PAGE 10
DECEMBER 22, 1904
66 Nobraskot Independent
- A Popullt Conference
The editor of The Independent has
received several letters from earnest
workers in the populist cause residing
in several diflernt states, suggesting a
populist conference, or taking it for
granted that such a conference is to
be held, asking when and where. Thero
seems to be a desire that such a con
ference should be held. The Inde
pendent would like to receive an ex
pression of the rank and file on that
subject. It is no use for a few leading
men -of the people's party to get to
gether and formulate plans for action,
unless the members of the party gen
erally intend to support such action.
The Independent would be glad to hear
from the party on that subject.
Banks continue to break at an as
tonishing rate. So far, in almost every
case, it has been pure swindling, abso-j
lute dishonesty, except where as In on
or two cases the banker has proved to
be a bigger fool than a goldbrick pur
chaser. The courts continue to give en
couragement to bank swindlers, by a
leniency which they show to no other
class of criminals. An Iowa man who
bilked a bank for $250,000 was sent to
jail for three months, another who em
bezzled $25,000 was given thirty months
in jail, and then the authorities caught
a man stealing a dollar and soaked him
for ten years.
A new book ha3 recently been pub
lished called "Poverty." The lauthor
is Robert Hunter and the publisher
Macmillan & Co., N. Y. The work is
attracting a good deal of attention. By
"Poverty," Mr. Hunter means . "the in
ability to obtain those necessaries
which will permit the people to main
tain a state of physical efficiency." Mr.
Hunter shows from the records that 21
per cent of the inhabitants of New
York were compelled to apply for re
lief, 14 per , cent of the inhabitants of
Manhattan, the island on which New
York city is built, were evicted becausra
they could not pay rent and 40 per cent
Of the burials in New York city were
in the potter's field. Besides that 2,
000,000 of the wageworkers in the Unit
ed States were '.without employment
from four to six months. That is what
plutocracy calls prosperity. Mr. Hunt
er therefore comes to tho conclusion
that "there is something grievously
wrong with our social and economic
environment." That is what populists
have been saying for ten years.
Wall street stock exchange has sum
so low that it has no effect on the fi
nancial interests of the country. The
operators can bet, bankrupt and roo
one another aa often and as much as
they please and the country at large
pays no more attention to them than
it would to any other set of gamblers
rine time was when ir there was . a
jpanie on the stock exchange everybody
was excited, and bankers everywhere
began to fear a run on their banks:
Now bankers, outside of those that
lend money on Wall street collateral,
pay no attention to the fracuses there.
The comparative statistics of presi
dential elections since 1868, show that
Judge Parker was the weakest candi
date ever nominated by the democratic
party for president. Even Greeley had
44 per cent of the popular vote, while
Parker got only 38 per cent. With
such facts a3 that staring them in the
face, western and southern democrats
still refuse to cut loose from the Wail
street gang of Belmonts and Hills, join
with, the genuine reform forces and
sweep plutocracy out of power.
In the counties where they live and
where the people have a knowledge of
their characters, the republican ' can
didates in this state are very often and
yery severely repudiated, ; while tha
candidates of ,the opposition are sup
ported, by large numbers of all par-
- ties. When the people know a repub
lican candidate, they generally; don't
want him. In Polk, county, the repuh
lican candidates who did not live in
that county had an average majority of
132. Mickey had lived there for twenty-five
years and the people knew him
and Berge beat Mickey by 600. On the
other hand in the county where Berge
lived and Mickey has been residing
for two years so that the people had
become somewhat acquainted with
both, Berge ran ahead of his ticket al
most 1,000 votes. The same state of
affairs was evident when Mickey ran
against .Thompson. Thompson s neigh
bors voted for him almost unanimous
ly. When the people know these re
publican candidates they don't want
them, but it is only possible for a few
to be acquainted with a candidate for
a state office.
The Springfield Republican has at
last come to the conclusion that "we
have got to deal with railroads as mo
nopolies and nothing else." Glad to see
the advancement that it is making.
That is what the populi3ts have said
all the time.
Two men who'wereserving out terms
In jail were elected to offices in Bos
ton the other day. One was elected
alderman and the other a member of
the legislature. Boston must be hard
up for la-makers when it takes a large
per cent of them from the jails and
sends them to the city hall and state
house. .': - "' -
What is to be done with the starving
thousands of people In the eastern
cities no one seems to know, i Dis
patches from Brooklyn say: "An ap
palling condition of destitution pre
vails in Brooklyn. The almshouse at
Flatbush shelters almost 1,600 inmates,
an increase of , 40 per cent over the
number housed there a year ago. The
society for improving the condition of
the poor ha3 almost doubled its force
of investigators, and is supplying im
mediate aid to a greater number of
applicants than ever before. Every
relief agency finds its functions doub
led , and its treasury unable ; to bear
the strain." No such condition at this
time of the year was ever known in
this country before. The paupers in
crease in exactly the; same ratio that
the millionaires increase. It could not
be otherwise. The wealth of the coun
try can not be concentrated in few
hands without producing just such re
suits.
The Boston Advertiser calls atten
tion to the increased requests for aid
made upon the associated charities and
other benevolent organizations. It
says that in many instances the appli-
mtirms rvimo frnm fomilina sm!n
from New York. While the New York
dailies will not say anything about the
horrible conditions there, consisting of
millionairs on one side and starving
tens of thousands on the other, the
facts are slowly coming to the knowl
edge of the whole nation.
The Civic Federation of New York
an organization , that is to advance
holiness, righteousness and peace on
earth and especially among corporation
employers, working men and manufac
turers, has elected August Belmont
president. When that thing was don
all the angels of-peace flapped their
wings and burst out in one grand hal
lelujah! As for the gourmets at the
dinner where this thing was done, they
did not sing the doxology, for the Chi
cago university had abolished that an.
the blessings they are looking for
were not to come from the Most High,
but from Belmont Carnegie was there,
but he did not say anything about
Homestead and the Pinkertons.
-Rockefeller has been . working pre
c(sely the same game With the: Colo
rado Fuel and Iron company that he
did with Standard Oil away back in th
beginning of hi3 career, that is, he Is
getting a rebate.' equal to the price
the product shipped. He has ' been
playing that game on coal and some
other things. And Paul Morton is ;
trusted cabinet officer of .the presiden
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The gain in cash and invested
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Energetic agents and salesmen
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, by addressing - -: -
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President
THE COMING EQUALITY.
A little book that all should read that reformers must read. It la practical, original, oubop
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The book proposes equal opportunity hut not equal wealth. It suggests public ownership of
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who is going to stop rebates. We in
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all that. In one case it was proved
that the Santa Fe charged $5.90 cents
freight on coal shipped Jby an outsider
and delivered the same coal, from the
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The three, daughters of the late Mr.
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viceroy, one a lord and one a
major. Americans "will 'send over a
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that may be a very difficult thing to
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The testimony recentlyr gfven shows
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Officials of the western roads have been
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the evidence that rebating is practiced
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The public utility , corporations of
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