TLATTSMOUTII SEMI-WEEKLY JOURNAL.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12. 1917.
1WCE 4.
Che plattsrnoutb journal
ri'BLISUED SKMI-WKEKI.Y AT PLATTSMOl'TH, NF.nitASKA.
Entered at rostoflice at Plattsmouth, Neb., as second-class mail matter.
R. A. BATES, Publisher
t
UH9CRIPTIUJ PRICEl PEB YEAR IN ADTAXCE
4 4
THOUGHT FOR TODAY
.Much as worthy friends add
to the happiness and value of
life, we must in the main dc-jk-iuI
upon oursehes, and every
ine i his own best friend or
worst enemy. Lord Auebury.
Lineom's birthday next Monday.
-:o:-
Of couise you'll not forget Yalen
t:.c iay.
-:o:-
St; ing-like weather. How long will
it last?
-:o:-
The war question keeps all of us
guessing.
A new constitution is what Nebras
ka ! .evils.
:o:
:o :
S mh- people quote the Bible. Others
r;i-i".ivte it.
:o:
The v- ar news even keeps people do
ir.ir .-erne strong guessing.
:o:-
F.xperience is a good teacher, but
5-, seems to have very poor success
vi'.h some people.
:o:
I; isn't what you earn that insures
y.v.i comfort in old age; it's what you
savt. And we speak from experience
-:o:-
Cf course we are not authority on
t r. matter, but we believe the troop.
I.; vc been v. itlidi ii wii from the border
l MHill.
:o:
Vnii may talk about elections every
f. i:r j c:'. ". but don't forget that tlie
:..-;.; .:;:.:; distinctly sr.ys that mcm-Sti.--
f congress mut be elected every
tw years.
:o:
New York financiers now wi.-h t'
bian.i Tom Lawson, who has figured
so prominently in the '"leak" inves
tigation, as a modern Ananias. It.
m" m almost a certainty that some
one t A1, but the question is to find
the guilty party.
:o:
The big jingo newspapers that art
under the influence of munition man
ufacturers are not at all pleased with
the president's appeal to the warring
nations to state their peace terms
The munition men don't want peace,
war is more profitable.
:o:
Thrift is a mighty good thing, but
th miser, who takes from circulation
p. r cent out of every dollar that
en hi- path is a greater menace
t his community than the spendthrift
Make your money your siave, but have,
a care that it doesn't become your
mailer.
:o:
I be eastern people are a great deal
ni'Ti. alarmed nbout the signs of the
times than those in the west. They
have cause to be, especially in New
Yoik and the east coast cities. There
ai so many millionaires in New York
th it they can easily spend half they
arc wr-rth for coast defense.
:o:-
H seems there is some opposition
to the proposed constitutional eonven-
tif n. Some want to submit the ques
tion to a vote of the people of the
state. That, perhaps, would be the
proper way of settling the question
One tiling certain, in which all persons'
a2.ee, we need a new constitution.
-:o:
Ac are noU any nearer to war with
Germany tnaii we were two weeks ago;
and we trust we may not get any
neater. The fact is the masses of the
United States do not want war with
Germany, or any other country. Bui
when it comes to the worst, almost to
. man they will stand by Pi csid'-int
:o:
Wilson and the flag of our country.
"Dogs in the manger' never wear a
great many kinds of disguises.
:o:
"One country and one flag" is goou
enough for all American citizens.
-:o:
It is easy to spot the millionaire
these days by the egg on his chin.
Generally speaking the man who
does not care for expenses doesn't
pay them.
:o:
The output of hot air is quite large.
but there seems to be a great demand
for it just at this time.
-:o:
The mysterious stranger is a man
who comes to town and doesn't teL
vou what his business is.
A lady friend observes that the maii
order catalog wears out three times
as quickly as does the Bible. .
Laura Jean Libby says young people
should love sensibly. Would that be
extracting about half the joy from it?
:o: -
The strike of the town clock must
have frozen up several days since, and
we ail miss it. Where's the clock doc
tor ?
-:o:-
II takes about ),000 for a man in
the country to be a millionaire on
small quantity of rectified hot air.
This is not intended to hurt the town.
-:o:-
The North Dakota legislature has
passed and the governor has signed
a partial suffrage bill similar to the
Illinois bill, and nearly the same as
that before the Nebraska legislature.
-:or
All over the country natives of
Germany whose political status as
Americans lias not previously been
well established are rushing in after
naturalization papers. They would
prefer to stay here and take pot luck
with us.
True to his promise that he would
try and have a law passed to regulate
long-distance telephone charges in the
state, should he be elected lieutenant
governor, Edgar Howard has had in
troduced a bill to force the phon'.
companies to make a flat charge o.
) cents for all calls between any two
points within the state, irrespective ot
distance. This measure is simply fol
lowing a principal laid down by the
state in the law which forced tele
graph companies to transmit messages
in the state for 25 cents.
The "bone dry" fellows in the Iowa
legislature couldn't make the "riffle"
and their bill was defeated. A bill
is now to be presented with a provis
ion that "any person not previously
convicted of bootlegging may have
shipped in two quarts of liquor and
two cases of beer not oftcner than
every two weeks." That is certainlv
a very liberal proposition. Wonder
if Nebraska's legislature wont make
an effort to get a similar bill through?
:o:-
.W.e cannot see any reason why an
American newspaper should cast any
unjust insinuation upon the Germans.
When we have in this country a Ger
man citizenship of (estimated) 18,-
i 10,000, the most of them have prov
ed loyal to our government in many
instances. There were no truer of
more loyal people to the Stars and
Stripes during the war than the Ger
man-Americans in the Union army,
and there was more than double the
number of that nationality than any
other foreign citizens. The most of
them are loyal to the old flag, and
when it comes to war they will be
for their adopted country. It is a
trying time of course, and while they
feel for their mother countrv as
most any of us would under the cii
cumstances, we should modify our
reflections in a manner that would
not prove too bitter to a good vlass of
citizens.
POLICY OF THE NATION.
The great trouble with Mr. Bryan's
demand for a referendum to decide
whether the position taken by Presi
dent Wilson on the submarine issue
shall be sustained is that it comes too
late.
That position was taken, and an
nounced to the world, nearly twenty
one months ago, immediately follow
ing the sinking of the Lusitania.
In a note signed by Mr. Bryan as
secretary of state, and dispatched on
May 13, l'Jlo, the -rights of American
shipmasters and passengers were as
seited. Mr. Bryan declared then that
the United States "must hold the im
perial German government to a strict
accountability for any infringement of
those rights." He declared then that
our government would not "omit any
word or any act necessary to the per
formance of its sacred duty of main
taining the rights of the United States
and its citizens."
On June 8, 1J1, Mr. Bryan resigned
from the cabinet rather than sign the
second Lusitania note, which "very
earnestly and very solemnly" renewed
these representations. Mr. Bryan thee
advised the American people that this
position was one which he believed
would lead to war between the United
States and Germany.
Early in the following year the is
ue thus raised was put to a vote in
both houses of congress. The McLe-
more resolution, in favor of a more
moderate attitude, was laid on the
table in the house., on March 7, by a
vote of l27i to 1 -12. The senate, foui
days earlier, had tabled the similar
Gore resolution by a vote of OS to 14.
President Wilson was thus sustained
bv the congress.
On June 15, li10. Mr. Wilson was
unanimously renominated in the demo
cratic national convention, on a plat-
form of his own writing. He was thus
sustained by his own party.
In the convention of the opposition
parties, both republican and progres
sivi , no voice was raised to question
the wisdom or the righteousness o.
the president's stand, which Mr. Bry
an had warned the country would lead
to war. In fact about the only criti
cism of the president by his political
opponents, on this and kindred issues
was not that he had been too firm,
that his stand vas too daring, but that
he had been weak and not daring
enough.
Mr. Bryan himself advocated the re-
nomination of Mr. Wilson, and cam
paigned for his re-election.
Finally Mr. Wilson was re-elected
polling a plurality of the popular vote
of 573.105.
Throughout all this time, during the
period of all these developments, the
president had stood unwaveringly by
the policy outlined- in the Bryan note
of May 13, l'Jlo. Strictly- in conform.
ity with it. and more than a month
after the defeat of the Gore and Mc
Lemore resolutions, the president has
warned Germany, in the "Sussex" note
of April IS, IMC, that a renewal of
ruthless submarine warfare would bt
followed by the severance of diplo
matic relations.
It was after the issuance of this
warning that President Wilson was
renominated and re-elected, "with Mr
Bryan's support and without opposi
tion on this issue from the opposing
major party.
When, therefore, Germany gave no
tice of a renewal of unrestricted sub
marine warfare, on a greatly extended
basis, and the president thereupon sev.
ered diplomatic relations, the referen
dum hail already ben had. If it had
not if, as Mr. Bryan seems to believe,
the majority of the American pcoplfi
are opposed to the president's stand
then the people, including Mr. Bryan
himself, had slept on their opportunity
and sinned away their day of grace.
The government of the United
States was committed, formally and
definitely, before the world. The Am
criean people, by the action of both
great national conventions, as well as
by the verdict at the polls, were like-
wise committed. What was there left
for President Wilson to do but act.
when the crisis came, in conformity
with the course that had been an
not i need ?
i
J It may prove that Mr. Bryan was
right when he declared, in resigning
from the cabinet, that the submarine
policy of the administration would
lead to war. It has not led to war
yet, it is true, but it has landed us
dangerously near the brink, and there
is no citizen but lives in daily dread
of what the morrow may bring forth.
But by every fair test that could be
provided that "policy, whatever it may
mean to us and to the world, has been
made the policy of the American na
tion. The time for criticism, for opposi
tion, it would seem, was the time be
fore the crisis had eventuated, and not
after it is upon us. When President
Wilson acted when he recalled Ger
ard from Berlin and handed von Bern
storff his passports it was with the
popular mandate behind him. World-Herald.
-:o:
SINGLE TAX.
The Democrat does not know what
interests are behind the demand for a
constitutional convention neither
does it give a whoop! It favors a con
stitutional convention, believing that
the state needs one, and confident that
the people are wise enough to take
care of their own interests in the
flaming thereof. It is barely possible
that the liquor interests are behind the
movement, although we have doubts
about it. And it is possible that men
who are interested in tax reform are
behind the movement. We hope so!
Note the cunning .displayed in the
bit of free plate being printed in Ne
braska papers. Take the last sentence,
which refers to a so-called "single
tax lobby:"
"They would put the burden of tax
ation upon the farm owners and prac
tically exempt the corporations from
taxation."
The man who framed that sentence
is either an ignoramus or a liar. Sin
glotaxers advocate no such policy. Nc
man ever gave the single tax theory
an hour's careful investigation and
then declared it a scheme to put th
burden of taxation on the farm own
ers and relieve the corporations that
is. unless he was mentally incapable
of grasping the single tax idea or was
thoroughly dishonest.
The single tax would not add to the
taxes of the farm owner. On the con
trary, it would relieve the farm owner
of the fines now levied against him
for being enterprising and productive.
It would add to the taxes of the land
speculator and the man who held lane
and refused to allow it to be used,
preferring to wait and profit by the
labor and enterprise of his neighbors.
It would force idle land into use, thus
benefiting all classes but the specu
lator. In other words, the single tax
would put a premium on thrift and
enterprise, and a fine upon the lack
of them.
The single tax does not contemplate
a tax merely upon land. It is a tax
upon the value of land for use ano
occupancy. It would make the vacant
and untitled quarter section pay just
as much tax as the highly improved
and thoroughly tilled quarter section
of equal fertility. It wouldn't fine the
farmer who built a house and barn
and sheds and fences. It would tax
the man who refused to do so.
The farnriand values of this repub
lic represent less than 'JO per cent of
the total land values, but they pay
more than 50 per cent of the taxes
levied upon land. The single tax
would be a blessing to the farm owner
who worked his farm; it would jut
the land speculator out of business.
It would give the landless a chance
to acquire a bit of land, and it would
make city real estate pay its just
share of the tax burden. It wouldn't
relieve the corporations of taxation,
for they are already relieved. The
man who believes that a railroad com
pany pays taxes ought to have his
head bored for the simples. All wealth
is derived from labor applied to land.
The land bears all the tax burden
The single, tax would equalize that
burden, j and - while ; doing : so. .would
make opportunities that do riot exist
for the acquiring of homes and the
improvement of land now criminally
idle because of the greed of specula
tors. If a "single tax lobby" is behind the
movement for a constitutional conven
tion, then more power to it. York
Democrat.
:o:-
NLTJKASKA'S ROAD PROBLEM.
There is nothing more certain than
that the federal good roads law is
not going to be repealed. The senti
ment of the country' is behind it, over
whelmingly, regardless of what op
position may exist in a few states,
of which Nebruska seems to be one.
Under that law $70,000,00 has been
provided to aid states in road con
struction. When that $70,000.00 shall
have been exausted other appropri
ations may be expected to continue
the work. The United States is a
half century or more behind other
highly civilized nations in recogniz
ing the value of good roads, but it is
now falling into line. The federal
improvement of roads will be a con
tinuing process, just like the support
of the postal system is, or the im
provement of rivers and harbors, or
the reclamation of waste lands. As
population presses upon subsistence
this country is finding, as Europe
found long ago, that good roads are
imperative. They are a vital factor
in making farming more -profitable
and more productive, in getting food
stuffs to market at a lower cost, and
in lowering the cost of living.
4
For Nebraska to refuse to play its
part in the essential work of road
improvement would be evidence of
narrowness, provincialism, lack of
vision. It would class Nebraska
among the backward states.
For Nebraska to refuse to accept
the benefits of the federal good raods
law would be culpable financial fol
ly. If we operate under the federal
law tiie federal government pays, up
to the extent of the appropriation
available, one-half of the expense of
our road construction. If we do not
the money that would be spent in
Nebraska would be spent in more
progressive states. Nebraska will
pay its full quota of the federal tax
es necessary to provide the fund, and
get not one penny of the benefits.
And Nebraska will be paying 100
cents on the dollar for thousands of
miles of road improvement where, if
it had been wiser, it would be paying
only 50 cents on the dollar.
Are we going to pay many thous
ands of dollars of federal taxes every
year, to be spent on improving the
roads of Massachusetts and New
York and Alabama and Indiana and
California, and accept not one penny
of the taxes paid by those states to
improve our Nebraska roads? Are
we going to complain, and hang back,
and stand on theories, cutting off our
nose to spite our face, when it is an
inescapable condition that confronts
us?
The World-Herald thinks not. It
has conudence in the common sense
of the people of the state, and in the
common sense of their legislative
representatives.
Fortunately the good roads com
mittees of both senate ami house have
agreed upon a good road bill which
will let Nebraska in under the shelter
of the federal law and at the same
time do little violence to local preju
dices. Under the bill the state would
co-operate with the federal govern
ment and the counties in road work.
The state would help defray the ex
pense. Its share of the enterprise
would be under the direction of the
state board of irrigation, highways
and drainage. The state would be di
vided into road districts or project
district" of not more than five count
ies each. The road work to be done
in each of those district would first
be subject to the sanction of the
county board in each county before it
was undertaken. And the federal
government has made it clear that
good dirt roads, if grading and con
struction is substantial in character,
will meet the requirements of the
aid law.
Road work under this bill, there
fore, would be undertaken only if it
met the requirments of the federal
government, the . state government,
and the local government. This means
there would be no danger of over
riding local sentiment, or of spending
local money against the wish.es of the
people of the community. It no.aoi
that Nebraska would get the full
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financial benefit of the federal law,
ail the benefit of the best road build
ing wisdom of the 4untry, and roads
such as meet local needs ar.d con
form to the condition of the local
treasury in eac hcounty.
That this bill, or one in most re
spects similar to it, .-hould fail of
passage in the Nebraska legislature
is unthinkable. Nebraska is not yet
so wise that it contains within its
own confines all the world's knowl
edge and skill in road building. Ne
braska" is r."t yet so rich that it can
afford to spend its money for good
roads in other states and receive
nothing in return. And Nebraska,
thank heaven, is not quite so provin
cial and ignorant as to be unable to
understand that permanent good
road work, if it is" to be saved from
waste ami ineiliciency, requires feder
al and state as well as local co-operation
and control. World-Herald.
Champion Joe was there all the
time.
The latest medical opinion is that
cancer is caused by high living. Then
most of the people will be safe foi
some time to come.
-:o:
Someone has figured out that every
thing is divided most unevenly in this
world. The rich men have twin sixes
and the poor man, six twins.
:o:
There is no use in trying to play
politics in a crisis like this, but some
fellows will take advantage of a sit
uation like the present, but they are
few and far between.
:o:
Representative Ilcfi' neiter, fi r
Imperial, born in (leimany, is indee
a true (icrman-Amcrican. He says ir
case of war with the Fatherland hy
lias three boys that will go to defend
the flag of his adopted country, which
he has sworn to support.
facsimile StfnatureO"-
The Big Event Has Happened!
FREE G40-ACRE WYOMING HOMESTEADS
The long-wanted (MO-acre Homestead Act is now a law. It permits
application for these homesteads in the grass-covered livestock area of
Central and Northeast Wyoming. You can reach this area either over the
Burlington main line via Douglas for Converse County or via Upton, Moor
croft, Gillete or Clearmont for Northeast Wvoming. Inquire earlv and iro
early.
This area contains large bodies of excellent grazing lands from fiftcn
to fifty miles from the railroad. Write me for circular of information and
instructions, which will tell you exactly what to do without loss of time
to apply for a stock-raising and dairy homestead. You can secure or." of
these valuable mile-square homesteads in a region established and well
known as the permanent livestock urea of Wyoming.
It is my judgment that practically all of the desirable graxiiv and
t'lMicuuuiui lanus win oe applied lor
4 s 1 1 1 1 2 a c-e :...;
6?'CTJV-rr4.",!
HSEEHESSEBS:'
I SUM
For Infants and Childrsn.
Mothers Krcov That
Genuine Gasiona
Always
Signature JT
of MUF
Thirty Years
nun
ThC CtNTA-JH COMPANY. dlKTYOK CtTV.
:o :-
Did the early robin get cold feet?
-: o:
Life's a mystery. Why, of course.
:o:
The farmers are exempt from the
workmen's compensation law and
from the female employment law ano
from the eight-hour day law. Now it
is proposed to exempt them from the
one-quart-a-month limit provided they
grow their own giapes and make their
own wine.
:o :
Representative Murtey's banking
bill has been defeated through the
machinations of the lobby hired by
those outside who were interested in
its defeat. As long as lobbyists are
allowed to predominate, it wili be im
possible for people to get justice. We
lepeat what we have said several
times before, that the lobbyist shoal. I
be made to "get up and git."
Milk in Winter.
Why do your cows give less milk
! in winter than thev do in summer?
'just because nature does not sup
ply them with grasses and green
food. But we have come to the as
sistance of Dame Nature with Ik A.
Thomas' Stock Remedy which con
tains the very ingredients that the
green feed supplies in season, only,
of course, in a more highly concen
trated form. We guarantee that this
remedy will make your cows give more
milk, and better milk with the same
feed.
II. M. Socnnichsen.
Puis & Gansemcr.
V
W. A. ROBERTSON,
Lawyer.
East rf Riley Hotel.
CoAtcs' Block,
Second Floor
4-
in JIUl We do not advertise these
i i-'
Use
j For Over
lands tor., the purpose of creating passenger travel.
We consider it nor duty to advise you of this op
portunity ar.d tell you that it is the last chanee vou
will have. J
S. B.. HOWARD, Immigration Agent. C, B. h Q, R, R,
IOO.I Fdtiidin St.. Omaha. Neb.