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Vol. XV. LINCOLN NEB., OCTOBER 29, 1903. No. 23.
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S LET'S WIN THIS TIME .s vice to Populists jt
For the fifth time this month The
Ii-dependent devotes four or five of its
best pages to the state campaign.
Next week's issue will give the result.
Whether Judge Sullivan is to suc
ceed himself on the supreme bench de
ptnds in great measure upon the pop
ulists of Nebraska.
Whether Dr. Weber and Prof. Jones
vilPgucceed the outgoing regents del-ends
also in no small degree upon
the populists of Nebraska.
And also upon the populists largely
will rest the responsibility of deter
mining whether a majority of the dis
trict judges, and the county officers
ere to be republicans or anti-republicans.
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The democrats, too, must dd their
full duty if a victory is to be won;
Imt The Independent is a populist pa
per and as such prefersrto address it
self first to its ownparty adherents,
leaving to democratic papers the duty
of speaking to democratic voters.
There are hundreds of good reasons
why Judge Sullivan should be re
elected; not one for his defeat. He
was the populist choice in 1897 and at
no time in the six years has he given
any cause for regretting that choice.
Kc was unanimously renominated by
the populists at Grand Island, because,
notwithstanding he calls himself a
democrat and affiliates. with the dem
ocratic party, he is a better exponent
ci' populism than many of our own
party. His record on the. bench shows
him to be a consistent anti-monopolist
Without any pettifogging or
giandstand play his opinions and voice
on the bench have always been to hold
the railroad corporations strictly to
the law, but to give them exact jus
tice, and no -more. His dissenting
opinions in several railroad cases are
models of clear reasoning and concise
statement.
Of course, this is not what the rail-
reads want They live and rob the
producers of wealth by means, of spe
cial privileges in legislation, in ad
ministration and judicial decisions.
"Justice would mean an end to the
robbery. But Judge Sullivan, always
fearless and conscientious in. his ev
ery act, has taken no advantage of
popular clamor to make political capi
ta' for himself. The Omaha Bee sneers
at his decision in the Rosewater-State
Board mandamus tax case; but any
layman knows that the supreme court
has no power to assess railroad prop
eity and no right to require the board
to reassess unless fraud is clearly
pi oven. It is one thing to feel quite
sure that the board was I- ased in fav
or of the railroads, and quite another
to prove the fact in court.
Had ne been a political trimmer he
might have catered to popular opin
ion by favoring a writ to compel reas
sfssment; but he would have lost the
lespect of good lawyers, who know
that the right way to get higher rail
road taxes is by having a board with
nerve to put up the assessment and
tot by writ of mandamus.
And hundreds Of republican lawyers
are secretly favoring his re-election,
tut doing nothing openly because ev
ery man Jack of them has aspirations
t be governor or congressman or
senator or judge himself some day;
and the republican party is a strict
disciplinarian! "
Year by year the struggle between
the farmers and the railroads becomes
n;ore intense. The farmers are learn
ing this lesson b-tter every day. Up
to this time they are content with a
fair and square deal; but if railroad
domination continues for a few years
a? high-handed as it has in the past,
and the supreme court passes under
railroad control by the election of
Judge Barnes, there may com? a time
when the farmers, aroused by the
wrongs they have suffered in freight
extortions and discriminations and
railroad tax-shirking, will not be con
tent with simple justice they will
demand restitution; and they'll get
it
Thero is always a; calm before a
storm, and apathy before - revolution.
It may be that populist farmers will
permit Judge Sullivan to be defeated,
fcut if they do, there is no doubt that
both thev and the railroads will re
giet it for Judge Sullivan's election
tnis tail wm De EOine cuei; uu mu-
The Farmer (October): ' Look at my wealth !"
road rapacity and thus prevent the
reprisals which will be sure to come
seme day if railroad arrogance con
tinues to grow. . -, '
However, The-Independent is In
clined to believe that -Judge Sullivan,
the populist regents, and a majority
o the populist district, judges and
county officers will be elected. There
rre plenty of populist and democratic
voters to accomplish this if they can
be brought to the polls. It is true
that a considerable number of Ne
braska populists have removed to
Giber states and their places are tak
en by Iowa and Illinois republicans
but there is still a majority against
the republicans, if it votes. .
The Independent suggests faithful
compliance of every populist with the
instructions-sent out by Chairman
Weber and Secretary Farris. Show
your colors. Go early to the polls.
The Farmer (the next
cone? Who got it?"
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Stay all day.. Work like a nailer. Be
aggressive. Tell about the big in
crease in state taxes not to pay off
the big republican state debt, but to
pay for republican extravagance.. Tell
about the $270,000 increase in the state
debt since the populists went out in
1901. Tell about the $65S,000 of state
debt the populists paid off in four
years. V Comment on the "prosperity"
prices for cattle and hogs, and the
rising price, of beef and pork. Men
tion the advance in freight rates. Dis
cuss the new revenue law which will
make the farmer's .taxes sky-high and
let the railroads off easy. Show how
the railroads are treating the farm
ers' elevators.
Get your populist neighbor to go
with you. Tell him it took all the
corn ten thousand men shucked last
election day to pay the increase in
f aimers' state taxes alone.' Work hard
spring ): " Where has it all
lor your county assessor if he's the
right kind of a man; but knife him if
he has any railroad strings on him.
The republican is the railroad "party,
rnd we have no business' trying to
compete. ,
Work hard fcr your district judge.
If. you are interested in a co-operative
elevator, and have trouble with the
railroads, you know what to expect
frcm a republican judge. V
If you have done your part, your
ccunty clerk has prepared the official
ballot lilre the lower sample in s last
week's Independent. If so, vote by
making a cross in the populist circle.
Then if you want to scratchmal.e an
"X" in" the square at right'of ffame
of the opposition candidate you wish
to favor. This is the right way to
scratch.
But if your county clerk has euchred
you by making a "Secretary Marsh"
ballot, don't make a cross in the sec
end circle it is not a party circle at
al! but make your X in the square
after each man you vote for.
Stay and watch the count. See ev
ery ballot. See that it is read cor
uctly and counted properly. Don't be
bashful if you see any republican
"skullduggery ." Have the nerve to
fight if need be. Keep track of ballots
thrown out, if you think, they ought
not to be.
When the count is over, send the
state committee or The Independent a
sample ballot with the figures on ev
erything down to the, precinct ticket,
and those,, too, if you like.
The Independent assures every pop
ulist, whether fusio'nist or mid-road,
that the loss of Judge Sullivan from
the supreme bench ' means four years
at least of railroad domination in the
court of last resort. Both Sedgwick
and Barnes are, amiable gentlemen;
but their training makes them lean
t-a the railroads. They dare not rebel
because the railroads will defeat any
republican in convention who showi
eny independence, and no man want!
his political future blasted if he can
help it. Their party is tied hand and
foot to the railroads. It cannot break
away. Neither can they.
Let no question of future populist
action cause you to neglect the ticket
this year. What we do next year is
to be decided next year. Our duty now
is to elect Judge Sullivan.
Let us do it! Let's win this time!
Tibbies at Broken Bow
Editor Independent: Col. T, H. Tib
bies held one of the most enthusiastic
populist meetings of the season at the
court house in Broken Bow last Thurs
day night. Quite a number were pres
ent from a distance" and everybody, in
cluding republicans, were of the opin
ion that the colonel was equal to the
occasion and thoroughly understood
his subject. He received round after
round of applause and when through
was greeted with a general handshake.
If the people could hear the colonel
speak throughout the state there
would be no question about the suc
cess of our ticket. He goes from here
to Callaway, thence to . Arnold and
from thererto Kearney. ?
His trip here has been a success; his
speech has aroused new Interest in
populism and the prospects of getting
our old-time majorities are favorable. "
" A. SUBSCRIBER.
Broken Bow, Neb.
Valley County
The Independent finds it Impossible
to give personal mention of all the
populist candidates for the various
county offices over the state, but must
make an exception In favor of Clem
N. Meyers, populist candidate for. sher
iff of Valley county.
Mr. Meyers is one of the few pop
ulists in Nebraska who have worked
in season and out for the success of
the party. . There are thousands of
populists who are energetic part of
the time, but Clem never sleeps It
would seem. The Independent hopes
that the returns next Tuesday will
show the election of Mr. Meyers.
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