WrgjST5,WT7rof
OCTOBER, 1922
The Common
er
3
tntt them, but with a view to preventing the stato r
. fmn w JLiiCJiLU. ii.A bu.w vw-wv vii buc iimiiiit i Ha
undeveloped electric tinwor nn
In onnlicll
th Republican, Blue, Platte, North Loup, Middle
vuo nAr. ond fhA Niobrara rivorn in hoof
homes in Nebraska, to light the farm homes and
the city residences and supply enough power to
nnerate all the machinery of the state, from the
sewing machines to the threshers."
He foresaw the forging ahead of Nebraska as
nn industrial state with the watorpcwer proper
ly developed.
"If this power was utilized, our raw products
could be manufactured fn our home state, there
by saving the freight east and back west again,
and no tariff would need to be levied on the con
sumers of this or any other state on our manu
factured goods in Nebraska," he said. "I want
to see this waterpawer developed under stato
ownership, state control and through municipal,
county or district development.
"I favor extending coroperative marketing, irri
gation, supplemental water projects, and exten
sion of rural credits to promote tho agricultural
interests of Nebraska.
BRYAN FARM TAX FIGURES TOO LOW
"I want you to take notice of the misrepre
sentation being made about my farm taxes by
both Mr. Randall, Republican candidate for gov
ernor, and the Republican press," Mr. Bryan
continued. "Several days ago in a speech at
Waco, while discussing Tiigh taxes, resulting
from Republican administration, I mentioned as
an example that the taxes on one of the quarter
sections that I possess near Lincoln had risen
in the past few years from something like $90.00
a year to over $300 a year. The Republican
committee looked up the tax record on one quarter-section
other than the one to which I referred
and found that the taxes had 'only increased'
from about $60 to $222 in that time, and have
been using those figures in an attempt to make
the, public believe I had misstated facts.
t "The truth of it was I placed the figures far too
low, fearing if the news of such appalling boosts
in taxes got out into cither states it would hurt
the price of farm land here. Here are the of
ficial figures of taxation on that quarter section:
In 1915 they were $93.12; in 1916, $136.82; in
1917, $128.63; in 1918, $'127.52, and when the
Republican administration took charge in 1919
the taxes jumped to $223.11; in 1920. to $325.63,
and in 1921 to $494.33.
"Will the Republican candidate for governor
and the Republican press continue their efforts
to deceive the voters?
A SPECIFIC PROGRAM
"Summarizing the action I favor to put tho
state government back on a business basis and
' bringing the people's taxes within their ability to
meet them, I would urge a reduction in taxes,
repeal of tho taxing political machine known as
tlie codo law; regrouping o'f tho code depart
ments in the hands of the governor and rcgulnr
Btate officials; discharge of useless array of codo
employes; legislation with a view to keeping ap
propriations within tho people's ability to pay;
legislation to keep tho cost of tho new capitol
Within the original appropriation;. reduction of
tho automobile license tax; opposition to tho
four referred bills becoming laws; abolition of
useless stato departments and elimination of
fads, theories and isms; repeal Of laws that have
Jun up county taxes; opposition to any measure
uiat will place a tax on gasoline; opposition to
any measure tliat would weaken the direct pri
mary system; and opposition to any measure that
would weaken tho bank guaranty law.
IT RAINED- IN LINCOLN
f 'Governor McKelvie, who has boon making a
f 18f1eeohs in this campaign, attempting to de
jenu the code systerm and defending his adminis-
? om thG 3ust criticism that he has more
Zh d0Sbled the taxes of the people of tho state
Silt! ? four years lle has been ln ofilce' ad"
anSvi the Republicans cannot reduce taxes,
tnYm we outline the specific plan by which
mj wui reduce tho people's taxes, he likens me
to a. rainmaker.
Nfihl!6, go7Grnor tells tho story of a drouth in
211 a-ln 1893 amd '94. He says that the
tor mi in such ned. of rain that people prayed
ertw ' nnd the rains did not descend; that lat
tw ,a,PPeared among them men who claimed
Nebraska Democratic Candidates
For United States Senator
For aovernor-nxBER-HITC,ICOC3C
PnT, , CHARLES W. BRYAN
For Lieutenant Governor
P.J.MULLIN
For Secretary of Stato
CHARLES W. POOL
For Stato Auditor
For Stato Treasurer
GEORGE E. HALL
For Attorney General ,
ffnr T . n KENNETH W. McDONALD
For Land Commissioner
n r ., M C' HARRINGTON
For Railway Commissioner
FRED O. AYRES
For Congressman, 1st District
JOHN II. MOREHEAI)
For Congressman, to Fill Vacancy
W. C. PARRIOTT
For Congressman, 2d District
JAMES H. HANLEY
For Congressman, 3d District
EDGAR HOWARD
For Congressman, 4th District
H. B. CUMMINS
For Congressman, 5th District
A. O. SHALLENBERGER
For Congressman, 6th District
CHARLES IV. BEAL
For Congressman, to Fill Vacancy
WILL M. MAUPIN
within the next vfew days, the rainmaker would
take credit for making it rain. He said my claim
to reduce taxes was on a par with the rainmak
er's claim that he could produce rain.
"I want to say to you good people that we
made ft rain in Lincoln last winter when we
broke the coal trust by establishing a municipal
coal yard and saved the people $150,000 on their
coal bills. We made it rain again in Lincoln
when we forced the ice trust to reduce the price
of ice last summer and saved our people $40,000
on their ice bills in four months' time. We made
it rain again in Lincoln when we reduced the
price of gas and saved our citizens $125,000 on
their gas bills. Wo made it pour in Lincoln
when wo compelled the New York gas corpora
tion to refund $400,000 fn cash as an overcharge
on the gas bills and distribute it among our peo
ple during the last year as rebates on their gas
bills, and with your help we will make it rain at
the state house in tho form of a reduction 'in
taxes after the first of next January."
HIGH TAXES THE BIG ISSUE
High taxes are the big issue in the Nebraska
election. The Democrats have carried the fight
to the Republicans, and the latter have been un
able to make an adequate defense. There is
much appeal to the record and much explaining
of this and that appropriation, but the history of
taxation in Nebraska is that every time tho
Democrats are in power it costs less to run the
state government than when the Republicans
control the pursestrings. The reason is not diffi
cult to discover. The Republicans are partners
of big business and big business demands appro
priations. Charles W. Bryan insists that, inasmuch as the
present Nebraska state administrative officials
can not be expected to work for the reduction of
their own salaries and expenses, the only way to
bring about tax reduction is to vote for a com
plete change in the conduct of affairs at the stato
house.
?100.COUt producG raIn if they would pay them
Deonln i 7i wol uo-caueu rainmakers. iu
BcrintLn ?5Ir desperation would cojlect by sub
he Vmiii100 and Sivo it to the rainmaker, and
hand EI n out on the Prairie and wave his
and wnif ? oloments, release some chemicals
it it 1 ",, for t to rain. Tho governor said that
UUIU raln over in Iowa or some other stato
A FACT NO ONE WILL DENY
We submit to the voters of this state, regard
ing nf nartv that Democratic state administra
?ons in?aJal)ly have been honest, efficient, pro
gressive! economical, free from Bcanda I. and
truly Representative of the people's nterests.
'From Nebraska Democratic StatePlatform.
' SPREAD PROGRESSIVE DOCTRINE
SlTofcf Mr Paper do double duty.
A Record of Performance
When Charles W. Bryan consented to run for
mayor of Lincoln in 1915 it was becauso no
other man who could bo oloctod would load tho
fight to end tho nine year old battle with tho gag
company over lighting rates, and to bring about
othor municipal reforms. Mr. Bryan pledged tho
people dollar gas, and ho set out, in his cam
paign, just how ho would bring It about. Boforo
tho olectlon was hold the gas company an
nounced that it would at once reduce rates to a
dollar. This rate was maintained all of tho two
yoars of Mr. Bryan's occupancy of tho ofllco of
mayor. Just four months after his torn expired
the company increased tho rate 20 to 40 conta a
thousand cubic foot.
In 1921 Mr. Bryan, undor similar circum
stances, again consented to make tho raco for
mayor. Ho was elected a momber of tho city,
commission, which, by law olocts one of its
members as mayor. In 1915, Mr. Bryan, as high
man among the men who wore avowedly candi
dates for mayor, wan made chief executive of tho
city by the votes of his colleagues on tho com
mission, without any disputo or debate. In 1921
he again recoived tho highest vote of those who
were openly candidates for mayor, but becauso
he had been elected on a platform that pledged,
among other things, the establishment of a mu
nicipal coal yard and municipal sale of ice, big
business stuck its finger In city politics, and ho
was relegated to the position of commissioner of
streets.
Big business in Lincoln thought that this
would end liis fight in behalf of tho city. In
stead he at once introduced an ordinance estab
lishing a municipal coal yard, and through
threat of a resort to the referendum secured its
passage. It was a big success, saving the peoplo
of Lincoln, directly and indirectly, $150,000 on
their coal bill for 1921-22. The coal men fought
the ordinance and securod a supreme court judg
ment that the council lacked power to establish
and operate such an enterprise. Tho peoplo
promptly amendod tho charter giving such au
thority. Meanwhile the people, by direct vote,
saw to it that no such rape of tho ballot as had
been committed when tho 'city commission re
fused to elect as mayor the man who received tho
highest number of votes for that ofllco instead of
the man who got the next highest, as was done
by the commission. They amended the charter
so as to reserve that right themselves as voters.
Months before, tho ice company which holds
a monopoly of Lincoln trade capitulated without
a contest, reducing its rates to tho same level of
charges by the municipal ice plant in Omaha.
Mr. Bryan is now a candidate for governor
on the pledge of reducing taxation and of inau
gurating in the state government reforms that
his experience as a city official of Lincoln taught
him are just as badly needed in the interest of
the common people. It is seldom that a candi
date who is making pledges for his future con
duct as a public official can point to such a record-of
performance of past promises as a candidate.
SENATOR HITCHCOCK'S SERVICE-TO
NEBRASKA
We commend for his brave and loyal services
to tho common people of Nebraska and of tho
United States our senior United States senator,
Gilbert M. Hitchcock, and pledge him our hearty
support in his campaign for re-olection. His
courage, his independence, his vision, his applied
common sense, have earned him a highplace
among tho statesmen of the nation. His experi
ence, his equipment of research, study and in
formation, mark him as an invaluable member
of the Senate with whoso service Nebraska, at
this time of trial and uncertainty, cannot afford
to dispense. Ho has been fighting fearlessly and
unselfishly the battles of a progressive democ
racy for mere than a quarter of a century, and
we hail him as a great and trustworthy leader
in the cause of better government. Born and
reared in Nebraska, its citizen for a life-time, ho
is bone of its bone and flesh of its flesh, a repre
sentative of whom it may be proud in tho coun
cils of the republic. From Nebraska Democratic
State Platform.
FOR REPEAL OF REVENUE LAW
We pledge ourselves to the repeal of the In
iquitous new revenue law, senate file No." 65,
which has robbed the people of home rule and
a -i, h'ei'.';; -a: ,,