FEBRUARY 9, 1?C5
Uc Nobraohcw Independent
PAG 3 15
The Main Reason Why-
Editor Independent; One more bat
tle for political reform has been lost,
once more the majority have endorsed
tha policies of the republican party.
Acknowledged anew their servility to
the monopolist, and again given their
approval to the imperialistic policy of
forcible expansion and all other iniq
uities of past '.administration. Why
should it not be that way since the
majority, have so willed it May -be
after all we are wrong in our conten
tion that the people are in the main
honest and intelligent. If the majority
of the people are indeed honest and
intelligent, why do they not give more
' evidence of it. Take for instance the
campaigns of 1895 and 1900. The party
that appealed to the honesty, integrity'
and humanity of the people was thrown
down by them, while the party that ap
pealed to the spirit of selfishness, greed
' and brutality, was endorsed.
; Were the leaders of the democratic
party . so much to blame after all in
adopting republican tactics with the
l'.U" of winning? Now, the fact that
the lepublican administrations did not
carry out to" the full, the iniquitous
promises of the platforms, i3 to the
credit of the administrations, but not
to the credit of the people who en
dorsed the platforms.
In the matter of the gold standard
they did the very opposite of what wab
promised in both platform and public
and political speeches, in that they in
creased the supply, of money instead
of decreasing it. It would almost seem
in some cases that their dishonest pre
tenses were only for the purpose of
catching votes, , and - that beneath all
that was the honest purpose to serve
the best interest of the people in spite
of the fact that the peopie were too
dishonest to vote for their best inter
est There is no use in denying, that
.the idea of "people's government" ;is
on the wane and it will continue ,to
wane until the citizenship become hon
est enough to assume their responsi
bilities toward government Talk about
dishonesty among officials. If there
were one-half of the dishonesty among
the - administrators of government as
the average voter exhibits, we would
have something to complain of sure
enough. Bad off as we are, we are
better off than we deserve. Suppose
that , by hook or crook, or trick we
. could succeed in electing an honest and
capable set of men from one end of.
officialdom "to the other, what would
it all amount to without the support pf
an honest citizenship ? Suppose we
had . elected Bryan in 1896 .or 1900 with
only- a small part of even his rown
party understanding or being in -sympathy
with his ideals. I tell you we
are beginning at the wrong end of this
reform business. Abusing republican
administrations, trusts, combines, mo
nopolies, while the real culprits, the
voters, responsible for the whole mis
chief, remain unchided. The-need is
for a hand strong enough to throw the
whiplash of reproof on the dishonest
citizen. Where did the trusts get all
their advantages- and powers? Why,
the fool people gave them to - them.
None of these great advantages were
taken away from the people by force,
they were -all free gifts. And in spite
ofall that is said the trusts are fairly
temperate in the use of their powers;
they are dishonest; yes! They take un
lawful advantage, yes! They crush
out honest competition, yes! They do
many abominable things, 7es!-yes! But
here take the average citizen, too dis
honest to cast an honest ballot, and
give him suddenly this great power,
this strangle-hold on the throats of the
American public and see what he would
- do. - : . -'-i
.The worst of "trust oppression"
would seem like humane benefaction,
in comparison. ;i . .
Take .the "honest farmer" (and by
the way? it was the -'honest farmer"
that defeated reform when it was so
near to winning). . Take the "honest
farmer," I say, and give him the con
trol over the price of meat that the
meat trust now enjoys, ani meat would
rot in their ' smoke houses" at the
price of dollars per pound because
none but the very rich would . have
money to buy it The majority of the
citizenship has lost their respect for
law,- their love of right, and - retain
only their fear of the penalties of the
law. Such a condition will surely low-
ecthem (as it should) from their high
er office of citizens,; where they are
the makers and defenders of law-by
virtue or tneir respect for right and
justice, and the legacy of liberty left
by the forefathers, and will lower them
from their present high estate to the
degraded one of subjects b laws and
conditions over which they will have
no control. And whose fault will "it be?
The most dangerous element in poli
tics is not as is popularly supposed,
the bribe giver or the bribe taker, be
cause", they are. comparatively few, in
number. But it is that great mas3 of
respectable honest" citizenship that
will vote fofvicious measures without-
any reward. ' -
Suppose you had a certain work to
do that required the abilities of five
men, and had the wherewithal to pay
but one of them for his labor, you
would have a hard time getting the
work done. Not so with the monop
olist, when he figures in politlC3 he
hires about one-fifth of the voting
strength, that he needs, and finds the
other .four-fifths, ready to, .work for
nothing and pay for the privilege be
sides. Thui it is that about one-tenth
of the voting strength can over-power
the other nine-tenths.
Ask the average voter o? the major
ity party, what. he thinks of certain
legislation, and he .will tell you he
knows nothing about it Ask him what
he thinks of the platform of his party.
He will tell you he hasn't read it,
Then ask him how he can vote Intel-
1 'gently, knowing nothing about what
x is doing, and he will proudly tell
. u that his party bosses know what
tL; y are about, and that he is "willing
to eave the whole matter xto them
knowing, that it will be attended to
right"- "': 'y'" "X'-v:-- :r
Such faith! Such perfect trust and
confidence, were; it exercised in his
God, instead of the Idolatrous direction
in which '. he does exercise it, would
save his fool soul from perdition. 5
And we 'are eternally finding fault
with the administration, is if it could
help" itself? With the mighty power
of the monopolist pulling in the wrong
direction, and the mighty force of the
majority of the people, pushing In the
same direction. And . the president i3
often unjustly criticized. He is ex
pected to exercise super-human powers
In the "trust busting" business. How
he owing as he doe3 his position to the
friendliness of -the monopolist to him
personally, and the popular endorse
ment of trust rule by' the people? Is
he more than human? Is he a sort of
demigod? Is he able, gigantic though
he be, to-stand against all the world
alone? ' Isn't he doing as well as could
be expected, handicapped as he is?
Take for Instance his first public ut
terance after being assured of his re
election, when he said he would not
under any circumstances accept a third
term. What Was that but a rebuke
aimed at the slobbering flatterer and
idolator. It ha3 come to a pretty pass
in this country when the patriotism
and firmness of one man is all that
stands in the way of the change from
republic to kingdom.
. Read his message strange medley,
strange mixture .. of bad and good,
showing that the; better nature of the
man wa3 struggling for expression in
spite of his evil environment. Instead
of being criticized he is rather to be
pitied. He might be likened to a great
giant bound with many strong bands.
For in his struggles in the right
direction restraining cords seem to
tear and cut through the very tendon3
of good intentions. Why should he
be required to make a martyr of him
self try-going' up, against this awful
power alone? -'-Let the people move in
the matter of the regulation of the
trusts first,, and if they fail to do it;
then let the trusts rule them forever
and ever. - ? , SIB FOREE.
HEADACHE
"j At a0 4rug item. 25 Dm 25. j
A Queer Populist
Editor Independent: As my subscrip
tion on The Independent expires Feb
ruary 1, next, I deem it proper that I
should give you - my reasons for not
renewing It,5 and notify you to J quit
sending it. to me after that date.
I am a true "populist, my first presi
dential vote was cast for B. F. Butler.
I also voted for Streeter, Weaver, W. J.
Bryan twice, and last fall for Watson,
not because I liked' Watson or his cam
paign, but for the principle.
ft" ..What makes me quit The Indepen
dent is the way you have- haaVof late
to hurl abuse at W. J. Bryan.
Populists may think it is proper to
vote for Roosevelt and ridicule Bryan.
but it don't work, with . me. ; I- think
Bryan would have been elected presi
dent in 1896 but for Thos. E. Watson.
I listened to one speech Tonl Watson
made in Osceola, Neb., that fall and
that was enough to satisfy me that
Watson and. some others didn't help
Bryan any. i ! . . -It'
seems tot me while, reading: your
paper that you have got a notion in
your head, that to build up yours and
Tom Watson s political fortunes it is
necessary that you tear down Bryan
and the reform democracy. In this
NO INSTITUTION IN AAERICA
HAS GREATER PROMISE THAN THE
Bankers Reserve Life
uy
Comb
any
OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA
... . . - r
With its 70 Per Cent Record of Increase of
- Gross Assets During 1904
Progressive Salesmen or Agents do well to Con
tract for an Agency of this
Teh AMIIion Dollar Company
For Information, Call on or Address
B. H. ROBISON, President
1 " " 1 1 1 " ' 1 .. "
you, of course, can do as you please,
Jut I will not be along with you in it.
Ana tne wooas are-run or otners
(good pops too) that think, likewise.
Hoping tliis explanation is all .that
is necessary I a3k you to scratch my
name from your mailing list Feb. 1,
1905, as that is the date when my sub
scription expires.
JOHN P. CARLSON.
Osceola, Neb., R. F. D. 1.
(The Independent will continue to
print what the rank and file of the
party have to say about Bryan, Watson
or, any other political leader. If any
other populists around Osceola,, Neb.,
have a different view, it will be glad
to print their opinions also. Ed. Ind.)
FARMERS, ATTENTION.
Do you wish to sell your farm? l
so, send full description, lowest price
and best terms. Or, if ycu wish to
buy a farm, ranch or Lincoln home,
WTlte to or call nn Williams & Bratt,
1105 O st. Lincoln. Neb.
FARMS For Sale S
I fUlllIU j MULHALL, Sioux CUy, Iowa.
DIAMONDS!
We can sell you a diamond for 110.00
or for $300.00, and at all prices between.
Let us know your wapts and we will
gladly serve you. . r --v
Tl. G. WOLFF,
139 So. 13th St. ; Lincoln, Nbb
Stock Merchandise
For Lond
Large general stock of merchandise
now running in a good Minnesota
town and doing good business which
I will exchange for good improved
land and some cash.
FRED F. CLAR.K,
426 Boston Dlk.,
Minneapolis, - Minnesota,
GEO. W. BKKGE, Attorney.
IN TlIK DISTRICT COURT OP LANCASTER
COUNTY, NEBRASKA.
NOTICE OF SALE.
Ia the matter of the estate of Conrad Schmidt,
decensed.
Notice is hereby siren that la pursuance of an
order by lion. A. J. cornlsh, one of the judges
of the District Court of Lancaster County, Ne- '
braka, made ou the 31th day of January, 190t. for
the f ale of real estate hereinafter dlserlbed.there
will be sold at the East Door of the Court House
in the city of Lincoln, Lancaster County, Ne
braska, on the 28th day of February 1905, at tea
o'clock A. M. at public vendue to the highest
bidder for cash the following described real
estate, to-wit: Lot nine (9) in block thirteen(13)
of C'nhn Mctcalf fc Farwell's Pub division of
I the North half ( N. of the Northf ast quarter
t. . y) or section iweniy-wree (ay, townsnvp
ten (10), range six (6), F.ast of the 6th P. M., in
Lancaster County, Nebraska: 8ald sale will re
main open one hour.. Said real f state will be
clear except taxes tor 1904.
KATE SCHMIDT TROUT.
Administratrix of the estate of Conrad Schmidt,
deceased.
Dated this 6th day of February 1905.
your wife the drudgery and labor
and yourself money you should use
gas for cooking and heating. A gas
stove is ready to respond immedi
ately to. the touch of a lighted
match at any time of the night
Think what this means in case of
sudden illness. '
Gas Ranges, Heaters , and Water
Heaters at cost
UliCOLII GAS & ELECTRIC
LIEUT COMPAIIY
. Opn Evenings
Auto Phone 2575 Bell Phone 75
SHERIFF SALE
Notice is hereby given that by virtue of an
order of sale Issued by the Clerk of the Dis
trict Court of the Third Judicial District of Ne
braska, within and tor Lancaster county, in an
action wherein Peter Judge Is Plaintiff, and
Charles W. Burkett et al. Defendants, I will at 2
o'clock p. m.. on the 28th day ot February; A.D.
i!K, at tne east floor 01 the uourt House, in tne
city of Lincoln, Lancaster county, Nebraska, of
fer for sal eat pu duo auction tne following de
scribed lands and tenements to-wlt. Lot Seveu
(7) Block 73: Lots Two (2 Nine (9) Block 79; Lot
One (1) Block 20; Lots Six (6) and Seven (7)
Block 87; Lots Four (4), Five (5),-Six (6) &ud
Seven f7 Block 13: Lots Seven f 71 Nine f9V Ten
. '. - ' ' .. . . v. . . . . At. :
(10) ock 3H. Lots rive (o) ana t.ieat ) uiock
40; I ot Ten (10) Block 44; LottTwo (2) and Six,
(6) 151oce zo: an in tne town oi iiawtnonre, JUan- i
caster connly, Nebraska.
Given nnaer my nana tnu 2utn aay of January
A.D. 1905..
- NICHOLAS RESS,
Sheriff.
S. B. HAMS, Attorney.
NOTICE
Notice is hereby given to all whom It may con
cern, and especially to Sarah J. Woriey, non
resident defendant, that on the 25th day of Jan
uary A. D. 1905, Charles Dunning as plaintiff
filed hia petition in the District Court of
Lancaster county, Nebraska, against Henry V.
Headland, administrator of the estate of W1K
Ham H. Woriey deceased, Sarah J. Woriey, an?
lot eight hundred and twelve (812) and E. 15 ft.
of lot eight hundred and thirteen (813) In the
village of Waverly, Lancaster county Nebraska,
as defendants, the obiect and prayer of said pe
tition being to foreclose certain liens for taxes
set out in said petition existining in plaintiff's
favor against said real estate, to have said defen
dants and all other persons barred of any claim
to said real estate and for equitable relief and
that said real estate is made a party to said ac
tion. Answer to said petition is required on or
be lore Monday March 6th 1905.
: . CUAHLES DUNNING,
" ... PlainUfK,
Tom Watsou's magazine and The j
clubs of five or more a special rate
of 1.40 will be allowed. Address or
ders to The Independent, Lincoln,
Neb. .
i
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