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About The farmers' alliance. (Lincoln, Nebraska) 1889-1892 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 1890)
3 THE FARMERS' ALLIANCE: LINCOLN, NEB., SATURDAY, FEB. 1, 1590. THE ALLIANCE. PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY M9RHIH6. BY THE ALLIANCE PUBLISHING CO. BOHANNAN BLOCK, Lincoln, - - - Nebraska. J. BURROWS, ; : : Editor. J. M. THOMPSON, Business Manag-ar. EDITORIAL. THE GOVERNOR OF NEBRASKA TO GEO. W. HOLDREDGE. Nebraska is a sovereign state one of the great American Union. The gov ernor is its chief executive officer. Its constitution and laws give it supreme control over all corporations within its borders. The B. & M. railroad in Ne braska is one of six railroad companies chartered by this state, doing business under its jurisdiction, and subject as above to its supreme control. Geo. W. Holdredge is general manager of said railroad." Mr. Iloldredgc curtly ac knowledges the receipt of the govern or's first letter (of Jan. 13,) and adds: ''The suggestions therein will be care fully considered by the officers of this companj-, and a more definite reply sent you later." Mr. Holdredge's letter contains just thirty-six words, and closes with "I'll see you later." The governor now, under date of Jan. 24, indites another letter to this autocratic general manager, from which we ex tract a few gems: "You will remember my calling upon yott that day, and asking for a reduction of corn rates. ' There's gubernatorial dignity for you. Think of the chief executive of a great commonwealth "calling upon" an em ploye of a railroad company the crea ture of the state and asking for a re duction of corn rates, when executive officers under his supervision have en tire power to fix corn rates in the state nt a just rate. And think of this rail road employe offering the governor a cigar, and saying with a bland smile, "Governor, I'll see you later." Again, says me governor, "I desire therefore to supplement my for mer request with all the earnestness and ur gency lean command." Fairly on his knees. But see how he maunders along: "The corn has been raised in irameuse quan tities. It is almost wholly the support of the farmers, as it is of almost every other kind of business. The farmers must live off the pro ducts they raise, and they must be allowed to secure a living' return for their labor. There is an obligation on the part of the rail road to g-ive the farmer such a rate of trans portation as will enable him to reap some proiit. The farmer mu6t live." (, hades! The farmers "must be al lowed" indeed! "We acknowledge your "supremacy. 0 mighty railroad company! "But please do not let us starve or freeze. "We know we are at your mercy but please, '"allow us enough to get through the winter, ' "mitt can plant another crop. In fact ice ""'t7iink you are under some obligation to ""give us such a rate as will enable us to '"'rscp some profit. Brit this matter of "'course is wholly within your discretidn. "We are your humble servants, and entirely "trilhin your power." That's a fair in terpretation of that extract. But that is not the worst. Read this: "The railroads 6bould ccrtainl;' be willing to divide equally, at least, with the farmers; the latter ought to have a balance iu their fa vor." "Divide equally T That',s about the idea most men have of this matter. The farmer subdues the land, enduring all hardships and privations, exposed to heat and cold and storm. lie plows and plants and sows, taking all risks of bad seasons, hail, cyclones. He makes the circle of the year; his little boy, with chin even with the plow-handles, helps at the endless toil. His girls milk and chore; his Avife is often a household drudjje, lighting a never-ending battle agaiest poverty and want. But at last the crop is garnered, delivered in the j cars grudgingly furnished as a special favor, with no help from any one. The railroad now hooks on and hauls it to market, a mere tithe of the labor of producing it but not for half O.no! It takes three-tilths to-day. And it is a damning outrage, and our blood boils to think of it. And this little sneaking, snivelling, cunning politician, who wants to bo elected governor atrain. cringes and fawns and bends the supple knee to a railroad employe! Well, who shall say he is not right? He wants to be governor again; and the B. & M. railroad company is the most potent factor in governor-making in the state. lie saw that road take pos session of a convention last fall, and make a judge of the supreme court. He naturally infers it can make him governor again. But every farmer in the state of Ne braska ought to stand up now with un covered head and uplifted hand, and swear that no brass-collared railroad capper of whatever party name shall ever hold another oflice in the state of Nebraska. And he should also swear that he will not rest until a legislature is elected that will bring the railroads of this state under the subjection of the law. The Circulation. If the circulating medium could be kept at a steady amount per capita, the farmers would not need to demand that the govern ment loan them money at two per cent, for then they could soon pay off their mortgages. Inflations and contractions of the currency are the grapple hooks with which speculators lllch the earnings of the farmers and other classes. We clip the above from the Omaha Republican, and it has our approval. The position of the Republican is very sound on this money question, as we have noted on several occasions. It fa vors the expansion of the currency, and believes that the government should issue moneyfor the benefit of the peo ple instead of the banks. A leading banker of Omaha remarked, in the late bankers' convention, that he was much surprised that "a paper like the Repub lican should favor the issuing of more money," (i.e.-- more greenbacks.) Will that hint influence the Republican, or -will it manfully stand to its guns! We shall sec. The State Bankers' Association. We have been looking over the pro ceedings of the bankers' meeting held at Omaha last week. We have also been reading from time to time the ap peals of the protected interests to the committee of ways and means at Wash ington. The latter are a lot of gentle men who have got their hands in the people's pockets . through special laws enabling them to tax other people for their own benefit. . Their almost unan imous request was to have duties in creased so that they could make more money. We are struck with the re markable similarity of the talk of the bankers. They desire the government to "afford relief to the banks;" they think congress should "re lieve the distress of the national bank system." Banker Yates said, "As the law now stands no bank can go into the national banking business and make any money on its circulation." Mr. Yates means by this that a bank cannot make as much 'money on its cir culation sts it could if it would sell the bonds deposited, and use the proceeds in banking. Mr. Yates wants the gov ernment to issue its bonds at 2 per cent, redeemable at the option of the govern ment, (that is, never, if the banks could keep control) for the special benefit of the bankers. That is, the government should take their money for bonds, pav them 2 per cent for it, and at the same time give them national bank bills to lend to the people at 10 to 20 per cent. These men say in effect, "Gentlemen of the congress, please pass a law to neip us make money a little faster." Mr. Valentine was "in faver of a long time bond bearing a low rate of inter est." Of course he was, being a na tional banker. J. H. Millard made a remarkable statement. He "favored a lov rate bond to secure circulation, and opposed the deposit of bullion for that purpose; for if a bank should put up $100,000 in gold or silver to secure the circulation of $100,000, it could readily be seen the bank could make no money. He means make no money by law. Ed. With the circulation based upon a long time low rate bond, the banks could take care of themselves.'" Well, yes, we should suppose so. The government would be guaranteeing their paper and paying them 2 per cent in addition to what they got out of the people. But with the gold and silver it would be just a square deal. They would be banking on their own money, and aettiner noth ing by taxes. Isn't it amazing that men of wealth- men oi standing in society national bankers, who through their debts hold the welfare of hundreds of poor men in their hands should thus put themselves, in the attitude of mendicants for public charity should thus declare their will ingness to accept a bonus of the people by taxation. It is utterly contemptible and disgusting. Greed is so getting the better of the men of this day that manly independence is disappearing. The safeguards of the poor man, the exemption laws, and the laws protect ing him from oppression in the collec tion of debt, are not at all to the minds of these bankers' so they ' 'Resolved, That this association urge the repeal or modification of our exemption laws, and the improvement of the laws for the collection of debt.'''' And "this association" will undoubt edly go before the legislature next win ter to get that resolution enacted into law. Farmers, do you intend to elect a leg islature that will gratify them? Who are you going to sentt up? Are you thinking about it, and talking about it in your Alliances? If not, it is time you were. The meeting adopted a resolution ap proving the Knox bill, which practically entirely demonetizes silver, making gold the only standard and making sil ver a commodity. It is reasonably safe to say that congress will not pass the Knox bill. Lending the Surplus on Mortgage. We clip the following from the Wash ington correspondence of the Omaha Republican : "it is sirange tnai tnere are a great many farmers in the west who believe that Senator Cullom s bill, introduced by request, author izing the secretary of the treasury to loan money to the farmers of the United States at two per cent per annum, is really a measure that is likely to receive consideration. The bill simply provides for the loaning out of the surplus funds of the government at two per cent interest, to be secured by mortgage on land. It is similar to asking the United States to go into a private banking arrange ment, and is against all provisions of the con stitution, an law and all precedent." Perhaps the writer of the above would tell us wherein the difference lies be tween loaning money on bonds and loaning it on land. If one is unconsti tutional why is not the other. As" for the "private banking arrangement," the government seems to be engaged in that pretty extensively already. It keeps four or five distinct accounts with every national bank, engraves their plates and prints their money for them, and takes private supervision of the banks just when it pleases. How the the government could get any deeper into the banking business it puzzles us to understand. As for the bonds as se curity, they are not ,as good as land, their value being based on the products of land. The only trouble about the whole matter lies in the fact that should such a system be adopted it would de stroy the monopoly of money, and ren der its control by a select few, and through it the control of wealth and production, impossible. That's all there is about it. Poverty a Crime. Richard A. Trevellick said, in his lec ture at Red Ribbon hall Monday even ing, that the law was such at this time in five states that to ask for a crust of bread would subject a man to the pen alty of imprisonment in the penitenti ary for one year. The millionaires seem to be getting there in good shape. Battle his bones over the stones He's naught but a pauper whom nobody owns. From The Great West. THEY NEVER LET UP, SUMMER NOR WINTER- Though the Miners and their Children Starve and the Farmers and their Children Freeze, the Bailroad Millionaires and the Coal Barons must have their Dividends on Watered Stock. NEBRASKA. Her tasseled treasures are waiting to be gathered into her thousands of gran aries when her children hear the cry from the East for food. Her "Yellow Dent" is sold to the Eastern miner for a ton. $2.80 PENNSYLVANIA. After a day's toil, the hardest known to man in the darkness of the night and full of danger the miner comes to the surface and sends his black diamonds to his freezing sister in Ne braskaat a ton. 90c. More Burdens for the People. We see that "our" Dorsey, as the O'Neill Fron tier and South Sioux City Sun in affectionate sarcasm call him, has commenced to work for his own interest at Washington. He played it smart on the speakership candidates. The friends of Henderson of Iowa claim that he was pledged to him, and all the other candidates claim the same thing. They say it wras understoed that Dorsey was to be rewarded for deserting the west and voting for a towering protec tionist and goldite New Euglander, with the chairmanship of the banking com mittee. Heed did as was understood, and Dorsey and the committee have commencedto legislate in the interest of the favored and protected few. No matter about labor and the farmers who toil without recompense, the bankers must be protected, and they recom mend that the government shall issue bonds by the million bearing 2 or 3 per cent interest, to be sold only to bank ers, and solely for their benefit. Also that about the only remaining govern ment tax of 1 per cent on circulation be repealed. The dishonesty of this proposition is only equaled by its braz en impudence. Will some administration organ, who watches and follows the administration signals, as some persons do the flags of the signal service, inform us why it is when the government is giving 80 or 40 per cent annually as bounty to English and American bond holders, a premium to induce them to accept payment of bonds not yet due, so that the govern ment may stop the interest, we shall now deliberately create another debt of millions, and on that the people to pay interest for years only that bankers may increase their dividends, and at the same time relieve them from the the small tax of 1 per cent they now pay? There is no difficulty in this matter. Let congress issue instead of the pro posed bonds an equal amount of legal tender on which the people will pay no interest, and bankers can purchase them the same as other citizens, and bank on their own resources. We know the condition of the farm ing interest east and west. It is not re alizing 2 per cent on the farms, while nearly every bank divides 10 per cent in dividends, and stock above par. A statement a few days ago appeared as to tne banks in iNew lork Uity, showing that the stock of all the banks was above par, ranging from two hun dred dollars to four thousand for a share of the par value of one hundred dollars. If the farming interest could make that showing, how glorious it Would be. We doubt if any administration organ will answer our conundrum. Will the Bee please answer, as that paper is now devoting much time to financial ques tions, particularly to saddle another debt of millions of inferest bearing bonds, and the exemption of banks from taxes now imposed. We will finish this article when fa vored with the desired reply, merely in timating that the last straw which breaks the camel's back will soon be reached. Enoch Bradshaw Pardoned. Enoch Bradshaw, who was sen tenced to the penitentiary for life for the murder of H. C. Voorhees, near the Melroy school house in Gage county, has been pardoned by the governor. There was always doubt in the minds of many as to the guilt of Bradshaw. But new evidence was brought to light by the efforts of his friends, and it be- came certain that he was innocent. It was also shown that his attorney had failed to perform his duty to his client. It was even claimed by the man who has long been working to clear up the mystery of the murder, and secure Bradshaw's pardon, that this attorney fraudulently pocketed money furnished for court expenses, and to secure a new trial, and . heartlessly left Bradshaw to his fate. It is possible this matter may now be ventilated, as Bradshaw is a free man. We have been assured by a man in whom we have perfect confi dence, and who Avas for years a shop mate of Bradshaw, that the latter was a kind-hearted innocent minded man, and utterly incapable of wilfully harm ing any one. The word pardon in such a case as this is a misnomer. What reparation can society make to an innocent man whose life is wrecked, who, branded as a murderer, endures years of foul dis grace and fouler associations? who can picture the untold anguish of wife and children who, though a late pardon may come, must carry to their graves a galling memory of wrong and injustice inflicted by their fellow men? Truly, society owes great reparation in such cases certainly it owes a judicial vin dication, in addition to the so-called pardon. '- When answering advertisements men tion The Farmers'. Alliance. SUMMER. The corn is loaded on the railway and taken to the miners without change , of bulk or re loading only 1,000 miles, to WINTER. The coal is loaded on the railway and taken without change of cars, on one continuous track, only 1,000 miles, to ' Rise in the Price of Silver. The agitation of the free coinage of silver, and the supposed intention of the bank of England $o issue notes payable in silver, have had the effect to cause quite an advance in the price of the white metal. This is perfectly natural. The demonetization of silver caused its decline. Its remonetization would re store it to the -value it before held. If a fair comparison between silver and gold is desired, demonetize gold. Its decline in price would be immediate and very great. The opposers of the free and unlimit ed coinage of silver are vehement in the denunciation of the injustice of legis lating in the interests of the silver min ers. How about the gold miners? Does the government own the gold mines, or work them? Is not the free and unlimited coinage of gold special legislation in the interest of the gold producers? Gold is the only commodi ty in the U. S. that congress has by a positive law fixed a priee for, at which it will buy, all that is offered. That price is $20.7 per Troy ounce. This gives a fixed forced valuation to gold. Now, gentlemen, let us be fair, and not oppose silver on the ground of opposing special legislation for special interests, or else put gold on the same basis. But of course that argument is puerile and' meaningless.' There are, by the best estimates, about 3,294 millions of gold money in the world, and about 2,755 millions of silver money, or 54 cents in gold to 46 cents in silver. It is simply nonsense to speak of gold as the momy of the world, as so many of these gold bug organs do. Considered on the basis of population the preponderance in favor of silver is very great. The following are the figures: Silver standard countries.. 768,944,456 Double-standard countrtes 137,300,000 Gld standard countries. 92,800,000 So, instead of being the money of the world, it is seen that the population of the silver standard countries is three times that of the double standard and the gold standard combined. The one single fact that stands out bold and; glaring above all others is that the fixed income classes desired less money, so as to lower prices and command more wealth with their in comes; ana they domonetized silver for that purpose alone. , Home Market Wanted. This country has been twenty-five years building up a "home market" by means of taxation, and now wrhat is the result? Corn is 14 cts a bushel, mer chants are failing every day in every considerable town, and every manufac turing industry in the country has been on its knees before the ways and means committee, asking that more taxes be imposed on somebody, so that it can make more money. The idea of a market implies a de mand for goods and an ability to pur chase them. The demand that is the desire for the goods exists, but the ability to buy does not exist. There is not a family of a farmer, laborer or me chanic west of the Alleghanies or east either, for that matter that does not need more clothes, more furniture, more carpets, more pictures on the walls, more utensils, more musical in struments, more books, more houses, more carriages in fact more of every thing that makes life comfortable and endurable. If the ability existed to buy, these things -would be bought. But low prices of labor and the products of labor, brought on by a universal and wide-spread shrinkage of values, caused by a contraction of the volume of money, "a - " out of which all goods above subsistence are supplied. Hard times-inability to buy is the result. If the merchants and manufacturers and doctors and profes sors want a home market, and want I business lively, so that they can make ! some money, let them advocate the un j limited coinage of silver the same as ' gold, and the issue of enough green I backs to do the business of the country I uii it, uasii uasis. i. i That's the only thing that will do it. Words of Cheer. We are in receipt of many kind words from our friends in different parts of the state. The latest is fromE.B. Spackman, of Nance county. Mr. Spackman asks for sam ple copies of The Alliance, and prom- i ises to use them for the good of the cause. We are grateful for words of encouragement. They are the sunny spots in a life of toil in which hours of relaxation are few indeed. A $300,000,000 Navs". It is now posed to expend three hundred pro-mil- lions on a navy, in order to get away with the surplus and prevent tariff re duction, Wouldn't it be a good idea to construct the Hennepin canal to float the navy in? i The Washington schemes to get rid of money don't seem to have any element of utility in them. If that navy should be built on the seaboard we might be tempted to whip somebody with it. PENNSYLVANIA. The miner comes up at nightfall, weary and hungry, and going to his hut, asks for food. His poor wife gives him the corn from' Nebraska and he eats at the price of Jg QQ NEBRASKA. Her robes of green and tasseled crown have been swept away by the pitiless blast on treeless prairies, and the Queen of the West gathers her shiver ing children to her breast. Then comes the gift of Pennsylvania at JJ QQ Farm Mortgages. By a formal vote the republicans of the U. S. Senate have declared that the next census shall not include statistics of the farm mortgages of this country. These.farm mortgages, amounting un doubtedly in some states to more than the assessed valuation of the farms, stand to-day as a living and damning condemnation of the whole .financial policy of the republican party. The policy of contraction the atrocious de struction of the people's money the changing of the terms under which the bonds were issued, making them paya ble in coin instead of lawful money thus reducing the value of all property, and lowering prices of products and la bor to a starvation point, while produc tion and population were constantly in creasing, are the fertile causes which forced everybody to do business upon a cash basis, and covered the country with mortgages, and turned the people over to the tender mercies of usurers. This policy is the greatest crime of this century; and it is no wonder the men who have been its leading perpetrators should not wish to give the public offi cial information of the extent of their villainy. An Amazing Thing. That the bankers of Nebraska, men who know that business is being stran gled in this state, and that men are be ing forced into bankruptcy or bled to death solely by the fall of prices caused by money contraction, should fall into line with the money power of the east, and favor a further contraction of the money volume, is simply amazing. These men ought to realize the need of more money. What causes this cry about corn shipments? Because the money the corn would bring is needed. If money were plenty the bankers would make more, merchants would make more, manufacturers would make more, farmers would make more in fact everybody would be happy. No banking system based upon government debt can be devised that will not tend to contraction. The Knox bill stops coinage of silver and makes it a com modity. This must result in enormous contraction. Gold would then be the sole basis of money, in fact the only real money, under bur false system. Wrhart the state of Nebraska, what the west wants, is the free and unlimited coinage of silver, supplemented by a sufficient issue of greenbacks to do the business of the country on a cash basis. And yet the bankers of this great state join in with Wall street to limit the volume of money. The Whipping Post Proposed. An Omaha daily alludes to a bill which has been presented in the Virginia legisla ture to restore the whipping post in that state, and then adds: "Such a law would doubtless be best in every state." What kind of an estimate of the claims of humanity, the progress of civiliza tion, the objects and effects of punish ment, can an editor have who will gravely make such a proposition? So ciety should never forget that there are few criminals indeed who may not be lifted up and saved and restored to good citizenship by proper treatment The adoption of any mode of punish ment that utterly degrades men, that destroys their self-respect, that makes them either cowards or beasts, such as the whipping post, should be execrated and avoided. In fact, the idea of pun ishment should be eliminated from all treatment of criminals. Society should only resort to restraint for its own safe ty, and the idea of reform should be substituted for revenge. Crime should bo treated as a disease, more often re sulting from unfortunate conditions for which society might justly be held re sponsible; and criminals should be placed under ameliorating circum stances where their better natures might be appealed to, and they be con vinced that there were men and broth- ers who were interested in their wel fare. The efforts of true statesman ship will be directed to changing the conditions which cause crime and sui cide, which are Decerning so common among us, instead of restoring methods of punishment which belong to a dark age, and which are so hideous. Gen. Leese to U. S. Attorney-General Miller. We publish this week an open latter from Gen. Leese to Attorney-General Miller. This letter gives a good idea of the high handed manner iu which the U. P. railroad overrides law. While itself violating U. S. law, it hides under the mantle of the general government in its refusal to conform to the rules of our Board of Transportation, It is the example of the U. P. as shown by Gen. Leese that upholds the other roads in their extortionate rates. Not only should no extension be granted on the Pacific railroad debt, but these roads, and all lines which have been built wi$i their surplus earnings, should be taken by the government and operated in the interest of the people. ALLIANCES AND K. OF L. ASSEM BLIES. We learn from the Journal of United Labor that "during the month of Decem ber and up to Saturday last charters were issued to 72 new Local Assemblies; 35 Locals were reinstated, and 18 Local Assemblies reorganized. The charter applications have been received from all sections of the country, and the re ports from the organizers are particu larly encouraging." We do not wish to exult over our es teemed contemporary, but will just say that during the month of January 75 Alliances have been chartered in Ne braska alone. On Tuesday last the State Secretary received fen applica tions for charters. The good work is going forward with accelerated pace. Secretaries of Subordinate Alliances will please take note of the above fact. The State Secretary is taxed to his ut most to keep up with his work, and it has been difficult for him to get supplies printed fast enough. But he will get there in good time. LIGHT DAWNING IX DARK PLACES. The Kansas City Journal, one of the leading republican papers of the west, has the following to say about money. We would like to see the Bee, of Omaha, open its editorial eyes to the importance of this subject, and take a stand upon it as independent and aggressive as it used to talk on the railroad question: The people of the United States are espe cially growing away from old notions in re gard to money. They can no longer be de ceived by the specious arguments of the gold maniacs and the financiers who pile up wealth by reason of tight money. We are sat isfied that congress has the power to make this country the dictator in the inauguration of a monetary system for the people, in place of a system that has thus far been in the in terests of despotism in the political world and the power or money kings in the financial world." The Omaha Republican of the 28th has the following: "There is no vast amount of difference be tween the demand of the farmers that the government loan them money on real estate security and the demand of the national banks that the government furnish them a new basis upon wnich to issue their circulat ing notes. One is Just as reasonable as the other, and neither should be granted. If the fluctuations in currency were shut off, and the Lombard and Wall street money Shylocks kicked into the Atlantic our farmers would not long need to borrow money from any one." More Kind Words. We are in receipt of a kind letter from our friend D. D. Andrus, of Cass county. Mr. A. says the ring of The Alliance is right, and commends our articles entitled "What is the matter," "New party called for," and "Option selling." He says: "Let us get together and discuss these matters; get all the statistics that have a bearing on sub jects that interest us, and determine what is for our best Interests." Bro. A. is right in this suggestion. He alludes to a gentleman in this city who has been making some speeches among the farmers, but whom we do not know, and of course do not feel disposed to criticise without knowledge. Thanks for the kind words. We intend to stay on the right side. , Complaints from York Co. We have received from an esteemed friend, of York Co., a letter criticizing the offi cers of the State Meeting at Grand Is land for supposed partiality and neg lect of the York Co. delegates. We will remind our friend that in such a crowd as there was at Grand Island units be come insignificant. We had nothing to do with the appointment of the commit tees; but we believe that Pres't. Powers was actuated solely by the desire to get the right men in the right places. Of course, counting alt the committees ap pointed, there were not enough mem bers upon them to give nearly one to each county. This being the case, the counties not represented on them need not feel slighted. We believe no intention to slight any one existed any Avhere. TEMPERANCE ALLIANCE AND K. OF JU MEETING AT YORK. Hon. Richard Trevellick has just shown us a letter from organizer J. F. Harrison and others inviting Mr. Trevellick to address a meeting at York on Thursday Feb. 6. The invitation has been accepted, and our friends at York will have a rich treat. We bespeak for MivT. a grand house and a royal wel come. HOW TO REDUCE FREIGHT RATES. -An Omaha daily says freight rates should be reduced; and then adds: "But complaints and lamentations are next to worthless and useless. The railroads will continue to exact the lion's share if allowed to. They will continue to hold the farmer in bondage unless some very powerful agency intervenes." That's about the size of it; but what shall the "powerful agency" be? Sim ply law, and if the law cannot regulate, then the government must own and control. We invite attention to the advertise ment of the Daily and Weekly Call in an other column. The Call is on the side of the people, and against the extor tions anl oppressions of the banded monopolies. It has gained a reputation for fearlessness and independence. The Weekly Call and The Farmers' Alli ance will be sent to one address one year for $1.50. The Land Resolution. We have received a letter informing us that the land resolution as published in the proceedings of the State Alliance is not correct, and that the last clause was not adopted. We had only the resolutions as handed to the Secre tary as our guide. But our friend is probably right. Errors are very apt to creep in on such occasions. Hon. R. H. Trevellick: By request of the joint session of the local assem blies of , the Knights of Labor, which convened on Tuesday evening, Hon. R. H. Trevellick will on the evening of Tues day the 4th inst., at Red Ribbon Hall, repeat the address given to the Good Templars last Monday evening. Every person in Lincoln should hear this ad dress. COST OF INSURANCE. We give below a statement of a part of the Insurance companies doing busi ness, Nebraska, taken from their re ports filed with the Auditor. It will Im seen by this statement that these few compaies have recieved as premium $174,490.31 more than they have paid out as losses. This enormous sum has been paid out by our insurers for noth ing. Insurance on the mutual plan would have saved nearly all of it to the people. Is money made any plentier by this money being collected here, sent east, and then returned as loans to our people? We opine not. Below is the statement: Premiums, Loxse. Union, San Francisco. 11,43;. u $ 4,51tU! Dwelling House, Hus ton 8,ao4.no 4.MJun The Denver, Denver. m.m Guardian, Fire and Life, London 3,.m47 5.08 German - American, New York 155.370 30 13.i5.?M Orient, Hartford 11,117.3) 2,3UH Fire Asssociation.I'hil adelphia ,700.05 3.M1.U7 The American Firo, Philadelphia 10,703.42 6.6030 Fireman's Fund, San Francisco 14.751.13 7..W.I; Phoenix, lirooklyn ... 240.713.Wl 1CW.317.U3 Total. ...$317,024.18 1 142V.x; MR. LOWREY, JOHN II. AMES, AND FREIGHT RATES. John II. Ames blossoms out as an apologist for the high rates of the B. & M., and a defender of that road gene rally. This man has been a pscudo anti monopolist for some years, for the sup posed political capital there was in it, but it was only skin deep, ami rubs off in the face of aji opportunity to obtain prhi leges as a grain shipper on the B. & M. line. Mr. Lowrey has a heavy suit pending against the B. & M. for overcharges ami extortions. Should this suit come to trial, more interesting developments may be looked for. We extract the following from a re ply from M. Lowrey to Mr. Ames, all information at to rates being valuable at this time: Now Mr. Ames says if we reduce the freight rates it will simply reduce the price of corn, and our farmers will Ih no better off. Supposing he is correct, on this point, would there be any in justice in asking our railroads to trans port the grain to New York at a rea sonable rate and give the poor consu mers in New York ami Liverpool a little of the turkey, and not give it all to tin? railroads. Mr. Ames claims that rate have been reduced 30 per cent iu the past few years. If such is the case I'm a little like the Irishman who said he did not think the good things of this country were equally divided. When asked what he would do if he had the power, he said. "I'd make them di vide." "Well," said the gentleman from Germany, "the rich men would have it all back again in seven years, and what would you do. then?" "Be jabers," said the Irishman, "I'd make them divide again." So I think it is about time for them to divide again. Read the following statement, Mr. Ames, and I think you will agree with the Irishman; The earnings and expenses of the C, B. fc Q. Co.'s main lines, including the B. & M. main lino in Nebraska, lor the month of November, 188!), and for the eleven months ending November 30, 1881), com pared with corresponding period of 1888, were as follows: Gross Operating Net Earnings. Expenses Earning. Nor. 1888.. f2,2:,Ktt.83 f 1,453,826.73 $777.UI-3IT NOV. 1881).. 2,230,58U.45 1,444, 1H4JW 871,4U5.0S These figures will show the increase in the net earnings to be $102,3Uj.7U for the month of November, 188U. For eleven months ending Nov. 30, 1888: Gross . Operating Net Earnings. Expenses. Earning. $21,621,43.U0 $16,251), 12-..50 $ 5,362,3tf..40 For eleven months endiug Nov. 30, 1889: $ 24,296,219.68 $ 14,067.754.30 $!),328.4K.B2 1 ncrease.f 2,674,725.78 $ 3,90C,005.5 Decrease ."...$ 1,291,370.14 These figures will show that the Q, road will pay (5 per cent on about $70, 000,000, and they don't exclude branch lines. Now Mr. Ames don't you think it about time they were dividing again? These are their own figures and there is no going back on them. The tory may he a chestnut but you can get a monopoly hammer and crack it. But the figures will stand and show for themselves. The operating expenses of the C. B. & Q. are much less in com parison than they were a few years ago, and they should comply with the re quest of the Nebraska state board of transportation and come down on thir freights, and not stand out and say they would if other lines would agree to it. Now, Mr. Ames, you have said that rates have been reduced 30 per cent. 1 claim in this you are mistaken. But on the other hand they have been ad vanced; and if Attorney General Leese will bring the A. & N. suit now finding in our courts to a trial, and subpeena the witnesses I name I will forfeit $100 to Elder Howe if I can't show rates have been materially advanced in the past few years, and since the consolida tion of the A. & N. with the B. & M. railroad. I notice Gov. Thayer has at last requested the railroad compa nies to reduce their rates 5 cents per 100. This is not enough. He should ask them to reduce their rates at least 10 cents per 100, based on the present Chicago rates on grain of all kinds and not on corn alone, and wheat should he the same rate as other grain. The farmers of Nebraska won't be satisfied with any less reduction. The present rate on cattle from Lincoln to Chicago is 28 cents per 100. The distance is 511 miles. The rate from Kansas City to Chicago via the Chicago & Alton rail road is 121 cents per 100. The distance is 481 miles. They claim that the busi ness affords them a profit. Compare these figures and I think the governor would be warranted in requesting them to makeat least a ten cent reduction on stock also, and if refused call a special session of the legislature to take action. I'm aware that the higher the rates ,are on grain the more favors the rail road companies can show their favorite shippers, which may in some way ac count for Mr. Ames being in favor of high rates, as I am aware he is largely interested in the elevator and grain business on the line of the B. & M. Per sonally I wish Mr. Ames success in his new business, but I don't want him ami the railroads to have all the cream and give the farmers and myself the skimmed milk. T. W. Lowrey. LSince above wag written Mr. Lowrey haa advanced bis offer to $500, Ed. Alliance. Lectures by Richard TreTelUck. Hon. Richard Trevellick, National Lecturer of the K. of L., and a great temperance apostle , is delivering a se ries of lectures at Red Ribbon hall in this city. Mr. Trevellick is a man of wide experience, and possesses good oratorical powers. His soul is in the temperance work, and he makes hU meetings very interesting.