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I*'# km /J IS, The Leon Reporter a. aoiit hhum IOWA. THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 1901. NOTES FHOM THE CAPITAL iSX ®®8 Moines, March 5, 1901. The board of control has received report from Dr. F. M. Powell, sup 'tw:.•fy'erinten.aent ofthe institution for fee If,' ble-minded children at Glenwood, to effect the danger from smallpox there was past. Recently a case of smallpox appeared there, the patient one of the firemen at the insti- ^'s^^'ittttioB^ It was feared for ai time an »v4 epidemic might result among the in mates of the school, but Dr. Powell writes the time has gone by for the 'f^^sea8e ^°. aPPear sPread from contagion prior to the quarantining of the Sick fireman. The board of con trol has been relieved of considerable i?: 'i anxiety concerning the spread of the -disease by Dr. Powell's report. The Nebraska state penitentiary au thorities have csked Iowa to take care of some of their prisoners. Since the fire which destroj'ed the Nebras ka penal institution a few days ago the prisoners have been under heavy guard in the prison yard, but this is regarded as exceedingly hazardous an the authorities are asking neigh boring states to help them out of the difficulty until permanent quarter* can again be provided. President Polk of the street rail way company has employed J. Carss* and a corps of engineers to survej aeveral routes for the proposed inter urban line from this city to Indianola. Ii an interview Mr. Po'lk stated thai he was sanguine a route not more than seventeen miles in length, as .. against the twenty-one miles by rail road, would' be found and a practi cal grade for the operation of a line run by electricity discovered. He pre dieted that interurban electric lines would within the next five years place Des Moines in close touch and easy ,connection with Winterset, Indianola, I? Prairie City, Newton, Creston, Knox I ville, Ames, Boone, Adel and other points comprehended in a radius of fifty miles of the caiiital city. The "social evil" and kindred sins in Des Moines will be fought at their own door. Evangelist Rev. William .Bremner of Friends' church and J. E. Harden of the First M. E. church have undertaken the great task of re forming Whitechapel. From the Iowa Loan and Trust company they have rented the principal building at 333 on the east side of "Pelton" avenue. They are now negotiating with a Christian family, which will constant ly -occupy the second floor of the building. The two evangelists will not sleep in the building, but will con duct services in the large room on the first floor day and night. They ask .••I no money or other aid from the pub lic—simply the prayers of all Chris tian people, ana they feel God will do the rest. They have been engaged in stum work for months and have con socrated themselves to the life they are now undertaking. An attempt is being made to pro vide more office room at the state ,i:.V iious^Jjyijiovii'igr tak.cqytpfenter shop andOTglSSer's room froml t.ho mnitnl basement to the power hous? the street. This will give one large additional room, and there is.talk of disposing of the contents of some of the store rooms and converting them into offices. The growth of soiree of the departments wi.ll make it imper a alive that more office room be pro vided. How to do this is a problem nl considerable magnitude, as there is JIO place in which the documents now •lOccupying so large a part ox" the base ment can be stored. When the car penter shop has been installed there •the power house will be completely filled. The secretary of the state botrd of health has learned of a statement .made recently by Dr. G. J. Ross of Sioux City at the meeting of the Sioux City Medical society to the ef fect that there was not a case of -smallpox in the state and that what is pponounced smallpox in Sioux City, At least, is tfte Cuban measles or toome undefined disease brought from -Cuba by the soldiers. Dr. Ross in the course of his talk said that if the disease now so prevalent in the state were actually smallpox there would •*be some deaths resulting from it, or at any rate there would be at least we virulent case. In reply to this "the secretary of the state board of health takes occasion to tender Dr. -Ross some information. A number •of deaths resulting from smallpox &a<ve been reported to the board since January 1 and this does not actually present the number that have occur red because of the failure of many physicians to report them. As to virulent cases there have been a large number in many parts of the state. It was stated by Dr. Ross, according to the report received, that he had examined the nine cases of alleged smallpox in Sioux City and found none of them to be real smallpox. He makes the somewhat unique sug gestion that if the disease actually is smallpox it would be the part of wisdom to turn all its .victims loose in order that the entire state may get it while it is reigning in so mild a form. Circulars are now being sent out from the board of health head quarters in which strong criticism of physicians is made because of fail ure to recognize smallpox in its early stages and so prevent the spread of the disease. yp' PORTS HAVE BEEN OPEN. Secretary of the Treasury Answers the House Inquiries. Washington, March 1.—Secretary Gage yesterday submitted to the house a reply to the resolution of in quiry as to whether our ports or •watesr have been used for the expor tation of horses, mules or other sup plies for use in South Africa. Mr. Gage says: "1. Our ports have bee" us^l for '.llrt5 exportation of horses, mules or other supplied for use' in South Africa. "2. J&etween October, ISO}, anc] •Tiin*tfary 31, 1901, horses, niu'es and •Qflflier supplies to the extent of $2f, ^95,692 were exported South Africa. "3. No steps have bran taken to prevent the lawful e:portation of horses, etc. "4. The number of horses and mules shipped from ur ports during this period was 76,63." Mr. Gage adds that is not feasible before congress adjouns to give the shipments by ports etail. A table ,*#hows all the sbipnmts to South /Africa, the chief ones *?ing/horses, mules, wheat, canned bef and rum. items of gunpowder ad firearms ^ery small. re brings flattery to tone, flut-. i^tojtliera. THE NEWS IN IOWA EXPLOSION DESTROYS A HOUSE. Three Bays Who Were Inside Madly In jured, One Perhaps Fatally. Clinton, March 2.—George N. Day ton, Daniel Maltby and George Mitcn e»., three boys ranging in age from 13 to 16 years, entered an empty house and detecting the odor of gas, lighted a, match to locate the leak. The re sult was a terrible explosion, all the boys being seriously burned. It is thought Maltby will die. The house was blown to pieces. The boys owe their escape from instant dfeath to the fact they were in the basement when the explosion occurred. The roof was blown off and the walls of the house blown outward. The build ing was a story and a half frame. The explosion was heard for blocks and windows were broken in nearby houses and articles fell off the shelves. The shattered building caught fire soon after the explosion. The boys were carried from the burn ing structure. The fire department was soon on the scene and extin guished the blaze. DEATH OF MAJOR CURTIS. Well Known Atlantic Man Passes Away After Long Illness. Atlantic, March 4.—Major"H. G. Cur tis died here Friday evening. Major Curtis was prominently identified with the establishment of a new gov ernment in Porto Rico, serving as a member of the Porto Rican commis sion appointed by President McKin Uy in February, 1899. The service of Major Curtis was more particularly directed to the legal phase of the question in which he made exhaustive researches. While in Porto Rico, Mr. Curtis con tracted malarial fever, which eventu ally undermined his health. After re turning to Washington the commis sion concluded it's work of formulat ing a code of laws and was dis charged. Major Curtis- returned- home last June in hopes of regaining the strength he had lost. While he im proved somewhat, it was not a lasting improvement and for the past month he had been failing. CHARGED WITH ABDUCTION. Two Men Are Under Arrest at Clinton— Young Hoy the Victim. Clinton, March 4.—Jake Putnam and Eugene Johnson are under ar rest at DeWitt, this county, charged with the abduction of Willie McMa hou, the 16-year-old son of John Mc Mahon, a farmer who lives near De Witt. The boy was attending school at DeWitt and was last seen with Putnam and Johnson February 14. On the day the boy disappeared he had considerable money in his possession and wore good clothes. When Put nam and Johnson returned to DeWitt a few days after the disappearance oC the boy they were questioned and state that young McMahon had been employed by an ice dealer at Savan na, 111., and was at work there. When he failed to return home, his sister went to Savanna to look after the boy, but could find no trace of him. On her return to DeWitt, Putnam and Johnson were arrested. INDIANS AT WASHINGTON. Go to Complain of the Conditions at the Tama Reservation. Grinnell, March 4.—The government is having trouble with the Sac and Fox Indians, tha remsant of the -tribe of the famous Black'Hawk, now located on the Tama reservation. The tribe^as, formulated its grievances in the formN of a. protest, which a committee of six tribal leaders will take to Washington. The committee has gone to Washington. The tribal laws and customs do not conform with the moral standard of the agent who charged them with polygamy. They claim that the agent forcibly interferes with the family relation's resulting from their marriages and they demand exemption from such interference. CHARGED WITH FORGERY. M. O. Bakke, Whose Home Is Kmmets burg, Under Arrest. Algona, March 4.—M. O. Bakke, giv ing his residence as Emmetsburg, was arrested by the sheriff on a charge oi forgery. He had sold a mortgage and note at the Algona State bank for $400, and then called on George Call to sell another mortgage and note for $700. Call's suspicions were aroused and he telephoned the man whose name was signed asking him if the note and mortgage were all right. He answered that they were forger ies. Call then sent for the sheriff and completed the transaction. Im mediately the sheriff took Bakke in charge. He had his preliminary ex amination and was held to the next term of court. GOES TO CONSERVATIVE LIFE. Southwestern Mutual Life Policy Holders Fully Reinsured. Marshalltown, March 2.—At a, meet ing held here in which 4,900 out of 5,200 shareholders were represented either in proxy or person, the busi ness of the Southwestern Mutual Life company was transferred to the Con servative Life of Los Angeles, Cal. The American Life of Des Moines was also a bidder, but withdrew, its offer prior to the vote. The Conservative will leave on deposit with the auditor oi Iowa $100,000 in securities and maintain a branch office in Iowa, which will probably be located at Marshalltown. HAMMER FOUND GUILTY. Convicted of Attempting to Murder Wheatcraft. Newton, March 2.—Dr. M. R. Ham mer was found guilty of the chajge of assault with intent to commit mur der. The jury was out less than an hour. His alleged victim was Oscar Wheatcraft, who was stabbed several times during a. street fight. Judge Bishop of Des koines heard the case. In Hands of Money Sharks. Sioux City, March 2.—Not quite sixteen years ago two brothers, lienry and Thomas Jenkins, who live in the southern part of the county, borrowed $300 through a money len der, E. J. Norcross of Onawa. Since then they declare they have paid more than $700 upon this original debt, yet today they are defendants in a suit arising out of this transac tion, in which they are charged with still owing Norcross $578 and two years' interest, aggregating about $G70. If the pleadings of the defend ants may be uelieved, that first $300 has grown marvelously in the sixteen years to a grand sum of more than $1,300. Sues H* Wealthy Husband* Charles City, March 2.—Mrs. Carrie M. Palmer of this city has sued her husband for separate maintenance. The petition alleges unkindness and the fact that her husband ordered her not to return to his home in Chicago. Palmer is president of the Palmer bteri and Iron company of Chicago andMsprth $200,000. The proceedings —^^^ught is Chicago. .:'v DOUBLE TRAGEDY NEAR DENISON Farmer Kills Bon, Burns Property and Dies In the Flames. Denison, March 2.—Henry Warn, a farmer living six rnileB north of Den ison, during a fit of insane fury, kill ed and cremated his son William, burned his house, barn, horses, cat tle, grain and all his farm implements and $1,500 in cash and then committed suicide by rushing into the burning barn and dying among the horses. The deed was committed about 9 o'clock yesterday morning, and sev eral neighbors, seeing the smoke, rushed to the rescue, only to be driv en back by Warn at the point of a revolver. Warn then went on with his awful work, a|pl when help did arrive, it was too late to save either Warn, his son, or any considerable amount of the property. The crime was executed with fiend ing cunning. He shot his son and dragged the body into the barn. The animals were securely tied and fas tened to prevent their escape from tne flames. The farm waterworks were dstroyed, and coils of wire were placed against the hog house tc prevent them ffom getting out. The body of Warn was found in the barn after the fire had died out, charred beyond recognition. All the flesh was burned away, as was the top of the skull and the limbs. Warn was-well-to-do, and it is said he had more than $1,500 in cash in the house, which undoubtedly was destroyed. He was a man of over 5C and had lived in this county for more than twenty-five years. His son, Wi.liam, of whose body no trace has been found, was 21 years of age. Warn also has two daughters, both of-whom are married. His wife died several years ago. He was of a morose and surly disposition, and his neighbors evidently were in fear oi him. He was a German and spoke but little English. BIG ELECTRIC RAILROAD. One Is Planned to Connect Charles City With Des Moines. Des Moine?, March 1—The new elec tric railroad for which a company with $150,000 capital was organized a few days ago in Charles City, seems to be a very ambitious enterprise. The organization as it is being per fected by S. L. Kern of Charles City and George W. Dawson of Waterloo is only a small part of the plans the company has under consideration. The new company expects to come into Des Moines with its electric line, and the company, when fully or ganized,, will have a backing tha* will render it easy to float the bon&s to carry the gigantic deal to completion. Messrs. Kern and Dawson, the promo ters of the scheme, claim to have the best of assistance. They are moder ately wealthy men themselves and have promoted a number of big deals' that have been paying investments, and have the confidence of capitalists They number in their present back ing a considerable amount of capita] iik Des Moines. The proposed route of the new road is in jumps of ten to twenty miles from Charles City to Greene, then south through Allison, Parkersburg, Grundy Center, Conrad, Marshall town, Van Cleve or Laurel, and then to Newton, where the Charles City line will meet that being proposed by the Cleveland syndicate in which a large number of people are interested. None of the cities named have north and south lines except Marshalltown. and the scheme is one of the most plausible ever brought out in the way of an electric line. The plan is simply the operation of a series of local railways. Between each of the towns mentioned there are a number of in land towns that would welcome a railroad and will pay handsomely to get it. MANY IOWANS RETURNED. Old Members of 1'ifty-first Back From Philippines. San Francisco, March 5.—The trans port Meade, having on board the Eleventh cavalry, ordered home from Manila to be mustered out, has ar rived in the harbor of San Francisco after an eventful voyage. A numbei of former members of the Fifty-first regiment, who obtained dischargei in Manila in 1899 and re-enlisted in the service, a.re on board the trans' port. Among those that have returned are: Captain Joseph T. Davidson of Muscatine Lieutenant Francis H. Lincoln of Ames Rufus Jones of Dies Moines Andrew H. Thomas of Des Moines Robert B. Kershaw of Man sion John Stombaugh of Stuart Robert Blaine and Carl C. Jones of Knoxville Ed Orvis and W. E. Brown of Oskaloosa.-, James A. Johnson of Council Bluffs H. E. Myers of Onar wa John Tunnell of Glenwood Owen H. Williams of Atlantic M. W. Whit ing of Glidden, Thomas F. Payton, Bert C. Wyckoff, William Reed and William B. Berry, formerly of Com pany I of Bedford. Shrader of Gren field and Tim Erickson of Villis' a. Among those who remained in Ma nila were Captain J. O. Ross of Shen andoah Frank E. Jones, M. Bronson and John L. Swanson of Des Moines Alfred Smith of Van Wert, Carl Bier horn of Council Bluffs, Walter T. and John Elkins of Stuart. Knoxville P. M. Nysoe of Grinnell Scott of Corning H. M. Wolf of DAVIS IS FOUND GUILTY. Jury Convicts Him of Having Killed Halloway at Knoxville. Knoxville, March 5.—After deliber ating six hours the jury in the John Davis murder trial brought in a ver dict of guilty. The defendant was put upon the stand and was directed by counsel to tell in a connected way all that occurred at his home on the night of the dance, at which the mur? der was committed, leading up to the shooting of Holloway. He did so, detailing in the minutest degree a number of points not brought out by the testimony of other witnesses. Defendant's bearing on the stani rras that of one eager to relate the cir cumstances. Ilis account, seemed con sistent and straightforward, and im pressed the many hearers in the court room favorably. The opinion has •prevailed that the state had not'es: tablished a strong ease, hence the finding of the jury came as a sur prisc. Vouns Warn Sot Murdered. Denison, .March 5.—William Warn, the son of Henry Warn, whom it was supposed was murdered by his father, has turned up. His father drove him away at the point of a revolver and he remained hidden in a neighbor's straw stack a'll day. Warn also lef!, a letter saying that he had buried his money and telling where it coulc) bo found. Search was made, and tne money, amounting to over a thousand dollars, was found. Cedar Rapids Gets a Carnegie Library Cedar Rapids, March 5.—Andrew Carnegie has placed this city on his list for library donations and has told an Iowan that he will give the city $50,000 under thei usual conditions theae donations have been made. iiy.'i NEWS IN GENERAL NO CHANGE IN TOE SYSTEM. Present Officers Will Continue to Rule' the Philippines. Washington, March 4.—Following close upon the approval of the army appropriation bill,, containing the' amended Spooner I proposition for a provisional government in the Phil ippines, the president will issue an executive order designating General MacArthur and all the other officials ot the present military government as the persons to administer "all mil itary, civil and judicial powers neces sary to govern th6 Philippines." In other words, the existing government will continue under a new designa tion of authority from the president' until agreements can be made for the "establishment of civil government' and for maintaining and protecting the inhabitants of said islands in the' free enjoyment of their liberty, prop rt,y and religion." The president will act in the line indicated simply as a precaution against possible legal or international complications. A gen eral plan of civil government has been formulated by the secretary of war and referred to the Philippine com mission for its consideration. It wilt be for the president to determine when and how the new-'government shall be inaugurated. It seems to be settled that Judge Taft will be the first civil governor of the Philippines, and that General Chaffee will have command of the military forces. CARTER KILLED THE BILL Talked the River and Harbor Bill to Death. Washington, March, 5.—One of the most notable occurrences in the his tory of congressional legislation marked the closing hours of the last session of the senate of the Fifty- sixth congress. Senator Carter, of Montana, signal ized his retirement from the senate-, after six years of brilliant service by talking the river and harbor bill' to death. He occupied the floor, con structively, for nearly thirteen con secutive hours, although in the ag-. gregate about three hours of that time were devoted to other business^ At 11:40 Sunday night, after the' senate conferees on the river and' harbor bill had reported a disagree ment, Senator Carter began nisi speech. Apparently in a facetious' vein, he began his attack upon the' measure, denouncing it as vicious anc! pernicious legislation, unwarranted, by conditions and unsound in prin-' ciple. Shortly after 5 o'clock Mr. Allison submitted a further agreement on thj' sundry civil bill, the item in conten tion being the appropriation for the three expositions. From this the senate receded and then passed the: St. Louis exposition bill. Mr. Till man, who has championed the appro priation for Charleston throughout, the session, made a final appeal to the senate to save the Charleston item, but he realized that the Mis souri senators were more powerful than he. By a vote of 38 to 10 the senate receded from the Charleston appropriation and the bill was pass ed. Mr. Carter resumed his speech.' finally announcing at 6:35 that it was1 his intention not to permit the river and harbor bill to become a law if his strength should hold out, and say ing that he was in excellent physical condition. With the exception of a' brief intermission while a quorum was being secured and a recess of half an hour between 10:30 and 11, o'clock yesterday, Mr. Carter spoke practically continuously. He yielded the floor only after the ceremony of the induction of Vice President Roosevelt into office had besrun. EMPEROR IS TO RETURN. Will Be in Peking by tbe End of tbe Present Month. London, March 5.—The Peking cor respondent of the Pall Mall Gazette, telegraphing March 2, says: "Thj emperor will return to Peking at the end of March. A bodyguard is a 1-', ready assembled at SJaii Fu. "The foreign ministers have de manded the death of twelve addition ai high officials and the punishment of ninety provincial mandarins. "Smallpox has broken out among the allied troops." Berlin, March 5.—Ambassador White's conference with the German' foreign office continued during last week. The correspondent of the As-j sociated Press learns upon excellent authority that these conferences are due to fuller and more definite in-, structions just received by Mr. White.1 from Washington concerning the threatened lajd-grabbing in China.. Germany agrees fully with the United States that no secret concession.? should be made by China to any for eign power, but that all concessioi:s should be strictly confined to grants for diplomatic and ordinary commer-1 cial purposes and above board and through treaties signed by all thi. powers. It is believed in German' official circles that Russia will not! insist, upon China's signing a secret! treaty since the other powers have I so vigorously protested aga-inst such action. 1 System Held for DeWet's Escape. Colesberg, March 5.—Th-J blame for! General De Wet's escape ie placed on the system rather than on the com-, manders pursuing him. It has besni impossible to direct the operations' by telegraph, and the feeling is that, greater discretion should be allowed the commanders in the field. General De Wet marched five milea' a day faster than the swiftest Brit ish column. Although the Boers are now demoralized, it is believed that they will quickly recover if they ar«j allowed a few davs' rest. Haytleu Couuiuoii* o«rioui New York, March 2.—A dispatch to the Journal and Advertiser from Cape llaytien says: The situation on the frontier of Hayti and San Domingo1 is more serious. There is fighting! every night between the troops of the two countries, and many soldiers have been killed. Both sides are massing troops/ though all the talk is of a peaceable settlement of the trouble. All is quiet here and at Port-au-Prince.« Plague Fatal a.t Cape Town. Cape Town, March 5.—The bubonic plague is spreading here. Five corpses, all of colored persons, have been found in twenty-four hours. Ten' colored persons and one European woman, believed to be affected by the1 disease, have been removed to a hos pital. 'Numerous persons who had come into contact with suspected, cases have been isolated. Escape of Do IVet and Steyn. Colesburg, Cape Colony, March 5.—' Fifteen hundred Boers, with whom, it is alleged, were General De Wet. and former President Steyn, found a' spot at Lilliefontein, near Colesburg bridge where the Orange river widens and the current is slow, and they all* crossed, both men and horses, by INAUGURAL CEREMONIES ricKlnley and Roosevelt Inducted Into Office. Washington, March 5.—William Mc. Kinley of Ohio was yesterday induct ed .into the presidential office, being the eighth in the illustrious line of presidents of the United States thuq honored by the American people with a second and consecutive term. Sim ultaneously, Theodore Roosevelt of New York been,me vice president of the United States. The ceremony that marked .this second assumption by President "Mc Ivinley of the cares of state was most impressive and full of sugges tion of the development of the re public during the past four years. It wa® just 10:30 o'clock when- the uresident entered the white house car riage which was drawn by four super bly groomed horses belonging to the executive stables. With him in the car riage were Senator Haama, Repre sentatives McRae and Cannon. Sec retary Cortelyou and the members of the cabinet took their places in their own carriages and with a trum pet blast the procession started. In one of the carriages Admiral Dewey and General Miles were seated together. They were in full dress uniform. The carriages left the grounds by the east- gate and turned west up Pennsylvania avenue to reach •the rear of the escorting column and then counter marched, passing the white house again at 10:50 o'clock. The progress of the president's car riage was marked by a contir uous roar of applause, men cheering and women waving their handkerchiefs and clapping their hands as the mag nificent equipage with its sable cor r seurs rode down the avenue at a foot pace. The president was in high spirits and bowed from right ,to left neyed to the cnpitol and was hatlesa to the cheering crowds as he jour most of the time. Senator Hanna at tracted much attention as he sat be side the president. The president signed the bills which the dying congress had passed. A great pile of them awaited him. A few minutes before 11 o'clock the last bill which was to receive presidential approval was signed and the presi dent and the members of the cabinet entered the senate chamber, where Vice President Roosevelt was induct ed into office. The solemn oath, the taking ot which places Mr. Roosevelt in the van of a long line of eminent pa triots and statesmen was administer ed by Senator William Frye of Maine, president pro tempore of the United States senate. The vice president delivered a brief inaugural address, after which he ad ministered the oath of office to the new senators. At the conclusion of the ceremony incident to the swear-, ing in of the senators. Vice President itoosevelt directed the sergeant-at arms to execute the order of the in augural ceremony. Colonel Randss dell then conducted President Mclvin-, ley, who followed the sergeant-at arms on the arm of Chief Justice Ful-, ler to the president's room, where •with the inaugural committee he was to wait the seating of the guests on •the platform at the east front of the capitol before he appeared to receive the oath of office and deliver his in augural address. I By direction of the vice presiden". those entitled to the floor of the sen ate proceeded to the inaugural plat iform where the induction into office of President McKinley occurred. President McKinley at 1:17 p. m. W.as sworn in to succeed himself as chief magistrate on a handsomely decorated stand at the east front of the capitol in the presence of a surg ing multitude. The oath was admin istered by Chief Justice Fuller, of the supreme court. Just before 1 o'clock a drizzling pleet, with hail, began to fall. As the president began his address, the pent up clouds gave out their full force, and the pelting- rain came down in sheets, throwing a watery veil over .the dripping multitude. Under the pavilion the president was well pro tected, and there was no faltering in his address as the downpour contin ued. As he raised his voice in a resound ing phrase for "Free Cuba," there "was a mighty shout of approval, and frequently he paused to allow some Well turned sentence to receive its tribute of popular approval. As the president closed his address the vice president and many senators grasped his hand in congratulation. •Then he turned to the capitol, pro ceeding to the senate wing, where a lunch had been spread in the commit tee room of the committee on mili tary affairs. The parade was the most perfect that has ever attended the inaugura tion of a president. The military dis play has never been equalled in Wash ington. The military and naval cadets and the Porto Rican soldiers fvere the features. In point of beauty ithe display has never been equalled I:*, the capital, the civic division being pot far behind the military in its feplendid equipment. There were "thousands in line and marching in perfect order, it made a splendid bight. MISUNDERSTANDING CORRECTED No Dissatisfaction With Minister Con ger's Action at Peking. Washington, Ma'ch 1.—A misunder standing appears to exist in Euro pean capitals as to the conditions under which Mr. Conger was replaced p,t Peking by Mr. Rockhill, in charge pf the negotiations for the United States. The impression seems to have gained currency that the change was blade by the state department be bause of dissatisfaction with Mr. Con ger's action. 1 It is said at the department that Mr. Conger was relieved at his own request, and his cable message of last week strongly urged that he be allowed to come home for sixty days, not intimating any purpose on his part to remain longer in the United States. In the same message Air. Congei recommended that Mr. Rockhill be charged with the conduct of the ne gotiations, and in so directing the (state department has done noth ing more than to carry out the re quest of Mr. Conger. The leave of absence of sixty days jwill really cover more than 'doublq !that period of time for the leave.pnly (operates when the minister reaches jthe confines of the United States, and, according to the regulations, lie i^ nllowed thirty-five days to make the /journey from Peking to his home, und as much time for the return trip. As it is not expected that-he will be able to get away form Peking, owing to the ice, much before the middle of March, he could not be ex? pected to return to his post, even if he desired to retain his ministry, until the latter part of next sum* mer. Commoner Comment. Extracts from W. J. Bryan's Paper. THE MONOPOLY MUST BE PRE VENTED. The billion dollar steel trust will ierve a useful purpose if it awakens the people to a realization to the men a.ie of private monopoly. The exist ence of such a combination ot capital, absolutely controlling several lines of business, doling out dally bread to tens of thousands of working men and dominating a large part of the busi ness world, is in itself indefensible and insufferable. The Kansas City plat form points out a remedy—the only ef fective remedy proposed. Congress has power to regulate interstate com merce it has power to prescribe the terms upon which a corporation or ganized in any state can do busings outside of the state. Let cong/ess compel all corporations to take out a federal license before engaging in in terstiuv commerce, or, if that is too harsh, let is require that corporations having a capital above a designated amount shall take out,a license. This license could be granted by the inter state commerce commission, or by some commission created for the pur pose, to corporations upon certain con ditions. The first condition should bo that there Is to be no water in the stock, and the second, that the corpo ration is not attempting to monopolize any branch of industry or the' produc tion of any article of merchandise. The license should be. subject to revocation if the conditions are afterwards vio lated. It should be made unlawful for such a corporation to use the mails, the telegraph lines or the railroads outside of its own state until the li cense is granted. Such a system would confine a monopoly to the state of its origin, and even New Jersey- would soon tire of a monopoly under such conditions. This is the remedy sug gested in the democratic platform if the republicans have a better one let them produce it. They are in power, and are responsible for the continued existence of every trust. They have the president, the senate, the house, the attorney general and the 'courts. They can destroy every trust if they desire to do so. ELASTIC LOGIC. The republicans have given so many evidences of elasticity of logic and conscience that it is difficult to select a prize specimen, but perhaps no one has shown less regard for common sense and common honesty in dealing with the Cuban question than Mr. Whitelaw Reid. Here is a sample of his argument: "Is the flag to be withdrawn from Cuba? It is not one of our 'new pos sessions,' but our responsibility for it is imbedded in successive and solemo declarations by almost every admin istration since Madison. "There i6 no eagerness to annex the island. Rather there is a dread of such connection, lest it lead to statehood and so prove the entering wedge for a transformation of our continental re public, which would inevitably work its ruin. But the duty of protection remains. Under that protectorate the island could have as much freedom as any state in the union, but it would not be likely to have more. It could not treat with Spain about the Cuban debt, or with France about the Pana ma c^nal. Its foreign relations would, and its custom houses might, remain under the guidance of the protecting power. Does that break the congres sional promise to leave the govern ment and control of the island to its people? "Have not the government and con trol of Vermont been left to its people? Must Cuba, though thoroughly depen dent upon us for protection and de fense, and absolutely essential to our safety, nevertheless have mnre free dom thrust upon it than Vermont or Massachusetts or New York? Our congress is capable sometimes of ex traordinary things, but it is hardly capable of that." The United States declared the peo ple of Cuba to be, of right, free and independent. Can any person read the pledge mado to' Cuba and then read Mr. Reid's construction of that pledge without recognizing the hypocrisy of the republican position? Mr. Reld once came near being vice president of the United States and he is now the owner of a great metropolitan news paper. He stands high in the councils of his party and may be presumed to speak for a certain element of the party. He thinks that Cuba ought to be satisfied if she has "self-government like Vermont." Does he intend that Cuba shall have two senators and rep resentation in congress like Vermont? Certainly not. Does he propose that we shall tax Cuba without represen tation and govern her without her con sent? That must be his plan. If Mr. Reid had lived a century and a quarter ago and had applied the same logic to the revolutionary situa tion, he would have seen no necessity for independence. If he had lived in South Africa, he would have seen no reason for opposing English sover eignty in the Transvaal. If he had lived in Cuba he would have supported ^Veylerlsm and Spanish rule.: The Paris treaty signed by the Unit ed States and Spain, recognizes the in dependence of Cuba and we have no more right to deprive her of that in dependence than we have to march to ^Mexico and assert sovereignty there. To assume that we must govern Cuba in order to protect her is to entirely abandon the Monroe doctrine under which we have protected republics without interfering in their govern ment. In the house of representatives. Con gressman Richardson of Tennessee, ex posted an attempt to loot the treasury in the interest of the Standard Oil company's bank in New York city. It is worthy of note that at the conclu sion of Mr. Richardson's remarks. Congressman Moody of Massacl. lsetts. a republican member of the house committee on appropriations, said: "I realize the force of the criticism tbe gentleman has made. I do not intend to answer hi3 argument." This was an interesting admission, and that it was a necessary one on the part of candid man must be impressed uppu anyone who examines the facts. If She congressmen who are con stantly endeavoring to raise the rate of postage on second-class mail mat ter would give a little attention to the compensation paid railroads for carrying the mails, they would find it possible to make such a reduction in expenses as to render an increase in postage rates unnecessary. The National Watchman of Wash ington, D. C., has published the speeches of Senator Towne and Sena tor Vest almoft complete. Any onj desiring a copy of the Watchman con taining either speech can secure It by sending two cents to that paper. AN UN AMERICAN PUNISHMENT. In response to a senate resolution. Oenera} MacArthur has reported to the war department, his reasons for de porting Editor Rice of tyaniln. The general says that Rice's offense .was. the "malicious publication of false charges affecting the integrity of the administration of the office of captain .of the port." The report declares that Rice was told that he must give bond hot to republish the offensive charge* or must leave the island. Accordinig to General MacArthur the editor' "maintained an attitude of defiance and was necessarily sent home." The complete report of this affair will be awaited with Interest. Deportation is an unameric&n punishment and ought to have no place in our criminal code. If Rice was guilty of libel he should have been tried for libel. The fact that he suffered deportation rather thah agree not to republish the charges would indicate that he believes the charges to be true. The administra tion did -not think' the jury 'system necessary for the protection of Fill pino subjects, but aro American citi zens to be denied the right of trial by jury when they criticise military or carpet-bag officials? Even those, who are indifferent to the denial of justice to the Filipinos are likely to resent this arbirtary treatment of an Ameri can. Especially should newspapers protest, for if a free press is not to tie tolerated in the Philippine islands what can be said in defense of the freedom of the press here? General MacArthur in his report gives us aoother side light on imper iallsm. It would seem that freedom of .-the press "has -as much difficulty' as the constitution in following the -flag into "our new possessions.4' SCHLEY AND SAMPSON. It is not a surprise to learn thht Ad miral Sampson nas been advanced five points while Admiral Schley has been advanced only three points. Congress has also been asked to give a vote of thanks "to Admiral Sampson and the officers and men under him" for the battle of Santiago Bay. In the history of this country there have been many instances of favoritism, but in all of our history there have been none to compare with the favoritism shown to Sampson and the injustice sought to be put upon Schley. The battle of San tiago Bay was one-of the greatest sea fights in the history of the world. Ad miral Schley commanded in that bat tle and long ago the people learned the truth and accorded to him the title of "Hero of Santiago Bay." It is there fore not material that Sampson, through administration influence, has been advanced above Schley. This ad vancement may afford temporary gra tificat'.on to the beneficiary, but it will not disturb the proud position which Admiral Schley holds in the affections of the American people. The Injus tice done Schley will merely serve to advance him in the estimation of the American people—an advancement which no presidential order and no act of congress can in the least disturb. BEGGARS BIG AND LITTLE. The New York Tribune in a recent issue contains this editorial: "Although this is the season of pros perity, and the number of people out of employment is- comparatively small, beggars seem to be even more numer ous, persistent and insolent, both up town and down-town, than In former winters. Cannot the police do more to keep them within bounds than they have been doing?" It is not difficult to understand why beggars are persistent and insolent but when we are told by the New York Tribune that they are even more num erous than in former winters, the fact would seem to call for some explana tion. In this connection it may not be out of place to say that if the New York Tribune was as zealous in its efforts to keep subsidy beggars within bounds as it is to curtail the privil eges of the common every day beggar, who will be satisfied with a loaf of bread, the Tribune would be remem bered by a grateful people for other reasons than that it was once edited by Horace Greeley. A FORGOTTEN ADMONITION. The Washington Times has many es timable qualities, but it occasionally allows its partisanship to carry it to extremes. For instance, it remindB congress that the president in his last annual message said: "In our great prosperity we must guard against the danger it invites ot extravagance in government expendi tures and appropriations and the chosen representatives of the people will, I doubt not, furnish an example in their legislation of that wise econ omy which in a season of plenty hus bands for the future." Now, what could be more cruel than this untimely reference to a long sine* forgotten admonition? Perhaps, after all, the republican members will not feel entirely crushed by this executive rebuke when they re member that the president has fre quently found it convenient to disre gard his own message, but it is for tunate that messages are not re-read at the close of congressional sessions A newspaper correspondent has dis covered that the Filipinos would rather fight than work. Well, history h^s recorded the names of a-great many people who preferred to fight for liberty rather than work for' a foreign master. Sixty-four years old and unable to secure work at his trade, that of coat maker, George Zeigler of Canton, O.— mark the place—was ordered sent to the Stark county poor house. At the door of the almshouse he fell dead. Aud all this ere the echos of the cry about the "full dinner pail" had died out in fhe hills of Stark county. 1 It 'is customary for tho outgoing president and the incoming president to ride to inauguration together.' """As. Senator Hanna has been selected toV ride with President McKinley the ques-J tion arises: Is Mr. Hanna just ending or just beginning his executive terr Some of our contemporaries are dis cussing the relative merits of an in heritance tax and a tax on franchises. Why not have both? One. does not interfere with the other and both aFe meritorious. In the course .of time the cities will own and operate their war ter systems, their lighting plants and their street car lines, but until -that time comes municipal and other fran chises ought to be made to contribute to the expenses of government. Mr. Mitchell, who has just been re- J8 turned to the senate from Oregon, has long been an a/ivocate of the .popular election of senators. r: 'V*