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9
of a pump to buy and what kind of a
well to bore and where. There are sev
eral thousand property holders who are
vastly more interested in getting water
and fire protection than they are in hav
ing the water department show a revenue
for the city.
Then there is the matter of paving in
tersections. After a goodly number of
us have been taxed for years to pay for
intersections in the central districts, we
are now coolly informed that if we want
to pave we must not only pay for the.
paving in front of our lots, but must also
pay for our own intersections. The ex
planation is that the city has no funds
out of which to pay for intersections. If
this is true and it doubtless is it is
merely another proof of the utter incom
petency of our city business agents. We
who have for years helped to pay for the
intersections elsewhere are clearly en
titled to have others help in paying for
our intersections.
Still another sample of how not to
manage a city's affairs is afforded by the
Tenth street viaduct matter. Everybodj
knows that the Traction Co. has not ade
quate facilities for reaching the fair
grounds, and that the lines it has run
through sections of the city that are cal
culated to give visitors an idea that Lin
coln is a very squalid city. The Traction
Co. should have built across the viaduct,
but owing to dilatory tactics on the part
of the council in treating with the steam
roads, and onerous conditions sought to
be imposed upon the Traction Co., the
viaduct is not used for street car traffic,
and half its roadway is planked over and
useless. Thus the city is deprived of a
needed facility and no good purpose is
served thereby.
Are we of Lincoln coming to accept the
patronage of out-of-town people as a mat
ter of course, therefore making no effort
to show our appreciation of their coming
and their patronage? It would seem so,
judging by the lack of interest we take in
everything our visitors have, save only
their dollars. This week Lincoln is . en
joying the presence and the very profit
able patronage of thousands of out-of-town
people. It should be the occasion
for handsome decorations of the business
section, yet scarcely a flag is floating, and
the decorations consist chiefly of a few
yards of rain-stained bunting purchasa
ble for about 2 cents a yard. A city that
should be decorated to the limit this week
has absolutely nothing. Even the orna
mental street lights we have been figuring
on for two years or more are not working
nearly as well as they should.
It seems that Ave must have another au
tomobile fatality before we can secure
any reasonable enforcement of the speed
laws. Today no more attention is paid to
the speed laws in Lincoln than there is
paid to Sunday observance in Boori-boola-ga.
A BEAUTIFUL RESORT.
Capital Beach will soon close the most
successful season in its history. It is
doubtful if Lincoln people really appre
ciate the beauty of this resort, nor tlrj
vast amount of work and expense th-jit,
have been put into it. As a matter of fact,
few cities in the west have pleasure re
sorts equal to Capital IJeach. With its
beautiful lake, the wonderful variety of
trees and shrubs and flowers, its magnifi
ceent lighting effects, its shady retreats
and well kept lawns, and its absolutely
clean management, Capital IJeach is
bound to become more and more popular
as the seasons come and go. Mr. J. A.
IJuckstaff has carried a heavy load in
his efforts to make this resort all that
Lincoln should have. He deserves the
hearty support of all citizens who are de
sirous of helping along enterprises that,
make for better citizenship by .adding
to the innocent pleasure of the people.
There is no better conducted public re
sort in America than Capital IJeach. Mr.
IJuckstaff might have lessened present
burdens by catering to different tastes,
but he has wisely built for the future. As
it is, he has given to Lincoln a pleasure
resort that is a social asset instead of a
social liability.
BISHOP TINEA'S ADDRESS.
Bishop Tihen was the chief speaker at
the Labor Day celebration in Lincoln. We
have but one regret to express that this
masterly address should have been list
ened to by less than 250 men and women
instead of 2,500. Tenrperate, of course,
the address was straight to the point. "If
they will not respect the might of right,
make them respect the right of might,"
was one of the oratorical gems. "There is
room for labor agitation and for labor
legislation ; as long as there is there is
room for the trades unions," was anoth
er. Bishop Tihen says he does not be
lieve in radicalism, but somehow or other
his utterances found ready response in
the hearts of men we have heard called
"radicals." But it was the radicalism
of a man who has studied and knows that
he speaks the eternal truth.
Bishop Tihen "took" with his audi
ence the moment he stepped to the front
of the ijlaiform. Before he had uttered
a dozen sentences he had hold of their
hearts as well as of their minds. Then
came sentence after sentence ringing true
with human sympathy and human help
fulness. There was no effort at studied
oratory, no effort at appealing to preju
dice just the earnest words of a lover of
his fellows, anxious to help point' the way
to better things.
The bishop told his hearers that he
would place the celebration of Labor day
in the same category with that of the cele
bration of the nation's birthday and.
Memorial day, and expressed the thought
that when the people encourage the ob
servance of national holidays, they en
courage .patriotism; without this latter,
legislation and laws amount to nothing.
"Labor is the foundation of all wealth
and prosperity," said the speaker, "just
as .patriotism is the foundation of na
tional progress and stability. When the
day comes that we no longer honor and
respect labor, that day we will have lost
our patriotism."
The' bishop, directed attention to the
histoid of the decline and fall of the Eo
nian empire, which he stated was brought
about in a comparatively short time by
reason of the fact that three-fourths of
the people were plebeans and slaves,
while the other one-fourth were of the ar
rogant, wealthy patrician class. It was
the want of the appreciation . of labor
which brought about the downfall of
Home, and there is nothing more certain
than that history repeats itself. Should
the time ever come when this country
shall look down upon labor, it is certain
to go down to destruction.
The speaker traced the history, of
trades unionism in the United States and
called attention to the difference in pub
lic sentiment now and at the inception
of the movement, more than thirty years
ago. Then there was little sympathy for
unionism, but sentiment has changed, de
clared the bishop, and it is well that it
has.
Discussing the relationship . between
the employer and the employe the speak
er gave it as his idea that the employer
should not say: "How much can I make
off him, but how much can I give him
and still make a profit?" This, he de
clared, to be nothing more than the ap
plication of the golden rule, and if it were
lived up to it would forever do away with
strikes and strife. "
Bishop Tihen is not lacking in wit. On
the contrary, one has but to look at him
to know that he is not only capable of ap
preciating a good joke but capable of tell
ing one. During his Labor Day address
he gave voice to a number of witty ex
pressions that emphasized a point far bet
ter than multiplied words. He prefaced
his address by saying that he had begun
to fear that he would not receive an in
vitation to deliver an address on Labor
Day this year, and that he thought the
voice he heard over the telephone invit
ing him to speak in Lincoln was almost
angelic. Lest Bishop Tihen be again the
victim of a similar fear we hasten to as
sure him that so long as he remains in
Lincoln he will not lack for an oppor
tunity to address the hosts of organized
labor, on Labor Day or any other day.
DEMOCRATIC STATE COMMITTEE.
Democratic state headquarters will be
at Columbus again this year. Columbus'
- is the home of Chairman Byrne and Vic. is
Chairman Greunther. But a majority of
the candidates will maintain personal
headquarters in Lincoln. 'It is intimated
that the democratic committee will proso
cute a "speaking campaign" this fall. ,