THE HESPERIAN
rule. For ioo years there had been a precedent. The mun
ncr in which congress had been managed during all these
years had been thought to be the best. Not until Mr. Reed
took the chair as speaker ol the House of Representatives
did any one entertain the idea that a change would be ben
cficial. On the accession of Speaker Reed the change was
made and he alone is responsible for it. Hy adopting this
course Reed has gained a great deal of nc'oricty, he has
made himself one of the most prominent men in our political
history. Should he be praised for what he lias done?
Time will answer this question better than it may be
answered at present. The indications are now that he should
be censured rather than praised.
Our form of government is not conservative. Conserva
tism characterized the old Roman form of government but
that is a thing of the past. The people arc willing to change
from one thing to another, provided, the chnngc is for the
better. How is it in regard to the lute departure inCongress?
Will the results thus derived be more beneficio' an the re
sults that have accrued irom the old method of conducting
affairs there? If so then we are surely making progress in
the light direction. But what are the sentiments of the pco
pic on this question? Some of the leading mcn.in the party
that has upheld these changes, announced themselves as op
posed to the adopted plan. This certainly looks as though
the majority of the people were not ready for such a procedure.
The predominant parly has lound it easy to introduce
and pass bills that should never have become laws. There
have been many such bills but the last one passed, the one
that Is perhaps the most radical and most injurious of all, is
the McKinlcy tariff bill. This bill is not only condemed by
the democratic party, but leading republicans have expressed
their dislike to it.
The general trend of this bill is to place import duties
upon goods that are most commonly used, and to admit free
such articles as are but rarely used except for ornament.
Go into any home and look around you, and, in all probabil
ity, every necessary article that you sec belongs to the list of
articles upon which a high duty has been placed. Upon the
wall you sec a very nice ornament, but it is cheap. Why?
Because there is no duty on such things. The necessaries of
life are high because the consumer must pay the duty on what
he buys. If one purchases goods that are not imported he
must pay an enormous price, for the manufacturers may
charge a sum nearly equal to a reasonable amount plus the duty
and still shut out the foreign products. Still the cry is, we
must protect our manufacturers. The fact is the manufactur
ers have been protected so long that they have means enough
to protect themselves for two or thce ordinary lifetimes, and
it is now time to protect those who have given so much in the
past to keep the manufacture from "going under".
Such, in general, ,rc the provisions of the bill. We have
neither time nor space to ciner into a full discussion of the
bill, but if there is anything in it that will tend to lift the bur
dens from the shoulders of the laboring people we fail to
see it.
The 4th of November is near at hand and already groups
of politicians may be seen on every comer conversing and
gesticulating with vehemence. The corrupt politician is
abroad doing all the dirty work he can in the short time left
him before the day of voting. This has become so common
that it is hardly noticed any more. The scheming politician
will work on without regard to principle or reputation. He
will do all he can to tear down what honest men are trying to
build up.
That such a state of things exists is to be deplored, but
such Is the case, and because it has been, tbni for so long
it seems impossible to uproot the evil and leave the govern
ment to be operated In the manner that was originally in
tended. The corruption's practiced at the polls disgust all believ
ers in honest government, and herein lies a great fault; be
cause they are so disgusted they determine to stay away
from the polls altogether. By doing this they throw all the
advantage on the side of deceit and wrong. In this way men
arc put into office that should never have anything to do with
the government.
That there arc men willing do any mean act inordcr to put
themselves into power cannot be helped, but it seems rather
inconsistent for one who docs not vote, simply because he is
disgusted with the conduct of affairs to say that the blame all
Yes Is on the unprincipled ones.
If purity in politics is to be attained it certainly cannot be
brought about by leaving the control of the government In
the hands of the avaricious. Every vote that is legal for
principle and right should be cast. If this be done the prob
abilities arc that a majority of votes will declare in favor of
honesty In governmental affairs, the reign of bribery and cor
ruption will cease and the people will redeem themselves
from the name that hits sullied their character in the years
that arc past.
The 4th of November this year will be an eventful day in
the history of Nebraska. There arc several questions that
have long been agitating the minds of Nebraskans that will
be settled on that day. Perhaps the most important is the
question dealing with the liquor traffic. O
The settlement of this question, as to whether the sale of
liquors shall be licensed or whether their manufacture and
sale shall be prohibited, is anxiously awaited by all other
states. The voters will settle this question in November and
it is to be hoped they will settle it in such a way that the -moral
tone of the state will be bettered.
High license has been the system in vogue in Nebraska'
during the past Jind has proved itself a miserable failure.
The question is, what may be substituted for this system?
Prohibition is the substitute proposed and there is no doubt
but that it is superior to high license. It behooves, then, ev
eryone that is in favor of moral reform and entitled to vote,
to be at the polls on the 4th day of November, 1890, and by
their own ballot suul their ialluencc do all in their power to
bring about this much needed reform.
MISCELLANY.
The last issue ol Tub Hesperian called attention to an ar
ticle written last yctr upon the subject of opening the library
in the evening. We desire to place this scheme before the
students and also before the faculty; before the students for
discussion and agitation, before the faculty for action. To
those who rely upon the library for their text-books, as is
necessary in some of the history and social science classes, we
ncedjonly to suggest this plan and they are heartily in favor
of it. Others who use the librury less should think of this
plan and they will probably find that if they could gain ad
mittance during the evening, when the laboratorics'are closed
they would have plenty of time for library work. The gen
eral library is pre-eminently the laboratory of the entire stud--int
body, and when it is found almost impossibe to accomo
date the students in the special laboratories by keeping them
J open from S a. m. until 6 p. m. surely the entire student body
V
Esa