7
.
n n n
Tl : Q
larK
1 hings of Interest Skimmed
From the Boiling Pot it
the Capital $1 fci
5t
A ' :
8
tier 1
1
proved fatal, except In the cases of the j-twenty-five
men who have attained the !
presidency. If The Enquirer knows of ;
a man who has been cured, it owes it
to a suffering -world to give his name
to put him on exhibition.
General Fred Funston is to be con-
pi atulatcd on his double good fortune. ;
He was eoTiilrmed as a brigadier gen- j
eral in the regular army and had a son j
born to him on the sahie day. Either
one was a tiptop Christmas present
for the gallant Jayhawker. I take no !
utock in th'.? story that he Bwam the !
liver on a raft.
"How Lonr, O Lord, How Long?"
The expected has happened, and the
civil and military authorities at Ma-j
nila have fallen afoul of each other j
end are creating what an old colored ;
brother of my acquaintance would call '
a groat ruction. Both are avaricious
of power and each is afraid that the i
other will get more power than is be- ,
coming. In the meantime the Filipinos
are ambushing and killing our soldiers j
every, time they venture outside their !
camps. The people are beginning to j
exclaim. '"How long. O Lord, how
long" will this senseless waste of
American life last? Our retention of
the Philippines is certainly the most
stupendous piece of iuiocj- seen in this
world since creation's dawn.
Marse Henry Wsttercon.
As was said of Cleopatra, eo it may
be truly said of Marse Henry Watter
Fon, "Age cannot wither him or cus
tom stale his infinite variety." Recent
ly he spoke at the Pierce school in
Philadelphia, surrounded by the mag
nets of that great city. Nearly every
body celebrated in any walk of life
iwas there, as many on the stage as it
would hold. Colonel A. K. McClure,
himself a great historical figure, intro
duced Watterson as the best beloved
of American editors, which is absolute
ly true. Not only was that true, but
"WatterKon', i the best beloved man
south of Mason and Dixon's line, and
I am not at ail certain but what he is
the best beloved citizen of the repub
lic So far as I am individually con
cerned. I learned nearly all of the pol
itics I know" from Watterson. The
Courier-Journal was the first political
diet I ever consumed. I enthusiastical
ly followed his Haxen topknot as an
Oriflamb of victory, even as the sol
diers of Henry of Navarre followed his
white '"pi um e, until he followed Cleve
land and Carlisle into goldbugdom. 1
Then I turned sorrowfully away. But
my personal affection for Marse Henry
Btill lives in all of its pristine force. 1
am glad to say that Marse Ilenry is
now back where he properly belongs.
iWatterson's Philosophy of Life.
In this Philadelphia speech he talk
ed several minutes iu the following de
lightful strain:
The longer I live the more I Bee am
think and remember, the greater respec
I have for personality, the less respect 1
have for penius. I worship at the shrine
of the Washingtons and the Franklins or
Christendom, not at the feet of Napo
leons, not even the Napoloons of -Inance.
Success in life is happiness, and the
happy man, the successful man, is the
man who believes his old wife the best
woman in the world, and the vine covered
cottage he calls his home is the dearest
spot on earth, and v.ho would not swap
his ragpred. retTheaded. freckle faced chil
dren for the best dressed and best looking,
kids of the proudest and richest man on
earth. The men in their places are the
men who stand.
Essential as the material thing3 of life
are. under right conditions, they do not.
of themselves, bring happiness. Millions
of money will not save a sensitive man
the tortures of a sere toe. Infinite fame
Will not save a proud man the torments of
ft debt ho is un:ible to pay. Happiness is
a creation of the mind and the heart and
not of the stomach and the body.
Watterson':; Defalcation.
And then lie startled his audience by
the following confession, which must
have been pood for the entertainment
of his hearers, if not f r their souls:
I won't say that money Is a positive bar
to salvation, hut it is undoubtedly true
that the possession of money will harden
and corrupt ten times to the one time it
elevates and cultivates.
And what a fatal mistake Is made by
thkt man v.ho lays his hand upon the,
dollar he cannot call his own and I know
something about that myself. When I
was a boy at school in this dear old city,
down at the corner of Juniper and Locust
streets, I was elected by my schoolmates
one of the editors of the organ of our lit
erary society, and by successive re-elections
the entire management of that am
bitious serial came into my hands. One'
fine morning I woke up to discover that I
lacked $4.50 of money enough, to balance
my books. Of course it was at the pre
cise moment when I was required to
bring In my official reports. It always
happens that way. Well. I did not havt
the money. I had spent it. 1 lay a whole
night in alternate anguish and specula
tion and rose in the morning haggard,
but resolute. I went directly to the guar
dian angel who had charge of my fiscal
affairs and made a clean breast of It.
"And what Is the amount of this defalca
tion?"; says he. "Four dollars and fifty
cents," I gasped. I can see at this mo
ment the queer, quizzical, half threaten
ing expression that came over those
kindly, homely, weather bronzed features.
Handing me the check, he said: "There,
my boy. there Is 55. It Is an ugly piece
of business. Don't let It ever occur
again." And It never has.
The Tariff on Spuds.
I recently received a letter from a
citizen of Washington that gives a
good idea of how the tariff pinches.
Among other things-he writes:
Going through the Louisiana avenue
commission mar&et If saw a wagon 6f
Scotch potatoes being unloaded and. being
Inquisitive, asked the merchant how much
duty there was on a bushel of potatoes
He said It was, 251 cents. Now. ifthat
duty is not "a hungry tariff." what is it?
1. r,r-r,n ..-cl-g m in rpntS TT T)Pf!K TOT
Special Washington Letter.
"n HAT was the most unkindest
ai A M !! 1 iU n X' ....
tui Vl all wutru iuu icy
York bankers spoke of Gov
ernor Leslie M. Shaw of Io
wa as a "crossroads inlan
der." Those Impudent and swagger
ing sons of Croesus said that awful
thing at a time when Leslie, In high
feather, was hastening as fast as
steam 'could carry' him from the prai
lies of the Ilawkeye State to Wash
ington to consult with the president
as to accepting the treasury portfolio,
vice Lyman J. Gage, resigned under
pressure.
' SomebodyI think it was Richard
Grant White said. "Words are things."
and such words as "crossroad finan
cier," when applied to so eminent a
personage as his Iowa excellency, are
awful things. "Oh, what a fall was
there, my countrymen!" Only a few
months ago my handsome and soulful
friend, my lecture mate. Senator Jon
athan Prentiss Dolliver, was going
nbout exalting the horn of Governor
Shaw as a presidential candidate, and
now Dolliver's protege is lightly and
contemptuously spoken of by these
pampered Gotham multimillionaires as
a "crossroads financier." No epithet
bo exasperating has been hurled at
anybody since Daniel O'Connell over
whelmed an irate female by calling
her "an isosceles triangle" unless an ex
ception should be made in favor of the
Missouri statesman who called anoth
er Missouri statesman a "chinchbug
statesman." Governor Shaw ought to
forthwith demand a court of Inquiry
to find out whether he is presidential
limber or only a "crossroads finan
cier." A Mistaken Diagnosis.
Governor Shaw's case also illustrates
once more the truth of the old saying
that "a prophet is not without honor
save in his own country and among
his own people," for when his appoint
ment as secretary of the treasury was
first bruited an Iowa paper telegraph
ed its Washington correspondent to
the effect that if-the eastern papers
"knew how dead Shaw was they
would not be springing such fakes on
the public." 1 guess, that paper would
like to rub out that telegram from the
memory of men. It appears that his
excellency was not dead, but sleep
ing, and the distinguished editor afore
said made a grievous mistake- in the
dirgnosis.
The Ohio War.
Last summer the whole country was,
startled and pleased at the exhibition
of harmony betwixt Senators Foraker
and Hanna. which was the chief fea
ture of the Ohio Republican 'state con
vention. Jonathan and David. Da
mon and Pythias, were not a circum
stance to them. The Siamese twins,
Chang and Eng. were the only historic
personages who appeared to be so
closely united. The country breathed
a sigh of relief, for it was heartily sick
and weary of the Hanna and anti
Hanna fight in Ohio, which always re
sulted in a Hanna victory. That har
mony act was in warm weather. Now
it is war war to the knife, the knife to
the hilt between Hanna and Foraker.
"More power to their arms!" is the
prayer of all good citizens.
A Pair of Hoosierisms.
On what an unsubstantial basis a
presidential boom or boomlet may be
built is seen in the case of Senator
Fairbanks of Indiana, whose friends
are whooping it up for him because of
the reprimand recently inflicted upon
General Nelson A. Miles by Secretary
of War Elihu Root by order of the
president for stating irr an interview
what nine-tenths of the American peo
ple are thinking as to the findings of
the Schley court of inquiry. Surely
th!; foundations of that boom are as
ursubstantial as the fabric of a vision.
fo whether Miles deserved a repri
imnd or not, in the babel of tongues
toiching Schley the reprimand will be
fctgotten in a month.
? Judge E. D. Crumpacker. Repub
li'iu congressman from Indiana, does
nt' look a little out. he is liable to be
yi,tked up and tried for treason, mis
prision of treason or leze majesty. He
hat been recklessly, opportunely and
coirageously shooting off his mouth to
the effect that it would be expedient
ere long for the United States to dis
pose of the Philippines. The political
joiners who prate of destiny and hu
manity while stealing themselves rich
in the Philippines will never stand
suth talk as that from Crumpacker or
anj other Republican. They will find
soe way to discredit him .and drive
hirr. out of public life unless he is un
usoilly strong in his district- No hon
est man has any business in the Re
publican party today.
Wh Is the Man?
Tie most remarkable and mysterious
declaration printed in an American
newspaper in ten years is the follow
ing ditorial squib from the Cincinnati
finqjirer: "A certain prominent citizen
Is siid to have been cured of the pres
ideq Jal fever. Some of the official per
formances now going on at Washing
ton may be said to be better than med
icinelfor that particular disease." If
that laragrapb does not set the whole
cduny to guessing, it is impossible
to tel what would. Who is the "cer
tain jmlnent citizen?" Where is his
habit? If'he is cured of the presi
1 m "it('"iM--tMr"?rr fin .i
need) should be taken off of potatoes un
til the next crop Is harvested, at least?
A Victim or x HnNoai Tjuairr.
An Eloquent Texan. i
One of the ablest Democrats in the
house and one of most engaging per
sonality is Hon. Robert L. Henry of
Texas, popularly called Bob Ilenry.
He has brains, courage, eloquence and
many physical and mental graces. He
Is a Democrat without guile and with
out the shadow of turning. His future
is full of promise. lie made one of the
very ; best speeches delivered on the
Philippine tariff bill I wish I had
room to quote it all instead of , the fol
lowing short but pregnant paragraphs
as samples:
Now, I want to advert for a moment or
two to the decision pf the supreme court
of the United States in the insular cases.
I have carefully read and reread that
opinion. A majority of five to four rendered
the decision. In It there is much talk of
making "large concessions" under the con
stitution to : those ; who contend for the
violation of that instrument. As a lawyer
I will answer that proposition by saying
that the justice of the supreme court who
takes an oath to support the constitution
and the laws of the United States should
never be willing to make "any concession"
doing violence to his oath and construing
away that constitution.
On the first day of November, 1765. .the
day set for the stamp act to take effect in
the American colonies, great processions
were formed by our forefathers, the bells
were tolled, and the goddess of Liberty
was buried.
When the message Is flashed to the in
habitants of the faroff Philippines that
this act has passed, we can imagine pite
ous processions of the people forming
there. We can clmost hear the dolorous
tones of their tolling bells as they solemnly
prepare to perform the ceremony of the
reburial of the goddess of Liberty resur
rected by our noble ancestry at Tiunker
Hill and Yorktown.
Cui Dono?
It is reported that certain persons
out in Indiana are fighting the proposi
tion to pension Mrs. Benjamin Harri
son. It was given out at first that the
fight was made because she is the wife
of an ex-president and that to pension
her would be to widen and extend the
pension list from civil life, which is
true. Now it is given out that objec
tion is made to pensioning her because
she is worth anywhere from $150,000
to $200,000. No matter on what
grounds her pension is fought, it is
likely to do good, as it will probably
end in an exposition of the rapid
growth of the pension list from civii
life. It is larger than most people wot
of and should not be increased. Every
retired federal judge is, in fact and
truth, a pensioner, and there are many
of them.
Congressional Brothers,
If Perry Belmont 'is elected to con
gress at the special election, there will
be witnessed the unusual but not un
precedented spectacle, of two brothers
sitting together in the house, O. II. P.
Belmont being already in. As a mat
ter of fact, there aire already two
brothers there, the Kitchens of North
Carolina. In the Fifty-fifth congress
there were the two Claytons. Before
the w'ar Tom Marshall and two of his
brothers sat together in the house. The
three Washburn brothers also sat to
gether there. Roswell G. Horr and his
twin brother came1 near appearing to
gether side by. side to take the oath as
representatives, and,,, though the broth
er who failed of election was a Re
publican, I rather wish he had broken
into the house, just to have it said that
twins were' there. ' -
The Old Story.
Ever since the world began procon
sular government has been corrupt and
tyrannical. It has not changed its na
ture because we are now furnishing
the proconsuls, more's the pity. In
our much vaunted new possession of
Porto Rico a certain judge, a Repub
lican, of the city of Mayaguez seized
nn entire edition of a paper called La
Vox de la Patria because, it being pub
lished in the interests of the Federal
party, whatever that may be, it crit
icised the municipal physician, also a
Republican. True, Mr. Attorney Gen
eral Harlan, son of Mr. Justice Harlan,
forced the judge to liberate La Vox de
la Patria. but the whole performance
illustrates proconsular government.
Forbes and One of Him And lencet.
As a lecturer on his experiences Arch
ibald Forbes was very popular, and he
was fond of recounting an experience
of his debut in that capacity at Leven.
Fifeshire. With a thumping heart the
new lecturer appeared at the hall door
shortly before the starting time of 8
o'clock, and, not wishing to crush
through a great audience on his way
to the platform, he asked the hallkeep
er to conduct him to a side door.
"Ye needna mind," replied that func
tionary not unkindly. "There's no
crobd."
When Forbes entered the hall, he
had to admit that the keeper was cor
rect. There was not a single soul pres
ent. After a bit, however, a man stroll
ed in and calmly proceeded to choose
a seat. It seems he was' a commercial
traveler, putting up ,at the place for
the night, who had found time hang
ing heavily on his hands. Nobody else
coming, Forbes sajd to the "audience;"
"Wiir you have the lecture or will
you have a drink?"
"A drink!" said the traveler. Golden
Tenny.
What Sbonld a Man Tell HIb Wife?
We have no faith In the creed of
those who say that between a man and
his wife there should be no secrets.' It
would work great and unnecessary
hardship in this world if men told their
wives In detail of all the trials they
endurejn matters outside of the home.
but where the stability of ther income:
lis involved and the wife is disposed to
(imperil its permanence he is twice a
defaulter who steals to encourage her
In bpr rnncpit of extrava gancc. Har-
ROSEWATER DON'T LIKE IT
But He Will Have to go Way 1 Jack and Sit
Down for Jpk S.' Hartley is the
New Boss j
Reports from Omahja say that when
Rosewater heard the news of the un
conditional pardon of Bartley his rage
knew no hounds. But1 he will hav e
to take his medicine Jf he don't'want
to associate with thieves and embez
zlers he will have to get out of the
republican party. His first proclama
tion on the subject ;of the pardon
and there are many more to follow
appeared in the . Bee January 2, and
was as follows:.
"On the 13th day of July last Gov
ernor' Savage . ordered ,the release ; of
Joseph S." Bartley, serving a twenty
year sentence . in the, penitentiary for
embezzlement of state funds, on a
sixty-day parole. In justification of
this act Governor Savage gave to the
press the following statement: i .
"'I have given Bartley a sixty-day
furlough, but whether that time will
be extended remains to be seen. 1
have imposed some J pretty hard re
quirements upon Bartiej and I shall
impose some still harder ones. If he
does what I ask him to do I will let
him out of the penitentiary. But if
he does not, then he will have to go
back. I do not care to say just now
what these requirements will bej. but
I am confident they will meet the ap
proval of the people of the statev'
"The impression naturally created
by this declaration, which Governor
Savage repeated from time to time
to allay the storm of indignation, was
that as a condition of the parole h
had exacted a pledge from Bartley to
turn into the state treasury a large,
part of the embezzled money, -anywhere
from $100,000 to $200,000. Bart
ley .himself persistently denied that
any conditions whatever had been
imposed upon him. On the eve of thi
assembling of the republican state con
vention, August 28, Governor Savage
admitted that no conditions had been
imposed upon Bartley, but that he had
confidently expected him to make resti
tution of a large part of the stolen
funds, in which expectation he had
been grievously disappointed.
"In the face of this explanation and
notwithstanding the personal appeal
made on behalf of Bartley by Gov
ernor Savage from the convention plat
form, the delegates, by a vote of . 99S
to 168, adopted the following resolu
tion: " 'The republicans of Nebraska dis
claim for the party any sympathy with
custodians of public moneys found
guilty of the betrayal of sacred trusts.
Without impugning the motives of the
governor in any case, we deprecate
any exercise of executive clemency
tending to create the false impression
that the republican party is 'disposed
to condone the wilful embezzlement, of
public funds under any circumstances,
and we request the immediate recall
of the parole of Joseph Bartlej.' ?
"The prompt revocatipn of the pa
role was interpreted as an .admission
on the part , of the governor, that its
issue was a mistake; And now Gov
ernor Savage has been persuaded that
he: made'- a mistake when; he revoked
the parole and has Issued an uncon
ditional pardon to the. state treasury
wrecker. - ., ;
"The labored plea put forth by the
governor to justify his course will not
change public sentiment so tersely ex
pressed by the . republican state con
vention. Nothing has happened since
Bartley was returned t6- prison to
make executive clemency any more
justifiable now than it was four
'months ago. ' The petitions gotten up
and circulated by Bartley's paid at
torneys and signed for the most part
by his bondsmen and beneficiaries were
on file with Governor Poynter and
Governor Dietrich, both of whom posi
tively declined to be persuaded to ac
cede to the appeal.
"It was publicly charged and can
be proved that a large sum, said to
have been over $30,000, was held out
as an inducement to secure Bartley's
pardon from Governor Poynter. It is
a matter of notoriety also that money
has been freely spent to create senti
ment in the interest of the liberation
of Bartley, while at the same time
threats of impending exposure of par
ties said to have been implicated in
Bartley.'s financial deals were frequent
ly and persistently sent out of the
penitentiary greenhouse. It is a mat
ter of notoriety also that state money
borrowed from Bartley has been paid
back to him since he has been in the
penitentiary, but not one dollar of it
has yet reached the state treasury.
"In the face of these facts, the pala
ver of Governor Savage about the
travesty of justice in the conviction
and sentence of Bartley and his lauda
tion of Bartley as the savior of the
state's business interests by propping
up tottering banks with money law
lessly taken from the state treasury
for his own private gain, will scarce
ly touch the chord of popular sym
pathy. The persuasive powers that
have induced Governor Savage to look
upon Bartley as a martyr to the pub
lic welfare and victim of judicial
tyranny will not reach the great body
of' the people who were pillaged2 and
plundered by Bartley and his confed
erates! The common people will in
sist upon asking what was so pointed
ly asked In the republican state con
vention. If a man who steals more
than $500,000 of public money Is en
titled to a Fat'on after-serving only
one-fourth of his sentence, why should
not the poor man who steals a horse
worth only , a few dollars enjoy the
same favor f . ' : ' ' t
"The universal verdict of the people
of Nebraska, excepting Jhose who have
been directly or Indirectly mixed tip
with Bartley and his beneficiaries, will
be a decided disapproval of the Bart
ley pardon. Fortunately for the re
publican pa"t, this flagrant abuse of
executive - clemency cannot be justly
laid at its door. The party, through
its chosen representatives, has ex
pressed itself positively and without
teserve against Bartley's liberation
and cannot rightly be held responsible
for public officials who set up ' their
individual judgment above that of the
frank and file whose will they are ex
pected to carry out.",. , 4, .
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EIGHT QUESTIONS
They are Puaers and the Democratic Party
; Should Make Some Sort of Answer
Editor Independent: I take the lib
erty of asking a few , questions which
I am -sure will interest all your read
ers if you will be kind enough to an
swer ..them.
Can the hard times in European
countries be traced to lack of gold on
account of the non-productiveness of
South African mines, since the Boer
war ?
If so, why do not the democratic
papers say so?
If an increasing production of gold
and other money have caused fairly
good times in America and a decreab
ing quantity of gold and other money
have caused poor times in Europe
does not this clinch the arguments
made by the popocrats in 1896?
If this is true, why don't the demo
cratic papers take advantage of the
opportunity and cry Bryan was right?
Has not American competition ha 1
a share in causing the hard times in
Europe, and would not a high protec
tive tariff be a good thing for our
neighbors across the sea?
If protection is a good thing for
America, why wouldn't it be a good
thing for other countries?
Would not the people, of -this United
Stateis be; better off If they) had no "sur
plus products to work; off to the 'for
eign countries but were able to con- j
sume all they produced,,at home? 2.
If the democratic press can see into
the tariff issue why can't they see
into the money question?
If convenient answer as many of the
questions as you consider important
and greatly oblige a curious reader.
GUS.. J. AXELSON.
Chicago, 111.
(The editor of . The Independent
gives it up. He has been trying to get
the democ:atic leaders to make the
move suggested in these questions for
the last two years. He has plead with
them;, he has grown sarpastic and he
has Jet; his angry passions rise and .he
has abused them In the worst' words
that he could summon. . It , has been
to no purpose. He gives it upi If
any one has a plan that will have a
tendency to make them "get a move on
themselves," please send it on. It
will be printed under a scare head
and spread all oyer the first page.
Ed. Ind.) .
made by thl3 government. Mr. Bryan
said he believed the English people
were opposed to the continuance of
the war, as they, too. are suffering be
cause of the unhappy conflict and ars
the ones that must bear the burden of
the cost.
Mayor Johnson also spoke briefly.
He said he was in full sympathy with,
the intent of the meeting and ex
pressed similar sentiments v to those
given by Mr. Bryan, saying the Eng
lish people generally were opposed to
the war. -;
A Laborer's Opinion
Editor Independent: Yours of the
28th received. I have neglected an
swering as I thought I could not af
ford another paper. I already sub
scribe for four papers, two democratic
and two republican, but the Nebraska
Independent is a good educator and
there should be more like it if we ex
pect the people to ever wake up and
realize what their own interests are.
I will hand the samples to my neigh
bors and try to get them interested.
You will find one dollar enclosed. Good
luck to you and may the principles
that you advocate grow and spread.
L. H. HASSING.
Albert Lea, Minn.
BRYAN AND JOHNSON
Elihu Root-ed Miles
E Li Hu Root or Root I Hu,El,,
Would damn General Miles to eternal
hell,
Because, forsooth, he caw fit to toot
An opinion adverse to Hu I El Rout,
Anent the finding of the inquiry court
And the justice of Dewey's dissenting
report.
Li E Hu Root or Root E Li Hu,
Won't alow our lieutenant gen'ral a
view,
That's not in exact and equal accord
With the will 'of "the clique to whom
Sampson is ward;
So, my General Miles, if you would
"do well'
Remember you are dealing with Root
I U Hel. . -v
6;t hu ii .fe ftoot, U I rtoot IhuI.e,
O, Root Lu E Hi, and, O, U Li Root He,
Hu E Li Root or Root E Lu Hi,
Has given" Gen'ral Miles the merry
"go-by;'; , ,, . ,
But Miles Is ! all right and ' George
Dewey is, 'too'- i -k .
In spite of E; Li Hu Root or Root .Li.
. . E, Hu. , w..,,
B. 0. DUG G AN.
They Address an Audleiire of Four Thou
sand in Behalf of the Boer Kepubllc
Four thousand people attended a
pro-Boer meeting in Gray's armory
last Saturday. There was enthusiastic
applause for every expression of sym
pathy and encouragement for the
struggling Boers. An unexpected per
son in the meeting was the appearance
of Hon. W. J. Bryan, who was in this
city for the day as the guest of Mayor
Johnson. When the committee in
charge of the meeting learned that
the democratic leader was in the city
an invitation was sent to him and the
mayor to attend and address the gath
ering. Both gentlemen accepted and
when, toward the close of other
speeches, Mr. Bryan and Mr. Johnson
entered the hall, the audience rose en
masse and repeatedly shouted the
names of "Bryan" and "Johnson," and
greeted them with, hurrahs and hand-clappings.
Mr. Bryan spoke for about five min
utes, during which time he said:
"Sad will be that day, fallen will be
the star of our destiny if the time
ever comes when struggling freemen
feel that they cannot look upon the
people of these states for sympathy.'
Mr. Bryan, who said that he was in
entire sympathy with the intent of the
meeting, eulogized the fighting South
African farmers and urged that they
continue the struggle. He said he
was glad the war had cost England so
dearly and that the disastrous cost in
money and life would be a much need
ed lesson for the English government,
because it would teach, and has al
ready taught a lesson that will not
soon be forgotten. t
Mr.' Bryan said that he considered It
a compliment that the Boers lobkel
to the United States for aid and feym
pathy In their struggle. He considp-Trl,
Hare's a Roast
Editor Independent:" "In The Com
moner of November 22 I read' this:
"Dear Reader Would you like to
know more about the people's, indepen
dent party (populist) ? ThCparty that
holds the balance of power Jl twenty
states in the union. If so,; send your
name and address and -we f will - send
you the leading people's party paper
free of charge for six veeks.-r-The. Ne
braska Independent.', I accordingly
sent a postal card and have been . re
ceiving the paper ever, since, I will
say that I have read your. paper, care
fully trying to find independent pop
ulism, i find that instead of being in
dependent you are "depending" large
ly on that old defunct4 organization
known as the democratic party. The
assassinator and destroyer of every re
form movement from the old Ameri
can or know-nothing party (as they
called it) down to the present time.
You certainly have not kept yourself
well posted as to the acts and policy
of that old party. I , was born and
raised in a southern . state. I am 63
years old and I know some thin.s
about southern democracy. You may
have a different kind in Nebraska. I
know that in '61 they forced the south
into secession. That was ruinous.
And every man who opposed the move
was branded as an abolitionist. Just
as they call populists anarchists to
day. And you want to fuse with
them. What do you think of their
counting-out and ballot box stuffing
methods? Do you think Watson was
treated fairly in '92? In fact, do you
really believe that they adopted our
principles at Chicago in good faith,
or was it done to check the spread of
populism, which would have destroyed
the democratic party? Down south
they told us that we could vote for
Bryan and old "Gold Clause" Sewell
or go to h 1. That they could carry
the south without our help.
Would you advice the pops in Mis
souri to fuse with the democrats of
that state? I guess you've read some
thing in the papers about the Card
well suit against the Republic. No, I
can't pay $1 for a paper that claims to
be an independent populist paper an !
advocates fusion with either of the
old parties, for I know' that they are
both corrupt. That southern democrats
are just as rotten as Pennsylvania re
publicans. I take The Commoner, tlje
St. Ixmis Post-Dispatch, the Missouri
World, the Appeal to Reason. I read
the Globe-Democrat pretty regular.
All I find what they claim to be. Thl i
swapping principle to get office won't
do; you have lost all the pops ever
held In the northwest by fusing with
the enemy. D. E. JACKSON.
Fayetteville, Ark.
A Snappy Paper
1 Nebraska Independent: I have re
ceived your papers and was pleased
with the way current affairs are com
mented upon. In my opinion the
"Tom L. Johnson brand of democracy"
is the ideal in practical form, still I
recognize the facts; of least resistance
and environment, to a great extent
govern - the . existence ; of Syour very
"snappy paper." 'But all roads lead
to Rome" and According to the light
Jvn, your .subscribers. Voji 8,re doing ;
rvrtA.. -'"'' " - ' - ,- 1.1.U
ocracy, but rather the genuine article.
I; have taken. advantage of clubbing
rate with. The Commoner and accord
ingly sent $1.35 to The Commoner.
GEO. S. CONROY.
San Francisco, Cal.'
Flanneled Fools
The London Times prints a poem by
Rudyard-Kipling, exceeding a column
in length, which Is virtually an appeal
to Uhe nation' to adopt compulsory
military service. Kipling sneers at the
manner in which the war In South
Africa was begun and Is being contin
ued and the valn-glorious attitude 6i
the British toward their enemy. Af
ter declaring that raw striplings picked
from the street were sent to war.
while strong men Idled at home, he
says: ' "
And ye sent them comfits and pictures
To help them harry your foes,
And ye vaunted your fathomless power
And ye flaunted your iron pride.
Ere ye fawned on the younger nations
For the men ; who would shoot and
ride.
Then ye returned to your trinkets;
Then ye contented your souls
With the flanneled fools at the wicket,
Or the muddled oafs at the goals.
Giv.n to strong delusion, wholly be-
lieving ,
A lie; ,
Ye saw that the land lay fenceless and
Yet let the. months go by,
Waiting some easy wonder, hoping
some
Saving sign.
Idle, openly idle, In the lee of the fore
Spent line; ,.'.:
Idle except for your boasting, and
. what
Is Your boasting worth
If ye grudge a year of service to the
Lordliest line on earth?
Ancient, effortless, ordered, cycle on
cycle set,
Life so long untroubled that ye who
; Inherit forget.' '
It was not. made with the mountains;
It Is not one with the deep.
Men, - not" gods devised it; men. not
gbds must keep.
- Democrats Waking up
The Independent has frequently
called attention to the advance that
the Bryan democracy is making. To
a populist it seems like the journey of
a ; snail, but nevertheless it does ad
vance; It has moved forward In
Massachusetts and now word comes
from Chicago that its democratic
mayor is demanding the referendum
and public ownership. The following
extracts are taken from his recent
message to the Chicago city council:
No ordinance can be passed without
my most vigorous protest which fail3
to provide for future public-ownership
aa well as for the referendum. I re
gard myself as under a pledge to the
people to do all in my official and in
dividual power to bring about the
poi-tibllity of municipal ownership.
If municipal ownership is to be ob
tained the passage of enabling legisla
tion must be a condition precedent o
thv granting of the desired extensions.
Once i ass the extension and the pre
vention of the passage of enabling leg
islation at Springfield is made too
eas2' for the traction companies.
Public ownership demands as a con
dition precedent a civil service which
shall re. free from the frills, the furbe
lows end the ultra refinements of the
theoretical reformer, and which shall
yet oppose an insurmountable obstacle
in the pathway of so-called gang po
litical methods. Long before the time
discussed as a proper time for the ex
tenticn of franchises shall have ex
pired the people will be ready to take
upon themselves the operation of great
public utilities.
I believe in the referendum because
through its instrumentality corrup
tion and the motives for corruption
will largely be minimized, if not erad
icated from our municipal govern
ments. The passage of an ordinance
by its very terms inoperative until Its
provisions shall have ., been submitted
to a direct vote of the people will gUe
your honorable body , (the city coun
cil) the satisfactory assurance of your
actions meeting the approval of the
pvt-rle you have been chosen to repre
sent. ; '
Thanks to the battles of the last
five years, one proposition is fixed and
immutable, that in whatever form it
le paid compensation fair , and ade
quate must be given to the municipal
ity by the corporations for the privil
eges they are to enjoy.
Norton (Kas.) Liberator: Mark
Hanna says that he Is In favor of pro
tecting labor, 'therefore he will sup
port the ship subsidy steal. Mark
should ' now be offered the chair of
logic in some great university. Such
logicians as Mills, Sir Humphrey Davy
and Aristotle lived too soon to see
this prodigy in logic. An equivalent
to his proposition would reason thus
ly:, Premise: I believe in justice
Conclusion: Therefore I will support
