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The Alliance-Independent
The Alliance-Independent
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Its nronlH'i' n If a lrire
in Net.iju.kH a the cir
culation ol all the "farm
journals" combined.
Give Thk Aluanck
Indefkndekt a trial It
you want good results.
VOL. IV.
' -THETHEIGHT RA1E BILL
It Bias The Gauntlet ef the He by a
' ; Vote of 63 to 30.
THE BEFUBLI0AK8 OH XICOBD.
(1
is dow Awaiting ita Turn in the Senate.
Predictions as to the Outcosae.
The revised form of the Newberry
Kl I HI, now known as the bouse committee
All, which reduces present local freight
tes a little over 20 per cent, has pass
1 the house and is now going through
, jte various stages to which bill is
subjected in the senate.
' The republicans stubbornly fought
the bill to the very last in the houBe.
'' Their first fight was nmde in committee
l the whole described in Thk Alli-jUNCE-LN
dependent of last wek.
' Their last fight was made on an attempt
& to recommit the bill when it was
roughtup for passage last frlday
nd they yery nearly succeeded. Ex.
pt for am opportune discovery of the
trick they were tryiag to piay, they
would have succeeded. They fully
realized that a recommi'ment at this
time practically meant the death of the
bill.
It was understood by all that the bill
Bade a reduction of only 20 per cent
on present rates. The republicans pre-
tended to have discovered that it really
, ') cut present rates about 30 per cent aud
b ' -was full of discrepancies. On this they
S were fighting to have it recommitted
..for correction.
' They handled their case very deftly.
! They even hoodwinked the chairman
Mr. Porter, before their trick was dis
covered. It finally came to light that
the republicans were running down the
wrong column of figures; that the bill
after all was only a reduction of 20 per
cent, and the bottom fell out of the re
publican fight so suddenly that they
never smiled again that day.
V The bill was taken up again Friday
jJmorning and read the third time. The
treading occupied five hours aod it was
f after 2 o'clock before the bill was put
I , on its final passage.
The republicans largely opposed the
bill to the end. Those who voted for
it did so under protest, most of them
waiting until they were sure it had a
majority.
t The vote by parties were as follows
For the bill 39 independents. 15
J'
republicans and 9 democrats.
Against the bill 29 reoublicans. and
1 rlemnnrat.
l'- Absent 1 independent, 1 democrat
P 1 j and 4 republicans.
Ti'V. PROBABLE FATE OP THE BILL.
' , ' Iff the bill ever comes up in the sen
L , Le, it may pass. It is almost certain
,hat two democrats will vote for it and
it is said that one republican will.
Senator Clarke, of Omaha, who has
sn dangerously ill during the session
V t is now improving, has said that be
wwld vote for the bill if he could be
- Tvesent. These votes, with the solid
independent support will pass the b 11.
The corporation tools in the senate
wilL leave no stone unturned to prevent
v the bill from ever coming to final pass
age. It now remains to be seen whether
iheycan succetd or cot. If it ever
'does come to a final vote, however, I
. rather think it will pass.
,; If it should pass the senate it is not
iven then a law. It must receive the
dgnature of the governor. Governor
rounse has never yet said he would
but his friends claim that he
V
OTHER RAILROAD MEASURES. "
Clarke railroad bill which was
deled somewhat after the Newberrv
E has been put to sleep by the senate
,,ne anu-pass Din was killed in the
.ate.
i j nR .Cjvereiib rLH mil wninn was an
oxact copy of the republican mbxtitute
Uaoiw horl in last, 'vroclra A t t t a vt-ito
Independent, has been killed in the
senate.
v The Stewart rate bill, which is con
siderably like the Stevens bill of two
fears ago, a on general file in the cen
to and will come up for consideration
robab'y next week.
The bill compelling railroads passing
at the same grade to build transfer
switches; and its compani n. the bill
'compelling roads to give bills of lading
r the shortest possible routes to
inatlon, have both passed the house
ood majorities.
bill compelling railroads to provide
ble wagon road crossings; and an-
r to compel railroads to build pro
I) .0 1 uCJf.
per cattle guards and causeways have
both passed the house.
OTHER MATTE BS.
A. J. Scotfs bill providing that roort
gaged land should b appraised in par
eel s and that no mor should be sold
than enough to piy the debt, the par
oel on which the home stands being
last sold, was recommended to pass the
house, bv a unanimous vote.
There will be no sifting committee
in tht house.
The republicans and democrats in the
senate are raiding the amounts in the
gei eral appropriation bill. The inde
pendents have made a. bitter fight, but
the other two parties have combined
against thm. Senator Ma tes (dem )
voted twice on a question regarding
the raising of an appropria ion last
week. He wa in the chair, and voted
once as a member of (he body. The
vote was a tie. Then Mattes voted
again and dec ared the motion carried.
The independents appealed and Mattes
refused to put the appeal The lieu
t' ant governor, known recently as
''Smutty Tom," supported him in his
rulings.
If the two old parties go op as tbey
have the past week, tbey will raite
appropriations nearly a half million
dollars
The state institution at Beatrice is
to be investigated.
ihe committee to investigate the
attemp'ed senatorial bribery is not yet
through with its work. Thurston is
attempting very hard to cover up his
track and to a certain extent has sue
otedfd. -
There is the suspicion of a rumor
that Crounse it tired of being govern r
and intends to resign. In that case
S'uuttgr Ten" would become governor
Then we would have a beautiful time
of it, wouMn't we? J. A. E.
Letter From an Old Timer.
Wilford, Nb , Mar 4,1893.
Editor Alliance Independent:
If you will send me a lot Yf sample
copies of Th -Alliance-Independent,
I will put them into the hands
of parties that I hope to induce to sub
scribe for it.
You are making an excellent paper
and I would gladly see it in the hands
of every voter in the state.
Thousands no doubt would spurn it
Ytt tens of thoubands would read and
learn.
The truth it the democratic ard re
publican voters as a rule do not see or
read our pnpers. All they ki ow of us
is what their partisan journals say of
us and what they say as a rule is said
to create prejudi se They are teach
ing their follower to despise us
Our peop e in this new county are
yet very po jr. We have nonlocal paper.
If I could manngH in some way to ob
iain sufficient of uur kind of literature
to circulate freely among them I know
it would resu.t in good.
I wish you success. Stand for the
right and thu people will stand by you
it is uu pleasant to have to contend with
professed friends of the cause we re
present, but we have to deal with mat
ters as we find thsm and expose hyp v
risy and double dealing even if it does
create a commotion.
- Keep in the middle of the road and
defy all opposition.
Your brother in the work of reform.
J. M. King.
A Plutocratic Poodle.
No less an authoiity than Harper's
Weekly assures us that the Duke of
Marlborough's Americas wife's dog j8
boarded at some point near Philadel
phia at a cost of fif tei n hundred dol
lars per annum. Taere are thousands
of families around for each of whom
three hundred dollars per year, paid
unfailingly would be a god-send, and
they would gladly toil at hard useful
labor for it too. Otht-r thousands in
i-emi starvation are slowiv ptri hing
Guds! what a spectacle for men and
angels is the sight of our Plutwa'c
in receipt f incomes 'hat ate vast
fortunes in themselves and squander
log tnem ln vice, pomp and 'uxury on
pimps, parasites, menials, vagabonds,
while the only really meritorious citi
zens, the hard laborer-, the in ustriouc
in necessary or useful callings live on
Utile more than "Brr ad and Water,''
freeze in winter, hum in summer, and
know not one day of comfort the yt-ar
round. St. Joseph Herald.
Our travellin g representative M .
Geo. S. Currie is taking in Kansas and
Missouri. He is now in Leavenworth
where he will stop a short time and
then crn nn to St. .TnaAnh An,
assistance orcourUses xfan1edhim
will be appreciated by the firm.
Ripans Tabules a slst digestion:
sweeten a sour somach; curejiivet
troubles. .
Purk Bred Poultry. White Plym
outh Rock White Games. Partridg.
Cochins, Touiouae Geese, White Hoi
land Turkeys, White Guineas, Pekii
Ducks. Eggs in season. Prices low.
W. A BatfS, Jr.,
36tl Fremont, Neb.
LINCOLN. NEB.. THURSDAY. MARCH 16. 1893
IOWA FREIGHT RATES
Pacta Concerning the Establishment of the
Hawkeya Maximum Tariff Charges.
- t
BOTH CARRIER AND PATRON BENEFITED
Operation of the Law Has Been Profitible to
Railroads and Shippers.
OPINIONS OF THE COMMISSIONERS
ConsicLcntlms on Which the Famous Schedule
Was Formulated.
COMPARED WITH THE NEBRASKA LINES
Classification of the Roads mt tho
Two
State Under the Iowa Law Bates
Id Force Set Oat Bide
bj Side.
Now that railroad reffulation is fairly pe
lore the legislature it may be interesting to
review the history of Iowa railroad regula
tion and institute comparisons between Iowa
and Nebraska rates.
The Iowa legislature of 1883 passed a law
' uuarw7 mc, uu. In 1887 seven railroads in Iowa were in the
'empowered and directed" the railroad com- hands of receivers. In 1891 there was but
uiission to make a maximum schedule of me, and the receiver of that reported it in a
reasonable ratea and fix a classification as prosperous condition.
soon as practicable. The schedule was com- LX.nSlwv ItaSHsS rt iS"
. , ... ,, . . ,. , - . . creased appreciably aince 1888. It is ad
pleted In July, 1883, but the railroads fought Litted the tBe ,uta
it in the courts, and it did not become Hvould account for some of the increase la
operative until February 8, 1889. There have railroad traffic, but the commissioners main
been a number of changes in the schedule Pin tnat the new system was responsible
aince, but they have been of so limited jfo mUcb. of the favorable ahowinK. They
- . .v . .v " r 77 VT Insist that it not only stimulated business,
effect that the present tariff is substantially ruul tnat it effected a eaving by cutting off
the same as that adopted by the commission Ire batpr, 'free passes and other special priv
more than four years ago. Changes of more jileges and by preventing rate wars. There
importance have been made in the classiflca- S,a3 a slight growth in the mileage.
Th.mmil lUonsequently the business of 1891 showed a
tion. The commission adopted the western toandsome increa88 ln earnings per mile and
classification of the railroads with such 'tt substantial gain in the percentage of in
modifications from time to time as seemed borne on the investment.
Just to Iowa interests without being burden- j Improvements In the Service,
soma to the railroads. These variations now I The railroads said they would be corn
number about seventy-five. ipelled to stop construction if the rates were
- &inra thA fyinrhiginn of thM Wl mntMt Leduced. As a matter of fact less than 150
the corporations have submitted to most 0f
. iw. ,v, .ty, . ,
the rulings of the coumussion with a show
of grace. They have abided by the schedule
of rates and have accepted the modifications
of the classification with little opposition
beyond a dignified argument at a hearing
J u v " v-chur
before the board. There is one important
point, however, which is yet in controversy.
Charging the 8am for "two Locals."
Previous to the enactment of this law the
railroads had given joint rates on shipments
passing over two or more lines, but thereafter
they maintained their right to charge the service but also upon their road bed, rolling
un of the local tariffs on the several lines, jutock, buildings, etc., all to the danger and
For example, the schedule rate for a car- -De disadvantage of the public. A most dole
load of hogs was ,18 for 100 miles and 134 for StStSTSi
200 miles. U a shipment were over two '.ffect, for millions have since been spent on
lines, say 100 miles on each, the he betterment of Iowa lines. During the
railroads claimed the right to charge. $36 as year ending June 30, 1891, the improvements
thwgh there were two shipments of 100 incluled $1,300,000 expended for buildings
miles each The legis ature then passed an (m08tly new depots), new rolling stock, auto
act requWng the railroads to make Joint naUc couplers, air brakes, 37,789 tons of steel
VtJH A IT1 ruled .tb-t.? kaUtorePlaoeironor wora steel, 2,338,
Joint rate should exceed 80 per cent of the M 0e, eUs. were chan froin
sum of the several local rates. Thus, in the narrow to standard euage, the Northwestern
STL ;301 Eat Muilt eventy-8ix mUes of double track and
not exceed 80 per cent ot$J6, which would be in e0rmous sum was spent for stone cul-
oSili,. . n w ' ieris, for Iron bridges to replace wooden
This had been the praotice of the railroads Structures and for other extensive improve
themselves, but they resented legal control t .m,
5U"T a"7antae 01 orec ,n rn J4 10
fight it m the .courte The statute infor-
tunatelv contained thin rlaiinA- P.sn-lnot
nri tyvtlr lltrantnira -f o HafaAt in t-Ka lnw
tunately contained this clause: "Carload
lots shall be transferred without unloading
irom tne cars in wnicn sucn snipments were
first made, unless such unloading in other
cars shall be done without charge therefor Itive committees lcsistod tnat men must be
to the shipper or receiver." The railroads 'endowed with power a little less than mirac
contend that this act is unconstitutional, be- uloiw to compute rates and protect the stock
cause it requires them to render a service holders (the protection of the people never
witnout compensation. The corporations
seem to have the best of the argument thus
far. and the Joint rate provision is not likely
to be operative until the legislature amends
it, but the railroads are merely delaying the
day of Judgment. The rates established by
the commission are higher than the Joint
rates voluntarily granted by the railroads
themselyes before the enactment of the new
law and also higher than the Joint rates now
in effect on interstate traffic.
Arguments of the Lobbyists.
When the Iowa law was under considers-
tion in the legislature the capitol was over-
run by a horde of railroad men of high and transportation, we assumed that ratea
low degree, who prophesied all sorts of dis- made oluata" by the roads were re
aster. They asserted that the corporations aiunerative or the official!, would not have
would have to recoup themselves by raising1111 tnenu Therefore in computing our
the interstate rates and by decreasing the schedule we took as the basis of our work
transportation service in Iowa. They main- tne rates 8ecretl' made to favored shippers
tained that the commissioners could not tne pa8t and lhe Published tariffs of Iowa
determine the reasonableness of a rate with- luna IUmoia. Each of the commissioners pre
out an elaborate calculation of the cost of IP-10 table. That of AL-. Campoell was
every item of expense, even to the waste ctren,el.v low and mine vas the highest,
and oil used on hot boxes. They insisted M. Smith's scale was a medium between
that rates could not be reduced without t9 tw0 extremes and was adopted. The
gross injustice to the stockholders of ""bed1116 nw in force is suostantially the
the corporations. Jn one breath thev con- P6 as Smith's original tariff. .
tended that anything less than 8 per cent on ! "while the cut rate given secretly to
their stock would bankrupt them and in an- favorile were an influential factor in lorm
other admitted that they had averaged lng the legal cbedule, yet I think our tariff
much less than that when entirely free to Is in no Pattioular a low as some of those
manage their affairs to suit themselves At 8eo"et rates. The Iowa schedule is higher
one moment they asserted that the local tnan tne Inlttimum schedule of the Illinois
business of the state was so small the pro- .commission, which has been argued as im
posed reduction would be of no benefit to alr on tne ground that the smaller amount
any one and a moment later they were sure ut bulnes in nla tate entitled it to a
the losses under a reduced schedule would nltTaep rate Dut these gentlemen forget to
throw three-fourths of the roads into the P'P1"1 tnat tne railroads may go as far
hands of receivers. For a short time after ibeiow tho s1 schedule as they please. We
the passige of the law some of the railroads i01 evWenw that the lines in Illinois were
tried to make it odious by reducing their actually doing business on rates consider
train service, but with that exception none ittbly mier tn leal maximum, and conse
of the evils predicted by the corporation flueawytnat schedule is not a fairoompar
offlcers and attorneys came to pass. lson with the Iowa schedule. ,
"Ordinarily it might have been difficult to
. Their Prosperity Increased.
It is an indisputable fact that the Iowa
railroads have been more prosperous aince
the adoption of the maximum schedule
lf rates than ever before. Under mo
old system the railroads sought the lontr
haul, and it is well known that Iowa
lobbing and manufacturing industries were
being crushed out or driven from the state.
It is conceded that these interests have been
rreatly benefited by the chance and that
many new industries have been fostered.
The loss to the railroads was not nearly so
great as they tried to make the people be,
Ueve, because they were already secrete
giving many of the largest shippers cut rates
even lower than those established by the
commission. The new system put a ston to
this rank favoritism and gross injustice. It
gave every man an equal chance with every
other, aud robbed the corporations of the
cruel power to ruin a weak shipper by favor
ing a competitor witn low rreurht rates. It
rave a stability to the rates which in turn
lent stability to trade The people of Iowa
are satisfied with the present rates, the
clamoring of Jobbers and manufacturers is
heard no more, the railroads are doing more
busuiess than ever before, the agitation has
ceased and the transportation problem is out
ox pouiica. ims is tne testimony oi the
commissioners and of the business men of
lows. Here is the statement of the commis
sion in the report for the year ending June
80. 1891, the last published:
That the rates have benefited Tnwa el.
denced by the Increased business thereunder.
The testimony of the railroad officials la the
jiurt was that they caused a reduction of
ibout26per cent on local rates, which had
en cxhorbltant. The effect has been to
.tlmulate Iowa Industries by giving them
heap fuel and low raws for getting tbelr pro
iuce to market. It has caused the opening of
lew coal mines, the erection of new mills, has
Tondenully enlivened the Jobbing interests
nd reduced prices to the consumers and at
uatiy ui lute&e lines were operating uuuer
.be class '"A" rates, although they were en-
Ue were added. to lowa "n(d,urin "?a
,i,hree years ending June 30, 1891, but the
f fap from'the maximum
Schedule. Though a new commonwealth in
uhe far west, Iowa ranks fifth among the
states or tne union la its railroad mileage,
commissioners assert officially that there
u nnt i innt within hAr hnrYlami mnn t.hnn
is not a spot within her borders more than
, if teen miles from a railroad, and they argue
j. hat construction ceased because the state
lad all the lines it needed, there being no
tew territory to be occupied with a proba
bility of remunerative returns.
The railroad lobby laid particular stress
upon the assertion that the companies would
fnrcftd Ln .u'nnnmizn nnc nnlv nn thM t.aln
1. .. . . J . w
the raUways more than $500,000 to repair the
mes of floods during the year.
i .
How the Bate Was Computed.
The high-salaried officials who pleaded the
pause of the corporations before the legisla-
'entered into their pleas), but the Iowa com-
.uissiuuei wuiiu a simple, uireci, ana ef
fective solution of the problem. Hon. Peter
lA. Dey is the conservative member of the
lowa commission, soimucn so that he is even
harged with being a tool of the railroads,
:nd yet his testimony condemns the corpo
rations. In explaining the method of mak
ing the maximum schedule and its operation
uis statement was substantially as follows:
In computing our schedule we did not
E nd it necessary to figure the earnings of the
ailroads or the dividends of their stock
holders or to consider the thousand and one
Flings which go to make up the cost of
the same time largely Increased tb tonisjre
and revenues ot the roads. To enable
Chicago to compete with lows Jobbers, Inter
state rates were reduced and prices cut. and
the lively competition ai-d reduced rates hare
resulted In lower prices to the consumer. The
farmer get his supplies cheaper, his lumbor,
coal, salt and other heavy commodities at fair
fate. Ha finds a market for a portion ot ala
surplus corn, oats, hay, wood, tlmbnr, etc., at
home and saves transportation. Ue market
Imany of his hogs In Iowa packing houses and
saves freight charges. Wood and logs that lay
jiu the timber rotting, the Iowa rates are mak
ing a market for, and new mills are sawing the
latter up for use In excelsior, fencing pickets,
handles, boxes and other Industries unknown
Ibefore. The railway policy of the long haul
iti as in a measure been supplanted by the new
(system, and an exchange of products between
.uiuvrent parts oi me state is one or tne com-
menaaoie results, rlay and corn from norta
ern Iowa are now sold at better prices in the
Hairy counties of eastern and southern Iowa
In large quantities, a thing hitherto unknown.
mesa formerly paia tribute to unicago.
What the Official Figaros Show.
The flrurea which represent Iowa's rail
road business are an emphatic refutation of
tne corporation arguments against reason
able regulation. Previous to the adoption of
'the maximum schedule the revenues of the
railroada were decreasing, while their epo
rating expenses were steadily growing
ilarger. The new system gave assurance ef
icaouity and stimulated business, and the
result has been a handsome increase in the
traffic of the railroads. In spite of the
threat of inferior service, the operating" ex
penses have increased in proportion te the
growth of the traffic. The following state
ment of tonnage and earnings of Iowa bust
loss tells its own story:
. Gross Net
Year Ending. TooDaae. Barolafs. Karaiass.
Junew. tiwr la.sfliTiw tsT.ww ii,hts,tbi
unsSO, 1HH8. 13,7.OHI II7.11.M)I lO.WSMrt
uneW, IHSa 18.m.lA4 M,i.m 11.SXI.IIIS
nneSa,l8U0. 18,TH,4 4I.8I7.VJH IIJM.tM
luneisJ, IH9I W.IM.H4H iSMt.m 14.44H.Kf
It must be remembered that the maximum
ichedule did not go into effect until Feb
ruary of 1889, and the new system hardly
nad time in five months to make its results
itrongly felt in the traffio for that year. The
report for 1893 has not been published.
In some respects the omparlson is even
more favorable when the distinctively Iowa
roads are considered. Following is stable
v Hie earnings of those lines whose mileage
is 'Uy or almost wholly within the state,
the , parison being between 1891 and the
last under the old system:
vAMseraoAD. IBM. IsM. el
!-:.,,!,.- ... f1
Albta A CeaterTllle I 10M I l,in Tl.Ii
Burlington. Cedar Bsplds
A Northern 2.CIT.M1 I.J10.4TI M M
Chicago, lowa Dakota., . W,m 411 U.tl
Crooked Creek M.4U l.4ar l.Si
DesMolnos Northern.... U.T4S lW.WIIW.lt
Dubuque Sioux City 1,760,47 1,M?,:I6S 44. Vt
Uamsaton bhenaodoah. I6J.U7 174,tflt T.U
Iowa Central .. 1,lt7.87 1,844.4 la VT
low Northern 1R.7IM U.1I4 m.M
Mason CUr ort Dodge.. 11,77.1 II'J.'.'JI M il
blouz City A Northern.... 1(4 865 Uj.H1 l.S.M
(Burlington Nortbwast'n 6I.4U3 tiT.Mil SO.bO
tBurllngton a Western.... W.0II 71.4 44. M
tiles Moines a Kansas t-itf Sa.M s,7&4 J7 74
tiles Moines AMortliwest'n 145.WH 1Vi7J 4S.SI
a new line which btgsn operation ln January,
1800, and the business of Its first rear is siren la the
)888oolumn.
t decrease. These are short, unimportant eeal
roads.
t the last four were narrow gnags roads.
Gvldenne of BeneHoial Effects.
Thirteen out of fifteen lines showed a
marked increase in traffic. The falling off
on the two inslgnificaut coal roads is attrib
uted by the commission to exceptionally mild
vinter weather and strikes in the mine
ascertain the special rates given certain
shippers in this state, but the law brought
these gentlemen forward to testify freely on
the secret manipulations. The statute pro
hibited discrimination. The shippers enjoy
ing special privileges saw in that provision
the menace of higher charges for them, and
they came voluntarily before the commis
sion. They naturally wanted the low rates
continued even if it was necessary to rive
competitors the benefit of them.
Competition BegoJates It.
"Class B and class C roads tare permitted
to charge higher rates than those fixed in
the schedule, but as a rule I think they do
not take advantage of that privilege. The
reason is simple enough. The state is such
a network of railroads that Junctions are
numerous, and a line charging higher than
the class A rates would lose the business.
The weaker roads are consequently forced to
meet the competition of stronger lines at
common points. The B and O lines once
asked the commission to permit them to use
tne B and C rates on shipments not affected
by their competitors, but at the same time
they wanted to continue the A rates on com
petitive business. The long and short haul
clause in the law prevented that kind of an
arrangement, and the Iowa commission, un
like the interstate commission, has no au
thority to suspend the operation of that pro
vision. As a result almost all the local
traffio is done on the rates fixed for class A
roads. The weak lines never come to us
now asking favors for themselves. They all
want concessions for the strong roads.
"It is practically impossible for the com
mission to figure with exactness the amount
of the purely local traffio of Iowa, that
which is subject only to the state laws. Ten
years ago we estimated it at 18 to 20 per
cent of the whole amount of Iowa traffio. I
have just completed a computation for our
forthcoming report and find it to be about
25 per cent. I have made a most careful and
exhaustive calculation from the statistics in
our possession, and I am confident that con
clusion is approximately correct.
Summing; Up Its Effects.
"As to the effect of our system, I am not
?uite as enthusiastic as some of its friends,
think it has stimulated the Jobbing inter
ests of the state by giving the wholesalers
distributing rates which enable them to
compete with Chicago. Our Jobbers were
complaining continually under the old order
of things, but they seem to be satisfied now,
for we near no more grievances from them.
The Chicago Jobbers, In the hope of retrev
ing some of this loss, forced the railroads to
make concessions on interstate rates to
secure the long haul Some claim that the
new system has led to the establishment of
many new manufacturing enterprises and
the extension of others, but I am not sanguine
on that point.
"The greatest benefit from the Iowa law,
I apprehend, lies in the faot that the rail
road question has been taken out of politics.
"There was in Des Moines a firm manufae-
(Continued on f ifth Page.)
The government own
ership of tailronds aid
telegraphs.
That freight rater Id
Nebrssl a be reduced tnl
a level with those la
force In Iowa. - --t ;- :-
The building by the
natleoal government of
a great trunk line from
North Dtkota to the
Gulf of Mexico.
NO. 40
THE COM IKO PARTY.
There hat been a great evolution in the
politics of this country daring the last
few ytars. A ssnse of security, as regards
kurcessln national affairs, nasi) the- re1
publican party, the party that has oon-
trollfe.all the- dppartmtr ts of the govtm
ment, (with the exception of four years),
since the civil war, into greater laxity as
regards the honesty and purity of its
motiyes, than it would hare entertained
had it had closer competition for govern
mental control. To repeat a saying that
has been, current for a nnmWr of years, It
is not the party of Abraham Lincoln.- It
has wandered out into the highways and
byways of political corruption; it has
pandered its pelitical influence and offices
to the powerful few, and left the defense
less many to starve on the husks which
were glngerlnglv doled oat to them.
These causes, the details of which we
shall enter Into from time to time, led the
honest thinkln g people 0 desert the
grand old party which bore this aation
safely through its most perilous crisis
the;iateclvll war. They tolerated, until
forbearance tceased to be a virtue, the
gradual and growing deviation from the
true republican form of government, and
cast their lot with the democratic party,
ln the wild hope of securing better gov
ernment, and with the knowlt-dge that
tbey could be governed but little worse;,
and to.tbls universal tentlmt-nt of wrong,
the democratic paity owes the Inaugura
tion Grover Cleveland as president of
the Unlted.States March 4, 1803.
The democratic party has but little 1o
recommend it to the suffrages of a liberty
loving people. It has dark blots ln Its
history, burned there by war. and. blood-. . .
shed; Its sdvocstes have ever been men of
limited, bigoted Ideas; Its rank and file
have principally been drawn from among
the slums ef humanity, from the Ignor
ant, the dissolute and the depraved. ' Ita
banner has ever been spresd over the
few; it has ever ad vacated principles
foreign to the government under which
we live, and has from Its inception, denied
that under the law, men were free and
equal. For this reason, it remained la
bscurlty for over a quarter of a century.
despite the sympathy of the "Solid South"
of England and English capitalists, and of
every tyrannical, monarchical form of
government on the nlobe.
As far back as fifteen years since, some
far seeing minds apprehended the Im
pending state of affairs. They saw that
every year, the fact was beci ming more
icd more evident that it was bt-coming
harder for a poor mau to earn a living;
that political and govern mnt patronage
advanced others to a position of com
petence,.while the great mass of tollers
bowed their necks beneath the yoke, and
sighed "for a Moses to lead them out
from the land of bondage." For years
have they lifted their grinning eyes to the
blue skif-s above .while their quivering
lips muttered. "How long, O Lotd, how
long." From the laborer in the city came
the same cry; it was re echoed by the toll
ing farmer, who saw the mortgage eating
up his substance and making ; it impos
sible for him to earn a living even here "
in this, the richest garden spot ou God's
green earth ; ita reverberations were heard
by the miner, and one by one tbey took
up the cry, and as a result the people's
party, the party of the toiler and of the
future, Fprang Into the race for the suff
rage of our people.
Thk Citizen etapds before you today,
gentlemen, as a representative of this new
party. It aim will be to keep in the
middle of the road of pure national poli
tics, its influence shall be u?ed in the in
terest of the toiling masses cf humanity,
that they may share in the blessings of
life, and not bear all the burdens while
others receive all the recompense. It
will not be ln any wry an advocate of an-.
archy, neither will It allow its prejudices
to deny justice to those worthy of it. It
will a'ly itself to no "ring" for the man
ipulation ot local politics, and it will open
its batteries upon some combinations that
are being formed which will cause their
originators to seek cover. Its motto will
be, "a'government of the people, for the
people and by the people." -
We ask the co-operation and assistance
of all fair mindd people, who desire to
see the politics of this city controlled by
pure, honest men, and who desire such
elected to the varlons offices at the com
ing spring election. Our aim is justice.
Will you join uT
ir lr-
