FMOOS IN THE UKO OFFICE.
Arrest of John A. Benson, a
Healthy San Franciscan, for
Alleged Frauds in a Dozen
States and Territories.
Washington, Dec. 18,-John A. Ben?
sos, a wealthy San Francisco real .? es?
tate operator, charged by the interior
^department with being the head of the
-?l?eged land frauds extending over a
-dozen Western States and Territories,
to which Secretary Hitchcock referred
a Tiogrously and at length in his anneal
. report, was arrested here today at the
Willard Hotel, by Secret Service
Officer John A. Brnns, *ust as he was
preparing to leave, the city for New
York.
The charge on which the arrest was
I jnade vas bribery, it being alleged in
the affidavit of Mr. Burns and in the
warrant that Benson had paid $500 to
Woodford D. Harlan, formerly chief
of the special service division of the
general land office, and sow a clerk in
that office, on March 15, of this year,
JOT the ' purpose of extracting from
Jaim information regarding the investi?
gation of his operations at that time
-being made by the land office. Benson
was taken before commissioner Taylor.
Jie wished to have a preliminary hear?
ing of his case postponed, and the date
; -was fixed for December 30. He gave
bail of $5,000 for his appearance, when
the Government attorneys will ask
to have him bela for the grand jury.
The statement was made by aa offi?
cer of the Government tonight that the
. information obtained regarding, the
' alleged conspiricy implicate a number
-of persons at present employ ed in the
iaterior department at Washington and
?elsewhere. Numerosa arrests are
expected to follow that of Benson in
short order, and some employees who
may not be arrested will be dismissed
from the service.
The Government stoneys stated, in
asking for a large bail bond for Ben?
son, that he had been guilty of bribery
j during his present visit to Washington,
' since last Monday, and in the interior
/department itself, notwithstanding
that he was fully aware that his con
section with the alleged .frauds were
-fully known by the department ' '
SB?QSTREET'S TRADE REVIEW.
-;
Wholesale and Jobbing Trade Light
and Manufacturing industry
Slackens.
New York, Dec. 18.- Bradstreet's
tomorrow will say :
Holiday and retail business general?
ly is seasonably active, wholesale and
Sobbing trade correspondingly quiet,
awhile manufacturing industry slackens
jpartly for the above reasons, but also
'because of - low water in streams or
?Sorts to readjust operations to chang?
ed conditions of demand and supply.
Cold weather is ?till an important
stimulas to heavy wearing apparel and
footwear.
There are several continuously en?
couraging features noted. The car
congestion of a year ago is conspiou
ou?sy absent this year and tba rail?
ways are handling the current excel
-lent business offering with profitable
results. Failures do not display more
than the normal tendency to increase
lu number, and there is evidently less
-tension than exhibited a month ago.
The iron trade retains: all the good,
resoling and advances in prices of pig
iron reported in preceding weeks, and
makers of finished products, most net
- ably steel plates and .structural forms,
are apparently firm in their views
Tho cotton goods manufacturing trade
is struggling with high costs and un?
settled views as to finished goods
prices and international curtailment
as suggested.
Business, failures for the week end
Jag witii December 17 number 239,
-against 225 in th? like week of 1902.
~ -Artawai Candidates Fight.
Hope, Ark, Dec. 19.-During a joint
--discussion here today between the
three candidates for the Democratic
nomination for governor, a personal
encounter occurred between two of
the candidaes. Gov. Jeff Davis and
Associate Justice Carroll P, Wood
-of the supreme court. Gov. Davis
-struck Judge Wood cn t&? b?ftd capp?
ing blood to flow freely. As Judge
Wood attempted to retaliate he was
seised and Kept from reaching the
fTOvernor. Later he disengaged him
-salf and struck the governor on the
ann.
The principals were arrested and
placed under bond for their appearnce
in the mayor's court Jan. 15.
As Gov. Davis was closing his
speech today, he accused Judge Wood
of having gone to New York to secure
information against Senator James K.
Jones, in the last campaign for United
States senator. The governor said he
?himself had fought Senator Jones in
the open, but that Jndge Wood had
^knifed him,, and was a traitor.
Judge Wood quickly arose and said
the governor would have to retract or
be held personally responsible here-;
after.
"Why not now?" said Gov. Davis,
accompanying the remark by striking
Judge Wood with a cane. Officers in?
terfered and prevented further trouble,
after Judge Wood struck the governor
on the arm.
This is the former home of ex-Sena?
tor Jones.
Letter to C. M. Hurst.
Dear Sir: The Trustees of Fair
Ground, Cobleskill, N. Y. were glad
to pay 15 cents a gallon more for
Devoe ; and no wonder. Two other ;
paint agents said it would take 150
gallons of their paint tc cover the
buildings.
Our agent put it at 125 or less. It
took 115.
We saved them 35 gallons of paint1
and painting (worth $4 to $5 a gallon,
as the painting costs two or three
times as much as the paint) less 15
cents a gallon on 115 gallons. Say
$140.
That's how to count the cost of paint.
The cost of putting it on is $3 or 84 a
gallon. You see what that means.
Go buy Devoe.
Yours truly
F. W. Devoe & Co.,
New York, j
THE POPE RECEIVES 110,850,000.
Pope Leo Leaves in Care of Car?
dinal Gotti $9,000,00 Which
Was Turned Over to Pope
? Pius.
Rome, Dec. 18.-According to the
Tribuna, the Vatican had sudden
wealth poured into its coffers today.
Cardinal Gotti, prefect of the Propa?
ganda, accompanied by Monsignor
Marzolini, one of the late Pope's sec?
retaries, drove to the Vatican today,
and carried a mysterious package to
the apartment of Pope Pius. They
were immediately admitted, and re?
mained for two hours.
Intense curiosity was aroused by this
act, and it soon became known that
the bag contained 445,000,000 francs
($9,000,000) in bank notes.
When Cardinal Gotti entered the
presence of the Pope he sank to his
knees, and pointing to his burden,
said :
x**Your Holiness, the lamented Leo,
just before his death, confided to me
tue money, which I now lay at your
feet? saying that if I succeeded him I
was to use it as I thought best, but
that if another took his place, I was
to tern the money over to him after a
period of four months bad elapsed.
This I now do in the presence of Mon?
signor Marzolini, who has been the
only other person to share the secret."
The Pope was much affected.
The Tribuna goes on to relate that
just about the time this scene was be?
ing enacted in the Papal apartments,
an electrician, while removing the
hangings in the late Pope Leo's cham?
ber in order to get at the electric light
wires, found in a hole in the wall, sev?
eral bags which were carelessly tied.
These bags when Opened were found
to contain 9,250,000 francs ($1,850,
000).
- M I I WM -
The State's Insurance Business.
j_
?t is not generally known that the
State of South Carolina is conducting
a most profitable insurance business
through the sinking fund commission.
The report through Secretary Means
for the present year shows that only |
about $S00 has been paid out for losses
and that the amount of insurance now
carried by state and county buildings,
except the hospital for the insane and
the State colleges amounts to about
$580,000 and that the yearly premiums
amount to about ?5,000. The surplus
now on hand is $11,000. Under the
law no personal property and nothing
but buildings belonging to the respec?
tive counties and to the State are in?
sured and since this law went into
effect in 1901 only $840 has been paid
out in losses. The rate is about two
thirds the rate charged by the insur?
ance companies. -Columbi a* Record.
The Print Cloth Market, j
Pall River, Mass., Dec 18.-Sales
in the print cloth market for the week
will reach a total of about 300,000
pieces. The cloth market hus grown
stronger during the week, the prin?
cipal feature being an advance of f?in
regulars from 3% ta 3J?. The advance
it is the general opinion, was due to
the many curtailment rumors, or to the
further advances of the cotton market. [
There has been talk of curtilment
during the week, and nothing in this
direction is looked for right away.
The Mew Judicial District.
Washington, Dec 18.-Col. William
Elliott, of Beaufort, is here, mingling
with his former associates in Congress;.
It is well known that Col. Elliott
takes a personal interest in the bill,
creating a new judicial district in
South Carolina, for he hopes to be
appointed Judge of the new district
when established. He has been dis?
cussing the subject with his friends
here and ba fears that the contention
over the Johnson-Aiken-Croft bills
may defeat the original project. He
?ai been in consultation with Senator
Tillman and other members of . the
delegation, and it is proposed that s
compromise be effected by which the
best features of the three bills shall be
merged into one Act, and thus stand
a better chance of favorable action
during the present Congress,
-a -
Remarkable Surgical Operation.
Sioux City, Ia., Dec. 21.-An opera?
tion having no parallel in the surgical
world w?s performed at St. Joseph's
hospital today by Dr. William Jepson,
who has the chair of surgery at the
State university. John Norstrom of
Danbury, Conn., fell from a lead of
hay, striking on his head and break?
ing his neck. He has been almoRt
paralyzed for several weeks, and Dr.
Jepson decided to operate on his broken
neck. Accordingly a portion of the
third cervical vertebrae was removed,
the false growth of tissue was cleaned
out and the bone replaced. The
patient is doing well, with every pros?
pect of recovery. Operations have
been performed for the relief of a
I dislocation of the lumbar vertebrae,
i but no other case is known in which
? the cervical situated so near the
j madulla oblongata, the seat of he vital
j bodily functions, has been successfully
! removed and replaced.
Richmond, Va., Dec. 18.-The gov?
ernor today signed the bill appropriat?
ing $10,000 for a Virginia State build?
ing at the St. Louis exposition. The
structure is to be a reproduction of
the mansion at Monticello, the home of
j3fferson.
Douglass, Ga., Doe. 19.-Lee Cribb,
who was convicted of the murder of
Emmett White, a young white boy
aged 18, was banged here yesterday.
Cribb, while under the influence of
whiskey, attempted to teirorize the
town of Nicolas, killing the town
marshal of that place and afterward J
shooting young White to death.
The relationship of the Unied States
to the new Republic of Panama con?
tinued to be the leading theme in the
Senate yesterday, but the discussion
was confined to one Senator and was
not so exciting as yestervday. Senator
Daniel, of Virginia, was the speaker,
and he advocated the acceptance of
Senator Hoar's resolution, calling upon
the President for more information
relative to the November revolution in
Panama.
MR. ROOSEVELT CENSURED.
His Panajna Coup Denounced in
the Senate as Usurpation.
The Pressent Called Severely to Ac?
count hy Senator Hoar, One of the
Ablest and Most Distinguished Mem?
bers of his Own Party.
Washington, Dec. 17.-The Senate
today was the scene of a most import?
ant debate on the Isthmian canal
qnestion, as affected by the Presi?
dent's recognition of the independence
of the Republic of Panama. The dis?
cussion began with a speech by Sena?
tor Hoar on his'resolution of inquiry
and lasted several hours. In addition
to Senator Hoar's address there were
speeches by Senator Goman and Sen?
ator Foraker. Ali three were notable
utterances and of historical interest.
Senator Hoar confined his remarks
to his resolution, and they were care?
fully written out and read from manu?
script. He held that this country had
not yet received full official informa?
tion concerning the- Isthmian revolu?
tion, and criticised in sharp'terms the
conduct of this country, as shown by
what bas been given out
There was no reservation in Senator
Gormans' utterances. He practically
alleged that thc situation in Panama
had been created to make a campaign
issue, and said that unless further
light was thrown on the subject he
would oppose the Panama treaty.
Senator Foraker took Senator Hoar
to task for his remarks reflecting on
the Administration. He defended the
Administration for its attitude toward
the Panama revolt. A heated colloquy
took place between Senator Foraker
and Senator Hoar, during an effort of
the Massachusetts Senator to explain
more fully his position in the matter.
Senator Hoar said he -was in favor
of the Isthmian Canal, but was anxious
"That the canal be built without taint
or suspicions of -national dishonor. "
"What we want to know is," he
said, "did this Government knowing
that a revolution was about to take
place, so arrange matters that the rev?
olution, whether peaceable or other?
wise, should be permitted to go on
without interruption, and whether our
national authorities took measures to
prevent Colombia from stopping it?"
Senator Hoar quoted the correspond?
ence bearing upon the revolution, and
asked, " Why this great anxiety before
any disturbance had occurred" It was
clear, he said, that if the correspond?
ence so far printed included all the in?
formation possible to give on the sub?
ject, that from twenty-four to forty
eight hours before the revolution broke
out this Government had instructed a
man-of-war to prevent Colombia from
doing anything to prevent it I want
to know, and the American people
want to know and have a right to know,
whether this mighty policeman on the
Isthmus, seeing a man about to attack
another, is justified, before the blow
is struck, in manacling the assailing
party ,and whether, after the assault
hsa been made, the policeman, is jus?
tified in claiming that the pocketbook,
which has been token from the victim
by the assailant should be turned over
to him (the policeman) on the ground
that he was the rightful owner?"
Senator Gorman took the floor as
i soon as Senator Hoar had concluded
and there was from the start evident
interest in what be might say. He be?
gan with a reference to Senator Hoar's
speech and complimented that Senator
highly on his attitude, and alluded
to the Democratic attitude on the ca?
nal question? On the latter point he
said that Democratic Se na tow gener?
ally are as favorable to the construct?
ion of the canal as are Republicans.
Senator Gorman said the facts were
all that were desired, and he proceeded
to refer to the extention of the execu?
tive influence, saying that this influ?
ence had been extended from time to
time until "the Senate had become
practically the agent of the execu?
tive."
The affair in Panama, he declared,
was "the most flagrant act of trans?
gression that has ever taken place in
the history of the country, and it
should be resisted witboat regard to
party.11
Chinese Treaty Ratified.
Washington, Dec. 18 -The Senate,
in executive session today, ratified the
treaty "for the extension of the com?
mercial relations" between the United
States and China, and then removed
the injunction of secrecy, No opposi?
tion was maniftsted by any Senator tc
the treaty, though Senator Nelson,
Republican, of Minnesota, made a long
speech in which be criticised the con?
vention as making insufficient provis?
ion for the trade of *he United States.
He said it indicated that the hand of
Rnssia had been shown against this
country, making it impossible for the
United States to receive the conces?
sions needed in the way of open porte.
He blamed Russia for this condition
of affairs and warned the Senate that
we may yet have trouble with that
country] over the Manchurian ques?
tion.
Senator Lodge, of Massachusetts,
urged the importance of having the
treaty ratified at once and said that
the State department considered im
meidate action as essential. He de?
clared that the ratification probably
would have a bearing on the settle?
ment of the far Eastern question.
There was no division *bn the motion
to ratify.
Paris, Dec. 18.-The "United Co?
lombian committee" here, gave out a
statement today, saying that Colombia
would, first, seek throng!) a commission
to induce the United States to recognize
Colombia's rights under the treaty of
1846; second, if the comission fails,
Colombia will ask for the submission
of the question to The Hague Arbitra
j tion Court; third, if its submission to
j The Hague Court is refused, Colombia
will go to war and rely on the Latin
republics to come to her aid.
Norfolk, Va., Dec. 18.-A successful
trial of a Hying machine was made
yesterdy near Kitty Hawk, N. C., by
Wilbur and Orville Wright, of Dayton.
Ohio. The machine flew for three
miks in the face of a wind blowing
at the registered velocity of twenty
one miles an hour, and then gracefully
descended to earth at the spot selected
by the men in the navigtor's ear as a
I suitable landing place. The machine
? has no balloon attachment, but gets
i its force from propellers worked by a
'? small engine.
THE COTTON BOOM CONTINUES.
Price in New York Approaching
Thirteen Cents a Pound.
New York, Dec. 17.-Liverpool ca
bles were np today, owing to a scare
of shorts and aggressive bull tactics,
and this caused the New York cotton
market to shake off the lethargy re?
cently noted. First prices were at an
advance of 17 to 27 points. January
sold at 12.40, March 12.70, May 12.80
and July 12.77, these being nev/ high
records for the two last positions, and
net gains on the active months of 21 to
29 points. Liverpool house bought
here as well as in their home market,
and commission houses, though in
many cases selling for profits, also had
orders on the buying side. Of course,
the gains, particularly in reference to
the later positions, which had passed
all previous records, brought on heavy
realizing, and shortly after the call
these months reacted from the highest,
but generally speaking, the market
ruled strong.
All the day the market continued to
show strength. There was more or less
irregularity, and trading was not so
active as has frequently been the case.
The market was flooded with bullish
news from the South. The highest
point was reached in the afternoon,
when January sold at 12.59, March
12.80, May 12.90 and July 12.93, these
being net gains of 35 to 42 points. t
The market closed firm, net 32 to 41
points higher, with sales estimated at
1,000,000 bales.
"Betwixt Hell and the Iron
Works.
The long and the short of the canal
business is that the administration
having taken the bit in its mouth,
has also the whip in its hand, and
means to buck it through, willy nilly,
and that those of ns who want to get
the canal and to be honest, can either
stand aside and let her go, Gallagher,
or make common cause with the
transcontinental railway ring in op?
position, and, in the event of beating
the treaty, lose the canal.
Thus, literally, we find ourselves
betwixt hell and the iron works, lt
is a case of be-damned if we do, and
be-damned if we don't; the moral
accountabilities rest, however, upon the
bronco-buster, who can be relied upon
to keep the Ten Commandments light?
ed in the vestibule of the white house
whilst rifling Colombia across the
way in the back office of the stase
department In the face of such a
dilemma, what is a poor girl to do?
She might take to the woods bnt
soon or late, she would have to come
out for meat or drink. The most
virtuous damsel must live. In the
olden time, when convents were pro?
vided for the distressed and the devout,
Virtue was able to seek her refuge
within moated grange and gabled wall ;
but who shall rescue her from this
terrible Teddy, who. with honeyed
words and pious phrases, casts con?
science to the winds and would de?
bauch the very grandmother Superior
even of bis own beloved order of the
Holy Zebra ?
At least we need be in no hurry.
We are not bound to say our catechism
according to the Qnay-Addicks reform
ritual, nor .cry "amen" every time
the president opens a jackpot with
prayer. We are not bound to accept
P. Bean Vanilla even as a second Eli?
jah Dowie. We may still question the
Gray Wolves of the senate. We may
still look those Forty Millions in tbe
mouth, and cry "wo" to the Mule. In
short and in fine, the administration
having gone in to make a spoon or
spoil a horn, must come ont with
bands, if not clean, yet not reeking
with loot and blood-with skirts not
redolent of tragedy and scandal
which it deliberately invited when
ignoring the alternative Nicaragua
clause of the Spooner act, it und?r
took to confirm the steal clause of that
act to the skunks in Washington and
the bucket shops^of Paris, repudiating
the while the Monroe doctrine, which
it had voluntarily sworn to support,
and foully gobbling Panama in defi?
ance- of all our boasted trade prospects
with Latin America, to say . nothing
about the moral sentiment of mankind.
As democrats, we are answerable for
none of these things. Nothing seems
more certain than that the way before
the administration will be, and every
step of it, beset by obstacles sur?
mountable only by sheer force.-Louis?
ville Courier-Journal.
Democrats Win in Boston.
Boston, Dec. 15,-The Democrats
won an overwhelming victory in the
municipal election today, Mayor Pat?
rick Collins being reelected by 27,000
plurality, the largest ever given a
mayoralty candidate in the history of
this city. The board of aldermen next
year will be solidly Democratic and
that party will have a large majority
in the common council.
The city cs usual favored licensed
liquor selling by a large majority.
Nashville, Tenn., Dec. 18.-Walden
University, a colored institution, is
burning. Sudents, male and female
jumped from the windows. Three dead
bodies have been removed from under
the window where they fell. It is said
there are many more in the burning
building. The injured are estimated
at fifty, and every ambulance in the
city has been brought into requisition.
Hagerstown, Md., Dec. 18.-Gen.
Henry Kyd Douglass, Stonewall Jack?
son's chief of staff during the Civil
War, died at his home in this city to?
night. A general failing in health,
including mental trouble, was the
cause of his death. He was 63 years
old. His sister, Mrs. Beckenbaugh,
and her son and daughter, are the
only survivors. Gen. Douglass never
married.
Boston, Mass, Dec. IS.-A London
cable tonight says that Prof. S. P.
Verner bas arrived here from Brus?
sells, whither he went to seek facili?
ties for the dispatch of a scientific ex?
pedition to the Congo Free State and
elsewhere in Central Africa. Prof.
Verner's mission in Africa will be
mainly in connection with the an?
thropological section of the St. Louis
Exposition, and he will furnish data
for the Scientific Congress, to be held
j there. He will devote special atten
! tion of the pigmies and the primitive
tribes of he Lunad Plateau.
FUTURE COTTON CROPS.
Manufacturers' Record Investigates
the Prospect.
Some People Think the Limit of
Production has been Reach?
ed, Others that there is *
no Limit.
Baltimore, Dec. 20.-The Manufac?
turers' Record, in continuation of its
discussion of the cotton crop, as pre?
sented last week, has submitted to the
commissioners of agriculture and the
presidents of all the agricultural col?
leges of the South, to several hundred
leading cotton manufacturers, oil
mill men, commission merchants,
bankers, growers and others the fol?
lowing inquiry:
ls there danger of a permanent de?
crease in cotton production in the
South? If so, is it due
(1) To deterioration of seed by rea?
son of the best seed being sold to oil
mills; or
(2) To a decline in the fertility of
the soil by reason of bad cultivation
under the tenantry system ; or
(3) To a lack of farm labor since
the industrial development of the Sonth
has drawn many hands from the coun?
try to the cities, or are all three of
these fpctors to be reckoned with?
The Manufacturers' Record begins
with the publication of replies in this
week's issue, and expects to continue
for several weeks to present the views
of the best-informed people of the
South on these questions, so vital not
only to' this section, but to the whole
world. Dealing with the replies, it
says :
"The letters published today deal
mainly with the conditions which pre?
vail in the Carolinas and Georgia.
Following these will come next week
letters from the far South, in which
the conditions may be presented as
entirely different from those in the
upper South. The letters published
show a wide diversity of views, but
the predominant note in all of them,
with few exceptions, is that scarcity of
farm labor will make it difficult for
the South to increase its production of
cotton. This scarcity is due in part to
the tendency of the white tenant
farmer to cotton mill employment,
most pronounced in the older textile
communities, where he and his family
secure more profitable work than on
the farm, and in part to the trend of
more active negro laborers away from
agriculture to mining, railroad and
kindredgwork. It is pointed out that
this condition, which is becoming
more pronounced every year, would
make it difficult for the South to pick
a larger crop, even if it could be rais?
ed. This condition presents an urgent
need for immigration to the South to
fill in the gap left by the increased
employment of whites in the cotton
mills and of negroes in mining and in
railroad construction, and in the gen?
eral trend of negroes away from farms
to cities.
" With but few exceptions, it is
claimed that there is no deterioration
of seed, bot that, on the contrary,
farmers have been careful to use the
best seed for planting, though a few
writers insits very strongly that there
is a deterioration in seed, claiming
that the best seed are sold to the mills
and that the fertilizers used are not
equal to the seed for the maintenance
of the fertility of the soil, and that
thus the consumption of seed by oil
mills is a disadvantage in the long
run. Comparatively few admit any
deterioration in soil, and where this
is reported, it is claimed to be due to
the thriftlessness of the negro tenants,
who do not appreciate the importance
of maintaining the fertility of the
land. With scarcely an exception,
however, the small crops of the last
few years are claimed to be due, not
to any of these causes, but to the
abnormal weather conditions, which
cut short the yield. While some think
the South has practically reached,
under present conditions, its maximum
output of cotton, there are other
equally well-informed men who claim
that there is scarcely any limit to the
increase of the cotton crop of the*
South. This side of the case is pre?
sented by one of the most careful in?
vestigators of the South, who says
that there bas been no deterioration in
the seed and none in the soil, and to
this ?dds :
:< 'We have made two short crops
from causes that have, in the past and
will continue to recur from time to
time. We may next year make 225
pounds of cotton per acre. The acre?
age will probably be 30,0C0,000. This
will give us a crop of something like
13,500,000 bales. Manufacturers have
taken many people from farms. Those
left on the farms work better, because
cf better conditions and rewards. The
South is not yet seriously suffering
from lack of farm labor, but has reach?
ed a point where the labor, formerly
much idle, has been absorbed in profi?
table employments. It is a good time
for quite a lot of thrifty immigrants
to come South. The range cf cotton
production per acre seems to be about
150 pounds on the low side to 225
pounds on the high side. It seems to
be ranging up and down nor, about
as in all time past.' "
Now for Cheap Sugar.
Washington, Dee. 17.-The Presi
dent signed the Cuban reciprocity bill j
a few minutes before 1 o'clock this
afternoon.
The President theil issued a procla?
mation, reciting the passage of tho Cu- j
ban reciprocity bill and declaring the
Cuban reciprocity treaty to be effective
ten days from today.
Now that the bill haj become a jaw,
a question of great interest has arisen,
namely, the effect of the reduction of
the duty on Cuban sugar upon impor?
tations of sugar from other countries,
j The British Government has served
' formal notice upon the State depart
? ment that under the favored-nation
' clause, it expects that British sugar
from the British West Indies shall be
! admitted into the United States on
1 equal terms with Cuban sugar, and it
is not doubted that Germany, France, j
' Austria and the other great beet sugar j
producing countries will do likewise.
An old holding of Attorney General
Olney in President Cleveland's admin- j
istration was adverse to such demands, |
but the question promises to be re- |
opened with vigor. i
RUSSO-JAPANESE CRISIS.
The Outlook is Gloomy in the Far
East and it is Feared That War
Cannot be Averted.
London, Dec. 21.-The morning
newspapers display increasing alana
over the aspect of affairs in the far
east, rather from the fear that some
nnforseen incident may precipitate a
conflict than from any belief that the
resources of diplomacy have become
exhausted, the opinion being still
almost universal that both Russia and
Japan are anxious to avoid war.
The Morning Post, which is inspired
in the Japanese interest, makes a
suggestion which may possess signifi?
cance-namely, that Japan should cut
the Gordian knot by declaring a pro?
tectorate over Corea. The paper con?
tends that such a solution would com?
mend itself to all the powers with the
exception of Russia and that it might
even be welcomed at St. Petersburg,
if it be true that Russia does not desire
war.
The special cablegrams from the far
east published in this morning's news?
papers throw no new light on the situ?
ation, but all are agreed that Japan
has not sent an unlimatum to Russia.
The correspondent of The Daily
Telegraph who, after a tour of Man?
churia, has arrived at Nagasaki, ex?
presses the belief that there will be no
war, certainly not before the spring,
and Russia does not want a war be?
fore she has consolidated her Position
in Manchuria. She is apprehensive,
however, of the strength of the Japan?
ese fleet and over the atitude of China.
and Great Britian.
AS RECITER'S AGENCY SEES IT!
London, Dec. 20.- Renter's Telegram*
company has learned that considerable
anxiety exists in the best informed
circles of London regarding the possi?
ble outcome of the situation in the
far east. Fears, it is said, are express?
ed that the Russian government may
have overstepped the bounds which
would make a continuation of peaceful
negotiations with Japan possible. It
is regarded as quite certain, it
asserts, that Japan will not ac?
cept the principles of the last Rus?
sian note, which are altogether at
variance with Japan's main conten?
tions, and that Japan's reply must
necessarily be cast in this sense.
Apart from the delicate state of the
negotiations between the two nations
Renter says, it is also known that
Russia is assuming a mere defiant
attitude, and the outlook may be re?
garded as more gloomy than it hithertc
has been although it cannot be said
that the resources of diplomacy have
been completely exhausted.
The statement concludes by sayings
that there is as yet no actual news ol
fresh developments, and that no ulti?
matum has been sent by Japan tc
Russia.
THE SITUATION GRAVE.
Pekin, Dec 20.- The report cabled'
from Tien Tsin to London to the effect
that Japan had sent an ultimatum to
Russia is discredited here and no in?
formation of a corroborative nature is
in the possession of the foreign lega?
tions.
?While the knowledge of the legations
on the situation leads to the belielf
that the sending of an untimatum ia
improbable, the prospects of war are
evidently increasing. The British
legation some days ago received a
telegram indicating that war was
possible and the Japanese legation is
officially informed that Russia's re?
cent reply to the Japanese proposal
was unsatisfactory.
While no news has been received ar
the Japanese legation that Japan has
sent an ultimatum to Ruslsia, it is
recognized at the legation that a grave
crisis is approaching. Maj. Geo.
Yamani, the Japanese military attache
and the Japanese colonel who has bees
instructing Gen. Yuanshai Kai's
troops have both started fonr Japan.
The native press recently reiterated"
a circumstantial story to the effect
that in the event of Manchuria being
retained by Russia it was the intention
of Great Britian to establish a pro?
tectorate over the Yang Tee valley as
compensation and to appoint a viceroy
therein so that her prestige in the far
east would be equal to Russia's.
Some of the native papers give Wai
Wu Pu of the Chinese foreign board
as authority for the story. This fiction
is largely credited and gravely discuss?
ed and is creating hostility against
Great Britian. It is suspected that
the story has been fostered by un?
friendly agencies appointed for the
purpose and the British legation is
investigating its origin.
ANOTHER RUMOR.
London, Dec. 21.-The Daily Mail's
Pekin correspondent declares that a few
Manchu nobles who are under Russian
influence are delaying the conclusion
of an alliance between China and
Japan.
Terrible Boiler Explosion.
St. Louis, Dec. 21.-Seven boilers
in the power house of the St. Louis
transit Company exploded tonight,
killing three employees, injuring six
and wrecking the building. The ex?
plosion broke window panes several
blocks away. The brick walls of the
boiler house were thrown outward and"
the heavy truss roof, after being thrown
high in the air, dropped directly over
the debris, imprisoning twenty em?
ployees. All the electric lights weer
ont* and darkness prevented prompt
work in rescuing the injured, whose
cries could be plainly heard. Fire
broke out in one portion of the debris,
but was extinguished before it gained
much headway.
The cause of the explosion is not
known. Several street car lines were
brought to a standstill for a time for
lack of power, but other power houses
were hastily connected and the cars
were soon put into operation.
Kanass City, Mo., Dec. 21. -In a
wreck today at Godfrey, Kan., of the
"Meteor", St. Louis and San Fran?
cisco fast train from the South, eigl/-:
persons were killed and thirty-two
were injured. Of the injured five
will probably die, while fourteen
others were severely hurt.
Special Christmas Numbers of PUCK,
Black and White,' Century and all tl e
popular magazines. H. G. Osteen &
Co.