AY
mm
TOW
VOL. XII.
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, DECEMBER 6, 1900.
NO. 20.
11 V
j
AUSTHALIAN UNO TAX.
himmHf Vm Hat lHVutlm g rrM th Ilearj
Jlrst of lit tax laws of Australasia
are ri:Ler co-l nor worthy of espe
cial coRM-ra.tion; but the colonies
Le one Ui law, diifrrent from any
la Anir:c. which, owin to Us ex
tenje adoption, prospective exten
ts and rad:-! departure from other
methods, coay properly be called the
Australasian latd value tax. It i a
law taxing land according to Its Talue.
excluding all personal property and
IraproTen-est tLr from. It draws a
atarp. clr line of distinction between
the products of labor and capital as a
source of patlic revenue and the un
eri.M increment of rental values of
Ur-d. Sura a tax. therefore, is not in
any Crzr- derived from wagea, nor
froa the natural Inert-ae of capital,
but coraea toliy from ground or land
rent, excluding all improvements. It
la a tax oa the privilege of owning so
cial valuta, which are not produced by
individual, but which spring up. In
crease and decrease with the existence,
condition and jrrowth of soclv 2nd
the character of its tov rnment. In
fchurt. the Australasian land value
tax 1 siskj-I a tax oa the benefits or
privilege which governments confer
cn own?, in exact proportion to the
benefits a received; in other word,
the application of the betterment prin
ciple, that the owner of the property
besefited by Jaw should bear the bur
den of paying for the bene St so re
ceived. It is ia no sense a class tax,
tit rests upon all in proportion to the
beseSt receive! from the existence
aid growth oi wx-iety and government.
It Is cot a tax on the area of land, but
ria on city iou and on all land ac
cording to ft vtlu- and Irrespective
f its slie. The Australasian system
does not interfere with nor tax any
ir.4isnry is any of its processes, nor
anything hkh induttty produces, but
leaves tLm fre from any tinea or bur
dec of go-rnni'nt. thus giving to
each and every industry ejual and im
partisl ncturag-mfnt and protection.
It is not a. e-r.-ral property tax nor
a real estate tax, as both personal
p.'onrty and improvement are ex
err.pt ur:-r its provisions. In fact,
there is no d:ret taxation of personal
property in any of the Australasian
colonies, nor any constitutional or
ether restrictions on the power of the
igi t';res to establish or enlarge the
Lud il u - tax.
5-everil of tie Australasian land tax
Uw ar veiy defective, both in prin
ciple at. J in their formulation, some
of theia being graduated and some
having exemptions and other defects.
However, not all of these laws are
thus defective, and efforts are being
made to remedy the defects and per
fect the law.
The Auttralas ian land value tax is
rot the tame as the single tax, and
r.at not !e confused therewith. The
single tax is not in operation in any
of th-- Australasian colons . The sin
gle tax s a philosophy and covers the
quefiSon cu p!iticl economy, while
the Australian lard lax is simply a
mall land value ax in practical oper
ation The single tax would abolish
all other fonrs of taxation and raise
all public revenues from one source,
while the Australasian land tax is only
one of maty kind of tax s. None of
the colonies derive their entire revenue
from the tax. but on the contrary the
greater portion jf their revenues are I
raiM-d by other tax laws. The Austral- !
afciati land tax does not abolish prl- j
vate property in land, and only con
verts into the public treasury a small
p report I cn of the rent of land. In i
short, it contains only a small part of
the tingle tax ideas. The great ma
jority of the advocates and supporters
of the Aatralasian law have made
btit little, if any, investigation of the
single tax and some of them violent- j
ly denounce it. Having been formu- j
lated and plated on the statute books j
or .vv ieajaai r-eiore I'rogress and
Poverty." or any of the principal
works of Henry George were issued,
this law do-s not owe Its origin cor
Its original establishment to the
books of George. In fact, it owes its
origin to the failure of all other sys- I
terns of taxation, to the work of Sir j
George Grey and other New Zealand I
statesmen, many of whom were stu-
book as tbore of John Stuart Mill
and Juijc Thomas M. Cooler. Its sub
sequent establishment and progress
has been rreatly a;d-d by Henry
George and his disciples, and it is
significant that since "Progress and
Poverty" has been known to the
world co land value tax law has been
repeakd. The Australasian land val
ue tax i not a law of the common
wealtj of Australia, but is i law of
the several states or colonies, and can
be fully adopted by any of the several
American states, while the single tax
cot; Id not be put into full operation
here without an amendment to the
federal law and constitution. While
each is a tax on Ivnd values exclusive
ly, still to identify the Australasian
land tax with the single tax is to do
great injustice both to the philosophy
of Gorite and to the existing law.
The experiences of Australasia prove
that the constitutional barriers
against change in our tax laws are un
wjm and unnecessary in order to pre
vent any extreme or violent changes.
In fact, without any constitutional re
strict 'rs 0i the power of parliament
concerning taxation, only the most
gradual and conservative chances
have been or are likely to be made.
If our constitutional restrictions are
likewise removed or modified, changes
esa then be made la a gradual and
eonsrrat!e manner but if they are
retained until public sentiment is
tborourhly aroused, they may then
be suddenly swept away and a much
more radical and far-reaching tax es
taUUhed. Gradual reforms are con
servative safety valves. The conserva
tive method of the colonies, permitting
gradual relief, would prevent the es
tablishment of the single tax by a
constitutional amendment or by any
Other sudden method. Gradual and
conservative action is only possible
when public passion is not aroused.
The sense of wrong is growing among
tne American people, and liberty of
legislative action in the several states
is the surest safeguard against vio
lence.
THE CHINESE PUZZLE
The power Have m Yellow Elephant Up
oa Their Hand and Not One WIm
Enough to Tell What to do
fTlth Him.
The diplomats who have been try
ing to manage the Chinese affair are
discouraged. One of them says:
"The people, both in Germany and
France, are unable to perceive how
any prestige or gain is likely to re
suit from the present situation. The
French minister said China was too
poor to pay any indemnity, and ye
the allied powers are represented as
demanding $600,000,000. If Co indemn
ity can be paid, the only alternative is
to take it out in territory, and this
will be certain to precipitate a gen
eral war, the horrors of which can
not be imagined. It is useless to gen
eralize about the Chinese puzzle. The
actual situation must be faced, and it
is as uninviting as any that has ever
confronted civilization. There .are
400.000,000 of the Chinese, and to sub
due them so as to make the country
safe for commerce and travel
would require many years and an 1m
mense expenditure of men and money.
If they would fight like other races
It would not be so difficult, but. they
have an aggravating habit of breaking
out only in spots where there are no
troops to oppose them. They quiet
down and disappear In front of the
foreign soldiers, and pop up suddenly
at some other point which is un
guarded. They can continue this sort
of thing indefinitely. It was thought
that Russia had conquered Manchuria.
Recent reports indicate that the Chi
nese rose up in the rear of the Rus
sian troops, and Russia may have all
of its work to do over again. Nor will
the plea of trade hold any longei as a
justification for prolonging the Chi
nese muddle. It is conceded that the
Chinese trade is practically dead, and
a continuation of the warfare against
the Chinese is not the way to revive it.
The allies have an elephant on their
hands, and they may be as anxious be
fore long to let go as was the man who
held on to the bear's tail."
Profits of Two Trusts
Much comment has. been made upon
the remarkable appreciation In values
of Standard Oil shares, which have
risen from $530 per $100 share in June
to over $700 at present. The Stand
ard Oil company makes no public
statement of its profits, but they must
be large when the 50 per cent dividend
paid this year are considered. Such
profits seem fabulous, but are ex
plained by the fact that it has a vir
tual monopoly of the oil trade, which
enables it to fix its profits at any figure
its management deems proper.
The J. & P. Coates trust is about
the equal of the Standard Oil. It has
a capitalization of $10,000,000 in 6 per
cent preferred Ehares, $10,000,000 in 4 4
per cent debentures and $15,000,000 of
ordinary shares, on which 4 per cent
was paid in dividends in 1899 and 50
per cent for the year ended June 30
last. These ordinary shares, or com
mon stock, as we say here, have a par
value of 10 and a market value of
S5. Standard Oil certificates are thus
still a good way behind the Coates
common stock in appreciation, though
the dividends paid this year are about
the same. The Coates company has
steadily Increased its earnings from
540,000 in 1894 to 2.423,000 in 1900.
Its dividends in the same space of
time have been advanced from 8 per
cent to 50 and its reserve has increased
from 200.000 to 1,750.000. It will be
hard for Rockefeller to beat this.
It will be noticed that these two
monopolies, whose records have prob
ably never been equalled, deal in the
commonest and most useful commodi
ties. Can't See Why
Mr. Chas. Norwood of Stanley coun
ty on his return from Sioux Falls,
where he had taken a large bunch of
cattle, was interviewed by'the Sioux
Falls Press on his return last week.
He said he had been shipping cattle
for eight years and sold at a lower
price this year than ever during that
period. His steers averaged 1,200
pounds and he receired a cent a lb.
less than for the same grade at this
time last year, a difference of $12 a
head on his steers. "I don't see why
beef cattle should be much lower
when dressed beef is rising in price
all the time," said Mr. Uordvald. The
reduction at this time is certainly very
significant. The price of dressed beef
is two cents a pound higher than it
was a year ago; cattle a cent lower.
There isn't any meat trust, because
Mark Hanna said so, and that being
the case, cattle being a cent lower and
dressed beef two cents higher. Is truly
a very puzzling question for the re
publican cattle man to decide.
A Birdless World
A French naturalist asserts that if
the world should become birdless man
would not inhabit it after nine years
time, in spite of all the sprays and
poisons that could be manufactured
for the destruction of insects. The
Insects and slugs would simply eat all
the orchards and crops in that time.
GOVERNMENT IRRIGATION
The Congress Recently Held In Chicago
W a Great Succea 75,000,000
Acres of Arid Lands lie Idle.
The holding of the national irriga
tion congress in the east, as it turned
out, was a wise move. The people of
that half of the country have had the
subject of national irrigation brought
home to them in a manner not other
wise possible. The far-reaching im
portance of the problem has been pre
sented to them and a genuine interest
has been awakened. Instead of find
ing opposition 'in the east, the con
gress found that eastern men of prom
inence were more than interested in a
proposition which promised an in
creased western population of millions
of people.
As the "enemy's country" has been
invaded, the myth of eastern opposi
tion faded away and its people are
found to be anxious to see inaugurated
a national policy of western land re
clamation.
The' western delegates went home
with the feeling that they have the
hearty support of eastern interests in
securing action which will open to
settlement a half a continent, capable
of supporting fifty million people
They cannot but feel that this support
is growing; that it is developing into
a great movement; that many people
are realizing that national action
would mean such a western develop
ment as would increase the national
wealth beyond measure.
The time seems fully ripe for the
west to take a firm and decided stand
on the question of national irrigation
and something great may be accom
plished at once. Why not? It is as
right that congress should appropriate
money for storage reservoirs as for
river and harbor improvements, ine
building of storage reservoirs would
obviate the necessity for much river
expenditures, would help navigation,
and the home building area or tne
United States would be vastly in
creased. And now if the west makes
this demand the east will back it up,
for the benefit would not be local
Every western paper is interested in
seeing this development accomplished
What would be the result of an ap
propriation of eight or ten million
dollars spent annually in the west ior
irrigation constructi6n? The imme
diate stimulation would be enormous
and the future benefit greater. This
policy should be inaugurated and the
western press should urge it witn one
voice. It is a national matter; it can
be Droductive only. of great good; the
east is responsive; will the" west be ag
gressive; it is time to work. :
It Is the opinion at Washington mat
$40,000,000 will be appropriated .by this
congress for river and harbor improve
ments. Of this the western hall or
the United States will get, judging by
previous records, a couple of million
or so. Whatever are her possibilities,
it is not contended that the west is
as important or influential as the east.
She has not yet the dense population;
but why should she not get at least a
fair share of this great oppropriation?
Why should she not get a fourth of it,
to be applied to the building of great
storage reservoirs to be filled with
flood water for use in irrigation, under
a system of internal improvements?
The government is spending large
sums in aiding in the development of
foreign trade and the opening of for
eign markets for American manufac
turers. It is believed that we should
push our goods into every market of
the world and sell them. The belief is
also gaining ground that the govern
ment should also develop its home
market for American products and
manufacturers. This it could do by
reclaiming the 75,000,000 acres of
arid land and Fettling them with thou
sands of industrious home-builders."
Eastern merchants are more than will
ing to see tuch an undertaking. The
west should take the initiative.
The telegram sent by the national
Irrigation congress at Chicago, urging
upon President McKinley the Impor
tance of the irrigation and forestry
problem and requesting him to in
turn urge upon congress the advisabil
ity of some definite action, has done
more to direct public attention to these
important national questions than
any other one thing. The telegram was
as follows:
"To the President: The ninth an
nual session of the national irrigation
congress now in session in the city of
Chicago, respectfully urges that in
your message to congress you call at
tention to the national importance of
the preservation of our forests and of
the extension and conservative use of
the forest preserves, and further that
you emphasize the need of national
action to store the flood waters that
now go to waste."
"Save the Forests and Store the-
Floods" proved a popular motto at
the Chicago Irrigation congress. Its
sessions bore a marked atmosphere of
thoughtful consideration of how these
great objects could be accomplished
and a general spirit of harmony and
co-operation pervaded, the atmosphere.
Much sitisfaction was expressed at the
growth of the national irrigation sen
timent in the east and the interest and
active co-operation afforded by east
ern business men.
Great as is Chicago, with her people
equalling in numbers a third of the
entire population of the western half
of the United State3, yet the national
irrigation congress was recognized as
the exponent of a national movement.
and caused no little local and general
comment. Chicago newspapers de
voted their columns to its meetings
and Chicago's largest business men
attended them. The great problem of
the reclamation of the millions of arid
acres was recognized at its true value
and the incalculable benefits to re
sult, appreciated.. The national stand
ing of the national irrigation question
s an assured fact.
,The following resolutions were
adopted by the national irrigation
congress, NNovember 24, 1900:
"We hail with satisfaction the fact
that both of the great political parties
of the nation in the last campaign de
clared in favor of the reclamation of
arid America, in order that settlers
might build homes on the public do
main, and to that end we urge upon
congress that national appropriations
commensurate ; with the magnitude of
the-, problem should be made for the
preservation, of the forests and the
reforestation of denuded areas as nat
ural storage, reservoirs and for the
construction by the national govern
ment as part of its policy of interna
improvement of storage reservoirs and
other works for flood protection and
to save for use in aid of navigation
and Irrigation the waters which now
run to waste and for the development
of artesian and subterranean sources
of water supply.
."The waters of all streams should
forever remain subject to public con
trol and the right of the use of water
for irrigation should inhere in the
land irrigated, and beneficial use be
the basis of measure and the limit of
the right.
"The work of building the reser
voirs necessary to store ' the floods
should be done directly by the govern
ment under existing statutes relating
to the employment of -labor and hours
of work and under laws that will give
to all American citizens a free and
equal opportunity to get first employ
ment, and then a home on the land.
"We commend the efficient work of
the various : bureaus of the national
government In the investigation of the
phvsical and legal problems and other
conditions relating to irrigation and
in promoting the adoption ot more ei
fectiv-3 law3, customs and methods of
irrigated agriculture, and urge upon
congress the necessity of providing lib
eral appropriations for this important
work." -
Porto Rico's Status
United States Judge ;Addison Brown
decided last week that Porto Rico was
not a foreign country. The case was
brought by Joseph iBigley, Christian
Huus and Thomas Torgeson, pilots,
against the New York and Porto Rico
Steamship company and others, for
pilotage fees -for services offered and
rejected for the steamship Ponce and
the schooner C. F. Whittier In June
last.
It was understood that the libellants
were entitled to $171.88 provided it
was found that the vessels were bound
to or from a ."foreign port" and were
not "engaged or employed in the
coasting trade." In his decision Judge
Brown says: n
"It is evident that Porto Rico, since
the cession of the island by Spain to
the United States, is not a foreign
port, as it is subject solely to the sov
ereignty and dominion of this coun
try." This wipes out pilotage charges
and the judge therefore dismisses the
libels with costs.
Reverse Their Verdict
In the Attic commonwealth, the poet
or orator might with impunity bring
the most illustrious names on the
stage for derision or denunciation;
but none was bold enough to ridicule
or asperse the Athenian people. This
reverence and faith respecting the Am
erican people are mine. I know that
they are just and patriotic. Even if
they could lay out of view the im
medical wound inflicted on the re
public by McKinley's unconstitutional
acts; and, if it be possible, could re
press all humane promptings at sight
of the mournful procession of trans
ports from Manila, laden with the
dead, the maimed, the disease
wrecked, the insane soldiers of Mc
Kinley's war, and of the agonizing
leave-takings between parents and
sons, husbands and wives, as each one
of these same transports sets sail from
our ports for that land of doom; yet,
f all voters knew that this awful con
flict, with its apparently endless train
of horrors, was deliberately precipi
tated by their president, through a
proclamation sent out without the
knowledge of the United States senate,
and that when the people, astounded
and shocked at the awful consequences
of this secret declaration of war by
the -president, at this sudden ( change
from peace and amity with our allies
to mutual hatred and slaughter, eag
erly inquired the cause, their verac-
ous "arad unctious chief magistrate
told them that these horrors were the
direct Tesult of an act of God, I think
this would cause them to reverse their
verdict. 1
Yours for the republic of the fathers,
" DE WITT C. BOUTON.
Ithaca, N. Y.
Each Gang of Thieves
The United States has purchased
rom the inventor a new machine
gun, more deadly than the Gatling,
Nordenf eld or Maxim. It is well to
be prepared, because selfishness has
ascended the throne of power in this
country, and machine guns are bet
ter than prayers for all matters grow
ing out of "entangling alliances."
The Nebraska Independent offers
the sensible suggestion that fusion-
sts do not rake republican chestnuts
out of the fire, with obstructive tactics.
Both Lincoln and Washington will be
the respective scenes of many cross
purposes this winter. The selfish in
terests that combined to give the re
publicans such a sweeping majority,
cannot control the conscience of all
of them. The very strength they
iosvsfs will make 3Dine loia and some
cautious. Each gang of thieves will
want to have their, wants recognized.
but will want others to hold back in
order to save the party. Butler Coun
ty Press.
NEW ZEALAND TAXATION
The New System Has Proved so Success
fal That It Is Now Endosred by The
Whole Population.
The last Colorado legislature ap
pointed a commission to investigate
the subject of taxation. Some of the
members of the commission went to
Australia and New Zealand to make
an investigation of the new land tax
that has been in operation there for
some years. This system, while in
some respects similar to the proposi
tions of Henry George, yet in many
ways differs from it. It is called the
Australian land tax.
The first local body in New Zealand,
or in the world, to adopt the Austral
ian land tax by a vote of the people
was the little city or borough of Palm-
erston North, situated in the North
island of New Zealand and containing
about 6,000 inhabitants. Palmerston
North adopted this law March 17, 1897,
by a vote of 402 to 12. Since the adop
tion of the land tax for municipal pur
poses Palmerston North has had much
growth and prosperity. So successful
ly has the law operated that land val
ues have increased more than suffic
iently to compensate even the owners
of unimproved land for their addi
tional taxation, while other land own
ers have had their taxes correspond
ingly reduced. The great advantages,
benefits and simplicity of the law are
conceded by all.
The town clerk of Palmerston North
wrote the following letter to the Colo
rado commissioner, explaining the re
sult of the tax in that town.
"Sir: The method pf making the
change (from the former to the land
tax system) was simplicity itself, for
as at all times, the valuation of the
land and improvements has been sep
arately stated and the rate made on
the aggregate, it was only necessary
to rate the former alone, increasing
the rate to such an amount in the
pound as would produce the revenue
required. At the time the change was
made a considerable depression ex
isted in the colony, price of produce
was low and speculation in land had
virtually ceased. From this borough
a considerable portion of the floating
population had been attracted to the
gold fields in Auckland, and many
houses were tenantless. No doubt it
was a boon to the owners of these
houses to know that they had not . to
pay rates on property from which
they were deriving no advantage, and
this may have assisted in bringing
about the change. . For thelast few
years however, . matters have been
very different: building has been go
ing on steadily and very few vacant
houses are to be seen. I do not claim
that this is entirely due to the new
system of rating, but I think that it
has been a considerable factor, the
knowledge that additional improve
ments formerly meant additional rates
to the individual having had, no doubt,
a deterrent effect. Two of the prin
cipal objects which the supporters of
the measure had In view were, doubt
less, encouraging thrift by taking off
the tax on industry, and discouraging
the holding of unproductive areas for
increased value, caused by improving
neighbors. The fact that 200 addi
tional buildings have been erected dur
ing the past three years, as against
fifty erected in the previous three years
immediately preceding the change in
the incidence of taxation, would seem
to point to a realization of the first
object, whilst an instance or two culled
from the rate book, evidently suggests
that the further object in view is be
ing attained. It must be borne in
mind that to obtain a revenue from
rates imposed only on the unimproved
value of land, equal to that derived
from the capital or improved value,
the amount in the pound must be
raised, thereby increasing the payment
of owners of unimproved areas in
equal ratio to the decrease of the
amounts paid by the owners who util
ize their properties. The effect in the
nstance I quote, which was taken
from our books, is as follows: An
owner of some 200 acres, paying a
rate under the former system of $125
per annum, pays under the new system
$210, but during the past few years
has reduced his holdings by disposing
of fifty acres in small lots, and which
have since been built on and other
wise improved, whilst area having a
frontage of 2,576 feet, paying a rate
of $175 under the old system, In
creased to $250 under the new, has
been reduced within the same period,
by. sale of building allotments, to ex
actly one-half. Other owners whose
rates have been increased in the same
ratio are now cutting up in a similar
manner, and by the construction of
streets through the blocks, are making
the properties, even on the unimproved
basis, a greater source of revenue to
the borough than formerly. In this
connection I may quote a few exam
ples, showing how the new rating sys
tem affects owners of property when
the principal value is in improvements
and the reverse.
A. Amount of rate when charged
on capital or gross value.
B. Amount of rate when charged
on unimproved values only.
1. One-half acre with five build-
ngs: A, $73.06; B, $24.66.
"2. Two-fifths acre with dwelling
house: A, $19.29; B, $5.77.
"3. One-third acre with dwelling
house: A, $34.08; B, $26.91.
4. One-half acre with dwelling I
nouse: a, ?zsm8; jb, $i.47.
5. One-half acre with dwelling
house: " A, $9.08; B, $4.10.
6. Two and one-half acres with gas
works: A, $160; B, $34.72.
7. One-half acre, unimproved: A,
$19.60; B, $29.68.
8. Four and one-half acres, unim
proved: A, $9.52; B. $14.06.
9. One acre, unimproved: A, $9.89;
B, $14.45.
10. Two-fifths acre, leasehold in
grass: A, $4.08; B, $6.12.
"1. Eight acres, leasehold in grass
A, $31.77; B, $46.87.
"12. Five acres, leasehold in grass
A, $24.75; B, $30.87.
. "In the above examples separate
rates, such as water, gas, etc., are not
included, as these are still as hereto
fore, based on the annual or renta
value. This is considered by many a
wek spot, and the act will probably
be amended in this particular when it
is more generally adopted. Another
phase of the question may be pointed
out, although It refers more partic
ularly to administration; viz: The
greater ease of arriving at values and
also the greater probabilities of an
equal valuation, as owing to improve
ments being eliminated, the only mat
ters to be taken into consideration are
that of quality of land In country dis
tricts and of situation in towns, thus
considerably reducing the scope for
vagaries of valuers so rife when other
accessories have to be taken into ac
count. I have the honor to be, sir,
your obedient servant,
"ROBERT N. KEDING,
"Town Clerk.
"Certified to by the mayor, under
the seal of the borough."
THE RACE QUESTION
It Will be Solved by the Poor Rather
Than by the Rich A Step Toward
it Made by Organized Labor.
What ever disgust one may some
times feel for the action of local un
ions of organized labor, there is one
thing that must be said. Whenever
the federation of labor or any of ie
larger bodies speak, their utterances
are always sound," and conservative.
The wisest have feared that in the
near future there would be bloody
conflicts between white and colored
labor. The habit that corporations
have of sending to the south and im
porting colored laborers to take the
place of white men with whom they
have differences is a direct provoca
tion to a race war. This practice has
become a very serious menace to white
labor in the north and the most ser
ious results have been anticipated. The
labor unions have taken hold of the
matter and their solution is so wise,
just and commendable that it will re
ceive the indorsement of the best men
of both races, as well as that of true
statesmen and philanthropists every
where.'
The Chicago federation of labor last
week Issued an appeal to the colored
workmen of the country, asking them
to join hands with the white workers
through the trade unions, .so that la
bor mighr he "united l"t demanding bet
ter conditions.. The .appeal follows:
" The frequency With which unscrup-'
ulous employers of labor are of late
supplanting white men by their col
ored brethren in times of Industrial
trouble is a question of the most seri
ous moment to the wage-earners of
this country. In calling attention to
the question it Is not our intention to
arouse sentiment which might lead to
race prejudice, or a race war, which
would be deplorable in its results, but
rather in a friendly spirit lay before
our colored brothers , a statement or
facts which we hope may convince
them of their error.
"We do not even condemn them, be
lieving they are more justly entitled
to our sympathy and support. In the
slavery days, now happily gone by,
when the traffic in human - flesh and
blood remained a blot on our civiliza
tion, the negrtl was unable to free
himself from the bondage. His white
brother rose in arms and declared the
slave should be free. Today the ne
gro is being used to hold the white
man in Industrial slavery. The col
ored man, 'more simple in his ways,
with fewer wants and these more eas
ily satisfied, is content to work under
conditions which are irksome to the
white workman, and he is today, per
haps unconsciously, being used to try
to drag the white man down to a level
lower than was the negro's before he
was freed from slavery.
"It is to remedy this that we appeal
to him, to welcome him into our fold.
to elevate him to our standard and to
better his condition as well as our
own. The trades-union movement
knows no race or color. Its alms are
the bettering of the conditions of the
wage-earner, whatever his color or
creed. In this Epirit we appeal to the
colored workman to join with U3 in
our. work. Come into our trades un-
ons, give us your assistance and in
return receive our support, so that race
hatred may.be forever buried and the
workers of the country may be united
n a solid phalanx to demand what we
are justly entitled to a fair share of
the fruits of our own industry."
All Alike
The case of Professor Ross calls to
mind, the case of Professor Emerson,
the case of Professor 'Bemis, the case
of Professor Andrews and many oth
ers. . They were all most unfortunate.
t is too much to expect of human na
ture to believe that the teachers In our
universities and colleges are uninflu
enced by the treatment given these
men. by those who control the en
gagement and promotion cf professors
and instructors.
No one can talk among the com
mon people about our educational in
stitutions without finding out that they
lack confidence in the honesty of the
views which the scholars in these In
stitutions express on ail social and
economic subjects. Those at the head
of our colleges and . universities can
not- afford to disregard this lack of
confidence. It lessens in a dangerous
way, the influence for the promotion
of .truth, and justice which these In
stitutions should exert in our country.
And who can doubt that the depen
dency of our universities upon the
generosity of millionaires for their en
dowments tends to keep these insti
tutions inert and apathetic towards
the dangers of plutocracy. Ithaca
Democrat.
MORMONS ON TOP
The Tie up of the Mormon ItUhops With
McKinley Causes the Opponents
of Polygamy In Utah to
Disband.
A dispatch from Salt Lake City,
Utah, which has been published with
out contradiction in all the eastern
papers, says: "
"The secret Influences brought to
bear by the dignitaries of the Mor
mon church in the late election will
probably cause the dissolution of the
democratic. party in Utah. A meeting
of prominent democrats was held to
discuss the matter on Tuesday, and the
sentiment in favor of disbanding was
practically unanimous. It has been
charged here and never denied that
apostles and bishops of the Mormon
church told the members of the or
ganization that the first presidency de
sired Utah to go for McKinley.
"The democratic raeetlng was at
tended by representatives of the state, ,
city and county committees. National
Committeeman Dunbar was also pres
ent. The church influence matter was
freely discussed, and all agreed that
the first presidency could switch the
state at will into any political column.
As the church has nearly always
manifested a leaning to Wie republi
cans, the democrats decided that It
would be unwise and inexpedient to
maintain their organization further
A committee was appointed to draft-
a letter to the democrats throughout
the state, covering the question fully.
It is likely that a convention will ho
called, and it -now seems sure that
the democratic party, as a party, will
soon cease to exist In Utah."
.With the Dowerful infliiMirn nf ihn
republican administration to back It.
Mormonism will become more power
ful than ever. There will be no fnrr
arrayed against it. The plutocratic
cnurcnes of the east have become so
corrupt, that an intimation from the
millionaire Dew-holderH will ho
enough to keep them and their hlgh-
saianea bishops and ministers silent.
The concentrated canital of the
ha3 corrupted everything. If these
churches uphold polygamy under the
united states flag in the Sulu islands,
they will also unhold it in Utah nt th
demand of plutocracy. All that th
decent people of the nation can do is
to stand by the homely virtues taught
to them by their fathers and mothers
before the days of McKinley and wait
tor tne coming of the day of the Lord.
The Happy Land
Recent reports rom New Zealand
Indicate that that is very nearly the
happy land of Canaan of which we
used to sing, especially for the people
who work. .There is an eight-hour
day, they have a system of taxation,
that oppressed nobody and make all
pay according to their ability, under v
which prosperity reigns. Having done
that much they started out in a new
direction and took a hand in the dis
tribution of estates. It is another of
those "shameless attacks on the sac
redness of property" under which
New Zealand seems to thrive. It had
long been a scandal in the eyes of ad
vanced thinkers that cases had arisen
in which a man, generous enough in
youth and middle age, had grown un
feeling and "cranky" with age, and
had left his property by will in the
most unfair manner to public chari
ties or to strangers, while his widow
and family were left to starve. Often
the money or property had been ac
cumulated as much or sometimes
more through the efforts of a de-
voted wife as through the industry of
the man, yet by a stroke of senile pen
she and her children could be depos-
sessed and thrown hungry on the
world, while others enjoyed their for
tune. Of course the conservatives were
horrified at the divine right of a man
'to do what he will with his own" be
ing taken away, but common, sense
prevailed. The broad social argu
ment was, "Why should the citizens
be taxed to provide subsistence for the
family of a man who has willed his
property to strangers at death, or to
his own relatives, excluding hi
widow?" So the law has beea passed
to the effect that put of the estate of
a deceased person the supremo court
can order an adequate provision to be
made for the proper maintenance and
support of wife, husband or children.
and no mortgage charge or assign
ment will be held valid till such pro
vision has been made. ;
Hoit County War Tax
During the period of McKinley pros
perity or a part of it the people of Holt
county have paid about $70,000 In sup
port of an imperial and extravagant
form of government over and above
the usual tax levies. This has been
paid by and through the stamp act on
notes and mortgages filed in th coun
ty clerk's oflice. This amount could
easily be doubled by including stamps
on checks, contracts and other docu
ments coming under its provisions.
There has certainly been no less than
$150,000 paid for revenue staraps in
Holt county since July 1, 1898. Had
McKinley called a halt on the war
when the treaty of peace was signed
the stamp act would have been unnec
essary, but he says that the war of
conquest, rapine and murder shall go
on and the people over our broad land
of the free are paying dearly for the
slaughter. Holt County Independent.
FOR SALE NEWSPAPER
The only populist paper in a good
county, in northern Nebraska for sale
at a bargain. The county is populist
and the paper is the official county pa
per. The best reasons for selling. But
lttle cash required. Address people's
arty Paper, care of The Independent,
.incoln, Neb.
