Willmar tribune. [volume], October 07, 1908, Image 6

About Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931

Image provided by: Minnesota Historical Society; Saint Paul, MN

                
Proposed
ts
—OF—
—BY—
TheLeaislatu
General Session,
1907.
St. Paul. Minn., May 1st. 190S.
Hon. Julius A. Schmahl, Secretary of
State
Sir: As required by Section 25 of the
Revised Laws, as amended, I have the
honor to furnish you herewith a state
ment of the purposes and effects of the
respective amendments proposed to the
Const'tution of the State of Minnesota by
the Legislature of 1907, and which are
to be submitted to the electors of said
State at the General Election of 1908.
FIRST PROPOSED AMENDMENT.
The first proposed amendment is con
tained in Chapter 477 of the Laws of
19C7. By this amendment it is sought to
re:eal Sections one (1), two (2), three
(3). four (4) and seventeen (17) of Article
nine (9) of the Constitution (the latter
cert on being the amendment to said Ar
ticle nine (9), adopted in 1896), which
sections now read as follows:
••S"otion 1. All taxes to be raised In
tills: st/ito KII.III bo as nearly otiual as may
be ami all property on which taxes are
to be levied shall have a cash valuation
•ui'l bo equalized and uniform throughout
tli state: Provided, that the legislature
n. •. by general law or special act. au
thor ze municipal corporations to levy
i!P.- e.«snienfs for local Improvements upon
11v properly fronting upon such Improve
ments, or upon the property to bo beno
fit"rt by such impiovements. or both,
without, regard to cash valuation, and In
FU-'h manner as the legislature may pro
scribe: and provided further, that for the
purpose of defraying the expenses of lay
ing water pipes and supplying any city or
municipality with water, the legislature
may. by general or special law, authorize
any such city or municipality, having a
population of live thousand or more, to
levy an annual tax or assessment upon
the' lineal foot of all lands fronting on
any water main or water pipe laid by
such city or mnrvcipn'ity within cor
porate limits of said city for supplying
water to the citizens thereof without
regard to the cash value of such prop
ertv, and to empower such city to collect
any such tax, assessments or fines, or
penalties for failure to pay the same, or
any tine or penalty for any violation of
th- rules of sue'i city or munic'pality in
regard to the use of water, or for any
wr ter rate due for the same: and pro
vided further, that there may be by law
levied and collected a. tax upon all inher
itances, devises, henuests. legacies and
gifts of every kind and description above
a fixed and specified sum, of any and all
natural persons and corporations. Such
tax above such exempted sum may be
uniform or it may be graded or progress
ive, but shall not exceed a maximum tax
of five per cent.
"Section 2. The legislature shall pro
vide for an annual lax sufficient to de
fray the estimated ordinary expenses of
the state for each year, and whenever it
shall happen that such ordinary fxpftns"s
of the state tor any year shall exceed tho
income of the state for sneh year the
legislature shall provide for levying a tax
for the ensuing year sufficient, with other
sources of income, to pay th" defie'ency
of the preceding year, together with the
estimated expenses of such ensuing year.
Tb:t no law levying a tax or mnklng other
provisions for the payment of interest or
principal of bonds denominated 'Minne
sota State Rp.ilroad Roads,' shall take
effect or he in force unt'l such law shall
have been submitted to a vote of the
people of the state, and adopted by a
majority of the electors of the slate vot
ing upon the same.
"Section H. laws shall be passed tax
ing all motieys. credits, investments in
bonds, stocks, joint stock companies, or
otherwise, also all real and personal
property, according to its true v::iue in
money but public bury'np grounds, pub
lic school hou.^s, public hospita-s,
academies, college-!, universities, and all
seminaries of le-nning. nil churches,
church property used for religious pur
poses, and houses of worship, institu
tions of purely public charity, public
property used exclusively for any public
purpose, and personal property to an
amount not exceeding in value two hun
dred dollars for each individual, shall, by
general laws, be exempt from taxation.
"Section 4. Laws shall be passed for
taxing the nnts and bills discounted or
purchased, moneys loaned, and all other
property, effects, or dues of every de
scription, of a'l banks and of all bank
ers, so that all property employed in
banking shall always be subject to a tax
ation equal to that imposed on the prop
erty of individuals.
"Section 17. The legislature may Im
pose, or provide for the imnositlon of, up
on the property within this state of any
and all owners or operators, whether cor
porate or individual, or otberw'se, of any
and all sleeping, parlor and drawing room
cars, or any or cither of the same, which
run in, into or through this state also
upon the property within this state of
any and all telegraph and telephone com
panies, or owners, who: Tnes are in, or
extend in, into or throiirf-i this state also
upon the property witiiin this state of
all express companies, or owners, or any
or either of the same, doing business in
this state also upon tho property within
this state of all domestic insurance com
panies of this state of any kind also
upon the property within this state of any
and all foreign insurance companies doing
business in thta state of any kind also
upon the property within this siate of all
The Nobel prizes were suggested by
tho eighth Earl of Bridgewater, son of
the bishop of Durham, lie left $40,000
to be paid to the author of the best
treatise on "The Power, Wisdom aud
Goodness of God as Manifested In the
Creation." The judges divided the
money among eight persons.
The Widow—Is yo' sho' yo' lubs me?
Sammy—Co'se I's sho'. The Widow
(suspiciously)—Yo' ain't los' yo'r job,
to. yo'?—Exchange.
WM
owners or operators of any and all mlnea
or of mineral ores situated In this state
also upon the property within this state
of all hoom companies or owners, and of
all slvp builders or owners doing business
In this state or having a port therein
(provided, that this act shall not apply
to property owned by railroad companies.
their lands and other property) and upon
ihe property of either or any of such
companies or owners,—a tax as uniform
as reasonably may be with the taxes im
posed upon similar property in sa'd state,
or upon the earnings thereof within this
state, but may be graded or progressive,
or br:'.i, and in providing for such tax, or
in providing for ascertaining the just and
true value of such properly, it shall be
competent for the legislature in either
or all such c^ses. to impose such tax
upon any or all property thereof within
this slate, and in either «se by taking
as the basis of such imposition the pro
portionate bui-ness, earnings, mileage or
quantity of production or property now
or hereafter existing of any such com
panies, persons or owners, transacted or
existing in this state, in relation to the
entire business, mileage or quantity of
production or property of such com
panies, persons or owners as aforesaid
or in such other manner, or by such
other method as the legislature may de
termine but the proceeds of such taxes
upon mining property shall be distributed
between the state and the various polit
ical subdivisions thereof wherein the
same is sttu.tu-d. hi tho same proportion
•is the procoi ds of taxes upon real prop
erty are distributed: Provided further.
that nothing in this act contained shall
operate to authorize the assessment or
taxation of any farm land or ordinary
business bloei.s or property owned by
.my such corporation, person, firm or
company except in the manner provided
by the ord'nary methods of tax^aon,"
and to substitute therefor the following:
"Sec. 1. .The power of taxation shall
never be surrend-M el, suspended or con
tracted away. Taxes shall te uniform
upo the same class of subjects, and
s'a 1 be levied and collected for public
purposes, but public burying grounds,
public school houses, public hospitals,
academies, colleges, universities, and all
seminaries of learn "r.g. all churches,
church property used for reigious pur
poses, and houses of worship, institutions
of purely public charity, and public
property used exclusively for any public
purpose, shall be exempt from taxation,
and there may be exempted from taxa
tion personal property not exceeding in
value $200 for each household, individual,
or head of a family, as the legislature
may determine. But the legislature may
authorize municipal corporations to levy
and collect assessments for local im
provements upon property benefited
th reliy without regard to a cash valua
tion, and nothing herein contained shall
lie construed to aft' -ct, modify or repeal
any existing law providing for the taxa
tion of the gross earnings of railroads."
Tins proposed constitutional amend
ment was submitted and voted upon at
the last electicn and was declared car
ried. But a contest was instituted by in
terested parties, claiming th the amend
ment was not carried. That contest is
now pending in the courts and it was on
that account that the legislature decided
to re-submit the amendment to the peo
ple, so that however the contest be
decided, the next legislature may have
the power granted by the amendment.
For the purpo.ie of discussing the effect
of the amendment I will assume that the
same amendment submitted at the last
elect en, did not csrry.
The purpose and effect of this amend
ment would be to greatly enlarge the
power of the legislature with reference
to the subject of taxation. Section one
(I) as it now stands ovides that all
taxes imposed shsll be equal—as near as
may be—on all forms of property, and all
property upon which a tax is imposed is
required to have a CASH VALUATION
equalized tine ugh out the state.
Section two (2) as it now stands re
quires the legislature to levy the neces
sary taxes annually to def.ay the ex
penses the state. That is the duty of
the legislature without any constitutional
direction.
Section three (3) as it now stands pro
vides that all real and personal property,
including MONEYS, CREDITS and IN
VESTMENTS IN BONDS AND STOCKS,
shall be assessed according to their true
value In money.
Section four (4) as It now stands pro
vides that property employed in banking
shall be subject to a tax equal to that
imposed on ether property. This is only
a repetition of the requirements of Sec
tions one (1) and three (3), as no rational
person would cl.Tm that banking capital
should be exempt from taxation.
Section seventeen (17) as it now stands
is not e.isy to understand, but it was In
tended by that s-c'.ion to relieve from the
operation of sections one (1) and three
(3), above quoted, property of the classes
therein emime.c ter.l, so that a gross earn
ings tax could be applied thereto instead
of dire't taxation.
Ov.k-g to ti".e p/ovisions of sections one
(1) and three (3, of the present Consti
tut'on many amendments were from time
to time edded sc as to permit taxes to be
imposed on specific kinds of property
otherwise than upon a cash valuation
equalized throughout the state. We have
among these exceptions railroad gross
earnings municipal frontage taxes
inheritance taxes and the gross earnings
taxes authorized by sad section seven
teen (17).
Several exemptions from taxation are
clso provided for, but as these exemp
tions are not ci-ang-d by the proposed
amendment, I will make no further ref
erence to them.
The amendment which, if adopted,
would take the place of all of tiie sections
and amendments above referred to, is
simple and plain. No provision of the
Constitution is necesj.iry to authorize the
imposition of the taxes necessary for the
support of the state and its various polit
cal subdivisions. The power of taxation is
inherent in government. This proposed
amendment declares that this inherent
power of taxation shall never be surren
dered, suspended or contracted away
that taxes shall be imposed for public
purposes and shall be uniform on the
same class of subjects. Should this
amendment be adopted all property of
every kind in the state would be subject
to taxation, according to the method the
legislature saw fit to adopt, provided
only that the tax was levied for a pub
lic purpose and was uniform on the same
class of subjects. Under th's amend
ment every tax lav/ we now have on the
statue books v.ould continue to be valid,
because under this amendment all limita
tions on the power of the legislature
would be taken away.
The adoption of this amendment would,
as Indicated, repeal the so-called inherit
ance tax amendment, and the gross earn
ings tax amendment adopted In 1896, as
contained in said Section seventeen (17),
but in their place this amendment would
give the legislature greater authority.
Under this amendment the power to im
pose inheritance taxes would be unlimit
ed, and any form of gross earnings tax
would be valid. The gross earnings tax
on ra'lroads would not be affected by this
amendment, as the Constitution provides
that they cannot be changed without sub
mitting the law making the change to a
vote of the people. But with this amend
ment various new forms of taxation could
be imposed, notably an income tax, a ton
nage tax on iron ore and a registry tax on
mortgages.* Under the present Constitu
tion we can impose no tax on mortgages
owned by non-residents. A registry tax,
which would be V.lld under this amend
ment, would reach all mortgages alike.
While the Constitution requires all sub
jects of taxation to have a cash valua
tion with the tax equalized throughout
-the state, no proper income tax could be
imposed.
"You know," said a smart young man
to a girl, "some one has said that if
you would make a lasting pair of boots,
take for the sole the tongue of a wo
man.'
"Yes," replied the girl, "and for the
uppers you ought to take the cheek of
the man who said it."
Hyker—Bronson tells me he is" taking
mud baths now.
Pyker—Why, I thought he was out of
politics.—Illustrated Bits.
SECOND PROPOSED AMENDMENT.
The second proposed amendment la
contained In C.S-vier 473 of the Laws of
.Viinnesota for tne year 1907. By this
amendment it is sought to repeal Section
sixteen (16) or Article nine (9) of the
Constitution, which section now reads as
follows:
"For the purpose of lending aid in the
construction and improvement of public
highways and bridges, there is hereby
created a fun£ to be known as the 'State
Road and Brid?? Fund.' Said fund shall
include all mci.vys accruing from the in
come derived from investments in the
internal improvement land fund, or that
may hereafter accrue to said fund, and
shall also include all funds accruing to
any state road and bridge fund, however
provided.
"Ine legislature is authorized to add to
such fund for the purpose oi* constructing
or improving roads and bridges of this
state, by providing, in its discretion, for
an annual tax levy upon the property of
ihis state oi* not to exceed in any year
one-twentieth (1-20) of one (1) mill on
•ill the taxable property withn the state.
"The legislature is also authorized to
provide for the appointment,, by the gov
ernor of the slate, of a board to be
.tnown as the "State Highway Commis
sion,* consisting of three (3) members,
who sha 1 perform such duties as shall be
prescribed by law without salary or com
pensation other than personal expenses.
"Such comin ssion shall have general
superintendence -of the construction of
state roads and bridges and shall use
such fund in the const? notion thereof and
distribute the same in the several coun
ties in tin- suae upon an codi table basis.
Provided flather, ihut no ..Muniy shall re
ceive in any year more than three (3)
per cent or itss than one-half (Ji of one
(1) percent A the toiai fund thus pro
vided and expended during such year
and, provided further, that no more
than one-third (1-3) of such fund accru
ing in any year shall be expended for
bridges, and in no case*sh.ali mere than
one-third (1-3) of the cost of construc
tion or improving any road or bAdge be
paid by the state from such fund,"
and to substitute therefor the following:
"Section 16. For the purpose of lend
ing aid in the construction and improve
ment of public highways and bridges,
there is hereby created a fund to be
known as the 'State Road and Bridge
Fund.' Said fund shall include all moneys
accruing from the income derived from
investments in the internal improvement
land fund, or that may hereafter accrue
to said fund, and shall also include all
funds accruing to any state road and
bridge fund, however provided.
"The legislature is authorized to add to
such fund, for the purpose of construct
ing or improving roads and bridges of
this state, by providing, in its discretion,
for an annual tax levy upon the property
of this state."
The purpose and effect of this amend
ment is to authorize the legislature to
levy upon all the property of the state
any amount necessary, in its judgment,
fcr the benefit of the roads and bridges
therein, and in so far removes the limita
tion which now ex'sts in the Constitution,
whereby the legislature is prevented
from levying for such purpose a tax ex
ceeding one-twentieth (1-20) of one (1)
mill on the taxable property within the
state.
This amendment further authorizes the
legislature to provide salary and compen
sation, includ ng personal expenses in
curred in the performance of duty by the
highway commission, or any other like
off.cer entrusted by law with similar du
ties.
Finally, this amendment removes the
limitation when now exists in the Con.
stitution upon the powers of the highway
commission in the distribution of the road
and bridge fund of the state thereby au
thorized, and the amount which the state
may pay from such fund toward the cost
of constructing or improving any road or
bridge, and leaves the whole management
of such fund to be provided for by law,
as the legislature shall deem wise.
The adoption of this amendment will
not interfere with the power of the legis
lature to create a highway commission
and define its powers, nor will it inter
fere with the appointment and tenure of
office of the present commission.
THIRD PROPOSED AMENDMENT.
The third proposed amendment is con
tained in Chapter 379 of the Laws of
(Viinnesota for the year 1907. By this
amendment it is sought to add the follow
ing section to Art cle nine (9) of the Con
stitution as a new section:
"Section 17. The legislature mr.y pro
vide for the payment by the State of
Minnesota of damages to growing crops
by hail and wind, or either, and to pro
vide a fund for that purpose, may im
pose a specific tax upon lands, the own
ers of wh'ch. at their option, have listed
the same with county auditors for thai
purpose, and no. pa ment shall bo made
of any such damages except from tne
fund so provided."
The purpose and effect of this amend
ment is to authorize the legislature to
perm the state to become the trustee in
the collection and disbursement of a fund
fcr the payment or damages to growing
crops by hail or wind, or both. This fund
is to be created and ma ntained by a spe
cific tax -ipon the lands of such persons
ONLY as shall VOLUNTARILY list the
same with their respective c&vrnty audit
ors for such purpose. There can be no
tax for such purpose imposed on the lands
of any owner who crces not consent there
to. Its adoption will authorize the legis
lature to direct that the taxing machinery
of the state be used to levy and collect
the tax necessary to raise such fund, and
to prov'de for the disbursement of the
same by the officers of the state, but any
payments to be m-de by the state by rea
son of damage by hail or wind will have
to be made from said fund and from no
other. The state would assume no re
sponsibility beyond the amount cf such
fund, and could not further bs rendered
liable.
FOURTH PROPOSED AMENDMENT.
The fourth proposed amendment is con
tained in Chapter 480 of the Laws of Min
nesota for the year 1907. By this amend
ment it Is sought to repeal the provisons
of Section seven (7) of Article seven (7)
of the Constitution, which section now
reads as fellows:
"Every person who by the provisions
of this article shall be entitled to vote at
any election shall be oligble to any office
which now is, or hereafter shall be, elec
tive by the people in the district wherein
he shall have resided thirty days previous
to such election, except as otherwise pro
vided in th's Constitution, or the Consti
tution and laws of tho United States,"
and to substitute therefor the following:
"Every person who by the provisions of
this article shall be entitled to vote at
any election shall be eligible to any office
which now is, or hereafter shall be. elec
tive by the people in the district wherein
he shall have resided thirty days previous
to such election, except county super
intendents of schools, who shall be re
quired to have educational qualifications
to be determined by the legislature, and
except as otherwise provided in this Con
stitution, or the Const'tution and laws of
the United States."
The purpose and effect of this amend
ment is to authorize the legislature to re
quire educational qualifications, in addi
tion to all the other qualifications now re
quired by law, for any person seek ng the
office of county superintendent of schools,
As the Constitution now stands any legal
voter is eligible to the office of county
superintendent of schoois.
The foregoing four proposed amend
ments constitute all the amendments pro
posed for adoption at the ensuing General
Election.
Yours respectfully,
EDWARD T. YOUNG,
Attorney General.
There is no national holiday in this
country, not even the Fourth of July.
Congress can make no law for holi
days outside the District of Columbia.
The president's proclamation Itself
makes Thanksgiving, for instance, a
legal holiday only in the District of
Columbia and the territories.
"Emeline, you are not happy. What
makes you pretend that you are?"
"Because artificial happiness Is lots
better than none at all."
Edgerton's
...Farm.
(Copyright, 2908, by James A. Edgerton.
This matter must not be reprinted with
out special permission.]
Up the Hudson.
There Is something about a broad
expanse of water that bewitches the
soul. The scene reaches its greatest
charm at sunset and takes on a mys
tic character by moonlight It has
been my fortune recently to come up
the Hudson several evenings by boat.
This is one of the experiences the gods
on Olympus missed. If they were to
return to the earth I am sure they
would change their abode to the top
of Mount Taurus In order that they
might be in easy distance of a trip up
the Hudson.
No description can convey an idea
of the majesty of the great river, skirt
ed as it is by lovely shores, on which
nestle pleasant villages, fine country
seats, Palisades, mountains and his
toric scenes. The river itself is really
an arm of the sea, the tides flowing
nearly to Albany and salt water ex-i
tending above Peekskill, a distance of
more than forty miles from the mouth.
The Atlantic shore has been sinking
for centuries, and the sea has thus in
vaded the land. Arthur Brisbane once
called the Hudson "a drowned river."
At its widest points, in Tappan and
Haverstraw bays, the Hudson is four
miles from bauk to bank. For twenty
miles along the west shore extend the
abrupt Palisades. For more than ten
miles up the east side lies the city of
New York, which is continued in an
almost unbroken line of suburbs by
Yonkers, Irvington, Tarrytown, Ossi
ning, Croton, Peekskill and other beau
tiful villages almost to the Highlands,
or forty miles of city, villages, ham
lets and beautiful homes.
The start of the trip has the Pali
sades upon the left, and one imagines
that nothing could be more beautiful.
Then as the boat swings out into the
Tappan Zee he is willing to admit that
this is still better, but is now certain
that nothing more charming can be
found. He labors under this illusion
until he threads his way into the High
lands, and there he reaches the acme.
I remember one sunset as it shone
across Haverstraw bay. It is called a
bay, but is only a very broad section
of river. For miles the golden glory
lay across the water. There is a spir
itual suggestion in such a scene. I
have never been able to determine just
what it is. There is a hint of infinite
pathways, a gleam of faroff goals. If
all our dreams are not false and we
have racial or individual memories
antedating birth, perhaps this shining
expanse brings reminiscences of other
golden days.
Why try to analyze the spell? It is
one of those immortal things that elude
definition. At such a time it is enough
to be and to absorb. The sun is set
ting over Stony Point, the Stony Point
made illustrious by "Mad Anthony"
Wayne during the Revolution. The
serrated peaks above wear a tint that
will never be reproduced by a paint
er's brush. Back a little way we
passed Sunnyside and Sleepy Hollow,
that the pen of Irving made even more
famous than the sword of Wayne did
Stony Point. John D. Rockefeller
now flourishes in the same neighbor
hood, bringing a very gross form of
wealth into a scene once made really
rich by genius.
Passing Stony Point and Verplank's,
we are abreast of Peekskill. This old'
village gave rise to Chauncey M. De
Iew, but not his humor. That is still
more ancient.
Above Peekskill the river narrows
into the Highlands. Bear mountain
and Anthony's Nose overlook the gate
way. Here the Hudson is like a suc
cession of lakes In the mountains of
Switzerland. On the night I am de
scribing the moon had risen and was
shining with a misty light over peaks
and river. The dim radiance made the
buildings on West Point look like tem
ples of peace rather than of war. Old
Cro'nest reared dark shoulders against
the sky. This fine double mountain
that the cadets at West Point practice
shooting at and sometimes hit is said
to be the scene of Joseph Rodman
Drake's "Culprit Fay." It is probably
true, as the fairies are still there. My
little girl told me so. George P. Mor
ris of "Woodman, Spare That Tree,"
fame also sang of Cro'nest, which
greeted him every morning as he look
ed across the river.
Here, however, end both the High
lands and my journey, and I am at
home once more OR my little tucked in
farm.
A Divine Messenger.
To me every new baby seems to
come fresh from God and to bring
with it a section of heaven. The Only
Woman and myself have had five of
these celestial visitors, the last having
arrived on the shores of this world but
recently. With each one the spell has
seemed to grow, but the last has been
a veritable divine messenger. It is not
a mere fancy to say that every one
about the place has felt the influence.
Even the oldest boy, who is just In
that uncertain territory between child
hood and youth, has been willing to
run errands and do little tasks without
undue urging. Any one acquainted
with boys at this age will realize that
nothing but a miracle would effect such
a result. We have all been moved by
the spell, each in his own way. It is
as though something had breathed on
our better natures and brought them
more actively Into everyday affairs.
There has been an added amiability,
We have been touched by the impulse
of unselfishness, which, after all, is
the most divine thing that comes to
man.
We know so little of the origin of a
soul, if souls have an origin, so little
of the mystery of life and the miracle
of birth, that I stand in awe of a young
baby and have an almost uncanny
feeling as I look into Its eyes. There
is an Impalpable atmosphere about it,
as though it were fresh from the air of
some eternal country, a breath of which
it had brought with it from afar. To
me every birth is in a way a divine
JUST 5E£M3
BOONb TO
INTO THAT
ROOM!
incarnation, some of the word~made
flesh, some of the spirit uttering jtself
in humanity. Thus, if we will receive
them, our little ones are prophets sent
from God to recall us to our own di
vine heritage. Did we not look so
much at the trivial we would see this
truth shining to us in their baby
faces and about their little forms. It
Is a high privilege to bring a soul
through the gate of life. I am not at
all a devout man, but I feel almost like
crossing myself when I think of that.
I would all men and women in this age
looked at it so. We need to learn the
lesson of unselfishness, to see the di
vine meaning of birth, the sacred char
acter of parenthood.
Who can toll the destiny wrapped up
In a little child? Somewhere are bprtj
the saviors of the world, the lofty souls
that are to lead us to sweeter manners
and better days. We never know but
our little ones may have that higb
calling. At any rate, they are God's
children, and it is for this, if for noth
Ing else, that we should cherish them.
Charity.
How little we know of each other!
How are we misjudged each by each*
How much that is highest and noblest
Can find no expression in speech!
How often we censure our brother
And leave a dark cloud on his name
When, could we but know, he's deserv
ing
Of charity rati.or an blame!
In each is a nature unfathomed
In each is an unexplored mine
Of sentiment, wholesome and kindly.
The trace of a something divine.
In each, though the surface seems bar
ren,
The manner repellent and cold.
Deep down in the bosom lie hidden
The veins of the purest of gold.
Judge not. for the trial, the temptation,
The motive and heart are unknown.
Judge not, for unseen is the battle
Fought out in the silence alone.
We see but the rough that is outward,
The surface that's hardened with sin.
We look at the shell uninviting
And not at the storehouse within.
Our brothers and sisters who struggle
With circumstance, weakness and fiate
Why should we not lift through com
passion,
Not trample with censure and hate?
For none is so low but a kindness
May help him his loss to retrieve.
And all in their instincts are better
Than others are prone to believe.
There's gold where It least is suspected,
Down deep in its fastness of stone.
There's good in the heart of all crea
tures,
Pure yearnings that never are known.
In each of our hearts Is a beauty,
If we but had eyes and would see.
In each is a storehouse of treasure,
And love is its magical key.
As a little Child.
Memory Is the sanctuary of 4heJ soul.
There do we go to worship. In it are
stored our treasures. Out of the win
dows of this temple we see green fields
and running brooks. Through the hal
lowed air that surrounds it we.hear old
songs and loved voices. We look out
upon the jmagic land of childhood, mel-
low and hazy in tne distance, with the
sunshine gloaming over it, and our
minds go back to the words of the
Christ, "Suffer little children to come
unto me and forbid them not, for of
such is the kingdom of heaven."
Come with me and we will take the
past by the hand and wander back to
the old home. There is the broken
gate. There is the house where we
wrere born. The cedar trees are larger
now. There Is the little brook bab
bling over its pebbles. We have play
ed in it many a day. There is the old
barn where we used to hide in the hay
and hunt hens' nests. There is the
spring under the hill. How cool and
quiet all is after the fever and bustle
of the world! We hear the nuts fall
ing on the leaves, the distant calling
of a dove. In fancy we are boys and
girls again, and our hearts are filled
with an ineffable gladness.
Everything is much the same, .yet,
not everything. The old faces are
gone. Then with a pang we turn away
and the dream vanishes. The fever of
life is In our veins, and the clamor of
tho world is in our ears. Who can
blame us that our eyes are full of
tears? Who can blame us that in our
hearts is the old inarticulate cry, "O
God, that I were a little child again at
my mother's knee?" Who can blame
us that we turn to our work with a
sigh? For we have met the tragedy of
human life. We are growing old.
One of the finest things to grow in
our American soil is patriotism. I
doubt if any one can really be patriotic
who does not come close to nature.
The air of the open country fills us
with nation love. The time is coming
when we may need some real patriot
ism, and we should cultivate the crop
now.
After all, it is nature that teaches
us all arts, even the art of govern
ment. The equal treatment given to
all by natural laws shows man a mod
el for equal and exact justice in hu
man laws.
The need of the world is light—more
light and yet more light—not knowl
edge alone, but wisdom not reason
alone, but inspiration.
Genius may not be hard work, but
the two make a good team. Neither
works so well single.
JAMES A. EDGERTON,
Cold Spring-on-the-Hudson, N. Y.
"Did you ever get over her mother's
objection to you?"
"Yes I told her that she looked as
young as her daughter."
"That caught the vain old lady, I
suppose."
"Easily, but it lost me the daugh
ter."—Exchange.
Diner—Here, waiter, this egg Isn't
half cooked.
The Waiter—Well, you didn't want It
half cooked, did you?
N E W W E S E I A
By GEORGE McMANUS
PITTY
BABY COME
BACK PLAY WiTrt
PAPA!
The Hunters.
[Original.]
Marcus Hunter was left an orphan
when he was seven years old. He had
no brothers or sisters, no home, no
money, no anything. An uncle whe
was well to flo took him to his house
ftgnhist his wife's wishes, and the
boy's life there was one of misery.
When lie was seventeen the uncle died,
and the aunt turned the boy out of the
house. He found a position as clerk
In a business house. In ten years he
ret up for himself.
His relatives who during this period
had ignored him now began to nod
pleasantly to him when they met him
and invited him to their houses. The
aunt, who had made life a burden to
him, reminded him of the pleasant
days that he had spent under her roof
and how happy it had made her to be
a mother to him.
Just as Mark was getting on his
feet in a business way a .commercial
panic came on. He needed a littlo as
sistance to tide him over the crisis
and applied to those of his relatives
who were able to help him. He began
by telling them that he would like to
talk over his affairs with them with a
view to getting their advice. He got
no further than this, for each and
every one of them pronounced himself
incompetent to advise him. This shut.
the [ioor fellow off. as they intended.
He failed. Then his relatives droppr-d
him again.
When the commercial .storm w.-is
over Mark went to work for a uintj
who was a business genius. ITo took
a great fancy to his rlerk and pro
moted him rapidly, finally making bi:ii
second only to himself. Thou the em
ployer died childless and left about all
there was of I he business to his pro
tege.
Marcus died a multimillionaire. Just
before his death he made a will, in
which he directed that the house in
which he had passed his lonely life
he never married—should be closed by
bis executor from the day of bis death
till one week after the funeral, when
an auction should take place of every
thing it contained. No one was to be
admitted to the sale except his rela
tives.
Since he left no direct heirs, most of
the relatives were present at the read
ing of the will, each hoping for a sub
stantial remembrance. When they
heard this singular provision and
learned that the testator had left no
legacy to any one of them they natu
rally inferred that he had concluded to
remember them by leaving their lega
cies in different articles of furniture.
But what a singular way! Ten thou
sand dollars might be in a hollow cane,
while but $1,000 had been placed in a
rosewood desk. Yet the cane might be
knocked down for a dollar, while the
desk might bring_1100._Was there ever
such a way devised for distributing
millions of money? The will further
stated that the amount realized from
the sale was to he expended by the
executor for a monument to the de
ceased.
When the day of the sale came
around it was astonishing how many
relatives Hunter had left behind him.
There were Hunters innumerable both
by name and in reality. A protest
was made to the executor that many
of them were not related to the testa
tor and should not be admitted. But
he argued that by the terms of the
will the sale must take place then and
there and there was no time to exam
ine credentials.
The crowd were kept waiting while
articles were first sold that could not
possibly contain anything, such as un
covered crockery. On these there
were only such bids as would serve
to get them out of the way. But
when It came to articles in which
stacks of bills could be placed the bid
ding became furious. As soon as an
article was knocked down the buyer
wished to get at it, but was informed
that he could not have it till after the
sale. The bidders had every variety
of opinion as to what articles were
most likely to contain large amounts,
so that anything wooden or hollow
brought excellent prices. A kitchen
table with a drawer (locked and no
key) brought $100. an upholstered sofa
$200, a cane fishing rod $lo0. A stew
pan with a hollow handle large enough
to contain a dozen $1,000 bouds
brought $275. One of the favorites
was a plaster bust of Abraham Lin
coln. Such busts are usually hollow,
and this would naturally attract an
Ingenious hide. It brought $055 and
was the cause of a protracted quarrel
between two different branches of
Hunters.
Well, the last article was finally
knocked down, and buyers were told
that they might take away their pur
chases. A rush was made for the
articles, but few were removed. Sev
eral purchasers bad brought hammers
and with these began to smash their
articles." The signal was a crack on
the head of Abraham Lincoln's bust,
which dropped into a couple of dozen
pieces. An exclamation of rage went
up from the man who had paid the
enormous price for It From that mo
ment the crash of furniture, the rip
ping of upholstery and the smashing of
glass and stoneware were mingled
with oaths and exclamations of disap
pointment. Not a single article knock
ed down by the auctioneer contained
one cent or one cent's worth of prop
erty.
The next morning the newspapers
announced that the late Marcus Hun
ter had a few days before his death
given away his whole property, $4,
000,000, to institutions for the poor.
The Hunter monument is one of the
handsomest In Sleepy Hollow ceme
tery. FLORENCE NORTON.