nut
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The Wealth Makers and Lincoln Independent Consolidated.
LINCOLN, NEBR., THURSDAY April 29, 1897.
NO. 50.
VOL. VIII.
A DO-NOTHING POLICY.
,
Congress Meets Every Third Day
and Adjourns Without Tran
sacting Business.
THE ARMOR PLATE STEALS.
Senator Butler Calls for Informa
tion as to Postal Savings Banks
in Other Countries.
The Monetary CommUnlon .
pclal tO TH IMDEPEHDMT,
Washington, D. C, April 26, 1897.
Tne bouse is continuing its "do-noth-ing"
policy. It meets every third day
and immediately adjourns for another
' three days, uany, we owiik;iov. ,vw,
and a majority of the democrats agree
with the republicans in this "do-nothing"
policy. Bland and DeArinond of
Missouri, Richardson and McMillan of
Tennessee, and others of the more pro
nounced free silver democrats object to
this "do-nothing" policy, and approve
of the ponitiou taken by the peoples
party in demanding that Ileed should
appoint committees and that congress
should proceed to legislate.
PROCEEDINGS IS THE 8ESATE.
The most important action taken by
the senate during the past week was on
the bankruptcy bill. The Torrey bill, a
very bad and vicious measure a bid
which would have created bankrupts in
tead of relieving bankrupts was de
feated by a vote of thirty-four to twenty
four. Senator Nelson's substitute, which
is a very fair and equitable bill, and
provides for only voluntary bankruptcy,
was passed instead. ,
Senator Allen introduced a resolution
expressing sympathy with Greece in her
heroic and patriotic struggle against the
tyrannous and oppressive Turks. The
bondholders and usurers of Europe are
on the side of Turkey in this fight against
Christianity an1 liberty. Tbey.care
more for their profits from Turkish
bonds than they do for justice, huraau
ity and religion. The resolution was re
ported by the committtee on foreign rela
tions, and will probably be up next week
for discussion.
CHANDLEB'S BILL CREATES A SENSATION.
Senator Chandler's bill providing for
the government to take charge of the
Bethlehem and Carnegie armor plate
factories, and to operate them until a
sufficient amountof armor plate could
be made to be use u on the new vessels
now being built, was somewhat a sur
prise and created no little sensation
among the monopolists in and out ol
the senate. These factories have oeen
t about five
uimiKiuK b ,
hundred dollars per ton for armor plate.
Information carneto the senate that
this plate could be made for lees than
three hundred dollars per ton, and that
thnse sume factories were furnishing the
name armor plate to foreign countries
at about two hundred and sixty dollars
per ton. Acting on this information,
the last naval appropriation bill pro
vided that the secretary of the navy
' should not pay more than three huu
dred dollars per ton for armor plate.
These factories having a monopoly ol
the business, have refused to furnish the
government armor plate at that price.
Therefore, the government must either
build armor plate manufactories of its
own, or take charge of these factories,
a.. tr rhnnriWa bill directs, or do
an ucunwi . ,
without the armor plate. These fac
tories operate on mesaine jh iuiiin o
Thevcharce what
ever price they see fit, and refuse to serve
the public unless meir Krwu " ''
1..ilu:au ixirrinrn tilths of tlieCOUntry,
streetcar lines, gas companies in every
city, and all other monopolies acton
the same principle, and the public is at
tbeir mercy.
AN INTKUN ATIONA1. ti'CMOVd.
Since the appointment last week by
11. i,n.i,int (if itiH tnturnational tiione.
tary commission consisting of fcx-Vioe
President Stevenson, Senator Woleott
tid Mr. l'nyne ol Massachusetts, me
chances of accomplishing anything have
uwn considerably diued, pro nud
t U unxmllv conceded bv the re
publican politicians, In private, that the
whom thing ta a larce, nun it nui pos
sible for uy thing to cum out of it.
There Is no mure chum of K"tiuig I'u
gland to agree to International lr
.,......... 1 lii. 11 llixra Is tn UHt a limit
sioital ourr to egre to gtvau a
part ol tit pronts tna now eieamij hi
tits iiM k (rout usury. Ktiglaad profits
. ........... -..U.... t... i
iy III giml einimaru, 11 eminr i'i n
I .. .!.., I i.rotttaat tmr el IK It mi. (itad
atone traubly eUt lhat this waethe
reaeun thai filmland lvurd the gold
standard, and the reason why she would
Itevwr egrv to Iree eolaafe, Thiernm
nii.i.in, ho doubt, will be made to p.ay
part la the tied campaign. The
t hane are thai the goldlm preaenad
the rpttbllan polutciaite will Uy to
make the people bwllere during the eit
campaign thai the rin'ion a (mat
oateeved at'oiipliahiitg something.
T waule thing e a polilttial erhettte tu
IimiI Hie MHiple a-ae. Mr. Mteveaeoa,
buwever, has lite o f IsiiUy tif dttiuti
Me roumry a grsat (. Ml hiat
trei whether or Mt fkajrlbintf uite
tlvtie Wlartti at (awpaiga aud state
the truth to the people. If he fails to do
this, he will become particeps crimiuis
with the gold syndicate.
INFORMATION AS TO POSTAL SAVINGS
BANK ' ' v '
Senator Butler has introduced and
passed a resolution through the senate
calling upon the state department to
lurnisu the senate with information as
to the nature and operation of the pos
tal savings bank system in other eoun-
triea. It is known that every civilized
country except ours has postal savings
banks in operation: that they are a
great success and are very popular.
Not a single postal savings bank in any
country has ever failed. They cannot
fail unless the government fails. There
fore no depositor has ever lost a dollar.
The banking monopoly, however, has
been powerful enough so far to prevent
the establishment of such a system here.
As soon as the Information called for
is received, Senator ltatler will intro
duce a bill embodying the best features
of all the systems now in operation in
other countries, and will vigorously
push his bill to a vote.
He has also introduced sundry amend
ments to the tariff bill: one putting
cotton bagging on the free list, and
other amendments,
lie makes the point that there are no
just industries in this country to pro
tect; that the farmer gets no protection
under this tariff bill, and that, therefore,
the farmer should not be singled out
and taxed for the purpose of raising
revenue, while those who are protected
under the bill are not so taxed.
A GOVEUNMENT BAILKOAD.
Senator Butler has also introduced
another very important bill. It pro
vides for the government to take charge
of the Union and Central l'aciflo rail
roads and to operate them as one con
tinuous line across the continent, lie
makes the point that the government
reserved the right to do this when it
furnished the money to build these roads
and quotes the original act of 1862 and
the Thurman act of 1873 to support
his position. ,
The senate has appointed a special
committee of fifteen to represent that
body at the ceremony over the move
ment of the tomb of General Graut in
New York next Tuesday.
It is thought that the republican mem
bers of the finance committee will be
ready to report the tariff bill to the sen
ate in the shape that they desire it by
Saturday of this week.
The senate has decided to take a final
vote on the arbitration treaty on the
5tb of May. Those who oppose the
measure hope that it can be defeated.
- Three Mile for a Cent.
In Australia on government owned
railroads, you can ride a distance of 1
000 miles for t3.50, first-class, while work-
ingmen can ride 6 miles for 2 cents, 12
miles for 4 cen tn,30 miles for 10 cents,and
railroad men receive from 25 to 30 per
cent more wages foreight Lours of labor
than they are paid in this country for
ten hours. J 11 Victoria, where these
rates prevail, the net income from the
roads is sufficient to pay all the federal
tuxes, which is another convincing proof
of the possibility of government with
out taxation.
In Hungary, where the roads are state
owned, you can ride 4. miles for 1 cent,
and sine the roads were bought by the
government the men's wages have
doubled.
Belgium tells the same story fares
uud freight rates cut down one-hulf, and
wages doubled. Yet the roads pay a
yearly revenue to the government of
4,0o().00(). In the United States, under
private ownership, it is the other
way. We have paid the railroads bil
lions in lands and money, and are now
paying them millionsyearly for carrying
the mail, and yet freight and passenger
rates are so extortionate as to be al
most prohibitive, while wages paid rail
road employes are degrading and al
most criminal in their smallness. Surely
America has a deal to learn yet from its
various mother countries.
In Germany you can ride four miles
for one cent on the government owned
lines. Yet wages are over 125 per cent
higher than they were when the corpora
tions owned them, and during the last
ten years the net profits have increased
41 percent. Last rear the roads paid
tho German government a net profit of
15,000,000.
11 our government owned the rail
roads, we could tro from Boston to San
Francisco for 10. Here is the proof.
The United States pays 1275 for the
postal carfrom Boston to Sau Francisco.
A passenger car will carry 50 passengers,
which at 10 each, would be r00, or a
clean profit of f!25 per car, and this,
ton, after paying five and one-hulf per
cent on watered stock, which is fully 100
percent on the cost of the road. These
quoted figur are taken trout a reliable
source, Ki.
MORK BKEK LESS WH1IKBY.
Ths Rtesipls In tht Rsvsnus Dtpsiv
meat Show Th' w b ! Tendency.
The receipts lor the Interual revenue
olHoe lor the year cloewl show an !
creuMofoue pr wnt from spirituous
li..ire and eU pr foul mini man ami
I. raiKiiti'd t'Vrat. The ralee ol lav
atiitii wre the eaiiio, lor theleo yvare
rMirUBiitly lhelnef in ine rewipia
t-orrwily r prwut the tnt'iva ol the
f((!iiimi'tn.tnil Umdiftt-reuldrUike, Top
uUii.inlM- rvnn.eet the rate ol lor
real. I'roiii feme fltfurv it will be '
tfcnl on the average there leleea eluU
and etiiritoitt drtule ! Ihn a r
mi but thai I bete t l a ral IS
rreaee la the ttot tr and Un-r (Mi..r
druse, the amuttut "f eapila
lathe I'aiM ftlatee M1O1I far ll
ibai ul the liaropeaa CttunttW ta the
amoaat ol br eonettMt!, bit la the
toutumi'tiou ul waiekoy liters IslilUe
difference.
A LETTER FROM BUTLER
The Chairman of the Populist
Natipnal Committee dives .
His Reasons.
WILL NOT CALL A CONFERENCE
More Than Two-thirds of the Pop
ulist National Committee
I Agree IHth Him.
Tarn lour Goof at the Enemy,
The Independent publishes below the
letter written by Chairman Marion But
ler to the committee appointed at the
Memphis Reform Press Association in
repi to their request that be call a
national conference of the populist
party not later than July 4 th next.
The senator gives bis reasons and we
believe that everyone will admit that
nnder all the circumstances be is correct
in bis position.' However much this
paper may admire the reform press of
the country, and the reform press asso
ciation, and no matter bow important
a factor it may be in upholding the
the populist party, the fact remains that
the reform press or the reform press
association are not the populist party,
and should be bound by the action of a
majority of the national committee un
til the next national convention when
any changes that may de desired can be
properly made. We hope that our read
ers will read Chairman Butler's letter
carefully. It is as follows:
Wasbingtoon D. C. April 17, 1897.
Messrs Frank Bnrkett, W. S. Morgau,
F. VV. U. Days, Abe Steinberger, Jas. 11.
Ferris, J. A. Parker, Milton Park, J. S.
Coxey,
Gentlemen:
In answer to your communication re
questing me, as national chairman, to
call a conference of the people's party,
not later than July 4tb, I wrote stating
that i did not think it either necessary
or wise to put our people to the expense
and trouble necessary to bold such a
conference at this time, especially in
view of the fact that it was bard to see
how good could result therefrom. But I
wrote you that I would submit your re
quest to the full national committee of
the people's party, and inform you of
tbeir sentiments and wishes in the mat
ter. This 1 did, and have waited thirty
days, the usual time to receive the re
plies. Ninety-five answers have been re
ceived, seventy-five of which gave clear,
strong, and, what seems 'to me, the
most convincing reasons why such a
conference would not be wise. A num.
ber of the committee take the position
that if the situation should be such next
spring, on the eve of the campaign, as
to make a conference at that time neces
sary, that it would be opportune at such
a time. Thejr express regret at the dis
position of some to have the party at
this time to declare what it will or will
not do in the future as to the best
method for strengthening the party uud
advancing its principles. They take the
position that no one can at this time
forecast with certainty what would be
the proper course for our party to pur
sue in convention! assembled two or
three 'years henec. Therefore, there is
but one safe course, it seems to the com
mittee, for every true populist to pursue
at this time, namely: To do all in his
power to impress our principles upon
the country, and to bring recruits to
our party, and to stand ready when the
people'a representatives meet in conven
tion, to do what then seems wisest and
best to accomplish the ends for which
we are all striving. The populist press
can be a most powerful factor to bring
this about. When the prensof any party
is united and aggressive the party itself
isuuitedand attgresiive. Therefore the
committee appeais to every populist
editor to cease the suicidal course oi tir
ing at each other. Turn your gunsou
the common enemy, and let each issue
of your paper lie full of the tenets of the
party as laid dowu by the lust uational
platform. Let there be uo relaxing of
efforts but a united and steudy advance
all along the line, and victory will crown
our efforts.
Besides the answers from the mem.
bers of tlie committee, 1 have re
ceived during the last month quite a
large eorresponpenre bearing on the
proHjition, Irom vry quarter ol the
country, Nearly all the correspon
dents regard the proposition as not only
unnecessary and unwiee, butexpreea the
opinion that svil Iimivudol good mutt
count from eiaooing our party at this
tune la the MUatke ol the enemy, than
hit immey to ssnd tu divldeour lortve.
They claim that the earurat patrtulte
worker who have built up our parly
find it a area! hardhip In epnre the
money Bfreary tu attrttd roaveittUili,
even when Utfiliniale and tiniwrattf
work ol the party make the el denial
on their pari unavoidable, lWei t
Ihvjr etpm the opinion thai the Miair
lly ol the nta aha would attend euch a
roaler4tw would not I the n wihmu
the Mple wuuid et'lwl tit rept!
theia In a rtfuir cosvatiM. IVritHl
me lo eey that the ptdiil eenie l l
well taken. It la t ideal lhal I be refill
and file ol our party would not War
Ibcir Info. aatt work tu altvitj primer
We and local eoaveutktue simply lo ilt
delt lo a eoabrettiw, nut Wing 1st
I reeeed with tee ueveeeity for the same,
as they would to elect delegates to a
regular party convention where candi
dates were to be chosen.
In this connection permit me to also
call your atteution to the fact that a
people's party stats convention was held
in Kentucky last week. I am Informed
by prominent delegates to that conven
tion that the sentiment was so largely
opposed to calling a general conference
that the few who favored such a posi
tion, would not even offer a rosolution
to that effect. Therefore permit me to
say that nnder these conditions, a mi
nority of our party, however large, re
spectable and earnest, cannot, it seems
to me, insist upon a policy being pur
sued that does not meet the approval of
the majority of our party.
Yours Very truly.
Marion Bctlkk,
Chairman. 1
THE RIOK i RING
The Populists of Kentucky Nominate
Jo A. Parker for Clerk.
The state convention of the people's
party of Kentucky at their stats con
vention held at Louisville placed in the
field as tbeir candidate for clerk of the
Court of appeals, the only elective state
office of the year, Hon. Jo A. Parker, the
populist state chairman and secretary
of the national reform press association.
He is very popular with Kentucky pop
ulist and will make a lively campaign.
Clarence S. Bate of Glen View, Kentucky,
was elected chairman to succeed Parker.
The resolutions and platform adopted
have the right ring. The resolutions
read as follows:
I "We advocate prompt organization
on strict lines in conformity with the
well-known principles of the peoples
par
Lou
arty as enunciated at umana and r.
uis and advise all members of the
arty by tbeir best efforts to orgauize
y precincts, districts and counties re
gardless of the organization of
any Part3r other than our
own. This committee also recom
mends that cordialty of feeling that all
true reformers outside our party lines
should be expressed by bringing about
the co-operation of all reformers and re
form elements nnder the party device of
of the plow and hammer, or else under a
citizen s device separate and apart from
any existing national device."
The platform is regarded with great
sotisf action and was as follows:
"The people's party of Kentucky, in
convention assembled, do hereby In pos
itive terms reaffirm our faithful alle
giance and ardent devotion to the prin
ciples of the people's party as enunciated
in the platform adopted at Omaha, Ne
braska, in 18'J2, and at St. Louis in
1896, and we hereby cordially invite all
true reformers throughout the state and
nation to assist as in carrying into ef
fect the said principles:
"We favor the application of the prin
ciple of the initiative and referendum in
state affairs as advocated in our na
tional platform for national affairs.
"We favor the most liberal legislation
to advance the usefulness of our com
mon school system, and a system should
be devised for furnishing school, books
to the pupil children of the state at cost.
"We believe it to be detrimental to the
public good to have any highway under
the control of individuals or corpora
tions; therefore we demand that all turn
pikes and other transfer systems of pub
lic utility shall be lawfully operated by
the public for the public good.
"While under a gold standard and a
contracting curreucy the price of labor
and the products of labor has constantly
diminished, yet the salaries of our state
officials have not been reduced. And,
furthermore, at the prescut time the
commonwealth of Kentucky finds itself
confronted by a defliciency in state reve
nue, compelling either a reduction of ex
penses or a raise of the tax rate. The
people's party is strictly opposed to
adding to the burdens of an already
over-burdened and oppressed people by
increasing their taxes, therefore we de
mand a reduction of public salaries from
the biggest office to the lowest, to cor
respond with the price of labor and pro
ducts undor an iniquitous aud foreign
financial policy.
"We favor a law to prevent contract
discrimination against any legal tender
money in the United States. We favor
the most stringent legislation against
trusts and combiuationsin this com
monwealth. "We believe that all unpaid warrants
upon the state treasury should be re
ceivable for taxes and any other dues to
the state,"
BURNED IN HER SLEEP.
A Young Lsdy in Omaha the Victim of
Tenible Accident.
Mies Uhtie Ann Vincent was burned to
death at Iter home, 810 Bouglaa street
iu Omaha last Thursday night. She
had bee a out Ints and when she reached
home prepared a til Irom etMueol.l
dotliee and laid down uaitt the floor in
her room lo elwp, I he eirrumetaiice
and a charred iUc on the floor eiu lo
luilit ate that the ha u-tt smoking a
ritr tie and litre the eurem ettib
Sear by wttrre ehe wae lyitiif. In br
iuovetttate la herelt-ep, h r dnw wa
throe a aver the liitruiug 'simile and
rauaht fire, ha aroueml !v the pain
the tlrtee wae well oa fire. Mis ruolml
to tee elair do.r ami relied to her
laolbtr who wee elwpu upataire Mie
rame at once but It wae Hhi Ue to ev
(begirt. Her emir body w (right
tufl.tr tiret and eharred, Hr fare wae
m Uadtv harne l thai she eoatd t le
fw-OKnd, Iftepaia was terrible and
he de. la a niurl time, lbs 'tr
wae 11 m nmaed aud a lrr ItniMtntk!
The jury bmnd a rd t bl v Meats!
death by burning.
JAPAN BUYING GOLD
A Million of Dollars WiU be With
drawn from the Treasury.
THE GERMANS NEGLECTED.
President McKinley Refuses to
Grant Them the Immigration
Commission.
The Indian Supply Depot.
Senator Allen was enabled last week
to score a great victory in getting the
appropriation for the Indian supply
depot safely landed so far as lbs upper
house was concerned. When it goes to
the house it will meet with great oppo
sition from the united .Iowa delegation,
and Mr. Mercer will naturally fall heir
to the job of pilot as the bill goes
through the lower body. The first strug
gle was a knock out blow for that par
ticular round, as the bouse voted not to
concur. Tbs silverites from our stats
not only voted solidly themselves, but
were able to get for Nebraska the votes
of every populistyin the bouse and a
good proportion of tbesilver democrats,
On the other band Messrs. Mercer and
Strode were only able to get two other
republican votes beside their own. It is
probable though that Allen can over
come this reverse, and that the senate
will insist that the bill pass as It came
from that body. In this event the
matter will come up before Mr. Iteed's
house again.
Congressman Greene is still in Nebras
ka, and it is rumored that a daughter
will be married before be returns to
Washington to participate in the ad
journments. Japan is baying gold to go to a gold
basis. The treasurer has been notified
of the withdrawal of a million dollars
for export, and that other withdrawals
will follow. With the balance of trade
phenomenally in our favor, the gold is
going out. The great financiers are
dumb when aeked to explain it. They
have said that such a thing ' could not
be and here it is. Of course to those
who have given the subject sufficient
study to know that there is but one
way nnder the gold standard that we
can get and bold gold, and that is by
coining down to gold standard prices
for our labor and produce, the explana
tion of this problem is easy. We are a
debtor nation. If Japan or any coun
try on earth will give more produce for
a gold dollar than we will, the only way
we can get that dollar is to drop to
their prices. If we try to 1 avoid this by
having a large volume of any kind of
credit money, they simply sell a batch
of their stocks, draw gold from the treas
ury, and in effect collect a portion of
our debt to them, and contract our cur
rency for us if we refuse to do it our
selves. There is no way to have a gold
basis, without eventually coming down
to gold prices. '
(senator Allen and Congressman Suth
erland have returned from a little
trip to the Atlantic to catch a breath ol
salt air.
Congressman Stark was selected as
a part of the escort chosen to accom
pany the remains of Congressman llol
man to his last resting place.
The members of the minority ap
pointed were Bland, McMillan, DeAr-
mond, Zeiior and Itobinson. Stark
was the only populist. Ibey are ex
pected to return by to-morrow.
There Is much feeling over tne treat
ment of tbo German-Americans by the
administration. Figures show that
there are about fifteen million of them
and they receive far less consideration
than the eight million negroes. They
were very anxious to secure the
appointment of Kiefer, of Minnesota, as
commissioner of immigration, but he
wus turned down. It is thought that
this was not wholly on account of lack
of appreciation of the element Mr. Ki
fer rprMintB, but It is whispered that
the republican party contemplates some
leKislttion within the next two years
along the liue of the lodge anti-immigration
bill, and that Kiefer eould have
done his people some good had lie ob
tained that position, the German re
publicans are also very much iucensed
at their treatment in New York, where
new restrictions have been added to the
ilaimw law.
The Itellruetl HpunIMe.
I'red Jenkins, bridge man for the Chi
cago Hock Island railroad company was
drowned in Bear creek last wk. Hoius
dtlfii'iitty wae eiM.riemil In finding the
body, hen found, nar where (he un
lortunate man fell In Coroner Milli-r held
an iti"''t and altr a thorouuit lnti
ritiou the jury rtirnd a vrrdicl to the
vitrei that the unfortunate man ram lu
his dfath through rrtmlnal iielitfi niv
on tbe part ol the railratMl conitiiy in
aol providing suitable aud safe insane
fi.r tbe iiii to rroa the stream, The
1 he t ile boe. thai a rail shout
live by ten b-et wae ronnlnittol aad nine
men pal thertHtit, whu h prov to ateal
a weigh! hr e trad a craU. Jvuktue
n a eiritfU man and made his home at
l ite eoatiaft Ur trading the leke and
laaMue of tbe traits M nijil Mi iwitti.n
baa leva let aad work will be puhd.
Ibervaira I e,mn leal the aura
hall We nakahed aot Ulr than J use 'J.V
Ahoul nihil ytrds will U mured
HOLMAN-8 WORK IS ENDED.
Tbe Watch Dog of the Treasury Died at
His Residence in Washington.
Representative Holtnan of Indiana
died at his home in Washington on April
22. lis bad been ill with spinal menin
gitis for several weeks.
Congressman Ho! man was nearly 75
years of age. He bad served 16 terms,
82 years in tbe congrsss of tbe United
States. He bad beenlin the public service
for 54 years. Mr. ilolman was a great
fores in political affairs for many years
and even of late when advancing as
in ado it harder for him to meet tbe more
severe demands of his plaoe, he was aa
honored and respected counselor In til
democratic party caucuses, where Vs
ripe wisdom and long'politlcal experience
was freely availed of in shaping party
politics. As tbe "watch dog of the tres v
ury" he was known to tbe Americas
people and the policy of strict economy
that be persistently pursued when la
charge of the appropriation bills baa
been followed so long that ft bae come
to be regarded as one of tbe party ten
ets in all congresses.
Mr. Holman was born in ludlana, in
the country, at a little pioneer home
stead in Dearborn county called Terass
tau, In September, 1822. As He wreit
his autobiography for the congressional
directory, it is recorded that be bad a
common school education, eupplemest '
by a two years' course in Franklin c; V
lege, Indiana. Then he taught schc;!
and practiced law until 1843, when ft
the age of 21 years be entered tbe pot' j
service as probats judge. He was pre. 'v
cuting attorney from 1847 to 1849, er
In 1850. be attended tbe constitutor :
con ven tion . The following year he
tered the legislature, and from 1852 1 5
1858 he was judge of common pi: J.
His congressional career began with tL
Thirty-sixth congress, and -out of tl
twenty congresses that have elspr ..
since that time be has been absent fir
only four, namely, tbe Tbirtyl' t.
Forty-flftb, Forty-sixth and i.
fourth, nn almost unparalleled rmz:i.
Ibu Long Locked Tor Coats at lz?
Among tbe many wise and benefcer
laws enacted by tbe last legislature wz j
the measure providing for tbe incorj?C"
tion of mutual insurance companies fcr
cities and towns.
For years tbe old line insurance c?-v-panies
have held lull sway in the 'U'"'
field of Nebraska, arbitrarily tz ; c
rate theysa w' fit. Their in2oc; t .
power was no where more keenly t i
than in tbe legislatures where they J
ously guarded their privileges cr.
sought by fair means or foul to prevc
the enactment of legislation that woe!!
curtail their profits or open the fold t
competitors.
If there was ever a question cf t" J
enormous profits accruing to the old IL 1
companies, a glance at the mortar
records of this county would settie J'
doubt. A. very large per cent of tbe farn
and city loans made in this county is oil
line, fire or life Insurance company
money which was extorted from the peo
ple for insurance and loaned back to then
to be, in many cases, finally foreclosed
and the property bid la for oae-haif its
value by toe-company.
The strong lobby maintained by tbe
old line companies at the past sessions
of tbe legislature and tbe efforts put
forth to defeat the mutual insurance
measures prove the desirability of tb s
latter insurance. Tbe money saved
by the people from the high rates
heretofore charged can now remain in
tbe state to be invested in permanent
enterprises and add to the prosperity
and welfare of tbe people who formerly
contributed it to insurance.
Tbe wonderful success achieved by the
farm mutual companies, and their abil
ity to insure for less than one-half the
premiums charged by the trust com
panies, convinced tne people that mutual
insurance for towns and cities was most
desirable, and a law granting mutual
companies tbe right to do business was
accordingly enacted at the last session
of the legislature.
The first company to take advantage
of that law is the Nebraska Mercantile
Mutual Insurance Company, with bead-
quarters at Lincoln. Gov. Holcomb is
president; r.. M. liartlutt of Umaha. vice
president; lr. C. E. Coffin, treasurer; W.
B. Llocli, ecitHry, lr, t, 1,, Paine h
chairman of the executive committee,
ana J uage lomn is general attorney ana
will look after the legal department.
lbs company has a strong board of
directors well organized, and will, uo
doubt, be conservatively managed. It
starts out nuder bright auspices and
its success is practically assured.
The mutual company has come to
stay. It Is a creature of necvesity, born
of tbe greed and extortion of tbe old
Use luaurance combines. Its suxre has
twen demonstrated and its need baa been
sorely Mt. The fact that the state
auditor's late report showed a great
falling off In the old line life insurance,
and a tremendous gain in mutual and
lrat rnal roiiipaair, la inoet significant
ana marks tne dwcitne 01 the rapacious
itieuratint Iniet, and the rise of the pn-
pie's protector the imtimna Nebraska,
CANNOT TKAUl HELiaiON.
A District Court In Mmasseu Decides
an Imr-onani Case,
lu the Avon et hiMil eaee trbnl la the
dietrWt court of Hi. Cloud, Mlanreoia,
JihUve Baiter and rWerle have dwidwil
that It U uuroneiitulHinal la tch the
I at bolus ratwhiem r any other rli
gtoue rrvt in any id the publw evliaoia
id thai state, IVy htdd that it te row
(rat ta tbe iotelilulional gierai v
IrredoRt f runerieaoe, Tbe re wt.l
probably he tarried tu tbe nprn
fourt, la the . apiaioa id allurtri
the dwtetoa Is nsbt and ofrv a j t.4
1 sustaised la Iks eigr two!