The Frontier Published by D. E. CRONIN, KOMAINE SAUNDKKH. Assistant Editor and Manager. • 1 50 the Year 75 Uetita Six Months Official paper of O’Neill and Holt county. ADVERTISING KATES: Disp.ay ad vertlsineuta on pages 4, 6 and 8 re charged for on a basis of 50 cents an Inch one column width) per month; on page 1 the oharge Is $1 an Inch per month. Local ad vertisements, 5 cents per line each Insertion. Address the office or the publisher. REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES. COUNTY TICKET Treasurer.J. C. Harnlsh, O’Neill Clerk.W. P. Simar, Atkinson Clerk Court..J. N. Sturdevant, Stuart Sheriff.C. K Hal), O’Neill County Judge... C. J. Malone, Inman Sunt.Florence E. /ink, Stuart Assess'>r. L. K. Skidmore, Ewing Sur • .W. VV. Page, Page go; .. .Dr. E. T. Wilson, O’Neill HUTERVIHORS Secotiu District.W. S. Roberts Fourth District.I. L. Roll Sixth District.Rodell Root Seventh District.Jacob Rocke DISTRICT ,1U DO EH J. A. Douglas.Ilassett D. U. Jenckes.Chadron Plot Failed On election night two years ugo, when the returns were coming In at fusion headquarters at O'Neill, Indicat ing a sweeping republican victory In Holt county and the final political downfall of Idol Mullen, the chief rlngster smashed his angered list on the table and swore that Holt county would not be controlled by republicans longer than two years. The plot was then and there hatched to Inaugurate a campaign of misrepresentation and falsehood with the view of arousing passions and prejudices that would weigh against republican candidates two years hence. That plot was to start a sensation tibout the treasurer's office. They knew just what condition the treasury was In and that the populist treasurer was using the money Illegally from any and all funds to take up county general fund warrants and thus prevent a reg istration of warrants or claims going to Judgment. School money, township money, village money, city money, was held back by the treasurer for the pur pose of making a showing of $100,000 on hand at the expiration of his term, when as a matter of fact had D. J. t'rontn paid the $20,000 held In war rants In one bunch that were Issued long before he went out of office and that were no doubt not presented for payment until after R. E. Chittick took the office for the very purpose of aid ing the outgoing populist treasurer In making a showing for political pur poses of a large amount of cash on hand; had he paid the school treas urer what was belonging to their dis tricts when they repeatedly called for file money they needed to pay their teachers and keep up the schools, but in many cases could not get a cent out of the treasurer, who was hanging on to every dollar possible until he should Issue Ills annual statement; had he paid out to the township, vil lage and city treasurers the money be longing to them and for which these various treasurers had been begging nearly every day for three months, in stead of the fusion treasurer haviflg $lO(),ono on hand he would not have hud a quarter of that amount. More over, had It not been for the large amount of money collected under the scavenger tax foreclosure proceedings, the operations of a law enacted by a republican legislature which caused members of this sumo ring of political manipulators to disgorge in the neigh borhood of $ IS,000 tuxes they had been shirking for years, the outgoing fusion treasurer probably would not have had a cent to turn over to his republican successor. These facts the fusion bosses knew, hence the plot against Chlttlck and Harnish, with which our readers are more or less familiar. They thought that if Chlttlck continued the policy of the fusion treasurer of using school district sinking funds without limit to pay county general fund warrants, if he nsed township, village and school money as did the fusion treasurer, they could get him into trouble and make some political capital for this fall's campaign. Accordingly the plot was laid and carried into execution. The flrst stroke was to have the holders of the bunch of warrants, ag gregating about $20,000, present them for collection. Then they raised a cry that the county would have to issue bonds right away. A letter was pre pared, with the signature of the pub lisher of the Holt County Independent attached, and sent to every school dis trict treasurer In the county telling them that the county treasurer was using the school money to pay county olaim3 and urging them even to the point of threatening to go to the »;ounty treasurer and demand the money belonging to their districts. This desperate scheme was promulgated upon the theory that Chittiek had $30, 000 of school money tied up in county warrants and that a general demand by the school treasurers for their money would swamp him und they would have him thus made out a defaulter. An in junction suit was also framed up and started before Judge Harrington against Chittiek and his deputy, J. C. Harnish, who has since been appointed treas urer to succeed Chittiek, who resigned. The suit was started In the name of George A. Miles, publisher of the In dependent, and whose name was also attached to the letters sent to the — ‘ - —c-. school treasurers. M. K. Harrington was the attorney. A scandalous newspaper campaign was carried on that brought discredit to th»* county until public sentiment was aroused against the plotters to a point that they dare not carry the cam paign of falsehood and slander furtner. Hut it was with the injunction suit in district court that they expected to make the telling stroke. On January T», 1907, an order was issued by Judge Harrington restraining <’hittiek from turning over to Harnish and Harnish from accepting ‘any warrants of said county In excess of the sum of $4,500; and it is further ordered that said Rob ert E. (’hittiek,” continues the order of the court, “be and he hereby is re strained from cashing, selling, dispos ing of or converting into morn y any county warrants in which he has in vested any of the sinking funds held by him as such county treasurer, or in which he has invested any of the cur rent school funds, township funds, vil lage funds or other funds than said sinking funds.” That the order of the court was made in good faith on the strength of the Miles petition i.t riot called In question. This order was to hold until the court should "otherwise order,” and February 11 was set as the date of hearing' on the application for a permanent injunction. The hearing on the permanent in junction took place February 11, or a few days later, but Instead of making out (’hittiek a defaulter the lawyer and editor who concocted the plot looked like they would like to kick each other out of the court room. They expected that hearing to establish that Chit tick had $30,000 of sinking funds, town ship and village funds tied up in coun ty warrants and would therefore be un able to settle with his successor, that (’hittiek and his bond would be person* ally responsible for this amount less the $4,600 which they believed to be the limit under the statute, or 75 per cent, allowed by law, that (’hittiek could In vest In county warrants. This scheme would put (’hittiek, it was figured, in the hole to the extent of about $25,000. Hut instead of (’hittickhaving $30,000 of these funds in county warrants he had just $4,498.53! That put the “kibaush” on the plotters in a manner they were not looking for. (.’hittiek was vindi cated of the malicious charge that he had been handling county funds illegal ly. The office was turned over to Har nish with every dollar accounted for and has been conducted by him in strict conformity to the law ever since. It was found that instead of school money, township money and village money being used to take up county general fund and bridge fund warrants, is had been done by former populist treasurers who frequently had on hand over $20,000 of such warrants, every lo cal treasurer In the county was being paid every cent that was coming to his district, township or municipality as "ast as they called for it. The plot urned out a ludicrous failure and ev ryone connected with it were object .'or the jeers of the public. This scandalous effort to slandei capable officials and personally clean men came to the ignominous end It de served, and we believe the voters will give such work still further rebuke at the polls this fall, and instead of the plot conceived election night two years igo being a measure to restore the county offices to the grasp of the fu sion rlngsters at O’Neill it will play a conspicuous part In their overwhelm ing defeat. The strategy board furnishing the editorials for the local fusion organ tries to hold Treasurer Harnish re sponsible for the rate of interest the banks are paying for county money. Harnish has about as much to do with it as the mayor of Omaha. A year ago or more The Frontier called the attention of the great trust busting pop county attorney to the combine the banks of Holt county had formed : to reduce the rate of interest paid on county money from 3 to 2 per cent. Although incessantly howling about corporations and combines, the county attorney made no efforts to dissolve the bank combine and protect .the in terests of the taxpayers of the county, nor has his democratic successor done so. Will the Independent tell us what John Robertson would do about it if he were treasurer? Abe Lincoln was denounced as a “cor poration lawyer" by northern copper heads, because he was an attorney for a railroad company. General Sherman was branded as “crazy" because he was keen enough to discern the grav ity of the situation in Kentucky in 1861, and ever since the shameless slander mongers and seditionists have been busy. No sooner does an honest and level-headed fellow come up for office than the shysters get busy. That is one thing that deters many of the best citizens from getting into the “dirty pool of politics." Every voter should appreciate ills responsibility as a citi zen and instead of refraining from voting because the slanderer and bood ler are active, go to the polls election day and clean them out. The strategy board has bought up a few salable “republican" papers in the Fifteenth district and Is sending them editorials to print for the pur pose of copying in the Holt County Independent, which it mails all over the district. For Chronic Diarrhoea. “While in the army in 1803 I was taken with chronic diarrhoea.” says George M. Felton, of South Gibson, l a. “I have since tried many reme dies but without any permanent re lief until Mr. A. W. Milesof this place persuaded me to try Chamberlain’s Lol ic,Cholera, and Diarrhoea Remedy, one bottle of which stopped it at once. *’ lor sale by Gillian & Stout. John N. Sturdevant _ John N. Sturdevant. whom the re publicans of llolt county selected as thiir candidate for clerk of the district court, has been a resident of Holt coun ty for nearly a quarter of a century. He is a native of Nebraska, having been born on a farm near Mead, Saun ders county. In March, 18S3, Jae came with his parents to Atkinson, Holt county, where he made his home for about thirteen yearn. Mr. Sturdevant is a pharmacist by profession. His first lessons as a drug gist and pharmacist were taken in the drug store of It. 13. Cluttick, at Stuart, this county, where he remained from 1895 to the outbreak of the Spanish American war. At the call for volun teers to rescue the bleeding island of Cuba from the hard and brutal hand of the bloody Weyler, Mr. Sturdevant re signed ills position in the drug store am! went to the front. He served with Company M, Third Nebraska volunteer infantry, until the close of the war, and was mustered out with the company. Alter t|ie War, Mr. Sturdevant at tended the Highland Parle School of Pharmacy and became it registered pharmacist in Iowa and Nebraska. He had previously attended Gates college at Nelign, and Knox college at Gales burg. 111., after graduating from the Stuart high school. Mr. Sturdevant was for two years in the drug business at Spencer, selling out there in 1905 and returning to Stuart, where, with his wife and two children, he now lives. Mr. Sturdevant has never held office nor before been a candidate. He did not seek office this fall, but consented to allow his name to go before the pri mary for the nomination at the solici tation of friends. He has the neces sary education and business experi ence to qualify him for the duties of clerk of the district court, has lived practically all of his life in Holt coun ty, is still a young man, stands well in the community and will make a ca pable and trustworthy official if elected. J. A. DOUGLAS. Win n a man becomes a candidate for public office the intelligent voter wishes to inform himself as to the qualifications and personal character of the candidate. The purpose of this sketch is to put before the voter in a brief and comprehensive form, some facts concerning James A. Douglas, one of the republican candidates for district judge. Like the majority of the sturdy men of affairs throughout the country to day, Mr. Douglas came from the farm, where the wholesome employment of the agriculturalist developed the strip ling youth into rugged manhood. He was born on an Iowa farm in De cember, 1860—that historical year in America's national life. He remained upon the farm until he reached the age of 21, and the strong physical frame with which he is blessed, is, no doubt, due to the outdoor life in childhood and early manhood. With superb physical powers, developed al so a strong intellect and a desire for learning that could not be supplied by the district schools to which the country boy had access. At the age of 21 he had acquired sufficient education to enable him to teach school, and this he did for four years. At the age of 22, in 1S83, he came to Nebraska and took a homestead in what is now Rock county. He served two terms, from 1885 to 1890, as county superin tendent in Brown county and then took up the study of law at Drake university, where he finished a two years’ course. Since 1892 he has been practicing law and has the reputation of being one of the able and success ful lawyers of north Nebraska. He has been elected and re-elected a num ber of times as county attorney in Rock county. Mr. Douglas has not only been successful with cases in the low er courts, but has had considerable experience practicing in the supreme courts and meeting with success there. As a member of the Nebraska leg islature Mr. Douglas has had a part in enacting some important laws that affect the people of the state mater ially. Ho was chairman of the spe ll: 1 revenue committee in the house in 1903 and introduced the resolution calling for the committee. He helped draft and pass the revenue law which has proved so beneficial, especially to western Nebraska, because it shifts the burden of taxation from the pro ducing class to those who formerly shirked taxation. Through the opera tions of this law the fusion leaders at O’Neill, who decry Douglas us a "cor poration tool," were compelled to pay about $18,000 taxes they had been shirking for years. This law also raised the railroad assessment in Holt county $100,000. It also equalized iiie assessment of farm property in the matter of state taxes. Under the oil law $80 an acre land in eastern Nebraska was paying state taxes on an assessment of about $1 an acre, while $5 an acre land in western Ne brnskn was paying on a valuation of $2 per acre. Douglas was also in the hick of the fight for the railway com* assion in 1905, a measure which the railroads fought with all thc?ir re sources. Douglas has been closely identified with the common people of northern and western Nebraska for twenty-four years, has an interest in the general welfare of the community, stands with tin- national and state administrations in the efforts to bring corporations un der control and make them obey the laws, and to say that he would be any thing but fair to all litigants if elected district judge is only the absurd claim of a political knave who has only sel fish interests in continuing present con lit ions in the Fifteenth judicial dis trict. UPRIGHT AND HONEST JUDGES Dcec the Record of Harrington and Westover Show in Favor of Jus tice on a Square Deal Basis? Atkinson Graphic: Much is being said by the Holt County Independent about the record of Hon. J. A. Douglas, one of the candidates on the republican ticket for district judge. It says that a candidate’s public record is open to comment and criticism. To this, every good citizen gives his assent. Men holding high i>ositions of trust should be ready at all times to give an account of their doings and if they expect to retain the respect and confidence of their fellow citizens, their official acts should not belie the oath they took to faithfully and impartially and without fear, favor, fraud or oppression, perform the duties of the office they hold. The office of district judge is one of the highest and most honorable within the gift of the people. The recipient of such hon ors should be a man patient, pure In heart and mind, fearless in action, honest in con viction, impartial and righteous in judg ment, his sole and only object and desire being to deal out to the very letter of law. exact justice to all. His religious, political and personal views should in no manner interfere with the discharge of his duties. Every litigant and attorney should ap proach him on the same level. Relatives and political admirers should be granted no favors not extended to all. Before the judicial robe be placed upon the shoulders and the scale of justice be accepted, the judge to be, should resolve to be guided solely by the impartial hand of justice. The every day life of the in cumbent should bo such as to command the confidence and respect of the people. Personal conduct, habits and associations should be in keeping with the high office he holds. His administration of justice should be such that the people of one accord will exclaim, “An honest and up right judge.’’ One other essential qualification is that the aspirant or incumbent have sufficient legal learning and ability to judicially determine the questions presented to him. Ignorance of the law should excuse no judge upon the district bench in a wrong decision. Men who are not competent should not aspire to become judges or con tinue as such and if the judge be com petent and honest, his decisions w’hen en tered will stand before the highest re viewing tribunal in our land. The Independent in its issue of Septem ber (>th, in speaking of Judges Harrington and \V estover, said: “Both of these judges are careful, able and Impartial In terpreters of the law. While on the bench it has been their policy and constant aim to deal fairly between all parties and dis pose of all business without unnecessary delay. The right of the humblest citizen has been carefully guarded by them. Every honest and intelligent person will have to admit that they have done their duty honestly and fearlessly and in every Instance have given each litigant ‘a square deal.’ ” If such be their record, their right for re-election would be even stronger than urged by the Independent. Accepting the views of the editor, that a man’s public record is a matter of public concern and subject to comment and criticism, It is certainly not out of place at this time, and in view of the fact that Judge Harrington is a candidate for re-election, to examine his record since he has been district judge. Upon this record he should stand or fall. His record will demonstrate his fitness or disqualification for judge and will prove whether the rights of the humblest citizen has been carefully guarded by him in every instance and has been given “a square deal.” Since Harrington has been upon the bench, twenty-three of his cases have been appealed to the supreme court from this county. Of this number, twenty-one have been contested and opinions written. There are now many of his cases pending in the , supreme court which have not been passed upon. The two cases not published in the table below are the First National bank of Tekamah vs. McClenehan and Biglin vs. McElhaney. The first case was settled while it was pending in the su preme court and the other was an at tempted appeal by McElhaney from an order of confirmation after he had agreed to the order being entered. In this case the appeal was dismissed without a hear ing on the merits. The following is a list of the twenty-one cases reviewed by the supreme court: REVERSED. Ebel vs. Stringer. State vs. Spear. 1.(11 vs. Hess. Holt County vs. Golden. Carr vs. C. & N. W. Ry. Co. Rond vs. Clark. Cronin vs. Cronin. Whitney vs. Whitney. Roek County vs. Holt County. State vs. Nit'kolizack. AFFIRMED. Fisher vs. Village of Atkinson. Ilovier vs. McCarthy. Reed vs. McAllister. Butler vs. Copp. Gilman vs. Crossman. Cassidy vs. Sullivan. State vs. Sweet. Eahrman vs. Bauman. Eoyns vs. Mullen. Tomsik vs. Tomsik. Holt County vs. Cronin. From the examination of the above cases, it appears that eleven were affrmed and ten reversed. Take tills list to any lawyer's office and verify Its correctness. This is a record to be proud of, indeed! The every-day jus tice of the peace, who does not pretend to have any legal learning or knowledge of the law, will be right oftener than ' than Judge Harrington has been. After you have examined this table of 1 cases, do you believe that it has been the policy of Judge Harrington to deal fairly between all the parties? If you do not, then he Is not deserving of your vote. Do you believe that in the ten cases where ( the supreme court absolutely set aside and held for naught the judgment of Judge , Harrington, that he in every Instance ‘ gave each litigant "a square deal?'' 5 The record of Judge Harrington might s be accounted for by reason of the fact < that his brother, Michael, was counsel in t many of the cases reversed. t Among the cases that fell by the way- c side in the supreme court was that of Whitney vs. Whitney. This case brother ' Michael imported from Cedar county. The 1 plaintiff had recently been denied a di- j voree in that county a short time before ■she consulted Michael. (This was before 1 the legislature separated Michael and the