An Independent Newspaper Devoted to Sunshine and Good Cheer. Without Malice and .Without a Muzzle '.-
Volume 7
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, NOVEMBER 25. 1910
Number 36
SOME CURT COMMENT ON DAILY TOPICS
The narrowness of the republican majorities on all state officers
below governor are an indication of what might have happened to
the g. o. p. if the bi-ewery-booze managers had kept their fingers
out of the political pie instead of trying to run the democratic party.
All the brewery-booze managers succeeded in doing was to arouse so
much animosity that they will have all they can do preserving their
business, -without finding any time to try and manage political
parties.
The county optionists spent so much time in denouncing "Dahl
manism" that they overlooked to a large extent the necessity of
electing county option members of the legislature. They succeeded
in defeating Dahlman by 18,000 majority, but they did not succeed
in electing a county option legislature. There is always danger ii
becoming too hysterical.
It has been suggested to us that we advise the Douglas county
delegation in the house of representatives the wisdom of selecting
seats convenient to some capacious exit. This in case some officer
of the law appears with an extradition warrant or an indictment
from a grand jury.
Mr. Aldrich admits, frankly and freely, his debt of gratitude t.
Richard L. Metcalfe. This is meet proper. Metcalfe was a tower c ,
strength to -Aldrich in the recent campaign. And the gentleme:
who were informing "Met" that he would have to come back intc
the democratic ranks as a private are now quite willing to permi
"Met" to come back any old way he prefers, just so he comes bacL
Our compliments to Rev. Luther P. Ludden, Lawson G. Brian an
one or two other members having in charge the normal schools o
the state: Permit us to make you acquainted with Prof. Joseph "W
Crabtree, superintendent-elect of public instruction. Crabtree ha'
come back. -
Speaking of "presidential possibilities" brought out by the re
cent election what's the matter with Gilbert M. Hitchcock? Tt
be elected democratic United States senator by a majority of 22,0C
in a state that elected a republican governor by 18,000 is some
running, isn't it? And isn't it equal to Harmon's victory in'Ohio,
or Wilson's victory in New Jersey? It's a little early to prognosti
cate on 1912, but we advise the president makers to keep an eye on
Hitchcock.
The old familiar Bryan obituary is going the rounds of the
plutocratic press. It has the same old ring. It will have the same
old answer. The first thing the obituary writers know the corpse
will rise up and kick them in the brains, thereby seriously ruffling
the seats of their trousers. And when Bryan does die and is buried,
the obituary writers for generations to come are going to be kept
busy writing the sad farewell words over "Bryanism. "
Funny, isn 't it, that every time there is a stir in economic circles
or in industrial circles, those pesky socialists are charged with
fomenting all the trouble. A busy lot, those socialists.
Fred D. "Warren, editor of the Appeal to Reason, has been fined
$1,000 and sentenced to six months in the federal prison for of
fering a reward for the kidnaping of Ex-Governor Taylor an d hic
return to Kentucky. It was to have been expected. The men who
'kidnaped Moyer and Hayward were never punished. The man who
merely suggests the kidnaping of an indicted fugitive from justice
is fined and imprisoned. The man who thinks that this sort of
thing wilj kill socialism merely admits that his head is full of
aaaiea eggs, warren as a martyr to tne cause wiu exert a
far greater influence than Warren the editorial mouthpiece of a
propaganda. The Wageworker will be one of a hundred news
papers that really believe in free speech and a free press to pay
Warren's fine.
What's the use of squandering $5,000 for a bond for the treasurer
of Nebraska? 'Just enact a law making it a capital crime to embez
zle state or county funds, and then hang the first offender. The
state would not only save money, but it wrould save a lot of worry.
The election of Hitchcock to the senate rather blocks the sen
atorial ambitions of Victor Rosewater., And it is calculated to make
Senator Brown a bit uneasy. When Hitchcock replaces Burkett
there will' be two senators north of the Platte which is not to be
onsidered for long. True Kearney, while north of the Flattee is
only forty miles from the Kansas line, but it's north of the Platte,
and that settles it. Brown will have to go or precedent of forty
years smashed to smithereens. Being a lawyer Brown can not thr-..v-any
rocks at "precedent." If a republican succeeds him wThat's the
matter with Norris? And if a democrat succeeds him there is just,
one answer Ashton C. Shallenberger.
Leo Matthews, private secretary to the goverror ard se re'firv of
the democratic state committee, announced his candidacy for 'c hief
clerk' of the house. Why not? Matthews has renderei spier di I
arty service and is thoroughly capable. He is methodical, untiring
nd loyal. He has made good all along the line and is entitled to
eward.
An east Lincoln man recently had three yards of sand dumpel
n front of his home, preparatory to building a sidewalk. Before
''e could use the sand, and while absent, from his home, a force of
Street Commissioners Hensley's men came along and graded the
treet. Instead of notifying the householder of their intentions and
Permitting him to move the sand, the graders distributed it over the
treet for three -blocks. Hensley said he could do nothing; that
.he householder was liable to fine for not having a permit to dump ;
he sand in the street, and that he" was very sorry. The sand
amounted to $4.05, the annoyance to three times as much and a
citizen and taxpayer forsed to lose it all by the actions of a lot
of men without courtesy or commonsense working under the direc
tions of a man who secured his office through the influence of organ
ixed labor and hasn't paid a dollar of union dues since he landed
the job.
Will some one kindly set a date for a "tag day" for the benefit
of the poor and unfortunate Lincoln Traction Company?
The superintendent of schools in Lincoln-receives a salary of
$2,500 a year and has supervision over about 9,000 school children
and about 140 teachers. The state superintendent receives a salary
of $2,000 a year and has supervision over 375,000 school children,
11,000 teachers, 7,000 schools and four normal schools. Lots of
funny things in this country. ' '
For instance, the state treasurer receives a salary of $2,500 a year,
and for that money he handles from $5,000,000 to 7,000.000 a year
twice over, invests a million or two of state money in securities for
the permanent school fund, officiates on several boards, ore beinpr
the board of purchase and supplies, and manages an office force of
ten or twelve people. The president of a bank attending to that
volume x)i business usually receives a salary' of from $7,500 to $15,
000 a year. .
There are department managers in Omaha and Lincoln department
stores who receive double the salaries paid the governor of Ne-
