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About The Nebraska independent. (Lincoln, Nebraska) 1896-1902 | View Entire Issue (May 27, 1897)
THE NEBRASKA INDEPENDENT. May 27, 1897 55 Nebraska 3nucpcnucnt CemioUJttinH of THM WEALTH U AKKS sod LINCOLN ISDSFBSDENT, PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY SV THI IndspsijdBijt Publishing .So. At mo X Stmt, LINCOLN, - NEBRASKA. TELEPHONE 638. $1.00 per Year in Advance. Addreu all eommooleallone to, and make all Sraita, boiw; order, ate., payable to TUB INDEPENDENT FOB, CO.. LlflCOLH. MB. It in always in order your subscription. for yon to pay Read our Independent" sewing chine offer on another page. ma- May the Lord blew our senate, capa ble of and humane enough to recognize cruelty when they we it. . Write for nam pit, and clubbing rates, and get up a list of subscribers for the Independent in your locality. Thurston baa at last felt the "pulse oi western progress." He says we should send a war ship to Cuba. Senator Allen said that six months ago. Read the advertisements in this paper. Many of tbenj afford excellent oppor tunities for you to save money. Read them carefully, for saviug a dollar is equal to raising ten bushels of corn. The election of Stephen R. Mallory to be United States Senator from Florida to succeed Senator Call, flits all vacan cies except one. It is generally con ceded that with all of the 89 members present the silver men have one major ity. On all party questions except silver the republicans have a majority. An old Kansas City colored man who stole a lump of coal valued at 2 cents got two days in jail. It is figured out that if a conviction is secured and a proportionate sentence given, the de faulting republican treasurer of Nebraska will get 109,586 years Vancouver Reg ister. ' Send a list of ten or more names and addresses of responsible farmers or busi ness men in your locality who would be likely to subscribe for this paper and we wiii send you a copy of S. S. King's book "A Few Financial Facts" to pay for your trouble. We will send them sample copies. W. J. Bryan asks the advocates of the gold standard a 'i very pertinent q tion. During the campaign the gold standard advocates said that bimetal lism meant barbarism. Bryan asks: "If the gold standard is the standard of civilization why should we risk a re- tarn to barbarism by chasing after in ternational bimetallism." Jo A. Parker, the populist candidate for clerk of the court of appeals in Kea tucky is making a lively contest for elec tion. He is an out and out populist true to all of the principles of the party, He is conducting a campaign of educa tion and asks the support of the voters because the principles of his party are correct. He deserves election. The senate Las passed the Morgan res olution recognizing the belligerent rights of Cuba and has tamed it over to Tom Reed, tbe solitary survivor of tbe house of representatives. The people of the United States await his pleasure. What will it be? Reed could and did pass a tariff measure in a very few days, but a Cuban resolution that's a different thing. He must wait and listen care fully to tbe roar from the Shylocks along the Atlantic seaboard. The populists and free silver demo crats of Pennsylvania are mak ing an effort to nomiuate Ex-Con greasman Joseph C. Sibley as the joint candidate of both parties for gov ernor this fall. Sibley was first nomi nated tor cougress by the populists and endorsed by the democrats and pror hlbitionista and elected four years ago He is one of the ablest advocates of financial reform to be found in the United States. II he should be the combined candidate for governor of Pennsylvania he could hardly be defeated. Populism it spreading. At DesMoinvs Iowa, at the municipal election last week the voters decided by an over whelming majority that the city of IW Moines should own and operate its own electrlo lighting system. The vote was 3,864 In lavor of mnoiclpal ownership to 1377 aaaiust, nearly three to one. The existing lighting companies did all they could to defeat the proposition, but fur pace the Hj.t prevailed. The plant wll be eosstrutUHl man twrly day and Is to to paid for in sis and on third year. tltMv4Hta?it w'U ultimately re- tier lb Mt of statrHi ItgMeto one. Iklre il lb pwt tfcru. There an ntW la .Vi.ria that might very jrtfltsl.ly fi'il" tbevtawpr set by Xojft. MUSHY FOREIOS POLICT. The present national administration seems to be following in the footsteps ol Grover Cleveland so far as a foreign pol icy is concerned. Cleveland would not interfere in behalf of the Cubans and al lowed American citizens in that island to be Imprisoned without cause, expla nation, or trial. McKinley is engaged at present muzzling members of congress for fear they will pass a resolution con demning each action and recognizing the belligerent righto of the Cuban insur gents. He had abundant information concerning the progress of the war and the uvim and inhuman methods of General Weyler, which he concealed from the press and from the members of the senate and house for many weeks. When the senate passed a resolution calling upon him to furnish the facts and in formation in his possession be responded by sending in a little information, but witb-held the namei of the consuls and the sources from which it came for fear that the Spanish soldiery might do vio lence to the American ministry. Is it possible that a duly accredited repre sentative of the United States must speak in a whisper in the dark, for fear that Spanish soldiers will take his iife7 Id that the condition that exists, and yet the American congress hesitates to notice that there is war in Cuba. Such a mushy foreign policy deserves only the contempt of every loyal and patriotic American. Think of otber'nation under similar circumstances. How long would It take England, Oermauj, or Russia to send a war vessel to protect her consul in sending an official report to his gov ernment? Such a policy will cause the American flag to be despised among the nations of the world, and hooted at by little principalities. , The "vigorous for- eign policy" ofltjbe republican party proves to be only an international com mercialism, dictaied by the bond manip ulators of the east. The nation that would have the respect and loyalty of its subjects must protect tbera on land and sea in all parts of the world, in the dark and in the daylight. A nation that fails in this fails in its object. An Englishman breathes freely in every clime. He know that when his credentials are known the nation that dares to give him insult or injury roust answer in damages or Face the English army. It is her determined foreign pol icy that makes the blood of England's subjects boil with patriotism. Would that we had a president with courage quo! to the patriotism of tbe American people. American missionaries would not be murdered with impunity by the Turks, and American citizens would not then be languishing in filthy Spanish prisons in Cuba. VETOES' THE INHERITANCE TAX. Governor Black has vetoed the inheri tancc tax bill passed by tho last legisla ture pf New York. The bill was a very just one and was designed to place a part of the burden of taxation upon tbe great wealth of New York where it prop- erly belongs. Tbe only opposition that was urged against the measure was that it would drive tbe wealty men out of the state. It would be interesting to know where they would go. Such a tax has already been levied in most of the cen tral states and other states are rapidly following. All of the civilized countries in Europe levy such a tax called an "estate duty" and in almost every case is higher than that proposed by the New York legislature. Such a tax is levied in most of the provinces of Eng land and is levied on both real and personal pioperty. The New York law only applied to personal property and such property as is not easily taxed durinir '.lire, lifetime of the owner for the reason that he usually conceals it. In England an estate val ued at one million dollars would pay an estate duty of f 6 5,000. The sa me estate in New York if entirely composed of personal property under tbe law which was vetoed would have to pay an inheri tance tax of only 110,000. A two mil lion dollar estate in England pays $140 000 while under the law vetoed in New York it would have paid f 60,000. England's lords and aristocracy must contribute to the support of the English government, but America's millionaires are a source of continual expense to tbe American government. Tbey insist and secure through congress all kinds of special legislation in their behall, but strongly refuse to be taxed or In any way contribute to the support 'of tbe government. In England and other European monarchies an Income tax and inheritance tax are just, equl table and sonstitutional, but in America our financiers would make the people believe that such ideas arc born of social ism and reared by anarchy. When the people place the populist party In power inurdluat wealth will lie properly taxed asd not until then. HRUKKH CfAfM AN'S i'RIMK. Broker Chapman bss gone to jail. Tbe eriuie ol which he was convicted was committed la 1894. The House had paa4 tbe Wilson tariff bill and yut sugar, both raw and refined on the Irea list. In the beaaU the bill met a strong lobby In opposition demanding diecrini lotting duties' to lavor ot the sugar trust. TkK value of ttmks ot the sugar trust dwpeadt-d largely M vote of tbe senators, Htoeke flurttated greatly In prkv according as the senators I rw4 an luJkatioB U tore Me or aa- tagonistic to the trust: Senators thus had it in their power to cause the price of shares to go up and down at will. Some of them availed themselves of the opportunity and began speculating in the stocks. The matter was aired through the press and criticism was severe. The senate ordered an investi gation in order that the guilty might be known and the innocent cleared of suspicion. Chapman was a New York, broker who had been "operating" for some of tit san&tors. He was sum moned before the investigating commit tee and was questioned as to his deal ings. He admitted that he had bought and sold stocks for senators but refused to give ' their names saying that he wished to "protect his clients." The statute declaring it to be a criminal offense to refuse to answer the the ques tions of a duly authorized committee of tbe senate was read to him in order that he might not claim ignorance of the law. Senator Allen explained it to him fully, and then taking tbe roll of senators and naming tbera separately asked Chapman whether he bad operated for them or not In the case of Senator BriceCbap man stated that be'bad not, in regard to all of the others be refused to answer. For bis wilful and deliberate refusal Chapman was tried in the United States court; convicted, and sent to jail. The same charges are now pending against Havemeyer and Searles, the president and secretary of the trust. The people of Nebraska would appre ciate an explanation from Hon. John M. Thurston as to why the president and, "Tom Reed the congress," oppose the recognition of tbe belligerent rights of Cuba. Everyone knows that if Fresi dent. McKinley and his Czar favored the passage of tbe Morgan resolution it coiilij be passed in two or three days. There is not a ; populist and scarcely a democrat that would go on record against the resolution. In the senate there were no populists and only two democrats who voted against it. If there are those who think it ought not to pass they should read what Senator Thurston said concerning the war in Cuba. In the progress of his speech he said: "1 'Peace in Cubal If there is peace in Cuba, it is the peace of devastated fields. If there is peace in Cuba it is the peace of desolated homes. If there is peace in Cuba it is the peace of ravished women and starving children, and the paeans of this peace are sung by the uncoffiued dead." This is the condition of affairs n Cuba as described by Nebraska's junior senator and yet the republican president refuses to act. Senator Allen and every other populist senator have been speaking for Cuban independence at every opportunity for the last six months and at last have aroused a little patriotism in the bosoms of a few of our republican statesmen. Weappeal to the president and his Czar in tbe words of Thurston: "Let us despatch the might iest battle-ship of the United States to Cuba. Let us station her in the harbor of Havanna. There ber crowning guns may disturb the spirit of tyranny by night, and by day her shining stars may cheer the hearts of those who are strug gling to be free." Let Thurston boast no more of the loyalty and devotion of the republican party to the American flag until it has acted in behalf of hu manity and Americanism on the Island of Cuba. THE MAXIMUM RATE CASE. Again the supreme couit of the United States has adjourned for a period of five months without banding down a decision! in the roBxtnrutn rate "case. Perhaps tftl 4tfmo tn&l 'the $ovenior would callmY 16SlB&ti' enact another and better one bad reached Washington and the railroad Interest! demanded delay in the announcement of the decision. Of coarse there is no way to get it, but a statement of tMreasons by the court, if there are any, tor their dilatory tactics in connection with this case would make interesting reading for the corporation ridden farmers of Ne braska. It is a disgrace to the courts and to the American government that judges should be allowed to take five years time to make up their minds as to the constitutionality otan act passed by the legislature. It we had the princi ple ot the initiative and referendum in operation we believe that it would be possible to move a case ot such impor tance with a little more rapidity. The Times at Louisville, Kentucky, (republican) publish an extended edi torial In favor of the election ot United States Senators by direct vote ot the people. The Times during the campaign denounced Mr. Bryan and populism more severely than any other Kentucky paper. Perhaps they have forgotten that the election ot senators by direct vote has been a principle ol the populist party Irom the beginning, and that Mr. Bryan has advocated the principle for many years. Oue by one the eastern papers are admitting that the princi ple ol the populist party are just and correct. The United Htaten la the solitary ex- eeptloa to the rule that seven nation maktt it own laws. Our statesmen must consult European powers before they legislate on either Inane or Cuban Ibdsreadeae. Brave stattemea. Glo. tout administration. A MERE r ASM. Since the change in the administra tion of the state's affairs events are transpiring which must give to the pub lic considerable satisfaction. Not only is there a widespread deske to see justice meted out to embezzlers of funds, both public and private, but there is a grow ing sentiment iu favor of some action that will prevent in the future any chance of such criminal actions in of ficials. That this sentiment is sincere among the masses of the people no one doubts. Just how sincere it. may be among certain political leaders is hard to determine. There has been in the past just such a carnival of corruption among officers as has occurred in the last administration in this state, but all attempts to punish the guilty parties were made with such a lack of vigor and desire to see justice done that few con. victions followed. And even when con viction was had the punishment inflicted was farcial in the extreme. This was especially true where the accused; the judge and the jury happened to belong to tbe republican party. This was true in the case of the penitentiary investi gation several years ago. It was true in Outcalt's case, and wa the powerful factor in securing the extremely light sentence for Charley Mosher. It ac counts for the escape of treasurer Hill and tbe other conspirators of his time. The present officials will prosecute tbe case more vigorously than preceding officers have done. We predict a differ ent ending in the cases against tbe twin criminals Bartley and Moore. The act ive and energetic prosecution by Attorney-General Smyth will force the repub lican party to desert these men, to offer them up as a sacrifice, in the interest of its own self-preservation. The republi can courts will not dare to trump up legal technicalities to defeat justice in these cases. The party still suffering from tbe wounds received in the engage ment last fall, bad what little vitality it still possessed taken from it by tbe ex posure of the rottenness existing in tbe treasurer's and auditor's offices. Life less, robbed of glory through the per fidy of their own officials, they will leave ; no stone unturned which could in any way aid them to gain back what they have lost. They are aware that the peo ple are aroused and look with suspicion upon their promises, and tbey stand ready to take desperate steps to recover the ground lost. It is this desire on their part that will in all probability al low justice to take its course in the courts in tbe cases against Bartley and Moore. The republican politicians will stand and look on without interference and then claim the glory of the convic tion. The party must be saved. This is one way to doit. Of course it may be only spasmodic, but even being so, the people are to be congratulated that in these e&ees the chances for conviction and punishment are at present brighter than ever before. The people understand tbe situation and will place tbe credit where it properly belongs on the side of tbe present administration. Tbe spasmodic efforts of the republican press to repudiate their defaulters will deceive only a few. It was said long ago "ren der unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's." We now tender to the repub lican, party tbe things which are repub lican and refuse to omit the Uonorables, Eugene Moore and J. S. Bartley.' , , 1 o.t THURSTON ON SILVER. , Extracts from the famous speech of Hon John M. Thurston concerning the free coinage of silver will appear in tbe session laws for Nebraska this year, This is made necessary from tbe fact that, tbe legislature', in'aordanjoe with tna jtenators teques made 3 two years ago. passed-a joint resolution' ; instruct ing bim to vote in favor of the free and unlimited coinage of silver. The chap ter will be tbe last in the book. Mr. Sheldon who has compiled the session laws ''for publication, has made this chapter as interesting and attractive as possible. That he has been successful is well shown by the fact that many republicans talk of an injunction suit to prevent the insertion of this resolution which was duly passed by tbe legislature, in the session laws. There is no court not even those in Lancaster county that would dare to make such a ruling. Mr. Sheldon has selected for marginal notes statements from the speeches indi cating clearly the senator's position on the silver question. The first one reads: Hon. John M. Tbum ton's declaration on tbe free coinage of silver," Others are as follows: "Favored Free Coinage before any other champion in ebraeka." 'West must have cheap money" "Anier lean people denounced tree and unlimited coinage ol silver." "Money is scarce." "Stringent money makes rich richer and poor poorer." "iHimonetlxatlan ot sil ver not tor the bmt interests ot the peo ple." "Cannot be too much money." ''Hardship on debtors." "We are not realiiing prosperity under gold mono metallism." "Money ought to be loaned lor three or four per cent per annum." "Banker and capitalists ahntiM wi have power to contract currency." "Asks Instructions from the legislature." All ol the abor declarations were made by .Senator Ttiuret and in his s(cit were rb-arly demonstrated at correct principle ot Basse. Read th sioa laws. When bUioM or eosttre,! Caesar toady eateartM.eu guaranteed.) 0 S3 Havemeyer, tbe sugar king, says that Senator Allen was personal in bis ques tioning. Perhaps be was. The case re quired that he should be. If you need a sewing machine you can not do better to than bay an "Indepen dent." See ad on another page. It has developed that Greece had a king, as we bad a president, willing to become rich on his country's misfortune. Is it any wonder that Havemeyer and Searles contribute liberally to keep the republican and democratic parties in power? Tbey are anxious to prevent the spread of populism. They have met one populist senator from Nebraska and are likely to serve a term is jail for refusing to answer bis questions. One populist senator is enough for Havemeyer, Searles and Chapman. Tbe farmers of this state should stir up the state board of 'transportation, with a view of securing a reduction in freight rates. Tbe members of the board are Hon. G.L. Laws, Hon. J.W. Edgerton and Hon. J. C. Dahlman. Their address is Lincoln, Nebraska. Write them a letter and suggest that tbey get a move on themselves before it is everlastingly too late. The law enlarging their powers takes fffect July 9. H. Wittman & Co., wholesale and re tail harness, saddlery and bicycles, have half page ad in this issue of the In dependent. This firm is one -of the oldest and best established in Lincoln and have by far the largest and best se lected stock of goods. It you need a har ness, saddle or bicycle, do not fail to write tbera for prices. They keep first class goods and retail them at whole sale prices.' :'ii It is not unfrequently said that if a man Is a good newspaper man he is good for nothing else, but to this there are many exceptions, one of which is our esteemed friend who edits the Granger at Auburn. Mr. Dundas conducts a good paper, made a creditable record as state senator and is also tbe inventor of tbe most practical farm gate to be found. So simple, cheap and practical is this gate that he has sold as high as eight gates to one farmer. Mr. Dundas is at present at 1446 N street ot this city where he is putting agents to work gelling both gates and territory and as Bro. Dundas is one of the writers in the newspaper field we wish him success. The decision in the Mills case, in Har lan county, that a man that borrows public money from a public officer is a8 guilty as the officer that loans the pub lie funds and should be puuished to the same extent, is a just decision. It should be strictly enforced. Public officers are continually besieged with applicants for loans of public money. The application to an officer for public money ought to be declared as an "attempted conspir acy against the state." and should be made a crime punishable with a long term of imprisonment. . Tbe most genial county treasurer that Lancaster county ever had, committed suicide when he learned that those whom he bad aided with county money would not repay when the time came. They should be held responsible for bis death. This de faulting treasurer of Omaha is to serve nineteen years, in the penitentiary be cause his friends borrowed of him and be. trayed him. Of course he is guilty and ought to be punished. But the others are equally guilty and ought to be punished equally. POPULIST EDITOR WANTED. We have information of a good open ing for a 1 populist editor. The paper baa a large circulation and is well estab lished. The pay as is usual, would not be very good, but it would be sure. The position would be steady. A roan of exocrines and known ability would be preferred, but the position is not be yond the reach of a younger man it be can show that he has ability, and is a thorough believer in all of the principles of tbe populist party. For further par ticulars address . Editob the Independent, Lincoln Neb. 't 11 L,iti.tlf.l.tE....ij'.(1.r r.vs 1 1 -Vf lMHtl-lllMl'l J i(llil wuasm "sags ri" ui Lincoln Pclnl Color Co., Sth f.l Sts. The present telephone rates in the Cnited States are instructive of tbe con sequences of private ownership. In Bos ton the annual rental of a telephone is from $73 to 156, within a mile of the exchange, with extras raising it to $200 for greater distances. In Philadelphia the charge for an ordinary house tele phone runs from f 100 to $2o0 a year. In New York it is usually 240ayear. The charge for five minutes' use of the long distance telephones between New York and Chicago is f 10. Tbe pnblic telephone in Germany costs a subscriber $36 a year; in England the charge is $35.00; in New Zealand, $24; in Switzerland $24 the first year, $20 the second and $16 the third; in Sweeden, $10 a year, put in free of cost and con nected with every city in the kingdom. The populist party advocates the gov ernment or municipal ownership of the telegraph and telephone systems. Many of the "notables" ofNew York and other eastern states are urging the necessity of a new executive mansion for the president. The present White House is not large enough to accomodate the millionaires and politicians in attend ance at the state balls and banquets. This nation must not fall behind the ar istocracy ot Europe in such lines. Two or three millions expended in building a 'Suitable" executive mansion would scarcely be felt by the American people. Increase the tax on tea two or three cents more and levy a little more tariff on sugar and lumber, and each family would be compelled to contribute about equally to the support of tbe great show that comes off in Washington every season. We have had great strides of progress in "court manners" since tbe days of Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln. The McKinley inauguration cost more than any in the history of the United States, and tbe construction of a many million dollar mansion would be in perfect harmony with the principles of the party which be represents. In 1868, Wheeling W. Va bought her gas plant for $176,000.' The price of gas was $2.50 per 1,000 feet. Under municipal operation the debt has been paid, tbe plant is now worth $500,000 and there is a surplus. In 1888 gas was 75 cents, many of the public buildings were lighted free, and tbe net municipal profit was over $27,0Q0, A member of the Wheeling city coun cil said in a New York paper: There was no burden on the city treasury to the taxpayers after the original purchase of the gas plant, for there was sufficient immediate returns from tbe sale of gas o meet the cost of every improvement. From the first day the city took charge of the gas works they were turn ing out improved gas at a profit and tbe money thus made was used for pay ments upon city loans. From the profit of manufacturing infproved gas at reduced prices, we enlarged, re built and modernized the plant. Gas companies cannot do business in our city, though tbe field is wide open to them and there is no restrictions." Populist principles are a success when enacted into law in states as far east aa West Virginia. A BOOK FREE. We want the names and addresses of responsible farmers and business men to whom we may send sample copies of this paper with some chance of getting them to subscribe. In order to get such a list we have de cided to send a copy of S. 3. King'a book, entitled "A Few Financial Facts," to every person sending in a list of ten or more name and addresses. It is a valuable book with over sixty illustrative diagrams and retails at 25 cent per copy. Senator Allen say of the book, "it possesses great inerit and should be extensively read by all who desire to see a reform in our monetary system." All that is necessary for you to get a copy is to send in a list of the names and addresses of ton or more farmers or business men in your locality. We wish you to make as good a selection as pos sible. The names of populist who are- able and likely to subscribe for paper are preferred. this zm w ' " .4 - "
