The Nebraska independent. (Lincoln, Nebraska) 1896-1902, October 01, 1896, Image 1

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lite
The Wealth Makers and Lincoln Independent Consolidated.
i
VOL. VIII.
LINCOLN, NEBR., THURSDAY, Oct. i, 1896.
NO. 17.:
iY II
1
N Lib
.
CAT OUT OF TBE BAG
fvOoldbuf? Stats Central Committe
'"r Gnjity of Attempting
to Bribe.
A COARSE PIECE OF WORK
' L)eads to Tom Cooke's Exposure Ho
v.
Tackled the Wrong
Man.
I
I Mark Hnn Tactic.
ns of this state have been on the verge
1 nervous prostration for the past two
months over the fact that Mr. Bryan
I will carry Nebraska on November S next,
and because of this fact Mark Hannahs
lieutenants have been compelled to tap
the barrel with" great regularity to bol
ster up the goldbug ticket. It has been
asserted time and again that thousands
of dollars were being used Jot the pur
pose of bribery and while they have been
able thus far to pretty effectually cover
up their work from public gaze, the cat
has been let out of the bag by Tom
Cooke, a well knrwn disciple of Banna.
Tom has been caught at a very coarse
piece of work as the fsworn affidavit
published below will prove and
and Uncle Charlie Morrill, chairman of
e republican state central committee,
a reported to have withdarwn him from
the field in the hopes of being able to
each him a thing or two abont leg puli
ng before he is given opportun
ity of making another blunder. His cor
A
pulency is probably aware by this time
W.. that the men who are fighting the dam
I pitiable gold standard are men who are
yt f 80 or pr'nc'p'e ani nat nev
1 , lot be coerced, bribed or bulldozed.
iu air. r ujf 11 iki a uunur auuuivuiiunii
Betid, he flatfootedly refused to become
; a party to any such an underhanded
game as was proposed by Cooke, and it
might be stated the woods are full of
just such honest men when it comes to
the supporters of free coinage.
State of Nebraska, Laucastercounty,
-W. A. ' Poynter being first duly
rn, deposes and says: I am a reei-
dt of Boone , county, Nebraska, and
. .
years last past, and that on the 23d day
of September, 1896, I was driving from
y home in Roselma precinct to Albion.
hen abont one mile from home I met
Ji'oui Cook of Lincoln, Neb., who ' was in
a livery rig from Albion, accompanied
V by a driver. When we met Cook he
ordered his driver to stop and said:
"Hello, Poynter, I was just going down
to your house. 1 wanted to see your
creamery."
I told him that I could go back with
him. V; ' '. V- ' .
He said: "You were going to town
wern't yon." ,
I told him that I was.
He said: "Well if you will let me, I
would like to ride in with you." ,
V I said: "Certainly, climb in."
:f He told hia driver that he would ride
with'nleand for the driver to follow
?,Iong. He then got into the buggy
e and I drove toward Albion.
e first thing he next tiaid was:
"Pointer, I have a straight business
reposition to make to you." .
I sr.id: "What' kind of a proposition
ts it?" '
E He said: "We want you to run for
I ingress in this district."
f j "Why," I said, "no under no circum
stances could I run for congress."
"Why not?" he said. "Can you give
any good reason why you can't run for
congress?"
I said: "Yes, a number of first rate
I
1
fe reasons."
M He said: "If you can give me a single
sood reason in the six miles' drive from
Sere to Albion, I would like for you to
Jo it, I don't believe that you can give a
jingle good reason."
I I told him that I could not honorably
o it. That I had as uuch to do as any
ther one populist of Boone county in
ringing about a union on Judge Max
well at the silver conference at Norfolk:
(that I felt he was the only man on whom
nil the silver forces could agree in the
Third district; that I had been, and was
now, particularly anxious to defeat the
Republican party in that district. , I told
im that whatever others might say I
was too young a man to consider my.
'self a dead duck . politically; that under
-mcWjircu instances a man would be too
for any use.
NO MONEY TO THROW AWAY.
told him that if there was no other
;f reasons, I had no money to throw away
on such schemes; that if I wished to run
for congress ever so badly I couldn't af
ford it. During the time 1 was giving
m j reasons he frequently interposed ar
guments against them and told me not
t o be in euoh haste to declare my deter
mination not to take up with his propo
rtion. During our conversation I became con
vinced of what he was intending to ac
complish and I thought it to be my duty
to find out as much as possible from
bim, so that it might be used to advan
tage, not only .in Judge Maxwell's cam
paign in the Third district, but as well
in the balance of the state.
When talking about the expense at
tending a campaign he asked me what it
would cost to make a campaign in the
Third district. I told him that when I
ran for congress in the Third district
four years ago that I considered that it
cost me in the neighborhood of $1,000.
OFFERED A BRIBE.
After a good deal of talk trying to
make me believe it would in no way in
jure me, either financially or otherwise;
that my political standing would be just
as good in my party after the campaign
as before, he said: "If you will make the
race we will give you $1,000 and pay
you $500 spot cash. We will give you
$50 a week expense money and trans
portation overall the lines of railroad
in your distr ct. D n it, we Want you
to beat Maxwell.
"More than, that," he said, "we will
give you good crowds, hall rent and ad
vertise your meetings. You will have
nothing to do but go out and meet your
friends and you have scads of 'em in
this district."
I told him the proposition was brand
new to me and I would have to take
time to consider.
He asked: "How much time?"
, I told him that if I should conclude to
run for congress I would have to make
some business changes, which would re
quire some little time. He urged an early
answer and desired me to let liiia know
by Saturday il I could and said he would
meet me anywhere I would indicate. I
finally told him be might hear from me
next Monday. '
He said: "A letter addressed to Tom
Cooke, Lincoln, will reach me." When
about half a mile from Albion he got out
of the buggy and when be had said
;."Jaodby'. be Raid: . "Poynter, no one
knows that I am here, I am ostensibly
on insurance business." He 'then got
into the livery buggy, which had fol
lowed along, and I saw him no more.
I know that the Tom Cooke with whom
I had the conversation is the ame Tom
Cooke who was employed in the office of
Governor Thayer; whohas occupied posi
tions at various times during the last
sixteen years aa clerk of the house or
senate of the Nebraska legislature; who
was secretary of the republican state cen
tral committee during the campaign of
1892, when Brad Slaughter was chair
man of the committee, the same Tom
Cooke who has occupied a prominent po
sition in the councils of the republican
party of Nebraska for years and has
been especially aetive in campaign work
in connection with different republican
committees. "
(Seal.) ' W. A. Poynter.
. Subscribed iu my presence and sworn
to before me this 25th day of September,
1896. My com expires May 4, '97.
T. S. Allen, Notary Public.
FruiU of the Gold Standard.
Suppose that In 1892 a free "silver
president and congress had been elect
ed and unlimited coinage at 16 to 1
Inaugurated. Then suppose that these
things had followed: The industry of
the country sandbagged, workingmen
thrown out of employment by the
million, farmers unable to sell their
products at a profit, bankruptcy hang
ing over countless thousands, banks
everywhere so near the verge of in
solvency owing to depreciation in
values that to press their debtors
would mean ruin to themselves, our
bond obligations increased by $262,000,
000 to keep gold in the treasury, pay
ment of the public debt stopped, and a
deficit in the revenue of $12,000,000 A
month piling up suppose all this un
der a silver administration, and who
would there now be to question that'
our manifold calamities had been
brought upon us by free coinage?
All these disasters have befallen un
der a gold administration, and why
should not the gold standard be
charged with them ? Present facts are
better guides than the vaticinations of
prophets of evil. Let the defenders of
gold monometallism tell why it ie that
While their money system has been in
ixistence the country has so suffered.
As the gold men promise the people
nothing more cheering than a contin
aance of this distress-breeding system,
it is not clear why the people should
rise with enthusiasm to vote for an
other four years of the gold standard
and hard times. New York Journal.
, No, Yon Bet he Isn't.
Ike Lansiug of Lincoln is telling .Vir
ginians that Nebraska will give Mc
Kinley a majority. But Isaac is not
telling the peopleof Virginia a few things
abont the county judgeship of Lancaster
county. World-Herald.
PatronlM those ptrtons who advtrtlM
iathia paper.
ERRATIC C. M. CLARK
The Paid Disciple ofHanna Meets
. Inglorious Defeat at the
Hands of Populists.
HIS MARK HANNA CONVENTION
Is Handled and Controlled by the
Populists, But Clark is
Still Confident. '
Ha a, Hard Bow. '
Mr. C. M. Clark called his celebrated
middle-of-the-road populist convention
to order yesterday at 2 v o'clock. Mr,
Clark pretends to be very much dis
pleased with the manner in which the
populists of this state have been running
the party and is opposed to the sacri
ficing of an opportunity for spoils for
principle, hence his determination to
have a state convention of his kind of
people. But unfortunately for Mr.
Clark it was not as unanimously for
him as he might have wished. When his
"convention" got started he discovered
that he had only one sympathizer in the
crowd.
Mr. McNerny gained the floor and
stated that he was present representing
the unorganized territory and moved
the appointment of a committeeof three
to solicit funds from Mark Hanna and
that the convention adjourn antil No
vember 10th.
Chairman Goodell looked fierce at the
speaker, knocked off a few inches of the
table with his gavel to squelch the mirth
and restore order and then declared that
the motion was entirely out of order.
An appeal was taken from the decision
tout to no purpose.
It was then suggested that the call of
the convention be'read and Colonel Clark
produced the same and read it. He then
gave his reasons for calling the conven
tion in the magnificen t How of oratory
for which he is so noted and his auditors'
winked the other eye and smiled. The
colonel declared that be was opposed to
Bryan beeanse Bryan was a democrat
and did not subscribe to the fundamen
tal principles of the populist party.
Colonel MeNerny again gained the at
tention of the chairman and took occa
sion to plaee Messrs. Tandervoort and
Deeh in the oven for a period of fifteen or
twenty minutes. When they were re
moved each was done to a turn. Yan
dervoort was call the worst political
blackguard in Nebraska politics and a
chorus of "amens" rent the air.
A resolution Was finally adopted en
dorsing the national, state and populist
ticket- ,
Colonel Clark during the- meeting in
dulged in a series of vocal pyrotechnics
betokening a disordered liver and dis
pleasure over the turn affairs had taken
in being so outgeneraled by ; the popu
lists. He announced that he would bolt
and get up a ticket by petition. When
asked if he would permit republicans to
sign his petition he ingeniously admitted
that he had been promised
help and would not object to
the politics of anyone who might aasist
him by signing. It was clearly demon
strated that there is no such thing as a
body of populists in the state who want
to bolt.
This leaves the republicans who had
banked on something of this kind with a
hope that is blasted.
When the meeting was over he with
drew in disgust and proceeded straight
way to the Journal office where he in
dicted the following and which appeared
in this morning's issue: 1
Lincoln, Neb., Sept. 28. To the Edi
tor of the State Journal: If it is possi
ble to get "middle of the road" popu
lists enough who are willing to serve as
electors, 1 believe we can get a good can
didate, and there will be so many popu
lists that will come to his support that
Mr. Kryan will not be in it. And the
fact that so far as populism is con
cerned, Mr. Bryan is not and never has
been any more of an advocate than any
other "free silver" democrat, and
though he has virtually bossed the pop
ulists of this state for six years, he is as
much of an enemy to every principle and
measure that be of material benefit in
the great effort,being made all over this
country - to '-enact laws, create,
conditions that will restore
the general welfare," destroy
the great power of centralizing wealth,
and therefore destroy the "hard times,"
restore prosperity, as any republican
aristocrat or plutocrat. And the result
of today's convention makes it very
plain that if a start can be made, if we
can get the electors before the people, we
shall have a much better chance of secur
ing a real populist for our next presi
dent than the demo-pops now have of
electing Mr. Bryan. And in this matter
we want the help, not only of all true
populists, but of everybody that is will
ing to help ns. C. M. Clark,
. 618 North Twelfth Street.
Breeders of fine stock can find no better
advertising medium than this paper.
A Splendid Event. '
New Your, Sept. 80. It has been
many a day since the historical Tam
many wigwam held Buch a compact
mass of humanity as that essembled
there last night to hear William Jen
nings Bryan and others speak.
Although 8 o'clock was the hour set
for the proceedings to begin, three hours
earlier the doors of the meeting place
were besieged by a clamorous throng.
It kept growing in numbers until 8
o'clock, when the doors were thrown
open. There were then enough people
assembled ia the vicinity of Tammany
to fill the wigwam twice over.
There is but one gallery in the ball,
and in a very short space of time this
was jammed. The seats had been re
moved from the orchestra floor for the
purpose of economizing ; space and the
crowd was compelled to stand through
out the meeting. It was one solid mass,
enthusiastic from the start, aud good
natured, despite the uncomfortable en
vironments. Over the platform were
the portraits of Bryan and Sewall. In
the gallery was stationed a brass band,
and the patriotic tunes rendered aroused
the exuberance of the crowd. A liberal
supply of small American flags had been
passed around, and these were kept con
tinuously waving by the enthusiastic
voters.
. SO ALL COULD HEAR.
' Tammany was determined that every
word uttered by Mr. Bryan should be
heard by those in the hall, and with this
end in view had erected a sounding
board, in the shape of a canopy, directly
over the speaker's position on the plat
form, the candidate standing under it
while speaking.
The meeting was called to order by
John W Keller, the presiding officer of
the evening, at 8:45. At that hour there
were over 6,000 persons congregated in
the hall.
Resolutions were read and adopted
indorsing the resolutions of the Chicago
convention and the democratic conven
tion at Buffalo and the candidates
named on those occasions.
, Immediately after the adoption of the
resolutions Mr. Bryan, accompanied by
Mr; Sewell, Seaator Thomas J. Grady,
Senator Daly of New Jersey and George
Fred Williams of Massachusetts, ap
peared on the platform. A great out
burst of applause and cheering , greeted
Mr. Bryan's appearance. The moment
the audience caught sight of In in hats,
handkerchiefs and American flags went
up in all parts of the hall. Cheer after
cheer rent the air.
The cheering and applause continued
for eight minutes and at the conclusion
Mr. Bryan was introduced by the chair
man. He spoke as follows: r
ANSWERS MR. HARRISON.
"Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentle
men: I thank the Tammany society for
the privilege which it has afforded me of
speaking to the people assembled here,
I am sure the Tammany society is in
dead earnest in its efforts to give its sup
port, not only to the Chicago ticket, but
to the platform upon which , the ticket
stands. (Applause.) Before addressing
myself to the paramount issue of the
campaign I desire to read the language
used here in this city by the ex-presideut
of the United btates, Hon. Benjamin
Harrison. (Hisses.) 1 quote his words,
because words coming from so high
a republican - source ought to be
considered. even if you cannot
agree with them. Let me read y6u
what he snys Iu rny opinion there is no
issue presented by the Chicago conven
tion more important and vital than the
question they have raised of protecting
the power and duty of the national
courts and national executive. The de
fense of the constitution and of the liber
ty of the supreme court of the United
Slates, and of the president's power to
send troons of the United States into any
state without the call or consent of the
governor, is an important and leading
issue in tins campaign.'
NAUGHT THAT IS A MENACE.
"My friends. I call your attention to
the fact that ex-President Harrison as
serts that our platform raises a question
which puts our constitutional govern
ment in danger. If that were true we
might well turn from discussion of any
other question to that which menaces
the continuation of constitutional gov
ernment. There is nothing in the Chica
go platform that would make the exec
utive of the United States feeble in en
forcing all the laws of the nation, and
there is nothing in that platform that
assails the integrity or questions the
honesty of the supreme court of
the 1 United States. I challenge you
to read that platform and find in that
platform a single sentence that justifies
the language used by the ex-president.
Our criticism of the surpreme court is
not oue bit stronger than that con
tained in the platform upon which
Abraham Lincoln was elected in I8G0,
and anything that I have said has not
been any stronger than the language
used by Ab-aham Lincoln, both before
and after his election. I shall no further.
If Mr. Harrison wants to raise the ques
tion of the Burvival of the government.
Iain willing to meet him upon that prop
osition. (Applause.)
"My friends, so far as republicans and
former democrats have criticised my ac
tion as a meaace to law, and order, I
want to say to you that their fear is not
that, as an execul ive, I might be lax in
enforcement. Their fear is that, as an
executive, I would not respect persona.
(Applause.)
"Who is it that is afraid the law will
not be enforced? Those who are most
fearful that there would be a lax enforce
ment e law are the very persona who
would suffer most it law was enforced.
(Applause.)
Mr. Harrison was to debate the qnea
tion of the survival of oar institutions.
I will tell bim that the great trusts which
are supporting the republican ticket are
a greater menace to our government
than anything else we have ever had.
(CheerS.) The varioua trusts of thhj
country by their representatives, are
collecting tribute from the public and
when we protest against it they call us
disturbers of the peace and anarchists.
(Applause.) I am opposed to the trusts.
(Cheers.) As an executive 1 shall use
what power I have to drive every trust
out of existence. (Loud cheering.) ;
"I understand that a citizen of this
state (groans and hisses) also thinks my
election would be dangerous to the coun
try. There is some consolation in hav
ing Mr. Depew against me and that is, if
elected, he will not come down and tell
me, that as he helped to elect me he
wants me to get off that plank that de
clares in favor of arbitration of i differ
ences between railroads and employes.
(Great cheering.) My friends, there U
one great consolation that I find iu the
fact that our opponents have arrayed
themselves aarainst me. that not havinir
their support in the campaign I do not
have their domination after the cam
paign is over." (Yells.) .
: Mr. Bryan then discussed the silver
question at length, quoting among other
authorities the republican nominee as in
favor of silver four years ago.
Besides the great meeting in the nig
warn there were seven others iu the open
air.'
AN OBSERVATION
Qen.
Howard's Revolutionary Charge
Not at All Consistent.
We wonder what this government
would be if General Howard bad his
way. He denounced as revoluionary
any attempt to change the manner of
electing United States senators. If this
be true, then John M. Palmer, the dis
tinguished candidate for the presidency
on the goldbug democratic ticket, an or
ganization to protest against revolution
and anaichy, is, if Howard is correct, a
revolutionist and anarchist, for six years
ago he stumped the state of Illinois as a
candidate for the United States, and
made the issue of the campaign the
election of United States senators by
the people. : He has probably done
more than any other man in thiscountry
to arouse public, sentiment against the
present method of electing United States
senators. He has thus done more than
any one else to stir up "revolution" and
"anarchy." ' ' .
General Howard cited the plank in the
Chicago platform favoring the election
of United States senators by the people
as one of the strongest evidences that
the platform was anarchistic andrevolu
tionary, so that if it can be shown that
this plank is noc revolutionary but
Strictly constitutional, the charge that
the general has made in regard to the
tendencies of that platform must fall.
Ought it not be evident to so distin
guished a student of constitutional law
as General Howard represents himself to
be that the change proposed is purely
within and provided for by the constitu
tion. If those who mado that instru
ment thought it was perfect why in the
world did they ever make any provision
for changing it? Why was that clause
inserted in the constitution setting
forth the manner in which it was to be
amended, if amendments were anarchis
tic and revolutionary?
The ridiculousness of General Howard's
charges are evident. But ft is an unfor
tunate thing that men, and patriotic
men indulge, in the slightest degree, in
any criticism relative to the officers of
the government or the manner in which
it is carried out without being charged
with intent to arouse revolution and stir
up anarchy. If this continues it will not
be long until one will not dare to op
pose a dishonest official or criticise an
unjust law without being liable for arrest
as a traitor to his country.
HIGHLY SUGGESTIVE.
General Sickles' Remarks Concerning
tho Democratic Candidate.
That part of General Sickles' speech
referring to Mr. Bryan as a youth and
suggesting that he be tried first at home
suggests several things. The people of
Nebraska have honored Mr. Bryan. Six
years ago they elected him to congress
n a district overwhelmingly republican.
General Sickles was also a member of
that congress. Mr. Bryan was selected
by the speaker of the house as a member
of a most important committee, a
place especially sought after and seldom
given to a new member, and although a
new member he was chosen over Geueral
Sickles, a man of wide experience in legis
lative life. Mr. Bryan was re-elected to
congress, and was again slated for this
committee. So that not only has Mr.
Brvan received recognition at the hands
of the people of hia own state, but has
also been justly recognized by the na
tion a great men as more than a peer of
General Sickles.
Tom Watson's speech lor sale at 2
cents a copy, f 1.50 per hundred. Send
your order to, Nebkaska Independent,
Lincoln, Nebraska. tt
THE WAX WORKS SPOUT
Mark Hanna Presses the Button
" And They Hake Their
Little Speech.
THOSE GOLDBUG GENESAL3.
They Are the Centre of Attraction
of a Large Crowd Last
Evening.
Renort to Abune.
nL - j a. .. . 1 . ..t. a. . .
100 ueiiiousirauon 01 last uigui war a
great success so far as numbers were
concerned. It was the largest ferowd
that ever came in from out of town to a
political demonstration. No one denies
this fact. But it is asked who would not
visit our city if free passes were given
them and hotel bills paid while here.
Such inducements would not be slighted
bv anv one. : Tint whan ill in taken into
consideration that, every McKluley man .
that wished to could visit the city free of
charge the parade was not any larger
than one would expect. '
Aside from the people whom the rail
roads brought in the crowd ' was not
large. The representation'1 from the
country precincts was vory alight indeed.
It waB quite evident that the farmers
and Hanna are on the outs.
Thare were just 8,117 people in liner
not half of whom were voters, the re
mainder being women and children.
Women trudged wearily along for two
hours, some of them carrying banners
and others carrying babies, 1
Aside from the squaking infants there
was little enthusiasm manifested. The
men marched along as it it was a case of
have to, a part of a service ' that had
been contracted and paid for.
The two opera houses were in use to
accommodate the crord. The generals
- -
grate to the other Mr. II. C. Russell
was chairman of the meeting at the Lan
sing and L. W. Biiltngsley presided at
the Funke.
, Mr. Manderson was the first speaker atr
the Lansing. He eulogized Major Mc
Kinley and denounced the other Bide as
promulgating anarchy and revolution,,
and referred to Bryan as'the infant phe
nomenon of Salt creek." '
General Sickles was the next speaker.
The general was greeted with enthusias
tic cheering. He said he had been e
a democrat over fifty years except in
I860 and 1864, when he voted for Lin
coln to save the union and now found it
necessary to vote for McKinley to save
tho. honor and credit of his country
again.
He alluded to Mr. Bryan as a nice-
young man who should grow up with
the country. "Give Jhim a job at home
elect bim county supervisor, and if he
performs his duties well you might some
time during the next century consider
him for further promotion." These re
marks were not greeted with flattering
applause. ,
He took issue with Mr. Bryan when he
said that no nation was prosperous un
der the gold standard and suid that no
nation which history has; any record
was more prosperous than ours during
the years from 1880 to 1890. He ap
pealed to bis comrades to again rally
around the flag and urge these about
them to again follow where they led.
Gen. 0. 0. Howard was introduced as
the next speaker. He refered to his study
of constitutional law ia West Point and
how that study inculcated in him res
pect for that instrument and the grand
old government under it. He endorsed
the action of Grover Cleveland in the
Chicago strike and said it was the sworn
duty of the president to uphold the law.
He condemned that plank of the Chicago
platform which criticized the supreme
court.
General Stewart of Pennsylvania waB
the next speaker. He urged his com
rades to stand true to the faith they
fought for. He refered to the great de
pression throughout the country and
said what was ueeded was a return of
confidence. He denounced the free coin
age movement as a scheme for repudia
tion. General R. A. Alger was next intro
duced, lie denounced what he turmed a
scheme to pay debts fifty ceuts on the'
dollar as dishonest and said the election
of Bryan would produce a panic, the
like of which had never been seen.
Corporal Tanner was the next to
speak. He spoke in about the same
vein as the proceeding speakers de
nouncing the "repudiationists" in the
most unsparing langauge. ' ,
Dr. Sims gives special attention to ar
tificial teeth, crown and bridge work.
Burr Bl'k. , 14.