THE FARRIERS' ALLIANCE; LINCOLN, NEB., SATURDAY, JAN. 18, 1890.
THE ALLIANCE.
REUSHED EYEBT SATU3DAY UQBSIB3.
ur the
ALLIAHC2 P08LISH1M CO.
BOH A ft NAN BLOCK,
Lincoln, - - - Nebraska,
J. BURROWS, r
J, M, THOMPSON, Associate Editor,
At? trmmnftietiiirmn for th papr VM
V? ftf desd to THE ALLIANCK KL'ULWH
t.Vf CO., ao'l All matter pertainler to the
Frtn' A Hi?, tecfolitir nrcnptkn to
tne f ape., to tse rorftary.
EDITORIAL.
The Bee, Henry Yf. Yates, 5atfonaI
Banks, The Alliance and Poor
Mamcel Lathrop, The
rtaldde.
A member of the Alliance at Clark.,
Neb., Mr, L N, Kellogg, sent to the ifc
or his Alliance a list of questions on the
banking system. The Bee instead of
answering the oiesdion editorially,
tnrned them over to Mr, H, W, Yates, a
national hanker of Omaha. We think
it would have been much more satisfae
tory lo the mem bers of (HaYks' Alliance
if the Bee itself had taken jjttbi finan
cial boll by the horns instead of placing
its editorial conscience in the keeping of
a national banker. However, Mr. Yates
answers are candid, and we shall print
ome of them with the questions, to
show how imjKis.sible it is for a national
banker to understand this financial
problem.
The fir.-t question is
If the United Hfat should Issue to u
throiisrb the ln.rife fZJttMJWbJMh could we et
any of it without paying Interest, awl juss
such rate a the banker choo toaafe'"
Mr. Yates replica j-
'H i dlftVrult to eotieelvft of tiny vrny In
whieh the I'nited States could issue "to us"
through the hank, or in any other way,
$'Z.ttMi).WH hut i they have the funds to
spare, they Miould by all fnean bo issued dir
frrtly "to us" arid not through the banks,
who would certainly charge interest for
their nse if they had tho disposal of thorn."
Mr, Yates' powers of conception seem
to be extremely limited. He cannot
"conceive of any way" in whieh the U.
S. cojld issue "to us' any amount of
money. How are national bank bills
issued? On bond deposited asweurity,
are they not? The bonds, when so
offered for security are the property of
the persons offering, them, an; they not?
Are they any better security than land,
the productions of whieh form the basis
of their value? Now would it be too
great a stretch of intellectual power for
Mr. Yates to "conceive' of the govern
ment issuing money to Bro. Kellogg, at
the anie rate of interest it charge the
national brinks, taking a mortgage on
his farm at one-half its fair value? We
fear it would. We have never yet
known a national banker who was made
in that way. Mr.Kellogg's farm is prop
erty in exactly tin? same sense that bonds
M,re property, Btil it is better property
and better security than bonds. It is
indestructible; its value is less fluc
tuating, and must always advance and
never recede, long periods considered.
In the ease of a foreign Avar or a cala
mity it Mould be the mainstay of the
nation, instead of being like
bonds a menace and a burden. If
thi.'- system of issuing money was
adopted, one government agency to a county,
win re alt machinery for ascertaining
and recording titles exists, would be
amply siitlieient. In short, the govern
ment machinery for issuing such money
noufd not be half as extensive and no more
complicated than 'it is now. In addition
to thin the people would get money for
one per cent instead of 10 to 5JD, as now.
Will not banker Henry W. Yates bring
bis massive intellect into service and.
nee if some conception of a new idea
luav i'.ot follow.
"2. Would not. the $2,000,000,000 t,y the rules
of fitnple Intercut, lit 10 per cent revert hack'
to lliij hunk in ten yearn, and would not the
Imiikl i- system then need "strengthening" to
to give uk more money?"
Mr. Yates admits the truth of the
ubo'te without cavil.
";i l)oe not tho present system have a ten
dency to accumulate the wealth of thocoilntrv
In the hands of the few, and have riot the na
tional hunks Hiid their iigont drawn in the
lat twenty yearn three times as much money
from the people as they have lesucri?"
Mr. Yates dodges this question entirely.
He assumes that "the present system"
means the national banking system, and
goes on to show that with the present
premium on bonds circulation is not
profitable, ami is being surrendered.
The question of Bro. Kellogg has a
much wider significance. We tako it
that it refers not alone to the national
banking system, but to the national
financial system, including the specie
basis. Under this system contraction
is chronic and continuous. It affords
no means of expansion by which the
money vol tune can keep pace with tho
increase of business, population and
. wpeeulative values. These are prodigi
ous. The total product of gold and tho
limited coinage of silver form only a
drop in the bucket compared with them.
Consequently prices go down, down,
down, permitting money to constantly
command more and more of the pro
ducts of. lalror, and accumulating the
wealth of tho country in the hands of
the few. Mr. Yates and his brother
bankers understand this better than t hey
admit, ".
"4. Are we not already paying as much In
tcrest M it takes to support our families?"
"4. Tho mientlnn of how much interest Is
being paid hy anyone must lie answered by
every individual for himself. It is usually
inferred that a man who borrows money lias
a use lor the urrlncinal which will Justify the
interest he pays. His cause Is unfortunate if
lie borrows for the support of his family, and
lis h rule, bunks avoid this ehtss of borrowers,
It being their inisiness to loan only lor pro
ductive use." -
The Bee lias funwittingly written an
answer for this fourth question in tho
red blood of poor Samuel Lathrop, "a
Kober, industrious man about twenty
seven years old," who sent a tnillet near
his heart, and 'after a few words of
tender affection to his wife and child,"
died at 0:4." Friday evening. Ho had
borrowed money "for the support of his
family" of tho Peoples' Financial Kx
ehature. diving his note for $55, and
receiving $50 a I the rale of 7 per cent a
Month! Not a "day fails to bring us the
account of some poor suicide who, crazed
and despairing throttgh financial tron
Mcs, see no way but to get out of the
world. Our goody-goody friend, banker
II, W, Yates, don't tend money "for the
support of famine," but "only for pro
ductive uses; but his influential friend
and deril who may be on the board, or
have any other influeaee, borrows of
him at the regular rate, and then organ
ize "Peonies Financial Exchanges,"
EditorJnketbeonejn room 57 Barker block,
Omaha, and re-lend the money to
"aober, indVstriom men" at 7 p r cent
a month, and forecloses on their house
hold goods when .they can't pay, and
drive them into a bell of despair and
death, and their wires to starvation or
the street. '
Oh! let m weep, and then let n pray!
If tear of Wood would remedy this, we
would shed them every day. Oh! Owl!
how many men and brothers are crying
out in despair today, like poor Samuel
Lathrop, at man inhumanity to man.
There are several more questions and
answers which we would like to analyze
but lack of space forbids.
But Mr, Yates closes; by fraying:
"Our correspoTident' otrestion show the
crude Idea t;xitins( in the minds of many
upon financial subject. Ijiscusftion in desir
anle, for it may lead to a clearer discernment
of the relation existing between capital and
prfduetion."
If any class of men hare idea about
money more "crude' than those of na
tional bankers, we have failed to find
them. Th y are expert financiers,5 know
how to .safely invest money and make
interest. But as a rule they are ex
tremely ignorant of the nature of money
and the principles which underlie and
govern it.
A Criticism on Mr. Haskell.
We have received a rather long com
munication from our friend, S.S'. Smith,
of Wahoo, criticising Mr. Haskell's idea
of using script for city improvements.
The crowded state of our columns pre
vents its publication this week. But
we hope to hear from Bro. Smith again.
We do not think Mr. Smith fairly un
derstands the script idea, and we do
not know that we do. That was not the
feature of Mr. Haskell's proposition
that claimed our approbation. But our
idea of it is something like this: Sup
pose Saunders County wished to build
a court house, and instead of issuing
bonds to become a burden of interest, it
should issue in return for labor and ma
terials script, whieh it woidd promise to
receive for some certain class of taxes,
or perhaps in certain amounts annually
for all taxes. Persons who were willing
to take an amount of script in that way
woidd furnish material and labor to
that amount the court house would be
built, as the script was paid in it would
be destroyed. Saunders- County would
be ahead a court house, no additional
taxation would have been imposed, and
no interest extorted for the benefit of
Shylock. .Now we do not say that this
is correct, but we imagine it is some
thing like it.
Bro. Smith's letter closes as follows:
I think his scheme would bo as unwise as
the ware house scheme in the National Kcon
ornlst. Wa want more money, we Must Have
more money, but not. a make shift. Make sil
ver a full letral tender with gold and give us
tree coinage, and then give us a lull legal
tender Greenback for thepaymentof all debts
Incurred in the U. S., until we have a circula
ting medium of f 40 per capiti instead of $a.
bono it dfrect to the people on lirst mortgage
real estate at a low an interest as tne govern
ment can do tho business. I tell yon we must
have some permanent relief, for our noses
nre on the grind stone now, and the Hankers,
Kali IUifi'H and trusts are all hold ot 1 10
crank. The majority of tho press Is ugaint
us, beeuusc the money is against us. Almost
any paper we pick up has the call for the ban
kers conference In Omaha. Janu.iry 22nd. in
it, but we hardly ever see a noticof the Sta'e
runners" Alliance meeting in Grand Island.
January 7th.
We nave un Alliance in our .school Mouse
three weckfc o'd with nearly 50 members.
Think Ave will have 100 In less than a month.
We sent a man to Grand Island. Mr.I'irtlo, our
Lecturer is getting nil a club for your paper,
will send in noon. The Hnhein:ans are taking
quite an ir.terest in our Alliance. If this does
not ilnd its way to the waste basket, I will
write again.
Very Respectfully,
b. 8. Smith. A Farmer.
Wahoo, Neb.
To Secretaries of Subordinate Alliances
An Extra Edition.
The secretary of the State- Alliance
sends a small number of eopiys of Tiik
Alliance of this week's issue, contain
ing proceedings of the state meeting, to
the secretary of every Subodinate Alli
ance in the state. We hope that the
gentlemen will see ttiat they go into
good hands. We want an active agent
in every Alliance, and we certainly
want every member in this state to
take The Fa km bus' Alliance. We in
tend to make it a paper that they can
not afford to do without. Kemembcrt
brothers of the Alliance, it will be your
paper, it win stay try your interests
While it does not claim to be infallible,
and may make mistakes, it will rectify
them as soon as convinced. But it will
never betray you. It will cost each of
you only a tiitlo; but remember that it
is the little drops that make the torrent.
The aggregation of the trilles will en
able us to do a good work for you.
Wo do not ask you to do tho work for
nothing. Take tho commissions we
offer to agents, or take the benefits of
our premium offers. But do not let our
enterprise languish for the want of the
help you can so easily give us.
A Monopoly of the Proceedings.
The Lincoln At.btANCH had a monopoly of
1 bo- proceedings of the Farmers' Alliance,
Mid we found it impossible to lay the same
before the public, notwithstanding prom ices
by ofllclals of the organization of portions of
trio proceedings.
Our friend of tho Grand Island Inde
pendent has no occasion to feel hurt.
The Alliance did not have the pro
ceedings at all. The meeting being a
secret one the proceedings wore not
allowed to be published in The Alli
ANCE or elsewhere until' the officers
had edited them, and determined what
should and what should not bo printed.
Of course they gave the edited matter
to the official organ lirst. But all the
papers in tho state are on tho same
footing as the Independent. They all
get the proceedings at the same time
and from tho same source.
CJeo. K. Bkown, of 'AunrjKA - We
invite attention to the change in the ad
vertisement of Mr. Brown. Probably
there is no similar establishment in the
IT. S., where a man can get more real
value for his money than at this one.
Toe Bee a Contraction
CAn editorial on "the monetary sitoa
tton m the? of the 6th Inst., makes
incidentally some pregnant admissions
on the money question. The admis
sions are exactly la the line of the argu
ment of the celebrated Alliance memo
raial, and if the Bee is l careful its
national bank friends like Henry W.
Yates ttal will be gmcg it the cold
shoulder. The Ike came around very
gracefully on the Australian ballot
question, and we look for it to ardently
advocate that measure in the next cam
paign. If it will take our side on
the money ouestion, and resume its t
old-time rigor on the railroad question,
we will have some hopes of a renaissance.
The article alluded to says "the situa
tion this year is exceptional. "There
is several reasons for the exceptional
monetary situation in the east, among
uhich u the btmneu expansion" It goes
on to state that the cotton crop required
twenty million more than usual to move
it. It then says:
"The increase In business activity and pop
ulation has unquestionably been larger than
the increase of circulation of all kiwis outside
the banks and the treasury: aod if these con
ditions continue a greater stringency in mon
ey is to be expected,"
It then says; '
"There is every Indication that business
activity will be maintained, though or
COL' KS THIS Witt. I. A KG ELY OECE5D reOJT
the sceei.v or mo.i et,"
Let us consider these things. "The
exceptional situation" which the Bee
alludes to is the stringency of money.
It might have said so instead of using a
phrase which might have meant some
thing else. There is not money enough
to do the business with. Two weeks
ago the secretary of the treasury drop
pwlHOOO,000 in Wall street and its
effect was hardly apparent. What has
caused this stringency? Secretary
Windom in his report figured out an in
crease of circulation in the last eleven
years of 600 millions. But 3-et values
have continued to decline, and the
times have become harder and harder.
Cause why? The Bee tells it. It is
"the business expansion," Will the
Bee please take out its pencil and figure
out the actual "business expansion" in
this country for the past ten years, and
then take the secretary,s figures of
circulation and tell us what the actual
contraction of money has been, leaving
out all, that rot about a less volume
being needed on account of more rapid
exchanges. Then do it for twenty
years and just tell the truth about it.
Next the Bee admits fairly and
squarely that the activity of business
depends upon the supply of money.
That was the burden of the song of the
Alliance memorial, which nearly cre
ated a financial panic, and which the
Bee never dared print. Here arc three
pregnant facts. 1. Contraction, by de
pressing prices and wiping out the far
mer's and manufacturer's margin of
income over bare subsistence, inter
feres with demand, causes stagnation
of trade and finally bankruptcy and
ruin. 2. Contraction by expansion of
business and production has been vast
ly greater than by any actual diminu
tion of the volume of money. 3. .Since
1805 the volume of money has been re
duced one-half, population has more
than doubled, and production and busi
ness has more than quadrupled.
We invite the attention of the Bee to
these facts, and we invite it to face
them squarely, without regard to what
any national banker; may think, say or
do.
This thing is getting too big for the
secretary of the treasury to pelter with
any longer. There'll be an anti-climax
to the Partington broom business. Two
millions more of silver a month wouldn't
amount to much either. There's an
ominous rumble over the nation, and
congress had better get in some work.
THE F.LMWUOI) ELEVATOR CASE.
The application for a re-hearing of
this case was argued on the 8th, and the
Board of Transportation have denied
the applieaction. The next step will be
an appeal to the supreme court, if the
railroad contests it any further, as it
probably will. Should it be appealed it
will be a state case, and the Attorney
(ieneral will have it in charge on be
half of the state. A mandamus has
been issued to compel a compliance
with the original order granting site
and privileges.
(Questions About Taxation and Money.
Coi.so?r, Dec, &", 18S9. Editok Alliance:
Please answer tho following questions and
oblige many:
1. Will those who are no longer able to work
their farms, but must rent, be burdened with
increased taxation in the scheme of graduated
taxes?
Z. Does the scheme of an amended law by
which loans on landed estates can be obtained
at one per cent involve the idea that a Subor
dinate Alliance may go into tho banking busi
ness, upon an issue of currency by the gov
ernment, upon say half or one-sixth of the
assessed valuation of their real estate, and
loan money to farmers at a low rate of per
cent.
Answer in next Alliance.
W. D. McCord.
1. The graduated land tax contem
plates a gradual increase of taxation
upon holdings as they increase in size,
until the point is reached where the
holding of land would become unprofit
able. It also contemplates an exemp
tion from taxation and execution for
debt of a homestead of 40 or 80 acres,
thus making it impossible to dispossess
the poor man of his. home. Because a
tax is cumulative it does not follow that
it would be oppressive on reasonable
holdings, say 1(50 to 200 acres. It docs
not follow, therefore, that it would be
burdensome to those who, being no
longer able to work.wished to rent their
land. It would simply prevent them or
others from becoming land monopolists.
There is no doubt that it would increase
the public revenue from land taxation
until the land holdings became adjusted
to the new system. There is no revo
lution or confiscation involved in this
idea, and any state can adopt it as soon
as it pleases. In Texas a homestead of
100 acres is absolutely exempt from
mortgage. Tho bankers anl money
loauers arc constantly striving to get
this law repealed The people, the
poor farmers are opposing its repeal.
This natural division of interests
should teach a val cable lesson.
2, Not necessarily. The establish
ment of a money based on land, and its
issne as above direct to the people,
would supersede ail banks of issue, and
bring interest for the money to the rate
at which the government loaned it, with
insurance added. Insurance would de
pend npon risk of business, security and
length of loan. Banking is properly
the loaning of money. It is principally
nowaday the loaning of other peoples
money. .Banking in tms sense will
exist as long as there is money. Any
man can engage in backing in this state
if he will comply with the law in regard
to it. But only national ban ks can issue
money without paying a tax of ten per
cent on their circulation. Of course an
Alliance or any other association could
engagein loaning money under regula
tions that might be in force.
The Snlelde of Saranel Lathrop.
Our readers will bear ns witness that
since the present management took
charge the pages of The Alliance have
been free from suicide, divorce suits,
outrages, Louisiana lottery advertise
ments and all nnclean or sensational
matter. We depart from our rule this
week to condense from the Bee an ac
count of the suicide of Samuel Lathrop,
"a sober industrious man, about twenty-one
years old, with a sickly wife and
a very bright baby boy to support."
He bad been unable to obtain the means
of support, and was in great despon
dency. He had borrowed money from
the People's Fnancial Exchange. Gave
his note Nov, 13, US, for $55, received
$50 at 7 per cent per month. During
thirteen months he paid $51.30, purely
interest money, on the $50 he had bor
rowed. He says on a memorandum,
'The address of the People's Financial
Exchange is 57 Barker block. This is
the way my wages have been eaten up."
He also said, "Carrie I think this act
for the best, so good by." He also left
the following:
"Please notify ray brother E. F. Lathrop,
Talnter, la. Notify 1). S. Prime, Ofkatoosa,
la., and Mrs. J. 31. limes, Cromwell, Iowa.
This gun save for Kay. Give it to him when
be Isold enough to take care of Jt on the side.
Beggars must not be choosers, but I wish that
I was at the Granville graveyard. Don't go
to the expense of a coroner's inquest."
fYes, save the gun for baby Ray. If
this system continues he may want to
use it as his father did.
He prepared himself carefully for
death by getting shaved and putting on
his best clothes. He was in terrible
desperation, and used exclamations 1c
fore his wife whieh are plain to her
now. He said, "My God! why must a
man be so poor and so wronged?"
Why indeed? He fired a bullet into his
breast, "said a few words of tender af
fection to his wife and child," lingered
a little while on the threshhoid, and
then started alone on the journey we
all must take. , A man a father lie
longing to the same human family as
you and I, with a city full of humanity
around him, with luxury and wealth in
sight on every ; hand "honest and
industrious," and loving how little
help, how little encouragement it would
have taken to have saved and raised
him.
And what shall be said of the fiends
who plunder such men who "eat up
their wages" at 7 per cent a month?
Well, nothing, at least not much. So
ciety offers them the greatest rewards
for success. What society and a false
and vile financial system encourages
will exist.
.Every day every day we sigh over
such suicides as this. He is only one.
Dying is only a little matter, and soon
overt It may be a gain. The ills he
had he knew. He Hew perchance, to
others he knew not of. It is those
who are left it is the misery which
this condition of affairs shows to exist
that we would move men to consider.
How consider? Furnish money to em
ploy labor, to inaugurate enterprises,
to raise prices, and suicide will cease.
Corn and Junketing Trips.
Corn is 14 cents a bushel. It takes a
bushel and a half to get one bushel to
Chicago. .The Burlington road, the
great scab line, made 82,000,000 last
month. It cannot afford to haul corn
to Chicago at a rate that will leave the
farmer a trilling compensation for his
labor, but it can afford to hitch up a
train of Pullman palace coaches and
send John M. Thayer with a junketing
party to Mexico. Who pays? The
men who pay their own faie when they
ride, and the men who deduct the
freight on their corn from the beggarly
Chicago prices. The people pay for
these junketing trips, and the people
ought to investigate".
The free ptiss was never more rife
than now. Every official, every judge,
and almost every newspaper editor has
one. This freo pass business is a good
test of a man's integrity. No independ
ent, self-respecting man will ride on a
free pass.
The Stockville Sentinel is a new
aspirant in Nebraska. No. 2 is before
us, and gives good promise for the fu
ture. We clip the following from it, for
which thanks: .
The Alliance, published at Lincoln, Neb.,
the official organ of th Nebraska State Alli
ance, is dovoted to the interest of the farm
ers and laboring men. It is bright, lively and
newsy. The subscription price of tho Alli
ance Is $1.00 per year, but you can get it
with tho Sentinel, both one year for f 1.75.
Call in and set sample copy.
Meeting of Saunders County Alliance.
Adjourned meeting of Saunders Coun
ty Alliance will meet at Mead, Satur
day, Jan. 18, at 1 p. m. Open meeting
at night. Every Alliance is expacted to
send a full number of delegates. Mu
sic and speaking in the evening.
W. O. Rand, Sec.
The Alliance Tribune of Topeka
Kansas is a new Alliance paper. The
woods are full of them now-a-days. No.
5 is before us. It is neat and bright, and
we hope it will do good work for the
farmer.
A TTell D served Compliment.
A man who has attended all the con
ventions, political and otherwise, held
at Grand Island for the past ten years,
pays the Alliance meeting a handsome
compliment. Never has he seen a con
vention there where so few were nnder
the influence of liquor.
Government Control of Railroads.
BTC.M. CLARK.
That the railroad question is of far
greater importance, concerns the mate
rial interests, affects the general welfare
of all the people of the country to a
greater extent than any other, a glance
at the amount of debt, whether honest or
"water ." the exnense necessary and
useless, the interests involved, must
convince even the most skeptical.
At the close of 1S83 the number of
miles of completed road was 154,275, on
Tx-fvJr-h re-at an interest and dividen
d
rlebt of $9,607,487,309. and mus
exceed ten billions of dollars at the pre
nt timp- 1 he amount T:ml in the
vear 1888 for the blessed privilege of
havinjr these public highwavs owned
and controlled by private citizens for
gain, instead of by the Government, the
people, and for the people was
I ntcrest on bonds .... 196.052.531
Other interest
li.Zl
78,943,041
3S,040,733
Dividends
Rectal ...
Total $3e7,5LS.7
Total earnings for 1H ..). TS
Operating expenses fi53f31
If now we take from the operating ex
penses the unnecessary.useless expen
ses, cost of advertising, lawyers and law
ing, all special and general agents, and
allstation agents, and all other employ
ees and stations where there are two or
more, and one could be used for all
roads; all high salaries of "big officers,''
we shall find that the farmers and pro
ducers of this country who have to pay
fpr everything, are paying more.than a
half a billion dollars every year for the
luxtirv of having a few unprincipled
"railroad kings run the public affairs
. . . . . . . .
of this nation instead of the government
and the eopIe.
Lince the real, or cost value of all the
railroad property in the country is only
about two billions of dollars, and the
people and the government have donat
ed about four billions of dollars in
money and property to the railroads,
the enormitv of the fraud is apparent.
That it is the most gigantic system of
robbery, oppression and corruption that
ever damned or disgraced a people, civi
lizod or barbarious, of ancient or mod
ern times, cannot be questioned.
Are railroad corporations constitutional?
The existence of railroad corporations
is simply placing these public highways,
all of the internal commerce, the entire
financial and material intesests of this
nation of sixty millions of people, in the
hands of a few private citizens in or
der that those mav make all the money
off of all the people of the country they
possibly can.
To pretend there is, or possibly could
w, in this country or any other republic.
even the shadow of anv authority of
for anything of the kind is an utter al-
surdity on the iace of it.
Public affairs controled or "owned" by
private citizens for jrain, or any other
object in a republic, under a government
of and for the people, is a contradiction
of terms. 1 ou might as well say a re
publican government of an empire.
The power of "the divine rights of
kings" is supposed to be used for the
benefit of the people; but this power,
this nameless monstrosity of modern
growth, is used solely to enrich the few
"hog-barons" of these national public
highways and impoverith everybody
else.
A few years ago a prominant south
erner said that these railroad corpora
tions wrere a violation of the constitu
tion, and in Poorse Manual we have an
answer to the charge; and of course the
corporations would produce the best
and most complete answer that could
possibly be tnven, and 1 think they did
,! -1. - t
ine suosianceoi mat repiv was mis
man about 1860 said that the govern
ment had no authority to coerce the se
feeding states; therefore railroad corpo
rations are constitutional.
And to the great wisdom of that de
cision the toiling millions of this coun
try bowed in abject submission, and
ever since have duly yielded up to these
bastard kings nearly all thevprorits of
their toil.
A few years ago the Century publish
ed an article, "Our Great American Rul
ers," railroad kings, and at the close of
the article it was stated that whenever
the people get ready to take possession
of their public highways the power of
these rulers will be shorn.
The fact is that the only authority for
the railroad corporations is that the
people have not objected.
Concerning the proposed bill publish
ed a little more than a year ago in the
State Journal, Call, and Laborer of this
place, a measure that outlines the plan
for government control, though leaving
the companies to operate the roads, J
trot the opinion of several as able law
yers as any in the state, and all either
tacitly or Irankly admitted that it was
constitutitional.
The editor of the Journal in a column
of slush against it, in which he some
times quoted it w rong, intimated that a
constitutional amendment would be
"necessary; but it is not likely that he
really thought so, and he was not wil
ling to publish a reply to his shallow
argument.
Private interests ever subject to pub
lie interests, is a principle on which all
governments must rest: but the reverse.
public interest subservient to private in
terest, as they are on account of rail
roads and other private public affairs, is
a principle or uestruction. ruin anu
treason.
But in advocating government control
of these National public highways, we
..l i iii -J:
aie cuargeu witu communism, socialism,
and anarchy.
We reply that in placing these Na
tional public highways, the whole ma
terial interests of all the people, m the
hands of a few unscrouplous private ci
tizens in order that they may impover
ish the people to enrich themselves, ob
tain greater power over the people, tax
the people more than the government
has, is more anarchial anarchy than
ever was advocated by any anarchist,
socialist, or communist, living or dead.
Government control in every respect of
public highways, public finances, all
nublic affairs for the benefit of tho nub
tic is republican government, nothing
else, and the government has not the
authority.has no right whatever, to dele
gate that privelege, that right, or au
thority to any private citizen or any
number of private citizens.
In the Fool's School.
Under the above caption the Chicago
Herald has the following forcible re
marks about the present proceedings
before the ways and means Committee:
"The campaign of education which is
to emancipate American labor from mo
noply taxes and intellectual slavery is
receiving a mighty impetus just now in
tho room of the committee on ways and
means at Washington. There are gath
ered the agents of even' American in
dustry appealing for alms, slandering
their own countrymen, belittling their
own country and infer?ntially praising j
tne sagacity, inventive genm ana pro
gressivenes of foreigners.
mner nation on mi eann er
saw such a spectacle a that now witnes
sed daily in Washington. It is shameful.
It is disgraceful. Jt is hnmiiiating.
It is scandalons. It is lawle-. It i
nnconstitutional. It is criminal. It is
universal plunder. Was the federal
government instituted for the purpose
of sustaining indigent manufacturers?
Is there anything in the constitution or
the laws authorizing the: Congress of
the United States to turn the majestic
eapitol building or any portion thereof
into a free dispensary or alms house?
I he laws have Ijen perverted, the
constitution has f-en trampled under
foot, the manhood of America has been
enfeebled, the honor and the indepen
dence of the people have been debauch
ed by the beirs-.r's and robber's policy
of priotection." What are thee suppli
cants doing in Washington? Rich and
all begging. Of whom? Of the Amer
ican people. For whom. For them
selves, the shameless, eontempible pau
pers that they are. All of them in bus
iness, all of them rich, all of them claim
ing a superority over thousands of bet
ter people, all ol them boastlnl ana ag
gressive in most of things and yet all
of them on their knees in the room of
the eommitte on ways and means plead
ing their inability to do business unless
the government" goes into partnership
with them and commits the crime ol
stowing upon them the right to tax their
fellow citizens.
This is what is going on in Washington
every day: Let the snipleton who im
agines that a tariff is not a tax read the
reports of the ways and means com
mittee's proceedings. It is the right to
tax Americans that these shameless
mendicants are asking for, and it is the
right to tax Americans that the corrupt
majority of the ways and means com
mittee will vote to confer upon them.
How much more education in this line
does an American need? The genera
tion that fought from Lexington to
Yorktown only had one lesson in the
school that later generations attend.
dunce like, without seeming advance
ment."
NEBRASKA NEWS.
Nebraska Fruit Growers.
The first day's session of the winter
meeting of the Nebraska state horti
cultural society began Tuesday morn
ing at 9 o'clock. The attendance for
the first day was good, there being
about sixty .members of the society
present. The officers were all present.
They are F. W. Taylor of Omaha,
president; G. J. Carpenter, secretary;
Peter Youngers of Geneva, treasurer.
The time during the forenoon was
taken up in placing the exhibits and
admitting new members. Seventeen
were added to the membership roll.
In the afternoon the society met in
business session to listen to the ad
dress of the president and the reports
of officers. The address and the re
ports brought forth the fact that the
society is in a very flourishing condi
tion in every way and that there is a
fund id the treasury tof $2,700. This
enabled the society to be quite liberal
in premiums and has resulted in bring
ing an exceptionally fine collection of
fruit
The display is arranged on tables in
Grant memorial hall. The collection
was very incomplete yesterday. The
greater part of the exhibit will come
in this morning and then the tables
will be completed. The list comprises
abont fifty varieties of apples and four
of grapes so far.
In the evening the society was called
to order by President Taylor at 7 :20
with a good attendance. A. J. Brown
of Geneva was down for a paper on
plums, but owing to an attack of in
fluenza he was not prepared, and gave
a short talk instead. Ho said he had
experimented with a large number of
American varieties and several foreign
varieties and had found the American
the best. Two foreign varieties, Blue
Damsel and Lombard, bear good
crops. The society would recommend
the following American varieties:
Miner Wild Goose, Forest Garden,
Wolf and Mariana.
John A. Hogge of Shelton read an
excellent paper ou plums. He had dis
covered three or four varieties of wild
plums that can be cultivated better
than the domestic. In the discussion
that followed the members united in
condemning the Weaver plum, the gen
eral impression being that it was of in
different merit.
J. M. Russell of Wymore followed
with a paper on peaches. Mr. Russell
is the oldest peach grower in Nebraska
and has about 20,000 trees under culti
vation. He believed that by planting
trees closer together better success in
peach growing would be obtained.
A letter from J. L. Brown of Kear
ney on general fruit growing was next
read. The planting of corn in orchards
was the best method to make au or
chards yield good crops. The general
sentiment of the society was against
the planting of blue grass in the or
chards, as it absorbed the moisture of
the soil too much and caused the trees
to blight.
E. F. Stephens of Crete followed
with a paper on pears, in which he
strongly advocated more experiments
in the pear tree culture. Consider
able discussion followed the reading
of the paper, the members being about
evenly divided on the subject of cul
ture in Nebraska. The general senti
ment of the society, however, was that
it would advocate experiments in rais
ing trees.
All Over the Starr.
Fullerton ladies have organized a
brass band.
The new Baptist church at Arnold
was dedicated Sunday.
The Presbyterians of Tek.ima will
build a $3,000 church.
Imperial's schools have been closed
on account of scarlet fever.
The State bank of Belvidere is pro
paring to erect a magnificent new
building.
The Missouri river is now frozen so
that foot passengers may cross on the
ice.
Beatrice sportsmen have contracted
the habit of hunting John rabbits in
sleighs.
Stockmen of Table Rock are in
oculating with Dr. Billings' swine
plague preventive.
Kearney will blow in $500 on the
editorial fraternity at their annual
meeting in that city.
Bedlt Long of Dec-tar vu given
a pan to Omaha for procuring whisky
for an Omah, Indixru
Superior is Ukiag a lively itret
in the proposed extec.tioa of the Mi
ouri Pacific north weat ward
Farmers m th Txexn'ty of HoLIrege
are afflicted ith la grxpp. & oTe in
stances entire fasailiea being tick.
The t Union Pacific company ha
built a Urge ice house at Beatrice aJ
propose putting up 500,000 tons of cv
gealed coolness.
Herbert White tried nd foad
guilty in the federal court at Ota-h
of selling or giving liquor to aa IcdLUa
at Homer.
Chase county leads in more things
than one. The county nov contains
over emiaren ot cnool &
giln of 300 daring the year.
Mrs. J. O. Hedge of OUr Ctr
had the misfortune to break her sakU
while alighting from the cars at IIu
iegs. More men are wanted to work on
the Cottenberg cacaL The work is
to be pushed to completion as fst as
possible.
Bishop Graves was given a recep
tion at Kearney Monday evening upon
the assumption of his duties in the
newly created missionary district of
the Platte.
The steam plant for the heating of
the nine buildings of the Kearney in
dustrial school is said to be the largest
isolated steam pLint in the United
States. 'There are 23,000 feet of radia
tion in the plant and five ItixGO eighty
horse-power boilers are required to
operate them.
Advices from several parts of the
county indicate that live stock weath
ered yesterday's storms with little or no
casualties. Pasturage in the river and
creek bottoms is pretty badly covered
with saow, but on high ground the
snow has mostly blown off and consid
erable grazing is afforded. The great
abundance of hay and grain takes from
such sudden spurts of winter as yester
day about all its terrors. Beotriee
Express.
A young man named Mesch was suf
focated last Sunday night by escaping
steam while sleeping in the engine
room of the Arensdorf-Leader bottling
works at Covington.
A water famine at Arlington is im
minent, a large proportion of. the best
wells having gone dry, and the water
from the remaining ones is muddy and
cannot be used without filttring.
The citizens of Harvard send their
dogs out of towa to evade the payment
of the dog tax, and after the assessor
makes his ronnds they are brought
back. This makes business likely for
the marshal, but is hard on the dogs.
The Pacific Short Line is just now
hurrying up the transfer of material
across the winter bridge just put in at
Sioux City, says the Fremont Herald.
If they can rush across the winter
bridge all the material that is needed
for the construction of the 12G miles of
track to O'Neill, it is estimated that a
saving in tolls from the rate asked by
the Northwestern will be made of
$50,000. ' -
A Big Deal.
San Fbancisoo, Jan. 10. From the highest
authority it is learned tonight that a big
deal, involving business running up into
tho millions, h ts been entored into by the
Union and Central Pacific systems. The
compact, whlo'a has been Wept In tie deep
est eecxecy, was signed one week ago last
Monday, and tho war cloud which hovered
lor months ever these companies has passed
away, leaving a clear hIcv tor the preheat
ac least until the U uion Paclaa builds iato
Southern Pacific territory.
For neveral inontns nassed th Central
Pacific has fought t&9 Union Puc.ii j to the
extent ot going Into eastern Nevada, car
rying freigne through that etate down
through California uud tne e&aC via the
Sunset route fut freight to New Orleans,
where it Is sent norta to Cuca? via to)
Illinois Central. If the freight wa? billed
to New York and the far ease it wai carried
from New Orleans by Huntington's Hue of
steamers. Thin warfare on tne Uuion Fa
oiflc ot course to jk millions of dollars out
ot their pookete, and in retaliation the
Union Pacino bought a line of steamers
plying between this city and Portland,
Ore., sending wool, fruit, etc.. at cheap
rates via the Oregon SaorC Line, thence
connecting with the Union 1'acifi i main
line and onneotions to Chicago ami else
where, making much quicker time than
the Central and Souther- Faoiflo and get
ting back at their rivals in a shape which
alarmed the magnates of the last men
tioned sdatem. This is about the time of
year when almost all of the California
fruit shipments are made and something
had to be done to get that trade, so the
Central Faclfio made a proposition to the
Union Pacific that If they (ihe Union Pa
cific) would dlsoontintte tho caking of any
overland freight by steamer to Portland
they would sign a contract to run a through
freight from San Francisco to Ogden, con
nooiing with Che Ualon Paolfto. BjUi sys
tems came to terms, and thus the Central
Pacific resumes Its monopolizing overland
freight business and leaves the train a of
Nevada and adjacent states and territories
to the Union Pact ha
Montana's Four Senators.
Helena., Jan. 12. Messrs. Sanders and
Power, the republican senators elect, leave
for Washington on this evening's express.
Maginnis and Clarke, the democratic sen -ators,
v ill depart on Monday, and in the
course of a week the muddle will be trans
formed to the senate of the United States.
The certificates of the democratic senators
bear the signature of Governor Toole;
those of the republicans the signature and
seal of the secretary of state. The creden
tials of Doth are unconstitutional, and th i
Benate committee on credentials will be
called upon to bring order out. of chaos.
The probaDlUti-s are iaai none vi mo lour
men will be senators this trip. '
THE DEADLOCK CONTINUES.
Belsna, Jan. l'i Yesterday afternoon
Mefcsrs. Sanders and Povver, who were
elected United States senators by tlo re
publican bousn and senate, maie formal
application to Governor Toole for certifi
cates of election. Their nqiest was de
nied, on the ground that tbeir election was
Illegal, and also because of thi facS that
Governor Toole had already given certifi
cates of election to Messrs. Ciark nnd Ma-
frinnis elected by tho democrats. The
eglslative deadlock continuew in full forca
and the republicans have decided to break
it bo far an the Renato is concerned, by un
seating Mr. McNamara, a democrat, who is
ineligible because of hie. belnir a fe:lfrl
ofllce holder. This will give the republi
cans full and free cqatrol of the senate.
Stanley ot Carlo.
CaMO, Jan. 14. Henrv M. Rtnn 1 r.rnl Vila
party did bot stop over at Suez as reported
they would, but proceeded for this city
where they arrived thin
were greeted upon tbeir arrival by Gea-
Ami lireenieii. nmr rr anri . .v. . ..
tro ns, ana Baring, the British consul en-
exm.
1 1