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About The independent. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907 | View Entire Issue (March 2, 1905)
MARCH 2, 1905 PAGE 2 &3 Nebraska. Independent braska, continue to be "regular" and support the railroad nominees. Is there one among them who will have courage enough to denounce a pass grabber and a railroad tool after he has received the nomination of a republican con vention? - - Tom Watson's Magazine Tom Watson's Magazine is out at last. The first eleven pages are filled with the piquant, forceful, pungent sen tences for which Tom Watson Js fa mous. This part is devoted to a re view of the last presidential election which he says "affords more encour agement to reformers than any event that has happened since the war." In "the smashing of the fraudulent scheme of Gorman-Hlll-McCarren-Bel-niont, the people proved that there was such a thing as a public conscience." Of Roosevelt he say3:: "He had fought abuses in civil life; he had fought the enemies of his country, on the- battlefield; he had ' achieved literary success; he had been a worker and a fighter all his days. He had faced the coal barons and vir tually brought them to terms; he had bearded the railroad kings and broken up the Northern Securities , combine. Thua, while he 'stood pat' on many things which the people detested, he stood likewise for many things they admired, and they gave him a vote larger than that of his party." The managers of Parker's campaign "not only kept Cleveland on exhibition in the most conspicuous manner, but they dug up John G. Carlisle, Arthur Pue Gorman, Olney of Massachusetts, and other Cleveland fossils, until Par ker's identification with Cleveland's second administration was complete. "And When that happened, it was 'Good-bye Parker!"' Following this comes an article ad dressed to Roosevelt. He calls the president's attention to many evils the extortion of the express companies, the subsidies already paid to favored ship owners and many things of the same sort and asks the president "Will you come into the arena and help us fight for a parcels post?" Then he adds: . 5 "Mr. President, the railroads are charging the government $65,000,000 per year for carrying our mails! This represents a yearly income of more than two per cent upon three billion dollars." He attacks (the tariff and wants every article put on the free list that Is sold abroad cheaper than it is here. He closes his address to Roosevelt with these words:, "Under Abraham Lincoln, the rail roads and the manufacturer paid a federal tax. "They pay none now. "Under Abraham Lincoln, the vast ly overgrown insurance companies and express companies paid a federal tax. "They pay none now. "Is that right. President? "Why should the poorest mechanic, clerk, storekeeper, printer, farmer, or mine-worker pay excessive federal taxes upon the necessaries of life while the billion dollar corporations pay nothing at all?" There Is -a very able and scholarly article from the pen of Dr. John H. Girdner entitled, "Franchise Wealth and Municipal Ownership." This art! cle states the fundamental principles upon which rests the dictrine of muni cipal ownership in the best form that they have ever been put in print. There is in it the foundation for a dozen popular addresses, and every public speaker should have a copy of It in his pocket There are poems by Ella Wheeler Wilcox, Edwin Markham, the author of "The Man with the Hoe," and other ' poets. " It contains a mass of elegant fiction, as much of that as Is found in any of the magazines. It has ex tracts from all the leading reform pa pers, except the Nebraska Independent, and varixms other features. From information that has come to this office, it is learned that Tom Wat son's Magazine, including subscriptions and copies ordered by the news agen cies, starts out with a circulation of considerable over one hundred thou sand copies. Rheumatism h one of the constitutions! diseases. It manifests itself in local aches and Dains.- foflamed joints and stiff muscles, but it cannot bo cured by local annhcations. It requires constitutional treatment acting through tho blood, and the best is a course of the great medicine MoodsSarsapariHa which has permanently curea inousanos of cases. 1 For testimonials of remarkable cures tend for Book on Rheumatism, No. 7. C L Hood Co., Lowel!, Mass. The Country Ripe for Reform , Cincinnati, O., Feb. 26. Tbev pastor of the Vine Street Congregational church, Herbert S. Bigelow, discussing the outlook for social reform, said: To one who enjoy3 the drama of hu man history these days are anything but dull. The waves of new public sen timent are mouting high. As Lowell sang of another age: "The time is ripe and rotten ripe for change," The magazine is waiting for the match. The late Henry D. Lloyd declared that when the people came to under stand the nature of monopoly they will no more endure it than slavery on the Roman empire. One of the hopeful signs of the times is that the people are coming at last to understand the nature of monopoly. If you are not pleased with the milk you are getting you can change milk men. If you are not pleased with the gas you are getting, you can not pat ronize another- gas company. . . a If you do not like your grocer you can go to another, but if you do not like the service of the street car com pany what can you do but walk? The city of Manistee, Mich.,' some six years ago, bought out their private water company. The manager Under the -private company was retained in the employ of the city. Rates were re duced 20 per cent. Besides this saving to the city, extensive improvements in the plant have been made and paid for out of current receipts and a sinking fund has been carried along which, in a few years, will retire tho bonds. But the greatest gain is in the fact that there is now no private water company which is interested in main taining political machines and seduc ing councilmen. The private water company has been taken out of politics. The operation of a water plant by a city council can not be so bad as the operation of a city council by a private water company. Now some of the people of Manistee are saying: "Why not take the ga3 and electric and street railway. companies out of politics? What is the difference between a water company and a gas company"" You can not have compet ing gas companies. Two telephone com panies are a nuisance. Electric light ing and street railway businesses are likewise monopolistic In their nature. Here the consumer can not protect himself against extortion and maltreat ment by withdrawing his patronage, Competition does not come into play. Moreover, the influence of these pri vate monopolies, with their dependence upon councils for their franchises and valuable privileges, is the source of three-fourths of all political corruption, Why not take them all over as most cities have taken over their water com panies? Thi3 would protect the citi zens from extortion and save the coun cilmen from temptation. This plan, like everything human, would be liable to abuse. But the peo ple would be dealing with politicians whom they have the power to remove. They would not be dealing with com panies who could shake twenty-five or fifty year franchises in their faces and say: "What are you going to do about it?" : ' " But Conservatism says: "If you be gin by owning gas and telephone and street railway plants, where will you stop? You will want the city to go Into the grocery business next." This same argument might be made against a government postoffice. It might be urged that government ought not to be permitted to carry our let ters for fear it will want to make our shoes. The limit that should be set to gov ernment ownership is obvious. There is no need for the government to go into the shoe business, for in this busi ness, competition protects the public from unfair treatment. It is the duty of government to leave as wide a field as possible for private enterprise. But if a railroad or street railway or gas or water company is an inevitable monopoly; if these monop olies are found to be the chief sources of political corruption; and,' if their monopoly power enables them to plun der a defenseless public, while grant ing favor to a few and thus creating a host of secondary monopolies, it is not only the right, It is the duty of government to take these monopolies out of private hands and administer them in the interest of the public; with equal rates to all and special re bates to none. "Bright years of hope and life Are on the wing. You glorious bow of freedom, Bended by the hand of God, is span ning time's dark surges." Parcels Post and Prof. Parsons The following letters were sent to the editor of The Independent They will interest many readers of this pa per: . "Beecher, 111., Nov. 4, 1904 Prof. Frank R. Parsons. Dear Sir: It ap pears from Wetmore's Weekly of St. Louis that you will support Roosevelt, because you consider him the least evil of the two prominent candidates. I have voted for minority candidates all my life, four or five presidential cam paigns, and do not regret it, because I believed they stood not for the "least evil" but for fundamental principles of right. "You will vote as you do, assuming that the newspaper was correct, to get the "least evil," Bryan, Towne, etc., will vote against you for the same rea son. You then make the question 'which is the least evil?' your para mount issue. A humble citizen votes sometimes entirely alone, for a princi ple; can not you, who are well posted on progressive principles, do likewise and vote for some or all of those prin ciples? If a farmer tells his neighbor to come to his orchard and get some apples, 'and take "all he wants" the neighbor may take one or two sacks ful, and be satisfied but when it comes to evil in politics some people are never satisfied, but keep on voting for more "evil," and have been voting for it as long as I can remember and have got it in aboundance. James Craig." "Committee on Census, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C, Jan. 23, 1905. Mr. James Craig, Beech er, 111. Mr. Dear Sir: Your letter of the 21st inst in relation to one-cent postage and parcels post measures is received. I note what you say in re lation to them. All such legislation goes to the committee on postoffices and post roads and no bill can be con sidered before the house until it has been - examined and reported by that committee. There will be no legisla tion along either line reported at this session of congress. When the time comes I will give both propositions due consideration and do that which seems to be for the best interests of the peo ple I represent E. D. Crumpacker." Editor Independent: In writing to Mr. Crumpacker I urged parcels post, and opposition to one-cent fare at this time. Reply non-committal. Snapp, the member of congress of this district, did not reply at all. I also inclose let ter to Prof. Parsons on reading he would vote for Roosevelt Letter re turned. JAMES CRAIG. Beecher, III. Cost of Passenger Traffic Editor Independent: In pursuance of the subject of "Railway Rates" I call attention to an estimate made by a California "civil engineer which came to my notice some years ago. When I first read it I supposed it wa3 writ ten by some irresponsible crank who was ignorant of all the matters of rail way business. He stated that "a passenger could be carried from New York to San Fran cisco for one dollar and pay 6 per cent interest on cash cost of road and keep up all repairs, cost of cars and ope rating expenses." The only condition he put In was that "full trains must be carried," but "if the railroads make a rate of one dollar I will guarantee full trains." '.-.-.' I looked over his figures and "found that they were all right and he claimed to take his data from the reports of the railway companies themselves. , He said the rate then charged was $151.50 and he said the price for a hog by freight was only $3.00 and remarked that he "could see the reason for this special rate for the hog, if the hog did the voting." D. L. BRANCHER. Civil Engineer , and County Surveyor. Lincoln, 111. ' , Wheit Socialists Want The socialists of Pittsburg Kan., have put out a platform and nominated a full city and school , board ticket. After stealing the populist platform, they theL make a , demand for free medical attendance, free bath houses, free medicines, free school books, free concerts, Jndoors during the winter, free outdoor band concerts during the summer,a free labor temple to be built for the labor unions, a free gymna sium, a free museum, a free art gal- My Offer to Kidney Sufferers I will give- you a full dollar's worth of my remedy free to try with out cost, or .deposit, or promise to pay. I could notmake this offer a foil dollar'" worth lree If mine were an ordinary kidney reined. It Is not. It treats not the kidneys themselves, but the nerves that control them. The cause of kidney trouble lies always in these nerves. The only way to cure kidney trouble is by strengthening and vitalizing and restoring these kidney nerves. That is exactly what my remedy ir. Snoop's Restorative does. Therefore I can make this offer with the certain knowledge that every kidney sufferer who makes this trial will be helped. When I say "nerves," I do not mean the or dinary nerves of ieeling, thought, action.I mean the automatic nerves, which night and day, unguided and unseen, control and actuate and operate every vital process of life. These are the master nerves. The kidneys are their slaves. Your mind cannot control them. Your will cannot sway them. .Yetwben they are strong, you are well; when they are not, you weaken and die. , I have written a book on the Kidneys which will be sent when you write. This book ex plains lully and clearly how these tiny, tender, "inside" nerves controls not only the kidneys but each of the other vital organs. I have made mv offer that strangers to my .remedy may know. - It is not intended for or open 10 inose wno nave usea my remeay. i uey need no further evidence. But to those who have not heard, or hearing, may have delayed or doubted, I say "simply write and ask." I will send you an order tor which your druggist will hand you a full dollar bottle and he will send the bill to me. There are no conditions no requirements simply write me today. For a free order for Book 1 on Dyspepsia a full dollar bottle you Book 2 on the Heart must address Dr. Book 3 on the Kidneys Snoop, Box 7910, Ra- Book 4 for Women cine, Wis. State which Book 5 tor Men book yon want . , Book 6 on Rheumatism Wild cases are often cured by a single bottle. For tale at forty thousand drug stores. tetoratto lery, a free physical director, free text books, free clothing for all school children, and free meals fo school chil dren. There is no plan proposed to pay the cost of all these free things. If asked, we suppose they would give the usual answer: "We will cross that bridge when we get to it." The dif ference between a populist and a so cialist is that the socialist wante every thing free, and the populists don t want anything except what he has earned with his own labor. - FARMERS, ATTENTION. Do you wish to sell your iarm? It so, send full description, lowest price and best terms. Or, if you wish to buy a farm, ranch or Lincoln home, write to or call on Williams &Bratt, 1105 O St.. Lincoln. Neb. Another Stops His Paper Editor Independent: Please do not send The Independent any longer. I do not care to read it because you do not write one good word for Mr. Bryan. If you can't speak a good word for Mr. Bryan you should not write any thing at all. You will never gain any thing by trying to give him the worst of it. You will never win a large vic tory without his aid. ARTEMAS LANTZ. Mansfield, Ohio. (This letter shows the difference be tween a democrat, "that is, one kind of democrat, and a populist. This old "regular" don't want to read anything but one side of a question, while a populist always wants to know what the other fellows say. Every article in defense of Mr. Bryan that has come to this office has been printed, including the very able and extensive articles of Governor Gilbert and Hon. J. V. Wolfe. To confine the editor of this paper to writing eulogistic articles about Mr. Bryan "or not write anything at all" is certainly a unique idea. That would make The Independent "really . and truly," as the boys say, "a regular." The hopelessness of the situation! It makes us turn pale and our knees knock together. If Mr. Bryan should die plutocracy would run the world forever! "You will never win a large victory without his aid!" Mr. Bryan is one of the ablest men living. 1 He is master of a style of oratory that in its witchery . sways multitudes as the winds sway the tall wheat in the sum mer time. But The Independent can't quite believe -that the cause of reform would be forever lost ,if Mr. Bryan should disappear from the stage of ac tion. Mr. Lantz should move to Ne braska, build a little hut in sight of the Bryan mansion, where he could come out and worship at the feet of his idol three times a day, every day in the year. Ed. Ind.)