Nebraska Newspapers

    THE NEBRASKA INDEPENDENT,
February 13, 1902
THE POVERTY LINE
(Continued from Page One.)
cause they cannot pay the necessary
subscriptions. The children must
have no pocket money for dolls, mar
bles, or sweets. The father must
smoke no tobacco and drink no beer.
The mother must never buy any pret
ty clothes for herself or for her chil
dren, the" character of the family ward
robe as for the family diet being gov
erned by the regulation: 'Nothing
must be bought but that which is ab
solutely necessary for the maintenance
of physical health, and what is bought
must be of the plainest and most econ
omical description. Should a child
fall ill. It must be attended by the
parish doctor: should it die, It must
be burled by the parish. Finally, the
wage-earner must never be absent
from his work for a single day."
This Is not poverty, acording to Mr.
Rowntree, but simply tfie dividing
line falling below it is poverty.
"He notes five alternating periods
of want and comparative plenty.
'First, want in early childhood. This
Is the most dismal fact that while
the family Is growing, before the chil
dren have begun to earn, poverty Is at
its greatest; hence the children under
fed, the stunted physique reared to
perpetuate the vicious circle. With
the earning of the elder children the
family climbs above the poverty line;
and the laborer remains above, if a
regular wage-earner, until he is mar
ried and has two or three children,
when he falls below it again. Once
more, when his own children are earn
ing, he is raised into comparative af
fluence. Finally, when his children
have gone out into the world, and he
Is no longer fit to work, never hav
ing received sufficient income to save
my appreciable sum, he sinks into
the cast-aside, dreary, intolerable old
age of the great mass of the laborers
Df England shivering towards the
?rave on uncertain charity, on inade
juate outdoor relief, or massed in
herds behind the barriers of some gi
gantic, state-provided institution."
But we must not waste too much
sympathy on the fate of the English
unskilled laborers until we know that
our own are not similarly situated.
The high prices for living expenses
now prevailing have called forth con
siderable comment as to who reapi
the benefit. Some have hinted that
the trusts may be getting the lion's
share, and this has impelled Dun's
Review to rush to their defense and
show that the farmer is the one who
is responsible. With this phase of the
question we have no concern here. It
Is the figures given by the Review
that are startling.
The Review makes a specialty o?
studying prices and manufacturing
statistics to assist the plutocrats. It
estimates that under present condi
tions It costs the average man $30 a
year more to live now than it did four
and a half years ago. On the basis of
prices, according to the Review, tn
average man could live a year on
$72.46; It now costs $101.59. This must
be the American poverty line. Dun
specifies the items as follows:
Breadstuff s 5 20.00
Meats 9-67
Dairy and garden "truck" 15.25
Other food....... 8-95
Clothing ......... 15.53
Metals 15.38
Miscellaneous 16.79
Total $101.53
These are figures for the "average"
man.' What about the poor devil who
falls below the average? Less than 3
cents a day for meats; a trifle over r
cents for bread: a little over 4 cents
for butter and vegetables; about the
same for clothing and for metals. If
this be the American poverty line, the
figures for the average man, God pity
those who must live on less.
The figures for 1897, $72.46, are
prices for Identically the same amount
of living as presented in the table for
this year. Is it possible that any con
siderable number of the American
people were obliged to exist a whole
year on $72.46 at that time? Sup
pose we take just one class of men,
section hands on the railroads: In
1897 the railroads employed 171,752
section hands, designated in the re
ports as "other trackmen." Their av
erage ,wage was $1.16 per day. Assum
ing that the section hand put in every
working day, his earnings for the year
would amount to $363.08. Estimating
his family at five persons, his wages
would give $72.62 for the yearly sup
port of each member of the family.
According to Dun they could live on
$72.46', hence, there is no good reason
why, the entire family could not save
80 cents that year and help to swell
the deposits and the number of ie
positors In the savings banks.
And section hands are about as well
off as many another class of unskilled
laborers. There Is a field for some
American Rowntree to fix a "pov
erty line."
Keep Your Bowels Strong.
Constipation or diarrhoea when
your bowels are out of order. Cas
carets Candy Cathartic will make
them act naturally. Genuine tablets
stamped C. C. C. Never sold in
bulk. All druggists, ioc!
IT MAKES TEDDY DIZZY
. JEvery Sort of a Grafter la After Him and
VYblcbercr way H Turns lie yvu
" tag-onlxsa Seme Interest
Washington, D. C, Feb. 8. -The
mix-up on the Cuban question gets
more exasperating every day. Roose
velt doesn't know where he is at. The
great sugar planters of Cuba want the
50 per- cent tariff reduction because It
will build a wall around them to ex
clude the sugar from other parts of the
world.- If they can supply our needs
on tnis oasis tney may recoup irom
their financial embarrassment caused
by the unsettled conditions of th-s
past four years.
.- , But on the other- hand, the special
interests ODDOsed to Cuban sugar and
. luuatcu die ravtug auu icanug auuui
with wild prophecies of what they will
do to Roosevelt's political ambitions
if he helps' the Cubans, to any- con
cessions. On the other hand, a per
sistence In the present plan of Ignor-
f d1 . - I A 1 fH 4. A. Lt
the sentiment for annexation.
For over sixty years Mrs. Winslow's
Soothing - Syrup has been used by
mothers for their children while teeth
ing. Are you disturbed at night and
broken of your rest by a sick child
suffering and crying with pain of Cut
ting Teeth? If so send at once and
get a bottle of "Mrs. Winslow's Sooth
ing Syrup" for Children Teething. Its
value is' incalculable. It will relieve
the poor little sufferer Immediately.
Depend upon it. mothers, there is no
mistake about it. It cures diarrhoea,
regulates the . stomach and bowels,
cures wind colic, softens the gums, re
duces Inflammation, and gives tone
and energy to'the whole System. "Mrs.
Winslow's Soothing Syrup" for chil
dren teething Is pleasant to the taste
and is the prescription of one of the
oldest and best female physicians and
nurses In the United States, and Is for
sale by all druggists throughout the
world. Price, 25 cents a bottle. Be
sure and ask for "Mrs. WInslow s
Soothing Syrup."
are not looking for annexation, for
that would throw down their tariff
scheme altogether, and besides giving
them free trade with this country,
would make tnein a sugar exporting
people competing with other producers
in tne markets of the world. So which
ever way Roosevelt turns he runs
against some special Interest that will
not be placated no matter what he
does.
Every plan he can suggest is open
to most serious objection from some
interest involved. So he is running
in a circle ana getting quite dizzy.
All the continental powers are talc
ing pleasure in puDlisnlng official cor
respondence to snow that England not
only was not our friend as against a
continental coalition before the Span
ish war, but that in fact she was right
up in front In the proposed agree -ment'against
us and in favor of Spain.
More than that, Lord Pauncefote, the
British ambassador, was the head front
of the second attempt at agreement
which failed to materialize. Further
more, that England laid aside her own
work in her arsenals in order to sup
ply ammunition for Spain. All of
which sounds a bit queer after th
pompous assurance recently given in
parliament as to how England sto.v!
oy this country and .prevented a con
tinental coalition. It was a most un
fortunate claim, for it cannot be sub
stantiated and England cannot ex
plain away her misleading attitude in
the face of the diplomatic correspon
dence now being given out by other
countries on this subject. It is true
that after the battle of Manila Englan.l
suddenly became very friendly to us
because she feared the disturbance of
her trade relations with the islands.
So much for the Angio-Americau
friendship which has been the boast
of the republican party.
It will be the fault of the demo
crats themselves if they do not carry
the next congressional election and
have a fine majority in , the house.
The republicans, are torn in factions
and indulge in language to each other
which would disgrace a street gamin.
Representative Babcock, understand
ing the strong feeling throughout the
west in favor of taking the tariff off
trust controlled articles, has managed
to scare his colleagues pretty badly.
It is said that he has seventy-five re
publicans pledged to vote' with him to
take off the tariff on iron and steel.
The ways and means committee, wnich
is thoroughly subservient to trust in
terests, has had a pretty -bad scare
over the matter. Babcdck is not to bo
bullied and declares that be will not
come to kneel at the crack of the
caucus whip.
So the ways and means committor
will try to defer action of any sort un
til the present feeling quiets down.
It is to be, regretted that the hous3
democrats do not show the readiness
which they might to take advantage of
this state of affairs.
The house republicans are also bad
ly disrupted over the Cuban matter.
There is a splendid chance for the
democrats to make an aggressive cam
paign and lay the foundation for dem
ocratic victory at the next congres
sional election.
It just came out in the senate th-
other day that the civil commission in
the Philippines had promulgated a set
of sedition laws which raase it treason
to talk of independence for the Fili
pinos. Senator Foraker of Ohio warned
Senator Tillman that only his sena
torial position protected him from ar
rest and trial for treason because he
had advocated freedom and indepen
dence for the Filipinos on the floor of
the senate. A nice state of affairs for
a free government like ours.
Roosevelt's order forbidding indi
vidual employes or associations of
government employes to petition con
gress on their own behalf Is raising
a howl from the labor unions through
out the country. The machinists em
ployed at the various government ar
senals belong to unions of their trade
and are protesting strongly. And this
is only the beginning. There Is more
to come.
BRITISH ATROCITIES
They Confined rVomeu and Children in
Camp When Their Relatives Stood
Beady to Care for Them
All the ages will not wipe out the
record of inhuman brutality that the
British have made In South Africa.
As far as The Independent is con
cerned, it wants no friendship with
a nation that will permit such things
as have been planned and carried out
under the direction of the British gov
ernment in that land. The cruelties
are greater than have ever been
charged against savage tribes. It is
much less cruel to scalp and kill than
it is to deliberately confine women
and children by thousands In camps
where it was well known before the
victims were sent there that It would
be impossible to prevent enteric and
typhoid fevers causing their death by
the thousands. They were simply
sentenced to die of fevers instead of
standing them up in line to be shot
or tied to the mouths of canons to
be fired into shreds. The Independent
wants no friendship with a govern
ment that sanctions such barbarism.
It would as soon profess an admira
tion for Nero or Caligula; '
Dr. George C. Groff, In a protest
printed In the Outlook, says: v ,
'J Jil y0.!!.- .9?yP?.nts on the state-
the Outlook for December 21, 1901,
you do the Boer women an uninten
tional Injustice when you seem to at
tribute any portion of the enormous
death-rate in the concentration camps
to the "unsanitary habits" of the un
fortunate women. The English au
thorities burned the homes of these
women and children, and forced them
Into these camps when they would
have gone to their friends. Miss
Emily Hobhouse shows in the Oc
tober Contemporary Review that these
camps are prisons, surrounded with
wire fence, and women who escape are
returned to the camps. She shows
that the awful death-rate is due to
scurvy, a starvation disease. She
shows that mothers and their babes
are often in different camps and are
kept apart. She says that while the
relatives and friends would care for
these unfortunates, the government
will not permit this. She also says
that Dutch women who desire to nurse
in the camps are replaced by English
nurses In whom the people have no
confidence. She further says that the
women are harshly treated, and that
such Is the treatment that a large por
tion of the deaths are no less than
murders to be charged to the authori
ties maintaining the camps. During
the Spanish-American war we had a
great amount of sickness and a heavy
death-rate at Camp Alger, at Chatta
nooga, at Santiago, in Porto Rico and
at Montauk Point. The sickness was
largely typhoid fever, a disease pre
ventable, and which largely delights
in filth. Now, just as properly charge
this sickness to the ignorance and un
sanitary habits of the American people
as the present sickness in the concen
tration camps to the ignorance and un
sanitary habits of the Boer women.
In each case the sickness follows
strange, unusual and unfavorable con
. re habits or customs of
those concerned have but compara
tively little to do in the matter.
GEORGE G. GROFF, M. D.
Lewisburg, Pa.
pill IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIUIUIIIUIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIM
CLEAN-UP ON EVERY
WE'VE KNOCKED THE UNDERPINNING FROM PRICES. WE WANT TO CLEAN UP ALL OUR WINTER STOCK
ODDS AND ENDS BEFORE BRINGING OUT THE NEW SPRING GOODS.
FINAL
nnrv f .
Ml Win
U i
-ALL
Cotton Seed Products
There are 357 establishments en
gaged in the extraction or cottonseed
oil in the United States, using 2,479,
386 tons of cottonseed, costing $2S,
632,616, an average cost of $11.55 per
ton. The total value of the products
was $42,411,835. The several products
were as follows: Cottonseed oil, 93,
325.729 gallons, valued at $21,390,674,
which makes the average 22.9 cents
per gallon; oil-cake and meal, 884.391
tons, valued at $16,030,576, an average
of $18.13 per ton; hulls, 1,169,286
tons, valued at $3,189,354, an average
of $2.73 per ton, and linters, 57,272,053
pounds, valued at $1,801,231, an aver
age of 3.1 cents per pound.
The cost of the cottonseed crushed
for oil extraction was $28,632,616 and
the values of the products were as fol
lows: Oil, $21,390,674; cake and meal.
$16,030,576; hulls, $3,189,354; linters
$1,801,231 a total of $42,411,835. Tlie
value of the seed was increased 48.1
per cent by the manufacture.
Notwithstanding this enormous sav
ing from what was formerly wasted,
yet only 53.1 per cent of all the cotton
seed raised was utilized.
A Grocer's Gaid
In an interesting letter on political
matters, Wilfred Lebert of Archer,
Neb., makes this side remark: "1 do
not possess a small dictionary, but
will say that Mr. Shifaly's letter, pub
lished in The Independent of Janu
ary SO, is not taken from a dictionary
at all, but is copied from an adver
tising card which he got at some
grocery store."
$100 REWARD $100
The readers of this iaper will be
pleased to learn that there is at least
one dreaded disease that science has
been able to cure in all its stages and
that is Catarrh. Hall's Catarrh Cure
is the only positive cure now known
to the medical fraternity. Catarrh be
ing a constitutional disease, requires
a , constitutional treatment. Hall's
Catarrh Cure is taken internally, act
ing directly upon the blood and mucous
surfaces of the system, thereby de
stroying the foundation of the dis
ease, and giving the patient strength
by building up the constitution and
assisting nature in doing its work.
The proprietors have so much faith
in its curative powers, that they offer
One Hundred Dollars for any case
that it fails to cure. Send for list of
testimonials. Address,
F. J. CHENEY & Co., Toledo, O.
Sold by druggists, 75c.
Hairs Family Pills are the best.
DIETRICH'S TAX DODGING
Before Tie Was Senator He Paid Taxes on
$25.00, but Afterward lie Bailed
it to $50. OO
Recently Senator Dietrich hunted up
the State Journal correspondent at
Washington and "submitted (In type
writing) to an Interview" relative to
state matters. On the whole the sena
tor's Ideas are , worthy of considera
tion and discussion, although he
doubtless borrowed them from some
one. His Idea is to extend the cowers
of the state board of equalization,
giving it the right to raise or lower
the assessed valuation of any county,
as well as to vary the rate to be placed
on each county. Much may be said
on this question, both for and against.
One of his sentences, however, aroused
the Ire of an Adorns county man, who
took the trouble to Investigate and
see how sincere the senator is in his
declarations: "One county board of
equalization will wink at absurd valu
ations on horses and cattle, while the
county adjoining will try to do what
Is right. Valuations placed upon
realty are equitable and just in some
counties, while in others they are all
criminally low.''
The following letter speaks for
Itself:
Editor Independent: As you will
see from the enclosed clipping, taken
from the Adams County Democrat,
Senator Dietrich has submitted to be
interviewed on the revenue laws of
Nebraska. . He thinks that some county
boards have been in the habit of
"winking" at absurd valuations on
horses and cattle, and it seems that
he is in favor of compelling them to
look at such matters with an uncom-
romislng eve. Of course, a
man that 1 in r
5 m New Idea Pat-
foTna 1 ft
o a
a e a . o a m m
917-921 0, OPPOSITE POST OFFICE.
Mi
25 Per Cent off M
on Children's M
CLOAKS. 1
Winter Shirtwaists
$2.00 Flannel Waists, sailor col
lars,brud, trimmed, red, green
and blue. $1 27
12.25 quality, plain black and
pink $1 69
f&00 Waists in green, red, pink
and gray, braid trimmed,
only $2 28
14.00 Silk Finish Henrietta
Waists, in red and blue.... $2 75
Siik Waists in red, brown, heli
trope that sold for f 4.75 and
$5.U0, now only $3 79
f 4.75 Satin Waists in black or
colors $2 87
Flannelette Wrappers
These warm wrappers are in
dark colors, well made, and
prettily trimmed.
$1.00 quality for 79c
$1.25 quality for 98o
$1.50 quality for : .$1 15
$1.75 quality for $1 29
Skirts, the good wearing kind
We've put them in three lots to
clean up. .
i2.50 and $2.00 skirts, black and
dark colors $1 39
$3.75, $3.50 and $3.00 for .$2 17
$5.50, $4.50, and $4.00 Skirts,
nicely trimmed $2 45
Men's Overshirts and Pants
60c Jersey Knit Shirts ' -47c
90c Jersey Knit Shirts 69c
Odd lot pants, worth up to 75c. -47c
Pants worth up to $1.00 69c
Pants worth up to $1.25 89 C
Prices Talk on Underwear
Men's' Camel Hair Fleece Lined 07l
Underwear, were 40c, now . L I w
Men's Underwear in broken lots, QQo
which were 50 and 60 cents, now 3JL
Men's Natural Woo! Shirts and Drawers, R7a
were 75 cents, now U I u
Men's Sanitary All-Wool Shirts and Drawers, were $1.25, QQli
now Uuu
Women's Jersey Ribbed Shirts and Drawers, OR A
were 25 cents and 30 cents, now Ill If
Women's Silver Gray Seal Lined Underwear, QQft
were 50 cents, now Oull
Women's Natural Wool Underwear, KKo
were 75 cents, now Uulf
20 Ier Cent Discount on all other lines of Underwear.
Jackets and Cloaks Must Go.
You can't get better bargains than right here, look where you may.
and compare our goods and prices and see for yourself.
Come
Clean-Up Shoe Sale
A lot of warm lined Moccasins for Babies, I Qn
Clean-up .price I Uu
A lot of Children's Kid Button and Lace Shoes, 5 to 8, jk Q
Clean-up price. tOu
54 pairs Misses' kid and kangaroo calf lace and Q7n
button Shoes, 11 to 2, Clean-up price Jib
23 pairs Youths' and Boys' Lace Shoes, C I QQ
worth up to $1.75, Clean-up price... v I iuu
122 pairs Ladies' up-to-date Shoes, C I QQ
four different lots, all sizes, regular $2.50, Clean-up price v I iUO
136 pairs Men's Shoes in broken lots, good styles, lace and 1 I "1
congress, Clean-up price, $2.85, $2.48, $1.90, $1.40 and; $ 1 1 1 I
Men's Alaska Overshoes 68c Men's Arctics, good quality .... 90c
Rubber Boots CO OR TO CO Rfl A big Discount on warm lined Shoes
from $.i.d OOiJU and Slippers of all grades.
Cut Prices In Groceries I
Flour if
Crystal Flour, worth $1.05, now .v 97c
Imperial, worth $1.10, now. OO
Capital, worth $1.15, now....$l 05
Coffee H
Special Drive, was 15c, now. . .12Hc 25
Hercules Coffee, was 20c, now . . . 16o 55 '
Tea f
40c good Japan Tea .i .... . . . -34c 55
60c New Moon and Gunpowder. 48c 55
Soap H
Old Mill Soap, 8 for 25c 55
Swift's Pride, 7 for 25 C 5
General Groceries
Best Japan Rice . : 6-4 O EE
Choice Minnesota Burbank EE
Potatoes $1 10 EE
Choice hand-picked beans, EE
6 lbs for 25c EE
Home prepared Tomato Catsup, EE
per bottle . .:. . . . . . . ; .' . . ....... 10c EE
SnidePs Catsup, per bottle Igc 55
Rabbit's Foot Baking powder, EE
1-lb.oan.. ISc
10c Can Rabbit's Foot Baking r
Powder 8c
Extra selected Apples, per. gal- EE
Ion. ............29c 25
Kairomel Sy rupi wa 35c,' now . . 29 c EE
California Apricots, per can. . 12Hc 55
Green Gage Plums lie 55
Red Table Cherries ,.9C 55
Choice Standard Tomatoes Ho 55
I FURS SLIGHTLY DAMAGED BY WATE
A BREAK IN A WATER PIPE SLIGHTLY DAMAGED A LOT OF OUR FURS DISCOLORED THE LININGS, BUT
55 OTHERWISE THEY ARE JUST AS GOOD AS EVER. TO CLOSE THEM OUT WE OFFER THEM AT
j J U S T O N EH A L F FORMER P R I C E S
iniiiuiiiniiiiiiHiiiiiM
ment. and an overhauling of the tax
shirker" does not belong himself to
that class. It will he news to many
to hear that the returns of the asses
sor show our senator to be rather a
poor man. The following shows the
valuation of his personal property,
cash on hand, etc., for the last five
vears:
1897 $25.00
1898 Zo.WJ
1899 20.00
1900 20.00
1C01 50.00
The fiarures above sneak for them
selves. Query: If the senator is not a
poor man, then who did the "wink
ing?" JOHN EVANS.
Negunda, Neb.
It will be observed that the valua
tion of Senator Dietrich's property fell
off 20 per cent in 1899, but that it
iumDed ud aealn 150 Der cent after his
selection by D. E. Thompson to be
United States senator. The Indepen
dent is proud of the fact that a man
whose earthly possessions are valued
by the tax assessor at $20 to $25 can
be elected not only as governor of his
state, but be elevated to a seat in that
millionaires' club." the United States
senate. It Is wholly In accord with
the genius of our democratic institutions.
Spnator Dietrich must feel like the
proverbial church mouse down there
at Washinfftonbut. after all. he s
in proper company, a member of the
Amalgamated Association or iax
Shirkers and Tax Eaters. But isn't it
a little like the devil rebuking sin for
him to criticize tax shirkers?
To make cows, pay, use Sharpies
Cream SeDarators. Book "Business
Dairying" and catalogue 270 free. W.
Chester, Pa.
INDUSTRIAL EVOLUTION
From Savagery to Morgan the Ago of
TraaU What Shall How bo Done
Populism or Socialism
Prof. Richard T. Ely, In his "Out
line of Economics," gives five stages
in the industrial evolution of man
in his efforts to get a living, (a)
Hunting and fishing stage; (b) Pas
toral stage; (c) , Agricultural; (i)
Trades and commerce stage (distin
guished by hand manufacture); (e)
industrial stage (beginning with power
manufacture). George H. Shibley
makes a slightly different classifica
tion for the past and adds one, for the
present and one for the future. ' He
says: "In the life of mankind the
following more or less clearly defined
stages or gradations are discernible:
(1) the hunting, (2) the pastoral, (3)
the agricultural, (4) the manufactur
ing and commercial, (5) that of credit,
free contract and large industrial or
ganizations, (5) instead of free con
tract, that of private monopolies in
transportation, mining, manufacturing
and traded This is the trust era-
modern feudalism. (7) The next stage
Is the establishment of majority rule
ernment, with Its rule of the few
through the use of wealth, Is dis
carded and the private monopolies are
at once controlled In the Interest of
the people, and after a short time
public ownership of the monopolies
takes place. This last stage is occur
ring in Switzerland, New Zealand and
in some parts of the United States.
The reason why private monopolies
are changed to public control and then
to public ownership Is to promote a
tendency to equal opportunities (equal
rights). This tendency is an essential
factor in present-day progress."
In passing it should be said that
the political party system was riot
contemplated by the framers of our
federal constitution. Notwithstanding
the declaration of Independence and
the ideas of equality therein enunci
ated, the Hamiltonlan idea was suf
ficiently powerful to leave its im
press upon the constitution and it wa3
not intended that the people should
do more than to elect rulers and that
these rulers should administer the
government for the good of all. It was
difficult to overcome the idea that
the great mass of the people were In
competent to have correct ideas of
what would tend for their own welfare
and good, and the theory was that
they should select men eminently
qualified to do the thinking for the
whole population. That this was the
prime intention Is manifest from the
safeguards thrown around the election
of president, vice president and United
States senators. The election of these
was taken away from the people as far
as practicable.
But the growth of political parties
was the natural outcome of such a
course. The people were determined
that their own notions of public pol
icy should be Imposed upon their
rulers, and not that the rulers should
be the arbiters of what would be good
for the people. As to the election of a
president and vice president, the party
system obviated the difficulties in part,
but not wholly; while in the election
of United States senators it has been
still less successful. Although ther
Is no law binding a presidential elec
tor to vote for any given person for
president, yet in the history of the
United States there is no instance of
any elector violating the trust re
posed in him. It is quite different In
the case of United States senators.
The privilege of expressing a prefer
ence for senator has been accorded
the voters of Nebraska on several oc
casions, and in no instance did the
legislature elect the person who was
the choice of the people.
Candid thinking men are agreed
that our system of representative gov
ernment, needs some amendment, to
make It respond to the wishes of the
majority. The present party system
and the success of a given party,
makes an apparent endorsement of
many questions which in fact a ma
jority of the people do not endorse,
and the rejection of other questions
which are not in fact repudiated by
the majority. It Is extremely doubt
ful if a majority of the American peo
Dle endorse the republican Philippine
tlVff H.-t nrVioPirPT tfrg may Tia Tr 1a
endorse the republican financial poli
cies. It is perfectly safe to say that
a large majority of the American peo
ple are heartily In favor of the elec
tion of United States senators by di
rect vote. Undoubtedly a majority of
the people in most of the cities favor
the municipal ownership of public
utilities, such as gas, electric light and
waterworks and street railroad sys
tems. A little more educational work
and a majority will favor the public
ownership of the railroads, telegraphs,
telephones and a system of postal sav
ings banks. But our cumbersome
representative system and party ma
chinery stand In the way of reforms
actually desired.
The Independent has never pinned
all its faith in the idea of direct legis
lation, realizing that reforms come
slowly and that many of the detailed
plans of the direct leglslatlonlsts, al
though upon paper fully as attractive
as a carefully presented scheme of
Karl Marx socialism, might prove as
cumbersome as present methods. The
underlying principles of direct legis
lation, however, are correct and In
volve no such necessity for a change In
human nature as would the establish
ment of Karl Marx socialism. , '
The key-note of direct ; legislation
is to give the people the veto power.
This is fundamentally sound. The
Idea that the president or the gov
ernor or mayor or other chief execu
tive officer, as the case may be, should
be allowed to set his ' seal of disap
proval upon the work of a deliberative
body of men Is simply td assume that
he is wiser than the whole body. And
this is simply ridiculous.
The Idea of referring to the people
for approval or disapproval legislation
of extreme importance has been incor
porated In the fundamental laws oz
the United States generally. In Ne
braska the constitution can be amend
ed or a new one made only by Invok
ing the referendum. And the only
question now Is, How far shall ' this
idea be extended? Shall it apply to
all laws, or to a part only? And If
to a part only, where shall the division
be made?
Direct legislation does not deal so
much with questions of public policy
as with the means of ascertaining
without unreasonable1 and vexatious
delays whether a given line of action
shall be adopted or rejected. It is not
an end, but simply a means to an end.
TRADE BALANCES
I
Yanderjip'e Sxplanatlon not the True One
Not Redeeming Our Debt Abroad
Very Rapidly
Washington, D. C. Feb. 1, 1902.
Editor Independent: Much comment
is heard on the . article In January
Scrlbner's on "The American Commer
cial Invasion of Europe," by Vander
lip, recently assistant secretary of the
treasury and one of the leading lights
of the g. o. p. "literary bureau."
The problem that he has to solve s
to show why the amount of money In
this, country does not keep check with
of leading republican papers (mostly
forwarded In plates from Washington)
and the spell binder. Mr. Vanderlip
says the great, excess is used to re
purchase our securities held abroa 1.
tourists' expenses, ocean freights and
contributions by immigrants. As
against the repurchase of securities,
the Outlook of December 21 shows
that during the first three-quarters of
1901 the purchase exceeded the sales
for foreign account. by over one mil
lion shares and this report Is taken
from the records of the New York
stock exchange. Again take the
monthly summary of October, 1901,
at page 1801, and lt shows that our
merchandise exports exceeded our
merchandise imports every year from
1875 down, except 1888, 1889 and 1893.
when there ' was . a balance the othr
way of only fifty millions. So Mr.
Vanderlip has to do better than this
assertion for, as he contends, we hav?
been pounding away for about twenty
five years trying to pay our foreign.
debts by a large trade balance and we
are not getting squared up yet. Why
does not Mr, Vanderlip tell the facts
as any observer can note them? In
the first. place our exports are greatly
overvalued, because, for the purpo
of statistics, the same price must be
fixed as the extortionate prieen
charged us here at home. Then, no
body contends that imports are over
valued. In fact there Is a tendency to
undervalue. So lt Is understood that
the nominal balance of trade Is much
greater than the real. There Is prob
ably In a small way some truth In the
Other Items that Mr. Vanderlip quotes,
but; not in 'taking up our security.
The most of It goes to pay dividends.
Interest and rent. Did you ever stop
and think that Egypt. India and the
dependencies of England can shorv
Just the same "favorable balances?"
I never, knew a farmer In Nebraska
who sold off from his farm a favorab'
balance over what he bought and had
nothing to show for lt being called a
"commercial Invader, expander" and
"a world power." II. W. RISLEY.
Ingratitude as Usual
The various county board commit
tees appointed to check up the out
going officers reported fees returned
to the treasury as follows:
C. H. Jeffords. $667.04; J. II. Os
borne, $866.30; C. T. Orr, $698.46; J.
J. Tooley, $198.07. That Is a mighty
good record and one to which every
citizen not prejudiced may point with
pride. The populist administration
paid the debts of the county, lowered
taxes, bequeathed to their successors
$2,429.87, and then their masters
kicked them out. It seems Incredibl?.
Custer County Beacon.
Another Sutherland Admirer
Ex-Congressman Sutherland "is tx
Ing boomed for the populist nomina
tion for governor " this summer.
Sutherland is a good man and If he
secures 'the 'nomination wlll be th
' r .T'-.K-,.-!,-,, f 5mv1!xji.