VOL. XL
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, MAY 10, 1900.-
NO. 52.
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PEOPLES PARTY NATIONAL
Delegates Pleased With Sioux Falls. Populist Prin
ciples on a Granite Foundation. Nebras
kans Present in Large Number.
BRYAN MUST HAYE
Careful and Deliberate Men Represent Every State.
Suggestfons on iMoney Plank. Notes.
gisrex Falls, May 7 The editor of
the Iries.des.t is la Sioux Fails at
laat. tit he win never ferret the Jour
ney. He trai4 from Linccla at 1
p. n. yetterday. He traveled for a
while earth and then east. There he'
had to lay cf tor three hoars. "iVhen ,
the train etaned ool it went west, then
r.orthwet. then corth and next It
sailed czt to the northeast for a few
heer. At 2 a m. it pulled t? and we
got of and west to a hotel, the inetrae
ties being that the next train Kft for
Elocx Falls at f a. m. At t o'clock we
presptly r.rt-l and the train did
K rtart uztll eleven. We were within
CS mile ? S'.orzx Falls, but fiat train
did not get there cntil p. m. A two
days jemraey was at lat ded after
wandering around through four state
Neiratka. Iowa. Minnesota, and
Socth Dakota. That is what a news
paper r.aa gets for giving $ worth of
adTertlaltg for a 170 ticket.
Sioux Falls Is one ft the brightest.
wH awaJte town. in these t'nited
States. The town is most profusely
-erate5 with fags and streamers.
All the ;ntr'.;i! hotels are already
tz.lL and delegates and visitor are
oocrirg the tae J 'ate
rooms and roots la the v
h!rka.. The executive ec-rr" :
iUrr Z hirh the cfirer are U. IL
Lies, chainxas; i. H. Gate, chairman
tnar.ee committee: J. T. Ccgaa. chair-r-an
entertainment committee? J. W.
Jenen. chairman music committee;
Ora William, chairman premm commit
tee and C&L T. IL Brown, chairman
tranfportjuioa committee, are all co-ur-toas
and eeieet geutlemec In their
tar.oat ways they give all me ariving
dertes an visitors a hearty wel
come
e asJ EAke them fell they are j
t rfe-sda.
amc-n
The great wigwam is erected but all
the Hooting and seat are not yet In. !
iter had a big rain here last night
and the tic te shed water like it was:
rsming c2? a duck a back. When we
Ulted it this evening every thing in
side was perfectly dry. The tent cov
ers exactly half a wock. being 2C0 by
VJj feet ia size. It was secure! in Chi
cago and is, juat such a tent as the
iargect circus companie use, A large
platlom is erected near the middle on
one ail. That will be crcplea by the
Fifty First Iowa band, which has been
secured ry the committee to furnish
Mary prominent men are already
here. I have already met delegate
xrem Illlncla, Iowa. North Carolina,
?frw Hampshire. Virginia. Kentucky,
and coe or two other states. Several
are here from Nebraska already, al
th&cgh the mala body win come a
the special train. Among taoae who
ae already here are Senators Butler,
Heitield. Fftirrew. Alien, cocgres
naa fatherland and one or two other
cr2grtAea whoa X have not yet
The tent is most beautifully decor
ated rith all manner of fags and
streamers- It will seat li.000 betides
a large spare for standing room. Every
thing to-night lock like this is going
to be a big iTalr.
TITUS DAT.
Eloux raZ. Tuesday. May S . Early
this morning the bands began playing
est. the street and before nine o'clock
the Nebraska delegation came ia about
. tr-jng. About the first word each
f them 14 was: "Where can we get
aomething t eatr It ro est be acknowl
edged that they locked a little weary
which their cn bounded enthusiasm
cxmli not dlrsie. They aood scat
tered themselves around in he restau
rants atsd hotel while the band played
ca the strets as they ate. (The res
taurant keepers did not make much 3
that crowd unlet they sold their sup
plies vy the piece-1
This is a rock-ribbed, granite bot
tomed town. Here is where the Sioux
Fails granite grows and the street are
paved with it. There are many fine
granite bulliings. including a post
d5 as fine a the ne ia Omaha and
a penitentiary. There Is a good sized
river here of eelar and t parkMng water
and the town is not a dead flat. The
artistic sanation give commercial
value to everything. Some pepi
think tht there is no real raiue in
art or the simply beautiful. Right
ttre is -htre they are mistakes.
nave sstemewea a great many
ceiegitea from dir erent state and
ihy ar ail rock-ribbed and granite
bottomed also. They mean business
evry one of them. They are a body of
grave, earnest men. I hare not caught
the areil of whltiy on one of them.
The talocr s do not seem to be doing
much twsAinesa. although there is a
hustle arcsnd all other tmsinea pce.
iany o? tn Celegate caa be seen
ia iittie gros; talking earnestly. If
GOOD RUNNING MATE
one listens he will find that they are
aoberly discussing the problems that
lie before them. There is much talk
about the platform. . It is universally
ired that it shall state explicitly
the populist doctrines that hare been
so long recognized and upon the new
questions that have arisen rince the
last national convention, there shall
also be very explicit statements. There
is no difference of opinion on these sub
jects. Every man of them is opposed
to wars of conquest, to large standing
armies, to the abrogation o. the decla
ration of independence, to the subver
sion f the constitution, to the trusts,
and to tariJI protected monopolies of
any kind, that sell goods all the time
to American citizens at from 100 to
JO0 per cent higher prices than they
tell them to foreigners.
Several hundred of the delegates are
already here although the convention
does not assemble until to-morrow af
ternoon. They are the same class of
men who attended the two previous
national conventions of the populist
party mostly men who toil with their
hands, farmers from the various states
of the anion. The hurrah that is con
stantly seen on the streets is made
by the local population the delegates
are cool and tinimpassioned. They are
here lor serious business only and that
is what they are attending to.
On the question of the vice presi
dency they are determined that no man
shall be put on the ticket with Bryan
who Is not just aa safe and sound as
"-aa himself if they can help It.
n&u iney wane- is a man ror vice
president who will aid tn the fight
against plutocracy, trust, militarism,
and against the destruction of our
form of government and the establish
ing in the place of it an empire. There
are many delegates in favor of Towne.
Whether the convention will make a
nomination for rice president or not
is doubtful. The prevailing opinion is
that a committee should be appointed
to confer with the St Louis eonven-
tion and Insist that the right kind of a
man shall be selected.
T. H. TIBBLES.
Ccnrentiso Work
Sioux Fall. May S. iv0. The Sioux
Fall Daily Pre of Tuesday had the
following to say of the convention
work to be done here:
It is to be here in Sioux Falls this
week that will be planned the cam
paign of IS 00 In the United States. It
will be here rather than In Kansas
City or in Philadelphia that the Amer
ican people will see the development
of the well laid plans for the utter
rout of the party of imperialism, trusts
and monopoly. What is done here In
Sioux Falls will have much to do with
deciding for the American voters
what they will do at the election next
November.
The Importance of wise considera
tion of all the problem coming before
the convention is therefore apparent.
Here i a body which represents many
voters. Some will claim they hold the
balance of power is the nation. They
certainly are most potent ia the affairs
of the nation.
These people are no novices in pol
itics. Many of them have teen hard
students of political affairs these many
year. Many of them have served
their country and constituents in
place of trust and responsibility.
They are devoted to the cause of the
people. They believe that it Is time
the common people were united to re
sist the encroachments of the classes
and the oppression of the favored few.
They therefore come in a spirit of de
votion to their country, and what they
do will be guided by a sense of high
duty.
Tse campaign of iuu is now on.
Who knows but that It may be the
turning point In the history of the
great republic, and that here in Sioux
Falls may be sowed the seeds from
which will be gathered rich harvests of
twentieth century liberty and freedom
for all men of every race and clim.e,
Mr. Shiblej7 Views
Sioux Falls. May 8. The following
was handed to the Independent in
support of a plank in the platform ad
vocating the substitution of silver for
bank money.
Four years ago the volume of money
was shrinking, prices falling and there
was the usual disorganization of in
dustry. To correct this evil we de
manded an immediate increase in the
volume of money through the re-opening
of our mints to the free and un
restricted coinage of silver along wa
gold, at the existing legal ratio of six
teen to one. After the election fall
ing prices continued for the great part
of a year, and the hard times grew
worse. But there came an unexpected
and unprecedented Increase in the out
put of gold, together with other con
dtdon favorable to an increase in the
volume of money, but in no wise due
to republican legislaucm, and the us
CONVENTION
ual resuiis followed, prices rose, credit
eipanaed raising prices still more, and
these rising prices stimulated industry,
but the development of monopolies un
der the McKinley administration has
largely diverted tae benefits from the
many to the few. The increase of the
veiume of money in the United States
up to March, 1900, was twenty-one per
cent per capita in place of a decrease
of thirteen per cent, from March 1893,
while the republican law of March
14 for bank note inflation, secured by
the trusanks, will add irom one nun-1
dred :o five hundred million dollars
mare. After this inflation attains its
heigut w.ere will follow the usual
panic, collapse of credit, falling prices
ard hard times, unless a system Is se
cured which will result in a stable
money market and stable price level.
To secure this and, establish a fixed
pf-r of exchange with silver price
countries, we renew our demand for
the re-opening of our mints to the
fr?e and unlimited coinage of silver
and gold at the present legal ratio of
sixteen to one, the immediate increase
in the volume of money from tais
source to be substituted, dollar for dol
lar, for the paper money donated to
the private corporations by the law of
Marcu It, 1900, and me earlier ones,
ard the balance of the bank notes
replaced with government paper
money and its volume so controlled as
to maintain at all times the desired
stability in the money market and the
price level.
This stability, secured by fixed rules
laid down by Congress, will abolish
the President's discretionary power
to pu. treasury money into Wall
Street, and withdraw it, thereby con
trolling prices and business; will pre
vent speculators, speculative banks,
foreign bankers, and foreign govern
ments from controlling the money
market prices and business; will pre
vent panics, failing prices, and the
consequent disorganization of industry
from this source, which our opponents
characteristic as over-production; will
prevent a rising price level, and fur
nish a stable basis on which to adjust
prices fixed by law, custom, and com
petition. The silver coins and certificates, and
government paper money issued shall
be received at their par value for all
debts, public and private, except where
otherwise specified in existing con
tracts, and it shall be declared that
henceforth it shall be unlawful to con
tract for any special form of money.
COMMENTS.
The suggestion in short, is that after
reaffirming free silver and government
currency that it be declared that the
immediate increase in the volume of
silver money be substituted, dollar for
dollar, for the new bank notes and
those in circulation under the old
law, and that the remaining portion
of the bank notes be replaced with gov
ernment currency and its volume so
controlled that at all times there will
be a stable money market, and a stable
price level. In other words, the re
publicans have secured an inflation
through bank notes, whereas, the pop
ulists asked that it be in silver and
if they now can get control of the gov
ernment they should substitute silver
and government currency, thus restor
ing bimetallism without disturbing or
altering the money market or price
level.
In view of the fact that during the
past few months the mints of India
have been opened to gold at twenty-
two to one, it will possibly, "At a just
ratio to be agreed upon, or omit all
mention oi ratio, tor we put some
thing in its place that insures sta
V. 1 f .1 A 9
Dimy in me price level, namely: a
guaranty to keep the price level from
falling or rising. For further reasons
see Shibley's Pamphlet pp. 61-64.
Nebraska Delegation
Sioux Falls, Tuesday Afternoon, May
8. The Nebraska delegation met this
morning In a hall provided for it. All
the delegates and most of the alter-
uaica ie m m3 city. At LUIS
meeting all the delegates were present
except three who were represented by
their alternates. An organization was
effected as follows: Chairman, Gov.
Poynter; secretary, C. W. Jester;
treasurer, O. H. Barry. Mr. Beltzer
was made sergeant-at-arms. The del
egation then adjourned until 2 : 30 p. m.
The delegation passed a resolution
unanimously, agreeing to support Ed
minston for national chairman. Many
delegates from other states have ex
pressed their intention of supporting
him.
In pursuance to adjournment, me
delegation met at 2:30 p. m., and held
a secret session which lasted until
5:30. The vice presidency was dis
cussed and several other matters after
which it adjourned to meet at 8:30
tomorrow morning. Congressman
Sutherland gave warning to the dele
gates about talking to strangers. He
said he had seen men around the ho
tels disguised as Bryan traveling men.
whom he had seen in the press galler
ies at Washington. Besides that, the
republicans had several correspond
ents here who came for the express
purpose of maligning and missrepsent-
ing tiie populist party.
Convention Notes
The reception committee, is certainly
doing all in their power to provide for
the convenience of the delegates. They
have occupied the whole lower story
of the auditorium building with their
offices. There they have places for the
checking of satchels and baggage, and
men on duty to furnish information, a
stenographer and typewriter and every
thing else that is likely bo aid the del
egates in any way. -
Father Murphy of the Nebraska dele
gation was met on the strsets. He ad
been taking a walk looking - things
over, he said that he had looked
into the saloons along the street and
saw none of .the delegates in them, over
which state of affairs he was highly
pleased. "The delegates," he said,
"are all earnest, sober, sensible, and
intelligent menJ . -
A little knot of people among whom
were several ladles was standing on
the street. "That," said a man, "is
the delegation from Colorado. You
know the women, rote out there, and
they send women delegates to the na
tional convention."
(Later news on 8thT page.)
REPUBLICAN THIEVES
One Hail Amounts to About Half a Mil
lionIt's Prosperity With Republican
Earmarks.
Havana, May 8. The postal frauds
have been the principal topic of con
versation in Havana today. The de
partment of posts admitted a shortage
of $75,000, but further, investigation
has brought to light the fact that in
July of last year the receipts showed
falling off of about $12,000 from the
average or the months previous and
that this shortage has been kept up
ever since, it appears that about that
time Director of Posts Rathbone gave
orders for the destruction of $411,000
worth of surcharge stamps on account
ot the Issue or the stamp. This work
of destruction was left in the hands
of Charles F. W. Neely and ms assis
tants, but it is now believed that none
of those stamps was destroyed, the
theory being that they , were sent out
with the new stamps.
That others than Neely are involved
is implicitly believed, although the evi
dence as yet is not sufficient to justify
their arrests. Nevertheless should
certain persons attempt to leave the
island they would be taxen into cus
tody.
Neely has made investments here
and in other parts of the island, hav
ing as a partner a postal employe.
Governor General Wood has ordered
that all property standing in the name
of Neely in Cuba should be placed un
der government control.
It will develop later that this same
brand of prosperity as prevalent in
every department-of "government inn
Cuba. Neely says it is only a Vclash
of military and postal authority."
That is, there is a difference of opin
ions as to who should steal that par
ticular ha million.
Settled by the Judge
Indianapolis Sun: There- are any
number of stories to be printed about
Judge Caldwell, but here is one that is
said to be typical: He was hearing an
argument whereby an attorney for, an
insurance company was attempting to
evade payment of insurance on a purely
technical ground. . Judge Caldwell in
terrupted him. "Let me understand
you, Brother Todd," he said to the at
torney. "The policy was issued?
" i es," was the reply.
"And the premiums were paid?"
"Yes."
"And the house was burned?"
"Yes."
"And it was not set on fire?"
"No."
"Brother Todd," said Judge Caldwell,
"you can sit down. The jury will
re-
turn a verdict for the plaintiff.
Mid-Roaders
The Cincinnati mid-road convention
is largely attended by proxy. The
Nebraska delegation 40 proxies and
six delegates is in favor of making
D. Clem Deaver candidate for vicer
president. Clemmie Is numerically
one-sixth of e delegation otherwise
he is a cipher's proxy. He is in doubt
himself as to whether he is a joke
or a tragedy. He oertainly needs
some repairing.
The Barkers and Donneleys are
hopeful that D. Clean Deaver will not
shut off their presidential aspirations.
Public Ownership.
In the great German empire where
the government owns and controls the
railways, the poorest man in Germany
can ship a barrel of oil from one end of
Germany to the other end of Germany
just as cheap as the Standard Oil com
pany can. In Germany the independ
ent producers and refiners of America
are not only able to successfully compete
with the Standard Oil company, but in
ah addition are enabled to earn flatter
ing profits upon their entire capital.
Give us national ownership of the
American railway, which will insure us
equal rates, and we will soon give the
people of America their oil and com
petitive pri"ses. Then the people of
America will not be obliged to pay forty
per cent dividends on Standard Trust
stock, at least fifty per cent water. Be
cause capital will be glad to serve them
at six per cent profit upon the actual
amount of capital invested. I take no
stock in the idea that inordinate great
capital can produce cheaply. Where
monopoly begins there improvement
ends. It is competition that forces men
to economic improvement and invention.
It is monopoly that demands great
pronts. v hue competition was putting
oil into the tank steamers for the com
petitive markets of Germany at two
cents a gallon, monopoly backed by rail
way favoritism, was forcing the people
of Texas and Arkansas to pay twenty
five cents a gallon for the oil that they
binned ia their, lamps. liockwood.
CROWE, THE CITIZEN SOLDIER
Striking Contrast Between trie Boer Gen
: eral and. bis Captor.
The following extract from an article
in the May American Monthly Review
of Reviews gives probably the best de
scription of the campaign and capture
of General Cronje and the striking dif
ferences in the equipment of the two ar
mies. It is a splendid illustration of the
comparative value of the citizen soldier
the volunteer fighting for a cause he
believes just and the machine regular.
Read it and see which, you admire most
the honest, conscientious and noble
Boer, or the glisten and glitter of Eng
land's greatest lord.
The Lion of South Africa," "The
Leonidas of Africa," these are the names
his countrymen gave General Piet Cron
je, now imprisoned, like Napoleon, on
St. Helena. None of the Boer generals,
none of their sturdy deeds, has touched
the deepest feeling in the heart of the
world more than this veteran soldier and
his marvelous defense against over
whelming odds in the bed of the Klip
River, near Paardeberg, in the Orange
Free State.
Cronje had 4,000 men, incumbered
with women and children, and they
were, like himself, farmers and ama
teur soldiers. Field Marshal lord
Roberts had 40,000 professional soldiers
surrounding Cronje's little band, and
brought fifty guns to bear upon his
camp at short range, the howitzers drop
ping the noxious lyddite shells constant
ly into the midst of it, Ammunition
and food alike gave out in the Boer
camp, while the British had superabun
dant supplies. Yet for twelve days
Cronje held Paardeberg as Leonidas
held Thermopylae. This is the most
dramatic story of a most dramatic war,
and General Cronje is the hero of it
General Cronje began his activities at
the very beginning of the war' in his
command on the western frontier by
seizing the. armored train, breaking up
the railway and telegraphic communica
tions between Cape Town and the Rho
desia, and investing Mafeking and Kim
berly. He made his first great success
at the battle " of the M odder River,
where he beat back Lord Metheun's
strange frontal attack with such severe
punishment. Metheun followed after
him clumsily to Magersfontein, to meet
disasterous defeat. The Highland Bri
gade walked right into the trap that
Cronje had set, and was cut to pieces, so
that even Metheun was willing to - wait.
General Cronje left him there, made a
visit of encouragement to the Boer
forces around Ladysmitb, then returned
to. find that the main body of the Brit
ish army was coming up under Lord
Roberts and Lord Kitchener.
When Lord Roberts had brought his
forces forward he sent General French
with the cavalry to raise the siege of
Kimberly, which he did in a brilliant
forced march. General Cronje, who
had been occupying his position with a
view to prevent the relief of Kimberly,
instantly left his intrenchments and dar
ingly tried to pass his little army of five
thousand men and women into the Or
ai.ge Free State between the cavalry of
General French and the . British infan
try division following more slowly north
ward. All that a general could do, all
that his soldiers could do to expedite the
march into the Free State to safety was
done. But the wagons were hauled by
oxen, much of the way was across deep ;
sands, and there was a river across the ;
route, so the British came up before j
Cronje could escape For a time he !
kept up the retreat, fighting in the rear
with the advancing enemy cleverly and
courageously; but the British pressed
him more and more closely, the oxen
and the mules were tired out, and Cron
je soon saw he could not get away, and
must stand at bay and fight.
He had reached the river Klip, and in
two miles of its sunken channel, then so
dry that only a shallow stream ran at
the bottom of a forty foot ravine, he
made his camp behind his wagons, and
told his men to dig shelters for them
selves in the dry banks of the river.
These farmers are great men with the
spade, as they have shown over and
over again in their intrenching work. In
this case they built themselves and their
wives and a few British prisoners under
ground dwellings which made the river
banks on both sides look honeycombed.
With such protection they were compar
atively safe, and even under a showe of
lyddite shells such as was soon pouring
upon the camp. But the artillery am
munition of the Boers gave out; they
had nothing to eat but the cattle killed
by the enemy's shells; the number of
these made the camp uninhabitable;
they were drenched by tremendous
rains; and, - against his will, General
Cronje had to surrender.
"I am glad to see you," said Lord
Roberts, when General Prettyman con
ducted General Cronje to his headquar
ters; I am glad to get so brave a man."
Cronje had done all that a general
could do. as Roberts himself admits.
The contrast between the two men, as
they stood together before the tent of
Lord Roberts, was striking. Lord
Roberts was in a new uniform, with
a handsome sword by his side, a fine
picture of . a fine general. Cronje
looked like a poor old farmer, a short.
thick-set man, with strong eyes, a dark
beard streaked with gray, and -a re
markable expression of determination.
He had on a worn felt hat, a shabby
green overcoat, and old trousers, wore
cowhide boots, and absolutely no sign
of being a soldier not even the sword
or a sword-belt.
Cronje was sixty-five years old when
he surrendered. He has been promi
nent m all the history of the South
African Republic as statesman and
soldier. He reiused, like Joubert, to
take office under the British annexa
tion of 1877. He was prominent In the
war of 1880-81. Since then he had be
come a farmer on a large scale, owning
over twelve thousand acres near Pre
toria, which he ruled with military
simplicity, and with marked success.
He kept a, hospitable house, and with
his quiet little wife entertained his
friends. He was "a member of the
Transvaal executive government, anu
when the war broke out was second
only to Joubert in military position.
All the foreigners who saw him speak
of his pleasant manners, his courage,
and his independence. The. English
writers have given numerous descrip
tions of him since the war began. Mr.
J. B. Robinson said of him that he
"has in him the best blood of Europe.
When the edict of Nantes drove the
finest subjects of France into exile,
many of them went to Holland and
from there on to Africa. Picture to
yourself a little man, quiet-looking, at
first glance almost insignificant.
When you first come In contact with
him you- might, for a moment or two,
be inclined to usmiss him as a very
ordinary man; but a few words from
him show you, by their grasp, their de
cisiveness, that first impressions are
wrong As you look longer at him
the type of face seems familiar, and
in a flash it comes to you that this is
te kind of head that is seen in the
paintings of the old Dutch masters."
ON KOP AND VELDT
Scenes and Incidents Along th Firing
Une of South Africa, -
General Lord Roberts frequently hurls
a typewritten broadside at the Boers for
alleged violation of the white flag and
mistreatment of prisoners. A few weeks
ago he issued -" an indignant protest
against the mistreatment of British
prisoners at Pretoria, but was fcareful
not to utter a word about the treatment
of British wounded in the Bloemfontein
hospitals before and at the
time the town was occupied by the
British. A letter from a soldier pub
lished in the London News gives some
facts which the commanding officer neg
lected to include in his tirades against
Boer "inhumanity." "For a' day and a
half," says this soldier, "I lay at that
laager while our wounded men were
brought in, and here I should like to
say a word to the people of England.
Our men, wheUiWoanded, are treated by
the Boers with;: cianly gentleness and
kindly consideration.' When we left the
laager in an open trolley, we, some half
dozen Australians and about as many
Boers, all wounded, were driven for
some hours to a small hospital, the name
of which I do not know. It was simply
a farm house turned into a place for the
wounded. On . the road thither we
called at mn? farms, and at every one,
men, women and children came out to
see us. Not one taunting word was ut
tered in our hearing," not one braggart
sentence passed their Hps. Men brought
us cooling drinks or. moved us into more
comfortable positions on the trolley.
Women, with gentle finders, shifted ban
dages, or washed ';, wounds, or gave us
little dainties that come so pleasant at
such a time; while the little children
crowded around us with tears running
down their cheeks as they looked upon
the bloodstained khaki clothing of the
wounded British, Let no man or wo
man in all the British empire whose son
or husband lies wounded in the hands
of the Boers fear for his welfare, for it
1 1 A 1 A. V T
is a roui sianaer to say uai me roers
do not treat their wounded well. Eng
land does not treat her own better than
the Boers treat the wounded British,
and I am writing that which I have
seen and know beyond the shadow of a
doubt."
Tanner Downed
Peoria, 111., May 8. The republican
state convention was called to order
at 11:05 today by Chairman Rannells
of the republican state central com
mittee. He announced that the re-
puican state central committee naa
directed him to name J. G. Brown of
Vandalia as temporary chairman an-
he called for otuer nominations.
S. H. Bethea, on behalf of the Cul
lom faction, nominated C. G. Dawes.
The result of the vote was a victoiy
for the anti-Tanner faction, Dawes get
tins 793 votes and Brown 720. The
election of Dawes is regarded as signi
fying the probable - nomination of
Reeves for governor.
Trusts Competing With Pauper Labor
John W. Gates, manager of the Steel
and Wire trust, testified before the In
dustrial commission last fall that they
were exporting their products and sell
ing them at a less price to foreigners
man to us. The exact figures are:
Wire Nails American price, per
keg, $3.40.
Wire Nails To Canadians, per keg,
$2 .
Wire Nails (to ship abroad) Ex
port price, per keg, $2.14.
Barb Wire American price, per 100
lbs., $4.13.
Barb Wire To Canadians, per 100
lbs., $3.25.
Barb Wire To Europeans, per 100
lbs.. $2.20.
Export prices are turnishea by ex-
Congressman J. D. Warner of New
York.
It is not a care where the foreigner
pays the freight. ve quote this to
further confirm the mandates of the
people that the trust-must go.
We Can't doit
We wonder if the outside-of-the-con
stitution advocates ever consulted the
arguments of America's greatest consti
tutional lawyer to sustain their position
When it was proposed to annex New
Mexico under certain conditions tha
smacked of empire, it was Daniel Web
ster who summed up the whole theory
of expansion m this very concise but un
answerable statement:
"Arbitrary governments may have ter
ritories and distant possessions because
arbitrary governments may rule them
Dy aiiierem systems, we can do no
such thing. They must be of us, part o
us, or else strangers. .
THE ADVANCE OF POPULISM
In Eight Tears From Its Organisation
Many of Its Principles Adopted by
allParUes
In all the history of political parties
none ever made such wide spread and
permanent advancement of principles
as has been the case with the populist
party since it proclaimed its principles
and gave them to the world in the
Omaha platform. Very many of them
have since that time been adopted by all
parties. Just think for a moment of the
change that has been made in the popu-
ar conception of government! The
Omaha platform was received with jeers
by the daily press and spoken of with
contempt by nine men out of every ten. '
Now they command respect every where. '
Great scholars and thinkers give them
their support. Many volumes are bejng
ssued by the universities and from the
great publishing concerns of the coun
try that deal with the principles then -
or the first time promulgated and very
maTiy of them defend them.
Perhaps the mct noticeable growth
of those principles can be found in the ,
democratic party. Ihe leadership of
the democratic party at that time was
as much opposed to populism as was ;
that of the republican party. How very
different it is now! Under the magical
eadership of Bryan the democratic party
today is almost in full accord with the
principles ot the populist party ana it
grows more and more so every day in the )
Sear. Six democratic state conventions ;,
ave adopted the principle of the refer
endum within the last few weeks. Their 5
utterances upon' the- money question
come nearer and nearer to the doctrine '! "
of the populist party all the time. The
Ohio Association off Democratic clubs,;
convened in Columbus on April 11 and
12, adopted a declaration of principles '
as follows:
"While the increased production of
gold since 1896 has brought some meas
ure of that relief which democrats con
tended would follow an increased sup
ply of money, and proves their repeated V'
assertion that the fall 'of prices and con
sequent depression of business from 1872
to 1897 was the , necessary result of in
adequate supply of money which silver,
under free coinage, during those years
would have furnished, and therefore in
nothing ' disproves the soundness of
the principles on which the claims of bi
metallists are based. Nor does it prove
that it is safe to rest the supply of money
accidental ' supply of one metal for an'
single period, kjw the contrary, it trie
world's vast debts are ever to be pid,
or .the exchanges between the sifyer-
using and gold-using nations are to be
unified, it must be on the basis of both
metals and not upon one alone, and we
therefore declare our firm adherence to
both gold and silver, both as the only safe
reliance for the supply of automatic
money for the world.
"W e denounce the currency law re
cently enacted by this republican con
gress, which iooS t tne ultimate with
drawal from our currency oi all full legal
tender silver and paper, and at the same
time provides for an unlimited increase
of a currency consisting merely of bank
promises to pay, as unscientific and un- s,
Knnnd. The newer to increase or de- X
crease one part of a volume of money
is the power to increase or decrease th
whole, and, therefore, to increase or de
crease the value of the whole, and of
each unit; it is the power to control the
prices of all property and to stimulate or
strangle business, and should never be
intrusted to private hands. The power
to create money is the sole prerogative
f the nation and cannot sately be di
vided or delegated to individuals and
we therefore emphasize our demand that
the government alone shall not only coin
the metals, but shall issue and control
all other forms of currency."
Those daclarations on the money ques
tion are as true and as clear as language
can be framed. . They were adopted in
Ohio not in Colorado, Wyoming, Mon
tana, Idaho, Kansas, Nebraska or some
other western, state. They stand out as
the view of the great middle west on the
silver issue and ' the other money ques
tions allied with it. No one need mis
take how the fight this fall will shape up.
Free coinage will be in the very fore- .
front of it.
. The Traveling Men
P. E. Dowe, president of the Com
mercial Travelers' National league says:
."It would be difficult for a stranger to
obtain information from the travelers in
the employ of trusts, but to me they all
talk freely, and I can positively stato
that commercial travelers generally are
opposed to trusts as dangerous and de
moralizing, as presenting tho most
'-knotty" social and the worst financial
proposition that has ever been before
the American people. They consider
that th next national campaign wilt bo
fought upon this issue, anticipating that
previous political affiliations will ba ig
nored, all other issues treated as of
secondary importance, and a "landslide"
for the party standing squarely and
consistently upon an anti-trust, anti
monopoly platform."
Commercial travelers are too shrewed
to be imposed upon by mere talk. No
matter how high sounding may be the
anti-trust plank in the next republican
platform (for there will be one to catch
votes), the fact that nearly every trust in
the United States is contributing to the
republican campaign fund, will be suffi
cient to cause a reasonably cautious men
to see how futile it is to expect any
effective anti-trust legisiation from the
republican party. , And the fact that the
trusts are almost a unit in denouncing
William J. Bryan, ought to convince a ,
reasonable man that the Bryan anti
trust plank will mean what it says.
Commercial travelers, by reason of
their extensive acquaintance and travel, t
exert a great influence. In 1896 this in-'
fiuence was largely for McKinley. This '
year a great change will be noticed; and -Bryan
wiil be the gainer by that change.
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