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fiLFfiRErI?S(Z)N"NESLEY;} EpiTors AND PUBLISHERS M. E. Tison,, Business Manager." THE JAPANESE. 'All things considered, Japan is one of -the most wonderful nations of to-day. . Fifty-one years- ago, wheu the shot-gun ruled the country and the ]apanesé were “as exclusive, barbarous and unprogres ::___éiye as the Chinese of to-day. The mail ed fist of civilization knocked at the gates of the Land of the Rising Sun. The mailed fist was that of Uncle Sam, and -his agent was Commodore Perry, a brother -of the hero of Lake Erie. He demanded “that the ports of Japan be opened to the trade of the world, and as his demand. was backed by the thunder of many can non it was granted. The Mississiypi,one of Perry’s ships, was the first steamshlp the Japanese had ever seen, but almost lmmediately they began the formation of a steam navy, and within seven year after Perry’s visit they navigated asteamer of their own construction across the Pa cific, The value of steam navigation was but one of many things the Japanese speédily learned from the foreigners they had so long excluded. The nation had slept for thousands of years, but had -awakened at the boom of Perry’s guns. It overthrew the shot-gun and made its mikado a ruler in fact instead of in name iny, Its thinking men began with al most feverish tenacity to absorb the learn ing of modern times, and in half a cen tury they have made their island empire a first-class world power,—The American Press. We Americans are in the habit of as luding to our English brethren as slow "intensively‘conservative" and averse to making ohanges of any kind. But in many . respects they show much more nerve than the ‘‘progressive Yankees’’ in taking hold of hard problems. In the matter of regulating common carriers, a matter of vital interest to the farmers, they are far ahead of us. Look over the borner, for instance, at the Canadians. The Canadian government have taken sweeping control of the railroads. They have a railway commission of three mem bars, to whom is delegated very exten sive powers fo make and revise rates, remedy abuises as against individuals and places and generally prevent extortion and discrimination, Our Interstate Com merce Commission is tame and inefficient by comparison. And there is another difference. When the English makes a law it is enforced. Their courts allow 10 “monkey business.” Rich and poor, powekrful and weak, the mighty railroad magnate, the trust promoter and all the other would-be oppressors of the people - are made to ‘‘toe the mark.” Every man ought to use his material to better advantage than by making a fool of himself. : e s Blobbs—‘‘Have you ever had any ex perience with train robbers on your trayels 2"’ : Lig Slobbs—!‘Well, I've stacked up against a good many Pullman car porters.” THE LEE COUNTY JOURNAL Leesburg, Georgia, Saturday, March 19, 1904. - A REMINISCENCE. On reading the war news of to-day we stop and think of the past. In 1854 the great czar of Russia, Nicholas I, declared war against Turkey, if he had succeeded in conquering Turkey the other nations would have beenin danger. So England, France, Italy and Sardinia became allied to Turkey, and we remember well the terrible suffering of the allied armies in Crimea, where they died by hundreds in the trenches. It was a severe struggle, and took those countries a long time to conquer Russia. The hard fought battles of the Alma, Inkermann and Balacjava, } where the brilliant charge of the Light ‘Brigade was made; the storming of the Malakoff by the French, and the Redan by the English, and other battles, till fin ally they drove the Russians back into Sebastopol. Today a nation of little fel lows at that time almost unknown, are putting the Russians to their trumps and we have no doubt will whip them. These Japs are truly a wonderfnl people. —— e D — The car of Russia and the mikado of Japan were brought together and became close friends under dramatic circum stances years ago. At that time Nicholas, then the czarowitz, was traveliug in Japan and was wounded by the sword of a would-be assassin. While he lay suffer ing on board a Russian war vessel he was visited by the mikado, who made per sonal apology for the harm done such a distinguished visitor by a Japanese sub jeet. — e ——— The road to prosperity now-a-days is full of ruts and wash-outs. The Sedan Chair, The sedan chair is named after Se dan, the town where it was first used. The earliest mention of it in England occurs in 1581. Early in the following century the Duke of Buckingham caused much indignation by its use in London. Pecople were exasperated "at that nobleman employing his fellow men to take the place of horses to car ry him. Prince Charles brought from i Spain in 1623 three curiously wrought - sedans, two of which he gave to the } Duke of Buckingham. A few weeks ~after their introduction Massinger pro duced his play, “The Bondman,” and in it he thus adverts to the ladies: For their pomp and care being borne In triumph on men’s shoulders. ‘ The reference is doubtless to Buck ingham’s sedan, which was borne like a palanquin.—“ Bygone England.” ! Favorably Struck. ! “Papa, have—have you seen Harold ~since you told him he was too poor to ~think of—of marrying me?” - “Yes. I ran across him at the club last evening. We got into conversa tion, and He struck me—er”— - “Struck you! Oh, papa!” ~ “Struck me as quite an agreeable young man. I understand his uncle ~has left him s2oo,ooo.”—Kansas City Journal. : | What They Wanted. ~ To explain why his trip had proved so poor, a commercial traveler once "wrote a long account of how the weather had affected business in the territory in which he had traveled. In ~due time he received this reply from his firm: “We get our weather reports ; from Washington. Don’t send us any “more. What we want is orders.” Miss Jennie Ford - Desires to thank her triends and patrons in Lee County for their very liberal patronage, and would inform them that she ~ has just received a fresh supply of Groceries, Canned Goods, Dry Goods, ete, and invites a continuance of your patronage, feeling assured she can : ~ please, both in quality and price. o ® = Millinery Depariment, YD This department is now replete with EMERYTHING NEW., Hats, Laces, Ribbons and Fancy Goods in great variety. CEHELL END INSPECT. A full stcek of Toilet articles, Perfumeries, eic. MISS JENNIE FORD, M {Rebuna, G Behind Her Back. “She’s very studious,” said one wom an. “Yes,” answered the other. “And doesn’'t seem to care for gos siping in the least.” “Oh, 1 don't know about that,” an swered the other with a smile; “she merely prefers to talk about Helen of Troy and Romeo and Juliet to paying attentlon to what is going on in her own neighberhood.”—Washington Star. A Sure Sign. When a young man talks about the business of “our firm” In a pitch of voice that can be heard from one end of a street car to the other it is a sure sign that his wages have been raised to $6 a week. The Prize Winner, Nagg:cby—How did the contest in op timism result last fight? Waggsby—Gaggster won the prize by laughing most heartily at one of his own jokes.—Baltimore American. Versatile, Hobson—How is your brother doing at college? Dobson—l'ine. He’s singing first tenor and playing second base.—lndi anapolis Journal. His Mark In the World. “1 reckon Josh ’ll make his mark in the world one of these days,” said the fond mother. “Mebbe he will,” answered Farmer Corntossel, “but I can’t help wishin’ I could git him to take hold of a hoe an’ put a few dints into it by way of prac tice.”—Washington Star. He is richest who is content with the least, for content is the wealth of na ture.—Socrates, - : ISSUED EVERY SATURDAY, - VOL. VIIIL AT ONE DOLLAR A YEAR. No. 36. Whenever a thief who is dressed eth erwise than in rags falls into the po lice net there are chronicled the adven tures of a ‘“gentleman burglar.” Such a being is, of course, impossi ble. He is qlltemry creation, like the “Invisible Man,” the Frankenstein monster, Kipling’s Mcwgli and the rest of the erew of prodigies that dweli within boek covers. As a character In fiction the “gentle man burglar” could be made plausibl: and picturesque, for when we get intc the realm of fancy there is an implicd contract that the reader shall accept the author’s premises and not bother about possibilities. A burglar Is just a thief—about the meanest of thieves. To a man endowed with qualities o’ refinement and consideration of oth ers and honoi—which are the attri butes of a gentleman—burglary or other theft 1s impossible. The pride of suci a man, his regard for his own opinion of himself, would prevent his sneak. ing into another man’s house and tul ing his plate or his wife's jewelry Then it must be remembered that the burglar is prepared to do murder ¢ accomplish hLis robberies, and the ide of a gentleman committing murder for gain Is too inconsistent even for fic tion. A ‘“gentleman burglar” is a contr:. diction of terms, like a brave cow:ul or a tall pygmy. He may be .better dressed or his booty may be largsr tha: that of wost burglars, but when it i all summed up he Is a thief—just : plain thief—with the moral code an¢ impulses of a pickpocket or a ca swindler or any other predatory crex ture whose natural home is a prize. and whose deserved and fitting ro’ ment is a sult of stripes.—New York American. :