THE ALLIANCE.
FUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY MORfiiKB.
BY THE
ALLIANCE PUBLISHING CO.
Lincoln, - - - ftcDtaska.
J. BURROWS, : : : Editor.
J. M. THOMPSON, Business Manager.
In the beauty f the lillies
Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in his bosom
That transfigures you and me.
As He strove to make men holy
Let us strive to make men free,
Since God is marching on."
Julia Ward Howe.
Laurel crowns cleave to deserts,
And power to him who power exerts."
' A ruddy drop of manly blood
The surging sea outweighs."
Emerson.
He who cannot reason is a fool,
He who will not reason is a coward,
He who dare not reason is a slave."
EDITORIAL. "
Sign the Declaration.
"Ve republish the Declaration of Prin
ciples and call for an Independent Peo
ple's Convention this week. There will
be many who will not receive the print
ed form for signatures. Such can cut
out this form from the paper, paste it
on a foolscap sheet, and circulate for
signatures.
These Declarations began to come in
to the state secretary almost by return
mail, filled with names.
This is the movement that will at
tract to itself all the minor movements.
Alliance men will very generally sup
port this movement almost to a man,
and that alone will give, it great power.
In about two weeks from the time they
were sent out the declarations will be
gin to return by the thousands, filled
with the names of the sterling yeomanry"
jqI Nebraska.
SIGN THE DECLARATION !
-Let every man who was indignant at
the rape of the convention that defeated
lleese, sign let every man who is op
posed to railroad domination, sign; let
every man who has felt outraged by the
low down tactics of professional politici
ans, sign; let every man who believes
in a government of the people, by the
people, for the people, sign. Let all
anti-monopoly republicans who want to
reform the republican party, sign as
the only way to reform a party is to
whip it.
Let every man who wants to see Ne
braska redeemed picked up out of the
cess-pool of party politics, and set high
upon a pedestal of purity, honesty and
.reform, sign, and give his name and
voice for an Independent People's Con
vention. But it must be distinctly understood
iihat signing this declaration is no test
-of fealty to the Alliance. The Alliance
- as a society has nothing to do with it,
and no member is under the least obli
gation to sign unless he wants to. His
; signing or not does not affect his stand
ing in the Alliance a particle, and dif
ierences of opinion in regard to it need
not make the least division in any Sub
ordinate Alliance.
The Omaha Dailies Ignore the Call.
The Omaha World-Herald, Bee and
llepublican have been paying a great
deal of attention to the Alliance of late.
They have given it a great deal of ful
some advice. They have all admitted,
directly and indirectly, that it consti
tuted an important factor in the poli
tics of this state. The World-Herald of
fered to sell out the democratic party
to it, and the Bee has made a specially
organized effort to obtain information
as to its strength, the views of its mem
bers, aud its political intentions. The
efforts of each of these papers have
been directed solely to the end of influ
encing the Alliance in the interest of
ats party or itself. If any one imagines j
that any of them have felt any disinter
ested anxiety in behalf of the welfare
of the farmers or their society, he may
undeceive himself at once. Their utter
silence as to a call that will receive the
united support of the Alliances of the
tate is evidence enough of this. These
editors have all expected that the Alli
ance would some way shape so as to
benefit their parties. The Declaration
and Call opens their eyes. This move
ment promises to result in a grand u
Tisincr of the people, in which all of
these partisan papers will be ignored
which will destroy their occupation and
leave them without a party. So they
have no use for it. They ignore it.
They say, in effect, if you people can
not go our way if you intend to nomi
nate candidates on your own hook, and
cut loose from the politicians, you can't
-expect any encouragement from us.
This is well and good. The quicker the
people cut loose from those papers, as
-well as the politicians, the better it will
be for them.
t Since the above wras in type the Om
aha Bee has come out with a column
litori:i! on the Declaration and Call,
which we may reply to next week.
zz-zzz 'rTy" "m
The Bee Correspondents.
The Bee. in its efforts to obtain cor
Tespondence adverse to the Alliance
and its officers, is now tilling its col
umns with a lot of slush combined with
insults to President Powers and others,
from a fellow in Merrick county who
was bounced from the position of
County Organizer on the recommenda
tion o Merrick County Alliance, aud
who has. probably entirely severed his
connection with the Alliance since that
time. The Bee isn't improving its Alli
ance connection in Merrick county by
giving its editorial page to spread slan
ders against President rowers'
Read advertisement of of Caesar's Col
umn in this issue.
THE
Pledge Your Candidates.
Those super-sensitive, highly honor
able and chivalrous sentlemen who
think their dignity is insulted when
they are asked to make certain specific
pledges to their constituents, had better
not come to the next legislature. It is
likely to have quite a number of horny
handed farmers in it. It is not likely
to be a very congenial place for those
delicate and sensitive gentlemen.
A frank, honorable manwho expects
to keep his word, will not hesitate an
instant to make the strongest kind of a
pledge to do those things which he in
tends to do, and thinks ought to be
done. The man who is too lofty to
make a pledge is likely to be the very
man who is lookiner for a trade, and
who has got a price. Let it be under
stood now, at the start, that we will
not talk with any candidate who will
not make pledges, and whom we do
not think will keep them.
The ' following leading questions
should be asked of every man who is,
or expects to be, a candidate for the
legislature, and affirmative answers de
manded: Will you work and vote for a law es
tablishing the Australian ballot system
in Nebraska?
Will you work and vote for a law fix
ing a schedule of freight rates in Ne
braska no higher than those in force in
Iowa?
Will you work and vote for a law re
ducing the rate of interest to seven per
cent, and making usury in any form a
penal offense with forfeiture of princi
pal and interest?
Will you work and vote for a reduc
tion of taxation and appropriations to
the lowest amount consistent with an
economic administration of the state
government?
Will you favor the abolition of land
monopoly in all its forms, and the
amendment of our alien land law so
that it will be efficient?
Will you work and vote for a memo
rial to congress in favor of the free and
unlimited coinage of silver, and the in
crease of our currency to $50 per capita,
the paper portion of the same to be
treasury notes full legal tender for all
debts public and private?
Will you pledge your honor not to
subordinate your official action to, or
be bound by any vote of any part of
the legislature, either in regular session
or separate meeting, less than a clear
majority of the whole body in the af
firmative? Make this last question a special test,
and accept no man who will not an
swer it unequivocally and squarely.
The Alliance Trouble in Texas.
Of course our readers will not fail to
see the sensational dispatches that are
going the rounds of the press in rela
tion to the Alliance troubles in Texas,
and equally of course they will not fail
to see that the associated press state
ments as to these troubles are greatly
exaggerated. "Robbed of over a mil
lion!" is simply a sensational head line.
It is very likely that the total amount
of money ever handled by the Texas
Alliance Exchange did not exceed one
hundred thousand dollars.
It is likely that when the subject is
investigated in the courts it will . be
found that there has been no criminali
ty in the matter but there has been a
large amount of kite flying in ill-advised
business schemes promoted by in
experienced men. The Texas Exchange
was founded solely on credit. The in
dividual notes of rfcs members were used
as a substitute for money capital. Any
business man will see at once that an
enterprise on such a basis would be
handicapped to start with. The em
barrassments of borrowing money on
such notes, and the burden of interest,
would be disadvantages which few
good business men would be willing to
cope with.
There is no doubt "that the known
embarrassed condition of Alliance af
fairs in Texas, and the kite-flying pro
clivities of the man who was leading
the Southern Alliance, had much to do
with the unwillingness of the delegates
from Minnesota and Iowa to form an
organic union ot the two Alliances at
St. Louis.
Naturally such experience as this in
Texas tends to destroy confidence in
the management of large associations,
and deters many from joining them.
The experience of the grange of this
state under Church Howe was of the
same character. The organizers of the
Alliance in Nebraska had these facts in
view, and incorporated in its constitu
tion a provision that it should never
engage in any manufacturing enter
prise. This provision has been strictly
adhered to, and the state officers have
also abstained from engaging in any
commercial or mercantile enterprise,
except on the agency plan. In fact,
since the organization of the Alliance
in the winter of 1880-1 its money affairs
have been carefully and conservatively
managed, and no irregularity to the
extent of even one dollar has occurred.
The same careful management is con
tinued now, and the fiduciary officers of
the Alliance are able to properly ac
count for or produce every dollar tnat
has come into their hands. As one
who has all the time been in a position
to control the finances of the Alliance
the editor of this paper takes special
pride in these facts. His honor is
bound up in the continued integrity
and ability of this management.
The First White Boy Born in Lincoln.
We had a pleasant call from M. R.
Merrill, of St. Paul, Howard county.
Mr. Merrill wras the first white boy
born in Lincoln. This interesting event
occurred in 1866. There were then
only two or'thrco sod houses on the site
where now is the finest city in the state.
Mr. Merrill is now publishing the St.
Paul Enterprise, the organ of the How
ard. County Alliance, in which we wish
him the most unbounded success.
.FARMERS' ALLIANCE: LINCOLN, NEB.,
Coming by Hundreds,
The declarations, filled with names,
are coming in rapidly. Business men
as well as farmers are signing it. One
cames from Broken Bow with one hun
dred and twenty names, including, as
we are told, every merchant in the city.
This movement promises to be more
generally accepted by the people than
any other since 1861.
The Situation in the Third District.
We wish to invite the attention of our
friends in the third congressional dis
trict who are so very anxious to rush
things to certain stubborn facts. 1st.
Geo. W. E. Dorsey is a candidate for
re-election. He is entirely acceptable
to the railroad interests ot the state,
and consequently will have its support
in money, passes and gravel trains. It
will not be politic to underestimate this
power. 2nd. He has the tecleral pat
ronage of the district at his disposal.
This means another large interest and
more railroad passes. 3d. He is chair
man of the house committee on bank
ing and currency. As such chairman
he has been the obsequeous tool of Wall
street. He has made no proposition in
congress tnat did not meet the approval
of Wall street and the single gold stan
dard men. He has got quite an amount
of money in his own right, and will un
doubtedly use it 'for his own benefit.
But if he wants more he can go into
Wall street and get a hat full to secure
his return to congress. The gold bugs
think they have a right to depend upon
eastern men; but when they find a wes
tern one who is willing to trample upon
the interests of his constituents at the
beck of the money power, they are
willing to pay for him.
This is the force which the people of
the third district have to meet. That
Mr. Dorsey will receive the republican
nomination for a fourth term is a fore
gone conclusion. In 1884 he received
20,000 votes against Mr. Neville's 20,
600. In 1886 he received 28,700 against
Mr. Webster's 21,000. In 1888 he re
ceived 42,000 votes against Mr. Weath
erby's 31,000. The U. L. vote in 1888
was only 3,000. The total vote in the
district in 1888 was 77,788. If there are
three candidates in the field this year,
it will take 28,000 votes to elect. If
there are only two besides the prohib.,
37,000 votes will probably elect. We
ask our precipitate friends in the third
district if they have any idea where
they are going to get these votes. It
takes votes to carry elections. Wind
don't do it. In the third district a un
ion of all the people who are opposed to
Dorseyism Avill be necessary to defeat
Dorsey. Now if our friends in the
third district propose to go ahead with
out making any effort to secure such a
union, and simply "stand up and be
counted," it is all right. But for our
part wre are tired of simply being couni
ed. We want results. If the chairman
of the committee of banking and cur
rency favored free coinage of silver,
that fight would have been won before
this. The people of the third district
lave the duty of displacing Mr. Dorsey
from that committee, and substituting
in his place a man who will represent
them. The men who are originating a
peoples' movement in that district have
the grave responsibility of seeing this
accomplished. The people who are ac
tually opposed to Dorseyism, machine
politics and railroad rule are in a large
majority in that district. The man in
whom they all have confidence will
form the political solvent that will
unite these people. Find him, and find
him quick. And when he is found
don't let any little petty jealousy, any
old partisan bitterness, any idiotic
"chronic office-seeker" idea, prevent
his acceptance. Hard sense is what is
wanted in the third district.
Elmwood Blevator Case.
Supreme Court of Nebraska
issued a mandamus to
the M. P. R. R. Co. to
with the order of the board of
The
having
comp
comply
transportation for elevator privileges for
the Elmwood Alliance, the M. P. Co. has
appealed the case to the Supreme Court
of the U. S. This course was expected.
This case has already become cele
brated. It now bids fair to become one
of the most important cases ever taken
to the supreme court. It is remarkable
that there can be any ground to carry
such a case to the U. S. courts. The
only authority through which a rail
road can obtain a right of way, or any
power to construct a road in or through
a state, is by grant of the state. State
law provides for the condemnation of
right of way and the method of doing
it. The state can change this method,
or revoke it altogether. The constitu
tion of the United States expressly pro
vides that all powers not specifically
granted to the congress remains with
the state. Nowhere has the state grant
ed to congress any authority whatever
in this matter. The late original pack
age decision of the United States su
preme court is a gross usurpation of
power, nowhere warranted by the con
stitution. This Elmwood case may
open the door for another decission of
the same character. A webb of judi
cial law law never enacted by the law
making power, but inferred by tyrani
cal judicial power is being woven in
this country which bids fair to fatally
entangle the liberties of the people.
Six Caesars sit at Washington, enthroned
for life, empowered to declare what is
law, and from whose decisions there is
no appeal except to the bullet. And
the meshes of this web are being woven
by the corporate power which by the
magic of its influence in high places
moulds decisions and warps precedents.
The supreme court needs watching.
Mr. J. H. Powers, president of the
Nebraska Farmers' Alliance, addressed
the Phelps County Alliance at the
court house on last Saturday. The at
tendance was very large so that all the
available room was occupied, and those
who heard Mr. Powers think him a
strong and capable man, and thorough
ly conversant with the subject at hand.
Holdredge Nugget.
Alliance Badges.
We have received a few samples of
the badge which is being made in Chi
cago for the Nebraska Alliances. It is
a very pretty thing, in the form of a
scarf or bosom pin. Its color is gold
and red, Avhite and blue. At the top are
the letters "N. F. A." in gold on the red
ground. Below this is an upright sheaf
in gold on white ground, and below
this is a plow in gold on blue ground.
It is about half an inch wide and six
eighths of an inch long, and is a very
neat and ornamental pin.
Secretary Thompson will furnish this
badge to Alliances at the rate of $17.50
per 100. Single samples, sent by mail,
20 cts each.
There has been a great call for a
badge. One County Alliance ordered
one thousand. , We think this pin will
fill the bill.
The Railroad Campaign Opened.
The railroad campaign is opened. The
railroad gang propose again to debauch
the convention of its favorite party, and
through that agency control the suffra
ges of the people. The out post of
their army is on the corner of 10th and
P streets. From this point comes an
irregular fusillade of squibs about the
happy condition of the Nebraska far
mers, the low price of machinery, the
great reduction in rates voluntarily
made by the roads, low Iowa rates at
the same time being a pure delusion
and juggle of classification, the low in
terest on farm loans, the injustice of
railroad assessments, etc., etc. Then
follows the resolutions of the immortal
three on the board of transportation,
inviting a railroad seance, at which
managers and attorneys can exhibit
crookeij. statistics to show that the roads
are on the verge of bankruptcy. Then
the immortal three rush into print via
the interview line and treat the public
to a rehash of their viewrs. Mr. Benton
says, "I shall not rush madly forward
to reduce freight rates, whatever the
outcome may be." Mr. Steen says, "It
is manifest to me that the public does
not understand the rate question, and
that light is needed for their intelligent
judgment." Mr. Cowdery says, "A lit
tle investigation leads me to believe
that the profits on the actual capital in
vested in railroads is less than 6 per
cent, and if this be true
I shall be loth to vote for a schedule of
rates on the Iowa basis." These gen
tlemen think the attacks of the press
on the board are due to "Misapprehen
sion of our powers and prerogatives,"
and '-misjudgment of our knowledge
of railroad work, and the rights of cor
porations." These gentlemen are get
ting ready, when they shall be re-nominated,
to pose as martyrs and appeal to
the sympathies of the people. One thing
we can say for them they are stayers
in the cause they undertook to serve.
If the people could get as faithful serv
ants as the railroads do, their business
would be better done.
All these signs point to a vigorous
campaign. The railroad crowd have
got the traditional nine points. They
have also got the money, the passes,
the gravel trains, the most unscrupu
lous henchmen, and the impudence and
cheek of the devil.
The people have got the votes and a
good cause. If they will mass the for
mer in support of the latter, victory
will perch upon their banners.
B. & M. Journal Lying.
We clip the following from the lying
sheet issued by the B. &M. Railroad Co.,
on the corner of 10th and P streets. It
is headed "Mortgage Misrepresenta
tion." "Official inofrmation has reached these
headquarters that in sundry counties, not far
west of us, the mortgage census men are
moving in a way that is peculiar and vain.
They are taking' down from the clerk's or
register's mortgage record, every mortgage
that has been put on file since the organiza
tion of the respective counties, and making
no account of releases. It is said that some
farms that have been mortgaged several
titles and the mortgages paid off on the ma
turity of the notes, and cancelled, will appear
on the returns of these statistical geniuses as
sunk under the burden of all these several
mortgages."
The above is a palpable lie on the
face of it. How could any one know
beforehand that persons who are inves
tigating the records are doing or would
do any such thing? Would these indi
viduals blason a fraud they intended to
perpetrate? The statement is as shal
low as the paper that invented it is low
down and dishonest.
If the B. $ M. Journal is willing to
give correct information about this
mortgage business, why don't it publish
the official figures of Saline county?
Caesar's Column.
We have received from the publishers
a letter from Julian Hawthorne, review
ing this remarkable book. We have not
space for the whole letter, but will give
a few sentences: "It is exceedingly
interesting as a narrative, and is writ
ten by a man of thought, learning and
imagination. I consider it the best
work of its class prophetic forecasts
of the future of civilized society that
has appeared since Bulwer's 'Coming
Race.'" "I was impressed with the
power of the book the vividness and
strength with which the tragic incidents
of the tale are described and developed.
The plot is absorbing, ana yet nothing
in it seems forced; and the conception
of the column is as original as its treat
ment is vigorous."
See advt. for clubbing terms with this
paper.
Loans on Land.
The monopolists who are crying out
in every key of the gamut against gov
ernment loans on land appear not to
observe that a. conservative ministry in
England, led by Balfour, is now push
ing a bill in Parliament to lend one
hundred and tixty million pounds on
lands in Ireland for the purpose of es
tabishing an occupying ownership in
that country. These eastern fellows
are generally ready to copy anything
that is "English doncher know;" but it
does make a difference whose ox is
gored.
SATURDAY, MAY 24,
CONSISTENCY THOU ART A
JEWEL.
Editor Rosewater has a column in his
Bee of Wednesday condemning the ac
tion of the gentlemen who issued the
declaration of principles which will re
sult in a call tor a people's independent
convention. And yet Mr. Rosewater
comes down to Lincoln and places him
self at the head of a revolting faction of
the republican party, which proposes to
accomplish simply one of many reforms
aimed at by the people's movement, and
which justifies its action by the exact
state of facts which the people complain
of, viz: the domination of the railroad
power and its control and debauchment
of the political parties. But the people
do not alone complain of the railroad
power. There are other issues they con
sider quite as important and other over
shadowing influences they consider quite
as dangerous. One of these is the money
power. The Rosewater-Leese faction
ignore this and all other issues except
the little one of local rates. The people
don't. There are other differences quite
as radical. Mr. Rosewater addresses
his appeal to republican farmers, and
his great anxiety is to save the party,
tempered no doubt by his personal am
bition to lead a successful revolt. But
Mr. Rosewater knows full well that if
the state is to be rescued from the power
that has it by the throat, not only must
all minor factions be united, but large
numbers from the two leading parties
must join in the movement. For years
Mr. Rosewater, with all his ability, with
a great paper at his command and with
a great following in the state, has been
contesting the ground with this railroad
power, and day by day and year by
year it has driven him to the wall, de
feated and humiliated; and he now pro
poses to open a new conflict with it
with a mere faction of his former
army, demoralized as it will be by fac
tional discord. The bolt has com too
late. The men who sat tamely by and
saw Van Wyck slaughtered by the cor
porations, and made no bolt when their
convention was raped a year and a half
ago, need not come before the people
now with a song the pathos of which is
nine-tenths for the party and one-tenth
for the people.
Mr. Rosewater's personal allusions to
Mr. Burrows, and his little fling at Mr.
Powers, are unworthy of him. We shall
reply to them next wreek. We have set
this in great haste without manuscript,
just as our forms are closing, and of
course have not said near all we Avould
like to.
Church Howe and Some Political Pointers.
Church Howe is a slick one. Amini
dab Sleek is no comparison to him. He
has been quite unwary of late in regard
to reporters; and these gentlemen have
trapped him into some quite accidental
and unprepared for interviews. His
utterances in these interviews are sur
prisingly adjusted to just those reforms
which the people are now demanding,
all of course by the purest accident.
This is what the papers term "a remark
able coincidence." Another remarka
ble thing is that, while Mr. H. has been
so long before the public, the people
have not before learned by his daily
walk that his- inclinations were so hap
pily pat with their .desires. This arises
from one of Mr. Howe's constitutional
defects, viz : his niodesty. If it had not
been for his extreme modesty in con
cealing his real sympathies, his brass
band campaign of '86 might have had
a very different ending.
His last effusion, extorted by an en
terprising reporter greatly against his
wishes, is on the money question. He
is in favor of the free and unlimited
coinage of silver, and an increase of
circulation until it reaches at least $40
per capita. He is also down on the
usurers. He thinks two to four per
cent a month is too much, and favors a
stringent usury law with a penalty for
feiting principal and interest.
This is all admirable. And wrhile
Church has been allowing these things
to slumber in his mind, and to be just
forced out of him by the reporters, cov
ering his down' cheek with reluctant
blushes, he has somehow managed to
inspire Grandma Thayer w ith the con
tingent congressman mania. Of course
there is no possible connection between
Mr. Howe's private chats with a re
porter and his contingent candidacy for
congress.. O no! But such vile sus
picions will obtrude themselves. This
is one of the weaknesses of our poor
frail human nature.
Mr. Howe is a phenomenon. In his
ambition he is an insatiate stayer in
his cunning he is satanic in his meth
ods and his utter lack of moral princi
ple he is the very devil himself. It
would be a mighty fine thing to see him
running for congressman-at-large es
pecially fine "when the votes were
counted.
Seriously, we would like to have a
man of Mr. Howe's ability in congress
from the first district. Such a man
could be of great benefit to the people.
But the difficulty in his case is that he
could not be depended upon. He is not
the kind of a man that makes square
pledges. He is one of those "juggling
fiends" that "palter with us in a double
sense; that keep the word of promise
to our ear and break it to our hope."
Like the other historical fellow on the
mount, "all this will I give Thee;" but
when he was elected he" would serve
Church Howe, and no one else except
the railroads, whose faithful and sworn
servant he is. No! no! "Get thee be
hind me, Satan," is the only reply the
people can make to Church Howe's
blandishments. We want honor, mor
ality and decency in politics as well as
business. We want no more brass-band
railroad campaigns in Nebraska. We
would like sharp men, and able men,
and all that; but we trust we will not
have to select them from a class whose
political principles are those of a black
leg, and whose political methods are
those of a fifth ward repeater. If we do
we had better apply to the board of
pardons and get one at first hands.
1890.
The Leese Republican Conference.
The conference of anti-monopoly re
publicans called by Gen. Leese and
others, convened on time last Tuesday
evening at Bohanan hall. The -delegates
qualified as members by signing
a pledge which had been prepared. The
meeting was not large, and the granger
element of the party was not represent
ed. It was composed for the most part
of politicians and editors. The notable
figures present were Rosewater, Har
lan, Keckley, Leese, Reese, Bushnell,
and some others. The railroad ele
ment was in attendance in full force in
the lobby a passage across the hall
separated the spectators from the dele
gates and there were quite marked ex
pressions of its sympathies. Church
Howe was a close and interested ob
server, but did not offer to participate.
The meeting was called to order by
Mr. Leese. Mr. Harlan was appointed
temporary chairman, and Dan Nettle
ton permanent chairman.
There was no enthusiasm. It was a
funeral in its melancholy. Mr. Leese's
speech was less than three minutes long
Mr. Harlan's not longer, and Nettleton
took only half a minute to accept the
chairmanship. This by the way, was
an honor not sought, and it was put up
on Nettleton by other men who did not
want it.
A committee on resolutions was ap
pointed, and was out about half an
hour considering some resolutions that
that had been previously drawn. There
was a hitch here, however, because a
minority report was handed in.
The majority report glorified the
grand old party, denounced railroad
domination, demanded the passage of
a maximumm rate bill, recommended
the appointment of a committee to pre
pare an address to the republican vot
ers, and to demand of the republican
state committee that it should call a
state convention as early as July 8th,
and if it failed to do as directed the
committee to call one at once.
The majority report was adopted.
This meeting, small in numbers
though it was, marks an epoch in Ne
braska politics. The railroad element
will not knuckle to it. Strong in the
possession of the machine, the money,
the passes and the gravel train, it will
only yield its power to superior force.
The men who have threatened to bolt if
their demands are not complied with
will stand firm for their enforcement,
and the g. o. p. in Nebraska will be
rent in twain in fact it now is.
This meeting simply accentuates and
emphasises the grand movement of the
people that has begun. This will gather
strength and win an overwhelming vic
tor'' next fall.
The narrow gauge of the Leese crowd
is the most notable thing about them.
The extent of their demands covers lo
cal rates, an early convention, no prox
ies. This is a mere moiety of what the
people demand. Like Mrs. Partington,
they propose to stop the Atlantic with
a broom. There was not a prominent
man in the crowd-who did not care
more for the party than he did for re
form with some few exceptions.
The prevailing idea was, "now be
careful boys: let's fix things
up but don't hurt the party.
Mr. Keckley made the most manly
kick of any man present. Mr. Rose
water overestimates his powers. He
hopes to swing the railroad crowd and
make everything lovely. But he at the
same time realizes more than any other
man the significance of the people's
movement which has begun.
Genuine Political Independence.
The most intense partisanship we have
seen is that exhibited by some of the
men who claim to be non-partisan.
These men hate the two old parties, and
quite justly, too. They propose to be
guided in their selection of candidates
by personal reasons. They propose to
select their men on grounds of fitness
and honesty alone, forgetting or not
asking to what old political party they
have belonged." But proposing to do
this, they at once proceed to an exhibi
tion of the most intense partisan feeling
by declaring that they will not vote for
any man who will accept a nomination
from either of the old iparties. Bitter
partisanship is manifested as much in
hatred as in love. The one is a comple
ment of the other. Applied to a party
each are equally unreasonable. They
have their orign in a wrong apprehen
sion of the nature of a political party.
It is common for men to elevate a party
into a sort of impersonal diety, to per
sonify it like a good spirit or an actual
being which is entitled to their blind
adherence and allegiance. This is the
fatal mistake which has made the peo
ple so long the blind and willing tools
of the politicians.
What is a political party in reality?
and what is the rational view we should
take of it? It is simply an agency to
carry into effect certain principles or
measures. It is an organization or in
strument formed to accomplish certain
ends. It is no more entitled to allegi
ance and blind adherence, than is a
horse, a wagon or a plow. It should be
used as an instrument to do our work
as a horse to carry our burdens or a
plow to till our soil. If it can be used
to accomplish our purpose, well and
good. If not, like a useless horse, or a
useless plow, we reject it. The idea of
an American citizen subordinating him
self to an agency which is instituted
simply to carry into effect his views and
wishes, is a sad perversion of the pro
per uses of a party. It is this very sub
ordination this blind attachment to an
intangible idea this misapprehension
of the nature and uses of a part', which
has been and is being used by the poli
ticians to control the people, to hold
the offices, to tax production, to build
up an oligarchy of wealth on the ruins
of a republic. No single thing has done
so much to enslave the voters of this na
tion as this false idea of allegiance to a
party.
To idolize a party on account of its
past achievements is nbo entirely irra
tional. The men who vrtre on the poli
tieal stage from 1800 to 1805 accom
plished a magnificent work. They did
it with the agency of the republican
party. We revere and honor those men.
We would justly bo indignant if we
were told that it was not the men of that
time that we honor, but simply the
agency they used, viz: the party. Aud
yet that is just the position blind party
allegiance drive us to. A few years af
ter the era named we fiud the men who
were using the republican party as their
agency engaged in a credit mobilier
fraud and a back salary steal. Now
must our condemnation bo visited ou
the intangible instrument or upon the
men? The party was only an agency
in each case, and as unworthy our
reverence as our condemnation. It is
right one year and wrong the next, as
the men who are using it are right or f
wrong; just as a horse driven by a good f
driver may be safe and useful, or by a
bad one may be dangerous and destruc
tive. J
A political convention is simply a
sub-agent of the party, which is itself a
tool or agent. We go into a convention j
to accomplish a certain purpose. Fail
ing to accomplish that purpose, we are
no more bound by the action of that
convention than we would bo bound to
accept a fraudulent deed for a just one.
or counterfit money from a bank in
stead of genuine. The men who teach
otherwise teach a false morality.
The men who for the past twenty
years have been preaching this doctrine
of party allegiance are the very men
who have organized the credit mobiliers
and the back salary steals. The an
the defaulting treasurers, the Bo
Tweeds, the Canada birds, the thieves.
These are the men who have alway s
cried "stick to your party."
MORAL.
Select your men. lie sure that thty are
reliable, honest, incorruptible. Having
selected such men use the best agency at
hand to elect them. But surroitT no
MAN WHO WILL NOT PLEDGE HIMsKI.l
NOT TO GO INTO A PAIiTY CAUCUS.
Something About Proxies.
In its laudable efforts to defend tin
railroad gang laudable because it is on
the railroad pay l-oll the B.& M. Jour
nal published last Tuesday what pur
ported to be the "ollioial record" of the
convention which misrepresented the
people by the nomination ofNorval.
This official record was prepared by
WaltSeelyat the request of the Journal.
In its editorial notice of the matter the
Journal says:
"It is the first time by the way that it
was ever published. The roll of that
convention icas not called except for a fcic
of the first names, and no reporter ever
got a chance to copy it."
Just so. Exactly. That has often hap
pened with official records that got into
railroad republican hands. It was
probably quite an oversight of the Jour
nal in being so frank about it. The re
port made by Mr. Seeley only partly
exonerates the. railroads; aud that's a
little strange. He might just as well have
made a complete vindication while he
was about it. But it was a brilliant
idea to fix up a record fer a convention
that never had a roll-call. The B. k
M. ought to raise your wages, Mr. Gere.
Unscrupulous Lying.
The editor of the B. if .V. Journal is
the most unscrupulous liar ever allowed
to go unmuzzled. It its issue of the i
20th he says, "J. Burrows and Head Cen- - r
ter Powers have called a conferenc e."
etc. This is a lie from whole cloth, as
these gentlemen have called no confer
ence, nor any meeting of any kind. It
then says, "The Omaha Bee charges
that the bloody railroads have engi
neered this call, and that they are high
ly delighted with the programme."
This is another unscrupulous lie. The
Bee, up to this writing, has not alluded
to the Declaration of Principles which
the Journal pleases to term a "call." If
the editor of the Journal continues to
improve in mendacious lying, he will
soon cease to be of any value as a rail
road toady, and his monthly stipend
will be cut off. Even these low-down
corporation employers expect their
tools to have the confidence of an occa
sional man or so in the community.
New Arrangements About Ship
ments of Live Stock.
The American Live Stock Commis
sion Co. has now been in existence
about one year. It is a co-operative
corporation for the purpose of selling
the lire stock of its members in the
most economic manner. The Nebraska
State Alliance, and the Kansas Alli
ance Exchange Co. are stock-holders in
the new company, aud every meniler
of the Alliance in these states is entitled
to its advantages. No tone can be a
stock-holder unless he is a bona-fide
owner of stock, and no member can
hold more than twenty-five shares.
This is a combination of the genuine
cattle owners, and should result in these
men taking control of the cattle busi
ness, and controling it in the interest of
the cattle raisers. Every Alliance
man should ship to this company, and
take a share of stock, if necessary.
The company should be made strong
enough to pack its own cattle, if that
should lxHomo necessary to break up
the monopoly of this busiues. Shares
are $','5 each.
All live stock should be shipped to
Allen Root, care of American Live
Stock Commission Co., South Omaha,
and reports of all shipments made to
State Agent Hartly, Lincoln.
Another New Alliance Paper.
No. 1, Vol. 1, of the Sherman County
llliance is ou our table. It is bright,
and its introductory shows that its ed
itor is earnest. It is the duty of Sher
man county Alliance men to support
this paper.
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