lie
VOL.XII'
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, SEPTEMBER 20, 1900.
NO. 18.
CGMKG3 SCHOOL FUKO
j
Ib f im r ii 4rr.j Tha-i Vrwj
'
tnr i-.i, ufa ( au.i-rr '
, , . , '
Lrpu.ican pctt.ca fce wiuirta-
4 a erf st deal H the purr, acd they ;
uirts! rt, t-ra-fc of the
?rnl ti-owirt rsa -! oy Land Cos-
aeiAitar Wo lf m ta ms-B'nt of
t. en.ct!ot,a! I sad of the state, j
1 lj Le m ali sons of excu- j
for ex-Cor:!5li03-ers Huxsphrey aad
flu . ad the geatieraea them
v !. Lave rrtt-d into print with a
rs-ariErI-s ntrs of rarb'ed figure
tryir. to prove ttst they Ail their
whole duty. The fart i. that absolute
ly txt !;' r,i--r.. na be p1ac-d upon
the r- rrtr of e:ibr Mr. Hjcpbrey or
V.t. It uv II; ti.e cumr of acres va-
raw, tL t r;:.-.-r under contract of j
and Sa. t:.e curator acq ui red
by tie the suxl-r deeded to j
pare.ba-ralJ tL'-r? .r incorrect,
asd ih'.t p-ov3 by the reports
ti' ra-l li'it ttit 5s ar.nthrr ctory
which will bear u'lin? by itself.
Takics it thre-e Lieuc:.! report
for the t'isni-jcis ed?r.g r:--ctiFey
N'oTticUr S, ls!-2. 134 and we
Sad the foUowisK nucil-r of acres of
rostron ifcool land rMo't1 ua- j
---
Acre uitc-r t.a roMacl:
lt2 3.2s93
1S54 52.753.72
li'H iCO.TSS.W
i
Average iri.SyO.34
Acre tdT !ea.ie cu:.tr:;ct:
! 'r I 4 2.707.97
!'' l.C?i.564 04
!; 157)1.52
Average .1 521.591.18
This '. I of fix tr i can De-
frTnlr 1, !', ad f-:.lf. November
to. lkX. lturit. x.1" Plenty-two
month, the folic las iuta. w-re re
t !tr t'-- t!e :rc;-sjrr km inter-
-f oa 4-frrd p : rr;r.t?. on sale con
trartf. and m rvr.t! on lauds held
uader ror.tr s t
lnt-iet- .-(o:.t:s'u.
K' 1 X? I
ttz il". r; I
!K5 365.521 S4
, , ..i '
i0'xl l li;r. ti'
Awri", I' " 2 .
!stal-I-e- cor-rTs i
- . 1. I
j JVj..
" t
Total
A '. : : e p-r rr.'yz'.t
Acrordisrly. ti
lurru from tr-n
l i t Zt '
- ' 3
avrare monthly ,
Oa School JandS
t:h could be uv d in the rr.air.ten'
ar.e cf our
r p-:-,!r Kt!..x!s during the ;
from Ir-taber 1. 1 to i
tlx vein
N'.r;--r 1 "-. wis fr2 152.45. j
Til was us-It r-;ul,liran adminis
tration. J
I -t u k-o'i 2-t t'i- work accGra- j
pihed hy "X'rt-'t Jake aid the fu
ien admiRitrattua.
From
ri. v.-'
rr.oz.lt &
IvHnAr I. 1 to Aueist
forty-five j
-tLr e ruoths
than four t
Exc-j't for t!;1 csonth of De
1 jk 1 a for.- davs In Jan
cm:er
uary. 17. Vr.i- Jake" has l.n in I
.harfe of tie off. the whole tine. ,
Here ire the fiirurt
Acre ccier contract.
.5t:..0S7.SS
This it 27 212 i' er than the
aterajr undr the f.rt p-r:o-l.
Acr- ur. i-r 1 cu-trsu t.
1!' !.0t.527.2
This it 473 CC3 Irs than the
averare oa.Vr tr. tri i-r'.f. 1. At
the prerBt irr.-.. Lowfrcr. the nura
lr of acre ui. r l-a co-.tr?ct has
t.ea lncrea-j ' tr. p--.-Ftrn and
earEe$.t work r- M
"of.
Cnxrirg the forty-irt- rr.outh prlod
under fi amii;i,rt:o3 the fol
lowln; vr ree;Td by the
state treajiirer as ittereit oa deferred
payirert on ra!e cor.t-act. and as
rentals cs lacl re!d 'icder Uase con
tracts: Interest Sale roctraets
KSeaaium ead'g No. V, .t:..l?7 12
V-ar endisg Nov. . . . 192.722 45
ix no. e-disg May 21. 'f-9.. 174.1 t9C5
2 no. ecdiag A us. 31 IKK).. .57S 23
TotAj f 1.0 II. 33 43
Arerare per ir.or.th 22. 40 79
Kectala Iea- contracts.
nieacl'Jta end- Nov. 2fl. . .fl.v r.m 54
lear r.n. Nor. j. t 13.671 &5
2 ma tEi'Er'l'ji ' 31 " '.., v 1 'irw fit
Total 12
vrae tt taoath. . .. , S.C23 22
Ar-ord'r jr'y. tl.e average monthly
trnrtr fron co-urroa f hool lnds,
r ;f3 rnA I- t.e,j in the cainten
atice cf o-sr p"i:'.r schools !ir1ng the
.'c-rtj -f. e t-jo?;th frcra IW-erctir 1.
- t "i. i . - $3i.i04ji.
TLt it iff fu.on adraitiUtriifon.
Monthly .:. from coranou
'r.r fus. a .Jr?,.n!tration. . .J31.104 01
t'ede? rrv adrr.it'.s: ration. . . 22.152 45
: th fro:i
fu-
t.c-n mcar-ir-ent.
Mull?!y thi t r 1; ar.d vow find the
:r,f r a-e r-r year to t jv.'js.'z '
the direct reetiit of roo-i rnacacemect ?
Ioe a:t --i to the dutie of his ;
olir- y l,s.u.i Cotsmisilourr Wolfe.
Ar; additional hundred thousard dol
lars year distr!butr.J anions the
ver:ocf f oirt: nieur that much
rivre la'w-ey wifa which to increase
t -!f.cUtfy cf n-jr pablle schools.
That ia p4r tr a!ariej of a hun
dred a Jl. t-rrhers at 11fVj jer
l!a.r.y 1 or. adopt a sort of or-e-'-'.
i nttLod cf trtitics th- 'r public
frv: t. the state oncers. The argu-52t-t
!: An ofSeer fcLouid do his full
duty; if he eccs it. he is deserving of
s-o prIe; b'it if he thould fail to do
o. ths rttiensa him la the bitterest
, tern. This i a. Tong- Many years
f ijo a ;-rc-dest as established, and
f ma j- be found recorded in the Book of
of Docks. It is this: "Well done,
thou cooJ and faithful servant."
The people have said this to Land
Commissioner Wolfe.
a thf? fiC of the report it appears
that "Uncle Jake" succeeded In adding
tbu additional $100,000 per year to
the temporary school fund from the
rentals and interest on half a million
acrrs less land than the republican
commissioners claimed to have under
contracts of sale and lease.
Republican administration 1S90-6:
At. arr. nnder sale contract 672.300.34
At. acr. under lease cont... 1.529 ,591.18
2.101,891.52
. 380,834.73
Average acres vacant.,
At. acres owned hy state. 2.482,776.27
Fusion administration Biennium
ending 1198:
Under sale contract ".. 545,087.88
Under lease contract 1,056,527.62
1,601,615.50
Vacant 865,514.95
Owned by state 2,467,130.45
But the reports of ex-Commissioners
Humphrey and Russell are not to be
relied unon. In addition to being nee-
ngent regarding the management of
lDese school lands the patrimony of
tbe scbool children or Nebraska tnese
remiemen euner careiessiy or wiuuiiy
made inaccurate, misleading and false
reports regarding the number of acres
acquired by the state, the number
deeded by the state to purchasers, the
number under contracts of pale and
lease, and the number "vacant" or not
under contract of any kind. There is
plenty of documentary evidence to
prove this assertion. Let us Investi-
I gate it.
j Ex-Commissioner Humphrey, In his
biennial report to the givernor fcr the
I period ending November 30, 1894,
i swears that the status of the common
school lands on the date mentioned
was as follows:
Status of common school lands, No
vember 30. 1S94:
Acres deeded to Durchasers. 288.125.57
Acres under sale contract. . 5S2J53.72
Acres under lease contract. 1.538.564.04
Acres vacant 372.655.45
Equalling total acres ac-
quired by state 2.782.09S.78
Very pretty: Soem3 to check Up an
rfght. doesn't it? But let us see.
4, Kx-tommissioner Kusseu. in nis di
t'tZX el ILDlal report to the governor for the
4 itQ 6-j period ending November 30. 1896,
Ex-CommissSoner Russell, in his bi
Kar that fh n&inMi tranaartlonK
of his office for the biennium were
as follows:
CueInes8 transactions, bieanlum end-
VnT-.mKa rt 160R
ArrMs lras-d rfiirlnr hln 110 965 37
AcrM j,, during biennium. 10,636.76
121.602 13
Acres deeded during blen... 22,802.88
Acres reverted to state dur-
In tiennlum 9,143.97
Acres acquired during blen.. . 1,158.32
Now with these figures lefore us it
ourht not to be a difficult task to
find lhe BtatU3 of tbese 8Chool lands
on November 30, 1896. The acres re
verted to the state came from the can
cellation and surrender of sale and
.. m fa t . xt
i tease contracts, ana wuuia increase me
yacant and decreage
. , ..-
I of sale and lease. The number of acres
! deeded during the bienniura would in
i crease the total number of deeded
j acres and decrease the number under
j contract of sale. The number of acres
leased and sold during the bienniura
; would increase the total acreage un
; der contracts of sale and lease and
! decrease the number of acres vacant.
And the number of acres acquired dur
I ing the biennium would increase the
total number of acres acquired and
increase the number of acres vacant.
That is surely plain enough.
Acres deeded to Nov. 30, '94. .288,125 57
Acres deeded to Nov. 30, 'Sti. . 22,802.88
Hence, total to Nov. SO, 9G. .310.923.45
under sale contract.
j Nov- "- 1S3tr r: .:: "'h'Lt
j Acres old to NoVr 30' 95 ' 10,600
6.76
I 593.390.48
Le" a s deeded to Nov. 30, '96 22.S02.88
, . .
; Hence, under sale contract.
' Nov. 30. 1S96 50,oS7.60
Acres under lease contract.
Nov. 30. 1S94
Nov. 30. 1S94 ....1,538,564.04
j Acres leased to Nov. 30. 26 110,965.37
1,649.529.41
Less seres reverted to Nov.
30. 1S96 9,143.97
Hence, under lease contract.
Nov. 20. 1SS6 1,640,385.44
Acres vacant on Nov. 30. '94.372,655.45
Add a'fs revted to Nov. 30. '96 9.143.97
Add a s acq'd to Nov. 20, '93. 1,158 32
382,957.74
Less acres leased and sold,
Nov. 30. 1S96 121.602.13
i Hence, acres vacant on Nov.
10, 1SS6...
.261.355.61
Acres acq'd to Nov. 30. '94 . .2.782.09S.78
Acres acq'd during bien 1,158.32
Hence, total acres acquired
to Nov. 30. 1896 2,783,257.10
RECAPITULATION.
Status of school lands Nov. 30, 1896,
as shown by above calculations.
Acres deeded to purchasers 310,928.45
Acres under sale contract.. 570.587.60
Acres under lease contract.1,640,385.44
Acres vacant...... 261,355.61
Equalling total acres acq'd
by state 2,783.257.10
Now, if ex-Commlssiorier Humph
rey's report In 1894 was correct regard
ing the status of these lands, and if
ex-Commissioner Russell's report in
1896 was correct regarding the busi
ness done. the conclusion is irresistible
that the status of these lands on No
vember 20, 1896, must have b&en as in
dicated in the table last above. But
Mr. Russell's report shows a very dif
ferent state of affairs. Let us place
it beside the above table:
By Russell's
calculation. report.
Acres deeded.. 310,928.45 311,f.06.32
Sale contract.. 570,587.60 560,758.09
Lease contract.1,640,385.44 1,587.501.52
Vacant 261,355.61 323,391.17
Acquired 2,783,257.10 2,783,257.10
If Mr. Russell's whole report is cor
rect, then Mr. Humphrey had too
many acres in part of the items and
too few In others. For example:
Long.
Short.
Acres deeded..
Sale contracts.
Lease contrts.
Vacant .......
677.87
9,829.51
52,883.92
62,035.56
Error 62,713.43 62,713.43
An error of 62,000 acres is not a very
big one for careless republican offi
cials to make. The fact is, that for a
number of years these republican land
commissioners had been using the
common school lands for the purpose
of firmly entrenching themselves in
power. In nearly every precinct a re
publican "heeler was rewarded for his
political work by being given a slice
of school land upon which he was not
expected to pay any rental. And in or
der to make their reports look all right
the commissioners each reported a
much larger number of acres undei
lease and sale contracts than was
actually the case, ana a correspond
ingly smaller number of vacant than
was true. Neither the reports of ex
Commissioner Humphrey nor that of
ex-Commissioner Russell may be re
lied upon.
When Hon. Jacob V. Wolfe, famil
iarly and better known as "Uncle
Jake," took charge of the office of
commissioner of public lands , and
buildings on January 7, 1897, he and
his deputy, Mr. Elon W. Nelson, found
hundreds of ledgers and abstract
books, bocks of field notes, files of var
ious kinds in fact, an immense
amount of details; but they soon dis
covered that when gereral informa
tion regarding th office was required
the records were sadly deficient. Once
each biennium the commissioner was
supposed to make a correct report of
the business transactions of his office
to the governor, but it required only a
cursory examination of former reports
to show that they could not be re
lied upon In any particular.
Accordingly, when "Uncle Jake"
came to make up his biennial report
for the period ending November 30,
1898, he decided to wholly ignore the
biennial reports of his predecessors
and make up a report in full from the
records of his office something that
apparently had not been done in many
years by his predecessors.
In order to understand the matter
thoroughly, it should be stated that
the commissioner of public lands and
buildings keeps a set of abstract books
in which appears a brief description
of all land ever acquired by the state
of Nebraska. These abstract books
are made up by counties, the abstracts
for several counties being made tip in
one book. The abstract shows the
numbers of each piece of land in sub
divisions of 40 acres, the section town,
range, etc.; number of lease contract,
if any; number of sale contract, if
any; whether or not the subdivision
ha3 been deeded by the state of Ne
braska, and to whom.
Now, when "Uncle Jake" and his
deputy came to make up their biennial
report for the biennium ending No
vember 30, 1898, they decided to rely
wholly upon these abstract books for
final results. By going through the
abstracts for each county carefully it
could be shwn how many acres had
been deeded by tha state of Nebraska
to purchasers; how many acres were
held by parties under contract of sale;
how many acres were held by parties
under contract of lease; and how
many acres were vacant, or not held
under contract of any kind. And thes?
items added together would of neces
sity, if correct, agree with the total
number of acres acquired by the state
In that county. And a consolidation
of the figures for each county would
give the statistics for the entire state.
There are five or six kinds of land
under the supervision of "Uncle Jake,"
but for the purpose of showing the ut
ter unreliability of former reports by
republican commissioners we shall use
only the figures pertaining to the land
belonging to the permanent school
fund, or common school lands as they
are usually, known.
At the end of his term, November
30, 1898, Mr. Wolfe found the follow
ing to be the status of the common
school lands:
No. of acres deeded 348,101.85
No. of acfes undBr contract
of sale 545,087.88
No. of acres under contract
cf lease 1,056,527.62
No. of acres vacant.. 865,514.95
Total No. of acres acq'd
by the state 2,815.232.30
He found that during the period
mentioned the transactions of his
office were as follows:
Total number of acres leased
during term 534,527.73
Total number of acres sold
during term ;. 45,851.93
Total number of acres deeded
during term ... 38,263.60
Total . number of acres re
verted to state during term714,657.95
Total number of acres acq'd
by state during term...... 8,271.95
It will be well to bear these figures
in mind to fully comprehend what fol
lows. A simple calculation, like that em
ployed in the case of the reports of ex
(Continued On Page Two.)
BRYAN OS TAXES AKD TRUSTS
He Talks to the Students of the Chicago
. University Like an Old
Alliance Farmer
As strange as it may seem, Bryan
was invited to deliver an address to
the students of the Chicago university.
That is the habitat of Prof.J. Laurence
Laughlin and President Harper. The
papers say that he captured the stu
dents and that they cheered them
selves hoarse.
Mr. Bryan was introduced by Roy
Macaskill. He caught the enthusiasm
of his hearers and his address was one
of the best, that has marked his cam
paign. .
Mr. Bryan pointed out the dangers
to the country from a clique of men
stealing under the guise of special leg
islation. "I like to talk to students, because
students have ideas. I like to talk to
students, because, they build their
lives upon great fundamental prin
ciples. 'When a man gets old and absorbed
in business and is tempted to make
money by illegitimate means, he may
forget the commandment, 'Thou shalt
not steal,' but the student does not.
"I want to take as a text this af
ternoon the commandment: 'Thou
shalt not steal I need not tell you
that you must not go out on the high
way and steal, for your own caution
will tell you that that is not safe.
"I want to tell you that you cannot
more afford to steal wrhen stealing Is
respectable than you can when it is
dishonorable. You can no more af
ford to steal indirectly than you can
afford to steal directly. You can no
more afford to steal through legisla
tion than you can in spite of legisla
tion. "The moral character, of an act, is
not determined by the number of peo
ple engaged in it; the moral charac
ter of an act is not determined by the
method by which it is done.
"The moral character of an act is
found in the intention of one man to
take what belongs to another man.
Whether he takes it on the highway
or from the house: whether he takes it
inthe day time or in the night time;
whether he tkes it in violation of
human laws or" under the guise of leg
islation, it makes no difference.
"If I can leave that on the mind of
every student here today, then I will
not have talked in vain. And as I
have studied the public questions I
have become amazed at the amount of
stealing that is dorie indirectly, and
I state it as my solemn conviction that
the amount of stealing done by law is
infinitely greater in this country than
all the stealing done in violation of the
law i that the stealing done by those
who are hot in the penitentiary is in
finitely greater than the stealing done
by those who are in the penitentiary.
"Now you may think this is a strong
statement, but I want to convince you
that I am within the limits of the
truth. I am a conservative man, and I
have a reputation for conservatism to
day that forbids my making any
strong statement. And it is because I
am so careful of my reputation for
conservatism that whenever I want to
make a strong statement I always
quote what somebody else says, and
hide behind it.
"You take the subject of taxation.
It there any just rule for the collect
ing of taxes? I believe there is. What
is the rule? That every citizen should
contribute to the support of his gov
ernment in exact proportion to the
benefits he receives from his govern
ment. "No man should be unwilling to
contribute his just share to the ex
penses of the government. And no
man should be willing to contribute
more than his just share. And we
ought to exercise ourselves to find cut
what that share Is, and to collect that
share, as nearly as human wisdom can
enable us to do it.
"Suppose a man who ought to pay
$10 to the support of his government
only pays $5; suppose another man
who ought to pay only $5 pays $10?
What is the result of the system which
creates this inequality?
"The result is simply this, that the
government takes $5 from the man
wbo pays $10, when he ought only to
pay $5, and gives that $5 to the man
who only pays $5 when he ought to
pay $10. That is the result; no one
can dispute it.
"And yet you go through society
and see whether these taxes are levied
in proportion to the benefits which
each man enjoys. I am not today go
ing to discuss particular systems of
taxation, or particular systems of
money, or particular systems of any
thing else; only to deal with certain
general principles, and I want to leave
you to apply those principles.
"I want you to take up the systems
of taxation and ask yourself whether
those systems bear equitably upon the
people. A tax laid upon consumption
is a tax upon what men want, not
upon what they thave. And men's
wants are more nearly equal than
their possessions.
"You tax men upon what they need
rather than upon what they posses,
and you make the poor man pay more
than his share and the rich man less.
"You ask me what difference that
makes to me, provided I am not the
one who is overburdened. I tell you
that no citizen can afford to support
a bad law because he gets the benefit
of it. And if he gets the benefit of It
today who .knows now but his children
J may be robbed tomorrow through the
same law by the children of those
whom he robs today? You cannot tell;
and if there .were no moral question
Involved merely as a question of ex
pediency, no man can afford to sup
port an unjust law of any kind for a
temporary advantage he may get out
of it.
. "I want to ask you whether you
have considered the various forms of
taxation; whether you believe it is
wise to collect your taxes all or in
large part from consumption. At the
time the Spanish war "broke out we
collected almost our entire federal rev
enue from taxes on consumption. We
lay t tax on sugar, for instance. Do
men use sugar m proportion to their
incomes? The widow woman who
sews to make enough to support her
family may contribute more to the
government through that tax than the
millionaire with a small family.
"Is it just? No! Why is it per
mitted? Because the men who escape
taxation make the laws. That is the
reason it is permitted.
"But this is not the only question of
an economic nature. I want to call
your attention to another, which is
being talked of today more than it was
in 1896, not because" the tendency is
changed, but because manifestations
have become more numerous.
"During my very brief career in the
army and camp I learned that the
mosquito question was the same in
principle whether there was one mos
quito or whether there were a mil
lion; but I learned that tne mosquito
question grew in importance with the
number of mosquitoes.
And so the trust question grows
in importance with the number ' of
trusts, you can stand a dozen trusts,
but trusts may get so numerous that
you cannot stand them.
"Put one leech on the body of a man
and let it draw all the blood it wants
and the man will still live; but cover
the man with leeches from head to
foot and let them all draw blood and
he will want to do something for the
leech habit.
"Now the trust question must be dis
cussed from the standpoint of the
principle involved.
"Do not say there are good trusts
and bad trusts. You might as well
say that there good kings and bad
kings and thus defend a monarchy.
"There Is where I draw the line be
tween legitimate association of capi
tal and an illegitimate combination.
Whenever men attempt to control the
output and the price then they enter
upon dangerous ground.
The necessary tendency of monop
oly is to amass great fortunes in the
hands of the few, and to distribute
increasing distress among the many.
"I want to impress upon the young
men here especially what this mon
opoly means. It means the closing of
the door of opportunity, I can under
stand how a man, about ready to die,
with no children and no. heart, can be
indifferent to the trust question. But
now a young man with life before
him, who is willing to work and wants
to enjoy the fruits of his toil how
such a man can tolerate a system that
makes him a perpetual clerk, I can
not understand. .
"Why is our nation the greatest na
tion in the world? It is because there
opens out before the American people
a greater hope than opens before any
other people in the world. It is be
cause the American has a stimulus
such as no otuer citizen has. It is
because here we have civil liberty and
religious liberty. It is because here
the humblest man may aspire to the
highest reward in business and in
politics. Because our men are not born
into any class or condition, but more
easily than anywhere else in the world
can they have what they earn and en
joy what they achieve.
"That is what makes this nation
great. That enables us to purchase
more than three times as much ev
ery year as any similar number of
people in the world. Take from the
American citizen that hope and you
rob him of the inspiration that comes
from the possibilities of America, and
you destroy his power as a laborer.
"Take from the American citizen
that distinguishing characteristic and
h"? will start backward toward the
dead level of other nations. I am not
willing that this stimulus shall be
taken from the young man. I am not
willing that the doors shall be closed.
I am not willing that men shall trans
mit from generation to generation
enormous wealth gathered by unjust
laws, while the mass of citizens look
and long in vain for some improve
ment of their condition.
" 'Thou shalt not steal' is a com
mand that is directed as much against
the trust that plunders by the national
highway as against the insignificant
robber who plunders by the wayside.
'Thou shalt not steal' is a command
that is as binding upon those who rob
by making the people tributary and
collecting from them such tolls as
they, the monopolists, please that
command comes to them as well as
to those who are guilty of petit lar
ceny." .
MARK HANNA'S GREAT SPEECH
Indiana Republicans Being in Dire Straits
They Send for Ranna to Ad
dress the Multitude
The republican poll of the state of
Indiana having shown that the demo
crats had a majority of 18,000, they
concluded that something must be
done or they were lost. So they ar
ranged for a great meeting at Delhi
on September 14 and sent for Mark
Hanna to come and " make a speech.
Mark came "and his speech was deemed
of so much importance that it was
sent out verbatim , by the Associated
press. The Independent takes pleas
ure in reproducing it. Notice the pro
found statesmanship it exhibits in
dealing with the problems that are
pressing for solution before the Am
erican people. Mark the elegance ot
the English he uses. Examine the
profundity of his logic. Scrutinize his
brilliant rhetoric. Behold his powers
as a debater and then remember that
this man is the real governing power,
by the grace of the republican party,
of the great and mighty republic. The
speech was as follows:
"Mr. Bryan is just as much the ad-
vocat of the free and unlimited coin
age of silver t6day as he ever was.
Colonel Posey has told you exactly the
truth, that the position of the demo
cratic party upon the Philippine ques
tion was made and fixed up in the city
of Washington by Mr. Bryan and his
close advisors. I "was there about
that time. I knew what was going
on. I could See evidences when that
question was discussed in the senate,
after seeing Mr. Bryan day after day
in the corridors and ante-rooms of
the ssnate button-holing his men that
were holding back and away from his
influence that he had said that the
treaty must be" passed, and it was
passed." The republicans were not
numerically strong enough to ratify
the treaty if it had not been for the
cohorts of Mr. Bryan. Did he and his
cohorts act from the same motives
which inspired the republican mem
bers of that senate? No, I am ashamed
to say no, because we knew that the
purposes he had in view were purely
political, intended to be used just as
they have been used, to make an is
sue, possibly a paramount issue, but
at least a collateral issue in the com
ing campaign."
Landslide in Mains
Lewiston, Me., Sept. 13. The demo
cratic landslide has proven to be be
yond the fondest hopes of the party
leaders and the republican managers
are thoroughly disheartened.
Complete returns from all but two
precincts increase the democratic
gains to 15.6 per cent and the republi
can loss to 27.6 per cent over the pres
idential vote for 1896. The republicans
can make no excuse that their follow
ers did not poll their vote, for the bal
lot cast was only 1,858 less than the
total in 1896.
The vote for governor in 1900 and
that for president in 1896 follow:
1900. 1896.
Republican 73,156 80,421
Democratic 39,911 34,504
Total 113,067 : 114,925
Republican majority, 33,245.
Republican decrease, 12,672.
HANNA NOT HAPPY 4
The Falling oft" of the Republican Vote in
Maine and Vermont, and Mayor Jones
Support of Bryan Makes
Him Gloomy
Washington, D C, Sept. 17. (Spe
cial Correspondence.) The belief that
Bryan will be elected grows every day
among all classes of the people. The
party is absolutely harmonious. It
gains strength every day. Bryan is
making the most remarkable and pa
triotic campaign that the country has
ever known. He is the plain man of
the people. He shows them in the sim
plest and most forceful language how
the very foundations of this govern
ment are being threatened by imper
ialism and militarism.
There is plenty of genuine patriot
ism in the country and it is rallying
about Bryan to the defense of our
most cherished institutions.
The falling off in the republican vote
in Maine and Vermont shows that
even in such rock-ribbed republican
states - the republicans staid at home
rather than vote for Imperialism and
McKInleyism. The positive democratic
gain in both states showed how strong
is the feeling of protest- against the
attempt of this administration to make
itself the sovereign over people un
der our control and yet having no
vote.
Hanna is not happy in his explana
tion of the republican apathy in Maine
and Vermont. He says it will stir his
party to renewed effort and is a prom
ise of victory. Nothing of the sort.
It is the forerunner of defeat and the
promise of Bryan's election. The re
publicans know it and are in con
sternation. Hanna in commenting on the action
of Mayor Jones of Toledo in support
ing Bryan says:
"Well, it's only one vote anyway.'
Only one vote take care Mr. Hanna.
Mayor Jones meant 105,000 votes in
Ohio in the last state election. It was
a personal following, too, which- even
then declared it3 adherence to Bryan
as the presidential candidate. Mayor
Jones will deliver more than 100,000
of that vote to Bryan this year. The
main issues are broad and important
enough to ensure that. Hanna's snarl
of depreciation will make Mayor Jones
even more influential than he was.
The American workingman voiced
his contempt for the swashbuckling
Roosevelt in Chicago on Labor day.
To tne wage-workers Roosevelt stands
for militarism and government by in
junction. If you are a farmer and have any
sneaking admiration for Roosevelt it
is probably because you don't under
stand the man.
Listen to what he thinks of you.
Speaking of cowboys he says: "Peril
and hardships and years of long toil,
broken by weeks of brutal dissipation,
draw haggard lines across their eager
faces, but never dim their reckless
eyes nor break their bearing of self
confidence. When drunk on the vil
lainous whisky of the frontier towns
they cut mad antics, ride their horses
into the saloons, firing their pistols
right and left indulging too often in
deadly shooting affrays. They are
much better fellows and pleasanter
companions than small farmers or
agricultural laborers: nor are the me
chanics and workmen of a great city
to be mentioned in the same breath."
Frpm Roosevelt's "Ranch Life and
Hunting Trail," pages 9 and 10.
Well, Mr. Farmer and Mechanic, is
that the kind of a man you want for
vice president? .
Read the advertisements that ap
pear in The Independent. Write for
catalogues and price lists and save a
dollar where you can. Tell the ad
vertiser that you saw his ad. in The
Independent and we guarantee he'll
treat you right.
HORRORS OF MANILA
A Methodist Presiding Cider Confirms the
Report of Mr. Johnson Previously
Printed in the Independent
Some time since The Independent
printed with cuts and illustrations a
letter fronx Manila, written by Will
iam E. Johnson. So many calls have
been made for that paper that the
edition has been wholly exhausted.
We now present to our readers a let
ter by Rev. "J. L. McLaughlin, pre
siding elder In the Philippine district
of tho, Methodist Episcopal church,
published in World-Wide Missions for
September. This letter fully confirms
all that Mr. Johnson said.
"I remember Just what a fine ap
pearance he made on dres3 parade
Immediately after enlistment. How,
with his new uniform, shining but
tons and equipments, he stood erect,
the moist cynosure of the admiring
eyes of mother, sister and sweetheart;
but he remained in America. 'Our
boy in the Philippines is a different
person.
"Life in Manila today centres large
ly round the life of the soldier; and
as he lives, so will he give tho im
petus to the social and business life
of the city. American extravagance
is characteristic of 'our boy here. He
receives fairly good pay, yet carea
but little about saving any of it. He
will secure whatever attracts his eye,
no difference what the cost. He runs
into debt, so that by the time pay
day comes round he has of times
banked his allowance at two to one.
And many a too indulgent and trust
ing Chinaman or native here has ap
pealed in vain for the accounts which
'our boy' has contracted. He lives as
fast as his means will allow, and If
by chance on pay day he can square
his accounts with a small surplus, ho
will almost invariably 'make a day
of it,' feasting at the best restaurants,
attending the theatres, calling at num
erous saloons and oftlmes ending up
with a night In the guard house.
Don't, condemn the boy without a
hearing. My heart fairly overflows
with sympathy for him. He has lost
his personality, certainly nis ambi
tion, in the stern rigor and routine of
army discipline. He has- not had any
social opportunities for months. Ho
has not had the privilege of greet
ing an American woman of refinement
and culture sinca he left home, and
his heart fairly yearns for society,
companionship. The devil knows this,
and around every cuartel, on every
corner, and, in fact, wherever 'our
boy' can be found, there .have been
planted the saloon and the brothel,
with all of their attendant attractions
of music, ease and vice, not the least
of which Is bad women.
"I have seen temptations at home,
but. never have I seen such ones as
surround .'our boys' out here. It Is
no wonder that, coming out here pure,
he either perishes a victim of sin or
returns home defiled, polluted and de
graded. The problem is easily solved.
Hs is only seeking that which his
social nature ' craves social inter
course and diversion. He is unable to
find it pure; , so he drinks deeply of
the cup that sin offers, and as a result
our army is ; fast being transformed
into an army of drunkards, gamblers
and blasphemers. All are not so,
thank God! yet an almost overwhelm
ing majority is drifting that way,, and
'our boy is here with the rest, and
It is only the salvation of the Lord
that can save him.
"Oh, the hearts that would grieve
at home could they but know tho
daily life of the boy out here! And
this is not all. Sickness and disease
threaten him on every side. Go with
me out to Santa Mesa hospital, one
of the five large hospitals here in the
city, to say nothing of the others
scattered over the island. In Santa
Mesa 'our boy' is only ono of six
hundred fellow-sufferers, yet so worn
that he Is almost beyond recognition.
Talk about the famine-wasted suffer
ers of India! Here is 'our boy' so
worn and wasted by fever and dis
ease that, although he weighed two
hundred pounds when he enlisted, he
now would scarcely tip the beam at
seventy. Sights of suffering are here,
such as are beyond my powers of de
scription. It is hard to realize that
these wrecks of manhood were once
strong, healthy American soldiers.
Some lie here as the result of service
and exposure, but more perhaps are
the victims of sin; yet ho is iour boy,
suffering untold physical and mental
agony.
As we start to leave, a nurse comes
forward, begging me to remain and
pray with two who are just about to
cros3 the river. There is no chaplain
to be had for , this service. These
precious boys have finished their last
campaign; they have fought their last
fight and. now the allurements of sin
cast them aside. 'Our boy' turns his
face heavenward. It i3 indeed a
blessed privilege to hold him by the
hand, even though he may be the
victim of sin, and hi3 feeble voice
joins with mine in a simple prayer till
the fatal rattle chokes his utterance
as he says, 'Teil mother I'll meet her
there.' "
To this letter we add a few more ex
tracts from the administration paper
of Manila, which are simply news
items that are allowed to appear by
the military censor.
"Six drunken American soldiers en
tered the home of a respectable native
on Calle Cervantes. They proceeded
to terrorize the occupants, broke open
trunks and helped themselves to what
ever was wanted. They next entered
the home of another nearby native.
Rufino Sanches, forcing their way at
the point of a revolver. After helping
themselves to whatever they wished,
two of the reformers held the strug
gling husband by force while the oth
ers ravished the screaming wife be-
fore his eyes. When the aged mother
of the woman began to plead for mer
cy, her pleading were quickly silenced
j
J
