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VOL.. S. NO. 8.
LINCOLN, NEBRHSKR, SKTURDRY, JBNUHRY 2B. IS93.
PRICE FIVE CGNTS
M If I III
Nothing hnH ovor transpired In Lin
coln that him created such h social and
business furoru as Uio failure of tho
Capital Nationul bank, which was an
nounced last Monday morning. To
leading bunkum of tho city it was cer
tainly no surprise. At least it was
known for somo timo that thu bank has
l)oon In danger, but perhaps nono of
tho bankers luivo realized tho Inward
rottenness now boing uncovered. It is
fair to presume, howovor, that tho
largo list of depositors had no suspi
cion as to thu stability of the bank and
to hundreds of thom tho nows of Its
suspension camo with crushing signifi
cance. Hundreds of people, rich and
poor, were caught, and many of tho
latter are now writhing in fear that all
thov havo is gono forever. It is ex
perience that fow residents of Lincoln
iiavo ovor mot face to fuco. They havo
read of such things in works of fiction
and in tho nowspapors, but tho exper
ience has novor been brought homo to
them before. Thoy havo novor noon
tholr neighbors by tho score plunged
into despair and anguish by a panic of
apprehension least their savings from
years of toll had boon swallowed up In
a maelstrom of ruin. Nono who did
not take pains to observe tho scenes
enacted around tho Capital National
bank corner during tho past week can
realize the despair and misery precipi
tated by such an occurence. Men and
women havo mingled tholr tears and
lamentations dally upon tho stono stops
of tho closed treasury. It is to bo hoped
that tho assurances tendered by capi
talist that tho assets will bo HUlllelont
to reimburse all creditors, will provo
true and that tho olllcial speculations
suspected havo not been of tho magni
tude that most people ascribe to thom.
Tho government investigation is now
progressing and until that is completed
nothing doilnlto as to results can bo
ascertained, hundreds of rumors to thu
conti ary notwithstanding.
C. V. Moshor, president of tho bank,
has shown a commendable determina
tion to stay and faco tho consequences
of his acts, and a sensational exemplifi
cation of tho principles of Justice is
a iticlpatod. That ho will bo punished
thero Is hardly any doubt, but that tho
punlshmont will bo severe thuru is
ovory reason to doubt. Moshor is but
a croatruo of tho modern system of
M)litics. He bus been the one reliable
confidential disbursing agent of tho
legislative lobby and it is suspected
that ho has disbursed moro than any
otljor ono man for tho corruption of
legislators and tho control of elections
thereof. To u friend Moshor recently
said that it had cost him $150,000 to re
tain tho contract for ponltontlaoy con
vict labor and that most of It wont to
tho corruption of legislators. It Is said
that ho spent $25,000 during tho elec
tion last fall in endeavoring to soouro
tho olection of men whom ho knew ho
could handle. Ho was a genial, clover
and companionable fellow, and spent
money In legislative circles as if ho
novor know its valve. Tho secrot of
his groat liberality is now apparent.
It was tho money of othors, so It now
appears, ho was spending to,furthor
his own schemes, a work in which ho
has received valuublo assistance from
many loading politicians of tho state.
Thoro is a movement on foot among
leading local business men to induce
tho directors of tho stranded bank to
make soma provision for rolioving tho
tKiiLjhiiNiiximnii unmfiint rrttlu it mtlrwl
nunnui n istuutij out v nuv K v ijitviw
workmen and a fow of tho very poor
f iooio whoso savings wero Bwaiiowou
n tho failure. Whon tho matter was
first presented to some of tho directors
thov demurred, intlmatlnir that it woh
tho duty of tho public to look after
tho needs oi tneso people, out inoy win
probably realize that tho public takes
nn entirely different view of tho mat
tor as tho public is In no way rosponsl
for tho failure of tho bank. And If, as
is claimed, this bank will ovor pay out
dollar for dollar thoy will loso nothing
by buying up tho claims of a fow of tho
very needy depositors, tho loss of
whoso money would bo a lasting dis
grace to ovory portion connected with
tho bank. It is said that f,000 or
$8,000 would do it.
Trusts and combines aro tho ordor of
tho day and now tho makers of typo
aro in it with tho whisky trust, tho
sugar trust and all tho other contempts
iblo monopolies Hint go to dofeat hon
orable competition. This trust waH
formed about two months ugo and now
tho combination of twonty-ono typo
foundries are sending out circulars and
prico lists In which thoy havo tho
norvo to assort that they present a re
duction and that thoy propose to share
tho bonoflts(V) of consolidation with
publishers and printers. Did anyono
ever hear of such liberality boforo.-' In
looking ovor their so-called "reduc
tion," with tho aid of paper and pen
cil, ono will soon observe that, consid
ering discounts, prices now allowed for
old metal, etc., that tho now boiiefl
corlesC) of tho printers and publishers
domand considerable more for their
tyno than formerly. It Is pleasant con
solation, howovor, to know that throe
houses aro not In tho pool and will, it
is said, piotcct tho trudo, loing satis
fied with making a reasonable profit.
They aro Barnhart Bros. & Spindlor
TORS. POTTER PKL.7UCBR, CH1CRCO, '
Chairman Lady Board of Managers, World's Columbian Exposition.
mil we -
of Chicago, Farmer, Littlo & Co. of
Now York und another Now York
hoiiMO whoso numo tho wrltor cannot
at this momont ascertain. Tho trust
olalray to control IX) yor cont of all tho
typo faces that arc now being made,
which tho abovu trio donios, claiming
that tholr rospoctlvo foundries repre
sent moro than one-half tho production
claimed by tho pool. Thoro aro somo
strong housos in tho trust, but this
combination to oxtort oxtra money
from tholr patrons should bo ropulsod
on all fildos, and ovory fuvor possible
shown tho foundries that aro not in
tho ring. Harnhart Bros. & Splndlor
aro represented in Omaha by tho Groat
wosicrn tyjHj rounury and in tills city
by tho Lincoln Nowspupor Union, while
tho State Journal comimnv aro westorn
agonts for Farmor, Littlo & Co.
Tho subjoot of stroot swooping is an
apt ono for discussion just now, when
tho pavements aro covered with the
thawing and fostorlng accumulations
of tho winter season. Thoro Is no de
nying that tho city authorities pay
entirely loo littlo attention to street
sweeping. During tho most favorable
season only u fow blooks of tho down
town stroota aro chansed of tholr ac
cumulations of filth, and these not
nearly as often ns tho conditions war
rant, while miles of paving away from
tho business centers aro loft to tho oc
casional ministrations of wind und
rain. Tho consoquonco Is that many
of tho paved streots are but littlo moro
inviting to podostrlans than aro ordi
nary country roads. Kvon tho central
streets in tho midst of summer are
often ulmost impassable in damp
weather and tho sources of clouds of
dust In dry woathor. It does soom as
if this city ought to bo ablo to keep hor
paved streets In moro prosontablo
shape than she doos. Stroot crossings
ought at least to ho made passable It
is true that tho amount spent annually
for cleansing tho pavomonta is insig
nificant whon compared with tho sums
spent by other western cities of half
the population. Lincoln must, as a
rulo, lie an exceedingly badly gov
erned city, for it seems that ovory
year taxes nro levied to iho full por
contum nllowod by tho law and yet
thoro is novor enough money to do
anything as any other city does It. Thoro
Is always tho sumo old cry of lack of
funds no matter what is proposed and
the treasury appears to bo eternally
OniDlY. ThO 1)111)110 health ilnmnmlu '
little more cleanliness In tho matter of
stroot sweeping and meuns ought to bo
dovlsed whereby tho pooplu can se
cure it.
Shortness of funds may ho cited
again as an oxcuso for tho two das
tardly assaults recontlv committal nn
defenseless women In the very heart
of tho residence portion of tho cltv
tho ono of two weeks since on North
Slxteonth street with Mrs. Kingman
and hor sister as its victims, and the
ono of last Saturday ovoning on South
Sixteenth street with Miss Anna Tib
bets and Miss Kato Morrlsey, teachers
In the public schools. In each Instance
ono of the ladles was brutally knocked
down and robbed. Tho cltv authorities
are directly responsible for a state of
affairs that pormlts such disgraceful
and exasperating things as thete. The
prosont police forco Is notoriously in
adequate and it Is a fact that not a
thought or semblance of protection is
afforded anyono outaido a fow squaro
blocks In tho buslnoss center. Even
those fow blocks are not given tho pro
tection thoy should have, as tho cor
poral's guard of policemen aro kept
humping themsolvos to hastily patrol
tho largo territory assigned thom.
Thoy havo no time to forrot out and
watch tho movements of suspicious
characters. TllK CouitlElt has pro
tested vigorously heretofore against
this condition of affairs, but tho cltv
authorities aro deaf to all protest.
hvory timo a man or woman is knocked
down and roblxul, however, by a foot
pad a fow moro people aro added to
mo list or thoso who will make a howl
inir protest some dav that will bu
distinctly heard from tho city limits to
tho city nail. There Is reason to bo
llovo that thero will lo a demand for
an Increased levy for police purposes
next year and thero will certainly lw a
domand for an increased jwllco forco
which It wlU not bo entirely safe for
any sot of city authorities to Ignore.
I'ooplo who aro partial to tho ob
servance of pit'scribod laws, es)eolally
in tho matter of temperance in tho use
of intoxicant, need not lose sight of
the fact that an element which enter
tains but littlo respect for thoso laws
Is doliloratel( laying its plans to cap
tin o and contiol tho city government
next i ear, and exxinents of thut ele
ment are dally practicing a littlo moro
laxity in the olwervanco of the plainest
pro Ixious of tho liquor law. The city
authorities havo grown woudorfully,
almost juilnfully, shortsighted In this
respect. There aro somo saloons In
this city that novor close until tho
barkeepers aro all too tired to work
any longer. Day and night, weok day
and bunday, tho latehstrlng Is out to
all comers. Timo was whon It required
tho services of u guide to pilot ono to
an irregular hour potation, but now It
would tko a derrick to steer tho
crowd away from available Sunday or
after-hour drinks. Sunday drunks aro
moro numerous than those of any other
"ay i s ffuzziors nave more leisure and
tho drinks are just as accesslhlo as
ovor. It may bo proper te remark,
also, that somo of tho downtown driiir
stores are doing all thoy can to weaken
tho popularity of the saloon and it
would bo difficult to find one that does
not maintain a well equipped bar behind
itn prescription case. It Is wonderful
jo noio mo number or men who step
Innocently behind tho screen ujMin en
tering a drug store and put up their
own prescriptions. IjuIIos whoo hus
bands go out Iwtw eon acts and come
back swimming In an aroma of cloves
or other pungent odors may readily
conclude that they hao been behind
the nearest prescription case and put
up their dose of medicine with the
facilities there supplied for accurate
threo-flngor measurement.
Seriate file No. )'2 to award the dis
cmerer of natural gas in Nebiaska a
$1H),000 cosh jirle ought to make some
distinction botw-con thu btoUlmti-n
halls and the rest of the state, or tho
money Is a dead easy prize for tho first
lirusjiecior.
(Aitilitwmil Talk a the Touti nn yM I'aqt)
The legislature has It within its
power to materially increase tho Ne
braska llsh crop. If It adopts the law
to prevent public olllclals fiom riding
on pusses and tho one providing for tho
free passage of llsh, thero will 1k a
great crop of suckers developed aftor
every election,
Heprcsontlvo .(aine'H bill to roquiro
owners of hedge fences to keep tliutn
trimmed Is evidently a precautionary
piovlslon to give the wind a show at
the pedestrians' whiskers. Now if ho
will only require owners to graft a
crop of straw berries or huykleberrles
upon tholr hedges and shear them of
tholr thorns It will pass with a whoop.
Uoprcsuutatlve Johnson of Hall
county has caught tho Inspiration of a
movement that Is growing In all of tho
progressive states of this union, a
movement for better country roads.
It Is claimed that this question Is ono
of greater moment to farmers In tho
Hiivlmr nf ilnlliit'H n.iil renin lliun Is tho
question of rallioad transportation
rates.
Death has UL'aln. as It did two years
ago, entered the ranks of thu legisla
ture and closed tho lips ol one oi uh
ablest members. Senator John M.
Farrell of Dodge county has been
called hence and a seat in tho senate
which the distinguished gentleman
had been permitted to grace for but
two or three days during tho session
Is draped in tho symbols of tho sorrow
his death has occasioned among his
fellow-members.
Tho bill Introduced by Representa
tive l.ocknor designed to prevent pub
lic olllcers from having their names
printed upon the stationery used in
tholr olllces, might, If adopted, and en
forced, prevent a great waste of public,
funds, us It might enable newly elected
olllclals to use up stationery on hand
when ho stops into olllco. On tho
other hand It might enable an olllcor
so disposed to make a fow fut deals
with printers by ordering enough to
supply a good many of his successors,
unless such u proceeding were pro
hibited in thu bill
Representative Barry's bill for tho
establishment of a convention hall on
tho state University campus for tho
accomodation of the numerous Incor
porated agricultural, horticultural,
stock breeding, educational, and in
dustrial societies, with their rccordo
and collections, ought to receive gen
erous supKrt. No other public build
ing, not excepting uven tho jmuiten
tlary and lunatic asylums, would ac
commodate so many people. It pro
vides for the expenditure of ulout
$:to,ooo.
February 25th will Iki a day of mo
mentous lmHrt In tho Nebraska legis
lature, being set apart as tho day upon
which Senator Harris' bill to punish
public olllclals for riding on railroad
pusses will 1st made a special order,
and It will then probably bo definitely
ottled whether newly elected mem
bers from the pioneer districts walk
to tho capltol ovory two years or stay
at home. It falls on a Saturday, how
over, oa1 at 2 i). in,, when tho sen
ate will probably not Imj In session,
wherefore this lmiortunt question may
novor Imj settled to the entile satisfac
tion of tho stuto )ourd of railway sec
retaries and a few othors who are doop
ly Interested In tho pass quo lion.
Tho general appropriation bill pro
vides for an expenditure of $,1,003,288
during the coming two years as against
l,aii,:i2 for tho past two years. This
does not include tho salaries of state
olllcers or employes in state institu
tions, nor apnronriations for tho state
lxiard of agriculture, historical society,
dairymen's association, national guards
and other alworlwrs of public revonuo.
Tho allowance for nearly every otllco
In tho capltol Is cut down materially.
Tho appropriation for tho Lincoln asy
lum is increased almost $11,000 whllo
that for tho penitentiary is cut down
almost $5(1,000 and that for tho homo
for tho friendless is reduced $25,000.
The reductions aru duo to thu fact that
no now buildings are included this
year.
It begins to look a if tho legislature
has encountered an all-winter job In
tho olection of a United States senator.
Last Tuesday tho balloting in earnest
begun and John II. Powers, tho leud
ing Mpullst candidate, oinmcd tho
matinee with fifty-Hour votes of tho
required sixty-seven. He has held his
own during the week and doesn't seem
to be dying off very exulwrant in
favor of Mclvelghan. Senator r.ul
ilock has hung around tho lower thir
ties all week. Ihurston was looined
briefly, just long enough to create a
Hurry by retiring, but Tom Majors
blue shirt waves in the breeze ovor
alxiut a doen adhoruutn. Tho demo
cratic strength has been playing tag
among the seveial candidates. And
yet, if tho democrats so will It, thoy
can force the election of a demociat
unless tho populists prefer a republi
can, or vice versa. Hy voting their
full strength for a democrat until It
becomes apimrent that neither of tho
other parties can elect they can submit
uioircauuuiaics to tho populists and
permit them to name the democrat
they will support, and both can elect
nun. i niosn the opullsts prefer to
see a republican appointed by tho gov
ernor after adjournment they will pick
their democrat and vote for him.
