n
v
Wort Tjeme Print
Cban JInp Otber
Jt Peoples Party
Paper in tb U.S.
a v viuv ri rivr
J Subscribers from
J Mow Until 3an.
71 n
1st, 1901, $2. SO 5
t x
VOL. XL
.LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, MARCH 15, 1900.
NO. 44.
i
BETTER THAN 60LD MINES
The Financial Bill Makes a Gift to Hank
ers and Bondholder of $137,000,000 .
Besides Unlimited Power
It seems that the profits of the bank
ers in this new refunding scheme have
not all been discovered yet. The re
funding bonds that are to be issued in
place of those now outstanding are al
ready selling at a premium 6f six per
cent. Men who have the old bonds are
now making contracts to deliver these
new refunding bonds for 10G. Many
claim that they will go to 107 or 108.
Now just stop, and figure up what this
gift to the present holders of bonds will
be if they get only six per cent premium.
There are $820,000,000 of them. There
is a straight out gift of 149,000,000. Was
there ever anything more infamous than
such legislation as that? Will the pres
ent bondholders after they have their
hands on those millions refuse to put up
all the money that Mark Ilanna asks for
in the next election campaign?
Senator Teller made the following
statement on the floor of the senate the
other day in a colloquy with Senator Al
lison, and Allison did not pretend to
deny it. (Congressional Record, page
2633.)
"Mr. Teller. The public press tells us
that men sold them in New York, for 6
per cent. Some of them said they would
not sell any under 7. Night before last
a distinguished business man of New
York, with large enterprises and a great
deal of wealth and a great deal of energy
, and industry, with whom . I have been
' acquainted for many years, called at my
rooms and told me that the bonds were
selling freely in New York at 6 per cent
now, the men who will get the bonds
and are going to exchange them making
contracts to deliver them. It is only
the man who owns the bonds and is
going to exchange them for new bonds
who can sell them for future delivery."
This is confiscation. It is robbery as
bad as was ever committed by any high
wayman. It is taxing money out of the
workirrr people of this country and giv
ing without any return to bond holders.
It is enough to damn anv government
on earth. If the manhood had not long
since been crushed out of the republi
can voter there would be universal pro
test from every part of the United States.
Why these new bonds sell in advance
of their issue at a premium of 6 per cent?
Senator Teller gives the reason in very
few words. (Congressional Record, page
2G34.) - - . -
"Mr. President, we are now entering
upon a new banking system. There was
no propriety and no reason in the world
why this exchange of bonds should be
v provided for at this time and in this bill.
These bonds will not be due for some
seven or eight years. Nobody has wanted
hi3 money for them. There is not a
man living who does not know hat
when the bonds are due it will be the
greatest affliction that could possibly
happen to their holders to have them
paid in cash. So if it should occur that
the bonds become due at a time when
we are not prepared to pay them, there
would be no trouble in exchanging them
for other bonds. If we want to do so,
we can pay existing bonds off with new
bonds wnen iney are due or sell new
bonds and pay the old ones.
I repeat what I said before, that the
holders of these bonds are already ex
pecting to get new bonds for the old
ones and their cash premium of $88,000,
000, and then sell the new bonds, if they
want to get cash fof them, at a premium
of 6 per cent. Prophecies go for almost
nothing in these days, but I venture to
say the bonds will be at a higher pre
mium than 6 per cent all the time. Why
should the bonds bring a premium of
6 per cent? They are bonds upon which
the holder can go to the treasury and
get the full amount in cash, and he will
get his hundred cents on the dollarr He
draws his two per cent upon them. He
pays but a small tax upon the bills and
he pays no tax upon the bonds. The
national banks under the former system
paid one-half of 1 per cent half yearly
upon their circulation, or 1 per cent per
annum, one-fourth of 1 per cent half
yearly, upon their deposits, a like amount
of their capital stock, deducting amount
invested in United States bonds.
In another place Senator Teller de
dares that he would rather have this
privilege of issuing the paper money of
tne country man the ownership of all
the gold mines. . Who would not? There
is more to be made out of it and there
are bo risks. Such a thing is so much
better that there is no adjective to de
scribe it.
England paid a great price in suffering
and tne destruction of the best part of
ner population to enable her to estab
lish the gold standard. We are to pay a
mucn greater price. Senator Teller puts
it in these words. (Congressional Rec
ord nasre 2632. -
"As 1 said the othey day, every nation
tnai has attempted to maintain the gold
standard has had to resort to extra
measures and efforts to maintain it.
Great Britain, as we know, ruined the
best part of her population in the effort.
She had 170,000 men who lived in their
ewn homes, who ow ned their own land,
who educated their sons at the English
colleges, who fitted them for the dis
charge of the very highest duties of citi
zenship either at home or abroad. When
she had got throuah with that effort, in
side of twenty-five years, she had re
duced her 170,000 independent land
holders and yeomanry to 30,000. She
paid a price for the gold standard infi
nitely greater than ought to have been
paid; and but for the fact that a greatly
increased output of gold came in 1848
and subsequently, a still greater sacri
fice would have been necessary. If the
production of gold after 1848 had been
no greater than it was from 1809 to 1848.
in my judgment the British government
would not have been the power it is
today. 5
Under this bill I predict that we shall
continue the national debt, increasing it
gradually year by year, and that no man
now living will see it paid. I do not sup-!
pose the people who favor this bil) ever
want to see the national debt paid. It
was the policy of the republican party
for many years to pay it. .We have paid
a thousand eight hundred million dollars
in less time than any government in the
world had ever paid a fourth part of
that sum. This payment was made
under republican administration, with a
steady determination at that time to get
rid of the entire debt. But , there has
been no effort made in the last twelve
years by any political organization to
discharge the public debt. There will
be no more such effort, in my opinion,
under a republican administration. If
the republican party is again successful
in 1900, you will see the public debt in
creased and not decreased, and this bill
is ex industria for that particular pur
pose, lhere is no limit to the possible
extension of the debt, and it is the in
tention that there shall be no limit to it."
Besides all these millions paid to the
bankers in cash, this bill gives to them
the control of every species of property
in the United States. It gives to the
banks a power greater than was ever ex
ercised by any monarch or tyrant of all
the ages past. This bill takes away the
last vestige of protection from the prop
erty owners of the United States. Said
Mr. Teller: (Congressional Globe, page
2034:)
Mr.President,there is another provision
in the bill to which I desire to call your
attention. As the present statute is and
has been for many years, it was found
necessary in dealing with the banks that
when a bank decreased its circulation
and brought its notes to the Treasury
and took out bonds or left them, as it
might, it could not increase its circula
tion again for six months. That was for
the purpose of preventing the banks of
this country from putting their notes
into the Treasury, contracting the cur
rency, and then, perhaps in a month
from that time, reissuing an equal
amount, and thus keeping the currency
in fluctuation. That law is repealed,and
the banks hereafter will be allowed to
simply turn in just so much money a3
they choose to do; and when they wish
to create a fall in prices or when they
wish to coerce the Senate and House of
Representatives, as they have done I
have a very distinct recollection of their
coercing this body or trying to do so
when they want to do that, they simply
go to the Treasury with their notes,leave
them there, and when the condition
which they want to create has been cre
ated, they will withdraw their notes
again, and thus we shall have contrac
tion and expansion, and that, I suppose,
is upoii the theory ithat we . are to have
an elastic currency.
The perpetuity and increase of the
public debt is provided for in a little sec
tion of the bill that reads as follows: (It
is section 5 on page 23 of the conference
report.) "And if the amount of such gold
coin and bullion in said fund shall at
any time fall below $100,000,000, then it
shall be his duty to restore the same to
the maximum sum ; of $150,000,000 by
borrowing money on the credit of the
United States."
Before a bill like this all the horrors
of former legislation pales into insigriifi
cance. All that was foretold in the Haz
zard circular has a last been accom
plished. There will be a flurry of good
times when this flood of wild cat paper
is issued and after that well what?
Filipino Arts and Customs.
Editor Independent: I was very much
interested in the timely and instructive
address of Miss Hartley at the High
School auditorium last Saturday evening
giving us as it did a glimpse of the do
mestic life of that interesting people, the
Philippiaos. As the numerous beauti
ful household articles of ingenious work
manship, and the many artistic designs
of a refined taste in wearing apparel and
personal adornment were held up to view
we could not resist the feeling that this
people could teach their invaders many
things in which they are certainly very
artistic.
The thought is saddening that we are
engaged in the destruction af this unob
trusive and unique civilization. It looks
as though some of our eastern journals
and even a number of D. D's have gone
mad in the inhuman craze for conquest.
In the Outlook, a magazine edited by
Rev. Lyman Abbott, ,in the issue of
March 3d, in an article by Phelps Whit
marsh (special commissioner of the Out
look in the Philippines), from which I
quote the following statement, descrip
tive in part of his experience as a mem
ber by invitation of a military expedition
in running down a party of Philippinos.
"Then began the cleverest bit of stalk
ing I have yet seen. It reminded me of
my hunting days in Australia when I
walked many a mile to get a shot at the
mountain kangaroo. We 'crawled on
our hands and knees to a point that
seemed within striking distance. They
were looking out over the plain. At a
low word of command the sixteen of us
charged down the slope and when with
in twenty-five yards, with a yell we gave
them a volley." We have not room for
the whole story but the glorious out
come of it all was the killing of nearly
the" whole "covey" of Philippinos.
Think of this kind of work participat
ed in by a "Special commissioner" sent
there by a religious journal to give us
the true situation from an unprejudiced
standpoint. ..' - - :
The article refered to will be found in
the outlook of March 3d. finely illustrat
ed to make it attractive, and the incident
from which I quote begins on page 499.
Then here is a dispatch from one of our
dailies. "The army throughout the is
land is working hard, scouring the coun
try for insurgents and killing a few
daily." ...
Surely we can no longer condemn Cor
tez ob Pizarro for their work of destruc
tion in Mexico and Peru. " -
1 B. Roosa,
Lincoln, Neb.
THE STATE ADMINISTRATION.
It Has Been Honest, Economical, Efficient,
And a Credit to all Citizens of Nebraska.'
If ever a political party had cause for
rejoicing over the record that it has made
in the administration of government it is
the populist party of 'Nebraska. In the
first place it has been absolutely honest.
There has not been a dollar embezzled or
misapplied and the most bitter partisan
republican has not the impudence to
make such a charge. . ; -.
Governor Poynter has made an excel
lent governor. There have been no grand
stand plays for effect, but quiet, honest
attention to the business that passes
through his hands. The sharpest of the
republican schemers have not been able
to lay any. traps for him which he has
not seen and easily avoided, as for in
stance the celebrated Philippine resolu
tion which the governor promptly vetoed.
He has looked after all the institutions
that are under his control with scrupu
lous care and there has been less objec
tion to his appointments than to any
governor that we have ever had.
Meserve - has made a model treasurer.
His success in redeeming the credit of
this state after the republicans had
looted the treasury and Nebraska's prom
ises to pay were offered on every street
corner at a discount, has been litte short
of marvelous. The business regulations
that he adopted as soon as he was in of
fice have made it impossible for thieving
republican county treasurers to rob the
state, although some of them have suc
ceeded in robbing their counties of large
sums since Meserve has been treasurer.
Uncle Jake has so administered the
office of commissioner of public lands and
buildings that the school fund has been
doubled, for which every child and every
teacher in Nebraska is , grateful. Polit
ical favorites no longer hold thousands
of acres of school lands for terms of
years without rent, but the rent on every
quarter section is duly turned over to
pay the teachers and support the schools.
Auditor Cornell has saved the people
of this state thousands of dollars by his
close scrutiny of every claim that has
passed through his hands. He is now
engaged in making the fat insurance
companies , pay up the stealings of
Eugene Moore, and by the way he has
been keeping after them and by the money
sent in, it looks as if he were going to get
it all back into the treasury. His deputy
Mr. Price, is doing all over again the
work of the republican administrations
preceding. He is doing three years work
in one.
Porter has so administered the office
of secretary of state that it has been
above criticism even from - his enemies.
That office under his management, in
stead of having to be supported by tax
ing thousands of dollars out of the peo-
Ele is a source of profit to the state and
elps to reduce taxation. The fees are
turned over every week into the hands of
the state treasurer and go to help pay
the expenses of the state government.
Smyth has so conducted the office of
attorney general that it has received the
encomiums of every decent lawyer in the
state. He has conducted with the great
est skill many difficult cases, some of
them involving hundreds of thousands
of dollars, in such a manner that there
can be nothing but praise for him. He
has had to fight in the courts alone and
single handed, all the corporations and
all the great corporation lawyers in the
state, and he has conducted his cases
with so much care and skill that a cor
poration or corporation attorney dreads
to see his face in court for they feel sure
that retribution is near at hand.
Superintendent Jackson has given
universal satisfaction in the office of
superintendent of schools. The schools
of Nebraska were never in so good a
condition as they are to-day. Nebraska
is proud of them and of Superintendent
Jackson.
All these officers except the ' governor,
are nearing the close of their second
terms. In a few months more they will
return to their farms and homes. The
Independent says to them: "Well done,
good and faithful servants. You have
conferred honor upon the state and the
party to which you belong. The people
of this heretofore thief-ridden state will
remember your services with gratitude."
AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION
This Department In the Schools in the Past
Not Given Attention it Deserves.
Mr. C. F. Beck, the present deputy su
perintendent, speaking concerning the
general condition of education in the
state, says that the school work of this
state is equal to and in many respects
superior to that of any other state. The
system is improving as fast as existing
conditions will allow. As communities
become more densely populated, and
wealth increases thus lessening the
burdens of taxpayers better school fa
cilities will be available, and it will be
possible for Nebraska to maintain the
enviable reputation of having the least
per cent of illiteracy in the Union.
Free education is the bulwark of the
nation. Nebraska intends to keep in the
van. The last link in the chain of free
education was welded when the free
high school law went into effect. It is
now possible for the boy or girl 4o pass
through the distict school. ? continue
through the high school, and complete a
course at the university with no expense
for tuition. Free books, free schools,
free education, mean free citizens if a
right use is made of the opportuities of
fered. The educational sentiment is
such there is little doubt that opportuni
ties will go unappreciated to any great
extent.
Concerning the county institute. Mri
Beck says from the present outlook the
work will be of a higher order this year
than ever before, and this insures better
teaching during the coming years.
Better teaching is rewarded with
better learning, and this in turn results
in better, citizenship. He gave it as his
opinion . that no other state has as high
moral - standard, or comes as near main
taining that standard as Nebraska.
Mr. Beck stated that in his opinion
sufficient attention has not been given
to the subject of elementary agriculture
and that this important branch should
be given greater attention in the future.
Nebraska is a' peculiarly agricultural
state and anything that tends to improve
or develop that industry benefits either
directly or indirectly every inhabitant of
the state. The Independent hopes to be
favored with some articles and . further
suggestions from Mr. Beck in favor of
such a course of study , in the ' near
future. ' " - .
AN APPALING LIST
Private Soldiers in the- Philippines Con
tinue to Commit Suicide by the
Score.
The suffering of 'the private soldiers
in the Philippines is awful beyond de
scription. Not a word about it is allowed
to be told by the newspaper correspon
dents in the islands, but every week ,or
two there comes a long list of suicides.
How is it that these young men, healthy,
bright eyed and vigorous when they
passed the medical examination to enter
the army, now seek relief from their suf
ferings in death? Besides these we have
lists of hundreds who have been sent
home insane. A look over the reports
for the last three months shows the fol
lowing long list of suicides and there
may be many more. .
Bernard, A. E., pvt Hosp. Corps.
Bowman, D. T., Lieut., 37th U. S. V.
Brereton, John J., Lieut.-CoL, 33d U.
S. Vol. Inf. . ' - '
Briggs, Geo., pvt., 1st Wyo. Vol. Inf.
Craddock, P. B., pvt., 4th U. S. Cav.
Crawford, E. C, pvt., 23d U. S. Inf.
Curtis, Geo. W., pvt., 18th U. S. Inf.
Dickelman, F., pvt Hosp. Corps.
Durham, Fred A., Hosp. Steward.
Gregory, W., pvt., 11th U. S. Cav.
' Hiatt, Charles, Sgt., 4th U. S. Cav.
Hillis, M. A.i cpl., 35th U. S. V. Inf.
Hudson, John CM pvt., 23d U. S. Inf.
Kehoe, J. J., pvt., 2d Ore. Vol. Inf.
Kellerman, A., pvt., 4th U.1S. Inf.
Knox, Geo. N., pvt., 6th U. S Artil.
Lov, Christof , pvt., 20th U. S. Inf.
McDowell, Harry A., pvt., 1st Col. Vol.
Inf.
McHenry, M.R.. pvt., 14th U. S. Inf.
Montag, G., pvt,35th U. S. Vol. Inf. V
Moore, J. L., Lieut., 51st la. Vol. Inf.
Moran, P. E., Sergt 6th U.S Inf.
Pegrce, F. A., Lieut., 6th U. S, Art.
Rock, Thomas, pvt., 20th U. S. Inf.
Sell, J. H.; pvt., 13th Minn, Vol. Inf
Waugh, John R., Lieut., 39th U. S.
Vol. Inf. i
. .vZaisser, C. A.,pvt., 6th U.S. Inf.' t 1
In this list it will be seen that there
are four commissioned officersone
Lieut. Colonel and four noncommission
ed officers. That army of nearly one
hundred thousand men will soon disap
pear. Shall we send anotherJLOO.OOO to
take their places? It cannotTbe done
without a conscription and to that impe
rialism will finally lead us.
Cost of the War.
Congressman Sutherland has at last
obtained an official statement from the
treasury department of the cost of the
war, and here it is:
, Treasury Department, Office of the
Secretary, Washington, D. C, Jan
uary 20, 1900.
Sir: In reply to your communication
of the 18th instant, requesting informa
tion as to the amount expended for war
purposes, exclusive ef amounts expended
for building battle ships, from the begin
ning of the war with Spain to the pres
ent time, I have the , honor to state as
follows:
Estimated expenditures on account of
the war with Spain, from March 1898, to
December 31, 1899.
War $256,750,000
Navy.. 68,000,000
Payment to-Spain. . . . . .-. . . . 20,000,000
Interest on bonds issued for
war expenditures " 7,616,763
Total $352,366,763
Information as to what amount may
be included in the above named Navy
expenditure for battle ships should be
obtained from the Navy Department. .
' - Respectfully,
L. J. GAGE, Secretary.
, Hon. R. D. Sutherland,
House of Representatives.
The Independent figured this out for
itself some. time ago when it said that
the cost of the war was about $300,000
000. At the time that that statement
was made it didn't miss it $1,000. But
the war has been going since the 31st
December in the same old way and at
the present time it is considerably over
$400,000,000. By mid summer it will be
half a billion, all to be dug out of the
farms and mines of this country by la
bor. This is a part of imperialism.
Edgar Howard's passphobia eases up
sufficiently every little while to permit
him to take a calm survey of the situa
tion. -This is the way he sizes up D.
Clem Deaver's "True Populist."
Clem Deaver is publishing an alleged
populist newspaper in Omaha. The
subscription price is less than the cost
of the white paper. Deaver admits that
he is a poor man not worth a dollar.
The 'question naturally arises: "Who
pays the freight?" , It has been often
intimated in the past that Deaver stood
very close to Edward Rosewater and the
republican national committee. The in
timations of the past begin to look like
a sure thing in this present.
Club of five subscribers from now
uutil January 1, 1901, for $2.50. Every
body rustle. , , . . Y.
a - ; .
A MALICIOUS LIBEL
Prominent Democrats and Leading Dem
ocratic Papers Denounce Edgar How
ard's Circular Letter.
The Democrat is not a bolter. Neither
is it a mugwump as that term applies to
politics. 'But there be a few things
upon which the Democrat essays to
speak. It has no doubt but that Bryan
as presidential candidate will carry .Nebraska-
So far, it is well. But Ne
braska elects a full quota of -state offic
ials this present year and to this is our
present subject addressed. Fusion must
4
be accomplished, else candidates other
than republican will not know they've
been in the race." Silver Republicans,
Populist and Democrats all know this is
true; yet, to indulge the pique of some
and to feed the vaulting ambition of
others, strife and bitter feeling are be
ing engendered. And since there's but
slight cause for- it, the more's the pity
that it's done. We will speak of one in
stance and this will suffice to illustrate
the principle attacked.
Edgar Howard, a very worthy gentle
man and a democrat, aspires : to the of
fice of Auditor of State a place we be
lieve him fully competent to fill and to
secure his nomination has sent out to
many of the reform editors of the state
a personal letter, and in the favorable
mention of his candidacy one friend in
judiciously printed a portion of Edgar's
appeal. Here it is: - v
"Never before have I been a candidate
for any office. I am now a candidate,
and it is my purpose aided by those who
believe in me, to win. I hope you do
not think less of me because i have an
nounced myself as a candidate. I be
lieve it is the honest thing to do. I
shall stand for a , principle redemption
of the party pledges and ask those who
believe such pledges should be redeemed
to come up and help me. If the people
are satisfied with the manner in which
some of our state officers have : sneered
at party promises, then my candidacysj
will be abortive. - '
We learn upon good authority (The
Democrat not having been favored with
a "letter") that populist officials past
and present are scored in caustic terms,
in other portions of the letter, , for now
being and Jiaving been dominated in
their official capacity by corporate in
fluences. . .
The Democrat wishes to express its
disapproval of such a method of advan
cing one's candidacy, while a democrat,
in fiie most positive manner. We de
nounce not - the . method only but " de
clare the charge made against honored
public servants false.
We believe the democrats of Nebraska
should use all honorable means to se
cure a fair representation for our party
upon the fusion state ticket but such
tactics as are being employed by Edgar
Howard are . infamous and if indulged
by democrats will not only cause the
nomination of populists but will engen
der such a feeling in the ranks of popu
lists as to make , harmonious fusion im
possible. Does any one suppose such
men as Holcomb, Poynter, Meserve,
Porter, Wolfe, Cornell and Jackson
men who have made Nebraska the best
governed state in the union would not
resent such insults at convention time if
such became the policy of Nebraska de
mocracy? They are unworthy the
honor they have won if they would
not. . t. '
The Democrat is not prejudiced
against Edgar Howard or any other
democrat. On the contrary it has a
feeling of fraternity of fellowship with
the editor of the Papillion Times; but it
wishes to publiclydisavow on behalf of
f Nebraska democrats any feeling of dis
appointment in the manner in which
populist state officials ' have discharged
their duties under the sacred trust com
mitted to them. We are proud of them
as we are of Atty. Gen. Smyth, or as are
your populist brethren, and beg of them
to remember that the man leading this
attack is he who coined the ' phrase
"Slippery Si" the only argument mfide
by tne opposition against Silas A. Hol
comb last fall. Also, remember that
now when a fusion paper speaks against
the candidacy of Howard the State
Journal heroically defends him.
The Democrat believes no man can
climb the ladder of success over the
backs of his fellows. We hope Edgar
will see his mistake, repair the wrong he
is doing our respected citizens, dispel
the false light with which he is sur
rounding his party and stand out openly
in his candidacy upon his merits as a
man, democrat and fusionist. Grand
Island Democrat.
THIRTY YEAR BONDS
Tho Gold Bill Contains a Proposition So
Monstrous That Even Some Repub
cans are Revolting.
. The United , States Investor takes a
very positive position against the pro
vision of the conference financial bill re
garding the refunding of portion of the
national debt. It says the provision is
to be condemned on broad grounds. It
is the height of folly.ays that journal,
for the government, to surrender for
thirty years the right to extinguish its
debt. "The sole aim of the government
should be to pay the outstanding bonds
as they mature." It declares that "so
far as the ability of the government to
meet these obligations is concerned,
there is not the slightest occasion at this
time for such a measure as has recently
passed the senate," the provision incor
porated in the conference bill. It further
says that the outlook is very favorable
for a retirement of the debt at maturity
out of the treasury surplus, provided
the refunding proposition is not sanc
tioned. In any event, says the Investor,
there is no likelihood that a period of
thirty years will be required to pay off
the bonds that fall due in the next few
years. "The treasury surplus, after de
ducting the SIOO.OOOJOOO gold reserve,
now stands at abou4$196,000,000, or near
ly 25 per cent of what would be required
to wipe out all the bonds that mature
between now and 1908. There have been
long periods in the past when the treas
ury was burdened with redundant reve
mles and the same experience is quite
likely to recur in the near future. The
presumption is that before, 1908 the re
quirements for bond retirements could
easily be met." .
This proposition is too much for the
Omaha Bee also, although Ed. Rosewa
ter is not at all fastidious. At least one
would judge he was not fastidious when
he is supporting Frank Moores for may
or," who was declared a defaulter by the
supreme court and denounced by the
Loyal Legion for obscenity. The Bee
says: " -
" We cannot but regard it as unf oru
nate that the house conferees should
have accepted this feature of the senate
bill. It was, in our judgment, a mistake
from every point of view. Not only is
the refunding operation wholly unneces
sary at this time, when the revenues of
the government are in excess of th ex
penditures and promise to continue
thus enabling the government to reduce
its interest-bearing obligations, but it is
a departure from thejpolisy of the gov
ernment which has been that of paying
off the debt as rapidly as possible. That
policy has been approved by the country
and its effect has been beneficial. We
can see no good reason for abandoning
it now, when the conditions are all favor
able to the continuance of its observ
ance." . y 4'. -.-
The Independent would like the Bee
to tell what would become of the na
tional banks if this provision was strick
en out. How could we have national
bunks of issue if there were no national
debt and no bonds? This provision is
necessary to hold the banks to the re
publican party. Does Rosewater think
they would fight for McKinley unless
they got their share of the boodle? -
AnDpen Letter V
To D. Clem Deaver. ,
1 Mr. D. Clem Deaver, Omaha Neb.
Dear Sir: With the head lines of the
new paper recently started by yourself
in Omaha is the "True Populist" and in
your last; issue you assail the peoples'
best representative. I would like to in
troduce , you to , our friends that they
may b.ot be led astray and fooled by the
"True Populist." - ;
Will you kindly come forward Mr,
Deaver, and give your past history?
Mr. Deaver. where did you stand when
you were on the state pay rcdl with Gov;
Holcomb? Will you kindly tell our
people where you stood until after Gov.
Poynter dispensed with your services?
Will you, Mr. Deaver, please inform the
people of Nebraska where you stood in
the fall of .1898 when you asked the
boys in the employ of the state at the
Transmississippi Exposition to use their
influence in getting the Douglas county
delegation to vote for one D. Clem Dea
vor for governor?
Mr. Deavor do you have any remem
brance of urging an appointment to a
position with the Nebraska state con
vention for a ward worker who was pull
ing for you for governor and he a
staunch democrat at that time?
Mr. Deaver does it ever occur to your
memory that during and before the
Douglas county primaries in 1898 when
you were aspiring for the executive of
fice of the great state of Nebraska that
you admonished the boys to pull to
gether that fusion was our only hope of
success? " ' ' - ' .
Is it possible friend Deaver that your
failure in getting - the nomination for
governor and b,eing dropped from the
state pay roir has caused you to desert
the peoples' interest and fall in -with the
common enemy? Don't you think you
have made a fatal mistake? Your True
Populist" will fool no voter who has
common sense. ,
Now, Mr. Deaver, if advice from a
common laboring man would be of any
benefit, please let me . admonish you
that no "True Populist" will assail such
noble standard bearers as Senator Al
len and'W. J. Bryan while making the
grand fight they are for the common
people and against the crowned heads
of England and . the money power of
Wall street.
In conclusion, do you really think
you can possibly fool the fusion forces
under the nom de plume "True Popu
list." I think not, but, kind sir, I will
have to admit I was somewhat taken-in.
myself with the tone of your first issues
and was fooled into getting you a sub
scription list of 200 names but you have
shown your colors in time, and the com
mon people ot Brown county conceded
they had no spare change to advance for
republican campaign documents and I
have thought best to retain your list un
til such time as you may see the error of
your ways for , you will never fool the
people of Nebraska.
F. M. WHITTECAR,
Ainsworth, Nebr.
They had Rude Virtues
James Anthony Froude, the English
historian, who three times visited South
Africa, says in his book Oceana, page
37: "They - were , rough, but they had
rude virtues, which are not the less vir
tues because in these latter days they
are growing scarce. Their houses being
so far apart they cannot send their chil
dren to school, and generally have tu
tors at home for them. Religious obser
vances are attended to scrupulously in
their households. ; The Boers of South
Africa, of all human beings on the
planet, correspond nearest to Horace's
description of tne Koman peasant sol
diers who defeated Pyrrhus and Hanni
bal. . There alone you find obedience to
parents as strict as among the ancient
Sabines, the Severn mater whose sons
fetch and carry at her bidding, who,
when " those sons go to fight for their
country,1 will hand their rifles to them
and bid them to return with their arms
in their hands or else not to return at
all.'! . '
THE LOUD BILL UP AGAIN.
Another Effort Will Be Made to Suppret
the Weekly Newspapers of the
. United States.
The editor and publishers of weekly
newspapers had better begin to hustle
or the first thing they know they will
have to get out of business. ' The Loud
Bill is up in congress again and while
somewhat altered, it is more vicious than
ever. It is hardly to be expected that
editors of republican weeklies will do
much protesting for long since most of
them have been reduced to abject slav
ery. There may be some, however, who
when they are confronted with the pros
pect of early retirement from business,
will have manhood enough left to say
something to their representatives and
senators. The National Watchman
makes the following remarks upon the
Loud Bill if once enacted into law:
The famous Loud bill has made its
appearance again in Congress. This
time it is more adroitly drawn than on
former occasions, but it contains all the
venom of its predecessors in a more con
densed and somewhat more disguised
form. The ostensible object and purpose
of the bill is to prevent the abuse of the
United States mails as a distributing
agency for free advertising publications
and other matter that does not strictly
come under the heading of second-class
mail matter. The real object of the bill,
however, is to prepare the way for the
most, insidious, dancflrnns and arvn rsrl V
1 o
of all trusts, namely, a trust in publio
intelligence. It is designed to enable the
rich and powerful to throttle public in
telligence by making it impossible for
men of average means to establish news
papers and build them upon their own
merits.
If this bill should become a law it
would never again be possible to build
up a journal to guard the interests of the
plain people of the nation, because such
a paper must have the right to send
sample copies to the people for inspec
tion as the pre-requisite of securing sub
scribers and readers. Under . the pro-&
posed bill the right to send sample copies
as second-class matter is so restricted as
to make it. impossible' for a state or na
tional paper to ever acquire a general
circulation unless in the hands of men
who have ulterior purposes to serve and
are willing to invest large sums of money
in a monopoly of public intelligence
The expense of sending samples after
the passage of this bill, will be so,, great
that it will become impossible to build
up a weekly paper upon its merits, as the
number of samples permitted by law as
second-class matter would not permit
the publishers to acquaint the public
with the character and value of their
publication during the natural life of the
average man. .
If the Loud bill should become the
law of the land newspapers in the future
could only be established by the rich
who would be able to pay high rates for
circulatimg them, and for advertising
them in other publications, and as the
price of all newspapers under such cir
cumstances would greatly increase, this
great avenue of public intelligence would
be permanently cut off from the millions
of homes who depend for news upon
weekly publications. Under such a law
the great city dailies that are controlled
by the money kings and monopolies
would become tne only open avenues of
public intelligence.
Let your member of Congress hear
from you upon this matter. We ask all
honest and independent journals of the
nation to join with us in making odious
this assault upon the very citadel of our
liberties. '
We Can't do it.
The immortal Webster said in a speech
in the United States Senate March 23,
1848: "In the part which I hgve acted in
public life it has been my purpose to
maintain the people of the United States
what the Constitution designed to make
them, one people, o( v in interest, orig in
character, and one "kd political feeling.
If we depart from that we break it ai -
up, AJDiirary government may nave
territories ana distant possessions, be
cause arbitrary governments may rule
them by differet t laws and different sys
tems. Russia may rule in the Ukrane
and the provinces in the Caucasus and
Kamchatka by different codes, ordinan
ces, or ukases. We can do no such thing.
They must be of us, part of us, or else
strangers."
It was also Webster that uttered this
grand truth: .
"No matter how easy may be the yoke
of a foreign power, no matter how lightly
it sits upon the shoulders, if it is not im
posed by the voice of his own nation and
of his own country, he will not, he can
not, and he means not to be happy under
its burden."
Turned Traitor
Joe Chamberlain first turned traitor
to Gladstone and his party, and now ha
has turned traitor to himself. Mr.
Chamberlain, speaking in 1831, ' said:
"The Boers are not naturally a warlike
race; they are a homely, industrious na
tion of farmers, living on the produce of
the soil. They are animated by a deep
and somewhat stern religious sentiment,
and they inherit from their ancestors
the men who won the independence of
Holland from the oppressive rule of
Philip II. of Spain their unconquerable
love of freedom and liberty. Are not
these qualities which commend them
selves to men of English race? Are
they not virtues which we are proud to
believe form the best characteristics of
the English people? Is it upon such a
nation that we are to be called upon to
exercise the dread arbitrament of arms?"
The size and, number of clubs being
sent in at 92.50 for five names is surpris
ing. : . .
' r .
i