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About The Wealth makers of the world. (Lincoln, Nebraska) 1894-1896 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 1894)
) 7 V V, J' .1 J ft (I VOL. VI. The R&ilro&di and Boodlen Hare Com pleta Control OF THE BEPUBLIOaI PASTY And the Nominees will be Subservient to Their Interests Then Should be a Change in the Office of State Treasurer . Efficient Attorney General Needed To the People of Nebraska: In the early history of the Republican party its conventions were deliberate representative bodies, which discussed what measures were best for the welfare of the public and the party, and no gag rule to shut off debate was thought of or applied.' For a few years past, however, the railroads and boodlere have had complete control of the machinery of the Republi can party in this state. The fact that the great corporations controlled the last Republican state conventions in Nebraska is proved beyond the shadow of a doubt. SELECTED BY A BAIL WAY EMPLOYE. In Lancaster county the sixty dele gates to the Republican state conven tion were selected by an employe of one of the great railways several days after the county convention adjourned, after nch employe had examined many per sons called before him, and without in any manner being appointed by the Re publicans in tbatcounty. In other words, it was solely a delegation chosen by that interest, and had no more right to repre- keent the Republican party of Lancaster county than it had the Republicans of Sioux county, yet that delegation was the controlling force that determined the nomination for governor and other Re publican candidates on the state ticket. If this style of selecting delegates is ap proved by the voters it will not be long ontil it is applied to all the counties of the state and the Republicans of a county be deprived of any voice in the selection of delegates. In addition to this, the convention contained a very large number of politi cal railway employes of all the lines, brought there for the purpose of control ling the convention and did it. No one will object to a railway employe as a del egate when chosen by the Republicans oj bis county or district, but the case is very different if he is not chosen by the Republicans but merely by the corpora tions by some of their peculiar methods. A public officer should be free and inde pendent so that he may be prepared to perform bis duty . faithfully, impartially and efficiently to the public, whose ser vant be is. The Savior said, "no man can serve two masters," ant experience has proved the truth of thestatement. Now if a man is taken up by the great corporations and boodle element, not because of his integrity and ability, but because some of their assistants can hold backdoor conferences with him, and he will prove .. subservient to their wishes, a man, if possible who could not have reached the position on his merits; such an one is sure to be governed by the wishes of his creators. If he is elected he naturally feels under obligations to the corporations and in fluences that secured bim the position . and they thus have a string tied to him, eo to speak, and as between his creators and the public he is not a free agent. Hence the public suffer and the great cor porations and their allies are favored. And this will continue so long as the cor porations and boodle influences are per- . mitted to control conventions. In every instance' a man who owes his nomination and election to the great corporations ana Doodle influence will lean, uncon sciously perhaps, in their favor. Abund ant evidence of this exists on every side. OUR BOARD OF TRANSPORTATION. In other states, like Iowa, the state board of transportation devotes its time to the redress of grievances of persons who have dealings with the railways of the state. It devotes its time to its duties and has greatly simplified the schedule of railway rates and reduced rates, when necessary, to what seems just and fair compensation. No attempt has been made in this state by the state board to simplify the classification or re duce rates, although the act giving the board such power was sustained by the supreme court seven years ago Last year a very considerable increase of rates over those voluntarily estab. liahed by the company fire years before . upon baled hay were made over by the ) Elkhorn railroad after a large part of the JUDGE MAXWELL TALKS i-n nji '"!, iu un IUWL, OllUUUKO TUB HTSbS wrttisairrpper a: the former rates were almost nothing; yet the board con- sented to a part (one-half, I believe,) ol the increase. , There is not a city, town or individual in the state that is not interested in hav ing a fair, capable, efficient and independ ent board of transportation to adjust the wrongs of discrimination or other abuse, against the town itself or individ uals therein. , Many reliable life-long Democrats as sure me that for years past the great cor porations have kept hired men in their party in the guise of friends, whose sole purpose was to create confusion and to make such nominations in the Democrat ic party as would inure to the benefit of the Republican party. You will probably say, I ought not to complain of that; but patriotism rises above partisanship. I am also assured that it is . very com- mou for a nominee to au important posi tion to assure the railway managers that if elected he will not hurt them. It seems to me that such a course is destructive of free government, and that no honorable man or corporation ought to sanction it; but I have been furnished with the names of the parties so employed, and have no doubt of the truth of the state ment. It is true Congressman Bryan has made a gallant fight against the power and wealth of the corporation machine and has triumphed and established the right of Democrats to control their own conventions; and the opposition to him showed plainly the unscrupulous methods resorted to by the great corporations in seeking to have the alleged ticket of afew dissenters placed on the ballots as the Democratic ticket. CORRUPT COURT AND COUNSEL. In the Maximum freight rate case re cently tried in the federal court at Omaha, the suit was brought by stockholders of the railroads against their own officers and the board of transportation to en oin the operation of the Maximum rate aw upon the ground that the income of the roads on the investments would not be sufficient under that law to justify the reduction in rates. A suit ol this kind necessarily requires an investigation ol the amount of freight carried and the amount received therefor; together with a statement of rebates and other, deduc tions and expenses. . The number of pas sengers carried and amount of lares col lected, the names of those carried free and the cause thereof, the salaries paid to officers and names of each. It also re quires a statement of the number of em ployes and the particular business of each, and a particular investigation of the expenditure of the revenues of the road, so that it may appear that the ex penditure is necessary and legitimate. In other words a complete statement of the actual cost of the road, the amount of bonus received in its construction, the actual income, stating in detail the sources and the expenditures in detail and for what. The parties come into court of equity asking equiftible relief. and must show both by their pleadings and proof that they come with clean hands and are ready to do equity and are entitled to relief. On at least two of the lines of this state there seems to be good grounds for the charge that secret reDates are allowed, and that they amount ordinarily to a very large sum per annum. The amount of free trans portation also is very great estimated by competent observers at from one- fourth to one-third of the passengers, and both together at a moderate esti mate may probably be placed at $1,000,- uuu per year, was any proof taken no on any 01 tnese items in tne suit woken of? If not, why not? The Atchison toad in Kansas is said to have paid $7,000, 000 in secret rebates. - There are other matters which might be mentioned in this connection did time permit. There is a very general belief that the interests of the state demand a change in me management oi tne treasury. GIVE US HONEST JOHN POWERS. The secretary of the state, auditor of public accounts, state treasurer, com missioner of puDiic lands and buildings and attorney general constitute the board of transportation, which have power on a four-fifths vote to appoint three secretaries to perform the duties of the board. It will thus be seen that if a capaoie, fearless, efficient board of anv of the kinds named is desired, the voters of tne state must themselves select them. If a person is nominated by the untram melled choice of any considerable body of electors, and is elected and is a capable, conscientious man, he may be relied upon to perform his duty faithfully and im partially, and a board composed of such men will be faithful and efficient servant It is suicidal to vote for the men put up oy tne corporations ana ooodiers. They believe that their conjectures as to their influence seldom fail. JUDGE MAXWELL'S STRONG ENDORSEMENT. The writer speaks from his knowledge, that the Populists have placed in nomi nation for all the state offlcesclean capa ble, faithful and. fearless men who. if elected, will perform their duties faith fully, carefully and . efficiently. These men have as much interest in the pros perity of the state as it is possible for any one else to have. Good citizenship is not dependent upon wealth or power. These two often make their possessor ar rogant and overbearing, but it depends upon integrity and honor and a faithful performance of duties. Their homes and all that they have are here, and they are careful and conservative men. They are held in high respect by their neighbors and acquaintances and are goed citizens. The government of the state will be safe in such hands. The state is one of the LINCOLN, NEB., THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1894. Deet in the union. There canbenobetter investment or security than its broad, fertile acres at a fair valuation. I have resided in the state nearly thirty-nine years and it grieves me to hear it tra duced and to see scarecrows brought out ana naunted in our faces , TO FRIGHTEN US LIKE CHILDREN while the parties behind the scenes laugh in their sleeves at their cutepeformances. Some forty years ago certain merchants from the then slave states announced in the city of New York that they would purcnase no goods in tnat city if they showed hostility to slavery, or of those who were openly oppressed to slaverv, and New York would lose their trade and grass would grow on its streets, and many of the merchants of that city, as well as the mayor, cringed before the slaveholders' threats. A number of mer chants, however, announced in placards in bold type, placed in conspicuous places in their stores, "We sell our goods and not our principles," and the result was that even the slaveholders respected them for their principles and independence and patronized them in preference to those wno cringed Defore them. 1- commend tne application of these principles to those who are threatening to crack the drivers' wnip over our heads, and also to those who in a cowardly manner are seeRing to cause voters dependent upon them to sacrifice their manhood by vot ing contrary to their convictions. A little more than forty years ago I assist ed in forming the Republican party. Its leading principles were "Free soil, free speech and free men," and from that time to this, through evil report and good re port, i nave stood for those principles, ana au toaay. , THE PEOPLE VS. THE BOODLERS. Ihe questions at issue in this stat however, are not national but pertain to our state alone, and they are, "Shall the citizens of this state govern, or shall the great corporations and boodlers; and, second, shall the different departments of the state be placed on a business hnHin and conducted honestly and with econo my; inese questions come home to every voter in the state. The railways uuu uooaiers nave attempted to divert attention from these questions by invit- iug noiea speaxers use JHcKinley and Butterworth into the state to dismiss national issues and by free transporta tion of brass bands and persons who would attend these and other meetinira The rank and file of the party may shout w ucnaiu ieauers to ineir nearts con tent, bo that the railways and boodlern can dictate the nominations. After they have controlled the conventions and nominated the persons of their choice they attempt to use the party whip to force the rank and file to support their nominees. A gentleman high upJn the railroad-republican party recently stated in writing that the Republican election of one year ago cost the party $23,000, and it is intimated that many times that amount are to be used in this election. The use of money to corrupt elections is destructive of Republican government. No party can justify it. It has tended to center the wealth of the country in a few hands by the granting of special privi leges, and should be discountenanced by every good citizen. If the Republican ticket is elected the rail waysand boodlers will be masters of the situation and we will have the same ignoring of the wishes of the people that prevailed for a few years past, and the same defiance of the awe of both God and man, thefountains of justice obstructed, and the same loose methods, or worse, in the several de partments and institutions of the state. The only way to have a reform in the methods heretofore employed in this state is to begin anew. In other words to ELECT THE POPULIST TICKET, Prom top to bottom. The result will be, the new board of educational lands and funds will see that the state has the benefit of the interest on its own money. The board of public lands and buildings will administer the affairs of the various institutions with diligence, economy and care. The board of transportation will speedily correct, abuses in railroad rates: or otherwise, whether thev arise at Lin coln, Omaha, Hastings, Kearney, Fre mont, Norfolk, or other points in the the state. The boodlers will go out of the boodle business at the expense of the state and the railroads become servatns instead of masters, and the state will go forward in renewed life and prosperity. I have as briefly as possible pointed ont a few of the dangers which will resultto the state by continuing the great corpora tions and boodlers in power. Each year makes them more powerful and atrores- sive and the unscrupulous methods of the Tweed ring are employed without compunction to continue them in power. i nope tne intelligent voters of this state will say that "Good eovern men t is far above party success," and vote forcandi dates who are neither under obligations to the great corporations and boodlers, nor tied to their interests. I am very respectfully, Samuel Maxwell. On the night of Oct 20 the Populists of Chicago poured out in immense num bers to hear their leaders at the Auditor ium. The Times, now Democratic, ad-, mits that the People's party has grown steadily since its first organization at Ulrich's hall, and that it "will conquer for itself place in the front ranks of the great political organizations of the day." v' 1 GIVES INSIDE FACTS. A Republican Teacher Tells us Mora . I ADont tne King. . The following letter received by Profes sor Jones after we went to press last week, confirms what evidence we gave of the existence of an educational ring, and gives particulars of the acts and names of some of the members of the ring. Jt makes very interesting reading to all except those whose names and schemes are published. We omit the closing portion of the letter. The first and important part to the general pub lic and to the teaching fraternity is as follows: ' - Proi W. A. Jones, Hastings. - JJE4B Bib: 1 am a school man. 1 am also a republican. But I am a school man first. lam, on account of tuy inter- terestin the public schools of the state, interested in the election of yourself to the ofSce of Superintendent because I be- Ueverom all that i can learn ol you, and because of what I know of the man who a candidate on my own ticket, that you are by all odds the better fitted of the two for the position. Now, at the late meeting of the asso ciation of principals, held in this city, a caucus was held of some of the men in attendance, on the matter of the assist ance that should be given to aid in the election of the republican candidate. A committee was appointed by those in caucus (who assume to represent the ed ucational interests and to represent the school men of the state), consisting of the followfug gentlemen: J. H. Miller, who needs the superintendency to help make his paper a success, and who knows that he can manage the man for whom he is working, in his own personal inter est; Dan Miller, of Fremont, a man of no character, who wants a man who can be managed by a Fremont printing firm for their and his own purposes; X . A, Barton, at present in the Superintend ent's office, and who is, no doubt, under promise to be retained there if the man for whom be is working is elected; v. u. Pearse, of Beatrice, who bas an am bition to get into politics, and who, I am informed, is to be a member of the state examining committee, and who represents n one and no interest but himself and bis own personal interests, and F. M. Brayton, of Pawnee City, who is a good man and who Is simply misled by these schemers. These men are set ting forth that the republican candidate is a school man of wide experience, of broad scholarship, of high character, and that in every way he is the best man for the place, while a number of them, before he was a candidate, sneered at him as a small man, easily prejudiced, of no considerable scholarship and devoted to his own personal advancement with out great regard to the means used, provided his methods were not dis covered. Now all the latter is in line with what, with an acouaintance of a number of years, I think of the man. This so-called committee is doing all in their power to elect this man to the most important place in thegift of the people of Nebraska. It is an outrage. If elected , he will be at the beck and call of every politician who bas a scheme to forward. I would sug gest that through the Populist county superintendents and others interested in good Hchoois you might help your own cause, and ns I believe, the' cause of edu cation in the state by calling attention to this political Inovement intended to elect this man, raude under the false guise ot friendliness to the interests of educa tion. It may be sufficient reason for not giving you my name if I call your atten tion to the fact that my position in the state might be jeopardized if it were known by these men that I have interest ed myself in this matter. Personally I have no objection to urge against yo"r opponent; but the school interests de mand that a good school man as well as a man of integrity, should be in the Superintendent's office. We ask our readers to give as wide circulation as possible to the above letter. Place this paper with the article marked in the hands of any one whose vote is not secure for Prof. Jones. Pick out at least one man and get his vote. Make each copy go as far as possible and get it into the bands of teachers. Spe cial effort is needed to counteract the last month's work ot this ring. Get every Republican you can to vote for Prof. Jones, in order to save the educa tional Interests of the state from the hands of a selfish coterie of incompetent men. Prof. Jones is an educator of the highest rank, of national renown, incom parably superior to Corbett, and elected to office will lift our public schools to the highest degree of excellence. An Eloquent Man' Speeches Clarks, Neb., Oct. 21, 1894. Editor Wealth Makers: y Seeing nothing from this neck of the woods for some time and having had a real treat of three speeches by L. B. Ir win of Harlan county, I want to tell you he is a vote maker. It didn't hear him at Central City, but he said hehadagobd crowd out. From there he drove to my place, Porter Van Wey, congressional central committee and myself having af- ( y- f-;, ranged for three meetings for him in the eounty. - v The night of the 16th we took him to his next appointment, the Lane school house, about three miles away, where he had a full and very attentive bouse-, The next night we took him ten miles to the Scudder schoolhouse, and the next day I piloted him across the sandbars of the Platte and he spoke at Stromsburg, Polk county. The next night he took up the question of finance and handled it in a most clear and masterly way, with con vincing, clinching arguments that held every one spell-bound for two hours, and I believe he could have held them an hour or two longer just as well. He showed himself to be master ot his subject and handled it in a way that muss have set the Republicans and Democrats to think ing on different lines from what they have been taught to by the old gang of politi cians. He is a whole encyclopedia of ref erence away back before the foundation of the government. He dropped a few words tor Porter (of this county, Mer rick) at the Scudder schoolhouse, which was a fire-brand to some of the Republi can old soldiers, they claiming be was f ledged to vote for Bryan for the Senate which of course is all bosh), but they have sprung that on Porter to draw off as many of the soldier vote as possible in order to defeat him for the legislature, so the Republicans can send Thurston to the senate if possible. But Porter is going to get there jnst the same. The Republi can old soldiers are taught to believe that Bryan will stab them in the back if be goes to the senate, but they will have no better friend in congress than Bryan. B. N. Cleveland. SCHBSME Ot? THIS RING. Corbett Pledged to Serve a School Snpply Monopoly. Editor Wealth Makers: ' I have just seen a copy of yonr paper and read, your article entitled "Another Conspiracy Discovered." I do not an ticipate as much influence' on the7eleo-' tion by the " authorized " republ ican teachers as your article would imply. I believe it is not only the teacher's right out his duty to take part in political affairs, the same as it is the duty of every loyal citizen. The influence "the 500" will be more than offset by more than twice that number of teachers who will work for the election of Prof. Jones, whether they are "authorized" or not Although I am a populist I was very anxious to see the republicans re-nom inate Prof. Goudy. Had they done so I should have voted for him unless we should have nominated a better man and one who would likely follow the line of policy inaugurated by Prof. Goudy. I dislike to believe that Prof. Goudy is doing much to defeat Prof. Jones, for the following reason: : . A day or two after the republican con vention in Omaha, Prof. Goudy visited our Institute at Creighton. While there he gave some of the influences used to defeat him. He stated that a short time prior to the convention he learned that Dodge county would oppose him. To learn the wherefore he sent a friend to interview Hammond Bros., of Fremont This friend reported that Hammond Bros, ft Stevens were engaged in the business of printing blank books and supplies for schools and teachers; that1 uoudy bad used bis influence with the legislature to have officers' books, teach ers' registers and blanks furnished to country districts free of expense to the districts; that this action of Gondy's in terfered, with their business as publishers. and they would support no one for nom ination who would not pledge himself to try to bave the next legislature refuse to make an appropriation for such supplies for country school districts; and that they should support Prof. Corbett. The inference is, that Prof. Corbett is eo , pledged, since Dodge county supported him in the convention. This is a ques tion that affects all country school dis tricts. '1 he system of having such sup. plies free to the country schools insures uniformity as well as cheapness, and each district is sure to have the books it needs. Hammonds' claimed that the books cost the state only about 20 cents, each, whereas they get from 75 cents to $1.00 per book. The amount saved in any one district is only a few dollars, but this "conspiracy" is to give the Hammonds a whack at ten thousand districts, which would net them a snug fortune. It is in harmony with the schemes so much in vogue of late years, to take a little from each and so accumu late much in the aggregate. Every officer in the country school districts is interested in this matter and should re member it when voting for State Super intendent Yours truly, D. D. Marttndale, Co. Supt. Knox Co., Nebr. . Judoe J. E. Lincoln, an able speaker and hitherto a , leading Democrat of Missouri,has just publicly joined the Pop ulist party. He is a brother-in-law of Congressman Dockery. That lttmBmen can be rurrd with Dr. Miles' HEBVfi PJuASTJEB. Only 25a ifc.-'" ' V- V-rr" NO. 31 linooln People Jjnised at (he Lexti ef The Prooestion DECLARED TO 2 1 OZCLS Splendid Speeches at the Ban Qrounds and at Bohanan's HaU Singing , .. Thrilling Armageddon Songs A Great Day Presaging Victory, Lincoln was taken by surprise on Wed nesday of last week by the Populists who swarmed in from the county precincts of the county, with neighborhood bands and with colors flying. Without adver tising, without effort to get Populists in line who live in town, a procession two miles long, a procession which was forty minutes passing a given point made ft appearance and was received with amass ment and long-faced concern by the Re publicans of the g. o. p. stronghold. The Republicans had a state rally here when Mckinley visited Lincoln and the railroads brought in on passes all the bands and people that could be brought In from all over the state. For those who would not use passes the fare was put down to less than a half rate and the Republican papers stated that fifty pas-, engercoachesof people were thus brought to make a crowd McEinley day. The time of the State Fair was also chosen and the whole thing was widely and pro fuaely advertised weeks prior to McKin ley's coming. TheB. 4 M. closed its shops, also, and brought in its men from Havelockr Prices were offered Tor floats, ' and men were hired to tramp and ride in the procession. So with the attraction, of their national speaker of greatest re nown and presidential aspiration of largest following, with help from the railroads (in bringing in crowds) which is given to their own candidates only, with money to hire music and marchers and circus attractions, the Reps did their utmost and made it a state day, a state and national crowd. And while they got everybody out on the street to te the show, it was, all things considered, small affair. Our parade last week was local. We ' had only state speakers here. All the loplecamein their own conveyances, e did not have the matter advertised ' in town to any extent. And yet our line of country teams was longer than the, Republican procession apd it contained more voters in it. One of the floats was filled with young men. Over this was in scribed: 'Our First Vote For Holcomb." Uuderneath were the words: "We Have no Money to Hire Bands, ' But we Have the Votes to Bury Tom Majors." Altogether it was a display ol strength that had effect to both inspire and dis piritinspiring to the Populists, die-' piritmg to the corporation corruption- ists. , ; At 2:30 p. m. an audience of over 2.000 people gathered at the M. street ball ' park to hear the speaking. The county chairman, Mr. McNerney, introduced Mr. ' Stevens of Bethany as chairman of the afternoon and evening meetings, and with his usual felicity Mr. Stevens -intro duced the speakers. Mayor Weir, our candidate for congress from this district . was the first to address the audience. , He spoke briefly, strongly, wittily. Judge Holcomb followed him in a longer speech The Judge made a very effective address, ' discussing state issues, tne corporations and the money question. On the tariff, what he had to say, that he felt dis posed to reply to the query, "How do you stnndjon the tariff question? that 'He was disposed not to stand on it at all, but to sit down on it," we thought exceedingly sensible The wind blew a gale, and the dust flew thick, making it so hard to speak and hear that it was deemed advisable to cut short the afternoon exercises. In the evening Bohanan's hall was fill ed with people and the exercises were be gun with singing by the Bethany Glee Club, led by Prof. Walter, teacher of music in Corner University. Prof. Wal ter has a very fine voice to lead, and he was most ablv snDDorted bv Mrs. Keiffer of Cass county, a lady whosevoice should be a fortune to her. It is the most musical contralto we have heard in many a day, and her compass of clear rich tones is very remarkable. The choir was under excellent training by Prof. Walter. The songs were all selections from Armageddon, our own book, and showed the surpassingly fine quality of the music as well as the fitness and force of the words, to voice the needs and rights and oppression of the masses. The first selec tion reudored by the choir was from' page 83, "Right Shall Reign." Thenext, "God Save the People," page 89, was even a surprise' to us, for, though having written Continued on Eighth Page. SWARMING mm ft