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WILLIAM H. THOMPSON
Candidate for Democratic Nomination for
United States Senator
William II. Thompson of Grand
Island, candidate for the democratic
nomination for the United States sen
ate, is one of the best known citizens of
Nebraska, and a man whose fame as a
fighter for progressive democratic
principles is as wide as the republic.
As a lawyer he is acknowledged to be
one of the leaders of the western bar.
As a public spirited citizen he is recog
nized and respected by his neighbors.
As a democrat his counsel and his ser
vices are always in demand, and when
"William II. Thompson speaks men know
they are listening to a man who means
what he says and says what he means.
Mr. Thompson was a militant leader
of democratic thoughts in Nebraska
when it wasn't at all popular to be a
democrat. The fact that a fight for
democratic principles promised nothing
but defeat did not deter him. He
never failed to respond to the call of
his party, and he never failed to de
liver the goods. His commanding abil
ity has won for him great success in
his chosen profession. His ability as
a thinker and as a student of economy
has made him a recognized figure in
the democratic party of the nation. Mr.
Thompson is now asking for nomina
tion and election to the United States
senate. He minces no words in making
known his position upon public ques
tions. His platform is the democratic
keynote.
Mr. Thompson's position in the
hearts " of ' progressive democrats is
evidenced by the support he is receiv
ing from the democratic press. . The
following may be taken as a fair aver
age of the expressions of the democraic
newspaper of Nebraska when they re
fer to the candidacy of the "Little
Giant:"
Grand Island Free Press: "In stand
ing for W. H. Thompson for U. S. sen
ator, we are not advocating an untried,
unknown man, but a man who has for
many years, through' evil report and
good report stood squarely for the best
that can be had in popular govern
ment ; a man who has toiled and sacri
ficed to keep the banner of pure democ
racy aloft and unsmirched and unsul
lied; one who has spent largely of his
time and means in helping to shape re
form legislation for state and, nation;
a man who has as freely and earnestly
campaigned for others as for himself
and who has done all possible at all
times for the success of his party and
his party's principles, without emolu
ment or compensation. "We are not urg
ing Mr. Thompson's claims to this nom
ination on the ground that the party
owes it to him for services such as few
could render, though if such claims
were proper none would merit greater
rewards than-he; but that the attitude
this veteran has taken on all public
questions for many years past, and the
loyal fight he has so unselfishly made
for the party's success, together with
. "J
his unique record of absolute consisten
cy with the proper growth and devel
opment of popular demand for the res
toration of government to the people
makes him the natural candidate of the
people at this time. Under the insis
tency of the great demand for men
who are absolutely true and loyal to
the best interests of the common people
and who always have been true to the
people we feel assured that none can
more fully measure up to the demand
than "W. H. Thompson."
Falls City News: "The News be
lieves that the democracy of Nebras--ka
is indebted to "W. II. Thompson of
Grand Island, for his years of unselfish
and untiring labors in the interest of
the party to such an extent that the
nomination for U. S. senator should be
unanimously tendered him. He - has
been right all these years. No act or
utterance not in accord with the people
can be brought forward to mar his rec
ord. As senator the democrats and the
people could go to sleep with the assur
ance that Mr. Thompson was not spend
ing the night carousing with the 'inter
. ests, ' and that they would not have to
scrutinize his acts and votes for fear
they were getting the worst of it. This
paper believes that he is absolutely in
corruptible, and this, more than orator
ical and spread eagle speeches, is what
is required. Yet as an orator the ' little
giant' ranks with the best of them."
Governor Holcomb says of Mr.
Thompson : "He and I have known
each other closely ever since we were
young men. I have been one of his
warmest friends and he at; all . times
one of my staunchest supporters. He
has always been true to the peoples'
cause. He is well equipped for the of
fice of United States senator. . I have
every confidence in him and hope he
may be nominated and elected. The
party owes it to him."
THE TELEPHONE INDUSTRY.
That the telephone is a natural mo
nopoly will be admitted by all. Lin
coln people have had enough experi
ence with the dual system to know
what an expensive nuisance it is.
' They have also had ample experience
with an unregulated monopoly. Not
until there was competition was there
anything approaching good service, or
any attempt to keep pace with the
growth of the city and tributary ter
ritory. Before competition began
there was no attempt at regulation by
the state. It was only through the ef
forts of independent companies that
the smaller towns and the rural com
munities were enabled to secure tele
phone service.
But times have been changing rap-
. idly of late. We have made consider
able . history during the past decade,
, and not the' least Interesting page of
that history is the one relating to our
treatment of the public service cor
porations. A few years ago the cor
porations regulated the people. Now
the people regulate the corporations.
- With this regulations constantly being
bettered and adjusted to a more equit
able basis, we have been relieved in .
large .measure of the necessity of
maintaining a dual system in order to
secure good service."
Much has been said of late relative
to the recent telephone merger.
Through this merger the Bell company
and the Independent company have
greed to a division "of territory,
thereby doing away with the dual sys
tem and making it possible to increase
the service without increasing the cost,
and permitting economies in manage
ment and" maintenance that will per
mit of a lowered rate for the same ser
vice. One central office instead of
two; one set of managers instead of
two; one physical plant instead of
two; one force of employes instead
of two all this means a reduction in
the cost that must be paid by tele
phone users. The fear that consolida
tion means decreased service and in
creased cost has no foundation save
in the intimated belief of some that
the people have not brains enough to
demand and secure what is their just
due. Under the present laws of the
state the railway commission is em
powered to compel adequate service,
force needed extensions, and regulate
the charges. With this fact borne in
mind, there is no reason for fear that
the "merger" will be disadvantageous"
to the general public unless the gen
eral public allows the railway commis
sion to become the tool of the corpora
tions instead of the servant of the
people.
Will Maupin's Weekly believes that
the merger was the wise thing, and
that the results will be beneficial to all
concerned. The men whose energy
and enterprise made the independent
company of this city one of the strong
est telephone companies in America,
may be depended upon to successfully
manage the enlarged corporation.
They will be able to enforce econo
mies of management that will permit
of decreased tolls without decreasing
dividends. The public will be bene
fited by increased service, and the an
noyance of two phones and a dual sys
tem will be removed.
To adjust affairs to the new condi
tions will take time". There is) soine
thing more to this matter of physical
connection of telephone plants than
the mere, matter of tying together the
ends of a few wires. It is a matter
that will require weeks and months
of careful planning and strenuous
work, for it must all be done without
interfering with traffic for a single
minute. To stop telephone connection
in this vast territory for even twenty
four hours would be disastrous to busi
ness. ' "' ' "
The new arrangement .whereby one
'telephone company occupies the field,
under proper regulation, means much
to Lincoln. It makes . this city the
headquarters of a vast territory, natur
ally drawing' to ' it ah ever-increasing
volume of business. - It permits of im
iprovements .and extensions that, are
much needed. In short, the telephone
"merger" seems to Us to have been
both wise and proper, and the only
rational solution of a vexed problem.
The men who organized the Lincoln
Independent ' Telephone - company . a
few years ago went up against a hard
proposition. They were getting ready
to fight an arrogant corporation that
had its grip on the whole country and
was backed by untold millions of capi
tal. But the organizers were not
daunted. With a -business energy and
acumen seldom displayed,, they
marched on to a wonderful success,
and today these same men are recog
nized in the telephone business as
leaders.
Briefly recapitulated, the advantage
of the "merger" are these: The peo
ple now compelled to maintain two
'phones will have to maintain but one,
and their expense will be reduced 50
per cent. People now using but one
'phone will secure connection with
x every 'phone without increased
charges. The small town exchanges
will have access to every line in the
South Platte country, instead of with
only a part of them, and without ex
tra cost. For many the service will
be doubled and the cost reduced, and
for many more the service will be
doubled without increasing the cost.
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: J
JOHN H MOREHEAD
Candidate for the Democratic Nomination
for Governor
John H. Morehead of Richardson
county, acting lieutenant governor, .is
a candidate for the democratic nom
ination for governor of Nebraska.
Senator Morehead is a candidate be
cause democrats of the rank and file,
caring nothing about the petty isms
and ologies that have divided the
party in the recent past, and caring
only for the triumph of the principles
of democracy, sought him and asked
him to become a candidate. They
wanted a man who had hot been iden
tified with any faction or clique; a
man whose record as a democrat and
as a loyal supporter of candidates
'once nominated was without a flaw, and
who could be depended upon to give
the state a clean, businesslike admin
istration. 'Without ""exception these"
men turned to Morehead of Richard
son. They saw in him a successful
business man, a staunch democrat and
one whose loyalty to the party was
not subjugated to personal whim.
John H. Morehead is a successful
business man who has won his way to
the front through his own efforts.
Born on an Iowa farm, he came to
Nebraska at an early age, taught a
country school, engaged in the mer
cantile business, prospered and en
gaged in the banking business. He
was twice elected treasurer of Rich
ardson county despite the fact that
the county was overwhelmingly repub
lican. Two years ago he was elected
- to ' the state senate, being the first
; democrat ever elected to represent the
district. He was elected president of
the senate, and succeeded to the office
of lieutenant governor upon the death
of the late Judge Hopewell. Mr.
Morehead 's position upon matters of
state issue are clear and well defined.
: He has authorized the following as his
statement, and it stands as his plat
form : until the party in platform con
vention assembled make the party
platform : ;
Favors placing men of strictest in
tegrity and ability in charge of state
institutions, a non-partisan board of
control as provided in proposed con
stitutional amendment, of biennial elec
tions in the state, gives cities of OOO
population or over the right to make
their own charters, limiting time for
introducing bills to twenty days as per
proposed constitutional amendment,
the proposed constitutional amend
ment providing for the initiative and
referendum, the strictest economy in
the expenditure of public money, is in
full accord with policies of the party
outlined in the national platform. Has
had nearly thirty years' experience in
state as farmer, stock raiser, merchant
and country banker and also large ex
perience in public affairs of city,
county and state. Favors, liberal edu
cational policy, broad and liberal pol
icy on the part of the state toward its
agricultural interests, supplementing
work of the agricultural schools by
law, authorizing county boards to em
ploy experts to experiment and test
seeds on county farm, greater publicity
for Nebraska and its resources, the
management of the state's business in
a businesslike manner, a non-partisan
judiciary and public instruction, a law
similar to that of Kansas wherein its
banking board can furnish the people
evidence of merits of stocks and secur
ities offered for sale.
SOME CONCRETE
NEBRASKA FACTS
-With the latest "available "statistic,"
state and national, at hand it is very
interesting to make some comparisons
for the purpose of ascertaining just
where Nebraska stands. And every
time Nebraska's production is ranged
up alongside the production of other
states, or her output of wealth com
pared with the national output of
some particular article of common use,
we swell up with pride at the fact that
our lot has been cast in this good
state. y -
In 1910 the copper production of
the United States was worth $130,000,
000. ' Nebraska's 1911 corn crop short
as it was compared to the average
yearly yield and her wheat crop,
would pay for every ounce' of copper
mined in Uncle Sam 's domains. "So
.would Nebraska's 1911 crop of alfalfa,
wild and tame hay." So would the ani
mals raised on Nebraska soil and sent
to the slaughter pens in the "same
year. And remember that , copper,
next to iron, is the most universally
used metal: ' -
All the coal, anthracite and. bitumin
ous, mined in the United States , in
1910 was not worth as much as the
wealth produced from the soil of Ne
braska in 1911 not by $60,000,0001
And coal is far and away the most
valuable mineral mined in this or any
other country. We have no coal mines
in Nebraska, but we've got something
far better. Our people can work' "in
the sunlight and in pure air, and make
enough money in one year to buy all
the coal mined in the United States in
a twelve month. '. '
The sugar of the world was, . worth
$900,000,000 in 1910. Two-thirds, of
it could have, been paid for by the
wealth produced on the farms and
gardens of Nebraska, in ,1911. . .We've
been building up a sugar industry., in
this country through , tariff laws ,f or
many years. Nebraska's wheat crop
in 1911 was worth more than this re
public's output of sugar in that same
year-' : :