" " " " " " "
V * - * " * " * -li tf i * , * S - [ jc r sJ-
iwJ ' } "
HJ
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_ _ _ _ _ _ - .
Sir " SOME SELECTIONS MADE FOR OFFICE.
HE * tpoffirmvitfa Agrfnl ITjHm ty tho Ktbraslta
] H Delegation ,
St ' Washington special to the Omaha
Jfl | Boo : To-doy it is understood that a
9 | tmmbor of important offices were con-
_ j i sidcrcd , the names of candidates agreed
] _ Vv on , and that recommendation for their
9 " 4 appointment will bo made. The first of
M these is that of tho Hon. Alvin Saun-
dors to bo a member of the Utali com-
H j mission. Tho Nebraska delegation bo *
_ V \ camo satisfied that no citizen of No *
] braska oxcopt Governor Saunders would
Hi stand a possible chance for appointment
HJ to this very eligible and lucrative posi-
jH 'Hon. ' This conclusion was arrived at
Bj after a thorough canvass of tho situa-
_ H * > tion and interviews with a number of
H | prominent politicians in close associa-
Hj tion with tho administration. It was
Hi felt that tho office was one to which No-
_ K braska is entitled , as ono of tho original
Hfi commissioners , Senator Paddock , camo
H ! from Hint state , and sinco his incum-
H' ' bcucy Nebraska has been unrepresented
H [ . on the commission. Senator Saunders ,
- it was understood , was not averse to be
, considered as a candidato for collector
of internal revenue , but there was a
1 y • ' general feeling that tho high position
1 which he has held in the state and
• in tho national government entitled
him to a more honorablo position than
H | that which the collector of internal rov-
' enuo would havo afforded him. Tho
recommendation was therefore made ,
nd his appointment strongly urged
W } upon tho president. Thoro are good
j- grounds for tho belief that his nomino-
I * " * - tion will follow. Tho second appoint-
• . menfc recommended was that of 13. K.
8 Valentino for an auditorship of tho treas-
w nry , uud a third , Hon. John 0. Wilson ,
M speaker of tho house of representatives ,
m for assistant attorney fortha department
St of justice Hon. John Peters , of Boone
, -county , was agreed upon for oppoint-
J ment as collector of internal revenue.
111 Mr. Peters' indorsements were very
! -strong and ho was tho only candidato for
M whom Senator Paddock has fought per-
' sistentlv since the beginning of the ses-
! -sion. The reported caudidncy of Sona-
SpJ tor Saunders at one time threatened to
{ | make a complication , but this was hap-
HV * pily avoided by tho suggestion of his
( Mils' * name for tho Utah commissionership.
r t , ' ° United States marshalship there
| wf have been a number of strong delegates.
? | Among them Hon. J. Dew , Alfred Host-
| lw ings , of Lincoln , iindBrod D. Slaughter ,
hwt , present clerk of the house of repjesen-
g _ | Natives. Mr. Slaughter was agreed upon
Hf bj' the delegation as its choice , and his
_ L | name was to-day presentedifor consider-
K ation.
K Patrick Egan was also presented as a
Ft candidate for minister to Mexico. Ho
Wt ) i had tho unanimous endorsement of tho
T Nebraska delegation , and his candidacy
Hj' < ' is supported by tho most influential
ym ; Crish republicans throughout the coun-
DL [ > iry. No federal offices in Nebraska
_ f * were decided upon. It is understood
H that the choice for United States dis-
H-jS triot a-ttorney for Nebraska lies between
H | Mr. Baker , of Jefferson county ; Mr.
HR Rer.vis , of Bichardson county and State
| K Senator Neabitt , of North Platte. As
I Jf tho present district attorney's term has
\M. \ ootyet expired , and it is not known
Jjj what position General Harrison will
I m1 take on the question of unexpired tenure
f , # ul office , no decision was reached with
: . regard to this appointment. This is
lm'\ also the case with regard to the various
K | land offices
K Tliere are scores of applications for
Bff office , inclnding fnlly half of the pres-
I ent legislature. It was decided by the
# delegation that all postoffice appoint- ;
w ments , except those at Omaha , where
1 Senator Manderson resides , at Beatrice ,
n where Senator Paddock resides , and at
Jj the state capital , shall be relegated to
TJ "the congressmen of the state in their re-
'JE spective districts , and that the senators
B > refuse to make recommendations for the
Hfl same. This , which is the universal cus-
l _ torn , does not seem to be generally uu-
Uv derstood in Nebraska , as the senators
_ | ore daily deluged With petitions _ for
V fiostmasterships and with applications
H "for consideration , all relating to matters
ft -whose consideration lies with the con-
C gressmen in tho respective districts.
H There will be quite a number of addi-
H tional recommendations within two
K weeks for heads of bureaus in executive
H -departments and also for appointments
H % n * ue foreign service. The necessity
Jj for immediate action , so far as severiV
Jj appointments were concerned in the de-
B partments , compelled the delegation to
M ct , and their choices were by unani-
[ jn mous consent of all who were present
B UNCLE SAM'S NAVAL VESSELS.
Wm 27ie Gunboat TovJttown Shortly to be Acrrpl
mm ed A. Word from Secretary ir i"ft. .
M Washington dispatch : Secretary Tra-
H -cy will shortly accept the new gunboat
H Yorktown. Her trial trip was satisfac-
H tory , and after the dynamos for running
Jf the electric lights have been placed in
J position , the gunboat will become a
FK part of the navy. The new dynamite
t cruiser , Vesuvius , is likely to have a
B further trial before she is accepted.
H Encouraging reports come to the na-
Wk \y department respecting the torpedo
f boat now building at the Herreschoff
QB works in Bhode Island. The inspectors
B the material used is of
-say a high qnal-
B ity and the work of good character.
B The contractors expect to complete the
B boat by June 1 , which is the date fixed
B in the contract The boat is required to
B make twenty-two knots an hour and any
a | deficiency bn this score will subject
II "the contractors to penalties , while for
M any excess above twenty-three knots
B they will receive a bonus. If the new
fl . craft , the first of its kind in American
B ship building , fills the requirements , of
I • which there is but little doubt , it wfli be
1 the fleetest boat iu the United States
U and fully equal to any possessed by the
Jf European navies.
D Secretary Wiudom's attention was to
ff day called to the newspaper statement
B "that he was overruled in the matter of
ft the appointment of Assistant Secretary
Bachelor. The story was that he had
M t "tendered the place to Coon , the latter
liad accepted and the appointment of
M Bachellor was in direct opposition to his
m wishes. It is f nrtlier stated that Bachel
lor "as Piatt's man" would have control
• of the treasury patronage. Mr. Win-
-dom said he did not usually notice news-
"S w . paper.oriticisms , but this was so unfair
" * * s 3inAmisleading that lie did. not like to.
let it go unchalleged. As a matter of
fact , he said , the president had especial
ly referred this appointment to him
= aud had acted in accordance with his
recommendation in appointing Baoli-
t -ellor. It was trne Coon had been con
sidered in connection with this office.
\ It was never tendered him , however ,
-and consequently he had not accepted
it. The appointment of Bachellor was
V made after careful consideration and
* " y'v. was in no sense a reflection upon Coon.
% * "Windom said it was absurd to say any
j * -assistant secretary would have control
of the treasury appointments. That
j * "was a matter entirely in the hands of
* * "the president and himself and was not
' 0 likely to be relegated to any other offl-
cial. The secretary said so far as he
t knew Bachellor could not be considered
H3 anybody's man.
ig Major S. S. Bockwood , of Wisconsin ,
fe was to-day appointed chief clerk of the
W -tleimrtment of agriculture , vice Nesbitt ,
* f Resigned. Major Bockwood is editor of
+
BK 95 * & • / '
HfB - * c- * " /
mwW&fcmm &g k & '
BB B BBBBHB & Sjfe. - jr - ' 8'.s , - \ - .j- - .
/
3 * -
y
i
tho Uaily Stato Journal , published at
Portago City , Wifl.r Ho serred in tho
army four years , and since the war has
been a professor of mathematics at the
state normal school at White Water , as
sistant state superintendent of public-
instruction of Wisconsin , and more re
cently has been connected with tho
stato land office at Madison.
VISITORS TO THE WHITE HOUSE.
CoU New Among tha Xutnber Ilrcommenda-
Hont for Prominent Places ,
Washington special : John C. Now
went to drive with the president of the
United States on Saturday afternoon at
i o'clock , dined with h'im at 0:30 : , smoked
with him from about 7:30 : to 10 , and then-
walked over a good portion of the city
of Washington with him before he went
to bed. When asked when he and the
president talked about during their visit ,
which lasted from 4 to 12 p. m. , ho
smiles a knowing sort of smile and as
serts that they "talked of most every
thing. Wo discussed about everything
but tho weather , " remarked Mr. New ,
"and wo may havo talked of that also ,
for I've forgotten many things that wo
said. "
ItECOinrENDED ni'AN FOR CHUiI.
Tho Kansas delegation on Saturday
presented Congressman Byau , of that
state , as a good man to bo sent as minis
ter to Chili , and both Senators Ingalls
and Plumb made eloquent addresses in
his behalf to tho president. Mr. Byan
has just been re-elected to congress for
his sixth term , with a majority of about
fifteen thousand , and it is considered a
little queer that he should Avaut to re
sign his seat aud leave tho counjry , but
ho is said to havo private reasons. If
Cannon is elected speaker Mr. Byau will
stand a good change of getting tho
chairmanship of tho house committee on
appropriations , of which ho has beeu a
useful member for many .years. He is
known as one of tho working represen
tatives. There are very few men in the
house who havo done more solid , honest
work than he , and there are few more
unobtrusive.
FOK husk's assistant.
President Hilgarde , of tlie agricul
tural college of California , is the man
spoken of for assistant secretary of agri
culture. He is highly recommended by-
Senator Stanford and tho California del
egation in congress , but is not a candi
dato for the place and it is not known if
ho will accept. Tho president has had
moro trouble filling this office than any
other. Not that there is a scarcity of
applicants , but none of them seem to
fill the bill , and several gentlemen to
whom it has been tendered havo found
it impossible for one reason or another
to accept. Ex-Governor Eurnas , of Ne
braska , declined it because he prefers
the position he has at home. President
Athcrton , of the University of Pennsyl
vania , for a similar reason , and Prof.
Brewer , of Tale , who accepted , was com
pelled to withdraw that acceptance at
the instance of his physician , who told
-him that to undertake the duty would
cost him his life. Prof. Hilgarde's
name was suggested by Prof. Brewer ,
and the suggestion is highly indorsed
by all the scientific men in Washington.
EX-POSTMASTER GENERAL TYNER.
It has been suggested several times
lately that ex-Postmaster General Ty-
ner , of Indiana , will be appointed sec
ond or third assistant under Postmaster
General Wanamaker. Some of the
leading republicans from Indiana do
not think that will be done. They say
that Mr. Tyner will be provided with a
good position , but it will not be as an
assistant to tho postmaster general.
One who is in a position to speak by
authority says that the place to be given
Mr. Tyner is that of law officer for the
postoffice department , now held by
Judge Bryant , of _ Wisconsin. This
place corresponds with tho solicitorship
of tho treasury , and is really the assist
ant generalship for the postoffice de
partment. It comes under the depart
ment of justice , and the duties attached
to it relate to to the settlement of all
disputed questions relating to the ad
ministration of the postal 'law. The
salary is the same as that received by
the assistant postmaster general , $4,000
a j'ear.
PROMPT WANAMAKER.
It is the understanding among west
that Chilcott of Col
ern men to-day ,
orado , will be appointed commissioner
of the generaL land offce termorro\v ,
and Stone , of Iowa , assistant commis
sioner. The clerks and doorkeepers at
the postoffice department are consider
ably exercised over the fact that Mr.
Wanamaker appears at his office about
8 o'clock in the morning instead of at
10 , the hour at which his predecessors
have usually made their appearance.
Mr. Wanamaker has ordered that his
room be made ready for him before 8
o'clock so that he can get in an hour's
work before the office-seekers begin to
arrive.
The Caso of tlie. Imnriaanal Anarchists.
Ottawa (111. ) special : The supreme
court todajdenied the motion to
amend the record in the case of Fielden ,
Schwab and Neebe. The counsel for
the anarchists claimed the record was
untrue iu declaring the parties were all
in court when the decision was rendered
and that the sentence of the court wa3
therefore illegal. The court decides
that the supreme court is not a trial
court of review to pass on the record of
the court below and discover what error ,
if any exists. It would be preposter
ous to expect that prisoners should be
brought from a distant jail or peniten
tiary to be present at a decision iu any
case before the court. The declaration ,
"Now come the parties , " was but a mere
form of law in this court and could not
be otherwise construed.
Negro Families on ths Move.
Baleigh ( N. C. ) dispatch : The south
ern agents moving negro families to Ar
kansas are quietly but successfully at
work. Their operations are confined
thus far to a few counties on the rail
road lines near Goldsboro. Several
thousand persons have already gone.
Many large plantations are almost de
serted. Negro drummers are paid § 5
for each family secured. The entire
expense of transportation to Little Bock
is paid by the agents. The negroes say
they are promised forty acres of land ,
brick house , cow , and SI. 50 a day for
laborThey know nothing of their
destination. The removal is by fami
lies. Planters in the counties affected
are greatly embarrassed by the loss of
farm hands at the beginning of the
planting season.
The Opening of Oklahoma.
The cabinet to-day , says a Washing
ton dispatch , had under discussion the
opening of Oklahoma , or at least a por
tion of the territory included within its
limits. The president is authorized by
the terms of recent legislation to open
to settlement abont 8,000,000 acres of
land , and the opinion prevails that he
will shortly issue his proclamation add
ing that acreage to the public domain.
• JSflwin mom , aeputy corrector ana
auditor oft tho New Orleans custom
house , and Alfred Bradley , superintend
ent of repairs of publio buildings in
Louisiana , have been dismissed as the
result of an investigation.
•
THE INS AND OUTS OF POLITICAL LIFE.
At Portrayed at the Capital in TheseKete
Administration Days.
Washington special : Contrary to gen
eral expectations , tho president did not
to-day send in any nomin itions for ter
ritorial governors. Tho contest among
the rival candidates for 'governor of
Dakota is not settled yet , aud may not
be for some days. Gov. Mallette and
Col. Pierce , two leading candidates ,
have been conferring together in a
friendly way , and have arranged to visit
tho president together to-day or to-mor
row , so it is probable that no nomina
tion for Dakota will be made until the
three men most interested havo gone
over tho case together. A new candi
date for governor of Dakota has
appeared in tho , < fion of Mr.
Dickey , formerly ot Jwrfordsville ,
Ind. , who is pressed upon the presi
dent's attention by Gen. Lewis Wallace.
Tho rivalry between Pierce and Mal
lette is a friendly one , and is more a
question of whether North Dakota or
South Dakota shall havo the appoint
ment than a choice between men. If
Mallette is chosen to represent South
Dakota , Bichardson of Grand Forks
will , it is said , bo made secretary as a
representative of North Dakota.
The president has given notice that
he will not appoint citizens of states to
offices in the territories , but adhere
strictly to the proposition laid down in
the republican platform.
Tho fight over thefirst assistant post
master-generalship is getting compli
cated. Col. Clarkson , it is stated , has
declined to accept and it is anticipated
that some difficulty will be experienced
in selecting a suitable person to fill that
office. It is a position whioh comes
more directly in contact with the people
than almost any other. Postmaster
General Dickinson , just before he va
cated his office , said :
"I can go away and stay away six
weeks and my office is so organized that
it will go right along without me and
nobody will particularly miss me , but if
the first assistant leaves his desk un
attended to for a couple of days there
will be "sheol to pay. "
Tho Illinois people want Clark Carr to
get the office of first assistant postmas
ter-general , but there is a pressure for
Mr. Clarkson for this place. Clarkson
says he don't want it and won't take it ,
but Mr. Quay insists that lie shall ac
cept it and Mr. Wanamaker is said to be
waiting for him to yield aud say yes be-
foro ho offers the office to somebody else.
Tho fight over the position of superin
tendent of the railway mail service is
also quite exciting. Paul Vandervoort
is very confident and to-day had a long
chat with the postmaster-general on the
subject.
THE SAMOAN RUMORS.
At the state and navy departments no
information has been received regard
ing the alleged destruction of the Nip-
sic. The state and navy department
officers generallplace no credence
whatsoever in the reported battle be
tween the German corvette Olga and
the United States warship Nipsio in
Samoan waters. At tho state depart
ment no information of the rumored
battle has yet been received. The de
partment has taken no steps to ascer
tain whether the published accounts are
true or not.
Commodore Walker , chief of the bu
reau of navigation , does not feel in the
least worried about the alarming ru
mors. He thinks the department would
have received information of the battle
had it occurred , and he does not care to
cable to the naval officers stationed at
Samoa for any information.
"There's not a word of truth in any of
the rumors , " said tho commodore to a
reporter to-day , "and I don't pay the
slightest attention to them. "
Meanwhile the naval officers and offi
cials of the state department are waiting
anxiously for a confirmation or denial of
the story , and while the most of the
naval officers are disposed to place little
credence in tho accounts , there are still
a few who believe that an engagement
has taken place.
THE COUNTRY'S GRAIN SUPPIiT.
The statistical report of the depart
ment of agriculture for March relates to
the distribution wheat and corn.
The amount of corn reported still on
hand is 39.6 per cent. The surplus
amounts to 787,000,000 bushels , of which
seven corn surplus states have.499,000 , -
000 bushels. The proportion merchant
able averages 82 per cent , which is less
than in 1884 , 18S6 , or 1887. The average
price is less than in December. The
March average for merchantable corn is
33.9 per cent per bushel , for unmer
chantable 22.8 per bushel.
The general average of seven states ,
Ohio , Indiana , Illinois , Iowa , Missouri ,
Kansas and Nebraska is 25. G cents per
bushel.
The portion of the wheat crop on
hand March 1 is less than any year
since 1880 , except in 1882 and 1887. The
actual quantity on hand is less than any
recent year except 1882 and 1886. It is
estimated at about 112,000,000 measured
bushels. The lowest state of percent
ages are. in the principal wheat-growing
states as follows : Ohio , 27 ; Michigan ,
23 ; Indiana , 24 ; Illinois. 25 ; Wisconsin ,
28 ; Minnesota , 26 ; Iowa , 32 ; Missouri ,
27 ; Kansas , 24 ; Nebraska , 31 ; Dakota ,
24. In these states the quantity on
hand is less than in March last by about
21,000,000 bushels.
Appoinimenls by the President.
The senate confirmed the following
nominations on the 13th : A. C. Mel
lette , to be governor of Dakota , and L.
Bichardson to be secretary of Dakota.
Cornelius H. Hanford , to be chief
justice of the supreme court of Wash
ington territory.
George W. Irwin , to be United States
marshal for Montana territory.
Smiley N. Chambers , to be United
States attorney for the district of Indi
ana.
ana.George S. Batcheller , to be assistant
secretary of the treasury.
Albert G. Porter , to be envoy extraor
dinary and minister plenipotentiary of
the United States to Italy.
John A. Ehander , to be minister resi-
ident and consul general of the United
States to Denmark.
Walker Blaine , to bo examiner of
claims in the state department.
Bichard Boot , to be postmaster at
Keokuk , la.
- The - confirmation of Walker Blaine
was out of the usual order , and made
by unanimous consent , probably as a
compliment to his father- '
. Indiana Officials Under Arrest. ,
Indianapolis dispatch : Phillip M. '
Gapen , treasurer of the insane hospital ;
board , was arrested on a grand jury ca- i
pias charging him witli embezzlement. \
Tlie amount involved is § 3,000. Gapen =
loaned Sullivan , the defaulting county '
treasurer , $4,700 of the county's funds , !
8700 of whicli was paid , but the check '
for the remainder , signed by Sullivan , '
came back protested. Gapen brought '
suit against the Meridian national bank 3
to recover $3,000 , claiming the bank had '
converted the money to its own use. '
Gapen was released on $5,000 bond. '
fIt is reported that a partial investiga- l
tion of State Treasurer Lemeke's man- '
ner of loaning funds to John E. Sulli- '
van was also made by the grand jury
and it will go further into the matter at
its next sitting. 5
i
AIDINQ THE PROHIBITION WORK
A Letter from the Governor of lotea in Me-
half ot the Cause ,
Huron ( Dak. ) special : Not less than
800 people are in attendance on tho non
partisan temperance convention now in
session. Plans for work nro being per
fected , and it has been decided to give
active support to tho Sioux Falls con
stitution , and resolutions wore unani
mously passed binding the members to
that end. A state central committee , to
look after the details of tho vote on pro
hibition , was appointed as follows : V.
V. Barnes of Yankton , Manford E. Wil
liams of. Miller , Eugene Steero of
Pierre , Fred H Kent of Huron , B. B.
Hassoll of Bedfield , Eev. William
Fielder of Aberdeen , E. L. Senn of
Edgerton , Bev. B. Brandt of Bowdlo ,
B. N. Krantz of Mitchell , C. E. Ericson
of Elk Point. T. D. Kanouse of Woon-
socket , and Charles Thomas of Water-
town.
Tho following letter from Gov. Lar-
rabeo of Iowa was read , and was re
ceived with deafening applause :
Des Moines , Feb. 11 , 1888. Bev.
William Fuller , Aberdeen : Your com
munication of recent date is at hand and
noted. _ In reply I desire to sa3' that tho
prohibitory law in Iowa has much moro
than answered the best expectations of
its former most hopeful advocates. As
regards the assertion that prohibition
has driven people out of tho stato , I
think not a person has left the stato on
account of prohibition whom it is desir
able to have return. Many of those en
gaged in tho saloon and liquor business
and such persons as arc usually attracted
by these interests havo left , and tho
state is largely the gainer thereby. Tho
cheap lands of the states and territories
west of us have induced a great many
enterprising aud valuable citizens to
emigrate , independent of any influence
of prohibition. Thero lias been a steady
growth in our population , and tho cen
sus of 1890 will probably show in Iowa
at least 2,000,000 inhabitants. The vote
at the last election shows an increase of
65,320 votes over tho presidential elec
tion of 1884 a larger increase than tho
election of 1884 showed over that of
1880.
1880.As
As to the depreciation of real estate
occasioned bj * prohibition , it is the
sheerest nonsence. Values have , I be
lieve , been sustained in Iowa as well as
in the adjoining ' states where prohibition
is not the rule. Tho same causes that
have effected values elsewhere have un
doubtedly had their effect here. Crops
grow , herds multiply , and the markets
of the world continue open to us the
same as before , and why should business
suffer ? Money is now spent for tho
necessaries of life and for legitimate
uses instead of being spent at the saloon.
The banking business of a state is per
haps os fair a barometer of business as
can be found. The number of banks in
the state has been increased from 186 in
1883 to 244 in 1887 ; deposits havo in
creased from $27,231,719.74 to $39,935-
862.G8 in 1888.
I think moro than half of the jails in
the state are entirely empty at the pres
ent time. There are ninety-eight less
convicts in our penitentiaries than there
were three years ago , notwithstanding
the growth of the population. Expenses
in criminal conrts have decreased very
largely during the last few years. I send
you with this a copy of a collection of
letters from the district judges of our
state , which will show you that the tes
timony is overwhelmingly in favor of
tho law. More recent statements from
them would no doubt show still more
favorable results.
Tramps are very scarce in Iowa.
There aro evidently very few attrac
tions for them here. Probably more
than 3,000 of their recruiting ' stations
havo been closed in Iowa during the
last fivo years. The wives and mothers
of the state , and especiall3T those of
small means , nro almost unanimously
in favor of the law. The families of la
boring men now receive the benefits of
the earnings that formerly went to the
saloons. Thero is no question in my
mind but what the law is doing good for
the people.
My views heretofore advanced in favor
of the law are strengthened and con
firmed by added experience. Our peo
ple are moro determined than ever to
make no compromise with the saloons.
Tlie law has more friends in the state
than it ever had before , and I am satis
fied that no state can show results moro
gratifying. WnriilAir Larrabee.
COMPENSATION OF CONGRESSMEN.
A Natter That is Receiving the Earnest At-
tentlon of Senators.
Washington dispatch : The resigna
tion of Senator Chace , upon the thresh-
hold of his second term , has aroused
new interest in the subject that is bound
to receive early and earnest considera
tion in congress. Senator Chace , in
private , gives as a reason why he can no
.onger serve that the compensation of a
senator is not sufficient to warrant him
in longer neglecting his business. The
question of increasing the compensa
tion of congressmen has been receiving
the earnest attention of senators , espe
cially of late , and there is an over
whelming sentiment among them in fa
vor of making the salary of congressmen
$10,000 a year instead of $5,000 as at
present. Members of the house , while
in sympathy with senators on this point ,
are not ready to go the full length de
sired by them , fearing the repetition of
the outbreak of censure visited upon the
Songress of 1872 for its action on the
salary question. But it is argued by ad
vocates of increased salary that what
people were indignant about then was
the back pay grab feature , and that if
the increase were made to date from the
end of the Fifty-first congress , no seri
ous opposition would be made to it.
There was an expression of views by sen
ators on this topic in. one of the secret
legislative sessions last week , in the dis
cussion that ensued upon the introduc
tion of a resolution by Teller , authoriz
ing the secretary of the senate to pay
5o committee clerks , serving on the per
3iem basis duriug the sessions of the
senate , and clerks to senators dnring the
joining recess , the per diem allowed by
law. "Teller believed that senators
should have annual clerks , because
: heir duties did not cease with
the adjournment of the senate. In
3oncluding the debate Piatt said the
question should be considered whether
senators are fairly paid for the work
which they do , and whether the salary '
ought not to be raised. There are sen
ators here who _ have nothing to live
appn except their'salaries , and who are
paid less for the services which they
render , than they would be paid in any
Dtherwalk or occupation of life , for
similar services. In addition to that ,
senators have a great many expenses
which their position necessarily entails ,
md as a result those senators who have
no income _ _ beside their salaries , are
obliged to live in a pinched and very
anpleasant way in the city of .Washing
ton. Morrill asked if Piatt was aware
that no man could come to Washington
tnd rent a decent house and live with
out twice the amount of his salary.
Piatt replied that as one of the poorer
members of the senate he had been
made painfully aware of this fact. He
thought it quite time that some plain
ivords were spoken on the subject.
Plattsmouth will build this year a
J25.000 hotel. J !
THE STATE I0ARD OF AGRICULTURE.
A Friendly but Forcible Criticism of the An
nual.Sepprts by John Hyde of Omaha ,
Correiponddnce Lincoln Journal.
Wero I to consult only my own per
sonal feelings , I should content myself
with having called attention to the dis
advantages under which Nebraska is la
boring for tho want of proper state ad
vertising , and with allowing tho pnblio
sentiment that has been oxcited to crys
tallize into whatever onactment might
commend itself to tho judgment of the
stato legislature. In viow , however , of
thero being no fewer than three bills
now before tho house two of them im-
mediatelj * and specifically and tho third
more remotoly but not loss essentially-
connected with .the subject of stato ad
vertising , it has been strongly urged
upon me from various quarters that the
present movement being to a largo ex
tent tho outcomo of ray former letter I
owe it to tho stato to make some further
public utterance on this subject , oro its
policy for tho ensuing two years is
finally determinedand tho necessary
appropriations are unalterably fixed. It
has also been represented to mo that the
fact of mj' being so situated as not to
bo open to the imputation of seeking
Bomo personal end constitutes an addi
tional reason why I should bo tho por-
son to point out the defects that exist in
our present methods , and to suggest a
suitablo remedy. Influenced largely
by the latter consideration , I beg to
trouble you with this further communi
cation.
Tho three bills in question are : H.
B. 300 , for the establishment of a bureau
of agriculture and live stock industries
in the department of state ; H. B. 327 ,
providing for a state board of immigra
tion , to • encourage immigration to the
stato _ by disseminating information re
garding the advantages offered by tho
stato to immigrants , and H. B. , ap
propriating an additional sum of $5,000
to tho 3tato board of agriculture. Into •
a discussion of the general merits of II.
B. 11. 306 , it forms no part of my pres
ent purpose to enter , but I cannot for
bear to express my earnest conviction
that the benefit that would accrue to the
stato from its adoption would be simply
incalculable. It is with those of its
provisions which transfer to tho pro
posed bureau the duty of collecting the
agricultural statistics of the state that I
am more particularly concerned , and
writing in entire ignorance as to the
person or persons by whom the hill was
drafted , I unhesitatingly pronounce the
section which sets forth the statistical
work to be performed to be the most
admirable thing of its kind I have ever
met with. The bill itself is , however ,
a long and necessarily somewhat com
plex measnrd , and it has not at this
writing , been reported by the commit
tee to which it was referred. Every day
consequently diminishes the chances of
its being carried through , but I sincere
ly trust that if for any reason whatever
it fails to pass in its entirety , at least its
admirable statistical provisions may be
adopted , either independently of , or in
connection with , tho bill for the estab
lishment of a state board of immigra
tion.
tion.There
There are probably nota few members
of the legislature who , in the absence of
any evidence to the contrary , would take
it for granted that the collection of the
agricultural statistics of the state is al
ready sufficiently covered by the work
of tho state board of agriculture. I
therefore wish to point out , not only
that there are many subjects that ought
to be annually reported u ou which nje
not embraced within the investigation
of that board , but also that the annual
statistical report whicli it issues does not
faithfully reflect , even so far as it goes ,
the actual condition of the state , but is ,
on the contrary , positively damaging to
the interests it is intended to subserve.
I do not suppose thero is a single
nember of the state board who is not
.prepared to admit that the work in
volved in the management of the state
fair has now attained such proportions
as not merely to overshadow , but well
nigh to crowd out , such other duties as
the board is constitutionally charged
with. Were thoseother duties of little
or no importance , it would serve no use
ful purpose to call ntteutiun lo Ihgm ;
buttlie collection and publication of the
agricultural statistics of the slate is a
function of the highest importance , and
ono not to be performed in any hast } ' ,
rough and ready or perfunctory manner ,
but with thegreatest deliberation , exact
ness and judgment.
Advocating an annual appropriation
of $10,000(1) for tho purpose of dver-
tising Nebraska , a daily newspaper pub
lished at Omaha says : "The best ad
vertising Kansas has had for the last ten
years has been through the reports and
pamphlets published and circulated by
the secretary of the state board of agri
culture. These documents aro compiled
with great caro and contain an exhaus
tive review of everything pertaining to
the products and industrial activity of
that state. " Quite right , Mr. B. , but if
yon are writing in the true interest of
Nebraska , why do you conceal the fact
that the Kansas state bdard of agricul
ture has nothing whatever to do with
the annual Kansas state fair , and why
do yon not tell us that it is virtually on
ly another name for board of immigra
tion ; that it has spent in the legitimate
advertising of the state of Kansas as
much as $52,051 in a single year , and
that its disbursements for that purpose
dnring the four years ending Juno 30 ,
1888 , averaged no less than § 31,814 per
annum.
Were the statistical work that has been
done in the past by our own state board
of agriculture such as * the state has a
right to expect , there would not , I pre
sume , be any difficulty in enlarging the
scope of its statistical investigations by
adding to them the dairy and orchard
products of the state , the wool clip and
other important subjects ; and I , at least ,
should , in that case , be perfectly satis
fied to leave in their hands not the & &
tual advertising of the state , but the
preparation of the statistical matter upon
which the success of that advertising so
largely depends.
The only true way to arrive at the
value of the annual statistical reports
published by the state board of agricul
ture is to place ourselves in the position
of those persons who are the most likely
to consult them , and to that end I would
ask each individual reader of this letter
to put himself in the place of some in
telligent eastern farmer , or in that of a
manufacturer or capitalist , who has
read many glowing descriptions of Ne
braska , but not knowing just how much
dependence to place upon them , and be
wildered , moreover , by the discordant
voices of rival boomers , obtains tho last
two annual reports of the state board of
agriculture , in order to see how the at
tractions of the state are set forth by
its own offiripru and to ascertain what
progress is being made by various indi
vidual counties within its borders.
Haying heard mnch of the marvellous
rapidity with which the virgin prairie is
being brought under cultivation , as well
as of the not less mirvellous persistence
of Nebraska soil , he turns first to the
columns showing the acreage of im
proved land by counties , and is amazed
to find that , notwithstanding that they
appear from the increased number of
their farms to have attracted a certain
amount of new settlement , eight well
known agricultural counties Saline ,
Merrick , Bed Willow , Phelps , Harlan ,
Nance , Hall and Buffalo actually had
if these reports are to be believed a
smaller total acreage of improved land
in 1887 than they had in. 1886. Merriok
f
#
county showing a falling off of 18,044
acres. Phelps county of 17,446 acres.
Bed Willow couuty of 27,344 acres and
Buffalo county of 103,700 acres , or near
ly three-fifths of its entiro acreagoof
improved landl [ See Report for 1880 ,
p. C8 , and Report for 1887 , p. 82. ]
Greatly mystified , bnt yet loth to bo-
lievo that auy county in tho stato in oo-
tually losing ground , as would appear ,
our intending Bottler turns to tho col
umns showing tho number of farms ,
whore ho discovers several other counties
also , apparently , on tho downward grade
Keya Paha comity having only 1.121
farms last year as against 1,604 tho year
before ; Saunders county 2,926 as against
8,042 , and Gago county 1,731 as against
3,540 , a falling off in Gago county alone
of 1,809 farms , or more than one-half , in
a single season ! Is it possible that 8,008
farms havo been abandoned in those
three counties iu a siuglo year ? Tho
idea is simply appalling , and yet it is tho
inference that 999 out of ovory 1,000
men would draw from our statistical re
port.
port.Our eastern friend will , perhaps , next
turn to tho table showing tho vatuo or
the improved and unimproved lands of
tho state , and if ho was amazod before ,
he will now bo dumbfounded , for ho will
find tliat tho improvements that havo
been carried out upon tho agricultural
lands of Buffalo county havo only in
creased their value by an averago of two
cents nn acre ; that the _ furmersof Choy-
enno and Keith counties havo improved
C9.631 acres , without adding to their
valuo in tho least , and that tho agricul
tural lands of fivo othor counties havo
actually depreciated in valuo by reason
of tho so-called improvements made
upon them , and aro to-day worth less
money per acre than those whicli aro
still in a state of naturo !
The tenderfoot's faith in official statis
tics at least those of the Nebraska stato
board of agriculture is , however , about
to bo rudely shaken , for turning to the
crop statistics ho finds that in the case
of no fewer than fourteen counties tho
acreage given as in crop largely exceeds
the total acreage of improved land ,
Kearney county , for example , being
said to have 314,846 acres in corn , wheat
and oats alone , while its total acreage of
improved land is only 137,667 ; Furnas
county 164,978 acres in crop against a
total improved acreago of 85,539 , and
Buffalo county 132,179 acres in crop
against 78,8851
Not so much now from a desire for
information as from curiosity to boo
what other singular statements aro to bo
found in these "remarkable reports , our
inquiring friend next turns to tho stock
statistics , whore another scries of sur
prises awaits him. He has frequently
heard of the large amount of pure bred
stock in the state , and his feelings can
consequently be better imagined than
described when ho finds the averago
"value , " not valuation , of tho horses of
the state to bo $21.28 , that of its cattle
$6.43 , its hogs $1.13 and its sheep 52
cents. Wondering what particular epi
zootic it can have been that has reduced
the value of the 9,983 sheep of Dawson
county to 10 cents apiece ( ! ) without
killing them outright , his thoughts turn
to the various interesting and instruc
tive reports of the United States depart
ment of agriculture , and obtaining ac
cess to the report upon 'the numbers
and values of farm animals , published
under date of February 13 , 1888 , he
finds Nebraska horses to bo worth
on an averge $77.75 perhead , tho
cattle of the state $24.85 , its hogs $5.49
and its sheep $1.92 per head. It does
not take him long to surmise that the
fignres giveu in the stato reports repre
sent , not the actual value of the stock ,
but an exceedingly low assessed valua
tion , but it will take him all his life to
discover why such seriously misleading
and damaging figures were published
without note , comment or explanation
of anj' kind.
There are other features of these re
ports to which attention might be called ,
including the extraordinary rye crop of
Saline county in 1887 7,120,800 bushels ,
or 475 bushels to the acre other figures i
that give conclusive evidence of being ;
mere guess work , and others again that ,
if 1C55 startling than some Mint imvo been ,
quoted , are , for that very leason , likely
to bo the inter
even more damaging to •
ests they are supposed to serve. But :
enough has beeu said to show the sort of
stuff of which the statistical reports are 1
largely made up. Is it necessary to add
a single word of argument in favor of
the transfer of this important branch of
state work to on entirely new organiza
tion ? Would there be any sense in per
petuating the present methods and ag
gravating the evils pointed out by en
larging the sphere of operations ?
I cannot believe that some attempt
will not be made to break the force of
these criticisms , either by "explaining"
how certain figures came to be printed
instead of certain other figures , or by
shifting the blame or some of it onto
the shoulders of the county assessors.
No such explanation or indeed any oth
er that I can conceive of , would , how
ever , bo at all satisfactory , for after all
otherquestipns were disposed of , the
question of questions would still re
main : Why did not tho explanation ac
company the otherwise damaging and
misleading statements ? If , in some
cases , the returns are incomplete , why
is it not so stated ? If in other respects
they are known to be untrustworthy ,
why are they given to the world with
the stamp and seal of an important de
partment of the state government ?
Begirding tho future the biii for the
establishment of a bureau of immigra
tion ( H. E. 327) , may , I think , be made
the foundation of an excellent meas
ure , bnt whatever plan is adopted , and
whoever may be called upon to serve
the state in connection therewith , let us
avoid all wild , reckless and extravagant
statements , as certain , sooner or later ,
to react upon those who make them.
. In a pamphlet published in 1885 , for
distribution at the world's exposition at
New Orleans , as an advertisement of
Nebraska , it was stated that the popula
tion of the state in 1883 was 887,330 , in
1884 998,440 , and in 1885 "over one
tnillian. " I need not remind the read
ers of the Journal that the state census
of June , 1885 , showed the population to
hn. even nf fchii rim nlv fdn < Mr >
There is , in my opinion. no " excuse for
such reckless statements. The ratio
borne by the school population of any
given state to the total population of
that state varies so slightly after its
first settlement that an estimate
based upon the annual school
census should be approximately correct.
If the ratio as 1,000 to 2,795 found to
be existing in Nebraska at the United
States census of 1880 the school age be
ing five to twenty-one years had been
applied to each succeeding school cen
sus , an estimate of the total population
forthat particular year might have been
arrived at that wonld have been within
2 per cent of what that population actu
ally was , and even in advance of the an
nual school census it would not have
been difficult to have made a close cal
culation year bjr year. Here , however ,
we find an estimate over a quarter a
million wide of the mark in a popula
tion of 740,645 , every 100 people in the
state being counted as 135. This i3 all
wrong. We belong to a Btate that needs
only to have the truth , the whole truth
and nothing bnt the trnth told about it
to have every acre of government land
within its borders taken up within two
years , to have the value of its real es
tate , both town and country , enormous-
lj * increased , and an immense impetus
given to those diversified industrien
which the statistician of the United
States department of agriculture has
Bhown to haye so invnortonj ; a bearing
ti vmmmsN& VBrS * s s * BJ U
- > < . . ' .vjeiminim s > i ii
'
m
" ' i
4J
' -J
" i * S
npon the market price * of farm pro"m
ducts. JohhHxm. 4 |
AN EDITOR TO MANAGE THE MAILS. Vj |
Clarkson , of Ioiea , Nominated for Postmat- Jpl
ter Central. 't lM
Washington dispatch : Tho president Ai
sont sent tho following nominations to Jj
tho sonoto to-day : J. S. Clarkson , of • 'Ml
Iowa , to bo first assistant postmaster J | |
general , vico Stevenson , resigned ; Lewis v l
Wolfrey , of Tucson , Ariz. , to bo gover- " j
nor of Arizona ; William Ij. Dunlap , of "J
Indiana , to bo United States marshal for j
tho district of Indiana. Postmasters I
Joseph 0. Bartlott , at Lake City , Minn. ; M
James V. Campbell , at Ada , Minn. ; Wil- ill
Ham Wallace , atIndianai > oliK , Ind. ; John " | l
J. Cutter , at Parker , Dak. ; William S. = 1
Chase , nf Sturgis , Dak. ; Jittiol O. Wat'I
dors , at Minor , Dak. Jeremiah Sullivan , l
of Montana , to bo collector of customs . '
for tho district of Montana and Utah ; I
John A. Ka&soii , of Iowa , William Wal- -I
terPhclpB , of New Jersey , and George - I
H. Bates , of Dehiwaro , to bo commis- * |
sioncrs to represent the United States at il
tho conference to be held in Berlin con- I
corning affairs in tho Samoan islands ; I
Elbert D. Weed , of Montana , to be -I
United States attorney for tho territory 1
of Montana. I
Clarkson was born ot Brookville , Ind. , I
in 1845. He learned the printer's trade I
when a boy and removed with his fam- I
ily to Iowa when twelve years of ago. 1
Ho became editor of tho Bogistor in I
1868 , aud in 1870 he and his brothers bo- 1
camo proprietors of that paper and aro I
fitill its owners. In 1809 , 1870 and 1871 I
he wns chairman of tho Iowa state re-
publican committee. In 1872 ho was I
appointed postmaster at Des Moines I
and held tho position until 1877. He
has long boon a close friend of Blaine I
and headed the Iowa delegation for him
at tho national conventions of 1870 , I
1880 and 1884. Ho has been twice a
member of tho republican national com- I
mittee , and was a member of tho execu- I
tivo committee and boro a prominent I
part in tho campaign of 1884. Ho was I
a member of the national convention of H
1888 , ami after tho withdrawal of Alii-
son's nmiio turned with hia stato to Har-
rison. Ho was mado vico chairman ol H
the republican national committee , and I
spent tho wholu campaign at tho repub- I
lican headquarters iu Now York. _ _
Postmaster General Wanamaker is
authority for the statement that ho ao-
ceptod tho present position after his own H
and the president's urgent request , the
republican national executive committee H
uniting in it. Ho has declined within H
the last few days fivo different posi- H
tions , including one or two of four times
the salary of tho office ho now accepts. H
Tin s one he takes , it is understood , bo- H
cause of its political importance , and 9
has not agreed to servo beyond uperiod H
of a few months. All postoffices ol
every grade are to be under his chargo ,
and it is understood that the railway
mail service will also bo placed under H
his direction. H
Georgo II. Bates , who was to-day
nominated to be ono of the commission- H
ers to negotiate with Germany respect- B
ing Samoa , is about forty 3ears of age H
and a worm friend of ex-Sooretary Bay-
ard. Ho is a lawj'er of high standing H
in Delaware. Bates was appointed by H
Secretary Bayard as a special commis- H
sioner to * investigate tho Samoan rela- H
tions , and mado a long and exhaustive H
report to the department on Decembei H
10 , 1886.
William Walter Thelps and John A.
Kasson , who were also nominated to be H
commissioners , havo had long and dis- S
tinguished congressional caroers , and H
have acquired an intimate knowledge H
of diplomaoy through soi-vico as United H
States ministers in Europe , Phelps hav- H
ing been minister to Austria in 1881 ,
l and Kasson minister to Austria in 1877 *
and to Germany in 1382. H
The Montana people , democrats as H
well as .republicans , say tho selections M
made for offices in that territory aro all jH
first-class men and do credit to tho pres- H
ident's judgment. Tho democratsndH
mt ! tnat by making such selections ho H
hr.s strengthened the repnblioun party H
fo that itwill beyery likely to capture
the slate government , the new seuatCTs * H
and the member of congress , as soon as |
it is admitted to tho union. H
Montana has been taken care of pretty fl
well , and there are thirty-eight states fl
and six territories whose representatives M
would like to get from tho Montanans M
their secret of success. Thero was a M
good deal of astonishment at the senate H
this afternoon when the nomination for M
a marshal for Montana came in , as a man | "H
named Irevin had been confirmed for M
that office the day before , and Senator M
Piatt , of Connecticut , who is a good H
deal of a wag , suggested that the presi- H
dent was going to give his friends two H
men for every office all around , but it H
turns out to have been a clerical error. M
GREAT PflESSURE FOR PATRONAGE. H
The ltush from Xrbi anUa Continues In Ap- |
palling Volume. H
Washington special : The rush of ap- |
pliconts for office from Nebraska con- L\
tinues in an appalling volnme. Both of M
the senators declare that they have M
never in their experience known of any- |
thing like it , and that every man , wo- * M
man nnd child in the state seem to have j |
their eyes upon some office , or are in- M
dorsing some friend for a position. If M
public office had any modesty about it , |
it would have been stared out of coun- M
tenance long before this. The absence |
of Mr. Connell , and the continued ill ' |
health of Mr. Laird , have made it impo3- |
sible for the delegation to hold a meet- w
ing for the general disenssion and dis- H
tribution of patronage. The only ap- H
pointment which has been made was that H
of Mr. William D. Backns , of Columbus. H
as superintendent of the Indian school |
at Genoa. This was decided on last |
Wednesday because the necessity for H
filling the vacancy , caused by Mr. M
Chase's defalcation , was urgent , H
and the superintendent of Indian H
schools insisted that the appoint- M
ment should be made within twenty- |
four hours. The recommendations of H
Mr. Backus were so many and so strong H
that there was no difficulty in an imme- H
diate agreement. So far as the M
other apppointmeuts in Nebraska are H
concerned it will probably be a H
matter of a week or ten days before M
they are taken up. The first ones to be |
filled will doubtless be that of United M
States marshal and several of tho land " M
officers. It cannot be too clearly under- M
stood by the hosts of applicants for fed- M
eral positions from Nebraska that Pres- M
ident Harrison is extremely unlikely to M
change the plan adopted by Mr. Cleve- M
land of opposing removals of officials H
before their tenure of office has ex- H
pired. There are a number of positions H
which will come under this head , nota- |
bly the United States district attornev- M
ship , in which Mr. Pritchard has two H
years yet to serve before his term ex- M
pires. Many of the presidential post- , H
offices are in the same category. It is i \
safe to say that there are from fifty to ' |
"
"
seventy-five applications for every fed"H
eral position in Nebraska bringing a M
"
salary of $2,500. In addition , there l "H
nre applications on file for nearly every M
territorial position in the gift of the " M
government. These lost are probably ; "H
labor spent in vain. As was announced
in lost night's dispatches , General Har- l M
rison has determined to appoint none \ \
but residents of the territories to office ' |
within their boundaries. M