m
Sflli 111
I
&1 Hi I i il I S 1 i I (I 111.11 I 4 111 111 ft l ll lift 1 1 II IIe.II I II II II I
VOL. X.IL
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, MAY 24, 1900.
NO. 2.
CUBAN FED-CCHSULS
" " After tee treaty of Paris was con-
tw r.ufw mt Maik iihu j eluded the anti-Imperialists asserted
4 ti Ti' i,t b j that ike war for humanity would de
t t-4 t ' relop Into one of conquest- They pre-
, t , : dieted that the suppression of the Fill-
f? Is u true E a h Patrick J j4qoj would require great sacrifices of
!lry H that tL oe!y way we money and lire and that it would take
Lite to juir of the fetor6 is by the? years. They declared that the eonsti-
tU. The tst levies u that when-! tun s PaUble with a colonial
, policy and that the constitution will
e,-er 4 ever a cation ha in-be t cn( to suffer. - They said that
trta4"0 t cyvera fabj-"t colonies by th colonial policy would produce cor
;poise -st trots th- conquerir-K ruptlon and scandals. These prophets
i-Ht n r . iwrnMiins hai fnl.
.. w .i-r t
of is, peria! ici jwiB--d est by the pop-1
c:ii p&rrs a a the teadeney ;
m ihoe to art this nation on a
career of ft2p-riallm- Pro consuls !
frtsa the Ctjs of the Un t tne ;
prert t;
r fiat' neier lauea io
f2tr th-ir on x.-ts. The fraud'
tfirorer-l a tL Cabas pota! service
are no jrprte to p.;llta. It I justjof
'La! -i rv
Leeft rprtatl man
:e Nw Tc-rk Pot Cfitu-
for
mir.ts cp'-n tL- ciac tfei-s in the
ftIi-mBS htfiZUij:-:
A jrreai 44 c-f tt5-ery itidigna
tJcn ts -i"J;j-4 o& oar th$ icit
off. Sals is tsa. Ttis ts to c-t33d-nia
thra aiLf-Ari. If iiaThl.ro. Nly 4
Co. wr- t t ::. th-ir r-al tlfenre.
whit tl t--T U'isr. t L y would
fr f liir. ra a! ill L- Repubi:ran
Ci;cri fr:- ti; Prf-si i- nt
c t.. "WLai ar -a &aki:c h a
jv av!3T U are c-nly hat
;r:-i ar. 3 r.int-1 to
ti Lix- d.z.r'.i Lw-fori" tte AEiriran
I t rr. r.-y ; rf.; to ic
a it t.f :s;ati'Jti . -ry IL e
?x (t!r-;4y ti:r.r o-:r V-j dn't
't to r- r i-ryt:t;c fr th
Tnu a-.J t t .c .r;ra.:-Ji.. d
yeni? V L p?;t-al mur&T
La f : t'j ir, .-r. arii
hr- is if - C-J'iC '-r-i. ?
z.;-z- m a! tb rt rii -fi5-nt
t ;.- :..rf
.i r t a Lar1 i!ih-
f.r
vU'. La- . f-fc'-y tL
D;iu : a:: J.:"-:r.5
a i r-r:?-:i. f r:f VM-torj :n a
. iUrri t- I iL- crhr ul
tar ai. 1 alr? I.t.;.-ral:t ,tbi d
:s z-r'. z. 7h-y j. . ' (Jt th-;r
. -f rs;. tr.-r.-.f tl! -t.rk
a- 1 t.v ri to i i to r::.- mtat
r - trf r - t-zt cf a c-.'n : jor
t ,:t - j -. :r r" ti. ir
r ' i -If r r'f. . tl;-' tot
ft -i .Tin r. !'! irv-rs at
V. ! :f.t( n t-'.'V ( -r"i.--irr"-S ith
ri, an!-
: i. ;.i . r-T-3'". i
- Iiut :
If
ft, h ' 1k. t
f JJHSl
f.am
- -i -a'ifr-i r-.' rov-
t-rrrti is r 11-' ?tM3iosi
a j
t aiiiraT w
Is th?
it -fca "Vy clrKiion
! the Pi i il" thai tt ccEtrol ol
tfc ctiatt trAtai Ta-fca a takes
. r fv,. r to . .v w i ippmes. xne venemenx; exertions or tne
i' - vA ''ii cSc is athorired to establish J president and cabinet in the line of in-
ll'. i '..I - .1 ' "r;w &nd tinue post offices, to appoint j vestigation are but the frenzied efforts
Tfc lls- 7li.0?.x. ffrf Pially for the tramrportatloa cf mails
prt fVv7 ;;.ri' IThia man had aa absolute control o-
Srf-t- f-r rxicio. The x "h assistant postmaster gener
LWfcV.tnp. tl. wr char;. PrtBclpal duty is the removal
h th- C-bas Tf4atirT tiu illua'rmt I of Pmun of the defeated party
:r.? fc: &:f.-e to .. Kxraion. 4 tte nomination of men of the tic
U f4. rr t-e rali-e aa jro- tonous party. When Mark Hanna was
io'is Cvtl lWls with Ju!yM U. S. senator from Ohio in 18S8.
Ut't tt t,-ai rita ere caddealy 1 committee of the senate of Ohio in
r,t - hlx Thi tUhlrK r4uc- i vestigated that elertton and reported
1 OH
b-j IUttue axsd hi audt.-1c"n oriwe "nn r" r"s'
cr ti';cV th osi ta-aral thing memtr of the assembly of Ohio, to
l 4 so I; u for tla u :' f&r Hanna: that Henry H. Boyce
Ta7s tK c-ut- t!i - to i: MM) a the man who attempted the crime;
,7-r"o t' rr m waIrful ': bat Major EL u. Rathbone and S'ajor
a ' AU as of a ; CfcA. P. Ik. as agents of Marcus A.
la aS;;uon to it &lit atid ; Hanna. Instructed and aided said
. &r tlah cd hi roisarctifr ! Henry H. Boyce to attempt the bribery.
adr to Lav sa into t-v-ry : Other arts ct like nature were charged
lti- buir. tssture that caiae't Ra'ntK.ne but it was impossible to
, , - v . fii sally a?. 1 pn-
a:y, tt.y r livtc p to th proud
I- Xv (A
s-xt snra;. Cc-n-
i-rttEa3 Grrivr. that tt- Kpobii
;arty c-M-r. to rr.ke evry dl
l? n r:,u!4 ft ih il&Jida It Lad
taT2 frrra
Ti t gratia at the tVi-2 of those
r iraLk- cr-atyr would quite ssis- n time we might regain the con- renders a decision that is in the interest
r- ."it tb po?i2ts fidc-e of the Cubans and of other na- 0f the people. They ridicule and de
ft they r the rutin, of a ijirtexa'' tlons in the purity of oar intentions, nounce the judge, and in some instances
a iwvxiT. At ttue
tery cm ct tee
!ftt a titUJfcK 13 "hva-J eo-;
ai .-t tL'-w CuVac dick.ur-.
jtcaf a -hil !.t:iig i:t;ax.ioa :
i'i tL ttsfct 'T a piasilr
fata f "S.!rair- aid srb. TL
rs-rpi cttrwery c.o- 4owa
MM-t to tli -ha:i the Gorera
ts.t :i.w t-r.-atrartisrs to E-att- & coa
f !y 'gfrt-itaxit tmtit oit f our
aJc-S t.-jti a a -trM-PoTrr
f;--a tii. iiEprtaiit aaonti mtt j Ci-aiat4ocs were made for place on corn-it-
pr LxrseJl a S&tictmaUy ex-: mittee J ude X. B. Tibbets, creden-t-x.:r;
Lst as an Sxperial Power we ; tiaU: IL L. Metcalf, resolutions; W. H.
r-.t:t ta tL asd permit the i Taylor, permanent organization; John
arar cr-o-,aaert ie tt-:r -sor- A. Crrightoji aod Jonas Welch, notiflca-
tr ? r'-zv, J we iwame it v.oaa
tLv-, inr wartime a !".! exparxioa
ci'ic.-y la tttr fwtu!
1MPEIAUSI1C THIEVES
I
nm rxi ia-as tw uuikI f f tu 5
Kt,Mw;.M.iwb. j
j
TL fvUowiac article decnWf the)
.,,,,..,,, . !
tzxiu rxi ot McK!ny - Impeii-
alietie tiieri wfeo Lave bm raiding f
the iliad cf C-La Is trana'.i'ed from j
rr-ie rre:um p3UiSd at Uscoln. Neb.
,,'..4 rJL...
lie wl2ly tircalat4 German
i,pr ia th Udted States. We cta-
mend It to the readers of the Independ
ent: 6
ffioa wnom in-re were bucu uisuu
cuisted men as Hoar, Reed, Carnegie,
Sehurx ettu were denounced as "trait-
ors," "mugwumps," "little Americans."
Nobody can deny that all the proph-
ecies bare come to be true sooner than
anybody anticipated it. The war for
the liberation of Cuba, in which the
whole nation stood by the administra-
uoa unaivjaea. aas ceveiopea idio a
mr ,tr ia? -oaqu"i uie runes ui
i the Philippines wblch lasts now for a
? yar and a half without any prospect
aa early end. For the government
of Porto Hi co a law has been passed
tnat is contrary tp our constitution
and .o our history. Porto Ilico is ours
but it is not a part of the U. S., its
citizens are not American citizens, but
citizens of the state of Porto Rico that
do3 cot exist: tarifT barriers are
erected between the V. S. and between
the island under the sovereignty of the
V. S.
And as If It were to prove the cor-rH-tnTs
of the prediction of corrup
tion eiso. we hare now the news about
the scandalous administration of the
lc:al affairs of Cuba, How severly
did denounce the Spanish adminis
tration of Cuba. How raany grand
pc--hy5 have been made to prove
tbat th Cubans are incapable of hon--?
t w If-Roverament! And now these
the king revelations!
If only one ofSrial had be-?n a thief
ther would ie no reason for strong
xfiT-Dent. There are black sheep
vry wher! But the whole adminis
tration of the postal service has been
corrupt, dishonesty prevailed in it
--rrwbere; xaoney belonging to Cuba
ta Leea squandered by American
carets aggers. That these things could
so on for months s a disgrace. Four
LJfh and several lower officials of the
Cub. a postal service are in jail or un
5r charges, and others are to follow.
The director of post o3es who led a
luxurious life at the expense of Cuban
funds only a few days before the arrest
of .NIy Ociare-3 that the accounts ;
cave w-e s xouna in perieci tiraer. ne , ,n the ?um of 100,000. If this condit--r-n
p rained the thief who has been , ;on js foun(i to exist in the newly ac
tr;e Cr.t victim of the detection of those quired territory within only a few miles
ci'iis for u-aiouk and eScient service. 0f our shores, what must we imagine is
i;y oraer m tue presiaeni prorauigaiea
" " A 1
fctmtcv xuu u.x Mianc, w uiac
-r6"u ii
v v- ' '
penary lor ueaans poiiai iuuus i
the post offices of Cuba he had more
power than our postmaster general
who divides the same authority with
Who was Intrusted with this power?
Was it a man appointed for his char-
office in-
Jvir liir-uj uj juuniai ru'irmr
The administration is bound in duty
to iav-lgate the scandal fully and to
th twttora. to deliver all culprits to
JtsMk and to spare none. Governor-
general Wood has started the invesu
gat, a ith laudable energy. Let him
carry It through without hindrance
: At present mis connaence is oaaiy snat.-
ierel.
Csrnccratis Delegaficn
The dftooeratic delegation to the Kan
a City convention met in this city
Monday. W. IL Thompson of Grand
I'.at,d wa elected chairman, and Phil
; Kohl t-ecretary. The following recom-
uoo cxmoutXMMi; la. i. j-ietzger, rules;
I-C. llarnngtvon, J. 11. Miles, Patrick
Walsh, headquarters; L.'J.Piatti. G. W.
Tibbeta. C tl Catlin, T. P. Mahoney,
W, D. Oldham, reception, Mr. Oldham
was we'ected as the frpeaker to place Mr.
Bryan n ftomination, if that privilege is
rrattK3 to the Nebraska delegation.
Headquarter- will be at the Coates
Hout-e.
. Colonel Edward A Goodwin, Fortieth
Infantry, reported an engagement May
,L igbt,Wa of lhe .FoTtieth infan-
try, under Captain Elliott, at Agusan,
near Cagayan, Cagayan province Min-
c , j-T 6tD P0
403 routed, fifty-two killed, thirty-one
Bemingt anJ quantity of ammunition
captured; oax Joss killed, 2, wounded 5.
and to award all contracts for the
DEFAULTER RATHBONE'S HISTORY
A Creation and Political Striker for
the Ohio It os Wholesale
i
Republican Robberies.
Washington, D. C, May 19, 1900.
(Special to the Independent.)
As the close of the present session of
Congress draws near the appropriations
continue to grow, and it is now esti
mated that the aggregate appropriations
of the present session can not fall below
seven hundred million dollars, and may
considerably exceed that amount.
The recently enacted pension bill, pro
viding for the grouping of disabilities
and raising the pensionable limit for
widows to $250 per year income, ia sup
posed to change somewhat the status of
claimants under the act of June 27,
1890. It provides for the grouping of
disabilities, but as the value of the disa
bilities are determined by the present
administration, which is unfriendly to
the soldiers, the general results will not
be materially different so far as claim
ants are concerned. Undoubtedly a
few widows will get on the rolls under
this law who could not under former
laws.
The Cuban Post Office scandal contin
ues to grow in enormity as investigation
froceeds and new facts are developed,
t may be borne in mind that all per
sons so far implicated in the gigantic
steal are republican politicians and
statesmen out of a job, who were sent to
Cuba by the Hanna machine in payment
for campaign work previously rendered.
We are maintaining a government in
Cuba pending her ability to govern her
self, and the benovolent assimilation
idea of the president was carried out in
part by the appointment of Maj. Rath
bone as Director of Posts. This man
Rathbone was previously associated with
the infamous Dudley in the "blocks of
five" scandal in Indiana, was Mark Han
na's right hand man in the late Senator
ial scandal in Ohio, and is no doubt a fit
representative of the Ohio boss. Post
master Thompson of Havana, also an In
diana man was so far advanced in repub
lican politics that he was called 44honest
Thompson," but he confesses to small
thefts and to falsifying the records.
And so the sickening story runs. Al,
along the line is found embezzlementl
fraudulent sale of postage stamps or
dered to be destroyed, etc., etc. It is
claimed that but one officer in Porto Ri-
co is unaer oona. ana inai is me ireas-
urerf who is required to give a bond only
the status of matters in the far otf Phil-
Jl IUC ICUUUIliaU UUUUUIU IV
their own members trom the rifrors ot a
congressional invesiigauon, ana ir ine
1 UC rULLCCUf, UUt il LLlt- N 111 UC UCitlU
of tne matter after tJongress is induced
to adjourn. ,
Populistic ideas are growing. As an
evidence of this fact attention is called
to recent editorial expression of the New
York Journal which declares for gov
ernment ownership of railroads, tele
graph and telephsne lines. The editor
ial is a very able one and urges the Kan
sas City democratic convention to a gov
ernment ownership plank.
A prominent democratic member of
Congress from New York City said re
cently that the Sioux Falls platform is
the clearest and best he has read for
years.
A movement has been started among
democratic senators and members of
Congress to boom Hon. G. B. McClellan
of New York for the vice presidency.
Mr. McClellan is only thirty rive years
old, but is a strong man in his party.
DENOUNCING THE COURTS
TThenever a Judge Does Not Line Up for
Plutocracy the g. o. p. Editors
Go For Him. ,
When the populists proposed an in
come tax and the supreme court decid
ed that it was unconstitutional, the party
still declared for it in their platforms.
They simply disagreed with the court
and proposed a constitutional amend
ment or a reorganization of the court
itself. This was denounced as anarchy
! by the whole republican press,
But
I iust watch how thev act
have actually advised that such decis-
ions should be disregarded. .TnrU
n - - O
Loch re n a short time ago rendered a de
cision in a case where a Porto Rican
was brought before him. The decision
in effect declared that the constitution
follows the flag. Within a week every
republican editor was jumping upon
Judge Lochren with both feet, declaring
that the constitution was null and void,
of no effect, and that no one should pay
any attention to it The following are
extracts from Judge Lochren's opinion:
"Our general government was founded
by the men of the revolution who had
rebelled against the arbitrary power as
serted by Great Britain to govern her
outlying colonies at the will of her par
liament They established this govern
ment upon the asserted theory that all
just powers of government come from
the consent of the governed. It will be,
indeed, marvelous if it is made to appear
that these men who then founded our
national government so constructed it
that it is capable of ruling'with an un
limited power a subject people who have
reither guarantees to protect them nor
any voice in the government This is
foreign absolutism the worst form of
tyranny.
lf the constitution does not extend to
Porto Rico and our other new acquisi
tions of territory, congress has the un
trammeled, absolute power to establish
subject governments or make laws for
such territories; it has the power to es
tablish dependent monarchies . or satra
pies, state religions, and even slavery.
The argument of one of the senators re
ferred to, that 5 the last clause of the
thirteenth, amendment prevents the es
tablishment there of slavery, is obvious
ly lame and impotent. - .
"To say that a clause in the constitu
tion does not extend to a territory, but
d,oes limit the power of congress in leg
islating for that territory, is to draw &
distinction too fine to be practical.
The argument, much- repeated, that
if the national government of the Unit
ed States has not the power to deal with
these new territories untrammeled by
the constitution its power is less than
that possessed by the other governments
of the civilized world, is admitted. It
proves nothing.
"The national government of the
United States was created, and its pow
ers and jurisdiction granted and limited
by the federal constitution. Its powers
can only be increased by amendment of
that instrument.
"The power of the general government
to acquire additional territory rests upon
its constitutional power to make war
which may result in conquest, and its
like power to make treaties which may
bring territory by cession. The power
to govern such acquired territories re
sults from the power to admit new states
and to make all needful rules and regu
lations respecting the territory or ' other
property belonging to the United States.
"This clause authorizes congress to
legislate in respect to a territory, in local
as well as national matters, before its
admission to statehood in the union.
"The novel doctrine that the power of
congress to govern territory ceded to the
United States may be confessed by a
foreign sovereign, by and through the
terms of the treaty of cession, apd that
the general government can exercise
powers thus granted by a foreign sover
eign independent of and in disregard of
the constitution until congress, mayhap
in the future, shall by its enactment see
fit to extend the constitution over the
territory, is contrary to the holding of
the supreme court of the United States
to the effect that the general govern
ment is one of enumerated powers and
can claim and exercise no power not
granted to it by the constitution, either
expressly or by necessary implication.
It is clear that the general government
cannot legislate over territory where the
constitution from which its every power
is derived does not extend. The consti
tution must be in force over a territory
before the general government can have
any authority to legislate respecting it.
No foreign sovereign can invest the gen
eral government with any legislative
power."
Numerous decisions are cited in sup
port of his opinion, and he continues;
"It must be held that upon the ces
sion by Spain to the United States of
the Island of -Porto Rico, that island
became a part of the dominion of the
United States, as much so as Arizona or
Minnesota, and that the constitution of
the United States expropria vigore at
once extended over that island; and that
this extension of the constitution gave
congress, whose every power must come
from that instrument, the authority to
legislate in respect to that island as a
part of the United States territory. It
follows that all the provisions of the
constitution in respect to personal prop
erty rights, including the right to trial
by jury in criminal prosecution, became
at once, when the cession was completed,
a part of the supreme law of the land."
The decision states that the military
law, being the sole authority, acts of a
military court were entirely legal, and
the petition for a writ of habeas corpus
was denied.
The Oregon Election
Seven states will hold elections prior
to the presidential election of next No
vember as follows: Oregon, June 4;
North Carolina, August 2; Alabama,
August 6; Arkansas, September 3; Ver
mont, Sept 4: Maine, Sept 10, and
Georgia, Oct 3. The outcome in North
Carolina, Alabama, Arkansas, Vermont
and Georgia cannot be expected to have
much political significance. The elec
tions in Maine and Oregon are usually
watched with considerable interest, how
ever, for any bearing they may have on
the presidential contest The election
in Oregon will be awaited with more
than usual interest this year, because it
comes before both of the great national
conventions.
Oregon is normally a republican state.
Theie was fear that it might be carried
for Bryan and silver in lSi5, but McKin
ley's plurality was 2,117 in a vote of 97,
3i7, the gold democratic ticket receiving
977 votes and the prohibition ticket 919
votes. In 1898 the republicans carried
the state 07 10,774 plurality. The total
vote cast was considerably reduced,
being only 84,513. There was no gold
democratic ticket There was a "middle-of-the-road"
populist ticket, which re
ceived 2,866 votes. The prohibition
ticket polled 2,213 votes.
At the Oregon election of June 4 next
the test will come on the vote for con
gressmen. Exports Failing Off
The monthly statement of the exports
from the United States issued by the
bureau of statistics shows that during
April, 1900, the exports were as follows:
Breadstuff's, 118,566,718, an increase as
compared with April, 1S99, of 3,450,000;
cattle and hogs, 2,081,799, a decrease of
470,000; provisions, 513447,286, an in
crease of $508,000; cotton, 24,634,031, an
increase of 516 263,000; mineral oils, 86,
035.136, an increase of 51,738,000. For
the last ten months the total exports of
these articles amounted to $613,087,304,
as against $674,443,236 for the same
period in 1899.
Sharpies Cream
able dairying. .
Separators Profi t-
INSURGENTS CONTINUE ACTIVE
Impossible for American Troops to Es,
tablish Civil Government
in Luton.
Gen. James M. Bell, commanding the
hemp provinces of southern Luzon, has
issued an order to his officers cot to at
tempt to organize the municipal govern
ments as prescribed by Major General
Otis in his recent order, on account of
the disturbed conditions. The Ameri
cans occupy only a few coast towns
which the insurgents surround, con
stantly assailing the garrisons, which are
too small to attempt operations in the
surrounding country.
Major Wise, with two companies, is in
Donzol, an important town of Sorsogan,
surrounded by a thousand insurgents.
The Americans occupy trenches and are
constantly exchanging shots with the
enemy. Several regiments are needed
to control each southern province, but
they cannot be spared from their pres
ent stations. . Another squadron of cav
alry will be se nt to General Bell.
On the first trouble occuring with the
Moros in the southern jrart of Minda
nao, at Cottobatto, Major Brett sent a
detachment to preserve peace at a con
ference between two quarreling chiefs.
During the conference the tribesmen be
gan shooting. One of the bands fired
upon the Americans from an old Span
ish fort. The soldiers returned the fire,
killing several of the natives, but they
were unable to take the fort, although a
gunboat shelled it. Major Brett is send
ing a larger body to punish the recalcit
rants. The indications are that the
army in the Philippines wll necessarily
be increased by several thousands before
the native government can be destroyed.
PUBLIC UTILITIES
Necessary for the Public to Assume Con
trol of their Management.
A public utility is something of use to
the individual but in possession of all
the people in common. For example:
Every one has the same equal rights to
the use of a street; yet were each one to
make use of their right to erect poles
and string wires for electric light and
power, telephone or telegraph, along, or
lay water pipes or a railroad track on,
this street, for his individual benefit or
profit, the result would be not only dis
astrous to every individual so doing,
but would also destroy all usefulness of
the street To prevent this and at the
same time enable the securing of any or
all such services, the people, the individ
ual in the aggregate, agree to waive so
much of their individual
rights in the
L matter as may be necessary and delegate
ena to me ODf vrho 13 to exercise
them as a monopoly.
Herbert Spencer, in "Man versus
State." says, "The liberty which a citi
zen enjoys is to be measured by the rel
ative paucity of the restraints which the
government imposes on him; these
should not be increased beyond the
point needful for maintaining the liber
ties of his fellows against his aggress
ions." But since in the minds of most
men a rectified evil is equivalent to an
achieved good, it is difficult to distin
guish the one from the other, to draw
or define the boundaries which should
not be overstepped.
As the general public cannot manage
or operate railroads, etc., except through
its government, and as the individual
cannot occupy the street or occupy the
right of eminent domain and condemn
private property for right of way, there
fore it is evident that government must
either exercise these functions itself or
confer them upon some particular body.
As it is unquestionable that all public
utilities are, and by their nature must
be, monopolies, therefore it is clear that
private ownership is not conducive to
the public welfare.
Supposing, for instance, that a corpor
ation had successfully removed all com
petition in its particular line of busi
ness, had become a monopoly so power
ful as to endanger the commonwealth;
and further supposing that a return to
former conditions, by abolishing the
monopoly or trust, were neither desir
able nor possible; would not that be a
sufficient reason for the omnipotent
state to intervene, and, assuming ower
ship, conduct that particular business
on the same plan as the mails not for a
profit, but as a service at cost Today
there are no combines, rings or corners
dealing and speculating in postage
stamps. Their price is the same to
every one throughout the country, no
discriminations, no special privileges,
and, strange to say, no complaints.
The private owner would therebv be
deprived of no right that is not the com
mon right of all. He would not be re
strained beyond the point needful for '
maintaining the liberties of his fellows
against his agressions. Negative coer
cion being inadequate, it is the duty of
the state to apply positive coercion to
achieve the same end.
The Hon. Martin A, Knapp, chairman
of the interstate commerce commission
of the United States the highest auth
ority on the subject in the land con
fesses and declares publicly "that trans
portation is and from the nature of
things must be monopolistic; that this
monopoly can charge for its services
whatever it pleases, can transport one
man's goods free and confiscate anoth
er's for charges, and the United States
government is powerless to prevent it
Cities are destroyed, whole districts
made deserts.by discrimination in rates
and by secret rebates. The Standard
Oil, the coal and nearly all the other
giant trusts owe their existence largely
to discriminations in rates between per
sons and places, and every cent of the
immense suras exacted from the traffic
beyond a reasonable charge for service
is a tax levied by the idle possessor of
special privileges on those who work.
Under pretense of charges for transpor-
: tation, hundreds of millions of dollars
are yearly taken from those who earned
them. . ' " :.
Today, nails, wire, etc., are 150 per
cent higher than they were a year ago.
Not on account of any shortage of iron
or coal, for there is as much in sight as
there ever has been; not on account of
any increase in cost qf production, for
the methods of taking the staples from
the earth and manufacturing articles of
use are constantly and progressively
cheapening cost, and wages, if raised at
all, have surely not risen more than ten
percent.
Wherefore this raise of 150 per cent?
Because the discrimination in rates of
transportation breaks down, ruins and
removes competition, and when this has
been accomplished and the monopoly
thereby established enables the monopo
lists to arbitrarily fix prices, not . accord
ing to cost of services rendered, but ac
cording to cost of ability of the consumer
to pay. All lines of transportation lead
ing to mines are in the hands of the mon
opoly or trust It does not need to own
all the mines nor the factories, but every
mine and every factory and everybody
making use of the manufactured articles
must pay the tax assessed or quit work.
This discrimination by secret rebates, is,
of course, not admitted by the parties in
collusion, but cannot be concealed in ex
ports. John W. Gates, manager of the
steel and wire trust, testified before the
industrial commission last fall that they
were exporting their products and selling
them to foreigners at a less price than at
home. Ex-Congressman, J. D. Warner
of New York gives the exact figures:
Wire nails per keg at home, $3.40.
abroad, $2.14. Barb wire, per 100 pounds
at home, $4.13, abroad, $2.20.
Davi-1 Davis, justice of the United
States Supreme Court, said: Great cor-"
porations and consolidated monopolies
are fast seizing the avenues of power that
lead to the control of the government"
It is an open secret that "they rule
states through procured legislation and
corrupted courts; that by means of cun
ning lobbyists and crafty corporation
lawyers, the rights of the people become
the private property of these monopolists.
The moral sense as well as the material
welfare of the people is thus destroyed
by private ownership of public utilities.
Public ownership and operation at cost
would sweep away these evils by remov
ing the incentive: the enormous sums
that a few can legally but unjustly se
cure from the people without recompense
through monopolized private owner
ship. But to attempt to change this under
present system of electing irresponsible
but absolute rulers were vain indeed. As
long as the people is powerless to enact
its will into law, is dependent on these
short-lived autocrats who make hay
while the sun shines, over whom it has
no control "whatever," these coaditions
will prevail. The inhabitants of the
state of Michigan are rated in intelli
gence second to none in the world; there
is no city of its size in the union more
progressive .and better governed than
Detroit; yet, in protecting "vested
rights ' of powerful corporations, sixteen
senators defied the whole state, governor
and all, and five judges legally prevented
the citizens of Detroit from expressing
their opinion at the ballot box, although
it was lawful and no harm could be
done, and more than 6,000 voters had de
manded it
The first and most important step to
be taken, therefore, must be to place the
people in control of the government; the
people must be made the court of last
resort This can be done by the system
of direct legislation, by means of which
the people are enabled to make their
own laws, not according to the interests
of a class, but according to the real
wants of all the people. Laws thus en
acted are part of the constitution; no
legislative body can alter or amend
them, no executive veto them, no court
declare them void. It need no argu
ment for American citizens to appreci
ciate a system which by increasing the
power of the ballot, correspondingly de
creases that of the officials until they
really are, what they should be, the ser
vants and not the masters of the people.
F. F. Ingram, President of the Munici
pal lighting commission of Detroit
Need a Leader
The following private letter contains
so much that is of interest to the
readers of this paper that we print it
entire. It is from a distinguished citi
zea scholar of New York.
Please accept thanks for your inter
esting letter of April 26th. I also re
ceived the markedcopy of the "Ixde
pexdext" and read the same with much
pleasure. Your outspoken and vigor
ous support of the principles for which
the democratic party now stands com
mitted are refreshing and in pleasing
contrast to the tone of most of the
democratic papers in this state. I have
placed the "Nebraska IxnErEXDEXT" on
our exchange list, and would be plased
to receive your paper in return.
I think your board of regents have
made an excellent choice in Superin
tendent Andrews, I had the pleasure of
becoming quite well acquainted with
him when he was at the head of the
Department of economics at Cornell.
I occasionally attended his class room
lectures, and remember well tne vigor
ous way in which he expounded the in
justice and robbery resulting from the
appreciation of the monetary unit.
through the legislation of 1873. .
v e are doing our nest to secure a
delegation to the Democratic National
Convention, pledged for Mr. Bryan,
what the result will be I cannot tell.
If we had an able and aggressive leader
in this state to properly look after the
Bryan sentiment which prevails
through the state it might easily be
managed so as to become a dominant
force at the state convention next
month. The gold democrats of 1896
are most of them again within the
democratic camp, and they are quietly
doing what they can to prevent the
sending of an instructed delegation to
the national convention.
THAT LOST GOLD
8ecretary Gage Proposes to Blake a Search
, for It but it Will Never be Found
The readers of this paper will remem
ber how often a protest has. been made
against the treasury figures concerning
the amount of gold in circulation in this
country. We have always claimed that
the figures put out regularly at Wash
ington estimated the gold in circulation
at least $300,000,000 too high. The large
amount of gold was made a factor in the
last campaign. There was plenty of gold
they said. After the campaign the gold
bug papers let up a little and spoke of
it as "the invisible supply." Now they
give it up altogether. Gage acklowledges
now that there is $400,000,000 short, and
has ordered a , search made for it. J.t
will never be found. The Associated
Press sent out the following dispatch the
other day which is rather interesting
reading: ' '
Lyman J. Gage, secretary of the treas
ury, has instructed M.r L. Muehlmann,
assistant treasurer in New York, to di
cover, if possible, what became of $40ii
000,000 in gold coin which should be
this country, but which has disappear
from the knowledge of the treasury til
partment
vikliu ujuav, mere was jivA),wu,vw iu
this country distributed among.the poo-
pie in coin. After that the department
kept a careful record of the coinage and
01 me exports ana tne impons 01 goia.
- ' 1 A J 1 1 . .1,
t was supposed that we knew exactly
where the coin went to except that which
was used in the arts and sciences and
which was lost. Of this an estimate was.
made; and there, were good reasons for
believing that we were not more than a
million ortwo out of the way.
"Lately we made a search of the
country to find what sort of a gold bal
ance could be struck. It required only
crude calculation to show that there
should be in the treasury, the sub-treasury
and the banks of the country $1,-
000,000,000 of gold. That is what our
balance sheets showed there should bo
after we had added all that had been
coined and had made the deductions
which, were necessary. We were then
somewhat astonished when we found
that 6100,000,000 in gold had disap
peared. "Mr. M:tehlmann has sent to every
manufacturing jeweler in the country a
blank which is to be carefully filled out
describing - minutely the quantity, kind
and value of gold used in the last year.
Other inquiries are also being made, and
in a few weeks we expect to be able to
tell how much gold there is now in tho
country. This will not explain what han
become of the lost fortune, but it may
show vhere our mistakes ' of calculation
have been made." "tr
Handcuffs for 'Grazed Soldiers
The Christian and Missionary Alliance
confirms the reports that hundreds of
the American soldiers in the Philippines
have been crazed because of the priva
tions, hardships and torrid climate,
backed by the demon liquor.
The Alliance says "that during tho
ast four months four hundred and fifty
soldiers have lost their reason. But, of
course, this is owing to the effect- of in
toxicating liquor and all of its usual ac
companying evil in the tropics."
Among the war supplies . sent to the
Philippines are handcuffs and manacles
for these crazed soldiers. Borne of the.
insane have been brought back to the
states.
Again, we ask, why does not the com
mander-in-chief of the army bar from
his forces this worse than murderous
demon of intoxication. With one word
he can do it and he, and he alone has
that power. Can the mothers of America
hold him guiltless they who cheered
their boys to answer the call, and trusted
to his guide and guard their most
precious heart jewels?
These crazed ones bring bacic witn a
sickening sense the appeal to the chief
made months ago against the "canteens"
following our army into these torrid
countries. The instincts of the people
were right; they foresaw this ruin to
their loved ones. They were crushed by
the reply that he could not impose trade ,
restrictions. A subtle treachery seemed
to lurk in the answer, as if trade must
be had, though bought with blood fired,
if need be, with liquor.
But mark! the day is at hand for judg
ment before the high court of this na
tion this people, upon the power that
could but would not save these poor sol
diers' reason. M. E. Walker in National
Rural.
Not Unexpected .
In an interview published
in the
Suther-
Washington Post, congressman
lan4 is quoted as saying:
"I don't believe in unreasonable abuse
during political campaigns, but thene
Cuban postal frauds are vindications of
our doctrine and, to my mind, are thor
oughly legitimate for use ou the stump.
What more natural than that wo should
point out these thefts as the outcome of
imperialism and colonial possessions
Rathbone, as the handmaid of Mark
Hanna, his man through and through.
Why shouldn't' we expatiate on this to
the voters? It forms material for a
a good argument I am sure wo shall
use it for all it is worth."
ftewey's Scheme
Admiral Dewey says he will not ac
cept a nomination for the vice-presidency
from any party. He expects to
have his name presented to the Kansas
City convention as a candidate for presi-
dent, although the program is -not yet"
completed; and he expects to prevent"
the nomination of Mr. Bryan if he is not
successful himself. He has had many
assurances of support during his south
ern trip, and intimates that people who
think Mr. Bryan has nailed down all the
delegates from the south will be sur
prised when the votes are counted.
Chicago Record.
iL.
1