1
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- . - -x xr :v: j x:
I
If
r. j
t!
VOL. XII.
r.y.
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, JUNE j V s 1900.
NO. 0.
KEEP OUT OF THE KUSS
W M Trl.l i kMik Oar II
Ilk f k tttilip pi. CW mhI
It do- Esot Like aty geew.!g to tell
what pcaMtion pc-p-uli! will tike on any
iue that ar;e. The editors of
popsIit paper -V eot wait to Lear from
hed--tiartrr tat the party leader are
Czz to Co. Ttcy i-t4.r:t!
decide for j
tLea-eite fi3 thy ar
OC?U It their dcijos
about frc-ji tL fat that
guided by certain ft suerai
r-n which tbey all ar?.
Thi come I
populUta
principle- tip j
T e Iecver !
tie ere: p p--.t daily, ex ;
artiy the a boat w Lai the I
Uaited Stavui cLaiild -do in r-rard to
rL;:.a that the !r.dtfc ieci tor lat t
...... .. .
:.s to amte we -z.t'. f.nd that tiiey are
all m jT4f a r aUnst tLi ix-attr. Tle
New :
"Ti. ie.jtii.tite in the f,rewt.t cTii."
y lie I'al Ma J az-tteof Iidon.tn
dnnra-jr-g the -t-calm in China. cac
et rccs ff.ua Vahicrtjst." Thi i a
ie: -ate it-ir.utjj tLat the L'tited
itel m. . le ' A h r e- 4k J1a 3 A 5 1
jc.-nete prarti-ally
tt.e tt.e i-tureJ fi
IT; t.at
an uio-
eir.i-ir, i. i the
rV of
jure to i-rtt.e tt,e cpu ,-. wti-a U.e in
t r. .e f f.-:ani. ftufcia, France, Ja
jac ar.i iercatr Late Icrt-ei
frr-ct. and which are irWuded ta
t Uk i
:r a a the Ctit-- 4U-tJ.n. Jycd
th f r t,ri'zc 4 f -r ii.iciler and hi
i'vatijc. if ct.sfUtr. and other Arner
rat. reid-:... tL t'cii State- ha- no
cr.ccm c the I h:t,-w tci. save
itx'ectaliy a h i cur,cerred in hav
ing f-ane lc rt,utry with whkrh
the ecor suerria! relate r-. Oar
carIr.- at,d ar tr j- are cot there
: :r.jr tfTeteil t recaia aia nola
A the empire. When their pur
eof a?:- eri.n !f
ert i lots
withdraw. !
to war eter a I . it
r r--i--tx. t thenj
th4cty o? the Ln:V-i State to ay
that thej hI! rirt. IJeyorsd tendering
var asEtv. rtie. in the uua! po
I.t an-i dipkaaatr way. we ehould cr?t
jr. V.i.e U-e Ci.tr- ''jto i r-
j:ar-1 a Ors-c-al. it i eent!Iy ha
' ,
nations
f-j-ar.. Tie frrjr Kurt,an
' ' " , "Iwehavetoleamishowto Uve, how to
(?"f ?Tv tti:M ff V distribute our money, how to take from
Ueraid keep ct of the eve. an fit iu mwtery OTer U8 and ma3ce t our
!B- "-I " 3 . ' -""ir J
7- . . . .. ' f
and c-.to interrer in ueh tati
we are c n a ftion to do fco, vf A if
it were prrp-r ar.d w de-red
to an
'J
We have rt4s enough of oar
3 hafid 131 at MenecL Cuba, ICTtO
Un and th otaute aav n4ture rtx2 raTin in tooth and claw.
r-ehare -the whit- can burden , Whereas the tendeocT; of true ctvilira
at th. tsxe, ard a-e tai.r -the j.atsence. Uoa u to convert "thwstrule for
- - 1 - ----.- w, v-- JlIe IE1to co-operation for Iifri
try to a auSciect estet. Ue want no r,f for alL that maj h)
, . .f- ;V ,n inner ponds which make men wise,
'-iTei. 4 er.C II
United h.-ate w-c'1 t.r.d
tlie
side cr the f -ther ta what
proto
t.e to t'j the creatt 'rj.girt 4 hitorv.
The Anercao je.:-ie tt re.e of it.
TLey hate a rtuf h f Ih-iectal affairs
& ti.eir ha.tc tov a they desire.
'
CHIMES CF IMPERIALISM
Alt m.r-9 t mni m Nm HMar;
Ir. ti laew er-tJtied ( ; ;rtur.i
?r, the Fit F-er. John I S;!dsc. bi-h
f I'ecrj. I1L, tL.ar an eiojuett pro
t ffait.t the j"!at-y f itnirialisa in
a city-tee. er. titled
Demands wfcirh t.
Learve c-t New York
What
Patriotism
Ar.ti Itrperialisit
a
pub:!.Led
in
pamphlet f--rc. Fr'.s
lkhop Spalding
we a f;w ;
We hate .. pa:hied mith all op
preed p - with Ireland, Greece,
ArK-er-ia, CxJ a. To emancipate the
iCate re gladly a.eTsticed the lite of
hundred of th-fUf.ars of
our r.ldiers
And now ti
AcefKaa
eotd ter.
w0
ovid r-er .houider a gun excepst in a
aw the ntobon,rawhoe real
cma ie that they mizh tube free. wih ?l iroecom is enrootea m moral xree
V.ratiu. -dom that nches are akin to fear and
1 o say that they .re ucf t for freedom ! alb" at b 601,1 OIlly C&D Catln
i to pat forth the pa of the" tvrant in . u ' .v i i
all are. and everywhere. Tb enemies j H but have the courage to lock
4 rty hate tter larked for pret-xts dJT things as they are,
: aA k.nail aseilv vawtaiva thfit htw 4wia
!i u'ifrf?af f.- fe..tK
If tie ir LaL.i:c .f i I
iv
ca.e ciadiy to thr theite into
Xi :!,
"ett-J
rX area, we -t,9u. re!ue to
j , . , a ,
more
than ercel. guide and protect
rJs
,,.u.
Uttl
ti-K.
thee if to be thcrt-t of iw who
renclted either u ru
or exterminate
the t.r jja
is-ieir-,r probably that
r up$no ! a eras r ipinoT
The argystent that our policy has :
frjra the bextir z one of expan-1
ea has r afpiicatii in the present
rr ti. li the treaty of 171 the Miseis-
ipj4 rite? waa re"ogi!xed a the west- ;
em boundary of the United State: but ;
w hen in lCrJ th Frtis-h rtril officers, i
whoa J- ratrhavirg recrred Louw- Seward county will present the name
ana, ieft ia errand, toed a prociam- j cf jf. u. O. Anderson to the fusion
aa c-in th ilijwj to American feUtA convenUon for the nomination for
cotnruerce, r. at once became manifest Uut superintendent. The Independ-
J?Zfifi!mth.u0f Unt-Bemocrat of Seward jives him a
great river wi,c &wed f ar more than a Uery strong endorsement and it is re
thouaatwS cues through our territory in pond that the Seward county delega-
- : ' - i
a jane. x pur-.x-ael tne wnoie region :
Irgetof the 3Iiftfcs-:ppi river, and
n' t atreaiy occur ed bv Spain.
r litre was a na'aral development, the
.ei.eTMPH uereiore. aciea in ue ejint it t&urnort.
. , . . -- --i. T., ttiird term as county
a i vantage rJt tj etr.baracjent of Bon- ..
gaining possession of vast tract 'of un--ettled
lands which, if not peopled by
American citizens, would .become the
! home of a power! al rival state,' f and this
would involve wars, standing armies and
I the jeopardy of free 'institutions. Sim
, ilar reason justified the purchase of
Florida in When, in 1845. we an-
; nexed the republic of Texas, we did what
! the Texans themselves v-iffced us to do.
Dispute concerning the western boun
dary of Texas led to the war with Mex-
1 ico. which, at the close of ice war sold
to the United States' New Mexico
and Utah, most of Arizona anc parts of
Colorado. These countries were scarcely
inhabited. Upper Cali'ornia containing
not more than Io.OOQj people. : In this
ko coyne of expansion we followed
V, e entered upon the possession of
waste regions which were geographically
lrt of our country, and which we were
to fill with populations simUar to
tho-e occupyiDj? the states already
iwuw avjt iwaa -wti vui j. vuvtv
i uld be no need of a standing army or
a powerful nary; none of making war to
, conquer and hold in subject races which
I being altogether fcriike ourselTes claimed
j the right, in the establishment of a gor-
eminent, to be; 'guided by their own
ideas and traditions.
In purchait-g tljese territories it may
beMudthatv9 bought land and not
human beings land that was ptrt of our
; inheritance. But now, following the
: lead of our great capitalists and -trust
iord4, we buy at one stroke ten millions
. of human Lei cm. beinirs who lire in an-
other hemiphere, who differ from us in
; is fatal to the white man, who can be of
i no advantage whatever to us, but who,
; if we permit in holding them, will in
Tolve us In the most serious difficulties
i and darrers. A war of conquest is in
; contradiction with our fundamental
princif es of government; it i opposed
to all 4ir traditions.
Thetaoueht of rulinir over subject
i roplw is repugnant to our deepest and
TxjtjiMi senuments. it. is part ot onr
uty tol
Cibsion in the world, that our coun
- Rt E ? try is vat enough and sftlf-sufficient
pabbiiig eBwtrt, to cke ail desire Jor conquent
an unholy and zneaningle&s temptation
have room for three or four hundred
cJlLI kms of human beings. If more are
required and we are true to ourselves,
4ntkh America will come to us without
there being need of firing a zun. "
li We have money enough already, and
cjr wealth is increasing rapidly.' What
Our capital is fast becoming the most
inhuman, the mott iniquitous tyrant the
blight acd Curse to those who exercise it
vf.n o the multitude wh ara its
victims.
Commercial and manufacturing com
petition is becoming a struggle for ex-
istecoaereer than that wmch makes
utowork
irexne
holy.
is tha
. m,rAm.rv nf ricrht lrUi-af irtn our rrMl
only true God and Savior of manjburries
us on with increasing speed into all the
venalties, dishonesties and corruptions,
into all the tricks and trusts by which
I the people are disheartened and impov-
; erihed.
We are hypnotized by the glitter and
glare, the pomp and circumstance of
! wealth, and are becoming incapable of a
national view of life. We have lost taste
for pimple things and simple was. We
! ftee from the conntry as from a desert,
and find elf forgetfulness only amid the
i to and rush of great cities, where high
thought and pure affection are well-nigh
? ioip'jrible. How far we hare drifted
; from that race of farmers who threw off
f rngland and buut the noble
state: wbo belie red that honor was tet
ter than money, freedom than luxury
and display! Their plain democratic
; republic is no longer good enouffh for us.
We are become imperial. We must
have mighty armies, and navies which
shall encircle the earth, to bring into
subjection weak and unprotected sav
age and barbarians.
We are the victims of commercialism;
; we bate caugui me coniagicn or me ln-
i worthiest and most enduring. We have
sight of the eternal principles that
- a iiwrtic wnv wui
work lies here, and not ten thousand
miles away. We are the foremost bear
! of the most precious treasures of the
race. In the success of the experin;
: 1-1 1 - I .
! "fT-u In toe the experiment
wmcu arire uiawz me oupes ui an
-.it- J r
uou.r anu generous souis ior a nigner
? life of mankind are centered.
If we fail
xne worm xaiis; n we
succeed we shall
i do mor f9r th. of men
than if we
j ;r . . . C 1 """"""" W3-
our mission is to show that popular gov-
.ew W-i i ta da4 aII V,a w 4 MAnftnants
a uiuTru a aaa a w ocoic a3 vvui pauuio
with the bet culture, the purest religion,
the highest justice, and that it can per
manently endure. In comparison with
this what would be a thousand groups
of Philippines? what the most brilliant
career of imperial pomp and glory?
Catholic Tribune,
t i mn i unirimnni inn nf niifiicTu in
He is now serving his
superintendent of
Read our Premium offers on pa?e 4.
No such opportunities to reform workers
were ever before offered.
AJI EXTRA MOUTH'S PAY
Federal Employes to Give One-Half f It
, to Itepabllcan Campaig-a Fund.
Washington, D. C.,' June 15, 1900.
(Special to the Independent) Th re
publican national convention at Phila
delphia serves as a sort of a pantomime
to distract public attention while the
real work of levying campaign contribu
tions goes on vigorously.
The republicans scarcely need a na
tional convention.' It is only a matter cf
empty form. Every detail was arranged
months before. Still Hanna and his
lieutenants realize that it looks well to
give the people some semblance of parti
cipating in the nominations and making
the platform.
The platform is an- old story. The
"ready-made" state platform sent from
Washington in the past few months wer
advance notices of the national -policy of
excuse and misrepresentation and ' eva
sion.. Hanna remarked to a newspaper
correspondent in Washington ten days
before the convention that the adminis
tration press had already admirably
foreshadowed every line of the republi
can platform.
With McKinley's nomination a" cer
tainty, the effort to get up an appear
ance of excitement and spontaneity
over the vice-presidential nomination
was hardly successful. As a prominent
politician remarked the other day ;-"the
public never forgives a man for allowing
himself to be elected vice-president"
Even the callow politicians who - would
like to have made an effort to, yet even
so empty an honor, were discouraged by
the certainty that Hanna pfDpjsed to do
the dictating even in this iratter and
there was no need of wasting enthusiasm
without his august permission. '
Even Hanna pays only perfunctory at
tention to the fireworks of ? the national
convention. He is still worried about
that campaign fund. Hi 3 elaborately
planned schemes demand an enormous
fund. He has assessed every .big inter
est in sight and still the. fund failed to
reach anything near the figure he con
sidered absolutely necessary,
Of course federal emi loyes have been
assessed before but it is being done
more systematically this, year than be
fore. Even so small a contingent as the
capitol employes has not been neglected.
Their case has ready a touch of un
conscious humor about it. The recent
ly adjourned republican congress appro
priated a total of about 880,000 in order
to giro encb. emploVofat the capitol an
extra month's salary.
' Now the beneficiaries are peremptorily
ordered to line up and pay over one-half
that month's salary to an accredited
agent of Mr. Hanna. In the first flush
of indignation j 'the employes allowed
themselves sorne, criticism of this paltry
sort of Mfat frying." But they will pay
over the assessment just the same. It
doesn't make any difference that it is il
legal to ask or assent to such assessment.
The use of an agent who is apparently
not in the government employ, to collect
Hthe assessment thinly veils the steal,
affayenju.H were aone more boldly
this aanilnistration would not think of
interfering. It needs the campaign fund
and proposes to use the federal machin
ery in every direction. ; : ,
The postmasters are all to be asked to
contribute $5 apiece. This' assessment
is to be levied through the medium of
Mr. George J. Cory, deputy naval officer
of the port of New York. Under Han
nas indorsement and with the assured
hearty support of the Republican Na
tional Committee. In order to evade
the letter of the law Mr. Cory is permit
ted to make this assessment : under the
guise of offering membership in the Na
tional Commercial and - Industrial
League of New York City.
So it goes, the smallest and poorest
paid clerkship must contribute its per
centage. A good deal of the office hold
ers assessment, like that of the Capitol
employes, goes to the Congressional
Committee. Chairman Babcock has
been thrown oh his own resources by
Hanna, The big assessments are to go
into the general corruption fund and
Chairman Babcock of the Congressional
Committee found after adjournment that
he was left to shift for himself. This
scheme of petty Federal contribution
does not; promise well for .Republican
control." of the next House. Many a
Congressman who voted for the Porto
Rican tariff ' bill and other iniquities,
against the wishes of his constituents,
under promise of a big campaign fund
to secure his re-election now finds him
self without the promised "barrel" and
unable to answer the pertinent queries
of the voters who want representatives
who remember that the Constitution is
the creator and director of Congress
and not to be capriciously set aside, as
it was in the Porto. Rican matter.
The Democratic and Populist Con
gressional committees are not depending
upon a big campaign fund, but have a
well perfected organization and are go
ing into the close districts with a pre
sentation of facts that will increase the
indignation which the voters in many
sections have felt over the manner in
which they have been misrepresented
by their republican congressmen. -They
are really going with the drift of public
sentiment, which almost irrespective of
farty, proposes to call a halt on the law
essness, and extravagance and corrup
tion which has characterized this ad
ministration. The Bureau of Statistics in Washing
ton is preparing the combinations of
statistics which, will support the Repub
lican argument of prosperity. Of course
the Bureau of Statistics is supposed to
be a non-partisan department which
collects statistics purely for the sake of
impartirjg information to those desirous
of knowing the truth.
The fact is that the administration
does not scruple to use this or any other
Bureau for partisan purposes. Represen
tatives Grosvenor and Dick, in speeches
delivered a few days before Congress ad
journed, gave practically ' the advance
sheets from the Republican - campaign
by
the Bureau; of Statistics.
The old adage that "figures don't lie"
has long ago been disproved. Statistics
even if honestly collected in the first
place can be juggled to prove any imaginary-hypothesis
ever put forward.
The voters; however, care very little for
partisan statistics. They will act upon
the" facts within their knowledge. II ere
are two instances. Wheat in the North
west brings five "cents less a bushel than
it did, a year ago, and this iH face of a
poor crop.. In fact the price of wheat
is so low that the farmers have quit buy
ing barbed wire and nails at Trust pros
perity' prices.
It has been the republican boast in
the Northwest that labor had plenty of
employment; yet the trade reports show
that within a few weeks the demand for
labor has greatly fallen off in that sec
tion and that there are plenty of idle
caen. Around the city of St. Paul, for
i "jistance. thexe are a score of idle factor
ies and empty smokestacks. 1 et tnis is
the one section of the country, above all
others to which' the republicans have
pointed in proof of their prosperity ar
gument. The voters in this and -other
sections will look about them and decide
whether the rainbow tinted theories of
republican oratory are borne out by the
facts. - t
Admiral Dewey Bas returned from a
second western trip tully convinced that
he made a mistake vrhen he announced
himself a presidential candidate: "The
people don't seem to want me," he says
with-some pathos. He is only realizing
now what his friends and advisers knew
from the beginning. He is a popular
naval herd and stands high in the esti
mation of his countrymen for his brave
achievements. lut his dream of presi
dential honors was one of those illusions
whieh are pardoned and forgotten in
view of the man's real claim to public
admiration on other grounds.
London seems to have rejoiced rather
prematurely over Lord Roberts' capture
of Pretoria. He took an empty town.
The Boers had successfully withdrawn
their troops and guns. Within the last
ten days the Boers cuthis line of railway
communication and have put up more
than one stiff engagement, out of which
even Robert's optimism could not twist
even a semblance of British success.
The British army is a long way from
home. The .men are poorly clad, the
horses are dying by thousands and even
the British now admit that the Boers
are by no means conquered. They pro
pose to give Great Britain many months
of hard fighting yet." If the Chinese
complication should force Great Britain
to turn her attention elsewhere the
chances for ultimate success of the Boer
cause would be arreatly increased.
Great Britain is not in an enviable po
sition. Everybody who has a grievance
against her and who has not except
Mr. McRinley isproposing to take ad
vantage of her difficulties in the Trans
vaal. In sharp contrast to the bicker
ing and dissension in the republican
ranks is the unifying of forces which
goes steadily on in the democratic
ranks. The eyes of the country are turn
ed to the Democratic national conven
tion at Kansas City. Not in a quarter of
a century have the issues been so mo
mentous and fundamental. If not a
new Declaration of Independence, the
platform will at least be affirmation that
the original one still applies and that
the honest and serious minded citizens
of this country propose to restore the
government to its original principles.
The people feel that in this campaign
democracy stands for something greater
and better than any partisan issue. It
will show, that the courageous spirit
which animated the party in the last
campaign is still . there and ready to
meet the new issues with courage and
intelligence. '
Herbert' Jasvbix Browsk.
POPULISM IN EUROPE
It Seems to Be Making Astonishing Prog,
resa in All of the Most Enlight
ened! Nations
Americans - are apt to regard them
selves as thoroughly up to date when
compared with the people of European
cities. Yet such places as Birmingham,
in England, Glasgow, in Scotland, and
Amsterdam, in staid and homely Hol
land, have much ;- to impart when the
taxpayers of American cities should be
willing, for their own advantage, to learn
and assimilate. Municipal ownership in
the English and in the Scotch city noted
is an established success, with local gov
ernments of the highest order of excel
lence and the lowest known rates of
taxation. In fact, there are no taxes to
speak of in Glasgow, over and beyond
the profits turned in by . the street car,
lighting and other companies, which are
ownea oy tne puDiic ana wontea ex
clusively for the public benefit
In slow, old Amsterdam, where the
people have time to smoke and think,
the city conducts water and gasworks.
two ferries, a street car line, an abattoir
and a factory for making the uniforms
of municipal employes. In addition to
all these. Amsterdam . also operates its
local telephone system. Municipal op
eration began in 1896, at the expiration
of a sixteen-year franchise granted by
the city to the Bell interests, and the
long distance lines were assumed about
the same time oy tne general govern
ment The reasons for the city's
embarking upon-tnis enterprise ware
the high charges and poor service of the
private comrany. ' The improvements
since made, the increase in the number
of subscribers, and the reduction in cost
to the latter have been remarkable.
The . total number of subscribers has
increased from 1,784 in 1896 to 3,031 at
the beginning of. this year, or from an
average or o.y to o.a subscribers per
1,000 inhabitants. The total number of
calls last year was 5,651,209, as against
3,750,000 for 1896, and the number of
long distance calls to and from the city
rose for the same period from 86,000 to
yy ,'Jbo. Single wires have also been
handbook which is being prepared
generally displaced by the metallic cir
cuit system, the conduits have been ex
tended, a night service has been added,
and instead of $2.40 as the weekly wages
for a nine-hour day under the private
company, wages now vary from f 2 to 54
per .week for a seven-hour day, while
sick, accident and old-age pension pay
ments are assured the employes.
Contrary to the custom of , private
companies; the increase to subscribers
and consequently in the value of the
service rendered, instead of being fol
lowed by an -increase of charges, was
accompanied by a reduction from $47.20
to $36 plus $10 for original installation)
for unlimited service. The city's profits
have also been greater under public con
trol. Although up to 1895 the company,
under its franchise paid the city no less
than 21 J4 per cent of its gross receipts
the actual amount in 1894 was $17,125
the city in 1897 and 1893 turned into the
general treasury $20,000 a year and still
had sufficient left to allow a contribution
of about 3 4 per cent toward the reduc
tion of its $100,000 capital investment
and to permit the appropriation of a still
larger amount for extensions. It is not
strange in view of this showing that
other cities of "the same country have
followed the example of Amsterd am.-
Denver News.
IMPERIALISTIC FALLACIES
Can we Purchase Trade With the Blood
of American Soldiers, or Make
Profitable Wars of Conquest ?
Those who advocate an imperial pol
icy usually assert that the Filipinos are
incapable of self-government. It might
be a sufficient answer to quote the reso
lution of Congress that "the Cubans are
and of right ought to be free," and the
report made by Admiral Dewey declaring
that the Filipinos are far more capable
of self-government than the Cubans.
But there is even a broader answer that
may be made. Clay, in his defense of
the people okSouth America, said:
"It is the doctrine of thrones that man
is too ignorant to govern himself. Their
partisans assert his incapacity, in refer
ence to all nations: if they cannot com
mand universal assent to the proposition,
it is then demanded to particular na
tions; and our pride and our presumption
too often make converts of us. I con
tend that it is to arraign the dispositions
of Providence himself to suppose that he
has created beings incapable of govern
ing themselves, and to be trampled on
ly kings. - ; " - "
There are degrees of intelligence: some
people can and do govern themselves
better than others, and it is possible that
the people living near the equator will
never, owing to climatic conditions,
reach the governmental standard of the
temperate zone. But it is absurd to say
that God would create the Filipinos and
lea ve them fcr thousands of years help
less, until Spain found them and threw
her protecting arms around them: and
it is equally absurd to say that Spain
could sell to us the right to act as guar
dians of a people whom she governed by
force,
The nurnose behind the lmnerial nol-
icy ie the extension of trade. Franklin
denies that the securing or holding of
trade is a cause for which-menmay just
ly spill each other's blood. The man
who says that an imperial policy will
pay, must be prepared to place a pecuni
ary value upon the soldiers who have al
ready lost their lives in the Philippines
or have become insane from the effects of
the climate, and upon the soldiers who
will be sacrificed in future wars of con
quest. The republican party, which
boasts that it sprang into existence in
the defense of human rights, now coolly
calculates the value of human life meas
ured by Oriental trade.
Abraham Lincoln wrote the . following:
letter to Mrs. Bixby, of Boston:
"Executive -Mansion, Washington,
Nov, 21, 1864.
"Dear Madam: I have been shown ia
the files of the war department a state
ment of the adjutant-general of Massa
chusetts that you. are the mother of five
sons wno nave died gloriously on the
field of battle. I feel how weak and
fruitless must be any words of mine
which should- attempt to beguile you
from the grief of a loss so overwhelming:,
But I cannot refrain from tendering you
the consolation which may be found in
the thanks of the republic they died to
save. I pray that our Heavenly Father
may assuage the anguish of your bereav-
ment, and leave you only the cherished
memory of the loved and the lost, and
the solemn pride that must be yours to
have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the
altar of freedom. Yours very sincerely
and respectfully,' Abraham Lincoln."
No more beautiful expression of sym
pathy, can be found in literature. Com
pare it with the sordid consolation which
an imperialist would extend to a sorrow
ing mother, assuring her that the trade
purchased by her son's blood would be
worth all that it cost!
It will be noticed that Franklin also
denied that trade could be profitably
purchased and held by fleets and armies.
History supports his contention. A na
tion never makes a profit out of a forci
ble extension of trade. Such a policy is
defended by the few who make a great
deal out of the trade, white the expenses
of the war are borne by the taxpayers.
xnere is no doubt that an imperial pol
- -ii 1 1 . .
icy wm De advantageous to army con
tractors, and to owners of ships who
rent their vessels to the United States to
carry live soldiers to the Philippine isl
ands and to bring dead soldiers back;
ana it may be advantageous to carpet-
uag governors ana 10 xnose wno can se
cure good paying positions in the army,
but it will be a constant drain upon the
wealth producers. The amount already
spent upon a war of conquest in a single
year, would almost construct the Nicar
agua canal; or if used for the reclamation
of arid lands in the west it could furnish
nomes for more American citizens than
would go to the Philippine islands in - a
thousand rears. W. J. Bryan in North
American Review, .
THE PEOPLE'S PARTY
How It Came Into Existence, Who Com
pos Its Membership and tho Prin
ciples it Advocates. -
At the request of the management of
the Freie Presse, Mr. Edmisten, vice
chairman of the people's party national
committee, furnished a synopsis of it3
principles and a short history of its
formation, as follows:
Lincoln, Neb, Jtme 18, 1900.
Editor Freie Presse, Dear Sir: At
your request, I take great pleasure in
giving to the public through the columns
of your very ably edited paper the ob
jects of the people's party.
. In order that I may be fully under
stood, it will probably be necessary that
I give a brief history of the people's
party, and from this it can be easily un
derstood what the objects of the same
are.
There has been one element in
our political history for a great many
years a quarter of a century or more,
that has been outspoken in its views
against any party or administration that
did not, as it believed, follow out certain
lines that seemed to its members to be
necessary in order that a government of
the people, for the people and . by the
people should not perish from the f ace
of the earth. This energetic, enthusi
astic and most faithful class of citizens
have never ceased their agitation for the
principles they adhere to, and coming
up to 1890 when there was a general in
dustrial upheaval throughout this coun
try; when from ocean to ocean and from
gulf to the lakes an agitation on indus
trial questions had reached a white
heat, figuratively speaking, and the
members of this class of citizens had
grown and multiplied to such propor
tions in all sections of the country that
it had . attracted the attention of the
civilized world it was out of this con
dition, and from this class, the people's
party was organized.
The principles for which it stood were
equal rights to all and special privileges
to none. In other words, this great
body of voters, possessing as they do
probably more independence in charac
ter as a party than any other organiza
tion, were then and now are opposed to
any condition tl$e$dency of which is
to press down upon one class and re
sulting in the enthronement of another.
To speak more plainly, that special legis
lation should not be permitted in state
or nation, and that the citizen who la
bors with his hands is as much deserv
ing of the fruits of his labor as is the
man who is more pleasantly situated.
To say that the people's party stands
for progressivenessi is but stating the
true sentiment that is ... maintained by
each of its members, and they furthef
hold that the greatest liberty possible in ,
religious and personal affairs should be
guaranteed. -
The objects of the people's party are
to assist the great , body of intelligent
voters in this cpnntryJn shaping and
moulding "the ;6ndiuohs of. the same.
The spirit of the forefathers was caught
up by this organization, and we do not
hesitate in saying , thit it contains a
greater degree of real, genuine patriot
ism than any other political party of
this country now appealing for the suff
rages of the American people. To prove
this we have only to refer to the recent
nominations made at Sioux tails, the
candidates there named neither of whom
are members of tHe people's party; yet
we believe both Mr. Bryan and Mr.
Towne to be of the highest type of
American manhood, free fnom all the
entangling alliances of the average can
didates, and consequently our party had
no hesitancy in nominating them as its
standard bearers.
The following are the - principles we
closely adhere to:
The people s party congratulates its
supporters upon the wide extension of
its principles in all directions.
The people s party denounces the act
of March 14, 1900, as the culmination of
a long series of conspiracies to deprive
the people of their constitutional rights
over the money of the country and dele
gate to a gigantic money trust the con
trol, of the purse, and hence of the
people.
The people s party is opposed to stnk
incr down tne green oacK m order to
force the people to borrow three hun
dred and sixty millions of dollars more
of the banks at an annual cost of twenty
million dollars.
. Tne people s party demands tne re
opening of tne mints of tne United
States to the free and unlimited coinage
of silver and gold at the present legal
ratio of 16 to 1.
The people's party demand a gradu
ated income and inheritance tax, to the
end that aggregated wealth may bear its
just proportion of taxation.
The people s party demand that postal
savings banks be .estabiisned by tne
government for the safe deposit of the
savings of the people and to facilitate
exchange.
With Thomas Jefferson, we declare
the land, including all natural sources of
wealth, the inalienable heritage of the
people. Government should so act as to
secure homes for all the people and pre
vent land monopoly.
Transportation being a means of ex
change and a public necessity, tne gov
ernment should own and operate the
railroads for the people and on a non-par
tisan basis, to the end that all may be
accorded the same treatment m trans
portation, and : the extortion, tyranny
and political power now exercised by the
great railroad corporations, which result
in the impairment if not the destruction
of the personal rights and political lib
erties of the citizenmay be destroyed.
Such ownership is to be accomplished in
a manner consistent with sound public
policy.
Trusts, the overshadowing evil of the
age, are the result and culmination of
the private ownership and control of the
tnree great instruments ot commerce
money, transportation and the means
of transmission of information; which
instruments of commerce are publi(
functions, and which our forefathers de
clared in the constitution should be
controlled by the people, through their
congress, for the public welfare. The
one remedy for the trusts is that owner
ship and control be assumed and exer
cised by the people.
The future of the peoples party, based
on these principles, is very bright.
It came in to existence contending for
certain principles many of these prin
ciples have been adopted. Other politi
cal parties have seen the wisdom con
tained in these demands and have read
ily accepted them in platform and ac
tion, as well as the people's party.
These demands may be carried out in
the name of some other party, but it
will be the effect, and direct result of
the influence of the courageous young
giant known as the people' party.
There is no place to stop. , The Peoples
Farty will live to perfect and establish
the objects for which it was created,
when that is fully accomplished, it will
be in the forefront in the onward march
of progress, with its banner to the
breezes, though it may not at this time
have following where it leads in actual
name, more than two million earnest,
conscientious and loyal citizens. There
is, however, to-day, I believe, if a free
expression could be had, ten million vot
ers that are in spirit standing on the,
broad platform of the Peoples Party de
manding that the man shall be greater
than the dollar, and the time is near at
hand when they will vote together.
The criticisms against the People's
Party have all fallen flat and it to-day
takes its rank among the parties of this
country and has the respectable consid
eration of all.
It is a pleasure ; to know that the
Peoples' Party has associated with it
the men and women of this nation who
do not live as parasites on the body poli-.
tic, but its membership is constituted of
the brain and brawn of the greatest na
tion on the face of the earth. It is they
who feed the world. It is they who pro
duce the comforts of life; It is they who
create the wealth; and it is they, who
protest against an unequal distribution
of the sama. ,.
The Peoples' Party demand now, and
will not cease their appeal until the same
is complied with, that justice between
man and man shall be restored.
J. H. EDMISTEN,
Vice Chairman National Committee
Peoples' Party. ;
' CAN'T BE FOOLED
McKinley's Tricks Too Gausey Why
Congress Adjourned So Suddenly.
Washington, D. C, June 17, 1900. -
(Special Correspondence.) Again the
president has illustrated hi3 .absolute
poarer over congress by having that body
promptly adjourn when it was most
convenient to - him, which action wks
taken without reference to whether the
business in hand and the matters under
consideration would suffer by such ac-
It was - the " duty of congress . to
have passed legislation relative to trusita
and the Nicaraguan canal, but though
measures
had passed the house and
were
refused action In the senate, the
house
pressed for adjournment before
the senate could get ready, thus show
ing the hollowness of the pretense that
republicans meant anything by passing
these measures through the house.
Itmaylse a fine stroke of political';
genius to rusn measures tnrough the
house that are desired and asked for by
the people, and then , conspire to kill .
them in the senate, but the present ad-'
ministration will find that the people of -this
country who have made themselves
heard in favor of certain legislation are .
fully awake to the methods used to
flaunt the Anti-trust bill and the Nicara-
gua Canal bill before them as passed by
the house and then - defeat their consid
eration in the senate. The day is past
when such jugglery will hold the votes
of honest, thinking Americans.
Aside from the fear that the millions
of trust, bartered for by the Hannaites
might be jeopardized, the president no,
doubt had another reason for using such
haste in ridding himself of congress.
The Eastern, war-cloud hangs low and
heavy, and as latest advices show, there
may be the necessity for transactions )
between this government and Great
Britain in the very near future, relative
to which the president could not hope
to take congress into his confidence'
without having the feelings of our ally
hurt by plain speaking members; but
now that congress has adjourned, all can ;
proceed smoothly.
In spite of sundry denials it ha3
leaked out that the advisability of using
a large portion of our troops in the Phil
ippines in China, in case the situation
demands it, has been discussed. There
is no doubt that if matters take a cer
tain turn in the east that the real in
tention of the present administration
will be fully uncovered, and will ; be
shown to have much more comprehen
sive plans under consideration than it
has yet formally disclosed. The follow
ing utterance by a member of congress
during the past session, shows a com
prehensive view of the matter:
"The real object of the demand for
the retention of the Philipine -Islands
by this government is not benevolent
assimilation, not the ultimate good of the 4
inhabitants, nor the betterment of this
country:' but the hidden motive is th&
presence of sufficient military and naval ,
strength to enable the capitalists of
England and America at the proper
time to invade China with railroads,
open up the territory containg 500,000,000
people to : the planting of factories, 1
where can be found the cheapest labor
on earth, and thus make China the work
shop of the world."
What is making the president trouble
now in the Chinese matter is that the
Boxers and the Czar of Russia have
taken a , notion to proceed to business,
whereas, for political purposes Mr, Mc
Kinley would nave found it much more
convenient to have waited until lifter
election at least. '
