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About The Nebraska independent. (Lincoln, Nebraska) 1896-1902 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 18, 1900)
VOL. XII. LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, OCTOBER 18, 1900. NO. 22. I I II II llll II II 1 Bryan Conquers He goc into tbe Enemies Country" and they not only Surrender but Split the air with their Shouts of -WE WISH TO REMAIN A FREE PEOPLE." The Pfopk- Crowded Around Madison Square Garden in Numlrr that could not be counted for hours before Bryan was Announced to Speak. GREAT SWARMS OF PEOPLE JAM THE STREETS N Ovation Ever Given in New York to an American Citi zen Equal- the Enthusiastic Greeting Given to Bryan. IMMENSE POLITICAL Then ?hei- wa- only oie Prominent man, the Economist St. John, u ho would Extend to him a Welcome. It FT WILLIAM J. BRYAN HAS NOT CHANGED ilr Stand- fur the Kiine Principles now that he .did thelitis- Ea-t ha made an "Unconditional Surrender." POPULIST PRINCIPLES Sod hou-e Political Economy and Theories of Government Subdue the Eat IJrvau will be President. fctory at ItAZizg It- nr. lir-n ma'i- a tour tfcrosfh Ohio t-r- h was every where riveted with larger crowds. ex cept to a virry few plac-s. than ever nthered to her i t.uolic peaker be foie. Theiu in company with Golden KiW Jon and rx-A:torney General S onset t he started for New York. in t etbu!ssai and mass of te ntfcu treated fcsui in New Voru tfctie i co precedent in the history of politic. The crowds, were o immense tin bre as no way to make an es timT rf ite number. The anxiety to fi-r Lira w o rreat that the peo-pl- Ofe cabled iii irum-be throngs vrrvA M&ditcn Square Garden four hoJr ietore the time announced for .) p-riH-. The doom ere opr -d at r. p m an uaprec--d-d thing ,n ,ti -iiit.K nveticj;. and the rush ? o ?rat 'o obtain entrance that !re.!3 tA poi'emn and over two S.iodr-i ihr w-re ,tjt along h,4 i k - drift wtKj on a roaring "iKKi. ia .-u .niiiUiri tL largest au jl ur- :oon Aiu-r:r i ai crowded : t ti, s.-t inch of rtaniinr room. if.-r th" f-trI ;atjntlv wite1 for ,itr !o hr'ir for I'.rvan V appear ance. Vv'Lfa I.. au ai iat r?t-j'r-a upon : a p!tjrm. b a i.o'it v. ent up is wire r T: u-M 'r. Msdisoi. Square r.r Tl rhfccnnjr continue! for f-it S3tt.ttt- mu-i k pj-i after appeal had to L- ajti to th audien'"e tjefore ; il- roiIi t r ' tord. Ml tb : i-t of N w N ork alone Jilri, liryuti raMd u-r1 m jammed ith cj.i that it took th exertion a ver larR tdy o! ptiice to forte ;i way throah for Kryari'h carriage. . Unf-r rii-n hJra at the Hoff- Ji ;.r Homw j-it a? tin1 table were sev- ! m. ii mo .! fromtneiit in PROF. GOLDWIN SMITH M ! t&rt t.iii; In I ft .d t buul H -t -' rk tiH I raturd ! Tt n iff N-f.fr ro.-..- .r; -r-.'i :s o Miti four r- 5-s r rowi't reak rf a rrjnci : a'iica?ed by tL populist without tlin in a tare of late a hsje fa irs over the spirit of his rfreaa.t He i sow Kreatly zpiTated fir VU' M-cc of Plutocracy." If he fca.4 vniUB that article in ' in-t-l towjcg his influence in the f&or c" tdutorracy. u miisbt have ::i .fee. He now ass: 7T rteTf of tl'. continent. nu-rv-limJr detfiood. and financial p-aUtitrs hate bred a lcdy f w-faltb ha ire it i-eater in the a.-t. headed I'T tatiuiou mtilti-mi33jonalrisra. m trnebed by a multiplicity of creat cor rjratioL. arid trit. daily aborbint n.Gt--t'j an txv ndir-.s it? inSaence. 4Z.iiZ r.",e 4:1 1 more general un:v of t.- 1ntertr. and threatening, if It 4Mrsdercy b nc moderated, to C-' t.r.at the i.tc." That 1 xattly what the populists iu Jk. when Goliwin Smith and thuaias: of other ;rofeBor were d'-soincn k anari i,!.-t." re pindiator" asd ' r o": of the ignorant." He toa izys- cl th ncsey power: It caaj y i-rir'iic.ce. judiciaries. KicsicIya.liTj'"'?. frhis evn churches. It nsay c:rrc::d the p-aM:c journals al ca-tro! p' hlic opinion. It taay TtiU ,oTr.r::rxlilly anyone who op-pose-s IL Even t:rlrers!tles. fed by Its botisty, may fall tinder its political in, Sunce. x Halt can hardly ta set to the tenfofi of !t power !n an age in whiea the nctreraal object of desire Is mowy. with the enjoyment which tsony prorMr,' No iid-Trt pop ever talked with more igr atoat the money power than that. It teem that Prof. Cold fin Ptsith has also bn goinpt to Welcome. CHANGE SINCE 1899 BOUND TO CONQUER. Last in Sight. the republican party, among whom were E. M. Shepherd, Webster Davis and ex-Attorney General Monnett. The prc&s reports say that wine glasses were placed at Mr. Bryan's plate the game as at the otnerr.. but that he drank no wine. There were two othti meetings ad drsed by Mr. Bryan d'jri&g the even ing beside the one at'Madion."Snare. The Cooper Institute meeting was the most enthusiastic ever held in that historic building. We populists wno saw Bryan walk into the railroad ticket oface at Lin coln and buy a ticket to New York in Wj6. when he said laughingly as he stepped on the train. "'I am going down into the enemy's country," can not fail to reflect upon the advance that populist principles have made since that time. When Bryan got to New York, there wan but one promi nent man to extend to him the hand of welcome. He took him to his home and entertained him the best that he could. He is not now tllve to see the fcurrender. but his name will ever be precious to those of ns wbb have so many years fought the tight against plutocracy St. John, the banker, who dared to dtfy the whole rconej- power and stand for the people. He was one of our martyrs, who was driven by malice and hate from the position he occupied and finally to an early grave. Hi name is a household word in the farmers" homes of Nebraska. This tremendous outpouring of the people unmistakably portends the elec tion of Bryan. He will spend four more days in New York and wipe 'ip the earth with the plutocrats In the same manner that he did his republi can antagonist the first time he ran for congress. school in the sod school houses of Ne braska. Several other distinguished professors have given evidence of late that they have learned something from the pop farmers of this state. But that i is not all that Prof. Gold win Smith, LL. D. A. M.. etc., hH learned from the pop farmers. The following could j be duplicated from a thousand speech- j es made by pop farmers In the last ten years. Still talking about this plutocracy he says: "At heart is sighs for a court and aristocracy. It is even introducing the powder-headed footman, while he ! going out of fashion In England. Its rocial center is shifting more and more from the United States to mon archical and aristocratic England, wherp it can take hold on the mantle of high society, get more homage and subserviency for its wealth, hope per haps in the end to win its way to the circle of royalty, and, if It becomes naturalized, to obtain a knighthood or even a peerage. It barters the hands of its daughters and its millions for aristocratic connection. One of its leading members has just abandoned his native country for the country of his class, while he continues to draw a royal income from the industry of New York." THE TARIEF TRUSTS netyer Boldly Declared That "The Tariff U Tha Mother of All Trusts. While Havemeyer puBlitly declared that the tariff was the mother of all trusts, that Is not strictly true. But many oT the trusts are distinctly tariff trusts and among them the most prominent of the whole lot is the su gar trust. Remove the tariff on raw rugar and the Havemeyer sugar trust would not last a month. The farmers and laboring men of America would then buy their sugar for half what the trust forces them to pay for It now. The stock of the sugar trust as ofQcial- ly reported is $75,506,000, more than half of which is water. On that wa tered stock they paid in dividends for the years 1894 to 1899, 12 per cent. The tariff protection is 75 per cent. March 4. 1897, William McKinley Inaugurated. April 1, 1897, sugar at wholesale, $3.47 per 100 pounds, Special session, 1897, Dingley tariff enacted. March 4, 1898, sugar. .$4.99 per lOOlbs. Jan. 1, 1900, sugar 5.05 per 100 lbs. May 22, 1900. sugar... 5.20 per 100 lbs. May 23, 1900, sugar... 5.30 per 100 lbs. May 26, 1900, sugar... 5.40 per 100 lbs. May 31, 1900, sugar... 5.50 per 100 lbs. June 1. 1900, sugar... 5.60 per 100 lbs. June 14, 1900, sugar. . . 5.70 per 100 lbs. June 26, 1900, sugar. . . 5.80 per 100 lbs. July 5, 1900, sugar 5.90 per 100 lbs. July 9, 1900 sugar 6.90 per 100 lbs. Sept. 1, 1900, sugar. . . 6.15 per 100 lbs. Sugar consumption U. S., lbs 5,000,000,000 Rise of lc per lb. equals $50,000,000 Campaign fund rise, May July, 1900, 0.8c 40,000,000 April 1, 1897, to Sept. 1. 1900. 2.5c .....$125,000,000 In Kansas, for instance, the sugar trust (140,000,000 lbs. consumption at 2c rise over 1897 price) aggregates $2,- 800,000. In Nebraska, the consumption of su gar is not quite as large, but the trust has compelled the citizens of this state to stand and deliver something over $2,000,000. Most of that amount has been taken fro mthe farmers and wage workers. Every time you go to town the sugar trust lays its thieving hands on you and holds you up for some amount. It is as much a robbery as if Havemeyer had a man at every en trance to the city who with pistol or gun ordered you to hold up your hands while he searched your pockets. Deitrich at Superior said: "Our flag now floats over the slave pens and harem of the Sultan of the Sulus. Shall we haul it down? No." Poynter at Hebron said: "In the discussion of our treaty with the Sulus I cannot condemn our policy more strongly than by quoting the words of Lincoln when he said: 'When a man governs himself, that is self-government; but when he governs another against his will, that is despotism.' " A Gage county German farmer said: "If you people had lived in Germany or any other European country with a great standing army you would say the United States with its volunteers was good enough for you. Our army tax is too much already." .. GRANT ON IMPERIALISM His Dying Testimony Against Forcing UoTtrument Upon any People AVithout Their Consent. General Grant on his death-bed in July. 1883, was visited by a company of Mexican journalists, and being un able at the time to speak, communi cated to them in writing the following: "My great interest in Mexico is dated back to the war between the United States and that country. My interest was increased when four Eu ropean monarchies attempted to set up institutions on this continent, se lecting Mexico, a territory adjoining us. It was an outrage on human rights for a foreign nation to attempt to transfer her institutions and her rul ers to the territory of a civilized peo ple without their consent. They were properly punished for their crime. I hope Mexico may soon be in an up ward and prosperous departure. She has the people, she has the soil, she has the climate, and she has the min erals. The conquest of Mexico will not be an easy task in the future." The quotation is made from an ar ticle written by Mr. Hamlin Garland and published in McClure's Magazine, May number. 1898, page 94. and can be used as a fair comparison with the Filipino question of. today. THE GLASS TRUST Rooievelt Makes a Speeeh in Whieli He Gives it His Hearty Endorsement At Alexandria, Inri.. Mr. Roosevelt said: 'I am informed that, in a speech here Mr. Bryan admitted that he stood on the plank of the Kansas City platform whicn demands that all products made' by large corporations shall be put upon the free-list. To that doctrine the republican party is unalterably op-, posed. Glass is made by large corpor ations such as Mr. Bryan describes. The republican party will never per mit Mr. Bryan to have his way and throw down the barrier of protection that interposes between the American worker and his underpaid Russian rival." The Plate Glass trust and the Win dow Glass trust have doubled the price of glass within the past two years. Does anybody happen to have heard of their doubling wages? They sell glass cheaper at Boston than at Pittsburg, because Boston is just inside the 100 per cent tariff wall and at Pittsburg the unhappy consumers can be com pelled to pay railroad as well as cus toms taxes. The effect of the trust system on the protected glass industry has been thus described by the National Glass Budget, of Pittsburg: The price of domestic glass must be kept at such a figure that the worst equipped and poorest managed misfit factory can keep its neck above water, and unfair prices must be squeezed out of the home-builders who consume an nually between 3,000,000 and 4,000,000 boxes of domestic glass, in-order to be able to fritter a portion of it away in a differential .in the shape of a bonus to jobbers in a vain attempt to keep out 600,000 to 800.000 boxes, the im portation of - which - would reduce prices. WHAT YOU RAISE; WHEAT FOR The Farmers of Twelve; State plow and Sow And Reap Aad all The Wheat They Raise TTon't Pay the Cost of Militarism. The crop of wheat tn twelve of the largest wheat-raising states as given in the report of the secretary of agri culture for 1899 was as follows: . Bushels. Value. California .... 33,743,000 $20,921,000 Indiana 25,361,000 16,231,000 Iowa 18,195,000 - 10,007,000 Kansas .......36,468,000 18,963,000 Minnesota ....-68,223,000 37,522,000 Nebraska ...... 20,791 $00 10,187.000 North Dakota. 51,758,000 26,396,000 South Dakota. 37.72S.000 18,364,000 Ohio 39,998,000 25,598,000 Oregon ..21,949,000 . 11,633,000 Pennsylvania .20,472,000 13.512,000 Washington ..21,710,000 11,072,000 - r . Total value .1 $220,906,000 Now let us look at the price we pay for McKinley militarism. -Annual cost of the army. . .$150,000,000 Annual cost of the navy... 75,000.000 1 . Total cost for one year in time of peace... I $225,000,000 What wisdom is the-e in keeping the farmers of twelve sfates toiling the year round when the vhole product of their labor is to be paid out to sup port an army and navy? But if we are to have imperialism long before its full fruition is completed, we will have an army and navy twice as large as what we have now. If you want that, you know-how to vote to get it. HOW THE TRUSTS DO IT. An Interview With a Merchant Who Had To Deal With Them And Knows v ' Just How They Control ' pricesl i In interviews iad with retail mer chants on the -subject , of the trusts and the war tax much inside informa tion has been gained as to methods of trust restraint, upon competitive com merce, and the effect of its war tax upon consum6rs:v'v " With reference to trusts, the Stand ard Oil trust is the largest, most pow erful and most unscrupulous. Its methods of restraining competition in trade are various and far-reaching. It has practical control of shipping rates through secret agreements asTto re bates with the railroads, whereby a re bate is given on everyhlpnient, which makes it Impossible for1 the small pro ducer and refiner to market his goods. It resorts to every means to drive small refiners out of business. It has been known to seek injunctions against the use of . certain transporta tion facilities, and failing in the at tempt, it has, soli cited signatures to a petition declaring the refinery a public nuisance. ' ItTSSs' raised the prices of oil $1.50 per-Tarrel within the last year. The defense is, like that put for ward by the sngar trust, that oil is so cheap that no one need be deprived of its use. Second in strength is the Sugar trust. In .answer to the question of whether sugar was selling today at a higher price than it did ten years ago, a large retail merchant said that it was sold -now for less, although the price, has been raised recently, and is now 2 cents per pound higher: than it was two years ago. The retailer proceeded : 'The sugar trust has many methods of coercion. For instance, a merchant whose Imsiness will average say $200. 000 per year cannot buy direct from the trust, but must purchase frcm the jobbers in bis section. The trust first commenced to selling to merchants of the above class nothing less than ten barrel lots. This was raised to twenty-five barrels, then to fifty barrels and now to 100 barrels. Then came the notice that purchases would have to be made from the jobber. If a mer chant asks for a quotation from a jobber in another city on a 100-barrel lot, he is informed he must pa? what ever price is asked by his own jobber, and must-pay the freight, on the ship ment. Thus he is forced to deal with one of certain jobbers and buy at a; price flsed by the trust. If it is found that two merchants are dividing a lot. both are notified that their orders will not be filled in the future. Much bard ship is thus forced on retailers who must have jeugar. but. many of whom have not facilities for storing it in such quantities. i -The trust absolutely and arbitrar ily controls" the price of its product, and the lohber is compelled to sell for that price -or be refused dealing with the trust." "When; asked, "how about beet su gar?" the -retailer said, "I do not han dle it at .all, but the beet sugar Indus- ! try is commonly supposed to be con trolled entirely bi the sugar trust." It has been pretty well shown by tes- s timony before- congressional commit- 1 tees and xommissioners that the sup- position is well based. Incidently, the j merchant stated that Arbnckle was i supposed cither to be in the trust at present or soon would be. The cracker trust is very strong and is known ny the name of the National BisCuit company. Its method of freez ing out competition is very similar to those" t)f the other trusts. In one . case a manufacturer of crackers and cakes in considerable quantities declared his purpose of holding out against the trust. The employes of his factory numbered, perhaps, 100, ana for some time he successfully withstood the ef forts of the trust to ruin his business. Finally, however, he was forced, by re peated cuts in the price of crackers and small cakes, to sell out to the trust. By this nearly 100 men were thrown out of employment. The prod uct of the trust factories has risen In price from time to time, and although the quality of the goods put out by it has proven in many cases . to . be .very much inferior to those made by pri vate factories, they sell in the market at higher prices. The Baking Powder, trust is, after the sugar trust, perhaps the most re morseful in its methods. Denials are constant that there is a baking powder trust, but the facts show differently. It is supposed that Price of Chicago, and the Royal company control the industry. The Royal company em ploys, instead of ordinary salesmen, men who might be called travelling in spectors. They visit the stores of merchants and either . by questioning or by general observation see what brands are handled by him. If it is found that other brands than that of the Royal company are sold, every ef fort is made to prevent them from handling them in the future. There are other -and better brands than the Royal, but a demand that" is general and wide-spread is created by the enormous expenditure for advertising purposes. The other brands sell for from 10c to 15c per pound cheaper than the Royal. Some of these brands are much better than the Ros'al, but the call for them is very much less. The Royal company when they find a re tailer selling the Royal brand for less than 45c per pound refuses to sell him another pound. Merchants are furnished a written agreement which they are compelled to sign, stating that they will not sell Royal baking powder for less than 45c per pound. The powder costs the trust from 15c to 18c per pound to make. The Twine Trust The twine trust exists by the grace of the Dingley bill. The cost of twine is a considerable item in every farm er's outgoes. See what McKinley has done for you on this subject. The price of twine as taken from the Unit ed States treasury bulletin has been as follows: M'KINLEY'S INAUGURATION. Date. Manilla. Sisal. March 4, 1897 4c 3c March 4, 1898 4c ic March 4, 1899 7c 7c March 4, 1900 14c 9c Increase in 3 years... 250 p. c. 188 p. c. The McKinley colonial policy of sub jugation of the Philippines is in part responsible by paralyzing the produc tion of Manilla fiber, and two New Jer sey trusts organized and protected un der the McKinley dynasty do the rest. if you want that item of expense to continually grow larger, you know how to get it. Vote for the party un der whose lease of power the twine trust will see to it that you never pay any less for twine than you do now. . INFANT INDUSTRIES They Are Capitalized for More Thau Nine ' Hundred Million Dollars But Still Must be Fed From a Tariff Bottle. The average protective tariff on iron and steel is 45 per cent. They are put by Mark Hanna and McKinley among the infant industries that must have protection or perish. Their capitali zation is as follows: Federal Steel Co.. N. J.. . $200,000,000 . 30.000.000 Am'n Bicycle Co., N. J.. t Am'n Car & Foundry. N. J. 60,000,000 20,000,000 o5.000.000 33,000,000 90.000,000 50.000,000 Am'n Ircn & Steel Mfg.,Pa. Am'n Smlt. & Ref.. N. J Am'n Steel Hoop, N. J . Am'n St. & Wire. N. J Am'n Tin Plate, N. J Nati Enameling (tinware) N. J National Steel. N. J 30.000.000 59,000.000 National Tube. N. J S0.000.000 Pressed Steel Car, N. J 25.000.000 Republic Iron & Steel. N. J. 55,000,000 14 other iron and steel mfg. trusts 180.000,000 ; Total iron and steel "in- 1 Average dividends for 1899, 6 per cent. Total profit cf hardware trusts. 1899. $5S,600,000 on a capitalization two- thirds fictitious. I Besides the above is Carnegie's big I two hundred million trust that turns over to him in profits $23,000,000 a year. All of them sre tariff trusts which could not exist without the pro hibitive duties which now exist. They have k complete monopoly of the mar ket. No foreign manufacturer can pay the 45 per cent tariff and compete with them, but they compete with all for eign manufacturers by selling goods In foreign markets at one-half what they charge American citizens for the same things. When 3-ou buy wire fencing, just remember that the trust sells it in Argentina and South Africa for half what you pay for it and then go and vote accordingly. THE WIRE TRUST It is an Infant Industry Because it is Not Yet Two Year Old and Must be Protected. The wire trust was organized in New Jersey in January, 1899. At its organization it started out in this way: Capital stock .$90,000,000 Plants consolidated cost.... 20,000,000 Water 70.000,000 j Profits first year., .......... 15,000,000 A good share of that $15,000,000. of profit was taken out of the pockets-of hard-working Nebraska farmers. They will soon be called upon to decide whether they want that sort of thing to' continue. We will know when the votes are counted just how many mul let heads there are. The price of barbed wire, January 1, 1898, was $1.85. The price January 1, 1900, was $4.25. The trust exported, according to the government reports of exports and imports, 899,240,000,000 pounds, which they sold to foreigners for forty per cent under the price that they charged American consumers..- THE INCOME TAX Iu the Better Day of the Party it iin posed Such Taxes aad the Supreme Judg-es Appointed by Lincoln Decided Them Consti . tutional. There is not a principle formerly advocated by the republican - party that it has not repudiated in the last few years. Perhaps the most complete flop of all the flops it has made has been on this question.- On August 6. 1861, the republican party, then in full control of the gov ernment, passed an act imposing a tax of 3 per cent on all the excess of in come over $800. Thus the very first republican dealings . with the income tax included the exemption of all in comes under a certain figure the very thing that Is now denounced by re publicans as an illegal discrimination. On July 1, 1862, the republican party went even beyond that, and introduced what it now condemns as the populist scheme of a graduated rate. It ex empted incomes under $600, taxed those between $600 and $10,000 at 3 per cent, and levied a tax of 5 per cent on the excess over $600 when the total in come exceeded $10,000. On June 30. 1864. the republican par ty ordained that taxes should be levied at the rate of 5 per cent on the excess of income over $600 up to $5,000. 7? per cent on the excess over $5,000 up to $10,000, and 10 per cent on the ex cess over $10,000. On March 3, 1865, the 10 per cent rate was extended, to all incomes in excess of $5,000. As a further proof of the complete abandonment of the principles that the "republicans formerly advocated, we call attention to the constant as saults made upon Bryan in which he is called an anarchist because he points out to the people the two ways in which the income tax decision can be overcome. The two ways were sug gested by' a member of the supreme court appointed by Lincoln. Justice Harlan, in his dissenting opinion, says: "But the serious aspect of the pres ent decision is that by a new interpre tation of the constitution it so ties the hands of the legislative branch of the government that without an amendment of that instrument, or un less this court, at some future time, should return to the old theory of the constitution, Congress cannot subject to taxation however great the needs or pressing the necessities of the gov ernment eithfrthe invested personal property of the country, bonds, stocks and investments of alU kinds," or the income arising from the renting of real estate, or from the yield of-personal, property, except by the grossly un equal and unjust rule of apportion ment among the states. Thus undue and disproportionate burdens are placed upon the many, while the few, safely entrenched behind the rule of apportionment among the states on the basis of numbers, are permitted to evade their share of responsibility for the support of the government or dained for ihe protection of the rights of all." Desperate Bosses The republican bosses are making a campaign of sheer desperation. The Cincinnati Enquirer thus sizes it up: "Messrs. Hanna, Roosevelt and Bev eridge are 4 all on the stump, to say nothing of'the bedridden performance of the vaulting Stewart of Nevada. Hardly an incident of the campaign can be simply stated without becoming a virile arugument for Bryan and Stevenson." PACIFIC COAST FOR BRYAN Republican Newspapers and Leading Citi zens Bear Testimony to That Fact. There is no doubt in the minds of the fusion managers that their candi date will carry states this fall that he never carried before. Mr. Bryan is stronger everywhere than he was in 1896 and when the votes are counted there will be some painful - surprises for the republicans. Nowhere in the country is th situation more encour aging than on the Pacific coast, a sec tion which has been confidently claimed by the republicans and as con fidently conceded by the general pub lic to McKinley. But the people are taking the campaign in hand them selves and quietly making up -their minds to vote for the people's candi date next month. The vote on the coast will h a shock to the-- admin istration, and the Chinese Issues, which is just beginning to be under stood in that section, will clinch the situation. The following editorial from the Oakland (Cal.) Transcript, bearing date Saturday. September . 22, 1900, a leading republican organ on the coast, shows the trend of public opinion tlUre, as even the republicans see it: "There is no disguising the fact that the republicans have a campaign on their hands which .will require more than ordinary effort to make the party victorious. The arguments advanced by the democracy for a change of ad ministration, the whoop-up ajrainst the trusts and the yell of imperialism, and the tirade against English: influence, are all having an effect in bringing votes to the Bryan column Here in Oakland, the banner republican coun ty of the state, there , has been a big change of opinion from that of two and four 3rears ago. Tnis change has been quietly effected and it is not un common thing to hear republicans of life-long standing announce their in tention to vote for - Bryan. Partic ularly is this the case with voters of foreign birth. We do not intend to say that the country will . go demo cratic, but its majority will be greatly lessened unless the republicans arouse themselves to some form of activity. The writer had reason the other day to visit West Oakland and it was sur prising to note the change of heart on the part of many who, in the past, had been staunch adherents of McKin ley. Imperialism was the reason giv en bysome, trusts and the friendliness of the administration toward England by others. These arguments are be ing used with 'good effect by demo cratic missionaries and If the republi cans do not combat them and show their falsity, they will be treated to a surprise of an unexpected kind." The Life of Bryan (Written by f Harvey E. -Newbranch.) In the list of premiums offered by The Independent for new subscriptions will be found "The Life of Bryan," by Harvey E. Newbranch. It is an au thentic history, a valuable book, ele gantly illustrated and handsomely bound in cloth. Here is what Mr. Ed misten. chairman of, the state commit tee and vice chairman of the national committee, says concerning the book: "Lincoln, Neb., ept., 1900. Hon. H. E. Newbranch, Lincoln, Neb. My Dear Sir: I have read your book en titled 'Life of Bryan and am very much pleased with it. It is well and ably written, and depicts the salient features of Mr. Bryan's life and char acter, in a clear and discriminating manner. There are very few biog raphies in which the interest of the reader is sustained and ' unflagging from , beginning to end. This ia one of them, and I amglad to indorse it. Very truly yours, "J. H. EDMISTEN, Chairman." If you want a copy read the special premium offer on another page. "THE COUNTRY GENTLEMAN" The Specimens that Reside ITnder the Shadow of Wall Street are About as Big Fools as Exist. Let some of the pop farmers out in this state cast their eyes over th fol lowing production which appeared In a paper called the "Country Gentle man," published at Albany, N. Y. The National Irrigation association is circulating a very interesting map of the United States, to which we take much pleasure In directing attention. This precious body was organized, it seems, to cajole congress into irrigat ing, and then throwing upon our al ready bve'r?supplied market for agri cultural land, about a hundred mil lions of acres now arid, to the enor mous Injury vof every man who now owns a farmand therefore, since agri culture is the basis of all our Ameri can industries, to the enormous in jury 01 the people of the country, save and except those who are directly in terested in the "development" of the arid region: Well, . their map makes the meridian of 98 degrees the dividing line between "Humid America" and . "Arid America," and gives the popula tion east of that line as 52.21H.000; west of it, 4,404,000. .That, is to say, according to their own showing, con siderably more than five-sixths of the owners of the arid land with individ ual exceptions, of course, about ia the proportion, probably, of the proverbial drop in the bucket are directly Inter ested in keeping it arid. All the name, the one-sixth who - live around and about it, and want to "develop" their new regions, are ceaselessly plotting to get it into market, while the rost of us pay the expense. ' It would be a good idea this fall to ask every candi date for congress, not only whether he will actively support the Grout bill Just as it stands, but also, whether he will vigorously oppose every, project for bringing into market in any fash ion, or for giving away to the states in which it may happen to lie, any arid land now the property of the people. Unless he answers both questions with an unqualified yes, farmers at least will be very foolish to vote for him. Political considerations are all very well in their way, but no farmer can afford to let politics Interfere for a mo ment with his business. That Is all the sense that the "coun try gentlemen" brought up under the shadow of plutocratic Influences seem to have. These "gentlemen" are all iu favor of McKinley expansion, they ( want to annex far away islands of the sea to provide for the increasing pop ulation of the United States. But ex pansion of business, farming and fac tories ; at home, they are opposed to. They say it will produce "overproduc tion." If 50.000,000 of people could be furnished constant employment in what is now called the arid "region, and by the impounding of the waters that produce the destructive floods on the lower Mississippi, . save millions of appropriations to protect the farm ers there, furnish a market for the V products of thousands of workers in the eastern mills if that could be. done at a. very small cost to the gen eral government It would be a'calam-v ity to the farmers of the United States! , That is what this "country gentleman", thinks. What do you think of his brains? ' THE LUMBER TRUST The farmers of Nebraska produce no lumber," but they, consume immense quantities of it. Why a farmer or any other citizen of Nebraska should vot for a tax on lumber is one of those things that no pop can find out. The biography of the lumber trust is as follows: - ' Dingley tariff on lumber, $1 per M. Price raised since 1896, 6 times. Amount of raise, per M. feet, $3.50. On Chicago shipments, 1899, alone, $6,300,000. Lumber trust raised wages 10 per cent, but raised prices 33 per cent . Trust tax beats wages by 23. per cent. V
