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SEMI-WEEKLY EDITION FOUR PAGES
VOLUME XXIX
PLATTSMOUTH, NEBRASKA, MONDAY MAY 9, 1910
NO 35
5
EH. D.
Speaks Most Eloquently of the
Needs of the Country
it
Subject of Address Before the
Otoe County Democratic
Club March 22, 1910
When I fall Into the hands of one
of these despots, called" Toastmast-
ers," I feel like the old darkey down
In Missouri who had lost seven wives.
After he lost the seventh, his pastor
called on him and asked him how he
felt, to which he responded, "Well,
Pastah Johnsing, I feel like I was in
the hands of an all-wise and un
scrupulous Providence.''
As I look into the faces of this
splendid body of Democrats to pre
sent anything of Interest on this oc
casion, I feel my position is like that
of my friend Olaf, a Swede. It seems
two Swedes were to take the boat at
the wharf, and one, Olaf, was de
layed. The gong had sounded, the
boat had moved away from the wharf
twenty-five feet, the water was deep,
and when Olaf reached the wharf he
beheld with dismay the departing
boat. His companion on the boat
6houted "Olaf, yump! yump! Ay tank
you make it in tuyumps.
But according to the program, 1
rame here to talk about "Conserva
tion.'' But says one, "What has that
to do with Democracy?" "What
practical use can a democrat make
cf conservation?"
Not long ago, an eminent astrono
mer on a beautiful stary night, de
livered a profound lecture on the
"Milky Way." The address was
much enjoyed by his listeners, who,
w hen he had finished, cheered him to
the echo, when suddenly from the
edge of the crowd came a shrill voice
in the accent of the Teuton, "But vot
vas der use of id?" Id has no
bradical use. If I could only shove
dose stars togedder so dey vould
sphell Anheuser-Busch, I vould give
ten thousand tollars."
In theory, under the, feudal sys
tem, the King owns the land, the
mountains, the rivers, the sea and
all that in, and of them live and be.
The world was made for man, not
man for the world. This government
was created by the people, for the
people, not for a day or a year, or a
century, but for all time. The lands,
the rivers, the seas, the mountains,
the mines, the water, was created,
rot alone for the people of this day
and generation, but for all the gener
ations to come. What la not neces
sary for the use of this generation
is to be preserved, and conserved,
by this generation for a subsequent
generation.
In 133 years, the length of life
to this day" of the American Republic,
the population of the United States
has increased, from about four mil
lions to more than eighty millions.
All of that vast territory north and
west of the Ohio has been bought, in
this time, under the dominion of civ
ilized man. In another 133 years
new land3 to be acquired by the in
dividual citizen will have long since
have been exhausted.
Why this unnatural haste to de
stroy the forests of our country for
commercial reasons and purposes?
Why this unnatural haste to put a
premium upon the destruction of the
trees of the forest by refusing the ad
missolon of foreign lumber free? To
keep out Canadian lumber by a tariff
tax is to encourage the cutting of
more lnmber from the already de
nudded plains, hills and mountains
of the United States.
Why must the production of coal
be encouraged in the United States
by a tariff on foreign coal, when it
is so well known that the supply
within the United States Is limited,
and that future generations will be
without coal? Do we not believe
that our country la to exist for at
least a thousand years? Do we not
believe that it will last for ten thous
and years? Then why this inordi
nate haste to destroy the resources
of our country and to exhaust them
as soon as possible?
Almighty God has placed moun
tains of coal in Alaska, away up in
the frozen north, Bafely and wisely
put away for the use of future gen
erations of our people. Why then
this Inordinate haste of the corpor
ations to procure its possession?
This property belongs to the people
of the United States, down to the
MflDL
CONSERVATION
IUIIL
hundredth generation or ten thuos
and for that matter.
Democracy means the people. The
people demand the conservation of
our natural resources. The Demo
cracy of America demands the con
servation of our national resources.
It is said that the Republican
party Is the progressive party of the
United States and that the Demo
cratic party is the conservative party
of the United States. Be it so. The
Republican party has been altogether
too progressive in allowing the cor
porations in the last forty years to
almost absolutely own and control
our great national resources.
The policy of the United States
Government as administered by the
liberal constructionists of the con
stitution and the laws have gone into
the business of building a canal en
tirely outside of the United States,
the estimated cost of which is now
$375,000,000, but which will cost;
no doubt J500.000.000. At the be
ginning the estimate was $139,705,
200. This is built by the money be
longing to the people of the United
States. Bonds are to be issued, or
have been issued by the United
States, called Panama Canal Bonds,
or some similar name. These bonds
bear interest.
The bond is an obligation of the
United States to be paid by the Uni
ted States some time in the future,
an unwilling burden on future pen
erations. This is a business venture
on the part of the government. Ad
miral Bob Evens, in a magazine arti
cle, recently declared that the canal
would not pay anything as an in
vestment, but should be a free canal
to all the world, (see Hampton's
Magazine for February.) But this
idea is Utopian. We must develop
our own resources first, make homes
for the people of the over-crowdsd
cities, conserve the great resources
of our own common country. The
nations of the world do not dispute
the Monroe Doctrine.
No foreign nation is Interfering
with the affairs of any of the South
American States, or ever will. The
canal was unnecessary from a gov
ernmental point of view. Whatever
Its feasability may be as a commer
cial enterprise, certain it is, that the
government is not instituted for the
purpose of doing business, on its own
account.
$375,000,000 by the United States
used at home In the conservation of
the flood waters of the upper Mis
souri river would mean the saving
of millions of dollars from loss ev
ery year by flood. It is safe to say
directly and indirectly, $50,000,000
every year. This project is per
fectly feasable, with an expenditure
of $375,000,000 at hand. But by
far the greatest benefit would result
from the use of the water for the
irrigation of the desert lands. From
this would flow wealth extracted
from the soil by the people, countless
millions every year. There Is a vast
territory of arid land so situated
along the upper part of these streams
that a vast inland lake could be cre
ated, the evaporation from which
would temper the atmosphere and
modify the climate of Montana, the
Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas and Col
orado. The expenditure of the mil
lions upon millions for battle ships
might well be invested for inland
canals, and saving the lands of the
lower Mississlppie valley from annual
inundation. The United States pro
poses soon to build a battle ship to
cost $18,000,000, to exceed the size
and armament any of the battleships
of the world. Not an enemy in sight.
Why? Uncle Sam, since he has med
dled with the affairs of the Orient,
has become nervous. He fears Borne
unknown foe, since the Philllplnes
have become American colonies. The
advice of Washington to abstain from
meddling with the affairs of the Old
woria, is no longer heeded. Phil
ander Knox, secretary of state,
astonished every thinking American
when he proposed to interfere with
the railways of Manchuria. Much
commercialism has made Uncle Sam
mad. Ho is delerlous, and the Ship
of State is fast drifting from the se
cure stakes, set by the Fathers of the
Republic. Conservative Democracy
comes now to the people asking thorn
to call a halt. The Democracy is not
opposed to progress, but progress
must be for home and for our pco
pie.
a reirospect d lav ohch in iha
mind's eye a vast Empire given away
by the representatives of the people,
to beings Cod never created; the ar
tificial person the corporation. It
may live longer then Methusalah.
It has no bouI and If it should ever
die, it is not afraid of hell-lire. It
he : no conscience, and, therefore, Its
digestion is good. It digests the
private fortunes, private property
and pubic resources, all alike, with
out even a digestive tablet to help.
Maps of the State of Nebraska of
twenty-five years ago showed each
alternate section in red along the
line of the Burlington and the Union
Pacific railroads from the Missouri
river to the west end of Nebraska.
These strips were 20 miles wide. The
same, grants were made by congress
to other railroads. Thus, July 2, 1864
was the beginning of the giving away
of the lands, which belonged to the
people, to the corporations. ' It has
always been condemned by the true
Democracy. Democracy believes In
conservation.
This very day and this night in
Congress various representatives of
the people, in violation of their trust,
are trying to uphold the hands of
Guggenheim and the other corpor
ation barons, who are trying to ab
sorb the natural resources of Wash
ington, Oregon and Alaska. Because
a humble citizen of the United
States, in the employ of the United
States, had regard for his oath,
which he took to Bupport the con
stitution and the laws of the United
States, cried out against these for
agers, he was deposed from his office
by an administration that was elected
by the people, and should be for all
the people all the time.
Do you remember when Hezlklah
entertained the visitors from Babylon
and the visitors inquired and asked
permission to see all of his treasures
and he showed them everything that
he had and then went away. (2
Kings, Chap. 20: 11.18). And do
you remember that the next day the
Prophet Isaiah came to him and said:
"What did the men from Babylon
say to you?" and Hezikiah said that
they brought him presents and that
they had heard of his great wealth,
and they bad come to see It. And
Isaiah said "Have they gone away?"
Then Hezikiah said that they had
returned. Then said the Prophet,
"They will return and take every
thing that you have to Babylon."
And they did, return and took not
only the wealth of the Jews but took
the Jews In captivity to Babylon.
Men from Babylon (Wall Street)
come every year and take an inven
tory of the crops of the west, and the
value of the mines in the mountains
and the resources of the country and
then return to Babylon (Wall Street)
and gamble upon the board of trade,
using your resources as puppets to
make the ticker go up and down.
They borrow your money. They
make a panic to destroy values, but
they do not let you In for a seat on
the board of trade, unless you have
your millions. Uncle Joe Cannon
stands for the legislation which
makes such things possible.
I am reminded or a colored man,
Erastus. He had spoken to the pas
tor of one of the wealthy and aristo
cratic churches of the city in which
he lived, and told him that he want
ed to join the church. The pastor
realized what a commotion it would
cause to take Erastus, a negro, into
the fashionable church, and told
Erastus to pray pver it and take the
question to the Lord in prayer. Sev
eral days passed by and the pastor
met Erastus again and asked him
about the matter, and asked him
if he had been praying over this im
portant question. Erastus replied
that he had prayed long and fervent
ly. Then he said the Lord had re
vealed himself to him and had said
"Erastus you don't need to worry
about getting into that church. I
have been trying for the past twenty
years and I haven't got in yet.'' The
corporations do not admit the people
Into their society. The office where
the directors meet Is a church that
even the Lord is not permitted to
enter.
But I am glad to say that Demo
cracy, conservative Democracy, and
the common people, which constitutes
Democracy, are lending their voices
and their help to uphold the hands of
the faithful servant, and today, pub
lic opinion demands the dismissal of
that unfaithful servant, Ballinger,
from the cabinet of the United
States.
But I might dwell for hours on
this subjft and not exhaust it. There
are matters of great Import ( loser at
home. I speak of the conservation
of our Individual resources, and the
resources of this state.
For the purposes of Jurisdiction,
the states of the union are foreign
to each other, and as corporations
are the mere creatures of leglsla
1 1 .. i . i i
nun, ii ioiows mat a state may
exclude a foreign corporation from
its limits, or it may allow it to come
into the Btate and do business on the
terms dictated by the state. Having
said this much I will now point you
to an example where the people of
Nebraska are making "bricks with
out straw." How? They are serving
Pharoah, as certainly as did the Jews
of old. I am not now speaking of
inter-state commerce, for railroads
now do business Interstate as well as
Intra-state as well may some other
foreign corporations.
A law requiring every foreign
building and loan association to pay
an annual tax of two per cent on its
gross receipts, Is not an Interfer
ance" with commerce between the
states. The state can charge two per
cent or a hundred per cent. It can
let the association in for nothing or
it can keep it out. But to one ex
ample, which makes the proposition
plain. Insurance is not Interstate
commerce. An Insurance company,
a corporation having its domicle in
another state, is a foreign corpora
tion. Hence the state may prescribe
the conditions upon which Insurance
companies, created under the laws of
other states, may do business within
this state. The legislature may keep
foreign insurance companies out of
the state entirely, or they may ad
mit them under any condition it may
please to Impose. See. State vs. Fler
Ing, Neb., supreme court, 1903.
In 1907 and 1908, there were over
two hundred foreign insurance com
panies including fire, life, casualty,
fraternal and accident companies
doing business in this Btate. These
foreign insurance companies have
taken from the state millions upon
millions in premiums, mostly to the
states east of us. Sixty per cent of
it, perhaps, coming back in the pay
ment of losses, but all the time leav
ing large balances on deposit in the
banks of other states.
Millions might be kept in this
state to be used by our people in leg
itimate enterprises, which now goes
away from us. The legislature of the
state of Nebraska has the power to
say to every foreign insurance com
pany coming into the state, "You
may keep on deposit in the state of
Nebraska every dollar of the premi
um collected, less, the expenses of
getting the business." The same is
true of fire insurance companies.
There were doing in Nebraska during
the years 1907 and 1908, over ninety
foreign fire insurance companies.
The most of this money could be
kept in Nebraska. If a foreign in
surance company does not want to
do business in so fertile a field as
Nebraska, under the conditions of
keeping their money on deposit here,
which they have taken from our peo
ple. They can retire from the field,
and leave the field to our own enter
prising citizens. Then great irriga
tion and other enterprises, which go
for the betterment of our condition,
need not go beyond the Mlssoul river
to borrow the money. Then you will
see our cities grow; our farm lands
advance; the towns and villages grow
Into manufacturing centers. tBut I
have mentioned only a part of the
outgo. The banks should keep their
money deposited or invested in the
state of Nebraska, this Is the place
for every dollar of It, right here at
home. The lesson of the panic of
1907 ought to be enough of a warn
ing. If we can conserve our re
sources the next panic which comes
will fall upon Nebraska as harmless
as a blanket of snow.
Adam Smith says, in his work on
"Pollticel Economy." that labor and
the soil is the source of all wealth.
This Is an agricultural state. The
source of all our wealth Is labor and
the soil. Corn, wheat, oats, barley,
cattle, horses, hogs, chickens, etc.,
constitute our wealth, the result of
labor and the product of our soil.
And yet, we allow the business men
of the east to take our wealth away
from us and to keep It.
The so-called progressive party,
which believes in non-conservation of
resources, speaks of the phenominal
growth of the country, of the phe
nominal growth of the railroads, of
the phenominal development of Ne
braska, of the great B. & M. railroad
and the Union Pacific, each of which
were granted lands of the people, an
empire in extent. They speak of the
phenominal destruction of the forest
but not in bo many words. They
boast of the great lumbering Inter
ests, the captains of whlrh are
either In the United States Senate,
or furnished the money to send their
servants to the United States Senate.
They speak of the phenominal reve
nues raised by the United States by
Indirect taxation. They speak of the
great good that the tariff has done
by raising up manufacturing factor
ies in barren old New England, from
one to three thousand miles from the
consumer, whereby the west is com-
llf'lled to u R A Ita mininna in hnv frnm
....,
(these Captains of Industry who are
in partnership with the government I
in rrh iha ttnanmw '
In using the word "phenominal,"
I am reminded of a colored preacher
who used the word "phenomena" In
his sermon recently. At the close of
the service his congregation asked
him to explain its meaning, and he
Informed them he would do so on
the following Sunday. At the be
ginning of the servke, true to his
promise, the colored preacher said,
"Well, brederln, as to phenomena, I
will explain dat to you. You see the
thistle growing in de field; dat am
not phenomena. You see de cow
eatln' grans; dat am not phenomena;
you see de bird in de tree; dat am
not phenomena. But if you see de
cow slttin' on de thistle and singin'
like a bird, dat am phenomena."
The great west is like the cow sit
ting on the thistle, singing like a bird,
to the delight and the profit of those
farmers of the people living down on
the barren and rocky coast of Massa
chusetts, Connecticut and Maine, and
who have palaces in the barren waste
of Vermont and New Hampshire,
maintained by the contributions of
the farmers, bankers and business
men of the west, by reason of the
power which the government gives
to the manufacturer to charge more
for the product than it Is worth on
the markets of the world.
When the people are aroused to
the fact that they are being discrim
inated against by the government,
and it Is proposed to reduce tho tar
iff on shoes and clothing, etc., there
comes from the east the suggestive
sound of a good old Calvanlstlc
hymn;
'Hark from the tomb a doleful sound
Mine ear attend the cry,
We're marching downward to the
tomb,
Where we must shortly He."
Let us conserve the resources of
the state of Nebraska. It is Demo
cratic doctrine to conserve the re
sources of our country. It Is the
doctrine of the Constitution of the
United States. It is the doctrine of
the Amendments to the Constitution
of the United States. It is the doc
trine of our Bill of Rights and it Is
good Democratic doctrine. America
is a world power. Rome in her day
was a world power. The Roman
citizen, no matter In what country he
was, could exclaim "Sum Roman
us Civis." This was his protection.
Today in every foreign land the
American citizen can exclaim "Sum
Amerlcanus Civis," and it Is his pro
tection. Let every Nebraska say, "I am a
Nebraskan, I am a citizen of Ncbras
ka, and 1 believe in the Democratic
doctrine of Conservation and Pre
servation of the rights and property
of every Nebraskan as well as the
resources of Nebraska."
Rolit. T. Dalib Dead.
From Friday! Pally.
Word has neen received In this
city from LeMars, la., of tho death
at that point of Robert T. Dabb, a
son of T. S. C. Dabb and wife of this
city, and a boy born and raised in
this city. Mr. Dabb will be well re
membered by many of the citizens of
this city where he lived during his
early manhood and he will be al
ways recalled as one of nature's no
blemen. He was a man who every
one knew to personally admire and
one In whom all the finer qualities
which go to make the man, were
strong. The most profound sympathy
exists for the aged father, mother
and sisters of this fine man, together
with the wife and family who are
left to mourn him. He had been 111
for some time and the end was not
entirely unexpected. Ills father and
mother had but recently returned
from his bedside where they had been
called by his precarious condition.
Mr. Dabb during his lifetime was
an ardent member of the B. P. O. E.,
and belonged to the LeMars lodge
where the grand exalted ruler, J. U.
Sammi8 belongs.
I'lcct Officers.
From Friday's Dnlly.
A special meeting of Mount ZIon
Commandery No. 5, Knights Tem
plar, was held Inst evening for the
Installation of officers. The follow
ing officers were installed for the en
suing yean
Edwin W. Cook Eminent Com
mander. J. M. Robertson Generallisslmo.
O. W. Thomas Captain General.
Frank L. Cummins Senior Warden.
W. A. Robertson Junior Warden.
Alfred W. White Treasurer.
John C. Petersen Recorder.
Heman B. Burgess Prelate.
Fred T. Ramgo Standard Bearer.
Louis B. Egenberger Sword Bearer.
Carl G. Frlcke Warder.
Chester H. Smith Sentinel.
Favorably Impressed.
Bruce Rosencrans and Claude Shu-
maker who have been spending sev
eral weeks in the sunny south, came
home yesterday and are once more
greeting their many friends. The
young men had a fine trip and viewed
a great many of the large cities of
Texas besides visiting a goodly por
tion of the Lone Star state. They
are well pleased with that region and
consider It a great country with a
future for the Investor down there.
They found spring well advanced
and, In fact, it seemed more like
summer to them than spring. Corn is
high In some cases up to the waist
but generally through the southern
part of the state about knee high. It
tapers down to about a foot above
ground at the north border. They
visited the land which Rosencrans
& Sons are agents for at Falfurrlas,
Texas, on the coast of the gulf and
Mr, Shumaker was much Impressed
with it. He declares that it is cer
tainly a coming country and that one
locating there now will find himself
within a few years In a land of
plenty. The gentlemen visited a
large number of the large cities of
the state and were much impressed
with the business and activities which
were in evidence everywhere. Hous
ton, they found to be a live, pushing
city with business going on every
where in great volume. The sea-go
ing business passing through this
city they found to be very largo.
Mr. Shumaker states that Houston
from the depot at which they enter
ed did not look good to him, as it
seemed dirty and sqaulld but when
he got up town where the city and
Its business was done he changed his
mind. San Antonia Is another city
on which the boys have much praise
to waste. It Is one of the hand
somest places they saw during their
trip and they are Santone enthu
siasts. Corpus Christl is described
as a very pretty place and one which
they liked quite well. Dallas was
visited for a short time but they did
not have so favorable an opinion or
that city as the others. Fort Worth
they passed through but did not see
enough of it to form any definite
opinion. Altogether they regard
Texas as all the land has been claim
ed to be a great state and one In
which vast fortunes await the claim
ant. Reversed by Supreme Court.
The supreme court yesterday re
versed the case of the State vs. Char
les J. Baker convicted In this county
of bigamy and sentenced by Judge
Travis to three years In the peniten
tiary at Lincoln. The case will be
remembered as stubbornly contested
In which the first wife of Baker
came from Ohio to prosecute him.
County Attorney Ramsey tried the
case for the Btate and A. N. Sullivan
represented Baker. At the trial
Baker tried to show that he had been
Informed by a daughter of the mar
riage, that his wife had gotten a di
vorce from him in Ohio which would
have left him freo to wed again. This
Judge Travis, on objection by the
county attorney ruled out. The su
preme court holds that this was er
ror and that he should have been al
lowed to testify to this fact. Baker
was married In this city about a year
and a half at;o to Lillian Vroman,
widow of the late Charles Vroman.
The case Is reversed and sent back
for trial and will be again tried at
the fall term of court providing the
prosecuting witness again appears,
which Is considered doubtful
Will Open Shop.
Albert Schuldice who has been
employed for a number of years past
as a tinner at the Burlington shops
and who lately has been working for
Kroehler Bros., in that line of busi
ness, has determined upon opening
a tlnshop for himself and la engaged
together with his son William, today
in cleaning up the room formerly oc
cupied by H. E. Wilson as a paint
shop. The building is what Is known
as the Egenberger building on Main
street between Third and Fourth
streets and la a large store room.
Mr. Schuldice expects to start up his
business next Monday, having laid In
a stock of machinery and materials
for the work several days since. With
his experience he should do very
well and he asks the public for a
share of their patronage. He war
rants his work to be first class and
assures the public that he will give
all calls prompt attention and Bee
that they are complied with.
A transcript of the "hearing or
Silas C. Brenckenrldge charged with
disposing of mortgaged property, was
filed today in district court. Breck
enridge has not been able to fur
nish ball as yet and is Btll confined
to the jail.