Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 35, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 December 1902 — Page 3

POLITICAL COMMENT.

< The Manufacturing West. The manufacturing Industries of the West are much more extensive than is commonly supposed. According to the last census in what may properly be called Western States there were two years ago a total of 225,287 manufacturing establishments, with an aggregate capital of $3,477,587,249, and au annual product of $5,252,311,029. In New England there were only about one-quarter as many manufacturing establishments as In the West, less than half the capital Invested and an annual production of less than two-fifths that of the West The census figures give Nebraska 5,414 manufacturing establishments. With $71,982,127 capital and an annual production of $143,990,102; lowa, 14,819 establishments, $102,733,103 capital and $204,617,877 product; Missouri, 18,759 establishments, $249,888,581 capital and $385,492,784 product; Minnesota, 11,114 establishments, $165,832,246 capital arid $262,655,881 product; Kansas, 7,830 establishments, 862 capital and $172,129,398 product; South Dakota, 1,639 establishments, $7,578,895 capital apd $12,231,289 product; Colorado, 3,570 establishments, $62,825,472 capital and $102,830,137 product. All . these are Independent Industries, many of them manufacturing the same line of goods that are produced by the combinations. They gfte employment to a great deal of labor, which greatly benefits the agricultural producers of these Western States. These industries are the competitors in their field of the combinations, and as such constitute a bulwark against monopoly. The Republican party believes that these independent Industries should be sustained and it insists that in order that they shall be it is necessary to give them tariff protection. It holds that the Democratic policy of free trade for trust made articles would inevitably result in driving out of business most of the independent industries, and while it might at the same time weaken the* combinations would not necessarily destroy them. It is the judgment of many who have given the subject thoughtful consideration that the application of the Democratic policy would result in creating international trusts, or combinations; which has been shown to be practicable. The people of the West should be profoundly interested In the question of maintaining their manufacturing Industries. They are of great value and are adding hundreds of millions annually to the wealth of the West. The free trade policy of the Democratic party, if it should be carried out, would be fatal to, most of, these industries.— Omaha Bee. , • • ; Frye Opposes Revision. Senator Frye, of Maine, does not sympathize with the agitation in favor of tariff revision. Speaking of *thls question the other day he “Talk of tariff revision is absurd. T-he country is ip the midst of great prosperity. Why shbuld we spoil it by entering upon legislation which would disarrange business relations and certainly cause depression over the country? There is no demand for it in Ne.w England. I suppose there may be people in Massachusetts who want some changes, but they always have a few. cranks in Massachusetts. The Republican who ran for Congress on a re vision platform was twice defeated in a Republican district. ’ “It is equally absurd to propose tariff revision as a means of regulating the trusts. Suppose we should attempt to reduce the tariff on articles made by trusts? Smaller concerns eggaged in similar business would be affected by the new rates just the same as the trusts themselves. What would be the result? Small concerns would be most severely harmed and some of them would be driven out of business entirely, while the trusts could better stand under the new conditions and would have a greater monoply than over." Senator Frye thinks it probable the Senate will complete such amendments to the Sherman anti-trust law as to correct the more obnoxious of the evils connected with the trusts. “I like the ideas put' forth in the Pittsburg speech of Attorney General Knox,” said he. “There 4s no : h«pe of restricting trusts by an amendment to the Constitution. If such an amendment should receive the necessary votes in the Senate and House, it could never be ratified by the States. It' would lie regarded as too great an invasion of the rights of the States.” • Protection's Utility. It appears very “ridiculous” to the Burlington Gazette “to base an argument In favor of a protective tariff on the presumption that It promotes prosperity.” Has Burlington no taxes for itinerant merchants? Is there no sentiment in Burlington based on the presumption that the prosperity of the city is promoted by buying at home? Are the artisans and laborers of Burlington satisfied that it is all the same to them whether they do the work of Burlington or whether the orders are placed In Chicago or St. Louis? Prosperity even for the few cannot long continue without employment for the many in productive industry. It is ease to say that Burlington people of the laboring class who are not working have pooy credit at the store* If conditions arc such ns to enforce idleness the loss of credit Is expanded, and the lose of credit brings want, dis-

tress, business failure and panic. If things stop congestion follows, prices drop, money is locked up and the business of everybody is to make the worst of the situation. The thing to do, if possible, is to keep the machinery going and the markets open. If there is plenty of ivork at a fair price prosperity is in the air. With opportunity to work abundant It is ridiculous to make argument against prosperity. How is labor to be well employed if left to nurse its shins and suck its thumbs? There must be work to do and remunerative wages. The presumption is that Burlington doer not need to import labor for Its steady jobs, and no more does the United States. The protective policy is based on the presumption that it is wise to do as much of our own work as we can. Therefore in the business of raising revenue from imports the protective policy aims to give the advantage to home producers, to the end that our home labor may be prosperous. Protection promotes prosperity.—Sioux City Journal.

Tom Reed's Last Words. In an article contributed to the North American Review for December exSpeaker Thomas B. Reed adds materially to the sum of human knowledge and assists greatly toward a clearer understanding of the tariff and trust problem. No man who writes for publication surpasses Mr. Reed in the faculty of logical analysis and the plain presentment of facts and conclusions. Certainly no one succeeds better in the avoidance of the hysterical and the adherence to the sane and level beaded method. The spirit of prudence, moderation and conservatism rules throughout. Mr. Reed is not a believer in .quack remedies for a condition that calls for nothing mere radical than patience and common sense. Trusts are with us. So have they always been in one form or another. It is only because we are more prosperous than ever before that the trusts are more numerous and bigger than ever before. Mr. Reed is of the opinion that the trust problem will solve itself; that those will survive which deserve to survive, and those will perish which deserve to perish; that legislation of any soft at present offers no solution of the problem. Least of all, tariff legislation. On this point Mr. Reed is most convincing. Tariff tinkering as a trust remedy could not possibly prove anything but mischievous and hurtful. He s closes by saying: “We pught’to let the tariff alone; we ought to defend it against all comers for the good of the nation. We are doing more than well and need not hunt for disaster. That will come in due time.” The surest way to hasten disaster is to tinker the tariff in any way or in riny form whatsoever, whether by direct legislative action, by swapping trade privileges, or by the creation of a tariff commission. All these are good things—if let alone.—American Economist. ’ s

Coincidence to Be Avoided. Democratic papers are calling attention to the fact that since 1837 McKinley was the first President to have a Congress in sympathy with him during the middle of his Presidential term, and now President Roosevelt has the same advantage. Of course they give us good advice, anfl we can neither be too thankful for the same not too careful not to follow it. It might not be amiss to say to them, in a spirit of kindness, that if the people ever forget the hardships of 1893-96 and again intrust Democrats with the government, they should be careful not to get at the same time a Congress composed of calamity howlers and a President who hates the industries of his country. They then might expect to z live long enough to see another Democrat in the White House.—Exchange. An Economic Truth. f “We can stand high prices," says Secretary Shaw, “far better than we can stand idle labor." Here is an economic truth which may well set our Massachusetts wage earners to thinking. Of what avail is beef two cents a pound and coal sixty-seven cents a ton cheaper to the man who has no work and no money to buy?—Boston Journal. _ —»■■■■.- ■ Would Destroy lheni AIL

The Empress of Germany has • special bodyguard, comdatlng of twenty, four picked soldiers, from the taiteat men of the lofty imperial guard. * ■ - - -w

WAR CLOUD HAS GONE

POWERS CONSENT TO ARBITRATE WITH VENEZUELA. Allies Reply to the Proposal for Settlement and Name the. Conditions— Britain la Willing to Treat—Kaiser AsksGtiarantee— Italy Will Atijttiesce What is regarded as a good start has been made by the United toward having the Venezuelan claims settled

H. w. BOWEN.

settlement with Great Britain, Germany and Italy. The attitude of the powers Friday was about as follows Great Britain—Will welcome arbitration and will not insist <n the United States guaranteeing payment by Venezuela. Germany—Will consider arbitration, but wants a specific guarantee as to payment and time of payment. Italy—W’ill accept anything Great Britain and Germany agree to. The reply of Gernuuiy is not so satisfactory as that of Great Britain. The British government would welcome arbitration if it could be satisfactorily arranged. Germany recognizes the principle of arbitration, but before assenting to it and entering on arbitration wants many things settled in advance. For instance, Germany wants any claim that may' be held by the arbitrators to be guaranteed or if not guaranteed she wants to know definitely where the money is to come from to pay the claims; who is to provide it and when it is to be paid. She is expected to* insist on indemnity for her operations in Venezuela and an apology and possibly an indemnity for the assault on her legation in Caracas. Italy’s reply assents to arbitration, but her assent is contingent upon a previous acceptance by Great Britain and Germany. Task Is Perplexing. The difficulties in the way of bringing all of these powers into accord and giving them some assurance that they will be able to collect anything under the arbitration, are for the present not regarded as great. It is a task even more perplexing than that which confronted the allied powers in Ghina 'twp years ago. Venezuela is without a friend and Las been without a stable government for many years. Venezuela can guarantee nothing; the United States will guarantee nothing. Stories that the United States is willing to go further than to promise any ■indicate that chooses to finance Venezuela’s debt that we Will use our diplomatic offices to see that the mopey is paid back, a Washington correspondent says, are pure fabrications, There is something almost threatening in the German position that the coercive measures must go on unless the United States can present some form of guarantee that the debts will be paid. This brings the Monroe doctrine up in a slightly new form. Venezuela could easily pay through Belling territory or yielding sovereignty to a European power. The United States will not permit Germany or any other European power to acquire territory in Venezuela. Why, then, Germany may ask, should not the- United States guarantee the debts of Venezuela? The United States says the debts are something with which she has no ftrticern. Great Britain, of course, in the end, is expected to stand with the United States. The Washington administration has been using its best influence to advance arbitration, and a voluminous correspondence has been carried on by cable. England and Germany have had it made clear to them that the United States will defend the Monroe doctrine at all hazards, and the movement cf Dewey's warships to closer proximity to the Venezuelan coast, while not meant as a threat, may be accepted as a warning that the President meant what he ■aid in his message: “The Monroe doctrine should be treated as the cardinal feature of American foreign policy; but It would be worse than idle to assert it unless we intended to back it up, and it can be backed up only by a thoroughly good navy."

Notes of Current Events.

The Czar of Russia is soon to visit the Pope in Rome. There is an epidemic of smallpox in Salt Lake County, Utah. New York City nfounted policemen have been sent to West Point for special instruction in horsemanship. All the telegraph operators on the Wisconsin Central Railroad have been granted an increase in salary. Missouri Pacific engkie No. 1224, turned oVer near Lake City, Mo., on the river route, killing Conductor Mike Sullivan and pinning Fireman Dougherty .mder the wreck. A reform wave has reached Seattle, Wash, and all the gambling has been ■topped by order of Chief of Police Sullivan, many disorderly houses closed and the slot machines ordered to cease running. ■ There has hot been a successful escape from the State penitentiary at Hutchinson, Kan., in two years, though four attempts have been made and temporary liberty gained by a number of the inmates. Captain A. P. Mordaunt, who is credited with having made the first discovery of pay gold at Nome, died in San Francisco of a complication of diseases. One of the big Minneapolis flour mills has been bonded for the purpose of grinding Canadian wheat exclusively, all the products to be exported to England. Senor Rodrigues, the father of a girl who eloped recently with Senor Infanzon, ■hot and killed the latter as be was being brought into court in Cuba. Rodriguez was arrested. Infanson is alleged to have previously induced other girls to etope. *

without war. Grant Britain, which had assented to arbitration, was followed Friday by Germany and Italy, both of which governments gave replies to our ambassadors. President Castro had previously clothed United States Minister Bowen with full powers to a full

CAUSE OF THE TROUBLE.

Effort* by Venezuela to Avoid Paying ™ Her Debts. The troubles between England rnd Germany on the one side and Venezuela on the other arose ever the latter’s failure to liquidate certain debts which it owes to the former. Some of the claims held by England against Venezuela are those of harbor and railway improvement companies, which complained to 'their government <.f defaults o£ interest' guaranteed by Venezuela. There are other claims for damages to railways and other property of British Citizens during periods of revolution and also claims based on interference with British trading vessels and on the imprisonment and ill treatment of British subjects. The claims of Germany are of a similar nature, the principal one being that of a German railroad, built at a cost of $10,000,060, on which Venezuela guaranteed 7 per cent Interest, a figure reduced in 1895 to 5 per cent, and on which Venezuela has defaulted for several years.

For a considerable time England and Germany have been pressing those claims to the consideration of the Venezuelan government—which in that country happens to be at the present time Gen. Castro, President and dictator—but Castro paid little attention to them. Instead of meeting the demands, which are perfectly valid in international law. fairly and squarely and trying to agree upon a basis of settlement, President Castro dodged them and in effect told the representatives of England and Germany that he would not pay and that they could not collect. He fancied that in this attitude he would Be sustained by the Monroe doctrine proclaimed by the United States, evidently oblivious of the fact that this doctrine as applied to the southern republic does not extend to assisting any one of them in repudiating honest debts-voluntarily contracted. Just what this doctrine stands for was recently set forth by President Roosevelt “The Monroe doctrine has nothing to do with the commercial relations of any American power, save that in truth it allows each of them’ to form such as it desires. In other words, it is really a guarantee the commercial independence of the Americas.-—W.e do not ask under this doctrine for any exclusive commercial dealings with any -other American State. We do not guarantee any State against punishment if it misconducts itself, provided that punishment does not take the form of the acquisition of territory by any non-Ameri-can power.”

Evidently both England and Germany accepted this definition of the famous doctrine and that they might net take any steps offensive to the United States government they acquainted President Roosevelt from the beginning with their purposes and plainly stated to him the limit of the action they proposed to take. The failure of President Castro to meet the demands of England and Germany or even to reply to their representations, naturally led to the issuing by the latter of an ultimatum, which was delivered at the capital, Caracas. The British minister, W. H. D. Haggard, and the German charge d’affaires, Von Pilgrim-Baltazzi, left Caracas and boarded warships of their respective countries in the harbor of La Guayra, thus severing diplomatic relations with Venezuela. United States Minister Bowen took over the charge of English and German interests. No reply having been received to the ultimatum, the combined English and German fleet seized the Venezuelan war vessels at La Guayra, destroying some of them and converting the others to their own uses. Another Venezuelan vessel was seized by a British cruiser at Port of Spain, Trinidad, an English Island, opposite the mouth of the Orinoco river. The seizures were made so that the vessels might not interfere with the plan of taking possession of Venezuelan custom houses and blockading the Venezlelan coast, with of preventing smuggling and laying embargo on all imports until the claims held by England and Germany are satisfied. A couple of days later two other Venezuelan vessels were seized in the Gulf of Para by-a British cruiser and taken to Port of Spain. Naturally the action the European powers created a crisis in Caracas.

BLOCKADE IS BEGUN.

England Gives Notice that Five Venezuelan Ports Are Closed. Formal announcement of the blockade of the Venezuelan coast was made in London Saturday morning. It appeared in a supplement of the official gazette In the following proclamation: “It is hereby notified that as the United States of Venezuela has failed to comply with the demands of His Majesty’s government, a blockade by His Majesty’s naval forces of the ports of La Guayra, Carencio, Guanto, Cumana and the mouth of the Orinoco is declared, such blockade to be effectively maintained from and after Dec. 20, subject to an allowance of the following days of grace for vessels sailing before the date of notification: “From West Indian and eastern American ports, ten days for steamers, twenty days for sailing vessels. “All other ports, for steamers, forty days for sailing vessels. “For vessels new in the blockaded port, fifteen days. “Vessels which attempt to violate the blockade render themselves liable to all measures authorized by the law of nations and the respective treaties wlthi the different neutral powers." The powers have declared that they will arbitrate only with the United States and will not permit Venezuela to have a word to say—not even to Indicate her views as to the scope of the tribunal that wHI decide on the difficulties. A correspondent at Vienna telegraphs that Ruraia and Austria have agreed to make a determined effort to end the per petual Macedonian question by carrying out specific reforms under their combined control. Working miners paid about $2,000,000 in assessments, in support of the recent strike in the anthracite regions while it was in progress. The Southern Pacific Railway has adopted a pension plan for old employes ■imilar to that in operation on the Pennsylvania and. other railroads.

FARM AND GARDEN

A Hard-Collar Preferred. There Is a striking analogy between the shoulders of a horse and the hand of a man. Each is respectively the lever by which the power is applied. Broadly speaking, every Implement designed for the use of man is provided with a handle, and this handle is made to fit the hand, not the hand for the handle. It is about a certain size. Is rounded smooth and hard; at least It is never made soft, with a view of being easier on the hand. The three qualifications last named should be present in the horse collar If the collar is the proper length and fits the horse, and is stuffed full and round, it may be hard as iron without danger of galling the shoulder. Certainly the collar must fit the horse exactly. Of jrourse, the harues must be drawn up high enough so that the draught will not center on the shoulder joint. The logic of this is simple. If the handle of a manual Implement galls the hand it is because of its roughness or improper shape, never because it is too hard. If it -is to be continuously used the man does not put on a mitten in warm weather to overcome a defect in it; neither does he demand that the handle be made of something soft, but simply that it be properly shaped, smooth and hard. The collar which is round and hard rolls on the skin at every motion of the animal, somewhat like the manrier of a ball bearing, admitting the air, and thereby cooling the parts; but the flat, soft collar sticks so closely that it compels the skin to move on the underlying flesh in such a way as to produce irritation and deep seated galls.—Joseph H. Yoder, in Ohio Farmer. —Tribune Farmer.

Desirable Form of Roller. A home made land roller on our farm was made as follows: Two rows of holes were bored through the rims of old mowing machine wheels, and 2x5 inch oak planks feet long were

TWO-SECTION ROLLER.

bolted around them, to form two drums. The edges of the planks were beveled and the bolt heads countersunk. The two axles were welded together to make one long arbor, the ends of which were securely fastened, in a strong frame. A heavy iron strap through which the arbor passes is twisted at ®ach end and bolted to the underside of front and back timbers, with washers on the axle against center hubs. It serves to keep the drums apart apd acts as a brace to strengthen frame. Anyone who has ever driven a two section roller knows the advantage it has over the Old log rollers in turning around. One like this can be made at a very moderate cost and will prove very satisfactory.—D. M. Greene, in Farm and Home.

A Scheme in Log-Bawing. Many farmers draw their winter supply of wood to the door in the log and saw it at odd times with a cross cut

dious when it lies flat upon the ground. A handy arrangement for holding and raising the logs Is easily made as shown In sketch. Take two straight poles 16 feet long and strong enough to bear the strain. Fasten a pair of stout legs abont 3 feet long to one end of each pole. Then with a 2-lnch auger bore a series of holes along the top of each and fit' a wooden pin or stake to them. The poles are to be placed side by side and each log rolled up the incline until it reaches the desired height. The pins are inserted to prevent rolling or sliding back and the log is ready for the saw.—C. O. Ormsby, In Farm and Home. Feeding Pumpkina to Stock. There is an idea among farmers that pumpkin seeds are Injurious to stock, and especially to swine. There is no good foundation for this belief, although, without doubt, if a hog was permitted to eat all the pumpkin seeds It could without eating any of the flesh they would make him ill. Pumpkins should be freely fed to stock, using them as.other green crops, such as potatoes, carrots and the like are used, as appetizers and feeding them In small quantities just before the regular meal. If given after the regular meal the animats will not eat so freely of them. In feeding pumpkins to hogs, horses and cows, simply cut them in half and let the animal do the rest In feeding them to sheep they must be cut tn smaller pieces, and It Is a good plan to sprinkle a little salt over the pieces until the sheep get used to the taste. All crops of this nature afe digestives, and pumpkins especially will prevent attacks of prolonged constipation. As a rule, dairymen do not feed

saw. This is easy and pleasant work when the log is raised about two feet from the ground, but very difficult and te-

cows enougn succulent roods during the winter. It does not seem to occu® to them that an animal that has been on pasture all thh summer through should need anything other than plenty of grain and hay. The writer once paid as high as $2 a bushel for carrots for stock feeding, and considered that *the sum was made good by haring less trouble with indigestion among the cows and especially saving annoyance with constipation among pregnant animals. One feed a day of pumpkins or some root crop will be beneficial to all cows. Shorthorn Cow Robert*. The center ot attraction at many State fairs of the Middle West this fall, and one that captured a prize at the International Live Stock Show in Chicago, was the handsome Shorthorn cow, Ruberia. She is now a itxrt of

PRIZE SHORTHORN.

the herd owned by Colonel G. M. Casey of Missouri. Suiting the Customer. If growers of vegetables for market would study more closely the needs of the consumer there would be a material increase in the prices obtained for the product, as well as a quicker sale for it. Most growers work on the plan that the largest specimens are the ones that will bring the high prices, but this is a mistake. Any housekeeper will say that what she most desires in vegetables for cooking are those of medium size and of uniform size. This last is especially Important. Take potatoes as an illustration: the larger specimens are not always of the best flavor, and there are not a sufficient number of them in a barrel, so that the housekeeper can rely on having large ones until the entire lot is gone—the result is she has some difficulty in cooking the large and small together; good reason why she prefers the medium size and the uniform size. This rule holds good through all vegetables, and they should be grown with this - idea in mind at all times.

Oleo Being Driven Ont. The effect which the new law is having on the sale of oleb is clearly shown by the following figures, which represent the number of pounds for which tax stamps were bought In July, 1901, 2,884,571 pounds; July, pounds of colored and 1,799,602 pounds uqcolored,,q total of 1,801,242 pounds. In August 1901, 4,049,555 pounds. In .'.August, 1902, 1,905 pounds colored, .1,4.15,553 pounds uncolored, a total of 1,417,438 pounds. In September, 1901, 3,825,247 pounds. In September, 1901, 14,705 pounds colored, 1,798,305 pounds uncolored, a total of 1,813,010 pounds. For the three first months of the fiscal year the shrinkage was 5,737,663 pounds, or over 50 per cent This is for Chicago alone, but it is said there Is an equal falling off at other manufactories,— American Cultivator.

Waste of Corn Fodder. In Missouri It is safe to estimate that something like 7,000,000 tons ot corn fodder are grown In the average year. Certainly 3,500,000 tons, or one-half of all that is produced,' Is wasted. The average hay crop of the State is scarcely more than 3,000,0(k) tons and is estimated to be worth on the farm over $20,000,000. Yet a large proportion of this hay is timothy, a material that supplies the same class of nutrients for our stock that Is found in corn fodder. —II. J. Waters, Missouri. ••:' ' * * . Farm Notea. Evergreen branches make an excellent winter protMflon for many plants, and they are to hold down forest leaves and. prevent the wind from carrying them off. Rake up all the debris around the grapevines and burn the leaves and other materials. Scatter air-slaked lime liberally on the ground arouD|d the vines. In the spring turn the soil under and use more ihne. In this manner the ravages of the rot can be greatly mitigated. The winter is the time for farmers to meet and discuss matters pertaining to farming. Many good hinted some ot them very valuable, may be gained or Imparted at such meetings, and no better way of spending the time can be ' devised if the weather is too severe to permit of other work. A gill of crude, carbolic acid (which Is much cheaper than the refined article), made Into an emulsion with half a pint of strong soapsuds and a quart of cold water then added will lie sufficient for moistening a bushel of sawdust, which may be sprinkled in the stalls as a disinfectant. The black knot is the’ scourge of the cherry and plum, but it can be pt» vented by vigilance. Cut away any of the limbs that show signs of the disease, and spray the tree with kerosene emulsion op.the Bordeaux mix-' ture. The disease will spread to every tree in the orchard If allowed to go unchecked. .. • r A ‘corn-judging school" will be held at the lowa Agricultural Colleges,' Ames, Jan. sto 17. The beet samples of all the leading varieties of corn from the greatest breeders of various States will be on exhibition and used in the 3 classes, which Will be held every day,' studying the corn systematically with, the use of the revised score card.