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Vol. XVI. LINCOLN, NEB , DECEMBER 22, 1904. No. 31
' A Little Mother's Christmas s gg Sgr.
A little maid of the tenements went
out to do her Christmas shopping.
She was a little German girl, which
meant-that she must buy a present for
each member of the family. It meant,
also, that she did her Christmas shop
ping on Avenue A, between First and
Eighth streets, in that exciting little
village of Christmas booths which
springs up there as if by magic just
before Christmas every, year. y
fhe little girl of the tenements said
that the explorer, might go along'. with
her while she did her shopping,' and
the explorer was glad to go.
She was a little mother, but she man
aged to leave "my baby" at home for
just this one day: It is very wearing to
have the baby along when ? one goes
shopping. v ;.'.
She had three brothers jr nd three
sisters, counting In the baby. And her
father and mother made eight to buy
presents for, and she hadwexactly 25
cents. The explorer thought it would
be profitable and interesting , to watch
this Christmas shopping. ,v?v
The little maid had been to school
and knew very well that she had three
cents to spend on each one and a cent
over, probably to add to her mother's
present. But really, the baby would
hardly heed three cents. That would
be extravagant for a baby, who can
not be expected to appreciate expensive
presents , , - . .
Two gay little tin balls, one gilt, th;
other crimson,' tied together with a
bright cord, and rattling when they are
shaken that will please the baby, and
they cost only a cent. -
A candy chair; quite' perfect, rounds,
back and everything, catclie3 the shop
per's eye next. An Italian boy is 'sell
ing them, for a. cent apiece.:, One of
these will do for the next baby. Ha
was the baby until six months ago, and
he will admire the chair -and then eat
it. V : '-. .''.;- ' ,'
And so there are two presents bought
and only two cents gone.
There is a wine glass, too; only it
isn't wine; , but only make believe, and
the man selling them is telling people
what a good joke it is to invite one's
friends to have a drink out of it. That
would plase Johnny, who is big enough
to see a joke. On6 cent for Johnny. It
is wonderfully how money hold3 out,
anyway, especially in the hands of a
skillful shopper who knows what
things are worth.
But Mamie Rose must have her full
three cents. Mamie Rose is old and crit
ical. She know3 the value of thing?.
A doll's washbowl and pitcher it costs
three cents, but it is worth it. There
is a vine painted all up and down one
side of the beautiful white crockery. .
A little washboard for . 'Lizabeth
costs only two cents. ; 'Lizabeth Is
not so critical. She will be pleased
with anything one gives' her. ";..Y.
And then a drum for the third broth
er costs another three centa. He must
have something to make noise with,
and this is the noisiest thing for the
money.
Only 11 cents spent, and six presents
t.ought. That means 14 .cents to spend
for father and mother; Seven cents
apiece.
It is much more difficult to buy ex
pensive presents than cheap ones! Tno
astute little shopper hesitates and pon
ders long. . She goes up and down the
village of booths many times, and
even -condescends to ask the explorer'!
advice. .
Eventually she decides on a bright,
silvery thimble for her mother, cun
ningly imbedded in a dainty little box
of its own, with plush all around it and
rosc3 on the outside of the box. She i
well satisfied with this purchase, but
she hesitates long over the gift for hei
father. Men are so hard to buy pres
ents for. , . . , ,
At last she stops at a crockery booth
and decides on a cup and saucer, which
will do for father's coffee in the morn
ing, for he always has coffee, it betas
the main part of his breakfast. The
cups and saucers are ten cents. But
she displays the last remnant of her
funds, the nickel and theiwo cents
clasped tightly in her little xc hand,
and firmly demands the coffee cup.
Some sharp bargaining ensues. Th-3
salesman orders her to go home and
get more money. But when she finally
turns to go he weakens, and the cup
and saucer are hers. '
Eight presents, all suitable, new and
welcome, and the little maid's quarter
is just exactly gone. N. Y. Sun. -
..... i .... -
A New Classification.
National Committeeman A, W. Files
of Little Rock, Ark., in a letter to head
quarters shortly after election, replying
to a request for a forecast of . the votes
in Pulaski county, said:: "It is folly to
trv to forecast the results here. We
have a nefarious 3ystem that depends
-"A-v not upon votes cast, but upon the
' count. I learn that In Jefferson coun
. ' ty, one . of the most populous counties
' outside of this, that the names of the
populist, socialist and prohibition elec
tors, were left off the ticket, in some
instances, if not entirely so. Hurrah
for Watson and Tibbies! Let us up
and at 'em again. Bogus democracy
is now out of the way.: This is my
classification:
' No. 1. Watson men genuine demo-
crat3. " " '
"No. 2. Bryan men fairly good dem
ocrats. -
"No. 3. Parker men (goldbrick) 'alf
" and 'alf democrats.
" '- "No. 4. Yaller dogs anybody's ... and
everybody's men if labeled 'democrat.' "
A Question of Ways ftrvd Means
To the- Members of the People's
Party:
Recent press dispatches give a fairly
correct summary of the popular vote
on president. Four, counties in Michi
gan are estimated, and in Tennessee
one county is treated similarly. It is
also defective in that no vote is re
ported from the- state of Washington,
where ;Watson and Tibbies electors
were' duly nominated and must have
received some votes.
The electoral vote stands 336 for
Roosevelt to 140 for Parker, ; The pop
ular vote, as follows: ; ,
1904-,'.
"Parker ...... . ... ..... . . .... . 5,094,091
Roosevelt 7,640,561
Watson .... .... ... . . . ... ... . 124,381
Swallow ...... 248,411
Debs 392,857
Corregan ..' 33,519
Totals . . . . : ........ .. .13,534,650
a 1900 -
Bryan ....... .". ..'.;... 6,357,826
McKlnley . . 7,217,8 10
Barker v...:......;;... 50,218
Woolley 208,791
Debs ... . . . ..... . . . . . . ..... . ' 87,769
Malloney-.... v.... ...... 39,944
Elli3 (U. ii.). y. 5,698
Leonard , 518
Totals .13,968,574
. Notwithstanding the voting popula
tion must have grown considerably in
the past four years, the vote of 1904 is
short of that of 1900 in the sum of
433,924. The natural increase in voting
population is somewhere near a quar
ter of a million every year; hence, it is
safe to 3ay that a million and a quarter
of able-bodied men refused to exercise
their sovereignty in 1904. Doubtless the
number is even greater than this.
Inasmuch as the total .vote did not
increase, it is fair to assume that the
1,263,735 who voted for Bryan in 1900,
but failed to vote, for Parker, in. 19Q4,
make up- the increase which other
parties gained, and include the loss in
the .total vote. The socialist labor par
ty candidate, Corregan, ran 6,425 be
hind Malloney in 1900, and neither the
union reform nor the United Christian
parties were represented this year
making another loss of 6,216. Hence,
the total party losses sustained were
1,276,376. These votes were distributed
as follows:
Stayed at home..... 433,934
Voted for Roosevelt.......... 422,751
Voted for Debs 305,088
Voted for Watson......;...... 74,163
Voted for Swallow 39,620
Voted for Holcomb ............ ' 830
Total ....................... 1,276,37(5
Compared with the Weaver vote of
1892, Mr. Watson's eighth of a million
may seem small to those who were ex
pecting over a million and may cause
some to feel discouraged. But when
we consider that a million and a quar
ter who voted for Bryan and a populis
tic platform in 1900, refused to be de
livered to the Belmont crowd this year,
it is evident that there is a large field
for future work. In addition to this
there must be nearly a million more of
new. voters (or substitutes for them;
who were not interested in a sham
battle between two plutocratic parties
and who also stayed at home. - There
were ,799,998 eight hundred thousand
in round numbers radical votes cast
this year. There are three times that
many more radicals who did not vote
or voted for plutocracy out of spite.
Hence, instead of feeling discour
aged, the people's party has reason to
feel encouraged. Had the total vote
increased proportionately to increase
in population, both old parties increas
ed their vote, and the minor parties
fallen. behind then there would have
been ground for despair. But such is
not the case. The socialists, prohibi
tionists, and populists, have all made
gains and any reasoning man knows
that there is a wider field than ever
before for making further gains. The
question as to which of these three
parties shall gain most of the recruits,
is of no moment right now.- The im
portant work is to teach them how to
make an effective protest against plu
tocracy and to cease the unpatriotic,
foolish practice of indulging in political
pouting.
During the winter months the na
tional , committee desire to keep up
constant , communication with every
state, congressional, and county com
mittee of the people's party now or
ganized, and, in conjunction with the
state committees, to perfect tempo
rary organization in all unorganized
counties and districts, in .order to have
an onicial head to the party in every
locality. To carry on, this work prop
erly will;, .require:; from t25JLLJ400
per month for clerk hire, printing,
postage', etc less than 5 cents a year
for every man who voted for Watson
and Tibbies. But the practical impos
sibility of collecting such a; small
amount from ,each, makes it impera
tive that ; those who do contribute
should give a dollar or more each year.
Populists, " man for man, own more
property and pay more taxes than the
average voter in other parties. Shall it
be said that they are less inclined to
give financial assistance to their party?
, CHARLES Q. DE FRANCE,
Joliet, 111. Secretary.
From Mr. Bryan's Neighborhood
Editor Independent: I am still a pop
ulist, but am getting a little tired of
being so very still. I have read from
week to week in your columns since
the election, the comments on, and the
attempted explanation of the. late
political disaster, by more or less
prominent populists throughout the
country. I have also noted carefully
their numerous suggestions as to what
should be our party's future policy and
line of action. To my mind some of
these suggestions seem wise, white
many of them seem very much other
wise. "Among the most sensible, sin
cere and sane of these articles I would
place hose of ex-Senator Allen, ex
Governor Gilbert and M. F. Harrington;'-'"
' V "L
While it is perhaps well, or at least
harmless', 1 to discuss, in a temperate
and tentative manner, the results of
the "late election, and the probable
causes that led up to them I regard
the attempt to mark out a definite pol
icy for the populist party to pursue
with reference to the next national
campaign, as entirely premature. Three
fears and a half is entirely too long
for any of us to know, beforehand, or
even to predict with any certainty the
wisest course to be taken at that time,
or even .to any great extent in the
mean time. We are living at. a time
in which things are not only liable to
happen, but in which wonderful things
are almost daily happening.
Who dare aay what the "number, or
character of the changes or -happenings,
in this country are going to be
in the near future, or, at least, In the
next three years that may affect, if not
control, to a largo extent, the political
actions of any or all parties? Appar
ently very small matters frequently,
not only control 'party action, but
often determine party success.
The financial condition of the mas303
of the people, at the time of an elec
tion, has frequently more to do with
the result than has party candidates of
party platforms. , In their indifference, .
or I might say in their blindness, tha
people have come to regard the na
tional administration as entitled to all
the, credit -fop- good, and equally re
sponsible for all the evils growing out
of bad times. "Let well enough alone''
has been the republican slogan, and
the mpst potent argument of repub
lican orators, for the last three national
campaigns. With all our boa3ted in
telligence the average voter in cast
ing his ballot is controlled more by
the products of his fields and -the con
dition of his finances than he is bj
the production of oratory or the posi
tion of his party upon any, or all the
political questions of the day. From
this viewpoint the republican party
has had largely the advantage of all
others for a number of years. AddeJ
to this and contributing largely to Mr.
Roosevelt's unprecedented majority
were the bitter feuds among demo
crats for the control of their last na
tional convention at St. Louis, togeth
er with the unorganized condition of
the populist party before and even
during the campaign. To anyone,
therefore, except the merest tyro in
politics the result of the last campaign
wa3 no surprise for it was visible from
its beginning. There was little in Mr.
Roosevejt. as a man, or in the repub
lican platform as a political creed -to
drive a single republican to rvote for
any other candidate, while the repub
lican candidate was the natural legatee
of the dissatisfied and recalcitrant vot
ers of all other parties in the race.
Mr. Bryan loyally supported Mr. Par
ker, as I claim, under all the circum
stances, he wa3 in honor bound to do,
and while he brought him hundreds
of thousands of Votes that Mr. Parker
would not otherwise have received, yet
there were other hundreds of thou
sands of democrats that would not lis
ten to even the persuasive voice of
their former, and, I predict, their fu
ture great leader, and to show their
displeasure, and to emphasize their
protest against the action of their par
ty at St. Louis voted for the repub
lican nominee. And our candidate, the
gallant and gifted son of the south,
Tom Watson, while wishing and seek
ing as large a vote as possible for him
self, as it was hl3 duty to do, held out
no hope of . his own election, but by
his fiery eloquence, keen wit and with
ering sarcasm directed against the ac
tion of the St. Louis convention, and
its nominee, Mr. Parker, and Its most
active and conspicuous member, Mi-
