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About The independent. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 7, 1904)
2 JANUARY 7, 1904. THE NEBRASKA INDEPENDENT down ....... T 677,093.10 Leaving the ne: debt when . the present "redeemers" took charge the sum of. $1,727,447.72 Three years, of republican "redemption" has in creased the debt .. 535,723.49 Leaving the presentdeb.tv.J22W,177,21 For convenience of those who .dis like exact figures and delight In "round numbers," let us say that the fuslonists cut. down the debt at the rate of about $170,000; a year, and the republican "redeemers" have increased It about the same figure each . year since they took charge. Great is "re- demptlon! ' "Stana pai: wi enough alone!" "Vote 'er straight!" It Is barely possible that if the gentle- men wiiu v v iiw -s , " who have , been trafficking in post offices, army blankets, and oil inspec torships, could be induced to "put it back' some trifling .reduction mlfcht fee made in the present floating debt. (Since the ; above was written, former Adjutant Gieral Colby has "put back" something less than three thousand dollars. This was done in the dead hours of ;nigbt and next morning the dailies recorded the fact that the federat granft jury at Omaha had indicted him for embezzlement.) While on this head, I am reminded of a recent editorial rin the "Evening Edition of the Morning State Jour nal," alias the Lincoln Evening News, in which a labored effort is made to exonerate Governor Mickey and his fellow executive state officers of any blame for . the . present condition of the 'state debt. The whole trouble lies' in the fact, as the .News views it, "that the legislatures, are growing more and more extravagant." -The News' admits " that the present state of affairs "is an arraignment of the party in power and taost persons re gard it as the symbolism of wasteful ness," but insists that "The remedy of our democratic and populistic friends is to change the ... political complexion of the admin istration, but experience has not proved that this Is any cure all. The reason is plain: Honesty and ef- ficiency are personal qualifications, not political ones. There have been defalcations and breaches of trust under republican as well as demo cratic administrations and scandals - and extravagance 'have found shel ter under one kind as well as un der the other." f c I am free to admit that honefetyand efficiency, are personal qualifications.' Being a populist or democrat Is not per se a badge at honesty and effic iency any more than being a republi can is per se a badge of dishonesty. Most men are naturally honest. They become dishonest through the influ ence of environment. The real reason why populists i-.n0. democrats gave the state of Nebraska an honest, economi cal administration of affairs on the - whole (I freely admit it was not per fect) is because these men represented and had back of them the "middle class" farmers and - small business men of the state and not because they were at heart materially differ ent from the average republican offi cial. And the real reason why repub lican officials hpve preen Incompe tent, extravagant and often dishon estis not because they are at ncart any worse than men generally, but because they represent and have back of them as the real power behind the throne," the big corporations. Now, the big corporations pay rela tively lighter taxes than the "mlddlo class" farmers and business men, hence, do not object to wasteful ex penditures, especially when those ex penditures are used to build up a po litical machine which will keep them in control, and thus prevent Interfer ence with their robberies of the con suming public. The average republi can official owes his election to the railroads and not to the "middle class" citizens; he Is encouraged by his backers to build up a strong "ma chine," no matter what the cost for the other fellow must pay for it. But populists and democrats in of fice have no such sanctions. Every item of extravagance is felt by those to whom they owe their election, and as the "middle class" has no special privileges to "ask for at the hands of the legislature, the natural result is a better, more economical and more honest administration by democrats and populists than can be had at the ; hands of republicans. It is not so much a matter of personality as en vironment; not so much the officials themselves as it is "the power behind the throne." ... ,".': 1 It'is true, as the fiews says, that ' the legislatures are growing more and more extravagant." And for the reason that they are , growing more and more republican. The majority "are republicans, elected by railroad in fluence, and under obligations to the railroads and other corporations. ..To a great extent, too, legislatures re spond to the demands for appropria tions made hf the executive officers and heads of institutions. There may be some pruning in places but a3 a general rule these administrative offi cials get what they really go after. A glance at the total appropriations made in recent years will show why the state debt is increasing and that, too, in the face of greatly increased taxation. APPROPRIATIONS. Session. Politics. . Amount. 1S95 Republican . . ..12,784,684.60 1897...... Populist ; 2,335,843.40 1899...... Republican .... 2,591,373.60 1901 Republican .... 2,875,289.51 1903 Republican .... 3,740,280.70 In other words, the railroad repub lican state officers now conducting Sunday school conventions or trying to get out of the hands of sheriffs in other states, have been given license, by the legislature of 1903, to expend in the two years ending March 31, 1905, exactly $1,404,437.30 more money than the populist legislature licensed populist state officers to expend in a similar two, years beginning April 1, 1897. The populist officials really ex pended but little over two'millions of the 1897 appropriation; but every in dication points out that the present "redeemers" 'will expend all of the 1903' appropriations and, perhaps run up some "deficiencies." Local taxpayers are coming nearly every day into The Independent office with a wonderful tale of woe because their taxes this year "are so heavy." But taxes must be fully 60 per cent heavier than la 1897-8-9, or the state debt will pile up extremely fact, because the appropriations of 1903 are more than 60 per cent heavier than in 1897. Yes, taxes are heavy this year but just watch them grow next year under the new revenue law. Will You Write a Postal So a Sid One May Ctl Veil? Smd on munrir-iluitilj ft fiwUl rard.ulvlnif thit etnii( xmif on a who nttUt bclp. 'I ril ut the bult iruS. 1 bn I will do IhU 1 win arranira with a drtipt Ut lcr him mi that hr may tab lit tutr f r. hp iMl.irui tin mar Uk II month at in 7 rUk. If II auorord lh e It .i.St, If It f ilia. Ilia drugtt lll Mil tha In in 'I bat ni. iaU it ill hw jmi hl ih reniMljr ran da it It lh flil mt lt rnfiuc it u lh oftly y to laducn all ho n-nl hrli to ac It I mak tl Htrr to multiply my rurr, and I am mil. loj It trtiit Hi" runsl i.rv t l-i bn far t'h mo. u th rait I.' -ara 1 ha lumuh' d ii y 1 et..rtir t.i Btindr ill ! tlM.ut! i.f tli'k - i n )ut th trtna, and 39 out if Mv rM fadiy, N-cmiw 1.1 tt U. Iy)utbaliliniy i,rU t, a;a I & Ullrd. 1M rrnw,j tanvlitf, )h iv!t ..f a lif! im- wa 1 h rtwiM tt attttla r-tnt I N..tuB.lt , f (He nt iliftirtilt (ir llial tblttrlaat I nm bl It ""' Jt rirr IMHH tt-lt tlfrUtflhrklat ak tn.i.l . n., ant mi Ii.n,.iti U iii i4i i',,Hii tai d.vtlhtv vi.uui'imi It ak 1 l.rin ., a th (rl fttnrt bic k) al'H I ' "! 1111 i.fi. It U Ilk. (Uln an .!! ntittn ai-m. I ft nm ial t.m t l 4h II lutf , k a. I tort la AuMbt ttai w Htak a aa aa rv.i I bo wi! mtipr tttk t IfvaUuvut. h I lak tba mm. it.a. If uti mUh'k 4Mh anl au-t tlprt l'. M. h , Ka H( U, W a 1 .a iiiihi t . m ? a araia k l la at. mm4i a aaaaaii Wil.t raw, rhfonl, r rn cuimi witli In answer to . Major Daily's fourth question, permit me to quote from the constitution: "All funds belonging to the state for educational purposes, the Inter est and income whereof only are to be used, shall be deemed trust funds held by the state, and the state shall supply all losses, that may In any manner accrue, so that the same shall remain forever Inviolate and undiminished "Sec. 3, art. VIII. Hence, it seems clcai that if the state shall fail to recover from Bart ley and his bondsmen the J325.5S7.50 of trust funds which is stl'l charged acainst him, then the legislature !s in duty bound to appropriate enough out of the general fund to nake It good. In othT word?, our poetical frlnrl, Dr. Ulxhy of the State Journal, might now with perfect propriety brsin call ing upon the tAt to put II back," Inasmuch a it M-ems probable tl.at Hartley will not. and hU personal friend who "owe" him are afraid to. I oucht to mention hr that iu the fotn-oint? figures no amount U taKen of the Mi; warrnnt whih Hartley cm tKilid anil for whhh he nirvnj tlm in th jnltntlary. S far the tt traurrr UA aie icnrrrnM, ttat tranwat tlon ftjnari Just un ny nther lulKtst, ,V warrant ot t(A,"j, duiwn rtrnlit the r'n.'ral fund. as HMifil ti Hartley "for to reimburse the RltiMnK fur.-l;" but Iut!t y fnr(.ot to "put It lark" Into tho lnklti fur .l! lntfs hn found a lot cf r air bink oniflrtN up In Oinaba who thtl tl nirrant withtmt txtn r ad I in: U-bt Itm that $ th wav lb "trttimcn" ipjMirt-ikU( ha pld oft It lot of poUt-l ti'-titit lth t! vk to tirtaln iTomliu-nt nuiblhaa ilh ticians, who have for a number of years been quaking, in their boots be cause "Joe" might some day "squeal' on them. Of course, this feature is all ancient history and proper ODly lor the -archaeologist. CHARLES Q. DE FRANCE. The Panama Comedy It is a comedy, and very well played, too. It is a comedy, and, being main ly French, naturally, the school of Moliere; cynical, even saturnine; Co lombia, the intriguing, wicked oid beldame, to be circumvented and de spoiled; Panama, the none too virtu ous damsel, eager to be earried off; Teddy, the; gay Lothario! .'Who shall play the. part of Tar tuff e? Henry Watterson. CHRISTIANITY AND MONOPOLY. (' ' ( ! 1 Editor Independent:. For the last te,n or twelve years the money power has had a powerful ally in the Chris tian church. Nearly every denomina tion has been more or less guilty in this respect. Whenever - the ; gicat money kings and trust magnates needed the services of the church they were very liberal with their contribu tions towards its institutions and their money always proved to be well spent, "for the gift blindeth the wise and perverteth the words of the righteous." But in these latter days when we pops are about to give up our noble fight, we find that here and there the clergy is getting its eyes wide open to the fact that these plutocratic con tributors are undermining the very foundation of the church. For in stance, Der Christliche Apologete, published by Jennings & Pye, Cincin nati, O., official organ of the German M. E. church, In" an editorial seveial years ago Indulged In very loathsome flattery of "Coal Oil Johnny" and wound up with congratulating its Baptist brethren on possessing such a , pillar in the church and wishing for a similar one in the Methodist church. But notice the editor's recent change of mind. In the following arti cle he has this to say of Mr. Rocke feller: "ROCKEFELLER'S RELIGIOUS - PROFESSION. - "America's richest man, John D. Rockefeller, is, as is well known, not reserved with his religious profession, but unfortynately. hls deeds are large ly at variance with his profession. His minister frequently calls on him to speak a word during the testimon ial hour which follows the Sunday morning sermon. At such an occasion Mr. Rockefeller recently said, among other things: The personal comfort and inner peace which lie for mo in the Christian religion make me often wish for an opportunity to tell it to ail the people from the pulpit." His wish to change his vocation with the minister shows his respect for the ministry, and one could delight In the glorious profession if the deeds of the man were in harmony with it. But a man who In three decades accumu lated nearly a billion dollars his wealth is estimated at $965,000,000 cau scarcely have come by it justly and honestly. Through heartless manipulations in, the oil business he has crowded every competitor to the wall. He successfully evaded the laws of the land and marched over the vast realms of ruined existences like the great Na'poleon over bloody battlefields. In business he knows no respect, feeling, nor generosity. In his financial transactions he Is U3 cold as a refrigerator, and very few bright points may be found lu his mercantile career. "We recently mentioned that the price of coal oil was raised from 6 to 10 cents witlln the period of four weeks. The oil monopoly does not giv any reason for this raise. Fifty million dollars flowed Into the coffers of the Standard Oil company by means of this heartless trick. This company has often boasted of the poor bclnc Its customers and la In that undoubtedly correct. For next to bread nothing Is In th hoyH of thr poor as lndlnpensUil a co.tl oil. Ac rordlns to the recent raH In jrke then oor customers of Rockefeller are ol.llred to rav from 12 to 1 cents retail prhe douMtt the amount tliey hail to pay two vr thre year ao. "I.lk a vaiuptrn th Htandanl Oil tompany nutkd th blood from the lmr man. The lu't li.tr rilghU aid now at hand hn mr oil Is unci and liin a rwnl opportunity to reap lolvantaif. The poor man U utterly hrlita if the oil blue take notion to put on the fin in ordr to add to Ms unco'tntM millions over nleht another million. TM unlimited ton. tied iirr-j', the powtr of th car. and vr,e dot a not won If r that It a ftttci ntlnn among th poet1', and th It U taUmateJ ttat the inanagemec! of fiis monopoly should be confiscated by our government, which is not pos sible, to be sure, as tnat would be equal to an overthrow of our present social -order. But it remains never theless a fact that men like Rocke feller furnish the weapons into the hand of radical socialism, and con tribute more to a social overthrow than all other means taken together. It" is not necessary for Mr. Rockefel ler to mQunt the pulpit to make a profession, bis actions speak loud enough, but, alas, not in the interest of the Christian religion." ThG ahnve wr.nld. with a few ex tiens. do credit ro any pouunsi na Ihe Independent , included. , FREDERICK G. BOELTS. '.Central City, Neb., R. F. D. 2. HOW CLARK BUYS A BOHD Which Guarantees His Family an Es tate, If He Dies, and Himself a i -l Home, if He Lives. Mr. Clark, aged thirty-five, is man ager of the elevator in the town of Sa lem. The position pays him a good salary, enabling him to upport his family and lay aside about $200 per year. Though he Is now living com fortably, he realizes that he must de vise some way of providing an Income for his declining years. Hia Idea is to buy a farm. During a period of meditation as to whether or not he shall purchase a certain quar ter section of land which Is for sale at $5,000, he Is Interviewed by a represen tative of the Old Line Bankers Life In surance company of Lincoln, Nebraska, who endeavors to interest ilm in Lifa Insurance. Hardly does the agent get well start ed, when he is interrupted by Mr. Clark who tells him of his intention to buy a farm. He states that be is about to make a small payment on the purchase price and will, If the agent can offer anything better be an' interested listener. "Well," said the agent "suppose you buy a farm worth $5,000 by paying the small sum of $175.25 annually without Interest, for twenty years, the con tract for same containing a clause spe cifying that, should you die at any time, the party from whom you buy the land will cancel all deferred pay ments, and give' your estate a cleat title; or if you live to the maturity of the contract, give you not only the deed to the land, but pay you as large a per centage of profit as you could reason ably expect to malce from the property. Would you buy a farm on those terms?" Of course Mr. Clark was interested, and since the Company secures each and every contract issued with a de posit of approved securities with the State of Nebraska, he expressed a will ingness to become a party to such an agreement. "Well," continued the agent, "if you will pay annually to the Old Line Bank ers Life Insurance Company of Ne braska the sum of $175.25 they will, if. you die at any time, pay to whom yoir may name the sum of $5,000. If you live twenty years, they will give you a cash settlement consisting of the guar anteed reserve and an estimated sur plus, amounting to $5,491.25. You will, readily see that you receive $1,986.25' more than you pay in, which is better than four per cent compound interest. Then, too, having the assurance that, should you die, you would leave a com fortable estate." Mr. Clark bought the Insurance, and what Mr. Clark did you can do. Permit our agent to explain a con tract to you. If you do not own all the land you care to farm, ask for cir cular No. 1 which shows "How Jone Bouhgt and Paid for, a $C.00O farm." If you have a mortgaged farm, call for Circular No. 2. which shows "How Samuels Paid a $2,000 Mortgage." For further Information address th OLD IJNE RANK URS LIFE INSUK NCK COM PAN I, at Lincoln. Nebraska. Send a lint of "heart of oak" popuU Ists to C. Q. IK France, Lincoln, Neb. GREEN GABLES Tha Dr. Dsn). F. Daitsy SANATORIUM, r r lralnrnt tf Mtr(tit!!e-it!a"a uf iimiit, itirtiaOin. fi I Iri lat taM rMatft.i llwfra. All l aid h. )r trl rrrma umM hi liratnu 1.1 . at, k. Mat m 'HO ( fi!ttf, I Ma it la, frt, iutl ail H-autUM!) jf f irulhr nt rtii lu It.a ml, r(i Wf .u.ku:t. A.llrt Dr. UsnJ F. Oallty Sanatorium, llnssl", Nsarasha,