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VOL. XIV.
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, JUNE 19, 1902.
NO. 5.
THE BRIBING OF GOMEZ
4
i
1
More Neely Scandals In Coba Something
New la "Pension bw The (un) Civil
ServiceThe Brilliant . ,1
Shallenberger '
Washington, D. C., June 16, 1902.
(Special Correspondence.) Close upon
upon the withdrawal of the American
troops from Havana and the establish
ment of the Cuban republic come
charges that have such a ring of truth
to them that the administration should
come forward and give us light. The
payment by General Wood of a sum
of money from the Cuban treasury to
General Maximo Gomez, by the advic?
and with the approval of the admin
istration at Washington, to keep the
followers of Gomez in check, pending
the formation of a government in Cu
ba, is the new subject that is likely
to call from the republican speakers
some adroit explanations. At first
came deliberate denials denials, de
nials. But later it was learned that
such a grant had been made and that
the late President McKinley had au
thorized It. But there are other
charges in connection with the same
grants. Gomez, it is charged, was
bribed on the authority of McKinley,
not to make trouble and thus help the
republican party in the last election.
They felt that a rebellion in Cuba,
while another of the same sort was
going on in the Philippines, would en
danger republican chances and so the
small amount that it has been alleged
was paid to Gomez, was the best few
dollars used out of the huge republi
can campaign fund.
The man who makes the charges and
puts his construction on the payment
of the large sum, is none other than
Charles Dodson, a well-known ail
respected correspondent of the Asso
ciated press at Havana. He was in
New Orleans yesterday and gave an in
terview to The States in which he
declared that there would be revealed
in Washington during the course !
the present week some of the most
startling facts concerned with General
Wood's management of Cuba and tbc
continued filching of her treasury. Ho
declared that he knew where th'3
checks for the amounts could be
found and that he could lay his hands
on them In a moment. He claimed
that there was no secret in the mattor
among General Wood and his friends.
He asserted that President McKinley
knew of it and authorized it; that
President Roosevelt knows all about
it; but that General Wood, although
directly connected with it, did no more
than carry out the orders of his su
perlor, President McKinley.
Gomez's friends had declared that
it would take money to secure his
withdrawal from the. race for the
presidency of Cuba and had declared
that if his wishes were not complied
with, that he would raise an army to
go to the eastern part of the islan!
and start another revolution. So the
administration rather than have trou
ble, just previous to the elections of
1900, when the dreaded question of
Imperialism was before the people, de
liberately bribed General Gomez to
keep him and his cohorts quiet. These
are the statements of Dodson. These
are the facts that are denied by the
administration and by General Wood.
It is a question of who's telling the
truth Vcrnoitvf
Now the fact remains that Secretary
Root, when confronted with the
charges, declared that the correspon
dent must have been mixed. It was a
pension lhat the administration was
giving Gomez. And that the amount
was small. But the official records
show that twenty-five thousand dol
lars ($25,000) was given to Gomez and
the administration cannot deny this.
Why was Gomez, given such a pen
sion, Is the question that the admin
istration must answer. And until th-n
question is answered and positively,
too, is not the statement of Dodson,
backed up by the official records show
ing the payment of large sums to Go
mez at the time asserted, at least a
bit of circumstantial evidence and
strong enough to convict? It is an
excellent opportunity for the repub
lican administration to give us light
upon the status of the Cuban treas
ury. Neeley made use of it and now
has been freed by the general amnesty
act of the Cuban congress. Wood
seems to have made use of it by au
thority of his, superior officers, to
bribe General Gomez, and Dodson as
serts that this is not all. The Ameri
can people want light. Light! Light!
Let us have light!
President Roosevelt has been acting
autocratic again. He has violated the
civil service regulations to get rid
of a petty clerk who has seen fit to
give her . views to the press concern
ing the conduct of affairs in. the Phil
ippines and who had particularly at
tacked the president's assertion that
"the flag shall stay put." He has
changed the existing civil service reg
ulations so that he could get rid of
this clerk, whose yearly salary
amounted to but seven hundred dol
lars. Miss Rebecca J. Taylor, a clerk
in the war department, was discharged
from the war department for the cir
cumstances I cited above. She is a
brilliant woman, perhaps her superior
cannot be found in the whole series of
departments here. She had written
for over two years for the newspapers
declaring her views upon the ques
tion of the Philippines and had late
ly attacked Roosevelt upon his recent
speech. The president, the great civil
service stickler, decided that he must
have her scalp, civil service or no. So
he construed a section so that he could
get rid of her and after a conference
with Secretary Root she was called
upon to find out whether or no - she
had written the letter referred to.
She Immediately answered affirmative
ly and so she was ordered out. Yet
the civil service states time and tini"
-. again that no one shall be discharged
chjef executive,' of the nation, came
down from his exalted position to get
back at this poor woman clerk, who
had taken occasion to attack a policy
that seven million free thinking Am
erican voters had declared was undem
ocratic, unrepublican and vicious in
all of its tenets.
Immediately her friends sought, the
two most able men in congress men
who are as fearless as they are hott
est, and begged i that the question b
considered in congress, to find out
whether or no the president could act
so sultannic. In the senate, Senator
Carmack introduced a resolution of in
quiry into the matter and he proposes
to fight the question to a finish. In
the house that eloquent young mem
ber. Ash ton C. Shallenberger, was sin
gled out "to make the fight and he is
determined that the president shall
not be allowed to so flagrantly abuse
the provisions of the civil service
without the attention of congress be
ing called to it. He also introduced a
resolution and will call it up today
There is no probability that he will
be allowed to discuss , the question,
because a tyrannical republican ma
jority, realizing that question is of im
port, will refuse to listen to him. But
however the question has gotten a
good airing in the papers throughout
the length and breadth of the country,
so that one can see how flagrantly the
civil Eervlce has been abused in this
case. Of course no one ever dreamed,
even in his idlest moments, that poli
tics ever entered into the civil ser
vice. It would have been but a flit
ting dream even to the most aerial
thinker, but it has been abused and
the country has an acute instance of
it. ; .
The senate has been considering the
interoceanic canal bill all week.
Speeches have been made pro and con
on the relative merits of the routes
under discussion. Since Mount Pelee
has made such an awful outbreak, the
question of earthquakes and volca
noes seems to have been a live topic
for discussion. One senator will as
sert that Nicaragua has a number of
volcanoes, his successor in the field
will then positively contradict him
and give him facts and figures relative
to the Panama conditions. We have
been given notice that a vote will be
taken upon the question on Thursday
of this week and that before that time
quite a number of senators will ad
dress the senate. . Today Senator Kitt
redge of South Dakota will be the
principal speaker. On Tuesday, Sena
tor Stewart; on . Wednesday, Senator
Hanna will close in favor of the Pa
nama route and on Thursday, Senator
Morgan will end all argument by a
plea for the Nicaraguan canal route,
for which he has spent nearly his
whole life. ;.. ': ..,7;.
The house has had several measures
under consideration and has passed
one of great interest , to the good peo
ple of Nebraska. That is the senate
irrigation bill, and its passage was
cheered and cheered by the western
members. Debate was started on
Wednesday and concluded on Friday
when the bill was passed by a great
big majority. Old Joe Cannon, a re
publican from Illinois, blustered and
bragged about his ability to beat the
bill, but he signally failed to even
align a large part of his party against
it. It was doubted by many that it
would pass, but I have heard it said
that the speech delivered by that
young Demosthenes of Nebraska, Mr.
Shallenberger, did more to secure it
the needed, majority than any one
other thing. This is the congress
man's third speech of any length dur
ing the session and when it was
learned that he was to speak manv
members 'phoned out to their friends
to come up and hear him. For already
he has gotten the reputation of being
a very good speaker and of always giv
ing light when he does speak. So the
galleries were filled when he began to
speak and before he had half finished
his speech his time had expired. The
house then at that late hour, a thing
almost unprecedented, extended his
time once again as long as he had
been previously granted and this
without a dissenting voice. When he
had concluded his speech, many re
publicans, as well as democrats came
over to him and personally congrat
ulated him. Representative Dalzell,
a republican, rushed over to him and
shouted "It's .the best speech on irri
gation r ever heard and one of the
best speeches delivered during my long
service as a member of this house."
It (the speech) was printed to the ex
tent of a column an unusual thing
in The Times on the following morn
ing and many have declared that the
young member is the most promising
that has come from the western coun
try since the days of Bryan. He has
certainly made his mark that no one
can doubt and in this day when tho
committee on rules is the ruling fac
tor in the house, it is difficult for a
member to get his speech in. But .t
has now come to be the fact that whan
Mr. Shallenberger wants time he can
get it. The house realizes that when
he speaks that they are going to get
information and he gets the time.
Ability is always recognized. Every
one who wants information on thla
subject should -write to Mr. Shallen
berger for his speech on irrigation.
It Is a masterpiece, not only of Eng
lish, but an accumulation of facts
that shows an , extensive search. It
should be the means of re-electing
him, for a man who can deliver such
a speech in his first term certainly de
serves tne suffrages of his constituents
who must feel proud of him.- .
The Cuban reciprocity bill will be
considered in the senate immediately
following the . passage of the inter
oceanic canal bill. . There are fifteen
bolting republican senators who ars
strongly against the bill. They are
even willing to unite with the demo
crats to secure the passage of t ha
house bill rather than ally themselves
with the administration senators on
the question. President Roosevelt
LYING AS A FINE ART
Mr. Van . Tv lii Exposes the Deceptten
Practiced the Comptroller of the
Current ' 'n Making KeportH.
(No man it, he United States has
given more tho. v, gh and painstaking
study to the national bank question
than Hon. Flavius J. Van Vorhls of
Indianapolis, Ind. Every abstract sent
out by the comptroller of the currency
is carefully analyzed by Mr. Van Vor
hls and duly commented on in a well
prepared article, if the occasion seems
to require comment which it doe3.
nine cases out of ten. Independent.
readers will remember the correspon
dence between the comptroller ana
Mr. Van Vorhls regarding the na
tional banks which are violating the
national banking law by keeping a re
serve below what the law requires. It
appears that the only effect of Mr.
Van Vorhis' correspondence has been
to make the comptroller rearrange
his abstract so that the table will not
show upon Its face which banks are
violating the law. A correct statement
of fact made with intent to deceive is
as truly a lie as though the facts are
mis-stated with like intent. In fact,
the most dangerous lie Is that based
upon correct statements of fact so
made that the wrong deductions will
be made; and it grieves The Inde
pendent to confess that many of the
government departments at Washing
ton have made this sort of lying a
fine art. Ed. Ind.)
Editor Independent: It has become
a real art in the departments at Wash
ington to make reports that will es
cape the charge of falsehood and yet
conceal the truth, or make it so ob
scure that it will be misapprehended
or overlooked.
In a former article I mentioned cor
respondence in which the comptroller
of the currency admitted that ab
stracts, of the reports of .the condi
tion of national banks, issued from
that office for over five years, did not
show correctly the condition of the
reserves.
Those who have given attention to
the subject know that the law provides
to:' a reserve of 25 per cent in all re
serve cities and 15 per cent in all other
places. They ought to know also that
this is only an apparent and not a
real reserve; that it is a legislative
fraud contained in the original law
creating national banks enacted In
the sixties.
No. 28 of these abstracts has just
been sent out, and covers the time
from February 25 to April 30, 1902.
It shows that on that date there were
60 ' central reserve, 271 reserve and
4,092 country banks. It is, I believe
generally understood that the law will
require 331 of these banks to hold in
reserve 25 per cent, and 4,092 to hold
15 per cent of their deposits, but this
is not true. Another provision of the
same law permits 271 of the reserve
banks to keep a reserve of only 12
per cent, and all of the 4,092 a reserve
of 6 per cent. The importance of this
legislative juggling justifies some re
petition of former articles.
By it the country banks are prohib
ited from loaning over 85 per cent,
and the banks in the reserve cities
over 75 per cent, to their own custo
mers. Three-fifths of the amount re
tained by the country banks, and one
half of that retained by the reserve
city banks, is permitted to be depos
ited with other banks having the de
ceptive designation of reserve agents,
where it is treated like any other de
posit, and becomes a part of the de
posits of the so-called agents upon
which they calculate their legal re
serves. There can be no doubt that
the original purpose of this arrange
ment was deceptive and intended to
continually draw, as it has done, mon
ey from the country banks to the
banks of New York city.
Any report of banks, or of the comp
troller, that conveys the idea that any
bank outside of New York, Chicago or
St. Louis is required to maintain a re
serve on the 25 per cent or 15 per cent
basis is false. The only available re
serve of a bank is the cash it has In
its vaults. That which is not cash
may be called "cash items" or "cash
due," etc., and counted as a part of
the bank reserves, but no legislative,
executive or bank power can make, it
cash, or make it a reserve in any cor
rect financial sense.
When the comptroller's attention
was called to the fact that, even un
der these absurd provisions of the
law, it was impossible -for a bank to
hold a 25 per cent or 15 per cen re
serve, if at the same time it. held less
than 12 per cent or 6 per cent in
actual cash, and that his abstracts,
showing banks to be short , In "cash
required" and yet as having a full
lawful reserve, were incorrect, he ad
mitted this to be true. He has fol
lowed the admission : by , an .entire
change of the table of "deposits and
reserves," as it appears on page 7 of
abstract No. 28, by which this error
is eliminated.
But the most important part of this
reserve question. "cash. res9rve ... re
quired" and "held" also disappears
from the table. It can be ascertained
by calculation, but . it . would seem
that, if anything relating to the con
dition of these banks ought to appear
plainly on the face of . the abstracts, it
ought to be this. There now appears
a column headed "cash on hand, due
from reserve agents and in the re
demption fund." This is the usual
I method of banks when they, wish to
wuvcoi iium lilt; puuiIC IUH U1UUUQI
of cash they hold. They mix it. up
with something else, which they call
"cash items" or "cash due." This
column is an absurd combination. The
redemption fund is not available to
pay depositors and the amount due
from so-called reserve agents is no
more cash than any demand debt due
the banks. Neither of these has any
rational place among the items that
go to make up the reserve, which has
no purpose except to furnish a fund
Cash . on band is the only real reserve.
It is the only reserve that can be de
pended upon. This was demonstrated
in-1893.
This reconstructed abstract shows
that, in the central reserve city, of St.
Louis and In fifteen of the thirty re
serve cities, the aggregate of the bank
reserves is .below the .requirements of
the law, ' The city of Dallas appears in
the list as a reserve city for the first
time, , with four batiks showing an ag
gregate shortage ; of 1 reserves. It - Is
certain that , this report does not dis
close the location of all banks that
have loaned: their deposits beyond the
legal limit.- i-Tbls has been the con
dition for. "many '.months, and is well
known to the' comptroller and the sec
retary of the4 treasury, but nothing has
been, done to- prevent it, and nothing
will be ; donei by, them to make these
banks , obey; the law They are serv
ing the banks and not the people. The.
law is bad .enough for the public in
terest " if the- banks are compelled to
obey 'it... v'.v' '-.'-v.
Too many? things are suggested by
this abstract-to include in one article,
but it ought to be noted that, during
the 64 days covered by this abstract,
the' national bank loans have increased
at the rate .of $689,224 per day, not
excluding Sundays, and that national
bank notes are being retired as rapid
ly as the law' will permit.
Another thing ought ' to" , be noted,
that the increase of loans and dis
counts ($44,130,390) was all outside
of New York. city; . During the 77 days
covered. 'by abstract -No. 27, ending
February 25, the increase of loans In
New York city was over $60,000,000,
but during these 64 days there was a
decrease of $39,000,000, so that the in
crease outside of New York city must
have been over $83,000,000.
The outside fools are responding to
the game of the New York gamblers,
who have not the integrity supposed to
exist among thieves, but always play
their game with false cards and load
ed dice. FLAVIUS J. VAN VORHIS.
Indianapolis, Ind. .
GOOD GOVERNMENT
Sid Foree Relieves That Government Can
Be No Better Than the Citf zanshlp
- Especially in a Republic.
Editor Independent: How long!
how long! until the citizen will awake
to a sense of his responsibility? How
long! until he can be made to realize
that it is. his own fault that govern
ment is wrongly administered? How
long will he , persist in regarding offi
cials as kings, and himself as a serf?
How long will he . allow another to
think" for him? How long will he
elect for himself mental, moral and
political masters? -V
The founders of, this government
recognized first the supreme authority
of God. Then they laid the founda
tion of government on the shoulders
of the citizen. The citizen was In
nc sense a subject except . to the will
and law of God; he stood in equality
wita every other citizen in his rela
tion to law . and government. , But
row that is all changed, nine out of
ten of the citizens do not know what
their rights, privileges and responsi
bilities are, do not know the defini
tion of citizenship. They seem to be
possessed with a spirit of arrogance
toward those whom they regard as in
feriors, and assume a servile attitude
toward those they regard as superiors.
They no longer recognize that all are
equal in matters of government and
that all men have equal rights in ."life,
liberty and the pursuit of happiness."
Now, please understand that I am
discussing political equality, civil
equality. It is hard to present this idea
and be understood. . Because nine out
of ten will persist in mixing the idea
of social and every other sort of
equality with It. Politically, civilly,
all men are or should be equal. So
cially and in a great many other ways
they are not equal, neither Is it the
business of government to make them
so. In a government such as this,
where the citizen is the government,
as the citizen is, so will the govern
ment be. Good citizen, good govern
ment. Corrupt, dishonest citizen, cor
rupt, dishonest government. ,
The matter with this government is
corrupt citizenship; for the sake of a
few dirty dollars we; the citizens, have
violated the foundation principles of
right; a great many of us have given
our voice and vote In favor of t&e
principles of .imperialism, in favor
of wars of conquest. We have out
Weylered Weyler and out-Heroded
Herod, and for what! For the Sake
of a supposed advance in the price of
cattle, grain Or hogs, or a fifteen-dollar
advance In the price of an: old
mule.
Now, I do not want to be under
stood as censuring the administration
In this matter; they. are doing nothing
more or leasr than carrying out the
will and wishes of the majority of the
people as expressed at the polls, and
by the howling mobs of fools that as
semble to do homage to those officials
who are connected with this murder
ous business and to the military smart
alecks who dare to insult and threaten
the peace-loving citizenship. In view
of these things it begins to -look' like
the : imperialist is right and that the
citizens are no longer fit to manage
government. , ; SID FOREE.
DAVID BENNETT HILL
Mrs. Astor has engaged the famous
woman anarchist, Louise Michel to
deliver a lecture ' in. her parlors. Of
course the New York police will not
interfere. But if Louise Michel was
advertised to deliver a lecture on the
east side the whole force : would be
called out and everybody arrested. All
of which gtes to show that there is
one law for the rich In this country
and another law for the poor. ' Mrs.
Astor Is to pay the anarchist $300 for
Has Something to Think Abeut Now The
Liberal Democratic Platform Henry
George Socialism
Editor Independent: David B. Hill
has something to think about now.
The "liberal" democratic party of the
state of New York assembled in state
convention in New York city, June 7.
and made the following declaration:
"In the democratic party of the na
tion lies the only hope of the perpetua
tion of - democratic institutions. Yet
under the leadership of such traitor3
to democracy as David B. Hill, an at
tempt is being made, under the guise
of reorganization, to dominate tho
party and to degrade it to the position
of a mere tool of monopoly."
We see the hand of Henry George
in the following plank:
"We believe that the land belongs
to the people and as a means of re
organizing this right, we demand that
land values only be taxed."
This exempts from taxation the
buildings and other improvements put
upon land. It also exempts all per
sonal or movable property. It is
grounded upon the idea that, if the
value of the land itself were separ
ated from the value of the buildings
and other improvements, the former
would be enough to support govern
ment. This is a mistake, first, because
it is impossible to separate the value
of the ' land from the Improvements.
In the next place, if it were possible
to separate the value of the land from
the , improvements, we would have to
censider what land would be worth
without improvements. This would
take us back to the time of the Ind
ians. Our forefathers found land
worth almost nothing, partly because
there were no roads to get to it. It ?s
very doubtful whether or not all the
land in the United States would now
sell for enough to pay for the public
highways and the interest on the cost;
and if it would, then we would have
to take into consideration the cost of
the fences. Occasionally, in the city,
we see a vacant lot of land sold for a
large sum of money and we see It
bringing a rent to its owner; but if we
take into consideration the cost of the
street in front of it, together with the
cost o? the sewer and other improve
ments, if we take into consideration
the taxes paid for it for many years,
it will generally be found that the va
cant lot has more than eat itself up.
It is very common to sell land forf un
paid taxes, under our present system
of taxation which taxes the value of
.the buildings and other improvements
as well as the land itself. If we
should exempt the improvements and
put the whole burden of taxation upon
the land itself, the burden would be
so great that nobody would pay the
taxes upon land, and they would let
the government take it for. unpaid
taxes. This was what Mr. George had
in view. He thought that as soon as
the private owners surrendered their
land to the government, then the lat
ter could make use of it for the public
good. But this is not the way the
thing works. When land is once sold
for taxes, nobody will take it and pay
the taxes, consequently the govern
ment has to hold the land for unpa'd
taxes and is seldom able to collect the
taxes. The scheme of taxing nothing
but "land values" for the support of
government is to leave the govern
ment without support. This is what
has prevented Mr. George's idea from
being generally adopted.
A socialistic plank was adopted as
follows:
"We favor the initiative and refer
endum; the former to the end that the
people may compel the enactment of
good laws; the latter to the end that
the people may veto legislative meas
ures." We have seldom acted on the initia
tive and referendum principle, except
in the adoption of our state constitu
tions. These have been suggested by
the people in the first instance, con
ventions have been called, committees
appointed to draft the constitution,
aud then it has been submitted to the
people for ratification. In this way
we have adopted our fundamental
laws. Seldom have statutes been sub
mitted to the people for ratification.
It is unnecessary to submit any law to
the people for ratification unless there
'.s a division of opinion : between the
policial parties of the country, and
even then the election' of representa
tives ought to determine the charac
ter of iaws wanted. We are governed
by political parties and will have to
be so governed, unless we select a king
end royal family to govern us. There
seems to be no other practical way:
Where the people have the right to
voce, the remedy for bad government
is v tne ! election of - good representa
tives, and where there is no right to
vote, the remedy is revolution and civ
il war, A perfect government is im
possible. No government can be much
better than the people themselves. . If
we should refer all laws to the peopTe
for ratification, they would have all
the imperfections they now have. The
remedy for bad government is for all
the people to take an interest in poli
tics and not leave public affairs to be
managed by political bosses exclusive
ly. Not more than one man In a hun
dred, now taking an active part la
politics, is doing so for the public
good, but, on the contrary, for private
gain. This is a hard thing to say, but
nevertheless it is true. The few who
are working for reform for the sake
of reform merely, find it hard to get
the people to take an interest. Nine
tenths of the people are exhausted in
the effort to get a living. Those
who pay rent, interest and dividends
and they constitute the masses have
very little time left for politics.
The convention "ratified and con
firmed" the platform of the democratic
party adopted at its last national con
vention. This shows that the "liberal'
democrats are in the field to contend
well as state issues. Not only that:
the Bryanites, Henry George men and
socialists as many of the socialists
as can be induced to join in this move
mentare In the field to prevent Mr.
Hill from being elected governor or
of having any voice in the government
of the state of New York, to the end
that he cannot be presented as a can
didate for president in the democratic
national , convention of 1904. The
movement has every prospect of suc
cess. JNO. S. DE HART.
Jersey City, N. J. 1
POPULIST PROSPERITY
Mr. Warren Continues His Discussion of
the Money Questlen and Urti De
mocracy to Take a For-,
; ward Ktep.
The following is a continuation of
the series of articles from the pen of
Hon. . Marvin Warren, of : Fairbury,
Neb., which . will probably be com
pleted next week.)
STRAIGHT FOR GREAT PROSPER-
ITY. . .-VS-Let
us have that same great pros
perity that England had from 1797 to
1819, as shown by the foregoing ex
tract from Archibald Allison's History
of Modern Europe. . Let us havo it and
establish it for perpetuity in the Unit
ed States, i If, not, then why not? I
think that no one , should doubt that
in this case what has been can be
again, especially as Wendell Phillips
tells us that "We had similar pros
perity during the war and after on the
same terms." What were those terms?
Irredeemable legal tender paper mon
ey circulated in sufficient quantity for
it. That was all. It was very simple
and is easy to be reproduced if we are
only united in sufficient numbers in
the United States for it. I know that
the simple terms above stated are in
dispensible to, produce that English
prosperity, and if adopted will do it.
Why not be united in a vast over
whelming number upon those simple
terms and turning neither to the right
or left go directly forward to the cer
tain, speedy and most thorough estab
lishment of that mighty English pros
perity? Those simple terms, so to speak, are
very comprehensive in their meaning,
and are all perfectly included in the
populist platform adopted at Omaha
in 1892, reaffirmed at St. Louis In 1896
and at Sioux Falls in 1900. And they
are adequate to the doing away of the
financial abominations of the govern
ment as now administered, and thor
oughly establishing in this , country
that great English prosperity above
referred. to, in all its force and vigor
and with all its benefits. -
That platform declares that
"We demand: a national currency"
safe, sound and flexible, issued by the
general government only, a full legal
tender for all debts, public and pri
vate, and that without the use of
banking corporations."
I do not know whether that English
paper money was legal tender to pay
all debts, public and private, or not.
Near the close of the extract the his
torian calls It "legal tender paperv
money." If there was any exception
to its full legal tender power, to pay
all debts, it no doubt depreciated
somewhat below coin. , But it Is seen
that the populist platform requires
that all paper, money Issued imall be
legal tender to pay all debts, public
and private. That makes it sure to
never depreciate below the parity of
coin.
It appears by the historian's account
that the English paper money was is
sued by the . Bank of England, and
probably floated In circulation bur
dened somewhat with usury, but our
platform is a better arrangement be
cause the issue is to be by the gov
ernment direct to the people without
usury. ' . ' :
The platform further declares that
"We demand that the amount of cir
culating medium be speedily increased
to not less than fifty. dollars per cap
ita." ::;:' V; .-W ' "
We do not know what the per cap
ita circulation of that English money
was. The historian says it was enorm
ous. It Is certain that a much greater
per capita circulation Is now required
to produce the same results than was
required then, 80 years ago and more,
because money is a medium of ex
change for property, and by the in
troduction of labor saving machinery,
property is produced immensely more
rapid and in vastly greater quantities
per capita than it was then. Whether
we get that great English prosperity
in all its fullness or not depends upon
whether or not we get money enough
into circulation for it And having
provided in our platform that all pa
per money shall be legal tender to pay
all debts, public and private, we may
be sure that any necessary amount can
be circulated without the least depre
ciation of it below the parity of coin
in value. ' .;
- In estimating the amount to be cir
culated, we must cut ' loose entirely
from the ordinary governmental esti
mates paying no . attention to them
whatever, for . they are all, put up in
the interest of the few, the plutoc
racy, whereas we are now planning
for a prosperity 'that in the language
of the historian shall be universal,
that is reaching and bringing cheer to
everybody, . to ; the oppressed wage
earners of every kind as well as to all
others. '.An abundant money circula
tion greatly enlivens the Industries,
enlarges production, opens' up before
everybody something to do that pays,
and gives to all wage-earners in mines
and factories and , everywhere better
wages and privileges without any la
bor organizations or strikes, than they
can otherwise obtain by organizations
and strikes.. :,'...
It Is hard and expensive and of lit
tle avail to fight the trusts a:id other
monopolies, but by an abundant mon
ey circulation they can easily be de-
JCan.tlPueCpLl&ge 3V) - '
CANDIDATES FOB GOVERNOR
Short Biographical Sketches of the Tarlens
Persons Who Hare Been Mentioned In
Connection 'With the Fnslon nom
ination XTerjr District
Represented
Gubernatorial possibilities are scat
tered all over the state. Every con
gressional district is represented by
at least one man who would make
good timber for governor yet there
is not a "stick" among the lot. Not
one of them could be opposed because
he would make a bad governor. Each
has some element of strength peculiar
to himself, and each has his friends
and admirers who delight to honor
him. Just which one would, all thlnsr
considered, best serve the people of
Nebraska, is a difficult matter to de
cide; 1 but that is the work the two
conventions have to decide at Grand
Island next Tuesday. So far as The
Independent has learned the follow
ing tabulation includes the name of
every man who has been mentioned in
the public prints in connection with
the fusion nomination for governor:
FIRST DISTRICT.
William J. Bryan, democrat, Lan
caster. Gen. Victor Vifquain, democrat, Lan
caster. George W. Berge, populist, Lan-
caster
SECOND DISTRICT.
Constantino J. Smyth, democrat,
Douglas.
THIRD DISTRICT.
William A. Poynter, populist,
Boone.
John C. Sprecher, populist, Colfax.
Daniel J. Koenlgstein, democrat.
Madison.
Charles Wooster, democrat, Merrick.
FOURTH DISTRICT.
William L. Stark, populist, Hamil
ton. , .
E. O. Kretsiriger, populist, Gage.
FIFTH DISTRICT.
Roderick D. Sutherland, populist,
Nuckolls.
. W. H. Thompson, democrat, Hall.
Dr. Robert Damerell, populist, Web
ster. Dr. J. N. Lyman, populist, Adams.
SIXTH DISTRICT.
Michael F. Harrington, populist.
Holt.
Dr. Charles E. Coffin, populist, Val
ley. By no means all of these gentlemen
have consented to allow their name
to go before the conventions, but they
have been discussed a3 possibilities
nevertheless. And It may be that Job a
O. Yeiser, populist, Douglas; Juda
W.' H.: Westover, populist, Sheridan;
Dr. P. L- Hall, democrat, Lancaster;
E. A. Gilbert, populist, York, and a
number of others will receive compli
mentary votes in the conventions.
Below we give short biographical
sketches of a number of those who
have been 'mentioned prominently in
connection . with the gubernatorial
nomination. Mr. Bryan, Governor
Poynter, Senator Allen, Congressman
Stark, and M. F. Harrington are
omitted because they are so well
known to the people of Nebraska. Mr.
Kretsinger assured The Independent
that he is positively not a candidate,
and that the mention of his name in
this connection was wholly without
his consent. Mr. Sprecher, following
the policy adopted by his personal or
gan, the Quill of Schuyler, tota'iy
ignored The Independent's letter of
Inquiry for information upon whicti
to write a biographical sketch of him.
CHARLES WOOSTER.
The following letter Is self-explan
atory: "
"Yours of the 11th Inst., written on
the theory that I was a candidate for
the fusion nomination for governor.
and asking for certain information,
was quite a surprise to me. I am not
a candidate, am not seeking the o.Tice
and have no information that the oflire
is seeking me. Therefore ,1 think a
write-up in The Independent will koc
be necessary. Thanking you Just ths
same, I am, your truly,
"CHARLES WOUSTKU.
"Eagle Island Farm, Silver Creek.
Neb."
CONSTANTINE J. SMYTH.
: Constantine J. Smyth, age 42. cams
to Nebraska from New York In 1878:
worked at night on the Omaha World
Herald and went to college during the
day. After leaving college was em
ployed as a clerk for five years, dur-
im which time he studied law at
nignt He was admitted to the bar. in
1885.
In 1886 he was elected a3 a demo
crat from Douglas county to the leg
islature. After many vain endeavors
to bring about the election of a demo
crat to the United States senate, he
cast his vote for General Van Wyck.
and for this act wa3 roundly denounced
by the corporation democrats of th
state. The Nebraska City Press Bald
at the time: "When Smyth chang?'l
his vote he was greeted with cheers
and hisses which it took several min
utes to suppress. The excitement was
intense as it was thought that Smyth's
change would produce the final rush
which was to elect Van Wyck."
Mr. Smyth contended in that legis
lature for the equitable taxation of
railroads. The Bee, editorially, com
mended his "strong and manly fight."
There began the fight now being made
for the just taxation of railroad prop
erty. He fought the bill providing for
the state board of transportation and
strenuously contended for the passa'o
of ;a maximum freight rate law. He
advocated the exemption of $300
worth of the property of the poor from
taxation, and was the unrelenting
enemy of Mosher and his penitentiarv
gang. -
In 1889 Mr. Smyth was elected with
out opposition as a member of tr
board . of education of Omaha and
served four years.
He was from the beginning one of
- (Continued on 'Page 8.)
