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6 THE COHSTITimOH CLARK HOWELL Editor ROBY ROBINSON.. Business Manager O ttered nt ti e Atlanta P«<tofTice «" Sicsai Class .Mail Matter, Msv. 11, 1573. THE WEEKLY CONSTITUTION, onlv $1 per annum. Clubs of five, $1 each; chib? of ten, SI each end a copy to cetter-up of club. WE WANT YOU—The Constitution wants an agent at **very postoffice In America. Agent’s outfit frc>‘ and good terms. if you ar*® not In a cbm. we want you tc act as agent at your office. XVrite ue. ni?'v.P! OF ADDRESS -When orde-ing si d-e*sp cf your pap pr chanpol give old as well sc the new address. Always give V >st office. county ard state. If your paper ** net received regulariy. notify u® and we wiJ straighten the matter. IF YOU SEND US AN ORDER for new sub ficribers, please allow us a week to get the names on the Fust and paper Flatted before you write a complaint, es we are very much cicwded now. I'* » NOT FORGFT tn make your renewals In t'n.e Vatch your direction «-ag and fceo w'u.n voui subscription exi-ir**- The next s r rv. nth wl 1 be full of Interest, and vou : not miss a 5.0g1e copy of The Con sutution. .-end your orders at least s week •; qg tmee to make sure. It may not <ake p v\ejk in every instance, es wo use the it-e” st diligence to get them on our mall- Is It the Opening Gun? Small wonder there is agitation in the inner circles of the Roosevelt ad ministration. What can this attack of The Cincinnati Commercial Trib une hi. on our b -loved i resident mean, anyway? Why rl-.ould it devolve upon '.he organ of that distinguished citizen o . ■ But keye Sta . Boss G< orge B. Cox, to become spokes, an for repub lican op position to the nomination el i heodore Roosevelt, and just at a time when Mr. Hanna is devoting all h. spare hours to protesting his love and pledging himself io harmony. Ear be it from us to suggest that them is sinister meaning to this Cin cinnati attack. Os course, it does se m a little peculiar that the leading republican newspaper of Senator Han na's own state should voice the claim that tlie interests ol the party demand that some other than President Roose veit. be the republic.tn standard bearer !n 11’01. Senator Hanna cannot be held responsible for the utteianccs of all the editors in Ohio; and then. too. The Commercial Tribune is published in Senator Foraker’s town, not in (..evelnnd. But- Well, it is a little curious that Mr. Eshclby, the editor of The Commer cial Tribune, happened to be in New- York the other day when Senator Hanna was th-re. And it may be worthy of passing note that Mr. Eshel by’s paper is the personal organ ol Mr. George B. Cox. the boss para mount of southern Ohio, the man who <:id moi' than an;,- other one raan to accomplish S- nator Hanna’s first elec tion and who since has been most par ticularly close to the old man. Mr. I.ar.:.a ays Theodore loves him and ti.e president is blissfully confi dent that he is foreruns’ in the aft'ec '.on ci (nU.e Mark. Well and good. Surely tint spoils harmony. Why, t.ncti. should Mr. Cox and Mr. Esheiby • . turb th.? entente between the bold trn-- twins by suggestions of party liis' iin.et:’. in New York, Rhode Island, Massachm cits. Indiana. Kentucky, tiie ■ mth ami th” west? Why should they ret cal the sact —for it is a fact —that there is .suetdiiy growing re publican anxiety as to the result of •i.i- pres denlial < ' lion? Why should th.-y recall the painful recollection ol >!. ■ joy .. It in New York when Roose v o was shov.-.j o;;t of the governor ship it.to what was designed to be a y!» e presidency bob-? Why should a lenubli. an organ point to President ]o■ ’ ■ ;.’s adt:■. (! w akness in his homo state, a state whose position will in all likelihood determine the re sult o. ti: - contest of 10 4? Pr<:-id ::t Ro.'sev It and Senator Lodge ami M;.iray Crane and the others of the iar r administration cir cle a c as. i;.g these questions with anxiety, and v.-ell th-;• may. Attempt to di - ;uis ■ it a.: they do. there is fear m tin s i. . ii o. them as have real poiiti ai s--i..-< n aiize that the ULteranc* ■ of T Commercial Trib yieat riai.y ■ ptibloan leaders and .-•a t. .■ , 1. other than Sena te.• ilt.:-. .. ami • •- Cox. The di!- in : !,•■•• may hav <• a sit i : me (■•mt. ■ ?■ tor tht ; radical poll . -.-. a- . • a elections. but even tiir', res! ze that !:. a political contest . is w. il :r. i av. tiie politicians with ■,'c w • :in any ii —c. this republican attack upon ; .- Roosevelt is of Li. at impoi.aii: . !■ ma;, not prevent i. ncmimi.a ti; r. rrtnly up to this id <•-.• . thing .as imli< a: :d that thia ~ a otmi com way. But with s - .or’ of h.irampant m his i. arty. v. hat ] th. nomination be werth? Opposed by the entire con servative b-.udnc.-.s sentiment of the country, having the labor union lead ers—despite i.is catering to them as mi other man in 1... a office has done antagonistic to him, and with the majority of the pirn rical politicians iui ■ warm, if muhing worse, there is little in the present outlook to bring joy to the heart of the man in the It may be that one r.ay or the other ibis attack on the part, of the leading republican organ in Ohio may mean the beginning of his end. Erassia. Japan and The Hague. If it is true, as reported, that Sec retary Hay has suggested to Russia a zi Japan that they take their Far I'lstern controversy to The Hague, the suggestion must have been made more with the idea of emphasizing this government’s desire ior peace than with any hone of its acceptance. The principle c. the settlement of international disputes by arbitration has not as yet reached that point of general acceptance when nations are willing to submit questions of national j. mor or of territorial integrity- to a tribunal whore decision is shaped by a di: :.’crested urn; ire. Tim Hague court is yet on trial. The United States would never have been willing :<> submit to it a question like that in volved in the Alaskan boundary dis pute. nor Is it conceivable that Rus sia, having given her solemn promise tn eva-mile Manchuria, would submit to any court the highly interesting problem whether she intends to keep her promise. The Hague is all right for questions of a purely judicial character. For the adjudication of claims like those against Venezuela it presents an ideal court. That the nations of the world have agreed to submit such questions to arbitration is a great step forward, but the time has not come when any strong nation is willing to have out siders pass upon its national integrity or national honor. The President’s Message. Having carefully read the annual message of the president to congress, we do not see how many of our read ers can be other minded than that it is interesting, but at no point remarka ble. Disposing of routine subjects with something of characteristic bresiine uess ami selJ-sumeiency of comment, the president reaily devotes his in tenser message to the subject e. Lie Panama canai ami the new' relations of this country to the people who claim the sovereignty within which it lies. He assumes that congress set him the task of obtaining the 1 anuiua route within a reasonable Him.: and on just terms. Reciting the situation as it is now in Panama and how it came about, lie assumes ti.at he has dis charged his duty and that no xalid question can ne raised as to the steps by which the resuit was obtained. He takes it for granted wholly that what he has done will be approved ami the canal treaty ratified by congress. That far we think he argues well an I assumes no more than he has a right to expect from the general tem per of the people of this country and the almost unanimous opinion that we nave conic hone/tly by the rights now sought to be confirmed by the treaty. In the matter of army promotions President Roosevelt does no more than pat into official expression what lias been the common sense .iudgmem of the common people for nearly hall a century, 'the idea that men mtr i be promoted io positions tney are clearly not fitted to nil purely because they have lived up through ranks to a seniority by so-vice is absurd. Ihe people of the I'nited States want et ficiency rewarded and cannot but icH a wholesome disgu.it for any cat t iron system of survival rigi-ts to pro motion that would make the former impossible. Beyond these matters the president goes into subjects more or less polit ical and shows that ho wrote this lat est message wth a shrewd eye to us vote-making qualities. Where those interests are touched on that ate sen sitive toward his fiincss tor his high office he walks or. egg shells with a most adroit vagueness. Where he thinks he can strike a popular chord he hits out. for it “just to hear it hum'” He reveals all the way down to bis signature that lie is bidding tip his fitness for ami tight to the nomi nation of Lis party m-xt year. Yet. as a whole, the message is not a presidential document, measured by the poise, scope and dignity imparted into such documents by the least of his predecessors. Twcnty-five-Cent Cotton. The Phiiadc-li hia Inquirer .says that "if the predicted twenty-fi ve-cent cot ton should come, it would be a belter excuse for a lynching bee than is usually found.” Now, wouldn’t that jar you’ The usual excuse lor a lymhing bee is: the brutal and awful crime of lustful assault upon a woman, or some des perate criminal deed almost as re volting. But here is an eastern paper of character and iufluence coldly pro posing that a doubling of the present price of cotton would be an allowable excuse for lynching ts? peonlo who bring such a price to pass. If condi tions of crop ami ileniaml . price of cotton 25 cents per pound now, as they made it wortii .'0 :;mi G ccr-ts jusr ..ftc r the civil war, where dcies the crim? of the oc< ur< n- e coni" in? If the steel trust can manufacture steel rails ;it pei ton and sell them for SI’S, by reason of the tariff, and no kick against this enormous profit is worthy to be registered, why should tin re be tiny kick coming if southern cotton, by reason of natural, or artificial, trad; ennditious, goes to cents per n.mml? We do nc.r follow the logic of the esteem d I’itiiadclpi ia Inquirer, un less it. m.'-ans to s. y that, anything which enhances the value of >or.th>-rn cotton is. a high crime and should be punished after the Wilmington, Del., plan. As lor the south, she can stand for twenty-fivc-ci-nt cotton all right. If i’ can be brought, to that, price, sin. will not kick. So long as she raises more- cotton than her people consume she has as much right to whatever price she car. get for h< r s-.irpl . a i Pennsylvania has - to protection prof its on her steel outputs. Harmony in New York. According to the various republican organs published in the state oi New York, republican harmony is so thick up that way it can easily be cut with a dull knife. There seems, however, to be some slight dis! rc-nce of opinidn among these organs as to whether this harmony' leaves old man Ten: Platt at the head of things or whether he has been displaced to make way for Governor Odeii. The Platt organs are charging that Governor Odell tool; advantage cf uie fact that he had bm-a summoned to a conference with President Roosevelt to procla’m that Plat’ had been de posed and he bad been given the reins of leadership. To Ir, ■ ire h< is c.uco d as declaring that so long as Senator Platt lived he would be accorded the nominal leadership, but. this was said in away . .> convey the impre .-sion that the accent was on the nominal, and the Pint' mc.n arc not happy. Senator Platt is quoted as saying that, cf course, ho ;■? to remain as leader; which gives the anti-Platt re publican organs occasion for sneering that Platt could get nobody to say this for him, so had to say it him self. The situation, in a nutshell, is that while all elements are talking about harmonv. ’here is no harmony. Gov ernor Odell begins his campaign for the reorganization o f tho party by fighting Senator Platt's man, the chairman of the New- York city com mittee. While the governor was in dulging in a good deal of tai’-, about what he is going to do to this part'- - ular Platt lieutenant, the um.or was THE WEEKLY CONSTITUTION: ATLANTA, GA., MONDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1903. taking steps which insure the failure of the governor’s campaign. There is, in short, no agreement upon anything, unless it be that all elements have pledged themselves to support the re nomination of President Roosevelt. This is significant of nothing at all except that the president has his re publican enemies whipped to a. stand still. However much some of them would like to see him defeated in his natural ambition to succeed himself, their wishes arc doomed to disappoint ment and they realize it. There is at present no man in the republican party who dares io become a candi date against President Roosevelt, nor is there likely to be one: those repub licans who would oppose President Roosevelt have had to acknowledge humiliating defeat. In the light of these conditions the Platt-Odell row has no real national interest.. It is nothing more than a contest, for control of a local repub lican mathinc. Cotton-Raising- Philanthropists. Onto more the newspapers east aud south are discussing the question of high priced cotton with reuewed evi dences of their ignorance of the true situation. Some arc- ( still foolish enough to believe that "the cliques arc doing all the devilment of putting cotton at 12 cents and forcing the u. to shut down production of cot ton goods and reduce wages. This, too. in the face of tiie lai t that every b< dy with the slightest claim to being an authority has been predicting since July that cotton would sell at 12 cents and over before Christmas. 1 hat fact was as inevitable on the lace ol the reports of sup] Jy and demand as that line gold would be bringing over §l7 il.-e ounce at this same time. .\il along the future of cotton prices has bemi prcdicable ou the basis of a short crop and a demand beyond sup ply. What, then? Higher prices, o! course, and those prices higher than the level oi the larger crop of 1901-U2. And that meant 12 cents or better. At. the same time the southern plan ters are lending a hailing ear to the wails of the eastern spin ners. Those people have been so gen -rotis to our cotton rais ers and always labored so abund antly to make good prices for our cot ton that the southern planter feels in duty bound to help the good, generous mill men of the east, out ol their holes. 50 the southern planter, throwing aside his own cham c to get. 11 and jci-nts for his coiton later on is now rushing it to market and damping it out to the eastern brethren anywhere around 12 cents. The southern plan ter is not a greedy man. He doesn’t want the earth —and net much of the fatm .. thercot. II he can only get 12 cents lor his cotton he is willing that the New Yorkers, the New Eng landers and the ol<: Englanders may have the res’, of the good thing that is m coiton on its present, position. Naturally we like to see our people show this generous feeling, this lack oi gre-’d. tills splendid repudiation of c nimereialism. It would be almost too great a violation of our traditional sm-dhern patriotism and generosity to want all that is coming to us out of the cotton crop. Doubtless, then, w£ are wise to stick to the altruistic policy that has always kept, us poor and our neigh bors rich. At any rate, when we shall be aid.- io prove up at Hie judgment that we eagerly sold our great staple < rop to our brethren at 12 cents, when it was ready to go right up to 14 and 15 cents per pound, we shall have part in the r< ward of Joseph who saved corn in j.gypt against the poverty of his lather and brethren. It is not the speculators, nor the statistii al position of cotton, that ac- CGunis for the present situation. It is only the wholesale eager desire of the southern cotton planter to got things in shape where he can be sure of bis 12 cents and his brother in the f .ist can be sure of all the other prof its that inliere in the greatest staple crop with which God has endowed a people. What of the isle of Pines? There seems to be no small amount of justice bach of the protest of Amer icans living upon the Isle of Pines against the ratification of the pending treaty which cedes sovereignty over tha'. island to the republic of Cuba. In the tr< aty of peace with Spain, the fmal determination of the question of s(>’-<-reigniy over this island was re served lor i'eiure negotiation between this government amt Cuba, or for such mtion as Hie l.'ni’ed States might de sire to take. A treaty was subse quently negotiated under the terms of v. i;i< h it is to go to Cuba, and that is now pending before the senate for rat ification. During the period of military- occu pancy of Cuba, American citizens v, hos ■ attention had been drawn to ike tiw . ibiilti's of this little island amir: ..- ’ ( oiiimiiiiicaiions to the war clopar: 1 "c'.ii and received some sort ol assuram es that the island would cer tainly belong to the United States. Acting c.u the strength of these as s-aniJ . s, a number of Americans iiaxa invested in lands there, until, it 1 im l :stood, they own a majority oi the island. Thei’i' is quite an American colony. The fi’wt desire ol these people is, imturally, to remain under the Amer ican flag. They are convinced that not only their personal comforts, but their property rights will be more se cure if tiie island is American terri tory than if it. is made a part of the Chilian republic, with which it has no real connection. It is true that under the Spanish regime the Isle of Pines was governed, from Havana, but that was merely done as a matter of con venience to the Spanish authorities. The Isle oi Pines is not at all depond m-.on Cuba, and such commercial ri kttions as it has arc not to any great c: ■nt v.iih Cuba. Sime such a largo American interest has developed tls.ro, the relationship is even less close than it was during the days o. 51 r-.nish government. The residents on the Isle of Pines, ns’ives as well as Americans, have hoped that tne United States would rciain jurisdiction over the island; failing in that, the;.- have certainly felt they had the right to expect that their interests would be safeguarded in every way should the sovereignty ' eventually go to Cuba. Several months ago, when they were first in formed that they were to be made Cubans ins’ead of Americans, they asked, that in the treaty certain much needed reforms in the government of the island would be provided for. Those ii.elude the establishment of an efficient local administration, with proper judicial tribunals, a port of entry, at least one American school, and also the transfer of insular land records from Cuba to the capital of the island. It is now claimed that these denian's are not provided r or in the treaty negotiated at Havana a.w Minister Squiers is being criticised by the Americans on the island lor what they call his neglect of tnoir interests. While there may be two sides to the case, enough has uccu shown to war rant a thorough investigation of the question. • —— The Senate and the President. The peaceful wind-up of the extra session of congress is worthy of notice principally because it served to em phasize the quiet but effective rebuke which the senate administered to a gentleman who undertook to rough ride over that body. The senate, the only branch of the government conducted in away to preserve to the representatives oi the people the right, to be heard, decided it would debate the Cuban bill as it chose and to this end fixed the 16th of this month as the day lor final vote. ’flic repuoiican leaders of the sen ate, men of wide experience in legis lation, considered that by reaching this agreement with the members op posed to the bill they had done more to advance the interests of that meas ure than could have possibly been accomplished by any effort to drive the bill through. But this way of do ing things did not meet the approval of the white house devotee of spectac ularitis and he at once: conspired wim the speaker of the ho:;: e to “discip line” i lie senate. There should be no adjournment oi the special session un less the Cuban bill was p::-.s,ed by that body, Tiie senate thereupon smiled, said nothing and did nothing. The repub licans of the senate assumed that they hud accomplished everything that could possibly have been expected oi them, and they went ab "it their bus iness in their own sweet way. The re sult was what might, have been ex pected. The white house "drive" of the senate was a rank fizzle. The only person or interest injured by the little set-to between the presi dent. and the senate leade s is a g"ii tlcnian temporarily residing in tho white house who sadly needs the friendship and support of th< so .ead ers In the furtherance of certain polit ical ambitions which lie is nursing. The Stand-Pat Policy. Brother Hanna did m>t open the proceedings of his national commit tee yesterday with Hie loi'miilary "let us ail stand and sing” a pa -n to Ted dy, or "let us all pray” to be deliver ed from evil, and so forth, but he put forth his great shibboleth: “Let us al] stand pat!” There is scarcely a doubt that, the brethren will all line up under that injunction. The president has al ready shown by his message that he Is going to stand just as pat as he can—but he is a very nervous man, it must be remembered. Secretary Shaw, in his report of the treasury operations, issues a doc ument. a.- ame as the report of a pre siding elder at a 'Jct'-edist confer ence, and makes it pla.ii that so ’ar as currency reform is com erned lie pro poses to stand pat and. should occa sion require, stand patter! The senate gives clear evidence that it is going to hold the safety- I valve down to the stand pat maru, 1 oven if it has to ask John Hay how to perch a colored brother on It to keep it down. Uncle Joe Cannon is for Roosevelt ■ and for himself, and if the former doesn’t try to get gay with t’ncle Joe, he also will hold the house on the stand pat griddle whih tiie cam paign of 1!) -1 is shaping up. All cf which should be very ac- i eoptable to the democrats. They should rejoice to see Hanna hold the reiuiblkans where they av . for that will enable tho people to see them as they are and prefer the something better that the democracy can offer them. Signs and Omens. The saintly Lodge, walking briskly up ;lie white house avenue for that early- morning conference without which there could be no moving of ' wheels of government, glanced np- ■ v. ard and beheld—-a signal oi di dress! The flag over the great executive man ’ sion was liying upside down. It was cue of the busy days when , baby republics were io be recognized with each passing hour, and to the su- : perstitious impreseniative of ihe old I witch-burning stale this sight b.ue ’ dire augury. Rmdiing in upon the imperial presenc ', he broke ihe bail ' news as gently as he could. “Loeb Loeb!" shouted t! president; ami as be wailed the coming oi' the swift-I looted secretary, he sharpened his ! teeth as for mortal combat. Loeb, b 'ing told, rushed to ti:'.? flag- i loft and relieved the glorious Stars i and Stripes of the ignominy of stand ing on her head. Then for tho culprit. | This proved to be old Jerry, black, I with snowy' hair, who i'or a third of a 1 century Ims raised and lowered Hie I white house flag. Faithfully and well , has the duty been performed save : upon this one da;. ; the failure had aroused superstitious fear in the manly breast of Lodge, so of course, Jerry bad to be relieved. There are some eminent, republican leaders who incline to the opinion that Jerry is endowed with an in stinct of prophecy. It. is a fact worthy' of note that very' many republicans see in the signs of the times no cer tainty' of republican success. Lodge knows this, and he has. in conse quence, a holy' horror of signs and omens. The Fatal Inkstand. What is there about an inkstand : that brings it into so great demand as a weapon of warfare? The pen may or may not be mightier than the sword, but there seems no question about the inkstand being more tatal than the football from a twelve-inch gun. , More than once has the Inkstanu figured in a militant manner m con gressional controversy. Because he threw one at the right time, one es timable gentleman is now in the United States senate. There is. too, n story of a flying inkstand having figured In one of tiie meetings oi tii" confederate congress in away to i greatly influence the careers oi men., j But tiie most, momentous flight one I of these missiles ever took—or rather started to take —was the ono which Bismarck aimed at the head of the beloved kaiser. The newspapers of Berlin are re sponsible for the story. It goes that when the emperor, shortly before crowned, asked the venerable chan cellor ol tbe empire why he had dared negotiate wi h the leader of Ihe Cath olic party without firs’, having asKed permission cf his majesty, ineinself — und Gott —there was a very heated line of coiiver; :’.tion, in the course of which Prince Bismarck became so angry that lie grubbed the nearest inkstand and was about Io smash the imperial head. Presumably ho made such apologies as the occa-Jon de nanded. but in the opinion of tlr emperor the episode <alled for somethin"; more substantia’ than y, am'.111. 1 took it. This w:> - i’isma.’.' h’s official head. On that day Bismarck passed into history. From that day William be- - came emperor in fact as well as in na tne. It. is pc:-aldo to guoss which of the two regretted most the fatal tempta tion of the inks!ami. The Text-Book Awards. The people of Georgia are to be highly coii;,riiliilaied ov< r the work of the ui.iioriii si'h'.’oi t-. xt-book com i mission. The t:; .!; so! the:. ' able gentlemen by the law v.a: .as they say. no incon siderable one and precedent:-: in other states gave ampl<‘ reasons to appre hend tlm. t.l;e r .-nits of their labors might r.A be : > popular as '■ s desira ble in s:: aca -. ’film r.aults. how ever, ar ' beloi'" u and The Consti tution t: ' pb-asure in commend ing to th" s.upro.me <1 -'ice the abil ii". pati":i e and nirablc work ac coili})lislu'd by tiip uoiiip.l : sioi). If there i oi in • i in G( orgia that more than .-r enlists tin devotion of Tne < or.stitution it is tlm: of our come ■ ’■ d.---. We ar committed -o the people by every pledge ])o 'bl? for ns to make io stand sentinel over the school hoi as o’ tin- ; trv ami to make bat ill at all times those tiling' which are wi:;i’. tm;:"!bl" and nocc" sary for tin grow'i and efficiency oi our public school system. The t-v’-l.: ik (ommission began right. It adopted as its governing the truth that the books om children i mly ; ■■ ' ' ’ import- ant than i '.i ir teachers and tiie!’ daily influencing environments. That basic principle at om-o ::-cured that no book could obt-Gu .he favor of the coinniit sion :b'it i‘hl not make tor sound cduca ion :.i'd good morals. If plat ed tbe star tP.rd of our common school < ".i i-i--r.li.im upon the highest patriotic plane. In tho 'next place, th<> cominissior sot before their e-.-s ihe fact ’ha* tlm poop’o don-und'. J oeonomy to be wisely married to i’n'..- : ur.itormlty of .-tm-ies ami t'"-:f ’ e-->\ cimracter. Ami so from tne first ■ t?j> in their delib ; orations they made it plain to al! who I appeared biTor-o them ti-r.t excellency - and economy would be the governing I rules of their adieu. When one of i these wa.--- attempt -<l to be ignored by : a. seeming conceit of bidders there I was an instant wiriing off of the slate : and a new proceeding ordered. j The result U— and we sneak from ■ an aliiindanee o.’ evidonce —that Foor- i '-ia lip ■. given bv th-- action oi ; the conimi-- on r- (•:' ’he r. mo"t - piactico.l am; oppre- • I lists oi books I Ilia I can be found in any sl at ? of ' emiivalcnt comlUons in the union. Tho books semi tod are modern, splon j iiiillv constrmtod ; 1 most happily ’ chosen to me -t he needs of our ' school system as it now stands. On the oi oiioniii- . ule the ,second bids were lower G $lO AOn than the first ones c ml.r-’tt’d. The contiacts as finally let represent a < arefuilj es unrated savim’; of ' lor 'he Eve 1 years, or ?1 • .Oflfl in.-r month for the ■ sixty ii.ni lbs. This is no mean sum to be left in the hands of parents with whi'-h to otherwise '. iovide for their I children. ' Taken as a. whole, the work of Hie commission Ims ’m--’i nmgiiiiicent. Io describe it b-.-s mr.mgiy would not do : justice io the study and (lie wisdom ; tin- commission dovct.cd. to its work, i The whole i aide ill'-- to 1.--" ; incerelj i congratulated nimn tl-e result and : should lie grateinl to the faithful ol'fi ; cers v.’.<> have l>-.'ougl:t it to pass. Russian Big Talk. That Russian general who persists in tuli-.ing about ihe ease with which i Russia woti'-.l (.rush Ja- ".n, "so small j ami poor an opnoner.':,” is not epnirib ! tiling toward tlr? promotion of peace I in the Far East. ; It is nor to the interest of Russia i tc have a war with Japan, nor is it to i the interest of Jaw:. i to become in -1 volved in war with Russia over Korea, ■ Manchuria cr anyt-i'iig "Ise; but it | must be evident from tiie trond of j popular sen’ime’it in the mikado's ‘ kingdom that. Russia will not have to , go very far to provoke such a fight. I The Japanese, wno are an intensely I patriotic people and have demoirstrat- - cd their ability to in iui:: themselves I on land and sea in modern warfare, ' have fell very bitt<?-r!y toward Russia. | since the czar’s government took from : them what limy ei’iimdcred the legiti i mate fruits of their victory over China, ft has been with tne greate.ji difficulty that the Japanese ministry has kept the ship of state off of the war bteakers (’tiring the past few months, so siro;: is the sentiment of ti.e people for war. It will not. do for this Russian gen eral or anybody else to assume that I because Japan is comparatively small ami poor that victory would lie with Russia in any clash at. arms. In the judgment of American naval experts, Japan is more !'■•'••midable on the sea. ship for ship, than Re. : ia. The Jnp- - anese navy is a. i.-rge any force : Russia can send io Hie waters of the ; Orient, and the Japs are far better sailors, and it is believed boiler fight ers on sea. t .an Ihe Russians. Add to this the probability (hat Japan would bo able to send into Korea, where the clash would most likely come, a land force equally as strong as Russia could send, and it will be seen that i there is no excuse for Russian brag gadocia. The only possible result of this sort of Russian big talk will be to augment ! the bitterness of feeling in Japan and i te proportionately increase the proba bility of friction. Russia cannot well | afford this and if the czar is wise, lie j I will cable orders to his generals in the i I Far East to adopt, the “speak low" pol- ■ j icy of President Roosevelt. i “Songs of the Soil” By FRANK L STANTON The Toilers. A weary throng, we tread lifes dusty highway— Onward in storm and shine. Or toil with tears and groanlngs in tne vineyard That fools may drink the wine. Th.: great sun lights the gray gloom of our casements With sad and broken beams— Herald of toil, whose advent leaves us sighing Over our ruined dreams. There is but one sad message that he brings us— Once more to walk the way Where red thorns wound, and life hath but one longing: The death—the death of day! No space to read the meaning of that lesson— “ God said. 'Let there be Light!' Each hour of fol! a. step that brings us nearer The refuge of the Night. The shelter and the shadow of the dark- Tho only boon we crave Where e.-irth beholds in ewry trampled vineyard The Master and the Slave. Not men alone who toil that life may linger. Os Fate the fools—the jests. But women wan, with pallid infants pining Still for their barren breasts. Denied—the clinging arms of little chil dren. Sweet neck-lacing the years; \rd i.ovo :> dream, or only seen forever Dim, through a rain of tears. No toil Today for rest that lights To morrow Where Hope is singing brave. But toil, until tho giay hairs of the toiler Go glimmering to the grove. Vnd then 1 ? . . . That rest-or beautiful or dreamless. Rest, from the wrath and rod: The. enfolding dark, or dawn that Knows no dying— Forgetfulness, or God' At Night. Up do c.unnines' er chiih’n in his 1; 1 gown T white Wen I rockin’ him ter sleepy, en he cuddle close at night; Wen 1 tollin’ him de witch-tales, make him hug his mammy tight— Or singln’ in de medders er de mawn in'. He ax me ,vhar dey foun' 'lm in de swoetes’ long ergo— Wuz it heah, or wuz it yander, whar de huckleberries grow? En I tell ’ini: You de blackbird what got losted in de snow! — Foun' you in d medders in de mawn- En he know his mammy love 'im, en de rainy day would start Rotin’ de eyes lie see hlsse f in. es we ever come ter part; Kaze he ain't no furrier film her dan de beatin’ of her heart— Sleep li’l' honey, ’twel' de mawnln'i To a Case of Claret. In sunny, southland vales of France, Where mornings dnwn not dim. ft blushed in meadows of romance. Fill, to the rosy rim! For Love's a dream— O, Love’s a dream, And Life is driftwood on a stream. Hei'-in, my masters, ye shall sip A nectar gods might greet. No welcome of a woman’s lip Was ever half so sweet. For Love's a dream— O’ Love’s a dream. And Life’s a Bubble on a stream. Fill to tho rim!—No bitter bread Lurks here—no venomed stings. (Eor all their prate!) The beggar’s head Here rises to the king's! For Love’s a dream— O. Love's a dream; Drill ye upon this rosy stream. Drink to the sword and to the pen— To deeds of high emprise. Drink me the memory of great men No woman’s luring eyes! For Love's a dream— i). Love's a dream, Quaff swords that glitter—deeds that gleam! Drink to the scholar’s glowing page. tTlii- madness of Lie brain!) And drink ’till gray und g;.biding age Sings songs of youth again; For Love’s a. dream— O, lyove’s a dream, And Death is fairer than ye deem! ♦ ♦ « ♦ • The Hcliday Bells. The/ sound their sweet notes o'er the Thev ring o’er the hills and dells; The, <-eho the voices of ohildren— T’;e happy, sweet holiday bells. They are telling the tenderest story That I.ife, with Its joy ever tells; They ring out the gloom for tbe glory— The 1 :-I'py. sweet holiday’ bells! The Story of a Turkey. De parson say: "Dat turkey De bes’ I ever see; I wonders whar dey kotch d it, En whar de roost kin be? "I foun’ him on de do'step— A-shiveriti’ in de storm; I fetched him ter de tire En put him on ter warm “En den I gits so drowsy 1 noddin' up en down; En w’en I waked, de lire Had cooked dat turkey brown!” Dat way he told de story; Wen sudden, on de do’, De-.- come a mighty knockin’ Dat almos’ shuck de flo’. De parson stomped do fire— His foot wuz fire-proof! En den elumb up de chimney En crawl out on de roof. De sheriff say: "Dat turkey De bes' 1 ever see! I knows des whar he kotched him— He gwine home wid me!” Log Cabin Philosophy. It's mighty hard ter turn over de now leaf, kaze some er de New Year books comes uncut. Folks dat always lookin’ fer a bushel er happiness never .‘tops tor think dey might < r got ’long wid a pint measure. De wori’ is gittin- better, but human natur’ is still wid us. en won't pay de gas bill ’twcl de last day or grace ♦ * M ♦ 4 Happiness. Bread and meat Enough to eat— Joy. as heaven may will it; Soil that yields From fruitful fields. And health and strength to till it! Plunkett's Letter Reaching out for opportunities u develop, capture and appropriate seems to be the spirit that possesses the world. With all this restless desire to discover new opportunities the humand mind of th* 1 day seems bent upon the idee, that all that is good lies ahead. There seems to be too little thought given to dis >ver ■ what is right at our doora. In our very midst, and especially does this apply to i the people of the south and to the op portunities that lie eonscaled here. There I are no conditions in Georgia that should i excuse our people for a restlessness CJ J west or east or anywhere in search or ' better lands or more promising opportm" ! ties. My greatest hope for the future .: of the south lies in her agriculture, and 1 the nearest road to reach that prosperity i lies in having men of money and brains ■to turn their attention in this direction. I The soil of the south used to produce in i such abundance till it was a seeming land of “milk and honey”—anyhow, all old people know that it was a land of won derful abundance. To get back to H,' wonderful abundance I would say to tho-" men capable of great enterprises to edw their strain on experimental and uu tain lines: Come join your brains with our hardy i sons of toil, ■And watch the generous yield of south ern sod. ilt only craves from laggard sons a touch To yield the same today and just as much. If men of brains 'and capital will turn their attention to agriculture in th- soul we will soon have a satisfied people and a land of such abundance that there would be no more restless search for new fields of endeavor. Give up the planning of gr( nt enterprises at least ti you have brought agriculture in th" souH to where it should be. It is now lime to plan the making of next year's crops. L is not sufficient that men almost h ( drift into the country seeking woik. A - ' want people capable of forming gteat syndicates in the interest of farming, ju:,' as such syndicates are formed for othe pursuits and other developments. Farmers are now sowing wheat, a: the great majority of them are bouncii;- and skimming it hi with little oel "schooters” that bounce at every i and clogs and skims at every bun :i crab grass. The need is for men capab; ■ , and with capital to harness up i- an> with something more than a pair traces and a backband, and to prove, implements sufficient to pt in the gia, as it is in other countries. If tiie peoj i out in tiie states so much btagged 1 • were to try to farm as tile averag Georgian tries, they would stall ; to death without a doubt. The impl I ments ou a farm in the western sta ■ i represent a greater investment c.ian bind I improvements, stock and everyth...g lit ' in the south. There must be an imi ment in our methods here of farmin and there must be greater effort at ma., ing country homes more, inviting in matter of social contact. The lonelim that attaches to a majority of t’- ; ‘ ' homes must be relieved. It w..i take such a revolution in our present methoo to accomplish these things that it v ■ ; idle to think of it without a .create: ; amount and a different handling m i money. I wish that Georgia had a rev. ! men in her agriculture as Mr. Morgan ’ Is in railroading. I know It might be unpopular for a while with some, but 1 believe that great combines in farmin, lust as capital is combined in other pu, suits is the south’s great need. It is nov. the season for the preparations that wit. -O to make the crop of 1904, and it "■ greatest interest that confronts Georgia and the south. ! Many people are disposed to canclud ! that the great abundance that exist'--’ j here in the south before the war is ; ’ owing io slavery. The truth is that pov- I erty is slavery and capital is mastci m | all "lands and all the time, just as iru-m I so as the slavery of the south and tn i negro. Slavery then was a concentration : o f capital and It meant intelligent direct ! ing with power of discipline. Cifpitalists i with the right ability could direct and d: ■ cipline agriculture now just as i. wa the days of slavery and then theie i -- i be the same great abundance, but a m - ' without means cannot direct t*ie I-'"' : that must now be depended upon. i average farmer of today has to pet r i labor into remaining on the farm at; ■■ i there is mighty little profit in a mu a : who has to be petted to work. In this j day and time the question of a pay-day ' plays a very important part. It is m>i : one farmer in ten that can meet th ; d mands 'of these weekly or even month'.. ! pay-days and so the farm hands hie awa.- ;to the public works. If we could g'- i few such men as form syndicate I other pursuits to turn their attention t” : farming they’ could so systematize th- I tiling and direct the labor that tie : i would be found ii-.ch dividends that few years there would be a grand rn.-;' j for agriculture. The negro cost ju;-t | about as much in slavery as the hire-.i ! man does now, but he was directed in ’ telligently and so came the abundan • ' of the old south. i The truth is that it is a wonder how I life south has succeeded as well as it lia ; The old masters gave way after the v. .;i I hffd a general demoralization took r - I session. Some poor widows and broken : down soldiers r-.-mahivd and fought a ■ great).;• light for the cause of agroui ! lure than they had fought mid- : !-■ - but with all that these accomplished an-l with all the praise they deserv la ; seeds of demoralized labor and the want ■ of capital has been with us and it v. i ’ still remain until tiie brains anil money .. i the land concentrate on farming just - it does concentrate in other pursuits. I do wish that all the people of the south could see the need of this great combination of capital in the interest ol agriculture. A considerable prejuiih yet remains against such a combin ' • ion, but I am sure that no such prej- -ii<••• would remain when tiie work of combin ing had once shown its advantage. A? for these men of capital, they . 1 think, would find sweet relief in their wrk of farming. There will Tie no nod for staying awake at night uneasy about how "futures” or stocks or anything will be Jt the next tick of the telegraph. As you sleep your crops will grow, your flocks increase and the (ffuov- 'he laud the happier tile people. So may it be. is my wish for the future. SARGE PLUNKETT. He’ll Pass. (From 'J'he Zebulon Journal.) An inmate of a Pennsylvania jail soap cd himself and crawled through a 6-ine!i hole to liberty. Evidently, a slick citi zen. For the Exercis . (From The Pike County Journal > Perhaps, that Georgia wildcat was sect to the president to afford him exercise whoa the boss senators arc not chasing him. What Brew. (From The Columbus Enouirer-S-inA Emperor William, it is said, will try the elixir of life'’ f ov pij throat trou ■d1 ’ It is not stated whether it Is of Kentucky vintage or not.