Nebraska Newspapers

    lie
The Wealth Makers and Lincoln Independent Consolidated.
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, THURSDAY, MARCH .10, 1898.
NO. 42.
VOL. IX.
K
WHY
PROSPER
MU&10
What a Trust is and how it
Organised and Main
tained.
is
CAUSES AND THE REMEDY,
The Power That the Const!
tutlon Confers Upon
Congress.
Government Ownership To Solution.
Iu the March number of tho Arena
U an article written by Senator
Marion Hutler, populist senator from
North Carolina and chairman of the
populist national committee, entitled
"Trusts; Their Causes and tho Rem
edy." It in the clearest discussion of
the subject from a populist standpoint
that bus yet been published, lie Is
one of the ablest populists in the
country and has given the subject
much study. He suys:
Trust are cancers industrial can-cers-ou
the body politic. They are
eating cancers; they are spreading
cancers; they are fatal to the pros
perity and life of the republic, Every
body admits this; everybody is op
posed to trusts; yet trusts Continue
to thrive and prosper, and to multiply
ach day. Why Is this? Uccause the
voters huv liee.n deceived and misled
about the causes that produce trusts
and the true remedy to root them up
and crush them out.
The last republican legislature or
New York appointed a committee to
Investigate trusts and report a bill to
cure the evil. After many months of
pretended Investigation, the now fa
mous 1-exow anti-trust committee
made a long report denouncing trust
and declaring that they were the over
shudowlng evils of the age, yet closed
by reporting that in the opinion of
the committee the legislature was
powerless to correct the evil, and that
the only remedy lay In congress.
In December, 1890, President Cleve
land, in his last annual messnge to
congress, went out of his way to dis
i'uhm the question of trust, lie
warned the people against this grow
ing menace to our industries and to
our government, but closed by saying
that congress was powerless to re
move the evil, and that the remedy lay
with the legislatures of the several
sitates.
A few months later William McKln
ley was Inaugurated president of the
United States. In his Inaugural ad
dress he arraigned and denounced
trust more severely even than his
predecessor. He said that the life of
the republic demanded that this mon
ter this insidious and blighting
t.rHe should be plucked from our In
dustrial system. Yet he offered no
remedy. lie simply denounced the
evil, nothing more.
One would judge from the language
of Cleveland and McKlnley that they
were bot In honestly opposed to trusts;
....iiiior f thi'in is opposed to the
Causes that produce trusts; both of
tlieiu are the apologists, supHrters.
defenders of the fundamental evil
agencies and conditions that inevna
1.1.. 1, . nml fnter trusts. Indeed,
It is well known that they were lKth
nominated by the trusts, elected by
the trusts, owned by the trusts, and
therefore must serve the trusts.
A few years ago the republicans
passed an anti-trust law which they
v...nl,l n-niHilv the evil. It did
not. The democratic party denounced
the republican onii-mon. m
.1.,.,.. 1.11.1 frniiil. und charired that
the republicans never intended to puss
n luw that would le effective. The
democratic party under the Cleveland
regime came into power, um -.-.i..n.urntM
orticeedcd to pass nn
mill trust law of their own. which
they claimed would remove and eradi
cate the etll. It has not done so. To
ds)' the repnblicau anti-trust law ami
I. M4fc.l'M II...I ileniocrntlo anti-trust
luw are lutth on the statute book, side
by side, and In full tore. r irusia
continue to grow and ro"T and
multiply In numbers as never before.
ti,.t 1. th matter? The truth I
il.ui neither of these- so-called anti
trust laws roulaln th true remedy.
M.ltliee ttf thrill U olrevted at th
causes that product trusts.
The necalled democrat n ami re
1. ul. Ii.su antitrust la now on Ik
unite Uxk ar Ineffective first. be
cause the etil Uwa loiw l" existence
and lit full forte, whkh Intarlahly
prtatnt-e trusts, are nt ree.led tint,
htau th so-called anti trust !
, not directed st ant of the funda
mental eomlttioit that fiter and
promote the existence of trusts. A
statute ibnl-triiif that water skill nl
run downhill would I Ineffeettt u
J, . th sUtut atooikl rrfrsl Ik Us
of gratltathot. T It another
HM, the attempt to mnot end eur
the Industti! tn,M tailed trust
MiH th wIWd anil trust tans It
a, (tittle and ..HH a It wiM be
(,.f .Kk Ua to atm.t to fcrsl a
Mer f rbf out pf lkl ilo b
an altti t ! ',
vur f.r h k a U a ,ntVu
1 )..,! toi kl ld rntt tk
t.kHlil t- W
W'tUfl I. & !
twt ai phtst tkr ami r
t,i tka i.JMtiikl o tka
Mblto f )er, s Wtt h ! a
lrrM.t M kt ts,H feat fw"a
l,kr Uk aildUatkn. Tdj
the wIiqIo nation Is sick nigh unto
death with a chronic and constitu
tional disease, the complication of
trusts thut infest our industrial sys
tem. These trusts can never be
broken up until the causes that pro
duce trusts are removed.
What, then, ore these causes?
First, we must see what a trust Is.
A trust is a scheme or a device to es
tablish a complete monopoly of any
line of business. Whenever any num
ber of Individuals organize themselves
into a corporation and get a complete
monopoly or any line or business, so
thut they can crush out all kinds of
competition and control the
price or not only me manumc
tured articles sold to the nubile, but
also the raw material bought from the
producers to make the articles, then
we have a typical modern trust. IJut
the all-important question Is: how can
any corporation get a complete mo
nopoly of any line of business? That
Is, how is It possible for such a mo
nopoly such a. trust to be organized
and maintained? Are not tho thous
ands of people In a certain line of
business more powerful than one syn
dicate or corporation In the same busi
ness Are not seventy millions 01
people more powerful than a half
dozen of that number? They are If
they have equal opportunities. I hen
how is It jMisslble for a very small
number of men to drive out of busi
ness and crush thousands of competi
tors, secure a complete monopoly, and
mulntain It In the face of the re
mainder of the nation? There is but
one way In which It can possibly be
done: the monopolists must first get
control of the Instruments of com
merce. Those who control the Instru
ments of commerce can of Course con
trol commerce Itself, can destroy all
competition, and can put any kind of
business and every business into a
trust at will
Now. what ore the instruments of
commerce? They are three In number.
The first Is. money the measure or
vulues, the medium of exchange
which is a vital element in every busi
ness transaction. Money is the life
blood of commerce, and business stag
nates and congests when the supply
Is cornered, or when the quantity in
circulation docs not increase with the
increase of population and business,
just as the human body grows weak
from congestion or loss of blood.
The second great instrument of
commerce Is transportation. Cheap
transportation that can be used on
like terms by all, is an essential factor
of business In any country; but the
larger the country, the more import
ant is transportation. In a country
of the Immense distances of ours the
transportation question is of equally
vital importance with the money ques
tion. Hut the opH)itunity and the
right to use this instrument of com
merce to transMrt products from one
end of the country to the other at the
same prices and on the same terms
thut your competitor pays or enjoys
is of even more importance in pre
venting the building up of trusts than
the question of cheapness. Wherever
there is discrimination in freight
rates, no matter whether the freight
chnrges are high or low, a owerful
leveruge is given to those who have
the benefit of rebates and favoritisms
to crush out comijetitlon.
Do such discriminations exist? Yes,
and necessarily so when a few great
bankers and nyndientes own and con
trol this powerful instrument of com
merce, and can therefore regulate
rutes and make discriminations in
favor of monopolies and trusts with
which they are allied. What do we
see lo-oay : iu" niuu, . i
Morgnu. representing n foreign gold
syndicate composed of London Jews,
owning and absolutely controlling, us
the agent of that trust, eight of the
biggest railroad systems in the nu
tion. Which are they? The New
York, ew Haven and Hartford, ex
tending from New York to Hoston
and throughout New Kugland; the
I'.rle, with all Its branches anil feed
ers; the .New York Central, extending
from New York to Chicago, with all
Its ramiflcatlons; the Northern l'a
rifle, extending from Chlcntro across
the continent to the I'oeillo ocYan,
with all Its rsuiitlratlons; the great
Lehigh Ynlley system; the lllg lour,
covering the great fertile central went
U-lwceti St. Louis, I'hihidelphU mid
ChUago; the t hemicke and Ohio,
tunning from Hiilliiuorc out to ( hi
caio and the great northwest; rtiid
the Southern llailrtmd. extending fiom
New York south to New Orleans, with
nil Its ritmlllctttloii In more thuti a
doen atntes.
Thewi powerful steins, with the
trlhoturles which they dominate and
control, comprising more- than
miles, go era rer means of modern
truHoportatlott lu all hw grmt, i,pu
too, and lnijot.iU r lams of the
Itnlioit fiom t hUn el sad south,
t"pl the 'euMhsiila mtlroml, the
lUllimt.ie Nltd Ohio, the JteaUstnl All
I I nr. and the AtUnlle Cin.1 U"t.
MortfMH ami hi Ifold lrr hot
their f reed e.tes on lliew ht theo,
'ltto4itr.l Slid roMivred d will
i.rr.s the lottUot id ft.l.We them tit
In tht'lr uH swrvt time. Ill stool,
this mmii Vt.oif, r present I mj lle
1..I.I l lrd ht k ks, th .Iwmi
Mt of the irnoie) KHtret whom
Ihtul dr frMt the leiople, r
ti,U all tln unmrnl tM witSi
l other rllrMd ItKnsI, all of
wh..m are atie4.lt wotklnf la kr
w. eio. l.tfi Hh lh ' li
rte, aii td ita'Ultli wil
,,f t.llwtt its tfc ! Ujr tok
tka ru lkt eaw k k tka keels of
!! .HOK.tl, lk taa Ht (
rule or Ike eart tkewt il w, k
can llMlkl up sh d Wf (ta
amttkeir, ! raa attttshlp
tih ttiket l.li.tril ptratea, ael Ike.
raw ttfvaale Irnsta wntil tktr will
not be an independent business left in
the nation. ,
The third great and vital instrument
of commerce is the transmission of in
telligence. As far as the business
world can use the jsist office depart
ment everyone stands on a fair and
equal footing; but the information
that controls tho market and affects
vitally the business world, from the
Associated Vress despatches U the
daily newspapers, the stock reports,
and so on down, are transmitted by
telcgiiipli. The tremendous import
ance of tills instrument of commerce
is not generally realized. The actions
of men ure controlled by their opin
ions; their opinions are formed on the
information tiiey receive. Therefore
the opinions and actions of the wisest
and best men are sadly at fault if the
truth has Iwen kept from them, or if
it has been colored or perverted. Those
who can control our thoughts can con
trol our votes; those who can control
our votes can control our pocketbooks
and the destinies or t lie nation.
Ilpri- then, ure the three vital in
struments of commerce money, trans-
. , 1 j 1 1 1
portal ion, t ransmission 01 intelligence.
How should they be used and by whom
ulmulil tlwv 1m controlled? Can tiff un
cles so Mwe rful, and the proper use of
which is absolutely esscnuui lo.uie
welfare of ull the people, lie trusted in
the hands of a part of the people to be
used for their own private gain and
power? Clearly not., Then how should
they be used and controlled in order
to give equal opportunities to all and
to promote the general welfare?
Clearly these instruments of com
merce should be used a public func
tions at the lowest possible cost and
without discrimination In favor of one
person and u gainst another. This must
be done in order to put every industry
and business enterprise on an equal
footing. Has this been done? No.
Hut instead we Jmva permitted the re
verse to lie done. These vital Instru
ments of commerce are to-day com
pletely in the hands of private indi
viduals and sjKKiulutors, who there
fore have the business world at their
mercy. Whenever a government per
mits the instruments of commerce to
go into private hands It lias surren
dered its power to "establish Justice,
Insure domestic tranquillity, provide
for the common deiense, promote the
general welfare, and secure the bless
ings of liberty." It la to secure these
right that governments are estab
lished among men.
The instruments of commerce nre
untiiral monopolies they are nuturul
trusts. When they are used as public
functions, open and free to the use of
all on like terms and conditions, then
there Is healthy competition, with
widespread Industrial act4vity and gen
crnl prosperity and 'happiness. Under
such just and bnppy conditions It is
ImjaiHsible for an industrial trust to qe
organized and maintained. Hut when
these natural monoolies these nat
ural trusts (the Instruments of com
merce) are controlled by private In
dividuals and corporations for private
gain and power, they lwcome the pa
rent trusts thnt produce Industrial
leiiHfH to nliHorh everv line of business;
and when such industrial trusts are
organized and maintained they aggra
vate the conditions that gave them
birth. The. causes that destroy busi
ness prosperity nre the causes thut
produce trusts. A trust is the. child of
business stagnation, and it feeds on
hard times. I'ut Into the hands of a
few men the Instrument of commerce
that all men must use, and how can
the remainder of mankind compete
with them or do business at all ex
cept upon their terms terms dictated
liv Meltishncss and greed?
1 11 short, those who nave a trust on
i, 4 runt, on t.mnsoortatlon. ami
a trust on.news, have it in their power
to levy tribute on every man and every
industry in the nation In onier to en
rich themselves and their allies. They
lisive other and. If possible, still more
dangerous jiowers; they can use the
Instruments or commerce to exieoo
princely fuvoritisnis to some and to
lull k I'leu.llv discriminations against
others. Thus, as I have said, they can
build up one section or the country at
the exnse of another; they can build
up one town ami tear uowii auoiner;
they can build up one business and
tear down every other business com-IH-Iiug
with it. H.V hls selllsh,
greedy and tvrunmnot ue or sucii
tremendous powers tliey Utile mwie
millions of Ntuprr to make a few
lulllliiiinires: ..iev have produced gen
eral hiiHiucna stagnation ami wide-
spred suffering In the nililst ol
p ,nly. They hate een taken charge
,.f 1 lie uut eminent Itrndt. They are
the authors of the present hard tlmea,
ami they are ilirrviiy respoiu.ii.ie ior
the organisation of every trust. Wa
Oi.m it trust In existence Isrfor half
of the s-plta money was destroyed
tit burning lite greeni ami oe
mouetuing sllier, ami the control of
our rtitames was pUctd In the hand
,f a iMKkkmj mot-ale? Uaa Ihert a
trust in exUlrtun larfolt the rttilrottd
sod trlcgiaph, the other two luolru
mruls eMiiiiueree, ter moiwqss
Used ! pritt greed? Iuttf Ike
t hit t tears in win. h a lew pibsle in
.lit dt,U, oTiiled ito i ot MaloM.
hate s Md a trnsl oh t, a trul
tot ttan'IsMrtathMi. and a ttusl l'
ttlltrrttte, tkrt has pun "
ami multiplied tke aggtvgstloH of
HHOtstef industiUl Ift sis wkttk ar t
dav Wighlittg uur U.titstti! stit
ami san-'ug tk life bkssl of ! '
iut.be.
.e- fat-1 a are test I'laiit U e.uir.f
trt . Hero, lkn. wa kate ttta iti
Ikal t.sioi Itusta.
tim wl.l Is tke rteh ? IVI II
k lo rettotto Ikes awse. 1et It
is to sr Ikal tka strtwetla tf
Mert-o ar tiel fm n Is ka.U tf
"irsojla4 tsm' 1 HI ' fa.
mm RATE CASE
The Long Expected Decision is
Handed Down By The Su
preme Court.
RAILROAD COMPANIES WIN.
Law May Be Constitutional But
Tho Bates Fixed Were
Unreasonable.
I'ruhalila Action lljr Ths Hoard.
The United Htutes supreme court
lias handed down its decision in the
Nebraska maximum freight rate cases.
Justice Harlan read the opinion of the
court. He stated that neither Chief
Justice Fuller nor Justice McKenna
had taken any pint in the decision.
TI10 opinion was very lengthy. It
holds that the law as passed by the
legislature In 1803 Is conllscatory; that
the rates fixed are too low; that it
amounts to the taking of private prop
erty without due process of law, and
is therefore in conflict with the XIV
nine ml men t to the constitution. The
court makes plain its position that
the legislature hua the right to tlx
maximum rates, but that the rutes
fixed must be reuaonable and in con
formity with the XIV amendment.
The opinion goes on to suy that the
idea thut any legislature, state or fed
eral, can conclusively determine for
the people and for the courts that
what it enacts iu form of law, or what
It authorizes its agents to do, is con
sistent with fundamental law, Is in
opposition to the theory of our insti
tutions. Continuing Justice Harlan
said: "It is the duty of courts, both
federal and state, to see to it that no
right secured by the supreme law of
the land is Impaired or destroyed by
legislation. The perpetuity of our
constitution and the liberty which is
enjoyed under these depend in no
small degree upon the power given
the ludiclury to declare null and void
fill legislation, that Is clearly repug
nant to the supreme law of the land."
The effect of the decision is that
the supreme court leaves the whole
question of reasonableness of rates to
another tribunal, passing only UKn
the right of the circuit Court to Inter
vene, notwithstanding that the law
known as II. H. 33, and which bears
f Fred Newberrv of Ham'
fWn county, glvea the supreme court
of the state the right to declare
whether the law Is within the pro
visions of the constitution. Upon one
proposition the court was emphatic,
that there could be no separation of
local from interstate business, Justice
Harlan contending that the whole
earnings made up the receipts of the
ruilroud company and that one could
not be mode subservient to another.
Justice Ilnrlan said that the follow
ing principles must be regarded as
settled:
1. A ruilroiul corioration is a per
Hon within the meaning of the XIV
uinendment; declaring that no state
shall deprive any person of property
without due process of law, nor deny
to nny person within its jurisdiction
the equal protection of the laws; a
state enactment or regulation made
under the authority of a state enact
ment, establishing such rutes for the
transportation of jiersons or pnqierty
by railroad as will not admit of the
carrier earning such coniensntion as
under all the circumstances Is just
to It and to the public, would deprive
such carrier of its property without
due process of luw and deny to It the
equal protection of the laws and
would, therefore, lie repugnant to the
XIV amendment of the constitution of
the United States.
2. If the rales for transMrtntlon of
(HTw.iis and property within the lim
its of a state are primarily for Its de
termination, the question whether
they are so unreasonably low as to
dep'rUe the carrier of its property
without sm'h comH'iisntion as the
constitution secures, and, therefore,
without due pria-ess of law, cHiiuot lie
so conclusively determined by the
legislature of the state or by regula
tions adopted under It authority that
the imil ler may not become the sub
ject of judicial' inquiry.
This hist proposition Justice Iter
hut said covered the casa In adnt. He
thru proceeded to make an rthaustlte
examination Into the effect of Ihtt en
forcement of the rates prearrtlted
iihiii the biislncsa of th different Ne
braska lines, showing the reduction
to amount to i'U.VI ter real for the
tettrs l'M, l'.3 and IMM, The result
was to show thai each of the r.ls la
toltcd would for lhi period hate tMf
ducted their business at a l"s with
onlv one or two exceptions and thesat
f,r only a skorl while,
lM4'usia the question as to what
r the notsideraUoo to which we tfM
l.iuil ijiteit when w seek to as
irtlailt the iiiiihimIii which a rad
OMtd tompattv is atlttd to rewrite
m. a prohibition us Ike etltt
,.f whWh toar lw faxly deemed a de
. tnstu.it t t tfisUtita detcee of pttqf
rtty wlllin.il .Ins pKsfs of law, Jus
twe HatUn Mkli
t iwlout.ledlv thai qttesli.tn could
I mora rasitv deter ndtted tv a itttt
uUdoti t-tijsd Ol pero who
. Ul sWill. ft't rtaltoo and ttoert-
me iftabSea lket to an kaw.ll !
crol.lems of Iraasoortattoft at to tta
i I tslk tt tka pukdlti aa Well u
tktw w Kim nMHtey ka tsei t
rttttsttotl aad maialsla klfkwat to
ith foewitit aal WaaAl wf tk
peojile. Hut despite the difficulties
that confessedly attend the proper so
lution of such questions, the court
cannot shrink from the duty to de
termine whether it be true, as alleged,
that the Nebraska statute invades or
destroys rights secured by the su
preme law of the land."
This would seemingly establish the
right of the railroad Commission to
Investigate charges for freight and
transportation, 11 x rutes and upply to
the courts If necessary to have the
rutes enforced. The Nebraska com
mission will proceed along this line as
soon iim the full text of the decision
can be olllelully obtained.
In passing upon what shall consti
tute reasonable charges and rates the
court says:
We hold that the basis or an calcu
lations as to reasonableness of rates
to be charged by a corjioration main
taining a highway under legislative
sanction, must be the fair value of the
property being used by It for the con
venience of the public. And in order
to ascertain that value the original
cost of construction, the amount and
market value of its bonds and stock,
the present as compared with the
orlginul cost of construction, the prob
able earning cnpaclty of the property
under any rates prescribed by atotute,
and the sum required to meet operat
ing expenses, are all matters for con
sideration and to be given such weight
as may lie just and right in the par
ticular case. What the company is en
titled to ask for fair return on is the
value of that which it employs for the
public convenience. On the other
hand, what the publlo ia entitled to
demand is that no more be exacted
from it for the use of a publlo high
way than the services rendered by it
are reasonably worth. But even upon
this basis we perceive no ground on
the record for reversing the decree of
the circuit court. On the contrary we
are of the opinion that as to most of
the companies in question, there
would have been under the rules es
tablished by the act of 1803 an actual
loss in each of the years ending June
30, 3801, 1802, and 1803, and substan
tially no compensation earned for the
services rendered, and that, in tlte ex
ceptional cases above stated, the re
ceipts or gains, aliove operating ex
penses, of some of the companies,
would have been too small to affect
the general conclusion that the act,
If enforced, would have deprived each
of the railroad companies involved in
those suits of the just compensation
secured to them by the constitution.
Under the evidence there Is no ground
for saying that the operating expenses
essarv.
In conclusion Justice Harlan said
that where business improved suf
ficiently the state could apply to the
courts for rell, M reduction tf
rutes. He said: lit
Hut it may be added that the con
ditions of business, so far as railroad
eonwratlons are concerned, have prob
ably changed ror the better and that
the rates prescribea by the statute or
1893 may now aoffrd ail the compensa
tion to which the railroad companies
in Nebraska are entitled as between
them and the public. In anticipation,
perhaps, of such a change of circum
stances, the circuit court wisely pro
vided in its final decree that the de
fendants, members of the board of
transportation, might, 'when the cir
cumstances have changed so that the
rates fixed in the snid act of 1893 shall
yield to the said companies reasonable
comK'uatiou for the services afore
said," apply to the court by bill or
otherwise, as they might le advised,
for a further order in that ltchalf. tu
this provision of the final decree the
state board of transtjortatlon, if so
ud vised, can avuil themselves.
In that event, If the circuit court
finds that the present condition of
business is such as to admit or the
application of the statute to the rail
road Comianies in question without
deprivinir them or lust compensation
It will be its duty to discharge the In
junction heretofore granted and to
muke whatever order is m-eessnry to
remove any oladructlon placed by the
decrees in these cases in me way or
the enforcement of the statute.
The trouble with most in t. is -its
have no pasture thnt amounts to much.
We plowed our farm before we knew
that it was Impossible to make a tame
grass pasture. We can have rye pasture
late in tint fall and iu the. spring so
lmig as it last. Iu the catcru irt of
the state the rlovers and tame grasses
da wiill, but ito oue has ver matte a
access of it N re. Alfalfa is a success
on the lowland. When w learn bow
to luaka alfalf.i paMurt ou high land.
rattl raising will 1st profttalle, Huch
a lime ought to come, for w e. have failed
to inaka the other clovers pay,
WhtUrntiU art) not raised tenWa.
ly la Ihtt east, a great many am driven
in front th west and finished on corn
for Ik tuatkal. They urn laraa uuautl
Ilea of ewu. tkiutcMaies ll is a K'ssl
lulu f I ha farmer and Hue lime not.
for wb is about It or II twu It
bad Wit rtouata la tha rrlh. I attU
arw hUta tkts year, and porn U cheap, se
thai toedera will tuake m Km rijif
M lhy do hew valtU ar rheap aui
kiaa. II I tut toistassa nny way
Tha mom k-i h hot larud th Uadi
had U tit r U l i aula aUuv Tha fr
tini U fa a Mtf written tt I'laiit
r aratr l y Not task farmer.
Tk aaatHaviits ettaditHoi aarfttsal
last vtaay Una kaa k4 la natio
aotsxl to Kf their ttntraa
weal. Ik t.Hl sta Hm t
na laaa ol tk tow 4 1. '. ftlefkeaa,
t rsta, Nelv. aktstsj ad. oa aa tatati4.
la.la auMdWt Ml dtewlia M
la Jo a KrdH a4 Mtdott tkfaW a4
4er.
EVERY
Mi
www
Hon. J. M. Snyder Favors
Co-operation To Win The
Battle.
HARD FIGHTING AHEAD.
What The Gold Standard Ad
vocates May be Expected
to do.
A I'opull.t rirst, Last, and Mlddla,
Kdltor Independent:
Jeft Davis fired on Fort Sumptor
and forced the fight. The gold stand
ard conspirators have shown their
readiness and anxiety for a decisive
battle, McKlnley' speech at New
Vork, Gage's bill, the Indianapolis
conference are only a reconnaissance
In force. For the present they may
fall buck and fortify their camp. But
they are there. They have shown
themselves to us, and it may be that
nothing but divided council among
themselves delays the battle. How
ever that may be, it's certain that the
hour for action is here. For pruden-
tlal reasons and election purposes
there may be a truce until next De
cember, but no dlsbandlmr of their
army need be expected. Desperation
brings hard fighting, and this is a
cose of deseration. More than once
in the History of flgbta wnole cities
have first Killed their wives and Chil
dren, then set fire to their city and
closed the scene by charging the en
emy and selling their lives as dear as
possible. This will be something like
that. The money power must conquer
or die. They will die hard, very hard,
If they die at all. If they lose the
election in November they can meet
In December, pass the bauk bill sell
the gold bonds, burn up the green
bucks, sink sliver to the bottom, and
muke the whole thing official. Sup
pose we do win the election In No
vember and In two years more put
our president there. You are too late.
Tho mischief is done, the ship is sunk,
l'uy or repudiate is your only alterna
tive. And what shall we do now? Fight,'
or sink never to rise. My vote is for
fight, who seconds the motion? Na
poleon lost Waterloo because one of
nls generals and thirty thousand men
were thirty miles In error of move- , f
merit. Wellington won Waterloo be-'
cause lllucher got there in just the
nick of time. We need every man and
all the recruits we can get. I am a
populist clear through me, and even
more than populist means, liut if a
burglar should attack me and my dog
should help me to conquer the burg
lar I would fight with the dog for
victory, nor think myself less a man
because I did. I was an abolitionist,
then republican, but side by side I
fought with democrats who helped to
save the union. I am ready to do it
again. No one blamed me in the 60s
for doing it, why then blame me in
the 00s? No division of forcea now.
Kvery man to his post, democrat
corps on the right, silver republicans
on the left, populist in the center.
That would be my order of battle.
Rally on the colors, boys, I don't
mean fusion. I just mean co-operation.
I shall tie a populist first, last
and middle, marching, camping or
fighting, everywhere ami alwaya a
populist. J. M. SNYDER.
Loup City, March, 1898.
CLEN ELAND TROUBLED.
The Ei-Prtildtnt Locfs For Mare
"Sound Money," but It Badly Scarad.
The gold democratic organization
of Pennsylvania held a meeting last
week. The event of principal Inter
est was a letter from the Stuffed
Prophet of 1'rlnceton, promoter of the
present republican financial licy,
which shows that along with signing
tetttlotia for saloon lit that college
town, (irover la afflicted with bud
dreams aa tha shadows ot the eon diet
of IVmki appear. The letter la aa fol
lows: l hup nu-t iurrly that them
may m a sound money movement In
iVnnsyltaiita thai will ts ery strong
and useful. I rannol account for the
arrogant court. Irtice of the free silver
forces rxiepl upon the theory that
they are led to brlleva there la vary
little agresslt effort to be mad by
their . Mieiits. It la a strange thin
that th apparent apathy la many of
our sound money state should give
plausibility tit smh a I lief. If any
one lelirtia wl'h a suppose llott
fre sitter can he pretented from con
trtititiif th tii house ttf the t
itMigrrsa without rffet'tite ortfauUa
lion and hard work, Ih quicker h
abandon Ikat Ma Bwrw aeM
He will a a atoiml tttonV wan,
I o earnest la riv desire to aee
,,ur routttrv tdei with Mnd won-
and e sound B nam 11 slia, Ikat
I am of the opinion w oua-kt to give
paliiuttti ami eo,sisul oipoit t
any plan wkWk Insure tM result,
and wktte kaa Iki leottl wkkn
tt'outlsea It iwtafl ettv j.
War, Mty rtdt,
tlUtHt tl KVI tMV .
J