CURRENT
The death of Clara Barton was to
have been expected, for Bhe had lived
far past the alloted time. But, just
the same, the announcement came as a
distinct shock because Miss Barton
was one of the most prominent figures
in contemporaneous history. As the
organizer and head of the Red Cross
she performed a distinct service to
mankind. If service is the measure ot
real citizenship, then Clara Barton was
one of the foremost citizens of this
republic, and of the world. It is just
a bit remarkable that a woman who
rendered such splendid service to hu
manity should be deprived of a vote,
while the most ignorant and degraded
male over 21 could cast a ballot. Wc
would rather trust the destinies of
this republic to women like Clara
Barton than to the average male voter.
We are not a grand old farmer, but
during the course of our long resi
dence in Nebraska we have discovered
that farmers are too apt to get panicky
over the wheat outlook in the early
spring. The same danger exists today.
Do not be in too big a hurry to plow
up the wheat. Our experience is that
a lot of the wheat that looks mighty
bad early in April threshes out the
biggest yields in July. Nebraska soil
is wonderfully recuperative.
We have our opinion of the man who
owes his whole success to the loyalty
of Nebraskans, who depends largely
.upon Nebraskans for his livelihood, and
Whc would have little business were
it not for the constant boosting of Ne
braskans, ""who will patronize a Chi
cago mail order house when he buys
for his family. The things made in
Nebraska, or sold by Nebraskans, are
good enough for any Nebraskan to
buy."
The Chancellor, a weekly magazine
published in Omaha, is making a tight
for tax reform and for fundamental
democracy. It is edited by Laurie J.
Quinby, than whom no more forceful
writer on democratic topics lives in
the west. There are those who charge
Quinby with being a "dreamer." If
he is, he dreams dreams that are go
ing to come true some day, for he has
visions of the time when justice will
rule, when opportunities will be equal
and when special privilege is a thing
of the past. And who wouldn't be a
dreamer t "The dreamer lives for
ever, but the toiler dies in a day,"
said John Boyle O'Reilley. And we
need dreamers like Quinby dreamers
who will see the coming of the great
day and hold up in front of us the
goal we should all seek to win. J. W.
Metcalfe is business manager of The
Chancellor, and evidently the right
man in the right place. A year of
The Chancellor would be a liberal edu
cation to any thoughtful man.
Is it possible that the time will ever
come when .the liquor question will
not be injected into every political
contest that comes on in Nebraska f
We trow not, unless we can arrange
a compromise between a lot of fanati
cal prohibitionists and a lot of fanati
cal shouters for "personal liberty."
We were in hopes that we could go
through the primary this month with
out having it unduly emphasized, but
we hoped in vain. What amuses us,
however, is the awful wail of the anti
saloon element because the German
American Alliance sent out some liter
ature advancing the candidacy of one
gubernatorial candidate. It was awful '
for the German-American Alliance to
do during the last few days of the
campaign just what the anti-saloon
league has been doing for the "past
three months. Politics not only makes
strange bedfellows, but It also makes
a lot of infernal hypocrits.
Anyhow, Will Maupin's Weekly has
gone through the first general primary
ever held in Nebraska without losing
its temper or abusing any candidates.
It has had some very decided opinions
of its own, but in order to advance
the cause of its preferred candidates
it has not found it necessary to abuse
COMMENT
and villify other candidates. This
paragraph is being written a day be
fore the primary, and if nobody grows
more excited over the aforesaid pri
mary than this editor is at this
moment, it will pass peaceful as a
Quaker meeting. We grow a lot more
excited when we are talking about
the wonderful resources of Nebraska
than we do when we are talking about
politics. Let us all stand up for Ne
braska! Arbor Day is close at hand, but it
no longer means anything worth while
to Nebraska. Time was when we
planted trees on Arbor Day, but now
we merely say, "It's a good thing,"
and the school children recite a few
poems. That's all. Time was when
we planted trees on Arbor Day, and
the influence of J. Sterling Morton
developed Nebraska from a treeless
plain to a splendidly timbered state.
Measured by service to his fellows
J. Sterling Morton was one of the
greatest men this country ever pro
duced. This newspaper makes its appearance
on the day that the people of Nebras
ka are holding their first preferential
primary. We are opposed to the pri
mary law in its present form just as
much as we are to the bid conven
tion system. After , you have voted
that roll of wall paper we call a pri
mary ballot, if you still think the
present primary law is a good one,
then all we have to say is that you
are easily satisfied with a primary
law. '
Maybe we will have selected the best
candidates by the primary and maybe
not. The chances are that we have not,
for practically every nominee will have
been nominated by a minority vote.
It is a practical impossibility for the
average man to acquaint himself with
the merits or demerits of every candi
date on such a long ballot. Many will
content - themselves with voting for
men at the head of the ticket, leaving
even more important offices unvoted
for through lack of time or knowledge.
We of Nebraska have been so eager
for needed reforms that we have been
inclined to jump blindly. Let us now
put our efforts to working out a pri
mary law that will be worth while.
- As before stated, this newspaper
appears this week long before the re
sults of the primary are made known.
But we venture a few predictions and
ask you to paste them in your hat.
Harmon will not come within gun-shot
of carrying the democratic presidential
primary. We look to see Clark win.
Taft is not in the running in republi
can circles. We look to see Roosevelt
win, although LaFollette ought to.
As between Moorhead and Metcalfe,
it will be a neck and neck race, with
the chances favoring Moorehead. The
opposition to Aldrich will not be worth,
while. Norris Brown will doubtless
be nominated for senator by the re
publicans, and Shallenberger by the
democrats.
But what difference does it make,
after all, who wins at the primaries,
or at the election T It will not add
a penny to the price of corn or wheat ;
will not make the yield of any grain
a bushel more to the acre, nor reduce
the cost of living a penny per week.
We have entirely too much . politics
in Nebraska and not enough co
operation in the great work of de
veloping the state's resources and ad
vertising her abroad. We raise too
much political hell per acre and too
little com; too much partisan strife,
and not enough boosting for Nebraska.
We take our politics too seriously and
our prospects too lightly. It would be
a godsend to Nebraska if we forgot
politics and partisan strife for a year
or two.
The law requires that all candidates
for public office in Nebraska shall file
a sworn statement of expenses in
curred. This refers to primary elec
tions as well as other elections. Tak
ing time by the forelock, the editor
of this paper, Will M: Maupin, who
filed as a candidate for the demo
cratic nomination for railway commis
sioner, submit the following, which
will be sworn to and presented to th
wili be sworn to and presented to the
county clerk of Lancaster county, as
the statement of expense incurred by
him up to and including Thursday,
April 18:
Printing, $8.50 ; postage, $6.50 ; dis
tributing cards, $6; mimeographing,
$1.35; envelopes, 65c; telegram, 25c;
messenger, 10c. Total, $23.35.
And he admits that he had that
much fun out of his campaign, that he
has no regrets, and that he is deeply
grateful to the newspaper friends who
supported him of their own free will,
and other friends who supported him
for reasons best known to themselves.
We go to press before we know the re
sults of the primary, but win or lose,
this newspaper and its editor are still
going to keep right on boosting for
Nebraska and for the men who are
doing real things things that are
worth while.
There is no earthly reason why Om
aha and Lincoln should, not be just
as prominent in the flouring world as
they are in the butter world. They
would be if Nebraskans would insist
upon having Nebraska made flour. It
is the best flour in the world because
it is ground from Nebraska wheat
and Nebraska raises the best milling
wheat in the world. This is proved by
the fact that Nebraska wheat is bought
largely by millers east and northeast of
us to grade up the wheat of other sec
tions. It should be a matter of pride to
every Nebraskan to say, "I use only
Nebraska flour." It would be proof
that he is not only a loyal citizen but
a judge 'of good flour.
How many Nebraskans know that
the city of Lincoln is known all over
the United States as the seat of the
best equipped and best managed hos
pitals in the country. Not the largest,
mind you the best. The fame of Lin
coln's hospitals and Lincoln's surgeons
is far more than nation wide. There
are surgeons in Lincoln today who are
famous everywhere save at home an-,
other proof that a prophet is not with
out honor save in his own country.
Next week Will Maupin's Weekly is
going to have something more to say
about the hospitals and surgeons of
Lincoln.
We make no claim to being an adver
tising expert, but the chances are
that the advertisement that appeals to
us will to the average man. The manager :
of a Lincoln automobile business adver
tises that his car is "fool proof.". If
ever we buy . a car it will not be one
that is advertised as "fool proof."
First, because no machine is fool proof.
Second, we wouldn't put ourselves in
the attitude of wanting a car proof
against ourself. As an ordinary stu
dent of advertising, not as an expert
thereon, we render judgment that the
aforesaid advertisement is a mighty
poor one. ,
There is just one way, and only one
way, to get the liquor question out of
politics. That is to eliminate the idea
of revenue from the traffic. As long
as we make the liquor business a mat
ter of special privilege, just so long
will it be a political issue that will
overshadow or taint every other issue.
Save in the matter of tax reform
legislation there is no crying need for
more legislation in Nebraska. There '
is much more need of a lot of "is
hereby repealed" than there is for
more of "be it enacted."
There is one candidate for nomina
tion to state office who spent mighty
little, expected very little, isn't a bit
disappointed and just as earnest as
ever in boosting for the state and we
can touch him without removing our
hands from our pockets.
A BOOM FOB KEARNEY.
The announcement that the Union
Pacific is to extend its Callaway
branch, Kearney to Callaway, from
Callaway into the northwest, is mighty
good news, not only for Kearney
but for Nebraska. We've always
had a mighty warm spot in our heart
for Kearney. It is a mighty good lit
tle city. It is going to be far better
when it gets into communication with
the great northwest territory through
the extension of the Callaway branch
of the Union Pacific. It will open up
a new trade territory rich in pros
pects, both for wholesale business and
the production of agricultural wealth.
The possibilities of this territory to be
opened up are immense. The extension
will give shipping facilities where none
are now in many places for a distance
of a hundred miles. It is now prac
tically a cattle country because cat
tle do not have to be hauled to a ship
ping station. It is, however, a coun
try that sooner or later will develop
into an agricultural region.
When this new territory is opened
up it will naturally make Kearney its
chief trade center, thus increasing the
wholesale business and giving a new
impetus to manufacturing. Some of
these days that power canal at Kear
ney will be turning a lot of factory
wheels. We have never lost faith in
Kearney's future. She got a pretty
hard bump by over booming in the
old days, but she has come through in
fine shape, and today Kearney's future
looks brighter than ever.
WE'LL KEEP ON BOOSTING.
Will Maupin's Weekly came out last
week as a state anniversary number.
It contained twenty pages of state
booster articles and Nebraska adver
tising. The edition was a credit 'i?
the state and its publisher. Mr. Mau
pin is a democratic candidate for the
nomination as state railway commis
sioner and is the biggest , and best
known single-handed booster in the
state of Nebraska. Shaffer 's Alma
Record.
SOUND ADVICE. '
Already the wisdom of the Journal's
wisdom in advocating Champ Clark
for president is becoming apparent. Be
tween Wilson and the Harmon forces
A cool, cleanly gas range makes home life ideal.
No woman hesitates to interest herself in any phase of the cooking
if gas is the fuel employed.
She knows just how the range will bake and boil. She knows that
the expense and heat stop when the meal Is finished.
Her grandmother's cook spent half the time keeping the stove in
order. If you are using an old method in the kitchen for cooking and
water heating, you will be interested in the demonstration of a modern
gas range and water heater.
Come in and investigate or 'phone for representative. ,
Lincoln Gas &
Bell 75
14 and O
LIBERTY FLOUR.
From Selected Nebraska Wheat Best Wheat in the World
Best
by
the
Oven's
Test
ftlDERTYS
, H.O.BARBER &S0NS
LIBERTY
H. O. Barber
in Nebraska there appears to be a
bitter fight, threatening to disrupt the
party. Better all the Harmon men
and all the Wilson shouters remember
that' the democratic party is like the
sailor's parrot, it talks too damn much.
remember this and vote for old
Champ Clark and an era of good feel
ing. Fairbury Journal.
JOHNNIE DISCOVERED.
On Sunday evening a suspicious
looking character dropped into town
and some thought it was a hobo of
the "millionaire" type while some
thought it was Father Time and for a
time all was mystery, but Monday
morning this "it" strayed to a bar
ber' shop and Lo and Behold ! when
that crop of whiskers was removed
"it" was discovered to be Johnnie
Faler,1 safe and sound. He has been
flipping flapjacks at the Cavanee ranch
all winter. Eddyville Enterprise.
Help Boost
A Booster
This is what
Will Maupin's
Weekly
- ?.'.-.. : : v I '
U doing
Boosting .
One Dollar a Year
Electric Light Co.
Street
Auto B-2575
A
Nebraska
Product
Worthy of
Nebraska
FLOUR Tt
& Sons, Lincoln