224 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



sible, and they have gone to imitating our 

 methods. In Russia, even, a hopeless 

 theocracy of which the czar is god, they 

 are planning for the organization and es- 

 tablishment of agricultural schools, and 

 to induce the people to attend them they 

 propose certain exemptions from military 

 service. This is beating swords into 

 plough shares with a vengeance. Surely 

 the world is growing better and better 

 every day. 



o T unnecessary 



with Qer- anxiety seems to be exhibited 

 both in Germany and in the 

 United States about the trade relations 

 between the two countries. Some figures 

 recently prepared by the Treasury Bureau 

 of Statistics show that the supposition 

 that American trade in Germany or Ger- 

 man trade in America is being disturbed 

 or depressed by existing conditions seems 

 to be unfounded. Certainly the United 

 States is giving to Germany a larger per- 

 centage of her import trade than ever be- 

 fore, and is selling to Germany a larger 

 percentage of her exports than ever be- 

 fore. American exports to Germany in- 

 creased over 11 per cent, in 'the last six 

 months of 1898 compared with the corre- 

 sponding six months of the preceding 

 year, which of themselves were phenome- 

 nally large, and the imports from Ger- 

 many into the United States for the same 

 period were nearly 25 per cent, greater 

 than those of the corresponding six 

 months of last year. The share of our im- 

 port 'trade given to Germany has steadily 

 increased during the past decade, as has 

 also the share which she takes of our ex- 

 ports. A decade ago 10 per cent, of our 

 imports was taken from Germany, while 

 now 13 per cent, comes from that country; 

 a decade ago 8 per cent, of our exports 

 went to Germany, now over 13 per cent. 

 goes to that country. 



A victory The recent elections in the 

 east an d i n the middle west 

 point to a healthy develop- 

 ment of a sentiment in favor of public 

 ownership of public utilities. As usual 

 the Chicago city election attracted more 

 than its proportionate share of attention. 

 The re-election of Harrison to be Mayor 

 of Chicago has demonstrated once more 

 that the "machine" is losing its hold 



that adherence to well defined principles 

 is rapidly superseding blind partisanship. 

 The ideal democracy is becoming less of 

 a dream every day. 



We are "Trade the pup for a pig," 



Conservative savs the p arm J our nal. That 



is good advice. If you don't 

 want a pig trade it for something which is 

 less useless than a mongrel pup and more 

 ornamental than a pig. We believe in 

 being conservative in the advocacy of 

 reforms. 



It * s a matter of re g r 



Libby 



Prison the management of the Libby 



Prison Museum has been 

 forced to do away with this picturesque 

 reminder of war times. It was never a 

 paying investment from the start and the 

 wonder is that its supporters were willing 

 to bear so long with a losing venture. Just 

 why it was not more patronized would be 

 hard to say; the location, possibly, had 

 something to do with the non-success, it 

 being so near the heart of the city that the 

 ground upon which it stood was too val- 

 uable for such a purpose or perhaps "too 

 expensive" would be a better term than 

 valuable, since no spot could be too val- 

 uable to bear this record of the country's 

 suffering and achievements. Another 

 drawback was its apparent permanence. 

 Had the museum been established with a 

 great display of red lettering to the effect 

 that for a "limited time only could be 

 seen," etc., etc., it would have been 

 crowded. But we reasoned that "we 

 could go to see it any time," just as we can 

 the Masonic Temple or the Board of Trade; 

 and "any time" means no time. 



"Blessings brighten as they take their 

 flight," and no sooner was it announced 

 that "Libby Prison" was to be torn down, 

 than the place was thronged. Possibly 

 the fact that the Tribune gave tickets ad- 

 mitting the bearers free, was a strong in- 

 ducement for people to attend, since hu- 

 manity enjoys getting someting for noth- 

 ing. Thanks are due the Tribune for thus 

 affording a great number, who would 

 otherwise have missed it, the chance to 

 see these records of our past as contained 

 in the old prison . 



Listening to the tales of suffering and 

 privation which those walls had witnessed; 

 looking upon the pictures of those who 



