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About The Nebraska independent. (Lincoln, Nebraska) 1896-1902 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 30, 1902)
1 X 3 U $7.50. TBEIGHT PREPAID 100 MILKS. We Guarantee SAFE ..DELIVERY.. A quaint colonial design and we could not famish you a better finished, better style parlor piece at any price. Fancy turned spindles and legs, well made, braced and piano polished. Seat i3 uphol- CA etered in colonial tapestry; price. ... . . ..... .v' 5end for Our Free Catalogue. Everything to furnish a home, and we guarantee every piece we sell. Money refunded if you are not satisfied. 5 ,: GUENZEL yUi 1 1 18-1126 fl Street, Lincoln, Nebraska. Furniture, Carpet, Drapery, Queens ware, Hardware ST". REPRESENTATIVE HIGGIHS Candidate in Furnsi County Takes Issue on tb. Question of Railroad Taxation Populists all over Nebraska know Jonathan Higgins, fusion candidate for representative out in Furnas county, and they know him to be an honest man, firm in his convictions. The fol lowing letter was written by him to C. Q. De France, fusion candidate for state auditor: Cambridge, Neb., Oct. 20, 1902. Mr. C. Q. De France. Dear Sir: I must take issue with your article in The Independent of the f'Yb'tfr.ypGll' he assessment of the rail roads: and 1 awri not alone among pop ulists in not w&reUng to see anyone placed in a position Vo value railroads for taxable purposes ( who favors the valuing of fictitious cr watered stock. As a candidate for tie legislature, I want to be defeated if that, is to be the policy of our party and I afin expected to support that policy regardless of my convictions of right and justice to all the people. I can see how. such, policy would be to the interests of some of the people, but canno t see any benefit to the farmers the builders of the state and am ready ta say now that if elected there will be 6ne eternal kicker against a policy that will tend at least to bolster up present rate rob beries. This robbery we will submit to only by compulsion; and if compelled to submit, then we prefer that such com pulsion should come frcm the admitted railroad party rather, than from those from whom we should expect better things. I The taxation question may be thought to possess lots of campaign thunder, and does no doubt with the unthinking voter; but in reality it is a very small question compared to that of rates. We will never get reduced rates that will stand in the courts un til the water is squeezed ; out of the railroads. . To legalize that water is to pay rates which will pay interest on it. You speak of the value of the fran chise as being what the capitalized stocks sell for in the gambling dens of New York city. Suppose these corporations double the amount of their stocks and double their rates so as to pay dividends upon thta amount, will not the stock sell at par and will you still favor making that the basis of taxation? And if so, what will be your plea for reducing rates? Do you believe that we can play double as the corporations have done in all the past, by having two standards of value, one upon which to collect taxes, and another upon which to pay rates? The corporations have succeeded in doing this, but can we? I think not; we are not big enough. The whole question of the right of way franchise value .included hing es upon the power of eminent domain, a something which no power can alien ate from the people. It is vested in the people by the constitution of the United States and must remain there until that constitution is changed. Consequently, a railroad right of way is worth what the right of way would cost and no more. If power of emi nent domain was vested in these cor porations instead of the people it would be different; but so long as the people have the right to parallel any railroad in the state, the franchise and railroad would be worth -just what such parallel road would cost and no more. To tax this water is to admit its le gality. .If not, then tell me why not? And if we thus admit its legalityr-or rather by our own acts establish its le galitywill you please- outline any program by which we can get relief from present extortionate rates? This : trap is a corporation-constructed p and there is one old pop who 1 never put his foot in it. JONATHAN HIGGINS. ' (Discussion of any question of public policy is always desirable, but Mr. Higgins does me an injustice and him self no honor by resorting to innuendo. I might "reply in kind,' but shall re frain,, because L believe Mr. Higgins to be a sincere man, earnestly seeking the true solution but just a wee bit inclined to regard every man as a ras cal who does not agree with him. Our constitution requires franchises to-be assessed and taxed upon . Ibeir value not upon their cost. No fran chise belonging to a corporation be comes commercially valuable until the corporation has issued capital stock and bonds selling in the markets in ex cess of the amount actually invested in tangible property, and Is earning a fair return upon the entire capitaliza tion (the stocks and bonds). All fran chises; are indispensible, but they do not become valuable in a commer cial sense until they are capitalized against and bring in returns in the way of interest on bonds and divi dends on stock. Contrary to Mr. Higgins' idea, cor porations do not water their stock and then fit their rates to the new capital ization, but they water their stock to cover up' the fact that , their rates are producing enormous returns upon the actual investment. Watering stock Is only another way for expressing the idea of issuing capitalization against the franchise. A commercially valua ble franchise is prima' facie evidence that rates have been and are too high. Mr. Higgins evidently believes it bet ter policy to be robbed at both ends of the line than at one. He would rather have high freight rates, railroad tax-shirking, and republican admin istration, than to have high freight rates, the railroads paying their full share of the taxes, and a fusion ad ministration. I do not concede for a moment that the owners of a railroad are entitled to charge rates high enough to keep up a fair return upon the high value of their property placed there by previous rate extortion. The true theory, it seems to me, is that the return should be upon the amount in vested that is to say, upon the cost But taxes "are not" levied upon the basis of cost. The original govern ment homestead is not assessed upon what it cost, but upon what it would sell for today. A railroad must be assessed in the same way. I have no high hopes for any per manent relief from freight extortion short of public ownership. The ques tion is too big for one man or 133 men to solve In ninety days. We have been at the business of regulating rates for years and have done nothing. It is doubtful if we ever will do anything sugstantial until we exercise the right of eminent domain, condemn and take the railroads, and operate them by the government. The power to regulate freight rates has never been success fully demonstrated; but the power to tax is one which the railroads cannot escape, except by the election of men who will help them to shirk. We cannot deceive ourselves by as suming that a railroad is worth only $18,000 a mile, and assessing it on that basis because we think it can be duplicated for that amount, and hope thereby to fix freight rates to fit an ?18,000-per-mile valuation. When the test case comes its owners will have no difficulty in proving that they have a much greater amount invested. Railroad stocks and bonds are mere ly evidences of partial ownership in the ranroad issuing them, just as a mortgage is evidence of an equitable ownership In land, or a warranty deed 13 evidence of a legal ownership. A ten thousand dollar mortgage covering a five thousand dollar farm will not sell for $10,000; but a two thousand dollar warranty deed to that farm, if unincumbered, is worth morehan $2, 000. And the value of neither the mortgage nor the deed depends in any manner upon what the property it rep resents actually cost. Mr. Higgins' reference to the gam bling dens of New York city is in tende to annihilate the theory that the value of a railroad can be ascer tained by reference to the market value of its stocks and bonds. Corn and wheat are subjects of gambling speculation by these Wall street bulls and bears, and doubtless Mr. Higgins himself profited by the Lelter corner in wheat, getting a considerably bet ter price for it than he might have received otherwise. CHARLES Q. DE FRANCE. prqrvide revenue from the duties on the cojil imported. There has, I believe, alii'ays been a duty upon coal. This 1 ' fit 11 i! M is, wim lu exception ui uims ui iwu Infstances, a lower duty than has gen erally been imposed upon bituminous coil. The present, duty is 40 cents a torn, which is here increased to 67 cents. " ?. .' Senator Allen added these remarks, which are singularly appropriate to present conditions; , "Why exclude coal from elsewhere and levy upon. the poor people of the Atlantic seaboard and other portions of the United States a tariff in addi tion to the original cost of the . coal, and compel every fireside in the thir teen million and a half homes of the United States to pay tribute to a few owners of cpal mines? There is no sense in it, there is no excuse, for it, there is no reason to support it, ex cepting the bare reason that friends are to be rewarded in a bill of this kind." Senator Vest said: "This whole movement is in perfect harmony with the entire tariff scheme, and that is to exclude a superior foreign product in order to force the American consumer to take an inferior one and put. money in somebody's pocket when it ought not to go there. That is the whole of it. As I understand this proposed amendment -it makes an entire revolu tion in the taxation upon coalv It puts anthracite 'coal upon the dutiable list, although a cursory examination of the paragraph would not leave that Impression, 1 have not the amendment before me, but my recollection of it is tnat there is a duty of 67 cents on all bituminous coal having less than 92 per cent of carbon, which would include anthracite coal." Senator Allison replied: "On coal containing less than 92 per cerit of carbon the duty proposed is 7 cents per ton." Senator Vest said: "That puts a duty on anthracite coal." Caught In the Act The president announced in his Cin cinnati speech that there was no duty on anthracite coal, and Secretary Moody said in his speech at Madison, Wis., that "the duty of 67 cents on anthracite coal, was smuggled into the tariff act in a sneaking and cow ardly manner." The president doubt lessly accepted the constant asser tions in the republican papers that there was no duty as true, but upon what grounds did Secretary Moody base his statement that it was "sneaked" into the bill. The Con gressional Record shows that the ques tion was fully debated in the senate and that the duty was put there pub licly and purposely. When that sec tion was up, Senator Allen asked Sena tor Allison, who had charge of the bill, the following question: "I should like to ask the senator from Iowa what reason there is for taxing coal? What is the necessity?" Senator Allison replied: 'The same necessity that there Is for a tariff bill, to protect and care for the coal producers of our own country and to Hon. H. H. Hanks The contest for congress in the First district presents a different phase from every other district in the state. On the side of the republicans they have a candiate whose only recommenda tion is that in the garb of public funds, he secured some "of the boodle for his district. Upon the great pub lic questions of the day and hour he cannot be driven to make a state ment of where he stands on any of them. When challenged to a joint dis cussion he took to the woods imme diately. On the side of the fusionists they have nominated a man who takes a fearless and unequivocal position on every public question and tells the elec tors just what he will do and how he will vote on every one of them. Be sides that he is a Nebraska man. a farmer, and lives on a farm. He se cured his education in the state com mon schools, Fayette college, and the state university which he was com pelled to leave on account of the death of his father to go home and take charge of the farm and the family. While in the university he developed extraordinary oratorical abilities and when he went home, his neighbors sent him to the legislature where he soon became one of the recognized leaders in that body. Since the campaign began he has grown in the estimation of the people of the district every day. Every man who hears H. H. Hanks says: "That man is honest." In manliness, ability and all the qualifications that go to make an ideal congressman, he out ranks his opponent that is, if an ideal congressman is one who will work for the interests of he ordinary people rather than for those of the corpora tions and the rich. The trusts, the Wall street ganf of bankers, the rail road corporations canot deceive or buy him, and he will be on the floor of the house, as he is at home, a farmer look ing after the interests of the peoplo of the west and not a tail of the Wall street kite. The Anthracite of Love , Dost thau dread the coming winter, Oh, beloved of my soul? Spake the bard of Avon truly . All that glitters is not coal. Be thou mine and no chill tremors Through thy tender frame shall dart; For there's warmth potential hidden In the coal mines of the heart. Though the east wind madly mutters At tne irosty window pane, And the hyperborean breezes Mingle snow and sleet and rain. We'll but laugh to scorn, my darling, For there's anthracite a-plenty Iii the coal bins of the heart. Fang of frost nor breath of blizzard Shall afriffht thee, darllner nnp Though the price of coal soar higher u nan a nunarea plunks a ton. We will only snuggle closer,- And no frost our souls shall part, While love's anthracite is glowing In the fireplace of the heart, , WILLIAM TIPTON TALBOTT. Hon. W. H. Thorn pson The republicans are attempting: to make much political capital out of Mickey's connection and standing with a certain Methodist college. Thomp son has been just as good a friend to the Grand Island college, but has not tried to catch votes on the strength of that friendship. The following, from the college paper, however, shows the esteem in which lie Is held: "The Volante is not a political organ and therefore advocates ' the election of no candidate on merely political grounds. We are not acquainted with the republican candidate and can therefore bear no testimony to his high qualifications for the office to which he aspires. But we have knowu the Hon. W, H. Thompson for a good many years and can speak with regard to him from a somewhat intimate ac quaintance. Mr. Thompson is recog nized by all who know him as a clean, true man. He is a man of ability. He made an excellent mayor of Grand Isl and and has the qualities to make a good governor of the state. Mr. Thompson is Interested in all public matters. He has been a capable trus tee of Grand Island college from the beginning of, the school, and has done much for, Its advancement. His li brary has always been open for the use of the students and his late'.t string has always been out for those connected with the school. 'Mr. Thompson is recognized as a friend of law and order, of morality and relig ion. Mr. Thompson has always been a friend df the students, and while we do not say these, things to advocate his election, yet we regard it as the duty of those that are acquainted with him to say what they know, at a time when all records and characters are placed under the blazing searchlight of public scrutiny. Mr. Thompson is a man who will stand the test. i Was it Partisan Insanity? Editor Independent: Within ten minutes after receiving the cards I fired ' back at you with the 60 cents. taking my chance for the sale of them, but In fact I gave them all away to parties where I thought that they would do the most good. This morn ing quite a scene happened in front of our postofflce. A school teacher, one who above all ought to lay party spirit aside, pointed to the different articles on the first page, and in an angry disposition tore the paper up. That was all right when you under stand him. He teaches during the winter and the balance of his time he travels for the Deering Harvester Co. You are aware of the combination of the harvester companies. The idea of such an imitation of a man teaching little children in the present age is humiliating in the ex treme. I have talked with the others who got the paper and they all liked it. I wish you success In spreading the light. J. R. GRAVES. Morehead, Kas. Thanksgiving Proclamation Washington, D. CM Oct. 29. Presi dent Roosevelt today dssued his proc lamation designating" Thursday, No vember .27, as a day of thanksgiving. The proclamation is as follows: "According to thelyearly custom of our people, it falls upon the president at this season to appoint a day of festival and thanksgiving to God. "Over a century and a quarter has passed since this country took its place among the nations of the earth, and during that time we have had on the- whole more tobe thankful for than has fallen to the lot of any other people. Generation after generation has grown to manhood and passed away. Each has had to bear its pe culiar burdens, each to face its special crisis, and each has known years of grim trial, when the country was menaced by malice domestic or foreign levy, when the hand of theLord was heavy ipon it in drouth or flood or pestilence, when in bodily distress and anguish of soul it paid the penalty of folly and a forward heart. Never theless, decade by decade, we have struggled onward and upward; we now abundantly enjoy material well being, and under the favor of the Most High we are striving earnestly to achieve moral and spiritual uplift ing. The year that has just closed has been one of peace and of overflowing plenty. Rarely has any people an joyed greater prosperity than we are row enjoying. For this, we render heartfelt and solemn thanks to the Giver of Good; and we seek to praise him not by words only, but by deeds, by the way in which we do our duty to ourselves and to our fellow men. "Now, therefore, I, Theodore Roose velt, president of the United States, do hereby designate as a day of gen eral thanksgiving, Thursday, the 27th of the coming November, and do rec ommend that throughout the land the people cease from their ordinary oc cupations and in their several homes and places of worship 5 render thanks unto Almighty God for the manifold blessings of the. past year. . . "In witness .whereof, .! have hereun to set my hand and caused, the seal of the united States to be amxed. "Done at . the city of Washington, this 29th day of October, In the year of our Lord, 1902, and of the inde pendence of, the United States the 127th." -M- . '.-:.."-. " "THEODORE ROOSEVELT, "By the "President: "JOHN HAY, . Secretary of . State." . Every farmer in Nebraska who thinks that he ought to pay part of the taxes that should be levied against the - railroads, can accomplish his benevolent purpose by going to the polls and voting for Mickey, Prout and Weston. Then he will have the priv liege of doing it. - According to a careful estimate made by "The Omaha Bee," the lead ing republican newspaper in Nebras ka, the railroads . of this state are shirking taxes to the amount of more than one million dollars each year, and which as a matter of justice they ought to pay. This million dollars which the railroads ought to pay is be ing paid by the plain citizens of Ne braska. The railroads are assessed by the governor, the auditor, and the treasurer, and the republican candi dates for these offices are opposed to any increase in railroad taxes. . The Seasonable Goods at Special Prices Silks! Silks! Yama-mai, for skirt lining, cannot be improved upon unless you pay double the price. It possesses all the attributes a silk lining should have at half the usual cost. What's more it is all silk, that's what can't be said of'many so-called silk linings. ' It is 19 inches wide, at special price for 10 days, per yard. . . .... . . . . . . . .39c We offer a superior quality Taffeta Silk, in black and white only; has a natural brilliancy and unequaled for wear, 19 inches wide, at. . . . . . . . . . . .59c Fancy Striped India Silks, in Oriental . . . , . designs, suitable for kimpnas and house gowns, elegant quality, at only . . 45c Fancy Taffeta Silks, in pretty color combinations, suitable for waists, at. , 5oc Velvet Corduroys, very popular for waists, choice ran o-e of colors at. . . .$1.00. We have just opened a pretty line of Moire Velours, in the new and scarce shades; these are the Tegular $1.25 qualities, our price . 95c Wool Dress Fabrics Black novelties, all wool, in new and pretty patterns, at only . 39c Black novelties, 4G inches wide, super ior quality, all wool, handsome de signs, at .58c Black Cheviot, all wool, 40 inches wide, heavy quality, unequaled for wear, at ; 45c Black Granite Cloths, fine quality, 40 inches wide, beautiful nrnsh, very dressy, only 73c Black Granite Cloths, extra heavy quality, full 50 inches wide, suitable for unlined skirts, at .95c Butterick patterns and publications, we are sole agents for Lincoln. Cream wool goods for evening waists Etamines, all wool, 38 inches wide, very sheerV at.; ................... . 50c Cream Mohair, 38 inches wide, beau tiful quality at 50c Cream. Mohair, 46 inches wide, bril- , liant finish, and extra fine qualitv at $1.00 Bedford. Cords, all wool, .40 inches 'wide, superior quality, very stylish for waists, at . , ........... .$1.00 Bedford Cords, very fiandsome novelty patterns, 40 inches wide at ... . ....$1.50 French Flannels, beautiful soft finish, all wool, at 05c and. . . . ..... . . . . . .45c Linen Department ; A purchase of 5X0 dozen Huck Towels, bought at one-third the 1 actual value, enables us to make the following low prices: Huck Towels, good quality, regular 8c goods, at. 5p Huck Towels, large size (18x38), splendid quality, 15c values, at. lOo Huck Towels, extra good quality, at 15c and . . .. . . . .120 Domestic Department . Unbleached muslin, 36 inches wide, heavy quality, actual value, 7c, at.. 5c Unbleached Sheeting, 9x4, superior quality, extra special value nt. .......... ; ...14o Comfort Prints, full standard, fast colors, at. ...4q Percales, 32 inches wide, in black and white and blue and whito, at 5j'o Flannelettes, light or datk stripes, good quality, at.. -GKo Fur Trimmings ; ' Fur Trimmings We make a specialty of Fur Trim mings and carry an immense assortment of all de sirable kinds nuitable for Cloak, Skirt, Waist or hat trimmings, in all prices per yard at from $2.50 down to 150 A fine assortment of Fur Trimmings for Children' Cloaks or bonnets, in white or color. Fur Heads and Claws ornaments, each at from 1.60 down to. 10o Household Dspartnuat Special Enaoulware Sale We purchased from a, manufacturer a large line of slightly iraperftsct enamelware, consisting of Rice ' 'Boilers, Tea Kettles, Tea Pots, Sugar Bowls, Sauce Pans, Pudding Pans, etc. The imperfec tions in these goods are so slight that many arti cles could be sold as perfect goods; any of them t are great bargains at the price we ask for them. Prices are 32c, 19c and ....10o $1.00 for cents mmmrnusmmm w I LSHIRE'S M AG AZI N E now has nearly 100,000 subscribers and I want 200,000 more and want your help to secure them in the quickest possible time. " If I could afford it, and Mr. Madden would permit it, I would supply my magazine free to every one in the United States, but to do this would take more than the wealth of a Morgan or even a Wilshire. I will come close to it, however, and for a limited time I will sell regular one dollar subscription cards (each card good for a full year's subscription to Wilshire's Magazine) for 25c. Please remit cash with order at once for as many cards as you can sell, as I may be obliged to withdraw the offer any time. I am doing my part will you do yours? Lend a; hand to-day to interest 200,000 new people in the great cause of Socialism. SAMPLE COPIES AND LITER ATURE SUPPLIED FREE TO THOSE PURCHASING CARDS. .VILSHIRE'S MAGAZINE AT 25e. A YEAR IS THE BIGGEST AND BEST MAGAZINE BARGAIN OF THE AGE 1 '4 GET ON THE BAND WAGON. H. GAVLO'RV XOILSHI'RE. 125 East 23d St.. Jfetv VorK. only way you can remedy this great wrong, against the people of Nebraska Is by voting for William H. Thomp son for governor, John N. Lyman for treasurer, and Charles Q. De France for state auditor. CHEAP RATES FOR HOMESEEKERS : : : The Rock Island System announces a new series of Homeseekers' Excur sion rates. . , - November 4 and 18, the Rock Island System will sell round trip tickets to points In Oklahoma, Indian Territory, New Mexico and Texas at one fare plus $2 for the round trip. Return limit 21 days. ' Stopovers allowed. If you are contemplating a change of location or want to buy land where it Is good and cheap, these excursions offer the best possible opportunity. See the nearest Rock Island ticket agent and get full information or ap- ply to L. M. ALLEN, :': v v G. P. A., Chicago. F. H. BANUS, C. P. A., Lincoln, Neb. - 1 Patronize our advertisers. Frrk Sh.ph.rd Attorn.jr, 410 to 413 Richard Block CHANGE OF CORPORATE NAME . Notice i. her.by given that on the 29th dajr of October, 1902, at a meeting of th. Korsemey.r Plumbing & Heating- Company, duly and reni larly held at it general otBee in Lincoln, Ne braska, and all of the aharea of stock of said company being present atiaid meeting and vot ing for the amendment hereinafter referred to. it was regularly moved, seconded and carried, and thereupon declared adopted, to amend th. Articles of Incorporation of said company by changing the name threof to KORSKMJBYEK COMPANY, under which rame the company will accordingly hereafter do business. I W. KORSEMEYEtt, Sec'y. F. A. KORSEMEYER. . Pros. SBAL