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
