1
9
THE ALLIANCE - INDEPENDENT.
SOME COMMENTS-
The Kearney convention was a great
M affair. It was great in numbers, en-
, I thusiasm and practical wisdom. The
' convention was pervaded by a spirit of
'; devotion to the cause in the presence
, of which treachery shrunk away, dis
cord hushed its noisy clamor, and old
vparty cappers stood silent.
y A FAIR DEAL.
- We do not believe there ever was a
slate convention held in Nebraska with
less log rolling and wire pulling than
there was at Kearney. There was very
little effort at combination among tho
friends of the candidates. The con
vention did one thing at a time, and
did it well. As a result, the ticket is
fairly representative; fairly distributed
"over the state and fairly satisfactory.
DISTRIBUTION OF CANDIDATE'S.
The independents all believe in "just
distribution" and they "hewed to the
line" fairly well in the distribution of
positions. Van Wyck and Wolfe live
in the first, Strickler in the second,
Gunnett in the fourth, McReynoMs in
the fifth and Shrader, Easterling and
Hyatt in the sixth. The third was left
out in the cold. They made their fight
f for Hatfield for treasurer and lost by a
" scratch. But it is loyal territory and
will roll up a big majority for the
I ticket. The big sixth has been neglect-
I ed heretofore, but now it is decidedly
I in the swim. It will roll up majorities
I to correspond with its recognition.
I ,.. DISREPUTABLE METHODS.
1 It is to the credit of General Van
Wjck and his friends that they paid
very little attention to the disreputable
means employed to defeat the old war
horse's nomination. Thousands of
copies of the most disreputable sheet
ever published in the state were scat
tered on the streets and in the hotels
at Kearney. In the middle of the night
hundreds of flaming posters were post
ed cn the bulletin boards and sidewalks
Of the city. Circulars were printed in
w the office of a republicsn paper, and
sowed broadcast. A few men who were
v not delegates assisted by republican
J strikers and shouters tried by., ever v
means to stir up dissension, create sus
; picion. and pave the way for a split in
the convention. Buta l these efforts
' wore in vaio. In fact they creat d a
k deep disgust in the mieds of the sensi
tf ble, earnest mes, who composed that
convention, which re-acted in General
" Vau Wyck's favor.
It to the credit of General Van
Wyck's friends that they had no words
i of abuse for any other candidate. They
cheerfully acknowledged the worth atd
I merit of other candidates. They sim
,Oj)ly i'elied on the strength of their can
didate, and the good senss oi tne aeie-
and they made no
i
"
mistake.
4
Disreputable methods and the rule
or ruin policy received such a crushing
rebuke that they will revfi appear
T Hn another People's convention in No-
Yiska. The independent party in Ne
raska has passed a great or sis. The
-w&sdorn and loyalty of the plain people
who compose it have been tested and
found sufficient. The era of dictator
ship, of blighting suspicion, is past.
. The eraof lraternity, of mutual confi
dence and harmonious co operation has
' begun. Every true man will fall into
line and a grand and substantial v'cto-
ry will be achieved as a result of this
campaign.
? A strong pressure was brought to
.preceding the convention to induce
. niin to become a candidate for governor
" but he steadfastly refused. When the
halloticir began ho was ab.entfrcm
thci pavilion. But as soon as notified
iat his name was being used ho
astened into tho convention, mounted
t a chair and protested ngainst the fur-
I ther use oi nis name, saying inai ne
fjvasfor.Van Wyck. Notwithstanding
ibis a number of delegates persisted in
the man of his choice and ho could not
be pursuaded to bo guilty of such an
act.
When nominations ior lieutenant gov
ernor were called for, Hon. I. D Cham
bet Iain's name was presented, but a
msmber of his delegation said he was
authorized to withdraw it. This led to
quite an altercation in which several
took part, some claiming that he would
accept and others dec'aring that he did
not wish his name used. Notwith
standing this he received quito a large
vote. Mr. Chamberlain's course is
taken as an indication that ho and his
friends are looking forward to a con
vention . which meets at Seward Au
gust 11th.
KEM'S RENOMINATION.
had been a foregone conclusion for many
months. But tho absolute unanimity
ane the genuine enthusiasm with which
the convention chose .him were most
gratifying. Mr. Kem made two excel
lent speeches at the convention, one at
the court house and the other at the
tent. It was the general remark of the
hearers that he had improved as a
speaktr and thinker during his service
at Washington. Reports from all parts
of the district are favorable for his re
election by increased majorities over
thoso of two years ago. He will make
a thorough and rigorous campaign un
der tho management of Hon. J. H. Ed
minsten of Eddyville who was made
chairman of the congressional com
mittee. WHAT HE WILL DO.
General Van Wyck was called out
after his nomination, but he did not un
dertake to make a speech. He returned
thanks in most appropriate words
which impressed his heaters wi'h the
depth and sincerity of his gratitude.
He said no independent of Nebraska
stood more squarely on the platforms
adopted at St. Louis and Omaha than
he did. He said somebody had inquired
of him if ho would sign the Newberry
Bill if ho were goyernor and it were
passed. He said he certainly would
and he would say more: He would sign
any bill passed by xhe representatives
of his party. He did not think it was
the duty of the governor to legislate.
JOHN H. POWERS.
When John H. Powers mounted the
rostrum a deep silence prevailed.
When he said he would withdraw his
name in the interest of harmony a
storm of applause broke forth. And it
broke forth again and strpnger still
when he was unanimously nominated
for auditor. His declination caused
mrch disappointment, but still no one
felt disposed to censure Mr. Powers for
his action was entirely consistent. He
has a deep hold on the confidence and
affection of the people.
W. L. GREEN.
The ablest and most eloquent orator
in Nebraska lives in Kearney. No one
who attended the convention will ever
foi'get his grand speech, lie is thor
oughly familiar with the issues, and he
presents them with a force clearness
that is unsurpassable. He is both a
natural and a trained orator. He
promised tho delegates tbat he would
visit every part of the state during the
camprign and would be glad to
meet any champion the opposition
might put up.
KEARNEY.
Last week Kearney earned a good
reputation as a convention city. ' The
immense crowd was well taken care of,
and the visitors were handsomely
treated. The citizens seemed to vie
with one another in their readiness to
look after the comfort and enjoyment
.f visitors.
Kearney is one of the most beautiful
and enterprising cities in the west.
She has a population of 10.000, three
railroads, plenty of churches and
schools, an oatmeal factory, a plow
factory, a canning fac'ory, a woolen
factory and last and greatest of all the
wonderful cotton mil1. This is now
finished and in actual opeiation. Tho
attendants on the convention carried
away as mom en toes thousacds of badges
made of cotton goods from this mill.
Tho c'.ty of K arney is beautifully loca
ted in the Platte valley about midway
between tho eastern and western
borders of the state, and just half-way
farming country, settled by as enter
prising and industrious farmers as can
be found anywhere, and to them Kear
ney owes much of her success.
Buffalo county, of which Kearney is
tho county 6tat, is one of tho banner
counties in the independent movement.
The old anti-monopoly movement was
strong there. Tho county allianco in
that county was among tho first to de
clare for independent political action.
In 1890, the new party carried tho
county by a hrge majority for tho
whole ticket. In 1891 they elected
every county officer .but two by good
majorities. Now they are in better
shape than ever. Mr. Easterling, our
candidate for secretary of state is a
resident of Kearney and is universally
popular. Hundreds of democrats and
republicans in Buffalo county will voto
for him.
PERSONAL MENTION.
.
Mr. G. H. Whittaker, one of the
leading real estate men of Kearney,
was chairman of tho press committee.
He looked after tho independent edit
ors and treated tbem handsomely.
Mr. S. S. Smith of the Kearney
Standard probably did as much as any
other man to make" fho convention a
success. It was largely through his
efforts that the great tent was secured.
Without it the 5,000 people present
would have stood no show to '. see or
hear anything in connection with the
convention.
Judge Allen is by all odds the best
presiding officer that has yet come to
the front among the independents. Ho
gave perfect satisfaction
Mr. B. S. Littlefield makes a capital
secretary. His voice is good, and he
does business in a business like way.
H. G. Stewart was chairman of the
congressional convention and filled tho
place to the satisfaction of all.
Captain Ashby of Beatrice took an ac
tivo part in the convent ion,' and his
points were well taken.
No man in the convention exerted a
stronger influence than W. L. Greene
of Kearney. He is a coming man.
O. E. Goodell of Lancaster was
amongst the foremost men of the con
vention. J
J. M. Kinney of Omaha showed him
self to be a natural orator in a short
speech against the state militia.
Charley Pirtlo was unanimously elec
ted secretary of the state committee, a
deserved mark of confidence and a
vindication of a worthy and faithful
young man against tho vile slanders
which have been heaped on him.
Ye editor was there and took it all
in. He met many hundreds of old ac
quaintances. Tho hearty hand-shakes
and the warm words of approval and
encouragement which he received
from them were most grateful to him.
They showed that the voice of
slander has not shaken the confidence
of the people.
Frank Hibberd of Douglas county
deserves special mention. He did
some great work for his political hero,
General Van Wyck.
Capt. Hatfield of Antelopo gave our
own Wolfe a close race for state treas
urer. Mr. H. is one of the best men in
state, and has a host of friends.
Hon. W. F. Wright was one of the
good and true men whom lightning
did not strike, but he has the respect
and confidence of the people to a, high
degree. He has done as much to build
up this movement as any man in the
sta'c, and he will be in the fight as
long as anybody else. '
Col. E. A. Fletcher of Franklin was
a strong candidate for the place of at
torney general, and he would have
been a good ones
Mr Strickler is absent on a tour
thrcugh the west with General
Weaver. So soon as we can ascertain
his pedigree wo will give our readers
the benefit of it. Meaawhilo we want
to say that he is a mighty big little
man, a fighter and a winner.
Harmony is good but it is not to be
seen to any alarming extent in the re
publican party of Nebraska just now.
Congress adjourned at midnight
August o. A review of what it has
dQDQJvpnlfjPPUrtY n ,v rrv email cmrA
STILL PALLING.
We have frequently called attention
to the fact that the immediate cause of
financial depression business 'stag
nation and hard times which have pre
vailed in this country for years Is a long
continued falling of prices..
Every week the roa Jcrs of tho daily
press are regaled with trado reports
under glaring head lines telling of "in
ireased business activity", "trado im
proving," etc. But he who reads caro
fully will find in almost every such re
port the fatal admission that prices are
still falling.
In K. G. Dunn & Co's report for last
week we und the following:
' Tho volume of trade in July is fully
15 per cent larger than last year, and
greater than in any previous year, in
spite of a decline of 5 ptr cent in prices
since a year ago" .
This to hilt, a VAnoHlinn rt iVtn liiafvt-n
of previous years. The effect of this
long-continued falling in prices is as
follows: lsl; Business of all kinds is
depressed. Tho profits of dcalors must
be sacrificed because the prices of goods
fall while in their hands. Men who
havo money avoid investments, and
seek loans. Industry languishes. De
mand for goods falls off because the
consumers are unable to buy.and this in
turn checks production. And so one
reaction follows another till the wholo
country is prostrated.
2. Every fall in prices enhances tho
value of every obligation to pay monoy.
Every debt becomes moio valuable to
the creditor, and harder for the debtor
to pay. Debt begins to increase, and
after a time, if prices continue falling,
the increase of debt becomes regular
and rapid; and tho producers of the
country engage in a continuous struggle
merely to keep their heads above water.
On the other hand the wealth of the
debt holders increases until in a few
years, the wholo surplus earnings of
the people How regularly into their
coffers. Even worse than this, debt not
only absorbs the surplus earnings, but
continually spreads more .and more
over the capital ond the homes of the
producers.
The only logical result of a long con
tinued falling of prices is the concentra
tion of the whole wealth of the country
into the hands of a few very rich men,
and the practical slavery of the masses
of the people.
For twenty-five years prices have fallen
with little variation, and they are still
falling. And the awful effects can be seen
on every hand. The logical result will
soon be realized in full unless some
change comes.
And what is the causo of this lang
continued falling of prices? Primarily
it is tho contraction of the currency by
the retirement of the greenbacks and
the demonetization of silver. These acts
of legislation were crimes against civili
zation, These acts must be repealed and their
effects counteracted by legislation or
our boasted civilization will become a
curse, and liberty will be banished from
our land.
What the end will be is the question
for the people to decide.
"Error ceases to be dangerous,!
said Thomas Jefferson, "when reason
is left free to combat it." Many cf the
errors of public policy have held sway
because reason was chained down by
party prejudice. When men once con
sent to give reason full sway they' see
how flimsy are tho arguments advanced