The farmers' alliance. (Lincoln, Nebraska) 1889-1892, May 31, 1890, Image 2
THE ALLIANCE. FLUSHED EYERY SATURDAY MORNING. BY TIIE iLUMICE PDBLISHIHB CO. Lincoln, - - - NeDraska. 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. Aa 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 roddy 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." EDITOPwIAL. IMPORTANT NOTICE. NEW CLUB OFFER. V TIIE A LLIANCE TILL JAN. 1st, 1801, TO CLUBS OF TEN FOR FIFTY CENTS. It is of the utmost importance that xery member of the Alliance should take this paper. The most important politi cal contest ever known in Nebraska is about to open. The Alliance is one of the important factors in this contest. The most mendacious lies about it are abroad, being printed and sent broad cast througout the country. The actual facts about it can only be known by ircading its organ. In addition to this it is the medium through which the State Agent commu nicates with the members, which makes it necessary to them in a business point of view. - To put it easily in the reach of all we offer it to Alliances in clubs of ten or more until Jan. 1st, 1801, at GOcts pejr copy. Or, five subscriptions inone order, one jrear $1.00. Or, we Will send that remarkable book, Caesar's Column (paper covers) and The Alliance one year for $1.25. We will furnish special edition of The Alliance to localities having no local organ, with one-half to one page of local matter, at extremely low special rates. These can be sent by express or mailed from this office to lists turnished, as de sired. Twine Orders. Send in your twine orders to State -Agent up to the 15th of June. We are satisfied they can be taken care of in .good shape. Gross Egotism. The editor regrets the apparent ego tism in this number of TnE Alliance. "With the governor on qne side, Rose water on the other, and Church Howe looming up in the background, the exi gencies of self defence has brought the personality of the editor too prominent ly out. We hope it will not occur again. . Church Howe and the Special Session. It is well enough for the people of Nebraska to consider whether there is not some scheme in relation to the con gressional election connected with the .special session of the legislature. The calling of this session is a hazardous bxperiment, to say the least. There is quite an even chance that it may react disastrously upon Gov. Thayer and the -wing of the republican party which he represents. At its last session its lean ings were towards the railroads. There Jire many men in it who can be easily controlled. There are some we have in our mind who have no possible chance of returning, and who will probably be "on the make" while the sun shines. The railroads elected Johnny Watson, and owned him, at the last session. They never relinquish a good tool as long as they can use it. Church Howe may have changed hi spots, but we do not believe it. To take the chances of an extra session, with the elements as they are, without consulting other state officers, and so, near the date of the election, required an "unusual amount of nerve, and wre don't believe the governor did it. In fact, to do it at all was a brave stroke of strategy, and reminds us of the stir ring days of the war. But if we suppose that Church Howe lias promised the governor to stand by " him in procuring the passage of the proposed measures, and that he has really left the railroad service, and staked his scheming talents on the con gressional die, all seems plain. When the governor said Burrows would damn him for stealing his thunder he inno cently added, "'but it is just as well, be cause he would suspect me of plotting if I agreed, with him and followed out whatever plan he woald suggest." To disclaim a sin before being accused of it has always been considered suspi cious. But w e don't suspect the gov ernor of plotting. "O no! It's Church Jlowe we suspect. He could pull the wool over the eyes of a great deal sharper man than Gov. Thayer. ? The legislature can only consider the subjects proposed by the governor. But, on the eve of adjournment another proclamation could be issued proposing other subjects. Just watch out. The next few weeks will develop some in teresting facts THE Alliance Badges. We have received a few samples of the badge which, is being made in Chi cago for the Nebraska Alliances. It is u very pretty thing, in the form of a scarf or bosom pin. Its color, is gold and red, wfeite and blue. At the top are the letters "N. F. A." in gold on the red ground. Below this is an upright sheaf in goM on wrhite ' gpouwl, and below this is plow in gok3.a blue ground. It is about half an inch wide and six eigbtfes of an inch hsug, and is a very neat and ornamented pin. Secretary Thompsan will furnish this badge to Alliances .&t the rate of $17.50 per 100. . Single samples, sent by mail, 20 cts each. - V There has beea a great call for a badge. One County Alliance ordered one thousand. We'think this pin will fill the bill. Gov. Thayer on Mr. Burrows. . Judging from the tenor of Gov. Thay er's interviews in the Omaha Bee, he has called a special session of the legis lature to suppress the unfortunate edi tor of this paper. In the Bee of the 27th he says: t "I found that the Alliance people were forwarding petitions for an extra session to my friend J. Burrows, with the request that he would deliver them to me, but that he was suppressing them. He said in effect through the last issue of his paper that he would not let them be heard, lie Avas smothering the petitions." The above is the governor's side of it. Now what are the facts? In March last we received resolutions from Phelps County Alliance, embodying a petition to Gov. Thayer, asking for a special session, and also requesting us to print said petition and send it for signa tures to all the Alliances. How did Ave "suppress" it? In our very next issue, under the caption of "A Special Ses sion of the legislature," on our editori al page, we printed a statement of the facts. We also stated that we could not take the action requested without authority from the executive committee, and gave it as our opinion that the com mittee would not sanction it. What we then said seems so appropriate now that we print it: "We should greatly dislike to have any responsibility attach to us for get ting such a legislature together. The most acceptable thing it did was to ad journ. To assemble it again would be a calami ty the people of this state need not add to their present misfortunes. The impolicy of such action is only more apparent when we consider that only a short time after any action it might take would go into effect a new legislature fresh from the people, and elected by the farmers, will assemble, and the great expense of an extra ses sion would be absolutely thrown away." If this last reason had any force the first of April, how much more has it now. The above named was the only peti tion of the kind we have received, and the suppression of it seems to have been altogether in the Governor's imagina tion. What the Governor can allude to in the last issue of our paper we do not know. There was nothing in that paper on that subject. If it should dawn on the Governor's mind that Rosewater was using him, through the agency of a skillful report er, to pound a man whom he would like to see castigated, perhaps he would let up on this obscure and innocent editor. Just imagine the last private dispatches from headquarters to the Bee inter viewer: "Say, just set the Governor at Burrows." If the Governor will just call at our sanctum and have a little chat, we will give him some interesting facts, and es pecially some valuable pointers about interyfowers. The B. & M. Journal and the Louisiana Lottery. The first paragraph' beloAV is from the Journal, and the second from the Lin coln Herald: If the state of Louisiana dishonors herself for $l,0dU,U00 a year where will the money paid by the lottery company come from? Pur chasers of lottery tickets all over the country ought to answer this little question before making further investments. A pretty good share of it will continue to come out of your readers. Just as a matter of ethics, bow much more dishonorable is it for a state to permit one lottery than fo a paper to publish the advertisements of three? Calhoun .is right. The convenient term "business" is an inadequate ex cuse for a large amount of vileness. The editor who advertises a lottery in one column and condemns it editorially in another, is a "what is it" that would form a prime novelty in any editorial menagerie These men carry the same principles into their politics, and this fact accounts for the miserable pollu tion that has made the word "politics" a stench and by-word in this country. Wo do not intend ts allow in the ad vertising or news columns of this paper anything that would be a discredit to its editorial columns. Men should be ashamed to do as "business" that which they would not individually endorse as upright and moral; and this principle should be rigidly applied in every wralk in life, - public as well as private. The editor who preaches morality and smiles before the public while he holds a hand behind him for a vile bribe, is a poor exemplar indeed. s Too Late for this Issue. We have received notices of successful Alliance meetings, one on the afternoon and evening of the 24th, of western Gos per and eastern Frontier counties, and the other on the 17th, of the Gosper Co. Alliance at Elvvood. : Both were occa sions of much interest, and members want them often repeated. The next meeting of Gosper Co. Alli ance will be held at El wood June. 7th. We also have accounts of several very successful meetings held by Pres't Pow ers, owe at Burwell Saturday and one at Brewster Monday. President Powers is winning golden opinions and doing ef - Ccient Avork Avherevcr he goes .FARMERS' ALLIANCE: LINCOLN, NEB., Mr. Rcsewater, the Farmers' Alliance and the Declaration. In the Bee of May 21 Mr. Rosewater has a column editorial under the cap tion "Look before you leap," in which he criticises the men who issued the declaration of principles and petition for a peoples' convention, and which is so ; full ot misapprehension and incor rect statements that it demands refuta tion at bur hands. The first statement of the editorial the very first sentence purporting to be a statement of fact, is absolutely wrong. It is this: "An independent peoples' state convention has been called under, the direct inspiration of the official organ of the Nebraska Farm ers' Alliance." No such convention has yet been called. As for the "inspira tion" of what has been done, the editor of this paper is only one of many w ho inspired it. What has been done is just this. A declaration of principles has been issued, and is being circulated for signatures. Appended to that dec laration is the following: We further declare that the political ma chinery in this state has been controlled by the corporate power for the plunder of the people and the enrichment of itself, and we have entirely lost confidence in the efiicacy of that machinery for the enactment of just and the repeal of unjust laws. We therefore g-ive our voice for the call of a Peoples' Independent State Convention, to nominate pure and honorable men for the different state offices on the principles named above; and we hereby pledge ourselves if pure and honorable men are so selected, to vote and work for their election. And we hereby invite all men, without re gard to past or present political affiliations, to join us in this our effort for pure govern ment, for relief from the shackles of party politics and the domination of corporate power in our public affairs. And we hereby request the Secretary of the State Fanrers'-Allianee, and the Secretary of the State Assembly of the Knights of Labor to select two men who shall fix a just ratio of represt ntation and a proper date, issue a call, obtain a hall, and make all needed ar rangements for holding said convention. It is probable that the above action may result in the peoples' convention, but-no such convention has yet been called. This inaccuracy jwrvades the whole of Mr. Rosewater's article. His next bad break is when, after wrongly as suming that Mr. Burrows was the sole author of this move, he criticises him for not appending his own or some oth er names to the document, saying that the men who fathered this "premature political bantling are not willing to let the world know who they are." This effort of Mr. Rosewater to throw dis credit upon this movement in this way is puerile and contemptible. It would be gross impudence for Mr. Burrows to assume the credit of this movement. He only claims his fair share of it. . If the lack of names to start with was a defect, it is being rapidly remedied. Two thousand signatures to the peti tion are already on file in this office, and the thirty thousand which Mr. RoseAvater told the republican bolters the other night "would make the move ment irresistible," will soon be here. Mr. Rosewater forgot that this declara tion was sent out for signatures, not with them. If the principles stated are correct, if .the facts which demand in dependent action are true, it is, as Ave said, "immaterial" who set this ball in motion. In fact it is much better that men should sign it uninfluenced by their respect or hatred for any man or set of men. The propositions are clear cut. Each man to whom they are presented can accept or reject at his pleasure. The difficulty Avith Mr. Rosewater is that he absolutely tnoics that four-fifths of the people of this state are in per fect accord with the declaration, and that an irresistible force of public senti ment Avas back of Mr. BurroAvs and the other gentlemen avIio issued it. V Mr. Rosewater says "Mr. Burrows precipitated the Nebraska Alliance into a political contest as a independent party in 1882." If Mr. Rosewater does not know that this is false, he is very ill-informed. , But note the different positions of Mr. R. then and noAV. At that time he Avas straining every nerve to gain control of the Alliance for the purpose first of building up the Bee, and second, of holding it as a club OAer the republican party to force it to com ply Avith his wishes. His purse and his paper Avere open then to promote Alli ance work. At the Hastings meeting he duplicated out of the Bee treasury the money that was raised by the meet ing. Then he Avas striving to disintc" grate the party because he Avas not at the head of it. Noav he considers the Dee in the lead, and Avhile the Alliance is animated by exactly the same princi ples, and fighting exactly the same tyrannical monopoly element, Mr. Rosewater is found arrayed against it in defense of the party which that tyr anny dominates. We quote the following gem: '.. "And why was this call for an independent state convention issued now? Why did not the skulking patriots who are afraid to father this move openly wait until after the anti monopoly republicans had held their confer ence on May 20?" "Skulking patriots" is good, from the most notorious skulker in the state, but who has never yet been accused of skulking from patriotic motives. But let it pass. We will answer the ques tion. The call of the "anti-monopoly republicans" vvas out. They Avere with out exception office-holders or office seekers. The main issues which are now agitating the people, and are more prominent in the Alliance than any other, were not touched by them. They proposed to give the state lower local rates, and to wrest the party from the corporations. . This was extremely sug gestive of one dog wresting a bone from another dog The anxiety of these gentlemen Avas for the party, and not for the people. With fewT exceptions they .were out of office, and unless they could change possession of the bono were likelv to remain so. The "skulk- ing patriots" did not see any "rainboAV ' of promise" in this call. They saw a j probable contest for a machine bone. and the only part the Alliance. Avas to play wa3 to guarantee continued pos session to Che successful dog, the vital interests and principles they were striv ing for being utterly ignored. They also saw no sign whatever of any popu lar response to that call. Well, that conference assembled. Who composed it? A few politicians, a few editors, and Mr. Rosewater. There wasn't a shadow of a response from the great plain people. . What did it talk about Some feasible method to save the party from what? railroad dom ination? No ! From destrgdion by an impending uprising bf the "people. What' did it do? Glorified the grand old partydenounced railroad domination asked for a maximum rate law. In addition to this, and to emphasize its character as a politicians' conference, it favored, the Australian ballot law, it, having discovered that the farmers were going to haA-e that law anyway. It for got that there was a money question a land question, or a transportation ques tion outside of a'localrute for Nebras ka. In short, and in other Avords, the conference didn't amount to shucks, ex cept as accentuating and emphasizing the fact that the railroad power had haled the political machinery of Ne braska to destruction, and marking the day when its dissolution began. ,'- The motives of some of these gen tlemen Avere good and unselfish. But they are swimming along in a muddy stream, and they don't see Av here they are going half so well as the man stand ing on the bank. Mr. Rosewater's allusion to Mr. Pow ers is contemptible and insulting. Mr. Powers is held up as an innocent and simple old man who is used' by other men. Nothing could be further from the truth. Mr. Powers is an honorable, high-minded, sagaciousman. He is the last man avIio could be led into any cours Avhich his judgment did not ap prove. The Declarations of Principles AA'as not submitted to him before it was issued, simply because it Avas not the official act of the Alliance, and Avas not intended to be. He Avas not "preA ailed on" to sign it. He signed it A-oluntarily, as soon as he saAv and examined it. If Mr. Rosewater thinks to gain anything by maligning men like Mr. Powers he Avili find he is mistaken by its recoil up on himself.. Mr. Rosewater says: "The Bee does not pretend to be the only friend of the farmer and producer, but it .has done more than all other agencies in tins state towards arousing anti-monopoly sentiment and defending the industrial classes against the ag gressions of monopolies and the domi nation of corporations." Well, as one of the "skulking patri ots" we are disposed to give the devil his due. But the above is not true. The Bee has followed that anti-monopo ly sentiment instead of leading it. And it has never uttered a word or advoca ted a measure in Avhich it Avas not in spired by selfish motives. It mounted the Avave of anti-monopoly agitation and built up a great business. It saAv the movement in Nebraska go appar ently into the hands of such men as Dave Butler, avIio led it into contempt and disgrace. Taking but little note of the resistless undercurrent of opinion that Avas crystalizing among the farm ers, the Bee became the organ of the gold bugs and the money power, and the silent abettor of the railroads. Here the decadence of its influence began-. Every one noticed the change in its tone. Rosewater under, the little hive Avas one man in the palace on the cor ner of 17th and Farnam he was another and altogether a different man. Once Avelcomed in the sod houses and dug outs, he is now at home in the bank parlors of Broad and Wall streets. Mr. Rosewater, posing as an advocate of the dearest rights of the people, might move men's hearts; mouthing to save a railroad machine from "an uprising of the people," he will only move men's mirth. Mr. Leese occupied a commanding position. We entreated him, almost with tears, to rise aboAe party, and put himself at the head of a great people's movement. But he has failed to do so, and has made the fatal mistake of put ting himself under the guidance of RoseAvater. It is a notable fact that every cause that Rosewater has cham pioned he has brought to disaster, and nearly every man he has supported he has brought to defeat. Democrats need have no jubilation and republicans no fears over the pros pect of tAvo republican tickets this year. No such uutoward eA ent will take place. Mr. Rosewater has assumed control and leadership of the Leese faction. He Avill flourish it as a club for a Avhile, but Avhen the proper time comes he will compromise it ou$ of - sight with the adroitness of a politician. The people can take the old machine as it is, or they can take the butt end of it after the best deal possible has been made by Rosewater with Holdredge, Gould, the B. & M; Journal, and the balance of the railroad gang. This may happen at the convention or before; but that .it will surely happen no man Avho thoroughly knows the conditions can have the least doubt. The Line Board and the Alliance. The . impression has gained ' ground in some quarters that there Avas some connection between Avhat is known as the Line Boai"d Association and the Alliance. There is none whatever. The Line Board is we believe limited to two or three counties. Multiplying so cieties tends to division. The Alliance is so far in the lead, and is so much cheaper than any other society, that we think all the farmers should adopt it. When Doctors Disagree. Senator Paddock claims that mort gages are "evidences of prosperity." The B & M. Journal is in a peck of half-bushels lest certain Avestern coun ties may round-up too many of these through seulduggery. If they are evi dences of prosperity what's the matter with the Journal? Hadn't it and Sena tor Paddock better have a concensus SATURDAY, .MAY 31, Re: ol ations of Alliance No. Six. fcs'rfred, That Ave regard the connec tion of our state official paper with an attempt to form a separate party at this time as unwise, and further that avc are opposed to such action at present. C. A. Beck. Secy. We publish the above resolution be cause we are requested' to, and because we desire to correct the gross misap prehensions under AAiiieh our friends are laboring. We concede the right of ever Alli ance or Alliance man to criticise this paper, and pronounce its course unwise if it is so considered. . But we have a right to ask that such actions should be predicated upon just grounds. We fully agree with the above Alliance that the attempt to form a new party at this time would be unwise. There are par ties enough, heaven knows. This pa per is making no attempt to form anew party. But it believes there is no party which 'has' a shadow of: a influence which voices the Avishes ofthe people .on the great issues that are now agitat ing them. The democratic party is so narrow that it can see - nothing but tar iff. The machinery of the republican party is in the hands of the corpora tions, and has been iu their hands in this state for fifteen years. A faction of that party protests against this con dition of affairs; but that faction has no prospect whatever of 'gaining control of the party, and therefore makes re lief through that party as impossible as ever. While the above is the condition of parties in this state, the people, the wealth, the producing power of the state, the officers, the public boards, are under the control and at the mercy of a graceless board of corporation conspi rators, Avho are plundering the people and the state for their own enrich ment. We have seen in the last few months the executive of this great state bend ing the supple knee to a railroad mana ger. We have seen a state board, rep resenting the power and dignity of this state, treating on equal terms with di vers railroad freight agents. The farm ers and citizens of this great state have looked on Avith disgust while their crest, representing a sovereign power, has been trailed in the slime by as vile a crew of corporation sycophants . as ever disgraced and disgusted a noble commbn wealth. Now if our friends of 811 think Ave would propose a new party as a remedy they are greatly mistaken. These outrages have been perpetrated by and through tne agency and ma chinery of political parties. What Ave do propose is that the people, for this approaching election, shall entirely shake off the shackles of party, and shall unite as one man to rescue the state government from the corporation A illains Avho have fastened upon it; that they shall look outside and above party for pure and honorable men to, admin ister their laws and inaugurate the re forms they demand. Somewhere about 1830, Avhen the rush of adventurers to the gold fields of Cali fornia Avas at its highest, the gamblers and thieves and cut-throats took pos session of the city of San Francisco. The city government Avas OA'erawed and paralyzed. The courts Avere intimi dated or prostituted. Crime stalked by day in the crowded thoroughfares, and criminals of the worst character Avere turned loose upon the community. What did the people do? Divide into factions and say, O you musn't interfere with the machinery of our courts? Did they say to each other, if you don't let the law take its course you'll paralize society. Not very much. They pro ceeded to vindicate laic in its very highest aspect, in its primary expres sion as the Avill of the honest. God-fearing portion of the people. They armed as a vigilance committee, Avith the dig nity and granduer of men loA-ing justice and hating crime; they took the bloody criminals Avho were defying society, gave them a fair' trial and hung them. They purged the city, established law, and vindicated the right. They did it calmly, Avithout excitement, Avithout a particle of license or excess. The needs' of the hour in Nebraska demand exactly such an uprising only, that their Aveapon Avas the bullet, here it may still be the ballot. The machinery of party has been used to enslave the people of this state. We say now, rise above party and purge the state. If the state is purged the parties will then be' pure. ' Men a; ho regard a part', Avhich is only a mere agency to accomplish cer tain ends, as of more importance than the ends to be accomplished, will stay by their party, and vote the straight ticket. It is exactly this class of men Avho haA-e enabled the railroad politici ans to get control of Nebraska, and tax its farmers as they are noAV doing, and it is through their agency that the hope to continue in possession. Will our friends of 811 help them? Exeunt Dave Butler. We have good warrant for saying that Dave Butler will retire from all active participation in state politics from this time on, his private affairs claiming all his attention. The Hall Meeting. Discreditable reports are going the rounds of the papers as to the doings of the - above meeting, held in Lincoln, May 21. ' This paper had no reporter present, so does not feel disposed to comment on' the matter. , It may be well to state, however, that the State Alliance had no official representative present. The Bovee Harvester. We invite attention to the advertise ment of the Boee Harvesting machin ery in this paper. We have given the harvester and loader a trial, and we are satisfied that it is the cheapest known method of harvesting. 1SS0. A SPECIAL SESSION CALLED. A Brilliant Flank Movement by Gov. Thayer. The Longest Pole Knock3 the Pcrsim rajn. The sensation of the week Avas the call ot an extra session of the legislature by Gov. Thayer, to coneno June 5th. His proclamation appeared in the pa pers Sunday morning last. The second irhereas sets forth that "matters of vital interest to the people of the state great ly agitating the public mind constitute in the judgment of the executive an ex traordinary occasion Avhich justifies the assembling of the legislature." This is certainly a very grave step. The Governor says, in an intervieAV with the Bee reporter, that he "did it volun tarily, without consulting anybody else, and the secretary of state did not knoAV anything about it until I asked him for his signature." ,To take such a grave responsibility "without consulting anybody "required considerable nerve. To manfully a vow it, and assume all the responsibility of a measure which is1 of such doubtful utility, and may result so disastrously, challenges respect, to say the least. As a political maneuver in the game Avhich has been going oh (between the politi cians of the state for the past five months to Aviu the approbation ot the people, it shoAvs a dash of military genius w hich commands our admiration. The objects to Avhich the session is limited are to enact a maximum rate law, repeal the statute creating a board of transportation; to amend the election laws by the adoption of the Australian ballot law, and give expression in favor of an increase in the volume of currency and the free coinage of silver. The battle of the politicians has been sufficiently amusing. Members of the ooard rushing to Chicago to interview the R. R. managers, and "get ahead of Thayer;" the acceptance and exploiting of a 1 cent reduction; the demand of Thayer for a still lower rate; his ener getic but fruitless appeal to General Manager Holdredge; the call of the anti monopoly republicans for a conference; and finally the governor's bold strategy in calliug for a special session to enact into laws some of the very things the Alliance demanded should be passed at its first session, but Avhich this same legislature refused. For it must not be forgotten that the state Alliance specifi cally demanded the passage of each of these measures which the goA'ernor has called a special session to enact. In this political battle Gov. Thayer held the trump card, and that he has play ed it boldly and skillfully not even liis Avorst enemy can deny. " There is not an Alliance man in then state avIjo will not be rejoiced to have these measures passed. But there are a great many Avho will doubt the ex pediency of calling an extra session at this late day to pass them, and many Avho will doubt that this legislature will en act any of these laws in a form that will be the best. But Avhatever may be the outcome it is a consolation to know that the special session will soon be fol lowed by a legislature fresh from the people, and that the laAvs of a special session may be amended as well as any other. The wisdom of this measure will be judged by its out-come. "Nothing suc ceeds like success." While it may be true, as the governor says, that many of the members will de sire re-election, and therefore will trim their sails to suit the Alliance breeze?, it must not be expected that the corpora tion lobbyists will remit their efforts to prevent a laAV adverse to their supposed interests from being passed. They may, indeed, philosophically consider that it is better to haAe a law . by this than by the next one, and so favor one the most to their liking, and then oppose its re peal .by the next legislature on the ground that it has not had a fair trial. The idea that this body can assemble and enact the three measures named by the gOA ernor in tAvo weeks Ave consider absurd. " Does the old organization hold? We do not know, but imagine it does. Johnny Watson, speaker. Church Howe president of the senate. The Avhole thing may degenerate into a roaring farce. The governor says, in his interview with the Becreporter, "Burrows, of the Alliance will of course damn me for stealing his thunder; but it is just as well, because he would suspect me of plotting if I agreed with him, and fol lowed out Avhatever plan he would sug gest." The governor Avas never more mis taken in his life. He is entirely Avel come to all of Burrows' thunder. And BurroAvs has never damned him, unless Avith "faint praise." It happens in this case that the damning for his action comes from the house of his OAvn friends, though this is not a flattering fact, as marking the character of his associa tions. But in this connection isn't the situation of Mr. Buitoavs peculiarly in structive and discouraging or encour aging, according as one looks at it to agitators and reformers. He is the one man Avho aboAe all others, with the in dispensable help of the corporations and monopolies, has brought the pres ent condition of affairs about. Against all discouragments and abuse ho has staid by the Alliance and built it up un til it has become an irresistible force iu this state. ' He is the one man vho is absolutely disinterested and aboA e any private ambition Avho would absolute ly refuse any nomination for any po sition Ahateer from any party. Now look at the attitude of the different fac tions and men towards him. The anti monopolv republicans concede the cor rectness of his. position by calling a special meeting and demanding that the corporations, let go of Nebraska politics, and that part at least of the re forms he adA-ocates should be adopted, at the same time ignoring him a? though contact would bo fatal contatnination. Church IIowo practically aci-i-pN U views on money and on railroad rates, and protests against eastern control of Nebraska roads, Avliile looking a-kai.ee at Mr. Burrows and calling him ;md hi followers "cattle." RoM-watcr giw him a column of abuse, while advocat ing the very reforms ho has pleach ! for years, and partially adopting the" repudiation of party which Mr. Bur rows adopts fully. The governor begin by threatening, in a public speech in Omaha, to put him iu jail, and wimU up. by calling" a special session of the legislature to enact into law the very measures he has been demanding, at the same time practically deploring his belie f that Burrows "will damn him for stealing his thunder." -Its enough t make a horse laugh. As to the thun der, don't have any fears, governor. You are welcome to it all, us w ell as all the honor you may covet. If you Avill extort from .that legislature a jr.. freight law, a simon pure Australian ballot law, and a memorial to eongivs--for the free and unlimited coinage silver and the issue of legal tender notes to increase our circulation to K ' per capita, we will deify your memory and plant a sprig of rue ami liveforevi-r on your grave. In addition to that. Ae will cheerfully accept as our only re Avard the obscure dishoro: Avhich all these factions would heap upon us while making a race to matcralize the reforms wo have advocated. But meanwhile, calmly surveying the Avhole field from his Avatchtowcr of independence, Bur rows may be pardoned if he smiles. The Board of Transportation. One of the objects named in the gov ernor's proclamation is to repeal the Lvw creating the board of . transporta tion. It is a notable fact that one ef the members of the board who Iws. stood firm against a reduction of lot ;il rates is an appointee of Gov. Tbay r. It is safe to suppose that Avhen the e ernor appointed Ben Cow dery secrcta ary of state, he knew who Avanted him appointed, and Avho he would sene on the board. There is no doubt whatever that the governor- could have M'cured action by the board by demanding Mr. Cowdery's resignation, and appointing a suitable man in his place. Now, avo have nothing to ny for ihU board, We' do not believe that the state regulation w ill ever be successful,, but that the linal and true solution of the problem will be found in national OAvnership and control. But it is abso lutely certain that as long as state regu lations is attempted some special ee cutive state authority will be needed to supervise and execute the state law. It is a special subject needing special at tention and study. Our constitution is grossly inadequate to this emergency. The clumsy attempt to evade it in the construction of the present board Ikh proved a disastrous failure. It should be amende, and a competent ex (Mo tive authority provided for special sub jects, and that authority should bech eT- ed directly by the people. The at tempt at state regulation will be con tinued more or less successfully, until the final solution by government owner ship shall be reached. The Granse Conference. The grange conference called by State Master O. E. Hall, met at Lincoln on the 21st, according to appointment. Thirty or forty granges and a few Alli ances were represented by some able and intelligent fanners, avIio were im pelled to come by a patriotic desire to find relief political or otherwise, from the present financial depression. But Satan came also, in the pri son of Ex-Gov. Dave Butler, who appeared to be a party to a very avc 11 organized conspiracy to capture the conference for his own personal uses. This scheme failed deplorably. The Butler resolu tions were defeated, and others adopted in their place. The Declaration of Principles and call for a Peoples' Inde pendent Convention was submitted to the members of the conference, and re ceived their approval Avith hardly a dissenting voice. District Re-Union. A District G. A. R. Re-union wiil I held at Filley, Gage county, from 1( to 19th of June, inclusive. The t trict embraces the counties of (la Jefferson, PaAvnee, Johnson and 3 maha. Filley is one of the smart and most enterprising little tOAvnj the country. Large preparations f being made to entertain the old i diers. A large attendance is expects and 120 large tents have been procure The committee of arrangements vzi sists of Messrs. Williams, Llewetl t Ramsay, Addington and Filley. Tl l names form a guarantee that arrar ments will be complete, and that re-union will be a success. Hot Shot From the Front. Skirmish Line, May Uth, lt& Comrades in the field: From continuous roar of the big guns anc? cessant rattle of the little guns of enemy, and the direction of their t ing, screaming shots, the indicat! are that they are concentrating tl force on our noble little Gattlmg (1 Alliance) at Lincoln. Let us conti; to furnish it with aximunition in Avay' of subscribers, and in Novci make a grand charge on their work; along the line, smash their Srrig.i jugs, spike their guns or turn thetl the enemy. We are trying to hit re ourselves out here on the naked plf under a murderous fire from the r roads in front and tho banks in rear. But you can count on what tit: is left of us in November. In the me; time let us strengthen our posit ii double our guards, and sleep on I arms, and victory will surely perch our banners. SKiuMisiiEtf y V t .J