VOL. XIV.
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, OCT. 2, 1902.
NO. 19.
CAN VALUE RISE OR FALL?
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Mr. Dellart Takes the Position That Value
Cannot Rise or Fall, but That
I'rice Can
Editor Independent: By way of
preparation for discussion of the Fowl
er bill we will once more look into the
fundamentals of finance.
Value, being a ratio of exchange be
tween two commodities, can it rise?
or fall? In 1876, for example, one ounce
of gold exchanged for sixteen ounces
of silver, and sixteen of silver for one
of gold. Twenty years later, that is,
in 1896, one of gold exchanged for thirty-two
of silver and thirty-two of sil
ver for one of gold.
Question: Is the ratio of 1 to 16
any higher or lower than 1 to 32?
Looking at these two ratios or val
ues abstractly, we cannot say that one
is higher or lower than the other. But,
if we notice that in 187G one of gold
commanded only sixteen of silver in
exchange, and that in 1896 one of gold
commanded thirty-two of silver in ex
change, then we begin to think that
gold was more valuable in 189" than
in 1876, when compared with silver,
and that it rose in value with respect
to silver.
At this point we meet with a dis
agreement The gold man says, that,
if an ounce of gold exchanged for six
teen of silver in 1876 and for thirty
two of silver in 1896, silver fell in
value; and that gold did not rise or
fall in value.
If it is possible for value to rise, I
should say that gold rose in value;
and, if it did, then silver fell in value.
It was impossible for gold to rise,
without silver, at the same time fall
ing in value, it is impossible for any
commodity to rise in value, with re
spect to another commodity, without
that other commodity, as the same
time, falling in value.
I look out of the window and I see
boys teetering on the fence. When
one boy goes up the other goes down;
and when one boy goes down the
other goes up. So it is with silver and
gold. If one goes up, the other must
go down.
Since 1896 gold has not changed
very much with respect to silver; but
it has changed very much with respect
to a great many other commodities.
As shown by a high level of prices, it
has fallen in value with respect to a
great many commodities, which is
equivalent to saying, that a great
many commodities have risen in val
ue with respect to gold. In this coun
try a high level of prices means a
large quantity of money for commod
ities, and a large quantity of money
for commodities means a large quan
tity of gold for commodities and a
large quantity of gold for commodities
means falling gold and rising com
modities. But when we talk about
commodities rising in value, to what
do we refer? Evidently we refer to
certain elevations of debt certain
taxes and other debts to be paid.
In this country we seldom talk about
gold as rising or falling in value, but
about all other commodities as rising
end falling. Why is this? It is be
cause our mints are open to "free"
coinage of gold, and we are living on
what is called a gold standard, which
assumes that gold never changes in
value; and that whenever there is a
change of value, the change is pro
duced by some other value. This is a
perfect delusion, because one commod
ity cannot change without the other
changing. If. for instance, meat rises
in value; and if coal rises in value
with respect to gold, then of course
gold falls with respect to coal. But,
when we talk about meat and coal as
rising in value, to what do we refer?
Evidently to certain elevations of debt
which have to be climbed. This year
those who have meat or coal to sell
will have no difficulty in paying their
taxes and other debts. If we do not
refer to elevations of debt, we refer to
elevations of gold, which will pay
debts. A high value for any com
modity in this country means a high
amount of gold which will enable the
owner to pay his debts or purchase
other commodities.
In Mexico they seldom talk about
silver as rising or falling in value,
but. about all other commodities as
rising and falling in value. They
even talk about gold as rising and fall
ing in value, as we talk about silver
as rising and falling in value. Why is
this? Because they have free coin
age of snver, (no free coinage of
gold), which is what they call a sil
ver standard. They assume that sil
ver never rises or falls in value, which
causes them to assume" that all other
commodities are rising and falling in
value.
Free coinage of silver in Mexico pro
duces the same delusion with refer
ence to value, that free coinage of gold
does here. In Mexico the price of sil
ver is fixed by law. This is a part
of the law of free coinage of silver.
The price of silver never rises or falls,
unless the law should be modified,
making it higher or lower. From the
fact that the price of silver never
never changes, the people conclude
that its value never changes. In this
country we fix the price of gold by law.
This is a part of the law of free coin
age of gold. The price of geld neverH
changes here unless we change the
amount of gold for the gold dollar, as
the price of silver cannot change in
Mexico, unless they change the amount
of silver for the silver dollar. As in
this country the price of gold would
rise by law by putting less gold into
each gold dollar, so in Mexico the
price of silver would rise by law by
putting less silver into each silver
dollar. As in this country the price
of gold would fall by law by putting
more gold into each gold dollar, so In
Mexico the price of silver would fall
by law by putting more silver Into
each silver dollar. In this country we
put 24 grains of pure gold (omitting
fractions) into each gold dollar which
makes the price of gold $20 per ounce,
as anyone can see by dividing 480, the
number of grains in an ounce by 24,
the number of grains in a gold dollar.
The price, of gold being fixed in this
way, the prices of all other commodi
ties are regulated by supply and. de
mand in the markets, that is, supply
of money on the one hand and supply
of commodities on the other. Thus,
while we fix the price of gold by law,
we leave the prices of all other com
modities to be fixed by the markets,
and therefore we have a legal price
for gold and a market price for com
modities, which latter, rises and falls
from time to time, while the former
never rises or falls; and what we call
a rise and fall of value is not really a
rise or fall of value, but a rise and
fall of market prices.
In Mexico they put (we will suppose)
371 1-4 grains of silver into each
silver dollar, which is the amount we
put into our silver dollar, and very
near the amount the Mexicans put into
their dollar; and this amount makes
tie price of silver by law in Mexico
$1.29 per ounce, as any one can see
by dividing 480, the number of grains
in an ounce, by 371 1-4, the number of
grains in a silver dollar. By putting
this amount of silver into each silver
dollar and by keeping the mints open
to free coinage of silver in Mexico,
the prices of all other commodities
are regulated by supply and demand in
the market, that is, by the supply of
silver money and the supply of com
modities in the market. In this waj,
in Mexico, they have a legal price for
silver, which never changes, and
market prices for all other commodi
ties, which are always changing or
liable to change. In Mexico they buy
and sell gold in the market as we buy
and sell silver in the market. In
Mexico a high price for gold is a high
amount of silver for gold, and a high
amount of silver is a high amount of
money; just as in this country a low
price for silver is a low amount of
gold for silver, and -a low amount of
gold for silver is a low amount of
money for silver.
Thus we see, that, while value can
not rise or fall, nevertheless the people
are constantly speaking of it as rising
and falling, just as they speak of the
sun as rising and setting.
We find also, that the apparent ris
ing and falling of value is produced by
giving a stationary or legal price to
gold , and leaving the prices " (value) of
all other commodities to be regulated
by the markets; or by giving a sta
tionary or legal price to silver and
leaving the prices (values) of all other
commodities to be regulated by the
market.
One is the gold standard system
while the other is the silver standard
system. Under the former everything
must revolve around gold. Under the
latter everything must revolve around
silver. Either system Is well adapted
to make the people believe, that value
can rise and fall, whereas in fact it
is only price rising and falling. Either
system is well adapted to deceive a
nation.
"Price is the expression of value in
money." By knowing the price of a
commodity in the market we know its
value in money. This is not knowing
much, because the price may be differ
ent a subsequent time or at another
place; or the value of money itself
may be changed at a subsequent
time; or the meaning of the word
"price" may be changed at a subse
quent time. At the present time in
the United States the price of every
thing in the market is the quantity of
gold for which it exchanges; and this
price is high or low, according to the
quantity of gold in the gold dollar and
the quantity of gold in the country or
market and the quantity of other
things used for money (or gold). If
we should close our mints to free coin
age of gold and open them to free
coinage of silver, then the price of ev
erything in the market would be the
quantity of silver (money) for which
it exchanges; and the price would be
high or low, according to the quan
tity of silver in the silver dollar, the
quantity of silver in the country or
market and the quantity of other
things used for money (silver).
Under our present system prices are
very unstable. They are up and'they
are down. One thing, however, is very
certain, namely value itself cannot
rise or fall; and that what we call a
rise and fall of values is only a rise
and fall of prices.
JNO. S. DE HART.
Jersey City, N. J.
UNCLEAN POLITICS
The tory government of England has
a way of doing things that is some
what astonishing to the outside world.
There is a statute that allows the gov
ernment to proclaim a sort of martial
law in Ireland when there is an ex
traordinary increase in crime. ' The
last government report shows that
crime has decreased 88 per cent in
Dublin and is far less than in any
portion of England, whereupon the
government proclaimed Dublin under
the crimes act.
Who wouldn't be a banker? Secre
tary Shaw is going to pay them their
January interest on the 1st of October,
three months in advance. He will also
buy $19,400,000 bonds of 1904 and pay
5 per cent premium for them, that is,
he will pay them a year in advance.
There is nothing under heaven's blue
sky like being a bondholder and bank
er under a government run by the re
publican party. That Is the way it has
been done ever since the bondholders
and bankers got hold of the govern
ment seat, s
Pro'. Vincent Eipoe n Schema to-Trap
the Unwary by Hypocrisy '
One of the most reprehensible meth
ods of the tax-shirkers that has yet
been detected was uncovered a few;
days ago in a western county.
It is proposed to sneak into power
in the nypocritical garb of virtue.
The robe of religion Is to cover the
forms of corporate agents until "after
election."
The character assassin is to stalk
forth in the guise of a Sunday school
superintendent or -a minister of the
gospel,' "until after election!"
It is not the first time religion has
been made the cloak for wrong doing.
In all ages, and in all countries, schem
ing and designing men have used as
tools the devotees of religion.
Do not mistake us. We are not at
tacking any church nor churches, nor
any religion, but only the scheming
men who are now using religion as a
cloak for their villainous plots of
character assassination.
One and two years ago certain relig
ious enthusiasts organized a secret and
underground organization pledging
its members to support only "clean"
men at the polls but a committee wag
given power to select the "clean men"
after all nominations, had been made.
If such an organization were open, and
composed of good citizens of all relig
ious denominations a sort of "com
mittee of public safety" little could
be said against it, but when it is or
ganized in the dark a secret cabal
it comes to be a veritable dagger aim
ed at the most vital spot the charac
ter of whomsoever is attacked. It is
like the Italian Mafia plunging its
death-dealing stilletto in secret and in
darkness.
Political success is so highly prized
by those who would continue in power
the agents of tax shirkers and tax
fixers that they have resorted to this
dangerous method of warfare. We do
not say that the Methodist church
consciously has undertaken this role,
but scheming men in that church are
seeking to do their unclean work while
hiding behind religious robes. Relig
ious enthusiasts are to be deceived
by hypocritical cant and led into an
ambush "until after election."
. An organization is being engineered
by men in the Methodist church, and
men of other denominations are to be
inveigled in occasionally to give it a
non-sectarian and ultra-religious cloak
The "avowed" purpose of this secret
cabal is the election of "clean men"
to oflice.
If there were unclean men socially
or religiously on either of the tick
ets before Nebraska people, there
might be excuse for such a plan to
defeat them, but when it is conceded
that all the candidates on all the tick
ets occupy an unusually high plane,
morally and religiously, what excuse
can there be for such unusual, drastic
and un-American methods?
The animus of the whole thing is
understood when we remember that
Mr. Mickey is a Methodist. His sup
porters have published far and wide
the fact that his active support secur
ed many thousand dollars to help a
Methodist college. It -is proposed to
keep such things prominently before
the membership of the secret organi
zation and at the close of the cam
paign the committee who is to name
the "clean men" will include Mr. Mick
ey among those recommended for the
votes of the members. A change of
ONE vote in each voting precinct
would mean a change of about 2,000
votes in the state, and a change of
FIVE in each precinct by this hidden
hand, this secret cabal, would assur
edly work a complete reversal of the
verdict that would be rendered by the
people in an open and manly contest.
The prize is worth the effort. The
corporations rode rough-shod over a
political convention and secured the
nomination of "Our Man Mickey,"
around whom they could easily throw
the cloak of religion and with hypo
critical pretense they hope to secure
his indorsement by the people.
The utter hypocrisy and dastard vil
lainy of the conspiracy is understood
when it is recognized that the oppo
nent of Mr. Mickey, and the man whom
it is proposed to stab in the dark, is
everywhere recognized as fully the
peer, if not the superior, of Mr. Mick
ey in his devotion to the best inter
ests of society, socially, religiously and
educationally. Mr. Thompson has been
in public life nearly or quite as much
as Mr. Mickey, and the undisputed
fact that his administration of the
office of mayor of Grand Island is
warmly "indorsed and commended by
every reputable citizen of that city,
of all church denominations and every
political party that fact speaks in bu
gle tones of his uprightness and for
the "cleanness" of his personal and
official life.
And it is proposed to stab him in
-the dark by the insinuation that his
life has been unclean, by indorsing
another man as being "clean!"
Those character assassins would not
dare-utter a word directly against Mr.
Thompson. His life is above re
proach. His family is the pride of his
city. His personal efforts for the ben
efit of a college of another denomina
tion have been as valuable to that in
stitution as were Mr. Mickey's efforts
for the Methodist college, but his
friends have not sought to use that
fact as a bait with which to steal votes
from Mr. Mickey. Mr. Thompson has
always stood for purity in public and
private life. He has repeatedly sac
rificed personal ambition for the suc
cess of the principles lie held to be
"right." He has never betrayed a
friend nor struck a foe in secret. His
entire life of about a quarter of a cen
tury in Nebraska has been an "open
book" and in the "lime-light" of many
a political campaign, no blot on that
book has yet been pointed out-and it
Is such a man that the character as
sassins would strike by innuendo and
In the dark a man wnose armor is
flawless and in front, and whose cour
age is such that he has despised the
protection that, is available - only in
flight or against the secret assassin.
' The Centra IFarmer protests against
this un-American method of political
warfare, and it warns all friends of
good government , that tricks, like the
one described above will be resorted
to whenever it is thought a vote can be
secured by deceit from the unwary.
- The discovery of this conspiracy
lends added significance to the old ad
age, "Eternal vigilance is the price of
liberty." Watch for this enemy that
will creep under cover into your.midst,
and expose its nefarious purpose.
"Forewarned is forearmed." The
agents of unclean governfcaent, masked
and in hypocritical garbs will use de
ceit and misrepresentation at every
turn, seeking to thwart the will of the
people and enthrone Injustice and
wrong. Let e, very good citizen1 rebuke
such methods and array himself on
the side of justice and "equality before
the law." Prof. C. "Vincent, in Cen
tral Farmer.
BALLOTS AND BULLETS
George Halsey Tooth HI Discusses the
Question of How Millionaires are
Made and How They May be '
Unmade
Editor Independent: I may not be
able to talk in some of our public
places, but I may be able to write
something that means something. . The
ungodly millionaire with his powerful
influence comes in by ballots and of
ten times is held in as many strikers
know by bullets. He and his un
righteousness is likely to end either
by the ballot or by the bullet, -to his
sorrow, in some revolutionary way.
President Lincoln forecast all of this
in a letter to a friend just before his
assassination. He wrote: "I trouble
for the safety of my country with the
wealth all in the hands of, a few."
And now our so-called Christian pres
ident, Roosevelt, on a political tour
tells the voters .that they might as
woll" Try to dam up' the Mississippi
river as to try to stop the trusts. Is
it possible that this millionaire with
his almighty dollar as - his god, has
more control over national affairs than
thf: voters of this country?
If to, lev the churches; close their
doors arid stop their.' talk about this
being a Christian nation. And to the
voter I say, Stop 'calling this a free
man's nation while you allow yourself
to bo driven like sheep to the election
booth and , there by ballot vote the
coal out of your own stove and bread
and meat out of your own mouth. The
wo"i k'.ng people of the United States
do not count for much in politics i
they talk between elections and vote
for what they imagine to be their
pockets on election day.
- GEO. HALSEY TUTHILL.
For general reformation; member of
the American Press Writers' Asso
ciation, No. 267.
No. 163 St. Marks ave., Brooklyn,
New York.
Still Whistling
Jhe defeat of Mr. Rosewater at the
primaries is confidently expected to be
followed by his bolt of the republican
ticket in the state as well as in the
district. The situation creates no
alarm, however, in republican circles.
A brisk fight will only serve to bring
out the loyal but lazy republican vote.
State Journal.
The American tariff league, after
having for years presented McKinley
to the American people as the greatest
statesman of modern times, hardly
waited until his funeral was over un
til it began to denounce him and his
views because of that Buffalo speech.
So .hot and bitter was the attack that
sixof its most active and influential
members resigned. The league de
clared that reciprocity was free trade
in disguise and it would have none of
it. The league fights Roosevelt as bit
terly as it ever fought any democrat.
It is a large and active part of the
republican party as wide and long as
there is between the Bryan democrats
and those wLo repudiate the Kansas
City platform. It appears to The In
dependent that there is about as much
trouble ahead for the Henderson re
publicans as there is for the Kansas
City platform democrats. Meantime
the populists go on their way in peace
and never have any differences over
principles.
.According to George Fred Williams
the plutocrats captured the democratic
organization in Massachusetts because
the guardians of the common people
were off guard, and that nine-tenths
of the democracy of the state are with
Bryan and the Kansas City platform.
Out here in Nebraska the populists
who have made the fight for equal
rights to all and special privileges to
none, are never off guard. They stand
at their posts night and day the whole
year round.
Every one who knows anything
knows that the products of American
manufactories are sold cheaper to for
eigners than they are to Americans.
Any, one I familiar with the Dingley
tariff can easily 'tell what that dif
ference usuany is by adding to prices
charged foreigners the Dingley tariff
duties. But the Henderson republi
cans will not endure for a moment a
suggestion that those duties should be
lowered. So you pay your money and
take what is given you.
GOV. WILLIAM H. THOMPSON.
GREAT PROSPERITY
Mr. Watklns Calls Attention to the Enor
mous Increase in Nebraska
Farm Values
Editor Independent: Thank you
for your truthful assertion that I pre
fer, to figure for myself. The railroad
tax bureau referring me to the facts
contained in census bulletin No. 193,
I discover something not in the repub
lican campaign book: The farm
wealth of Nebraska in 1890 was 511
million dollars; this included lands,
improvements, buildings, machinery
and live stock. In 1900 the same was
worth 747 millions, an increase of 236
millions. The farms increased from
113 thousand in 1890 to 121" thousand
in 1900. Allowing one laborer to each
farm, 121,000 laborers increased their
wealth bythe above amount, or at the
rateof about $2,000 for each one of
them.
Our republican friends point to this
as evidence of great prosperity; but a
Rockefeller, a Morgan, or an Armour
has made the above amount and it
never occurred to them to mention the
fact.
Again, they tell us that interest rates
were never so low. You can get all
the money you want at 5 per cent.
Well, with all our labor we have not
increased our wealth at that rate, com
puting it as simple interest no not to
exceed 4y2 per cent computed annual
ly; and yet they expect us to be
lieve we are awfully prosperous.
I would like to call Mr. Crane's at
tention to his error in. releasing the
railroads from taxation. His argu
ment will apply to all other indus
tries the same as to the railroads. I
p.iy annually a few dollars of taxes
say $50. I have to collect this money,
most of it, from the dealer in farm
pioduce. The railroads collect at least
half of theirs exactly from the same
source; so I cannot seehy the rail
roads should be released and I should
not. Will he explain?
Query: Bryan says there are trusts
in free trade Great Britain. I had
seen this statement from a number of
republicans, but there is no use making
them for information. Will he kindly
tell what lines of industry are organ
ized int otrusts?
GEO. WATKINS. Farmer.
Verdon, Neb.
(Mr. Watkins' deductions from the
cens;is figures make a great showing.
121.000 farmers .have increased the
value of their holdings about $200 a
year for ten years, and a goodly por
tion of that was in the rise in price of
land something they, individually,
had no power to cause.
Mr. Watkins takes the right view of
Mr. Crane's suggestion as to railroad
taxes. Every dollar of taxes shirked
by a railroad company means that
mu'i bigger dividends for the eastern
and European stockholders. If it were
a fact that a railroad company could
recoup itself by raising rates, there
would be little resistance to any ef
fort to raise railroad taxes. Of course,
in a way the patrons of a railroad
mi.ist pay its taxes; the patrons of a
saloon must, pay the license; the pa
trons of a clothing store must pay its
taxes; and so on. But exemption from
taxes in any of these lines would sim
ply mean larger profit for the owners,
because freight rates are fixed at the
point which will bring the greatest
net t( turns, be that high or low; and
whisky and clothes will be bought at
the saloon or store selling the best
goe.J.s for the least money.
vvhilexThe Independent indorses the
democratic demand that the tariff
shall be taken off all lines controlled
by trusts, it is inclined to believe that
railroad discriminations in. freight are
much more potent in trust-building
th'tn he tariff. Even with absolute
free trade in everything, goods from
foreign countries could not reach Ne
braska in competition with American
'ruci-made goods, unless they were
given freight rates equally as low.
For exaiuple Russian oil could not
compete in Nebraska with the stuff
mac;e fit Whiting, Ind., because it could
not get the same freight rate. Ed.
fnd) ,
Additional Bryan Dates.
Tuesday, October 14 Seward, after
noon; David City, evening.
Wednesday, October 15 Columbus,
afternoon; Fremont, evening.
Thursday, October 16 Pender, after
noon; West Point, evening, ;
Friday, October 17 Plainview, after
noon; Neligh, evening.
Saturday, October 18 Albion, after
noon; Fullerton, evening. -
WOULDN'T RAVE IT
The Platform That was Rejected With
Scorn by the Democratic Dean Eattr's '
State Convention
The platform that was drawn up
by George Fred Williams and which
was rejected with so much scorn by
the democratic state convention of
Massachusetts is such a model docu
ment for terseness and sledge-hammer
blows on the thick hides of corpora
tion robbers and plutocratic support
ers of a government by the rich for
their further enrichment, that The
Independent prints it. After indors
ing "the last great protest of the na
tional party against accumulating
evils," it is as follows:
"First That the power of the people
be extended so that laws may be made
and legislative enactments vetoed by
direct vote at the polls.
"Second A prohibition upon judges
in equity to create offenses, and then
try, offenders without jury and sen
tence them without right of appeal.
"Third taxation in nation and
state which shall require full contri
bution from wealth and bear as light
ly as possible on labor and the poor.
"Fourth The repeal of tariff duties
which protect monopolistic trusts and
the reduction of the tariff to a reven
ue basis. .
"Fifth Liberty and self-government
everywhere under the . . stars and
stripes.
"Sixth The enactment and enforce
ment of drastic criminal laws against
monopolistic trusts.
"Seventh The public ownership or
control of public utilities.
"Eighth An eight-hour day for all
labor.
"Ninth Stringent laws to prevent
the use of patronage of corporations
to influence legislation or political ac
tions. "Tenth Honest reciprocity with
other nations, especially with Canada
and Cuba.
"Eleventh State co-operation with
the national government for the speed
ier improvement of Boston harbor.
"Twelfth The arbitration of indus
trial disputes such as the present coal
strike.
"Thirteenth Not only just laws, but
a party which means to enforce them."
The latest dispatches say that the
real reason for the hatred of the re
organizers was on account of the pre
amble, which was as follows:
"A heartless capitalism, born of
greed end nourished by law, is per
verting our institutions and morals,
invading press, pulpit and college and
oppressing labor and trade. Its sys
tem has one aim, to increase the hoard
of the wealthy out of the toil of the
people. Its method is to secure grants
or immunities of privilege, and it is
rapidly bringing trade, lands, money
and inventions under monopolistic
control, and its hand guides the helm
of government. , Its reign is not longer
endurable. .
"The democracy of Massachusetts in
dorses the last great protest of the na
tional party against these accumulat
ing evils. The success of a faithful
democracy was never more necessary
to the maintenance of our liberties and
the greatest nappiness of the greatest
number."
SCHOOL FOR THE OEAF
lrof. Dawes Replies to an Attack Msrte
Upoa His Administration of the
Deaf School at Omaha
Editor Independent: In a recent is
sue of the State Journal a lengthy let
ter appeared, written In the plural
number, and signed by the superinten
dent of the Nebraska school for the
deaf. The name of the party, or par
ties, to whom the communication was
addressed Is left out. This suppres
sion reminds one of the reply of a
girl to the caution of her escort: "Do
not tell any one that I came home with
with you." "No, I will not; I am just
as much ashamed of it as you are."
NThis remarkably illogical production
bears date of July 31, 1902, and appears
In the Journal's news columns Sep
tember 25. About the time that the
letter was written there was common
talk that the' plural superintendent's
position had been traded off by the
powers that are, to a "heavier weight
in politics." But the "deal" was not
consummated, and there has been
some speculation as to the reasons for
the failure. It may be that this
plethora of words and stringency of
idea3 was the price of "we" holding
the job.
The allegation is made by this plural
superintendent that "there was a de
ficiency in the funds of this institu
tion during the Poynter administration
up to April 1, 1901, of over $7,000."
Many will question the statement that
Poynter was governor for all the per
iod mentioned, and there is just
enough truth in the amount of the de
ficiency to make it a dangerous false
hood. An examination of the auditor's
books will show that the actual de
ficiencies were $2,147.61; to this
amount should be added the estimated
amount for expected deficiencies, $2.
962, making a total of actual and esti
mate of $5,109.61. There should be
credited against this amount, unex
pended balances $129.26, surgical oper
ations, apendicitis and paraphimosis,
for which no appropriations, or esti
mates could be made, $120; deficiency
on new school building, permanent im
provements and not entering into these
matters of comparison. $303.60, making
a total of credits of $552.&6. Leaving
the actual and estimated deficiencies
of $4,556.75, and a thousand of this
was patcl for stokers for the furnaces.
These were bought on a long time
guarantee and are really permanent
improvements. The major portion of
the deficiency was due to the great
advance in 4 the prices of Iron and
r'.eanj. fittings during the spring and
summer of 1899. The entire beating
system had to be reconstructed and
new boilers purchased to take the place
of those condemned by the inspector.
Much of the pipe and fittings more
than doubled in price after the appro
priations had been made and before
the material could be bought' It will
also be recalled that It was during
1899 and 1900 that prices advanced on
food stuffs, and not last year and now.
The appropriations for the biennium
ending April 1, 1901, were made in the
winter of 1899, and upon estimates pre
pared in the fall of 1898, based upon
the prices prevailing at that time.
The sharp advance in the cost of all
classes of goods, more especially in
iron, flour and other trust-made ar
ticles, showed that the estimates were
too low. Had prices remained at. or
near the figures used in the estimates
there would have been no deficiencies.
The legislature of 1901 added $10,000
to the maintenance appropriations to
provide for this Increased cost for the
present biennium.
In the matter of the water supply,
permit me to say that the system for
the institution is such that the cis
terns, reservoirs and stand-pipe can
only be cleaned during the vacations.
This was, and should always be done.
If, as the language and date of the
undirected communication of the plu
ral superintendent would seem to im
ply, this was neglected in the sum
mer of 1901 the governor would have
been warranted in executing the plan
to "remove for cause." When the
property of the state was turned over
to the new superintendent a receipt
was given in which the following lan
guage was used: ' Also the property
known as 'real estate in. good sani
tary condition."
(Signed) R. E. Stewart, superinten
dent of the Nebraska school for the
deaf. This s was signed after nearly
two weeks of investigation in a vain
effort to find some defect with which
to find fault. And a part of that In
vestigation was made with imported
assistance.
The inventory of the property be
longing to the state, and receipted for
by Superintendent Stewart, contains a
list of 'more than four times the
amount of property listed 'n the inven
tory given to me by Superintendent
Gillespie.
In the matter of a system of in
struction in the school: The records
of the board of trustees will show
that they adopted the state course of
study for graded schools a3 the course
of study for the school for the deaf.
This course of study is the work of a
committee composed of the best teach
ers of the state and is recognized by
the educators of the state as being as
good as .can bex produced for the work
up to the ninth grade.
In regard to the industrial depart
ments and kindergarten. It is not nec
essary to enlarge upon the needs of
this kind of instruction for the hear
ing, everyone recognizes their import
ance. The necessity for such instruc
tion is greatly Increased on account of
deafness. Dr. W. T. Harris, commis
sioner of education, says: "It be
comes. evident that, if the school is to
prepare for the arts and trades, it i3
the -kindergarten which is to accom
plish the object" "All the methods of