The Nebraska independent. (Lincoln, Nebraska) 1896-1902, May 31, 1900, Image 1
9fe V. M II 111 II I I I V VOL. XII. LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, MAY 81, 1900. NO. 3. CHAHIES A. TOWKE -Twm At! K Will yoa jrrait roe a irW pace tyrant of industry, and Imperialism. Li.' la to aay a f?w war Is rt-ptic! which la tryanny in its political garb, j,i.r r-rt iJTr.al U;- Liir to mr Indexes of a great national w ...r T,r-- , i ourht d,8S which millions of the Amerl- Wjr Tir" 1 ; os 1 ,Utlil can people bellere must be isolated and to a'cUe fcr ateppt&g l.r I a ; .tatapei out if the life of the republic cot i-Jt-j; but jtm a reference ia to be prw rved. I simply maintain to r-tfr-.if ta til l-tfr and the general that a lone aa our people art aroused tl rr wLkb rov prooee-1 in pro- reted on these subjects it is J - ; as. absolute necessity that they shall ;,:. -lit vr ery iaiporttat ;ut- u 4icaSAOi la the political arena. filial-; I tLlsk, therefore, and that they will iaevltably take tern I as uu-i ta a bril r?erac to pora ry preodeace In popular estima te. . ... tioa of the greax question which was tr.ofcl nrominent in 1S and which as i'lrz. joi ur: Hos- Char! A. OWJS. e'Zt'J ua yo;i S-zatcr Teller . opiate! at tit tirth of tl sJer r- ;a.:s V rtj- mJLi i-sui bwf-c. neat to ji' ictlv hxz-;:oa of its a rviS' -t it: -j la ut xrin cita tut to td hi chiff .z.Zf t"- ctotiG3 ttt tie x.yilry ot Uz'.4t.T a th expansion lLc : r i ' Now jer ve do; aa : ";o n-ike" tht 1 co tot b it ''T-r qawti'a a i,rwt3tii-nt ;- iini-r f tLt 1 Louid i -rt:rlj s'erl-a '.o Jtale" that iri!,a t-r itj o.i.'-r ;'aestloa either t -,r-.r;is--t or aii -i-4rare t.u it t.- t-rr-iim or is -.ny o?nr. ro - - -v - nas c-s ai. iMU iur a cam- i-ss- &: the u.tt which tL pei t- .u iLm Eak-5 iaauea. y icri-.lfi on tl. tilrer q-vJa reaia :3ir!y Lai:c!. ar.4 1 i.- caL-- i:.t;naf- the contrary. :! titcl cull .fxsiis.ri. la ?. jadg resi. !.:.? tx-i-i a tis,factory . aitelarjr -jsieti IjT the .rlJ Yoa ai I. toi'-'r. a- " all otxer on who L rra : a t ij of ?h aotne ahat Ittri'a'.e pi---s of the ii.--.-ey questicn tti-. ,-2u. . ; to uspTftood are I us trta.-3 C'raJitaxKsa from ur: oeri! fan wp?ra4ac ti.r- -i-h i ui s sntji of tici. oj aa 1 i. Xi -j ' 1-f viatK'-as frc?' - . . 4 upcm f-nl pnnclp'e tr .-...Mt-st mth tne pnn- i3J3-Jy icjjtarable ftf -nL-u. true that 'l ','.t if irrx it It . of ises who hate act rxr-rliy lTiiTiirteJ tie bect. and z Mur. it : ew iii;y trae or men tv it tryias to ird-ne to bgia izkrizMtiz it. arc ni.i-2 br thews - jr.;JTr7 a r swrsi , ii4 I'i.slxrlj whrz. the derU-. tjo- i T cma experience. ' r- rrt i7 ,in th f aad the -'.r"un:tate. .-.-.jiTii b. .. - .i -i-..,. Ifir ' v- --- - :.' t ta l"C u a ritt inrrea cf the ;ri:U'!ii milium of the country. L r-;rir.:j ipe-2 the fall in r--rl ;ri: ir.4L feir Ie-3 o a Ki.-2i :r'-::. ta ; j-r -;?. It i tr-s that the ai-il'-'.ar.y h!rh prtra o. 'refi'fi'.rux ;Tf;v -? hre o r::?r.-j.3 ?L trcrj! isrr. a 5cr rv.: ar!tj' llttl advaat- u a,y prtylacta of our 'r:i-'-'?- - J -Ji l"' r..ala:on oi C5(mjtrii-s wr rnsw4. zL- rnt vcaH Im to lower ! pri U th'ir .rt!arta i raie r. -.--- ti.: ire rrla!ie!y too I v. 7tU cf tbe cttr. how- tf'T - il- - :o trct rrotlesi :' r-r-rlT jran of th cotjr q-,H-n. 7z poist to wtvca i to irt y'fMT Mtirzxturx ia tiii: 1 -. ttn 'ir aT-tttj: to j rn.ripicst. fir ta always laaln- a :tjc iii'Tr. is tt rioney ' of . --;riU-r. araEtir?c to not far frr ra $ 4 f fs Ii, ha t-ta- lrartlj t-trl-i 1 1 criasnc lcS- r.fc ;ri-s :a--t wfcu- ju rritii tit ia and ?-r j - n jri'"s:y; ti.at. a t J-at .U ! fa-t. "fCtSr-! !n - .. tj f tte rvrita of th e;b- 1. tfc Kiscpiy tll not take ti mch r-t la th arltif.r dlfc- . j -'. .? tij rtrJr f zrummy sUh tL-y 4J1 tale In I '.. N I ti go, r-jwus!L4 far thU 2 titsiAf riSv it I know it to b fat; xnt r.air u th l"aU-1 S'a' La-r ;y H-r v.- rttii.!r of ob-j niiiia ;a rsard !o this mm:iT' thai I he La4. U rfcf dleijn c-f d-aetary t-.-ir wi.I. brcaiM o tbei t-c:' !Ka in i-t rt of the' 'A ;,' -T!Z-tit rfiiroi -TSU3 1 i-.k ttc:tr"i the c? eurrra.-j- ts.--?.t 4 tits! la ihm t'sitd tL W.. -tryrin of the tisjia zz&. clcitusj tip th "-- " "i i-rxur.::? t tL y -.t.g lal aal iS'lvrial in5 ; 2er of i.aa. L atr ii a ry wii fci.3 a er lii-ms ji,.-r-l, Tt-e p I,". ?t a;u-'i an cm.i4 la ha tie ia- o-l ;--; t- !i .'ire pf.4uf wit a re 7m t tree, but la a trva4 fcta. e r riiC me raore erphau nialt eelocles, wnlcn are always sub t: cXrsX eiioa preeaio t it t A9t,rasia. and earitidin nrnv- , , , : t: -v ti i g.raier f t rtutAr r-t sdinary ta'-j iihost; t fetaftdiagi ar'sf u,- if4r a&4 ?t-rjeiiaLa tha p d it la m-rlal w i-ta dlvi Sfeii5 a til-' rait aed ifiLes'iti pwa-rsi l try ti aalarai m3.4 prp . pAti'i'ia f if tr4 ifcf whki L!&4 tf zpAim all rf art fa fat er iy iL.it kiliia j a grai auaay tLwaaad ! of our proposed customers, end then i wcorirg tha eternal enmity of the sur I vivors; by reversing all the traditions of 12 year and overthrowing the aa- cred iiealj wbfca hare created the pe etillar excellence of American char acter. The monooolv. which ia tha ,0il d , kno- la sti1 .ins,tI ani hcs settlement nust still remain an ucrsIlEQutshed ob.kct of those who ! i Z L Wnau 1 do not know what Senator Teller niil isjHjaUEg for myself, 1 de - tire to eay to you in ah frankness and ! r-fcpru that your editorial seems to ncni Vf? fii isCf V lion. Aa icr myteli. If I had not left luts r,Dublican oartv in 1S6 I should Jva it in We sii.er republicans rt-rcltec' in ljr6 against the betrayal by th reputlican party of the cause of tha people involved in the princi ples of bimetallism. That was the spe cific cause. What was the generic oae! Why. that the republican party a3 lenuing its support to and becom- ins champion of the oppressors oi the xrle: that that party had es-iders to get the fact8 and be sure of routed the inter 5ts of the few as them and then write then down for -gain. the many. A contracting j the information of the people of the tr-cney volume is to the advantage of United states. He nas obeyedhis or the few who hoid tne many in the a A f- . jvj usii dau me j mouth shut until he was outside of the cebtor. who nearly always is a pro- j jurigdjction of the military govern- f.asf,r 434 represents the vast majority j ment which McKinley has "set upiin "e peopit. ougtu to be freeu fromjtha isiands. He waited until he got th of-presiicn oi the small class of iback to Hong iv0ng before he wrote n?v-M?c creditors who. by means of nis first jetter. That was a wise pre- - jaie mea-are grow rat upon therCAUtlon on his part. The report bears th ftcfr!rias3 ff.otrs Is: tbe evidences of truth on the face of it not the fcaxre great pnncina the basis j and it is commended to the readers of i Ur PP"fiUo ! m be trusi the Independent as the first true state ard to Jie attempted estal .i3hment of f niti.o i x,n. pjiiticai tyranny Art not all these poiau of at lack the mere outward of lhft same great evil tendency oi oar CT- 3iow. a the aame of jus- Uee .and patriotism, can you, who in 1 advocated and still advocate the frwdiTa a. ih. nan- ni r,r f., u tlt Ae!tt?;!n!flrlmihei Utsaaj of a ontrarting money sys- tes support the tyranny of the trusts c? he I'aited Stttea or the proposed derpetism cf a great standing army -u procoaauiar cstacusnmenta .in ttie Clttant Quart rs cf the earLh over; -"rfv uj u- uuuui Urtr conent? making this communication u . wish you to mistake my earnest-1 1 . uui i cannot lor- ?ihrt St;iiff'Junsle takIng an occasional shot fianked. demoralized and shot full of cpap" Bch high intelligence at you is not Dacifled." He mav bell, v- a r, y.nam - - f7r ??&?t&TSZ i - - c r , - ; laca me maiscreei courage to come out PwJcaa or l? can conaUtently be-iiR tne open and be killed in orthodox a McKlnefy republican in 1900. j fashion, but as ong as he has the gun not. I jray you. allow yourself to.and is animated bv the desire to shoot blinded by Uie false prBtense of; you no. not "pacified." ruling distant peoples by force is not eapantioa. It la the distinguishing ciark of imperiallaci. The American people hare "cipnded" from the At- laxitle aaboard across the AUeghanies. beyoad ithe Mlsaistippl valley, over the b V. , . '"-' lu a-sj-c auu itjeq tne warm water, ef the Mexican guif to the vast corthwrstern plateau that stretches to the Artie ocean; but every- where and always It has carrid its freedom along with Its laws, and every-i wnere aaa always has had the purpose w ine corratry mat came to it a part o- tne general prosperity and the common right. Never till now has It 1-eea propossl that we shculd perma- cenlly plant our tag where we must atrip from off its folds every blazonry that proclaimed to tbe world the prin- cipea ex me ieciaration or inaepend eace the priceless liberties of the eoaatltutifm. Bfflieve me. Mr. Editor. If yoa tupport this mad doctrine of re- e-at and rerreent republlcaniam, j-ou are cm only wrong, but you will find yonraelf ctside the sympathies and wlthoat the support of tht American p-ple. !n whose hearts, aa I sincerely believe, there atill remain the tradl- tlcrj and principles upon which we havs waxsd great and glorious. Very reaptfully your. CHARLES A. TOWNB. Ssward a Traitor tn day and tlise William H. Sew arl, tha great head of the" great Lin coir. war cabinet, was regarded as a gd rftpubiiaa. Yet Secretary Sew ard it rtxiffxj i as having ealdi "It Is a r3aarkaMe feeture of the constitution m uaiira Di.es icai 11a iramers nmttf eontarXfSeted colonies or prov- i-ra f territories at ail. Oa the other htcd thty e-3attapiaied states only, nethieg less thaa eta tea, perefet states, ual S1.ai.0e, as they are called, here, toTtreif a itaiaa, There is rea toi. 1 acre la t-i?d .political wisdom fa Ihis protifcloa ef the eonstitutlon ex- itea, mtii always tend ta corrupt t Mau, By tk eoastitutioa ef the United gratis thar are no subjects. ery tiHia of ftay oa8 Biate is a free , .... . ,. . tad eutl ritiaen bf tha United Slates. I'aited fJtatei there are 39 permanent prviEa or dt peadeaeita." The relar between tUward's doeirine, and that aeibedied in reeeat axta ef the preaaai cngr Is thai usually at t rib: Htoml ta u aad vilee. They doa't miu. THE TRUTH AT LAST A wipapr Man Ooi to Tb Fhlllp pino. Holds Hla Tongue Until Ha OeU Awij, Then Oire Facta. The effort of McKinley to suppress information regarding the Philippines can only be regarded as childish. It lacks every element of sound sense and statesmanship. A hundred years ago. before the days of the steamship and telegraph such a polfcy might have suc ceeded, but to attempt it in this age shows a want of good common sense. No one in the United States aas put any faith in Otis' reports not even the republican leaders themselves. The only use they make of them is for campaign purposes, for they know that any thing branded "official" has a great deal of influence with some people. Tbey can get up afld read one of Otis' dispatches declaring that the war is over and the islands pacified and de- clare that !t is "official." They do that . , , in the senate every day or two, not for any effect that it will have oa the sen ators, but so that it may be printed and sent free through the mails. The Chicago Record deserves great praise for sending a member of its staff to the Philippines to get the real facts concerning the conditions there T,a rr.c-r,., .. " vui tui v-? cLjL&t uvpt aa AO j ment of the conditions in the Philip pines that has been published. Mr. Ade says: After one has been in Manila a few hours and had a few candid talks with people who have been on . the ground for a long time he begins to suspect i --" """fv . tat the islands are in no such "paci- fied" condition as the people in the United States are prone to believe. A few trips into the country, the visiting of a few garrisons and the heaped-up ; testimony of all disinterested persons wilj prove to him conclusively that our "peace in the Pniuppines is of very unstable quality. If the Philippine islands are "paci- nea ' tnen we must concede a new meaning to the word '.'paci fied." A Tairalo who is dodffine- around in tha you is not pacinea. ue may Deiia c:in,.0 hv r.nvo hon,n mam r.A afrald.oJ ! Even when you knock a man down and sit on him he is not "pacined.' You have no assurance that he will behave himself after you have released him and turned your back. There are about -40 garrisons in the Philippine islands, each of which has succeeded in cowing the region bound ed by its outposts. The natives be have themselves while they are in the immediate presence of American sol diers with loaded guns. But it is not advisable for any white man to Vl)nr hormri tha nntnfo nf o ar.. rlson. PsnpHallv if h is iinormtd Mo is In danger of being shot from am bush or set upon and boloed. Anv traveler who wishes to go from one garrison to another must be accompan ied by a guard of soldiers. The rail way from Manila to Dagupan is being operated, but there is a heavy garrison in everv town and a nle-hr nnrt rtnv guard at every bridge. Wagon and pack trains are fired on from ambush every day. These attacks are not reported un less some one Is killed or wounded. The soldier who is called upon to per form any duty outside of a garrison is in greater peril than he was when the Insurgents moved in large bodies. John T. McCutcheon, correspondent for The Record, recently compiled some Interesting figures showing that the American losses are greater since the guerrilla warfare began than they were during an equal period of fight ing against organized armies. Formerly when eight or ten men were killed In a skirmish the news was cabled to .America. But the corres pondents cannot kep track of the scattered assassinations of the guer rilla campaign. The news never reaches the public except through the official reports to Washington. A doz en American soldiers may te killed at a dozen remote garrisons and there is not a line of cable news to show for a total fatality that would mark a seri ous engagement. So it happens that for many weeks there has been little news cabled from Manila, because the fighting has been small and desolutory and scattered over a vast area, it is not strange that this absence of war news, coupled with the repeated assur ance that the war is "about ended," has led people at home to believe that conditions in the Philippines are fav orable to a peaceful occupation. Sueh is not the case. It Is true that the insurgent armies have been scattered, that many of the leaders of the insurrection are now under surveillance, in. Manila, that Aguinalda has been chased into a re mote hiding plaee, and that the reor ganization and mobilization of a large army seems practically impossible. On the other hand, it is true that the spirit of reoemea is still active and that the insurgents eoatiaue a pester ing and plundering caaapaiga in ssaall bodies that can not-be trapped Into battle. - f r In the official reports the Insurgents who continue to harass the Americana are called robbers r "ladrones." .. The so-called "ladrones" are simply the same old Insurrectos, who are operate ing in small bodies because they, have learned that they ; are not i competent to fight on the European plan. They have become guerrillas that they may avoid being slaughtered and also make more trouble for the Americans. From .their standpoint they, have done a wise thing. . From our point of view it would be much better if they would make a stand-up fight and die Lke civ ilized warriors.- It would simpnty matters. There is much testimony to the ef fect that these small bands commit depredations on natives and Chinamen as well as on Americans, and that they prefer a roving life of brigandage to a quiet agricultural career in a nipa shack; but the fact remains that the primary object of .their organization is to kill American soldiers and con tinue the struggle for Filipino inde pendence. So you may call them "la drones," robbers, bandits or anything else you choose, without materially changing their attitude toward Ameri can rule. The Manila newspapers, which are censored down to uie punctuation marks, never, use the words "insur gents" or "rebels" any more. There is no warfare any more except witn the "ladrone." Not long ago these news papers reported that a garrison was attacked at night by 600 "robbers.- The "ladrone" is a standing joke around Manila. ' REPrBLIC STIIX ORGA"XED It is commonly believed in Manila that the Filipino republic retains an organization, necessarily sub-rosa in many sections, that taxes are still col lected and that the operations of the guerrilla bands are .. directed by uie leaders, who are now assembled in Manila, enjoying the leniency of the United States government. nearly every one to whom I spoke was frankly i of the opinion tnat the Filipino leaders had come into Manila and put them selves on parole so as to get together for a conferen'e and reorganization No one believes that they have really chosen to accept American rule with out further protest. Although the present fighting is car ried on by small bands, k does not follow, as mostpeople at home seem ioiiow, as mosipeopie at nome seem to believe, that these bands are in.e- pendent of each other and represent so many irresponsible private enter prises. Col. Montenegro of the insur gent army, who surrendered and came into Manila the othxr day to renew old friendships, tsid me that. Aguinal do, before fleeing from Tarlac, reor ganized his army into small companies and ordered a guerrilla warfare. Whenever and wherever the insur gents dug trenches and made a stand i- m small companies amhuscading, tak- ing pot-shots at scouting parties and oulposts or pouring an occasional j rer republican state convenU on has night volley into a garrison, their MS11. rfced in the bettered con loJes have been small.8 The effort to Ka?nr' a1.?t Jf.?1 surround and capture a "robber band" lS L 2 is rarely successful. Before any de : wf 8 'h? t SSS S Y tachment of soldiers leaves a garrison haT!rtaV W!intrmaT1 for a "hike" in pursuit of - ladrones."! ? JJ?! L iJfnri? the news travels out from the. town, "5"J?lei!S5? &n? and the bandit crew disappears into thin air. Everywhere there seems to be collusion between the people in the town and the insurgents outside. A native runner usually precedes the sol diers and sounds the alarm. The most significant lact tending to prove that the Plnos are not a a; n h have seemedJ to Rising, peaceful mood ; is that the arms used In The ay American workingmanfs .IwBgn havl been greatly reduced witH rendered. It is Mmtri tt t two ars jrThe man M surgents had a total of 22 000 rifles , gelf appreciate that fact, but most of them Mausers, with a fewi. , .... ..V o Sprlngflelds and Remingtons. Only 3,000 or 4,000 rifles nave been cap tured or purchased. The government now pays $30 (Mexican) for every rifle j turned in by a native. As a result of! this liberal offer many old Remingtons and defective Sprlngflelds have been given up, but the natives have not yet begun to turn in the new Mausers with which they did their fighting. There must be about 18,000 rifles remaining In the hands of the Insurgents, and the Americans seem unable to buy them or capture them. It Is only fair to conclude that the Filipinos are keeping these weapons because they expect to use them again. Take It right In the city of Manila, which haa been in the iron grip of martial law ever since the war begun, and where the natives have had every peaceful opportunity to become ac quainted with us and learn to love us, and you will find that the Tagalos are practically nnanlmuos In their de votion to Agulnaldo and their desire for Independence. There Is a half-con-1 cealed hatred of the Americans which no one who travels about the city can fall to detect. At a native theater about a month ago, In a play dealing with the last insurrection against the Spanish, a Filipino flag was brought on the Btage, Immediately the entire assemblage went into a frenzy of what would be termed patriotism If they were white people. They stood up and shouted, "Long. live Agulnaldo!" "In dependence or death!" and made other inflammatory outcries until the mili tary guard and native police had to raid the plaee and ,stop the perform ance, In the island ef Luaen, at least, the natives who are net prowling around garrisons ' waiting to chop up a stray American are keeping alive the revo lutionary sentiment, while they pre tended to be submissive. The same is true" of the other regions in which there has been any resistance to Amer ican authority. If we have C8njgarativly ne friends among the natives the reasons are not hard to discover. Assuming that the Filipinos are incapable of self-government and that the United States really wishes to deal justly and humanely with them, there la still no denying that we permitted them to believe that they would be granted their independ ence, that later on we refused to con sider their claims and that up to date; we -have killed about-15,000 of them. The only law we have given them up to date is martial law, which Is always hateful. Whatever - may be the facts as to the outbreak -of February. 1899, the natives blame the Americans for the present war. v An invading army seldom makes a pleasant impression on the country be ing invaded. Certainly the American soldiers have not taken any pains to act as forerunners of the tender policy of "benevolent assimilation." They re gard the natives - with good-natured contempt and speak of them as "nig gers." You never hear them called anything else in the" army. The rough and ready volunteer soldier Is over here to "kill niggers,", not to win their love and esteem by elucidating th ad vantages of American rule. These natives do not understand our unceremonious and rough way of do ing things any more than we can meas ure their native craft and hyprocisy, with its added veneer of Spanish po liteness. The usual occupation of sol diers in a garrison is to "kid" and "devil" the inhabitants, whom they re gard as a strange growth belonging to the same social division as domestic animals. Therefore, although the na tives have learned to fear our soldiers in battle,- is it surprising that they have no high respect for them? The soldiers are familiar with them and at the same time contemptuous of them. The poor native is unable to "size up" the American soldier, but he doesn't like the breed. If civil government is to be estab lished in the Philippines it must not be founded on the presumption that the islands are "pacified" and friendly to . American rule. There are many other questions bearing on, the rather complicated situation, but perhaps the one of "pacification" is enough for this first letter. WAGES FALUNS Trust's Robbery off Labor Is Fast Bring ing About An Awful Industrial Strupl in This Lsik). , . The man is deaf and Mind who does not hear and see the sounds and signs of another great industrial struggle in the United States. What is the real meaning of the strikes which are be ginning to dislocate business in almost eaery part-of the country? - Does the sap rising in man in the springtime impel him to strife? Are these sepa rate strikes In every State the result of separate and Independent conditions, or are they the consequence of one general cause? President McKinley and his respon sible spokesmen point to the present "unexampled prosperity." Nearly more wages. News of strikes comes from every part of America. These struggles are increasing in numbers and in fierceness every week. What is the truth about the matter? The plain, undisgulsable fact is that nrno ViOva Kaaa cfao ilt f n 11 1 ava-t he knows that he is increasingly "hard up," that he cannot save money; that it is more difficult than ever to keep out of debt. The explanation Is simple and easily proved. While wages have remained at practically the same level, the cost of living has Increased1 from twenty five to fifty per cent. The trust sys tem has lifted the price of the neces saries of life so high that all other prices have kept pace with the rise except wages. It does not make much difference whether you increase the cost of living or cut down wages the result to the man Is the same. ' Let any fair-minded: man . in the United States ask his wife or his mother or his housekeeper how much she has to pay for household supplies compared with the same purchases a year and a half ago, and he will be surprised, perhaps, to discover that he Is paying from twenty-five to fifty per cent more now than he did then. It is an Indisputable fact that the cost of necessaries of life In the United States has enormously Increased with in the space of a few months. It Is within the tower of any man who reads this statement to verify It be fore tomorrow by simply Investigating the facts in his own home. It is also an Indisputable fact that the great cause of this rise In prices Is the mo nopoly feature of the trust system. It Is also an Indisputable fact that wages have been advanced only In , a few cases1, and the average advance has been less than seven and a half per oent. There Is the truth, The trust Bys- tem has really reduced the earnings of American 1 labor. It is harder for the employed man te live now than it was when he voted to put the party ef the trusts in eontrol of the national government. Hence the elamer of discontent which is ringing throughout the-'coun- try. Mere-men are at work now than were employed in 1896, but they are m reality woruing tor lower wages The same men eeuld have been at work four years age had they been willing te accept such an 'enormous reduetion ia their wages. James Creelman, AS SEEN IN WASHINGTON The Oregon Election, Cleveland's Crlti- clam of Newspapers, Trusts and Carpet-bag Governments. Washington, D. C, May 26, 1900. ... Special to The Independent. 'Advices from republican sources show much uneasiness over the Oregon cam paign. The election in that state will occur on June 4th, and there is a good chance of a fusion victory for the state ticket. The fight is being waged by the fusion forces on the platform of 1896, supplemented by strong anti-trust and uuu-iuipeniuisiuc piaiiKS ana me iorcner republican majority will receive a severe cutting down to say the least. Grover Cleveland evidently does not yet know how little the American people care for any opinion he may hold or he would not have taken the pains to have published his essay delivered before the Princeton studens in the Atlantic for June. Therein he bitterly complains of the press in its treatment of the "Execu tive." The Washington Times replies by saying "The papers took mud from the gutters and made a president, and the Princeton address is what they get by way of gratitude." The Washington Post of yesterday, in speaking of the adherence of the silver people to the issue of sixteen to one, says "They are lighting lor 16 to 1 as earnestly as if tharmummy. were a liv ing and robust reality." We would like to enquire what the editor of the Post calls a live issue but one to which the people rally enthusiastically, and he ad mits that the fusionists are fiehtinsr earnestly for this issue that he claims is dead. I presume that in the estimation of this great and wise apologist for the single gold standard nothing can be a live issue unless it is so branded by the statesmen in the employ of the allied corporations. During - the past week, Qen. Shaw, commander in chief of the Grand Army of the Republic has been in the city, and it is strongly rumored that he is af ter. the scalp of Commissioner of Pen sions, II. Clay Evans. With all the other troubles of the Hanna administra tion it looks as if the old soldiers must be reckoned with if Mr. Evans is to hold his place. The ex-soldiers place the re sponsibility where it belongs, knowing that Evans is but the tool of the corpor ations who control the president to save a few millions of dollars from the pen sions of needy veterans, so a little more may be added to the hoards of the mil-. uonaires. Aside from the opportunity for steal age and the grand chance for acquiring franchises to the corporations... the fol lowing list of salaries incorporated in the recently passed Porto Rican law is a mighty reason for the desire in some quarters in our nation to establish car pet bag rule in outside territory. Fol lowing is a list of carpet bag officials and salaries: Governor, $3,000 per annum; secretary, $4,000; attorney-general, $4,000; treasurer, $5,000; autidtor, $4,000; commissioner of the ; interior, - $4,000; commissioner of education, $3,000; U. S. district judge, $5,000. U. S. district at torney, $4,000; U. S. district , marshal, $3,500. When certain politicians expat iate on the beauties of destiny and tell us that God gave us these islands, it was well for us to bear in mind that with them the salary has more to do with their opinion than either God or des tiny. Anti-trust sentiment sparkles in every republican platform this year, and pretty soon the National convention at Phila delphia will spit on its hands, get a firm hold on its bludgeon and belabor these vile monsters. In the mean time the republican high priest, Hanna, declares that trusts are benevolent institutions, Senator John M. Thurston (our John) flies to Nebraska when it is needful for him to interpose his valorous self be tween our Attorney-General and the Standard Oil Company to avoid the Ut ters punishment, and last we have the spectacle of Senator Joseph Benson For aker, he who personates the desires of the president on all occasions when his Maiestv desires to be silent, dead ins be fore the Supreme Court of Ohio that a certain trust formed under New Jerseyj laws should be permitted to do business in Ohio on the ground that "capitalistic combinations are necessary to the pro motion of industrial development." Can they fool the people all the time? The Cuban postal scandal continues to grow. The stealings are now esti mated to exceed half a million of dol lars, and the Washington end of the con cern may not escape without a scratch when the investigation authorized by the Senate today gets to work. The res olution of Senator Uacon ordering tne investigation was strongly opposed by Senators Spooner and Piatt. The ver dict of the average thinking man on the subject ia that it makes little difference whether you put good men or" bad men at tbe carpet-bagging business; the sys tem always has and always will produce criminals and shameful scandals. There has been more scandal and fraud con nected with the operation of our Gov eminent during the past two years than for fifty years before. . ' A BRILLIANT ATTORNEY Propounds a few Insinuating; Questions to tho CUlef Executive. A few fusion papers have seemingly been misled by designing republican editors into believing that the present state board ef equalization has reduced th9 railroad - assessment, Such is a mistake. The table in the governor's letter following shows the granw as sessment roll for each year since 1893. against railroads and sleeping car lines, and per eent of railroad assess ment when compared to the grand as sessment rellfi for each year since 1893, It will be observed that the fusion board of equalisation in 197 increased the assessment $142,233, , In 183S aa v'-vv'- A.- . additional $556,136 was added to the valuation via 1899, $2,494 was added. In 1900, the raise In valuation was $109,839, making all told an increase of. $810,702 made by the fusion board over the year 1896. It is true that the assessment of 1900 is not so great as that of 1893, but whatever, reductions were made since then are the worK of a republican board. , Why not be fair In these matters? It is equally true that the grand as sessment roll for 1899 is. $25,627,219 smaller than that of 1893, and that the railroads In 1899 paid 16.4 per cent of the taxes that year, while in 1893 they paid only 14.7 per cent an increase L,f 4.76 per. cent In proportion of taxes paid. Whether the railroad assessment of ' 1900 Is high enough is a matter which deserves study ana discussion; but let us start with, right premises. . The following, is an open letter up on the subject written by Mike Har rington, the populist king maker of Northwest Nebraska, signed by one Eves and published In the Holt County Independent. Like the arguments of most great legal lights it is replete with insinuation and decidedly short on facts: - Hon. Wm. A. Poynter, Governor ot Nebraska, Dear Sir: Your vote, as a member of the state "board of equali zation of Nebraska upon fixing the val- , uatlon of the railroads of this state for assessment. Is a matter of keen disap pointment to myself and a great "many of your friends In Holt county. As one of the first counties In the state to take up your candidacy arid Insist up on your nomination two years ago, we have manifested aa active interest In the success of your administration, and we have felt that Insofar as you were- able you would see that the humblest citizen of the state would re ceive exact and equal justice with the wealthiest corporation In Nebraska. The farmers" of Holt county pay taxes upon their lands, as near as I can learn from careful research of tha county records and from my personal knowledge of the lands In our county, upon an average assessed valuation of about one-third "ot their real value, therefore your vote for a proposition fixing the assessed valuation of the railroads at about one-tenth of their actual xalue Is not taken as an act of justice by our people and is severely criticised, it being an act which, to me, appears indefensible. Now, Governor, I want to do you exact justice in this matter, editori ally, and to this end I await your reply which I trust will embody a full and satisfactory explanation of your posi tion upon this very important ques- i tlon, which I shall be pleased to yu.v lish along with any argument or com ment that may be. made incident In the question. GOVERNOB POTSTEB'S BEPLT. The governor being shown the above open letter remarked: "I have no excuse to make for my action as one member of the board ia allowing the railroad assessment to re- main the same in 1899 as it v as In 1898. I have no interest in railroads or other corporations whatever. My personal interest being entirely, in farm lands, yet as governor or tne state, and as a member of the board of assessments, I felt It my duty to Investigate carefully the 'assessment rolls of railroad as well as other prop erty. The result of this investigation plainly showed that the valuation of all other property, taken as a whole, has been constantly reduced by the as sessors from year to year for the past three years, whereas the railroad property having been held at the same assessed valuation as in 1898, the re sult has been that the railroads have continued to pay an increased per centage of the total taxes of the state, . as is shown by the following compara tive table: - - Total Val. R, R. & State Prop. Sleep. Car P.O. 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 $194,733,124 $28,688,822 14.7 183,717,498 28,014,368 15.3 171,468,207 167,078,270 165,193,736 167,810,764 25,492,513 14.8 25,476,868 15.2 25.619,101 15.5 26,175,237 15.6 26.177,731 15.4 1899 167.105.90G so that althougu the total valuation of the railroads has really been less for the last three years than it was in 1S9S, yet a reduction In tne valuation of other property has been such that the railroads bear a greater portion o the taxation of the state today than they did In 1893, and have continued J to do so .slace that time.' "A few of the instances to which I would call your attention are: In 1899 there were 31,358,021 acres of land assessed at $77,890,017, while In 1898 31,139,348 aces of land was as sessed at $78,518,838, there having been an Increase of 218,673 acres of land in 1899 over 1898. yet the 1899 assessed valuation is reduced $628,821. The same comparison also exists in the matter of personal property. " Notwith standing It Is a well-known fact that the prices of cattle, hogs, and sheep, are increased In 1899 over- 1898, yet their , valuation for assessment ha3 been reduced as follows: Cattle were assessed In 1898 at $4.84 per head, and In 1899 at $4.72, being a reduction of 12 cents per head; hogs were assessed ln-1898 at 96 cents per head, and In 1899 at 90 cents per head, being a re duction of 6 cents per head; sheep were assessed in 1898 at 65 cents per head, and In 1899 at 62 cents per head, being a reduction of 3 cents per head. "I desire it understood that this statement is' not made as an excuse for or defense of my action 'as a mem-i her of the board, having done, what I believe to be my duty. But I have given you-this statement for the in formation of iausy people who have not the time or inclination to give the as sessment records the study which I have felt It my duty to do." . 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