. -v -
N
I A WEEKLY
I JOURNAL
! OF
I CHEERFULNESS
I Printed primarily for people
I mho k& upon fcf cheerfully and
bopfuiiy. Also for pople who
might to Jo s. Tb pronator of
all pcod things and Svoi people,
of whk-i firs Nbrska is chwf
and at which second Xbrskns
DOLLAR A YEAR
rOLUME 8
CURRENT
Harray Andrews is serving a jail
sentence in Joliet, 111. He had vio
lated no statute or ordinance, civil or
criminal. He was never indieted by a
grand jary nor convicted by a petit
jury, nor had he a trial in a court
having jurisdiction over felonies or
breaches of the peace. He is in jail
without due process of law, for there
is no law forbidding the act with
which he is charged. Andrews was
employed by a lot of his fellow work
men who were themselves ou strike
cam! the Illinois Central railroad,
Jus work being to seek to deter men
from taking the places of the strikers.
The railway managers went before
Federal Judge Humphrey and secured
an injunction restraining the strikers
from "iuthuidating." Armed with
this injunction they secure.! Andrews
arrest by making affidavit that he was
"intimidating." Thereupon without a
trial for the crime, without jurisdic
tion to try any oue for the crime, and
without allowing any of the safe
guards of criminal trial for the protec
tion of the innocent. Judge Humphrey
sentenced Andrews to the workhouse.
"Under cover of "chancery proceed
ings" judges make criminal statutes,
and without law and without trial
proceed to punish as criminals whom
soever they see fit to charge with vio
lation of their judge-made law. Yet
some people cannot understand why
desperate men resort to the bomb,
nor why there is a growing disrespect
for and lack of confidence in our
courts.
As was to have been expected Secre
tary of State Waite has backed up on
his nonsensical rulings relative to fil
ing candidates. It did not require the
eye of propehey to see to what ridic
ulous lengths such a ruling would be
carried. Perhaps Secretary Waite
overlooked the fact that his ruling
would effect republicans as well as
democrats.
Another beautiful dream indulged
in by some of Lincoln's idealists in
municipal affairs has been shattered.
The "municipal plans commission,'"
which looked so pretty through the
pip smoke, has been dissipated, and it
is now proposed that its duties and
powers be transferred to the park com
mission. The "municipal plans com
mission" was all to the tommyrot to
with. The park commission is
made up on men amply able to at
tend to that sort of thiug if they are
given half a show. The park com
mission has performed wonders con
sidering what it has had to work with.
Having served for more than two
years on the park commission, and
knowing a few things about its handi
caps, we have no hesitancy in saying
that we would rather put that sort of
work iuto the hands of two meu like
Charley Bryan and Professor Bar
bour than iato any old "municipal
plans commission" that could be con
structed. Some of these days Lincoln
will wake up to the fact that Charley
Bryan and Professor Barbour have
quietly and effectively done more
good work for Lincoln in the way of
parks and boulevards and that sort
of thing than all the dreamers and
yidealists that ever goi logemer ana
y swapped heifer dust.
f Afrrrrrr, 1T6n 1
WW
l V V I
COMMENT
Much is being made in certain quar
ters of Wood row Wilson's letter in
which he wished for "something at
once dignified and effective that would
knock Mr. Bryan into a cocked hat."
After a few things in connection with
the publicity given to that letter are
analyzed Mr. Bryan's friends will not
be greatly offended. Remember to
whom that letter was written a man
identified with the "big interests."
SOME LINCOLN AFFAIRS
The commission form of government
for Lincoln looks like a "cinch." Per
haps not because a majority of the
citizens have studied it and approve
of it, but because they see in it relief
from the present intolerable condi
tions. They fully realize that any
sort of a change would be for the
better, because nothing could be
adopted that would be so bad as what
they have now.
And just as soon as the commission
plan is adopted, the first time the
commissioners get to wrangling over
"four-foot lines" and "municipal
plans commissions" and "city beauti
ful" rot, while typhoid is running riot
or the water supply good or bad is
insufficient, there will be a sudden
recall.
Somebody is responsible for present
conditions, but nobody can locate the
responsibility. While scores are suf
fering from typhoid fever and deaths
from that disease not uncommon, we
are fronted with the spectacle of men !
paid to attend to the city's business
which includes the safeguarding of its
health wrangling like a lot of school
boys and shouting, "You did it!"
"Your're a liar; I didn't. You did!"
Fortunately for the city it has as
its administrative head a gentleman
who is very nmeh more of a business
man than he is a politician, and who
has the courage to overstep the "au
thority" so zealously guarded by
others and do something. When
Mayor Armstroug took the bull by the
horns and sent for a man to purify
I the water supply, guaranteeing the ex
( peuse himself, he performed a distinct
public serviee, and one that entitled
him to the heartfelt thanks of every
citizen. Disclaiming any intent to be
profane, and desiring only to be em-
phatic. Will Maupin's Weekly says to
I hell with "jurisdiction" and "author
ity" when by ignoring them we may
protect the lives of our loved ones.
If our waterworks system had been
as sadly mismanaged by a private "cor
poration as it has been by public offi
cials, the people would have revolted
years ago. But the people have been
lulled into fancied security by beauti
ful figures showing profit, little reck
oning that for every dollar of profit
shown by the water department they
have been losing something much more
valuable health and protection
against fire.
If a I t V II
mm
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, JANUARY 19,
Does anyone imagine that the letter
would have been made public if the
"big interests" had not been con
vinced that Wilson's conversion to
progressive and . fundamental demo
cratic principles is genuine ? This
newspaper has not been much inclined
towards Governor Wilson in the past.
The faet that the contents of that
letter have been divulged leads us to
believe that Wilson is a much more
thorough democrat not in the parti
san but in the broader sense than we
had imagined. Don't for a minute
believe that letter would have been
(Continued on Page 3)
Who is the father of the idea that
the municipal water plant should be
a source of revenue to the city ! Who
ever he is he ought to go to a kinder
gartner of economics for & few months.
Not until the plant is practically per
fect, with every needed extension
made, should there be anything ap
proaching a net revenue from the
department. And just as soon as all
these things are secured every penny
over and above a sum well calculated
to take care of the future extensions
should be returned to the consumers
in the shape of reduced water rates.
A beautiful lot of advertising Lin
coln is getting out of her muneipally
owned water system, eh? Some there
are who insist that the newspapers
ought to keep silent about the deplor
able situation. The newspaper that
knows the facts and consents to si
lence is simply conniving at homicide.
Those who counsel silence are guilty
of eonniving at hoiuieide. And the
responsibility for it all rests upon the
shoulders of public officials who have
wrangled and "chewed the rag" over
non-essentials. Is it any wonder that
the commission form of government is
appealing to the people! A form that
will enable them to fix responsibility
instead of having it shifted from one
councilman to the other.
And now comes Sam Worthington
who, with his brother, sunk the Kiee
well, and says that to his certain
knowledge a six-inch main enters the
Kice well twenty-five feet below the
ground; that this main connected the
big well with seven smaller ones sunk
some distance to the south; that in
his opinion these seven smaller wells
have become tilled up with rubbish,
and that the main still connects these
rubbish-filled holes with the Rice well-
Think that over for a minute!
Seven wells to the south the south,
mind you filled with manure and
offal and filth, and connected with the
main well by a six-inch pipe! And
after weeks of investigation and in
quiry and typhoid and death we never
heard of this condition of affairs until
last Monday evening! In God Al
mighty's name, does anybody know a
blooming thing about the water sys
tem of Lincoln? Along comes Dr.
Waite and discovers a little bit of a
pipe leaking filth into the Rice well
Nobody knew a thing about it, and
there was nothing on the blue prints
to show it. .Now comes Sam Worth
ington and tells us of a six-inch main
leading from seven filth-filled holes
WW-
1912
MEN AND
Pressure has been brought to bear
upon Andrew Morressey to indeue him
to file for the democratic nomination
for attorney general. Those who are
more interested in having a strong
man in the legal department of the
state than in having a politician, will
readily agree that no opportunity
should be lost to secure the services
of such men as Mr. Morrissey when
possible. He is an attorney of wide
DISCUSSED
into the same big well! Does anybody
connected with the water department
know of any pipes little or big, con
necting the A street well with any cess
pools or compost heaps to the south
of it? Anybody in the northwest cor
ner of the city hall, first floor, know
of any pipes, little or big, connecting
the F street well with any privy vaults
or slaughter houses to the south and
west of it? It strikes this newspaper
that it is high time some system be
adopted of recording in blue prints
the kind and number of pipes, and
from whenee, that may be connected
up with the sourees of the city's water
supply.
"Hush-h-h-h-h! You'll give Lincoln
a black eye!" Well, the editor of this
newspaper would a blamed sight rath
er give Lincoln a "black eye" by call
ing attention to these things than to
keep silent and put black streamers
on the knob of his front door to con
vey the sad intelligence that one of
his kiddies had suceumbed to disease
brought on by contaminated water
drawn from municipally owned water
mains.
There is plenty of pure water to be
had by Lincoln, and it must be had,
no matter what it eosts nor how far it
must be brought.
But can Lincoln hope to get this
sort of water supply Tinder such an
archaic, antedeluvian, hodge-podge
sort of a civie government as she has
now, wherein no one may be held
responsible? The man who believes it
can will please advertise his mental
limitations by holding up his right
hand.
The thing to do is to adopt a simple
and effective commission form of gov
ernment, then say to any man who
aspires to preside over the water de
partment: "If you take it you are
directly charged with responsibility
for giving us plenty of pure water'
responsible on your bond, and per
sonally responsible to every parent
who loses a loved one through disease
brousbt on by an impure water sup
ply." '
Now, don't let anybody frighten you
with the bugaboo that this demand for
a commission form of government for
Lincoln is a scheme on the part of this
or that public service corporation to
gobble the water plant or to commit
this or that overt or covert aet cal
culated to injure the citizens and taxpayers.
A MERRY HEART
DOETH GOOD
LIKE
MEDICINE
Bat a broken spirit drietb the
bones. That's what the Good
Book says, and veil bank on it,
sore. Wax. Mauttx's Weeklt
works to make cfeeerfal the hearta
of its readers, and tfaos do medi
cal duty. Fifty-two consecutive
weekly dose: for a dollar.
GUAllANTEED
NUMBER 43
MATTERS
experience and uniform success, and
fully equipped to render the state
valuable service. He was located at
Valentine for a number of years, but
recently removed to Lineoln to be
better able to take care of a business
that was rapidly growing state wide.
While a resident of the northwestern
part of the state he was a leader in
democratic affairs. He was a delegate
to the Denver convention and held a
minor county office at one time. The
northwestern part of the state has not
been given a just share of recognition
by either party, and 3Ir. Morrissey rs
friends in that section and they are
numbered with the population are
active in his interests. Having known
Mr. Morrissey for many years this
newspaper is prepared to declare, and
does so declare, that the democrats of
the state could make no better choice
than he for the office of attorney gen
eraL J. W. Kelley of Furnas county is
said to contemplate making a race for
the democratic nomination for secre
tary of state. Mr. Kelley served in
the legislature of 1909 and earned the
sobriquet of "Platform" Kelley be
cause of his insistence that the party
live np to its platform pledges. This
is quite enough to endear him to
those democrats who , are old-fashioned
enough to believe that platforms
are framed with honest intent. Mr.
Kelley is one of those big-brained, en
ergetic gentlemen who never fail to
give the best service within their
power when entrusted with a duty to
perform. He is an old resident, and
is to be numbered among those sturdy
souls who have made southwestern Ne
braska bloom and blossom as the rose
a, the expense of great sacrifice and
intelligent endeavor.
Mr. S. R. MeKelvie of Lincoln has
filed for the republican nomination
for lieutenant governor and is prepar
ing to make a lively campaign for the
place. Being a shrewd and capable
advertiser there is no doubt that his
candidacy will be made known to Xe
braskans, together with his qualifica
tions. Mr. MeKelvie is a young man
aspiring to a position of more than
ordinary responsibility and one usual
ly given to men of longer years and
wider experience in public affairs. But
his age is a handicap that is being les
sened every day, and there is a grow
ing suspicion that it might be well to
give some of these important offices
to men who might not know so much,
but who know better. As a tip to
some other political aspirants we sug
gest that they watch the 3IeKelvie
advertising propaganda and prot
thereby.
Willanl F. Bailey, one of the most
energetic of the young men of Ne
braska, has undertaken the task of
cutting up into small tracts and sell
ing piecemeal the famous "Watson
Ranch" at Kearney. The Watson
ranch enjoys the distinction of being
the largest field of alfalfa in the
world, and it is part of the richest
tract of territory in the world in the
Platte river bottoms, where "the soil
is more fertile than that of the valley
of the Nile. We rejoice to know that
this immense tract is to be sub-divided
