THE FA Hi! Kits ALLIANCE LINCOLN, XBH. THURSDAY DEC. 10. 1891.
Gfcc lamer' Alliance,
. rut in h tnrt wwHr r
TUK ALLUKCR Pr8LMlIS Co.
Oar. 11U 4 M it., Liueoln, Keb.
J. SJlIIMiaS
J.H.TKwnwi.
. . EdHor
i Hhmw
"la the tuty of the lillir
Christ tu born imw Use sea.
With a glory In hi bosom
That transfigure you and ma.
Am he strove to make men holy
Let tu strive to make thcra free,
8!mm God U marchin g on."
Julia Ward How.
Laurel crowns cleave to desert.
Al power to him who power exert.'
-X ruddy drop af manly blood
The Burring aea outweighs."
Emerson.
"Ha who cannot reason Is a fool.
Be who will not reason is a coward.
He who dare not reason is a slave."
N. 11 P. A.
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FTBLISHKD WIK1I AT
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LINCOLN, NEBRASKA.
I. BURROWS, Editor.
I. If. THOMPSON. Business
Ma'gr.
The trail Altiane Weekly aaa His Leailni
IbssissiswI Pater at the fists.
SEVEN COLUMN QUARTO.
It will always be found on the side of the
people and wholly derated U theadrooaev of
selem principles In state and nation.
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Ctll for Annual Meeting of the
Neb. Farmers' Alliance.
The next regular anneal mooting of
the Nebraska Farmers' Allianco will bo
beldia Bohanan's hall, Lincoln, Ne
braska, on Tuesday, January IS, 189!.
All Subordinate Alliances having dues
fully paid to State Alliance for quarter
enoing oepiemoer out a will be entitled
to representation, and should elect
their delegate at the first regular meet
ing ia December or as soon thereafter
as convenient.
Representation will be one delegate
for each Subordinate Alliance, who
will cast the full vote to which the
Alliance may bo entitled.
Liberal hotel rates have been secured
for delegates and reduced rates of fare
will be arranged for on all railroads.
J. H. Powers, Pres.
J. 11. TnoMrsoN, Sec'y.
A STAXDIXQ APPEAL TO BUSIXESS
MEX.
What possible harm do ysu expect
from the increase of metal money?
The use of bank paper money, which
may be expanded or contracted to suit
the interests of bankers or their asso
editions, unsettles values and deiioral-
ices business. But an increase of metal
legal tender money never did do this
and never can do it. With the history
of thirty centuries of mining before us,
we know that an excessive and injur!
oua increase of metal money ha3 never
occurred.
It stimulates production, employs
labor, puts money to spend in the hands
of your customers, increases the value
of your stock on hand; in short, in every
way Increases your business and your
wealth.
This it all irrtfutabk truth.
Then why do you oppose the free
coinage of silver, which means an in'
crease ol metal money? Give us your
reasons and wo will present them.
' The Farmers' Alliance.
It is said on the authority of Hon
David A. Wells that notice was served
om McKinleyand his republican asso
ciates by the standard Oil company
that unless their interests were taken
care of by the insertion of a clause in
the tariff bill allowing; them a "draw
back" on Imported tin plate used in the
exportation of domestic articles they
would defeat the bill. The provision
was inserted, bv which this great mo
aw poly gets its tin plato for (3.35 a box
while other consumers nave to pay
about M. ' The Standard Oil company
will realize a million and a half dol
lars a year by this discrimination. Ex.
Still we are told that the tariff is not
a tax; and that it does not add to the
cost of articles! r , .' -
0pt10x mauxq asth the butter
worts bill.
We publish la another column a cir
cular letter from Hon. AnguH Post,
erretary of the" National Farmers'
Alliance, on the subject of dealing in
futures, and the proposed bill to ciake
ao end of the evil.
The subject of option dealing; has
been so exhaustively handled, and is so
well understood by most well posted
farmers, that it would seem unneces
sary for ns to devote much space to the
subject. But congress has again as
sembled, aad as Bro. Post well says,
the boards of trade aad grain gsmblers
will be on hand with their lobbies to
protect themselves in their piratical
privilege of robbing the producers. If
this evil is to be corrected it is to be
done against the united opposition of
these boards of trade and robbing spec
ulators, and I his epposition can only be
overcome by the most persistent work
of the organized farmers through their
different societies. The department of
agriculture, with its great professions
of devotion to the interests of the
farmers, ought to make this measure its
own special businesi. It ought to adopt
the Butterworth bill as its own pet
measure, and push it to 1U passage.
But it can be depended upon not to do
it. at least not until the organized
farmers have demonstrated that they
exercise a political power at the ballot
box which is greater than that exer
cised by the speculators and boards of
trade. Uncle Jerry is a politlaian first,
and the friend of the farmers last.
The advocates of this measure have
been met at the outset with the claim
that congress had no jurisdiction in the
matter, and could not regulate the
dealings of boards of trade which con
fined their business entirely within the
bounds ef a state. This claim, in view
of the great changes of the last two de
cades, is technical. Commerce, once
supposed to be purely domestic, in
ternal, and of state concern alone, has
by reason of tha gfgantio systems rf
railway communication, reached pro
portions of such magnitude that the
general government alone can deal with
the problems arising from it to the
latisfaction of the people and the pro
ducer, whose welfare are Involved in
their correct solution.
While it is true that transactions on
(he Chicago board of trade are confined
to the borders of Illinois, it is also true
that in their immediate effects they ex
tend daily to every point between the
two oceans, and from the gulf to our
northern border, and as such they are
interstate In a higher degree than any
other kind of commerce. When a bill
is Introduced in congress looking to the
regulation of option dealing, and ex
pires with the session, its constitution
ality debated, questioned, doubted; and
when courts are annulling state legisla
tion on beef Inspection because the
power belongs to the federal govern
ment; and when both assaults are
traceable to the Influence of the small
class who benefit by option dealing and
combined beef slaughtering, we must
begin to think that the restrictions
which might havo been proper for a
country in swaddling clothes are too
limited for a nation of 63,000,000 of
freemen If indeed they are freemen.
The so-called business methods of the
last decade, that tend to enrich the few,
and humble, debase and pauperize
thousards, havo invoked the law to
enable them to reach their present
state of perfection. They must be re
formed or ended by the law, if possible.
Peaceful solutions are prayed for by all
people on every hand. But if laws are
not enacted and the problem solved by
law-makers in the interest of the agri
culturists of the country, there are
many precedents in history that furnish
complete remedy. The last argu
ment of a brave and free people is not
addressed to the three constituent
branches of the government.
It litis come to be an acknowledged
Indisputable fact, demonstrated this
fall more sharply than ever before, that
the price of grain and stock is controlled
by a factor Above the law of supply and
demand, and that farm products are
worth but a trifle above freight. The
grain and stock interests need protec
tion. The free booter is at largo, unre
strained. Is ho also unrestrainable?
Is he above law, too powerful to be
commanded, too strong to bo checked?
Must the producer sit still, and must
the vital interests of the west and the
whole country be threshed as chaff on a
barn floor, all that the option dealer and
trust promoter may flourish, become
more wealthy, ana dying leave a vast,
estate to be quarreled over by his heirs?
The tree of commerce must be pruned
of the fungus that has grown on it in the
last ten years. The option dealer and
his kindred in business methods must
be exterminated from our business
system. The statesmen of the country
must find means and jurisdiction to
accomplish tnis, or the people will had
means to ao it without them.
THE DAILY 0BSCEXITY MILLS.
Still the daily press continues to teem
with obscenity which, if it was pub
lished in book form, would bo instantly
condemned and excluded from the
mails; still the community at large sub
mits to the outrage; still the organized
Christian force j of society remain
dumb, apparently not even seeing tho
henlous and atrocious shame that is be
ing inflicted upon the community.
Anthony Comstock goes from city toJ
city, organizing war upon innocent
nudity and art creations which are sin
less, even angelic, compared with the
shameful pictures of lust which are
spread daily on our breakfast tables
and before our young sons and daugh
ters by the daily press, under the name
of news.
The recent , account of the Russell
divorce case is in point. But it ia only
ono. Every day ttery daytiio daily
press teems with articles so shocking
and disgusting ia their details that they
are absolutely unfit to go into a decent
family or to U read by decent people
Society has a right to protect Itself from
this growing evil. If there is aay taste
ao prurient as to d eta tod it, it should
not be catered to. Will respectable
editors wbe have witee and young sons
and daughters In danger of corruption.
wake npT Are the preachers asleep?
Are the churches dead to what is going
on around them? or do they prefer to
easily drift along In the swimf
It is no justification to the press to
say that it furnishes only what the peo
ple demand. The press has a duty and
a mission beyond and above that of a
mere caterer to propensities of men.
good, bad or indifferent, Ihe press
claims to be an exemplar in morals.
while in fact it is a very satanic insti
gator of iniquity. Churches, wake up
Christians, wake up!
TEE SWISS REFEREXDlrM.
What is the reason the Switzerland
method which keeps in the hands of ihe
people the means of direct legislation.
would not be a great safe guard and
improvement over our present state
and municipal government system? A
few glib-tongued, wire-pulling politi
clans would then have no power and no
means of securing power to misrepre
sent and rob the people. Laws would
be proposed by petition of at least one
sixteenth of the people, and the -people
would by popular vote ratify or reject
each proposed law. Under such a peo
ple's government monopolies could not
be formed, special privileges could not
be secured, and the laws which now
shelter robber monopolies could be re
pealed. In municipalities like Lincoln
we should have, as they have in Ber n,,a
municipal bank to put an end to the
usury ot private banks; we should keep
public services, such as the' electric
street railways, street lighting, city
water supply, etc., in our own hands
for the equal good of all. We should
have all public servants under our im
mediate control. We should each have
an interest in and direct power in secur
ing this general prosperity. The peo
ple's interests would be bound up to
gether and each intelligent voter could
secure equal privileges and justice for
himself. Until the private citizen takes
the trouble and makes for himself a
way to care for his interests with his
ballot we shall have what we now
have a city government generally
dominated by saloons and brothels.
SPECIAL RATES FOR THE AXXUAL
MEETING OF STATE ALLIAXCE.
The Trans-Missouri Passenger asso
ciation has made a special rate of one
and one-third fare for delegates to the
State Alliance annual meeting from all
points in Nebraska and association
points in Iowa, on tht certificate plan.
Delegates will obtain receipts (certifi
cates) at point of starting, and at points
of transfer where tickets have to be
bought. These certificates, on being
countersigned by the state secretary,
will entitle their holders to a return
ticket at ore-third fare.
The roads embraced in this arrange
ment are as follows:
B. & M. in Nebraska; CR. I. &
Paclfio; C., St. P. M. & Omaha; T. E. &
M V.; Sioux. City & Pacific; Missouri
Pacific and U. P. System.
Wesre gratified to be able to an
nounce this arrangoment thus early, as
all delegates will be informed on the
matter. State papers will confer a
favor upon officers of the State Alliance
and delegates by making the above
Announcement.
TO H0X. E. R0SEWATER.
Sir : la the Bee of the 8th inst. you
complain of the personal character of
my reply to your late challenge to me to
discuss with you the reforms proposed
by the independent party. Your com
plaint is a just one. The reply was al
most purely personal in its character,
and did not rise abovo a very ordinary,
not to say low, level of excellence.
When it was written I was so .dissatis
fied with it that I came near consigning
it to the waste basket. Bntyou must re
member that it was a reply, and that I
was necessarily hampered by the limita
tions of tho letter to which I was re
sponding. That letter was almost en
tirely personal to yourself. Should our
dobate proceed I trust these embarrass
ing limitations will disappear.
You proceed in your letter of the 8th
to inject matters purely personal to
yourself. What has the fact that you
was Invited to address the New York
Electric Club, or that you have long fa
vored a postal telegraph, to do with a
discussion on the free coinage of silver?
Can you not see that every time you in
ject this foreign personal matter into
this discussion you justify my caution in
regard te placing myself in a position
where I would be compelled to publish
autobiographical sketches or egotistical
personal apotheoses?
You complain in your last letter of my
proposal to publish only such parts of
your articles as I might deem of value
to my readers, at the same time that you
fail to publish my reply to your chal
lenge. I published your challenge and
my reply in full, side by side, and I sub
mit that until you publish my reply in
full you are estopped from objection to
my reservation as to wrat I will publish.
But in relation U. this matter I will say
that I will publish every part of your
articles, either of fact or argument, that
fairly relates to the subject, and only
reserve the right to reject that which is
foreign to It. In this I grant you the
same right Now with this simple reser
vation, to which it seems to me you lave
do reasonable cause to object I repeat
that I am not only willing but anxious
to discuss the issues with you.
To yourself lam willing now and here
to render a glowing tribute that may
suffice for the whole series of letters.
should you conclude to go forward with
the discussion proposed. You have long
been the best abused man in Nebraska
It is only of late thai I can claim even
second place in this respect. Your abil
ity is of the very highest order, and your
btialsew achievement, considering your
disadvantages, have been brilliant. You
are so little accustomed to reoeive any
marks of respect or esteem that I fear
you may coosider soy compliment from
me a mockery of your established cha
racter or ao insult to your understand
log. I beg you to believe, however, that
the above encomiom' is sincere. But
here I must pause, aad leave the illus
tration of your virtues to other hands.
With the disadvantage of small sta
ture, a despised nationality, aad pover
ty as well of education as of purse, you
gained an eminent position as editor of
a "great western daily," and as a tri
bune of the people against the encroach
meets of the corporations. The em
ineace of this station must have given
you a commanding prospect of your
duty. The road which led to the high
est honor was open to you. You could
not lose it by mistake. The only in
fere nee . remaining is that you aban
doned it by design. Consider tho char
acter of an independent champion of
the God given rights of a free people,
as compared with the leader of a faction
or the apologist for a corporation.
Imagine for a moment what you was
and might have been, and then reflect
what you are. While you may not re
gret the virtues which compel respect,
you may see with anguish how much
real importance and authority you have
lost.
Well, the above is not the language
of panegyric which I set out to use. If
I have failed you must attribute it more
to the stubborn facts of history than to
my inclination.
To induce you to go forward with the
discussion yo'i have proposed, I now
suggest that all future letters or articles
be absolutely," unadorned by any per
sonalities whatever, either transitive or
intransitive, and pledge myself to abide
by this proposition if you set the ex
ample. J. Burrows.
THE WEEKLY WITXESS AXD THE
ALLIANCE.
A friend has sent us an editorial clip
ped from the Wetily Witness, criticising
the Farmers Alliance for alleged incon
sistency in several particulars, among
them its position in favor of free coin
age of silver.
We don't know much about the Wit
ness; but we are simply amazed that
any paper or editor could be so utterly
Ignorant on money and coinage, as the
clipping proves the Witness to be.
Says that paper:
"Here If the Nebraska Alliance, for in
stance, which alter having secured the en
actment or vigorous laws anal tut trusts is
trying to organize a blgor trust than the
country has ever yet seen a combination to
ooitrol the wheat crop and force up the price
to a fancy figure."
We quote the above simply to say to
the intmtss that it is mistaken as to the
fact. There is no attempt being made
by the Nebraska Farmers' Alliance to
form any trust or combination what
ever. We now quote wat it says about free
coinage-.
"But there is a still more extraordinary
piece of Inconsistency of the Alliance, and
that Is its support of the free silver ooinngo
agitation. That the agitation was begun and
Is still fomented chiefly by the owners of sil
ver mines, InortuXR T0 compel thvcochtry
TO PDRCBASS THS WnOLE l'KUCUCT OF THRIR
MINCS AT ABOUT FORTT PCR CENT MORE THAU
is rial valci. It is esc of the tnost impu
dent demandp which has ever been presented
by a combination of wealthy monopolists.
Yet the Alliance supports tbis demand with
aa much zoal as If the farmers were going to
gain forty per oont on the whele output of the
silver mines instead or havi.nq to work
RARUEIt TO PAY THE Dlf TERENCE IN SHAPE Of
TAXES."
It is rare indeed that any paper dis
plays such dense ignorance of basic
principles as is shown by the above. At
the present time the government is sup
posed to be purchasing 4,500,000 ounces
of silver per month, for which it is issu
ing certificates payable in gold or silver
coin, at the option of the treasury. The
certificates are really paid in gold coin,
and may be used to drain the treasury
of its gold. If that gold was obtained
by taxation, as it was, then ihe present
system of buying and storing silver
bullion is a burden on tho tax payers.
Now what would be the fact under
free coinage? Why, the owner of bul
lion wsuld take his bullion to the mint
and it would be coined into dollars and
tho dollars would be returned to him
His bullion would be simply changed
into money. He would not sell it, nor
would the government buy it. There
would be no buying or selling in the
matter, and not a farthing's worth of
taxation involved. This is all there is
in that matter. Under free coinage all
silver would be potentially (money at
tho same valuation fixed by law, as all
gold is now potentially nnncy,) sim
ply because any citizen can take his
gold to the mint and have it coined into
money.
The Witness goes on to propose that
we should have free coinage of silver
" at its actual value," meaning we sup
pose its market value at the time free
coinage was restored. It is necessary
to have an unchanging denominational
value for our coinage. ' The proposition
that coinage should be made to conform
to uuctuations in market value of a
metal is absurd. It is also necessary
thai the bullion value of our coins
should be such that there would be no
margin of profit iu exporting them and
recoining them in some other country.
The value fixed to silver by the gov
eminent on its restoration to freo coin
age will fix the value of silver in the
Liverpool market, and the markets of
the world. Demonetization lessened
its value. Remonotization would at
once restore it.
The Witness Is not so ignorant as it
seems. But its advocacy of a bad cause
necessitates its adoption of false and
untenable positions.
rg-tion. John Seitz, tho peoples
candidate for governor of Ohio, has
written an able and encouraging letter
on the situation to the Cincinnati Daily
Post. He says "let no friend be dis
couraged. Good seed has been sown in
Ohio that will bear golden fruit."
DIRECT TAXATI0X.
A eoutnunk-atioo clipped from the
National Triluiu, on the subject rf
direct t nation, has been sent to us
with a request that we reply to the
same. The writer states that in case
the government should resort to direct
taxation, the tax would have to be a
poll tax collected from each citiaen
alike, "because the constitution pre
scribes that direct taxes shall be levied
per capita on the population of the
several states according to the next
presiding census." On this wrong
premise the writer builds a fearful
superstructure of taxation.
Now the simple fact is, that under
the provisions of the United States con
stitution, direct taxes would be appor
tioned among the States in proportion
to their tax-paying population. .The
states would then collect the taxes in
the same manner they collected their
municipal, county and state taxes under
their existing consitutions. This would
be a property tax, as it Is now. We
are decidedly in favor of direct taxation.
It would bring tte burden of govern
ment directly home to every tax-payer,
and would induce closer personal in
spection into government affairs, and
fix personal responsibility.
The Xational Tribune must be a very
badly informed paper, to allow cuch
statements to go uncontradicted.
MISSOURI RIPER IMPR0VEMEXT
C0XVEATI0X.
The call for the coming river conven
tion to be held in Kansas City, on Dec.
15 and 16, has been extended to em
brace all river towns and cities without
reference io size. The committee takes
the view that all such communities are
directly interested in the plans for the
systematic improvement of the river.
ihe committee especially desire that
these towns send representatives to the
convention. There are many questions
pertaining to the character of the min
eral deposits, farm and forest products
adjacent to these places that need
ventilation. Nobody can tell the story
as some one from the affected district.
It is hoped therefore that a large at
tendance will be on hand from the line
of the river. Don't forzet the date.
December 15 and 10, and also keep in
mind the immense importance to uou of
the proposed improvement.
X0F00L, BUT ACTS LIKE 0XE.
In the report of an interview with
Col. Bob Ingersoll, puLlished In the
Rochester (N. Y.) Union, he is credited
with saying:
I believe in protecting what are
called infant industries, but after these
"infants get to be six feet high and
wear No. 18 boots, it is about time to
stop rocking the cradie, especially when
the "infant" swears that if you stop
rocking he will get out of the cradle
and kick your head off.
It's about time Bob quit training with
a party that not only believes in rock
ing the cradle but fries the "fat" out of
these six-foot "infants" and uses it in
"blocks-of-five" operations. Bob is no
fool, but he acts like onel
THE MEMORIAL FOR THE BUTTER-
WORTH BILL. '
We publish this week a memorial to
congress in favor of the passage of the
Butterworth bill, or opposed to the
selling of futures or opticn dealing.
This memorial can be cut out and
pasted on the top of a sheet of foolscap
for signatures. It should receive 100,-
000 signers in the next six weeks.
Farmers, if you wish now to do some
thing for yourselves, circulate this peti
tion. W e will furnish blank petitions
printed on cap paper, to our subscribers
free of charge.
Read the editorial and Mr. Post's
article on this subject in this number.
"The Comisg Climax in the Desti
nies of America," by Lester C Hub
bard. 480 pages, paper covers. Chas
H Kerr, publishers. Price 50 cents.
The above is the title of a new book
by the patriotic and talented editor of
The Farmers' Voice.
This book is fresh from the press, and
we have had only time to cursorily
glance through its pages. But the name
of iU gifted author is a sufficient guar
antee of its excellence. Every farmer,
and every member of the people's party
will want to read this book. We shall
make some extracts from it in the near
future. For sale at this office, or sent as
a premium with The Farmers' Alli
ance. The Alliance one year and the
book $1 35.
THE XEW SPEAKER.
Chas. F. Crisp, of Georgia, was elected
speaker of the house of representatives
last Monday. It is said that Mr. Crisp
favors free coinage ol silver-, so it is to
be hoped the friends of that measure
will have a fair show on the commit
tees. As one result of Mr. Crisp's elec
tion the possibility of passing a free
coinage bill over the president's veto is
being discussed.
0XE HUXDRED DOLLAR WAGER
OFFERED.
The Bee says that Congressman B. H.
Clover, of Kansas, wrote to the Hart
ford Insuranco Co , which holds a
mortgage on his form, as follows: "I
don't expect to ever have to pay that
mortgage. The legislature will relieve
me of it." Now we offer to wager the
editor of the Bet one hundred dollars
that Mr. Clover never wroto any such
thing.
t"The Hamilton county Register
akssome leading questions: "When
the Creator stored the earth with coal
do you think He intended it for a few
families to get the principal part of the
benefits? When He created vast re
servoirs of light-giving oil was it His
will that it should be the means of
making n intelligent nation pay tribute
forever to the Standard Oil company?
Whon He gives us a bounteous crop
would it think you, be the will of an all
good divinity to have the gamblers,
parasites and corporation? monopolize
three fourths ot the profits?
THE A REX A FOR DECEMBER.
Tub Akesa Magar.ine for December
is oa ear table. The table of contents Is
not only ef a very high order, but em
braces a range of literary excellence and
scholarship that la seldom achieved in
one number of a monthly periodical.
" New Discoveries in the Heavens," by
Camilla Flammarion, is an entertaining
resume of much astronomical lore, min
gled with daring speculations as to the
future of that fascinating science It is
not generally known that a prize of one
hundred thousand fraacs is bequeathed
u the Institute of France to be awarded
to the person, no matter of what coun
try, who finds, within ten years, a means
of communicating with any star, plane
tary or otherwise, and receives a re
sponse therefrom. "The I'KKNOWM of
yesterday is often the reality of to-day."
"The Woes of the New York Working
Girl," by Edgar Fawcett; " Qualification
of the Elective Franchise," by Robert
Henry Williams, and a story by that
popular young author, Hamlin Garland,
are also attractive features of this No.
We send The Arena Portfolio, price
14.00, The Arena one year, prico 15 00,
and Ihe Alliance one year, all for the
unexampled low sum of Five Dollars
and Twentt Cents. Address, Alli
ance Publishing Co., Lincoln, Neb.
THEALLIAXCE BREAKIXQ UP.
Nebraska has organized 54 new Alli
ances since July, and is chartering new
ones every day; Texas organized 52
between Nov. 1st and 15th. Iowa char
tered 351 new Alliances within three
months, and Iudiana 200. Kansas
gained 20,000 new members since Janu
ary, and California has made quite as
great an increase. Pennsylvania has
gained 10,000 new members this year,
Alabama chartered 81 new Alliances
since Aug. 15, Virginia 300 since Jan.,
and Wisconsin 500 in the same time.
The Xew Xation, commenting on these
facts, says if this is the way the Alliance
is " breaking up," there is' a fair pros
pect for a hrst-class funeral out west
and in the south, and the democrats
and republicans will be interested, we
fancy, in the ceremonies.
W0MAX SUFFRAGE IX THE UXITED
STATES C0XSTITUTI0X.
There is a very entertaining article in
The Arena for December, entitled " Citi
zenship and Suffrage; the Yarbrough
Decision," by Francis Minor:
The strategic point of this article lies
in the proposition that woman suffrage
is sanctioned by the constitution of the
United States, and that the fact that the
constitution is not self enforcing is the
only obstacle to the actual establish
ment of it. This is no new claim; but
thereisar.ew decision of the United
States supreme court which gives it ad
ditional sanction, In the Yarboiough
case, decided in 1885, (110 U. S ) the
court held that the right of federal suf
frage exists, and is conferred by the
constitution of the United States. The
clause by which this right is conferred
is as follows: j
" The House of Representatives shall
be composed qf members chosen every
second year bv the people of the several
states; and tha electors in each state
shall have the qualifications requisite
for electors of the most numerous
branch of the legislature." Art. I, Sec. 2.
The claim that "the people," consist
equally of women as well as men seems
to be a tenable claim;' and it seems to
be within the power of congress, under
this clause of the constitution, to pass
a law defining the clause in favor of
woman suffrage in federal matter. It
seems to us that this is the proper field
of effort for the wowan suffragists. Of
course efforts to secure municipal suf
srage should not be remitted. With
these two redans captured the whole
fortress would soon be theirs.
The following would be the proper
form of a congressional law on the sub
ject: Be it enacted by tho Senate and House
of Representatives of the United States
in Congress assembled: '
Sec. 1. At all elections hereafter held
in the several states of this Union for
members of the House of Representa
tives, the right of citizens of the United
States of either sex, above tho age of
twenty-one years, to register and to
vote for such representatives, shall not
be denied or abridged by the United
States, or by any state, on accoust of
sex.
We hope the ladies will move upon
congress all along the line. If there
is any hoary headed wrong we long to
see redressed before we lay down our
weapons, it is this gross wrong of de
nying the right of suffrage to tho be3t,
most moral and most intelligent por
tion of the people, viz: the women.
IXGERSOLL'S PHILAXTHROPISTS.
Col. Ingersoll furnishes pen-sketches
of three "philanthropists" in the De
cember Xorih American Review, pictures
faithful to life and of fascinating inter
est. We reproduce in outline.
Mr. A obtained control of five hun
dred poor people by paying a tax into
the king's treasury. Assisted by soldiers
he took them to his plantation, com
pelled them to work "only twelve to
fourteen hours a day," fed and clothed
thorn, and kept their earnings. By
keeping them always at work they did
not interfere with each other, or waste
time, they were Lot allowed to use
stimulants or profcne language, and
they were taught to be respectful and
obedient to their masters and to accept
the position in which Providence had
placed them without complaining. A
averred that these people had no indi
vidual rights, that "well-being is the
only good," and that having bettered
their condition he was a benefactor of
the race. He amassed wealth by their
unpaid labor, built churches with a
part ef.it, and upon his tomb was
written:
HE WAS THE l'ROVIDENCK OK THE POOR.
Mr. B did not believe in slavery and
denounced A u:-sparingly, calling his
philanthropy a sham and ft cover for
his money -making passion. B was loud
la his praises of freedom. He employed
ten times as many men as A, but
affirmed that his nea were not foired
to work for him. They could work for
him or leave. He believed ia "the free
Interplay of forces," holding that the
laborer has the right to sell his labor ia
the highest market, and the employer to
buy where he can buy the cheapest
Some said the poor were not free and
that B took advantage ' ot their necessi
ties. But he replied that be did not
make them poor aad was not responsi
ble. He found them poor and gave
them the same wages others would
work for. He said that the market
price of the article fixed the price of
labor, and he had nothing to do with it.
But he reasoned that if poverty and
suffering were removed from the world
it would destroy sympathy and gene
losity. Many of his workmen had
large families, and therefore but . little
to eat. They lived in crowded tene
ments and as a result many of tlje
children and some of the parents were
carried off by disease. But B held that
whenever it pleased Providence to re
move a child or one of the parents he
was not responsible. There were more
people in the world than there was a
place for, and the great law of supply
and demand was of divine origin and it
must, he beld, settle the questions of
work, wages and existence.
Mr. B did not bare to care for his old
worn-out workmen and made a vastly
larger fortuHe than A. He also felt
that he was one of God's stewards,
raised up to givo employment to many
thousands, and he regretted that he
could do no more for his laborers with
out lessening his own profits, or rather,
without lessening his fund for the bless
ing of mankind the blessing to begin
immediately after his death.' It was for
him to amass as much as possible while
he lived, so he beught such legislation
as he needed to help him and died in a
palace. And over his dust was in
scribed: HE LIVED FOR OTHERS.
Mr. C also had tho genius for combi
nation. He understood the usej of
capital and the value of labor; knew
exactly how much could be done with
machinery; understood the economy of
tilings; knew how to do everything in
the easiest and shortest way. He was
a manufacturer employing many thous
ands of men and women, but be would
not take their labor without giving
them a full equivalent. He would not
use his superior intelligence to gain an
advantage over his co-workers, believ
ing it would be robbery to do so. He
would not take advantage of their
necessities. He declared we should
not ask a drowning man a greater price
for lumber than we would if he stood
upon the shore. He insisted that honest
men do not take advantage of their
fellows.
Other manufacturers thought C in
sane. But at the end of the first year
the profit of his business was large, and
he divided it all up with his workmen.
This he continued to do, not being will
ing to keep what others' labor had pro
duced. Being just he did not need to
be generous, and upon his monument
was written:
HE ALLOWED OTHERS TO LIVE FOR
THEMSELVES.
THE CEXTURl MAGAZIXE.
We are not disposed to criticise the
literary merits of the Century Magazine,
nor deny the value of its historical con
tributions to our current literature. But
the people have a right to expect in the
editorial department of such a publica
tion at least some degree of impartiality
in the treatment of economic and politi
cal questions. In the case of this maga
zine this expectation would not be real
ized. It has latterly been publishing a
series of editorials on the money ques
tion. For ignorance of basic princi pies,
for distorted and false statement of his
toric facts, and for the most unfair treat
ment of the money reformers, these ar
ticles could not be excelled by the most
ignorant and prejudiced partisan sheet
in the country, With its enormous cir-
culation the Century is no doubt a valu
b!e instrument of the money power in ,
misinforming, the public mind on the
money question; and we cannot conceive
of any motive strong enough to induce
a first class magazine to so prostitute its
pages except the one of large pecuniary
profit. We believe it is a subsidized tool
of the money power, and we therefore
advise our readers to do without it. The
Arena i3 publishing a higher class of
articles and discussing current issues
fairly and impartially. It is the maga
zine for the people, and can be obtained
through this office.
Whenever in the past any of the inde
pendents gave the mortgage indebted
ness of Kansas as $05,000,000, old party
calamity makers called them Calamity
howlers; but who is this Superintendent
Porter, and what are his figures? He
is one whom the G. O. P. is proud to
class among the elect, and his figures
are $235,000,000. Does any one eat
crow at this season of the year? Great
West.
Alliance Meetings.
' Preside it Powers of the State Alliance
will hold meetings in Lincoln county
from the 17th to the 23d of this month.
The secretary of the County Alliance,
Bro. Newell Bennett, will notify Alli
ances of when meeting will be held. Ii
is hoped that the Alliances in neighbor
hoods where meetings are held will
unite in joint session where possible,
in order that successful and profitable
meetings may be had.
t5T Tho Shelby Sun deserves special
mention and welcome. It got into the
field late, but in the closing weeks of
the campaign it did grand work and
assisted not a little in rolling up the
handsome majority for Edgerton in
Polk countv. We trust the indepen
dents of Polk will rally to its support.
There are 73 Alliance men in the
Kentucky legislature, a majority ot 13
over all.