
scene of a toy hay cart rolled In by
I tho hostess. Some soft, sweet clover
Harvest.
hay had been previously shaken out
by the hostess in the center of tho
room. Each guest was given an
oyster fork. A lady and a gentleman
wero made partners and told to load
tho hay on the cart. This was dono
by means of tho oyster forks. Tho
hostess, watch in hand, timed tho con
testants. This bout decided the prizes, which
wore charming Htilo pins In tho shape
of farm Implements. Thore were, be
sides, somo amusing boobies, which
took tho form of little farmhouses oC
ediblo chocolate
Naturally, the refreshments was a
farm supper, simple, well cooked and
abundant. There wero steaming corn
meal mush, with country croam and
maple syrup, roast chicken, apple
dumplings, cake and other good
things.
' -.
Perhaps True to Life.
They have a story In London of an
Oxford don who was induced to speak
Into a phonograph. Somo time later
the machine was set going again and
.he was asked to listen to his own
voice. He did so and after the sound
had ceased ho said to the assembled
company: "It Is strange that this
machine makes me speak in a bump
tious and affected manner."
"
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