Gft? NobracZxo. Independent
SEPTEMBER 21, 1905
PAGE S
Worcester had a great industry which was
managed there. It goes into a trust and the
management moves to New York; while the
work done may be partially taken from Wor
cester and put into plants somewhere else
nearer the raw material supply. The trust
regime has caused a veritable exodus of
offices and managers and wealthy industrial
undertakers from Chicago to New York. So
of many other places. Such seems to be the
nature of the prosperity we have been enjoy
ing of late a prosperity of centralizing ten
dencies, which favor the few among individ
uals and places at the expense of the many.
This is trust prosperity, and it is the kind
which our national commercial policy espe
cially nurtures.
CROWNING MR. ROCKEFELLER
Editorial writers have observed that John D.
Rockefeller is not getting the worst of it in the
press nowadays. Edifying stories emenating
from Cleveland, show how greatly the good oil
king has been maligned. The Chicago Public sus
pects that he has secured a press agent:
Silent as the deepest depths of silence
'was John D. Rockefeller when Miss Tarbeli
told the criminal origin of his fortune, and
. Lawson exposed its criminal uses. But si
lence has proved a flimsy shield. Rockefel
lerism was fast becoming a synonym for all
that is heartless and wicked In American
plutocracy. That wasn't pleasant, and at last
the silence is broken. Not directly; not de
fensively; but with the skill who has shrewd
ly "advised that the people be allowed to think
what they please of the Rockefeller expos
ures, provided they learn to think well of
Rockefeller himself. If this is not the mean
ing of the recent overwhelming flood of Rock
efeller dispatches from Cleveland then the
journalistic signs are out of joint. It appears
to be very cleverly done. But alas, is it not
too late?
In his latest statement he displays a con
fidence that "all things come around in time,"
and that posterity will crown his memory
with the .laurels which this generation de
nies. ' By a process of self -hypnotism Mr.
Rocefeller has become convinced of his "in
finite patience and courage and honesty." He
says that these qualities "compel men to
have confidence in you." He Is no hypocrite,
for a hypocrite is conscious of his false pre
tensions. Mr. Rockefeller has no qualms of
conscience. It is not likely that his nancial
success would have been so remarkable if he
had. He regards himself as a pattern to the
young, his career as one to be imitated. It
Mr. Rockefeller's mental perspective were
not distorted, if his great -abilities had been
only directed in channels of public usefulness,
he would not have to satisfy his human crav
ings for public approval by an appeal to pos
terity. The present regard of the people would
be his reward. New York World.
Mr. Rockefeller's warning against the
baneful influences of good fellowship is al
most pathetic. "Don't be a good fellow. Don't
be convivial always ready to pitch in -and
help the crowd. Be moderate. Be very mod
erate. Don't let good fellowship get the least
hold on you. It is my conviction that every
downfall is traceable directly to the victim's
good fellowship, to his good cheer among
his friends. We have to apologize every day
for this class of men. Look on them, and
don't be a good fellow." Had he gone just a
little farther Mr. Rockefeller would have
fully expounded a wonderful creed. More ,
positiveness would be found in his warning
had he added: "Stand aloof from the rest
of the world. Shun your fellow man and fel
low woman. Don't let it matter to you that
they are of the same flesh and blood as you.
Don't let the. fact that you are all of one
great family influence you In the least. Your
place is alone if you want to succeed. Let
no suspicion of a fellow feeling for the rest
of mankind taint your character. Stand aloof.
Regard the rest of the world through cold
and critical eyes. Think only of your own im
mediate aggrandizement. Then you may get
rich." Considering his experience with the
world it would seem that Mr. Rockefeller
should be more enlightened as to the use and
abuse of the phrase "good fellowship." He
should know that the good fellowship of the
saloon Is no more representative of real good
fellowship than the saloon is representative
of the highest type of club. He should know
that fellowship with its toleration and sym
pathy is, of all things, what is needed in this
age of competitive life. But he says in his
interview, "It has been imperative that I
deny myself the associations with people that
I have naturally enjoyed. I have never been
a clubman, and have not frequented places
where people generally go for company." He
has never had time to know the feeling ot
fellowship. Chicago Tribune.
REPUBLICAN STATE CONVENTION
The republican convention in Lincoln, Neb.,
nominated Judge Letton of Fairbury for Judge of
the supreme court and adopted a platform which
declared in general terms against free passes.
The Columbus Telegram thinks it was railway
victory
The advent of the Rock Island political
machine in Nebraska will be regarded with
interest. In those states where the Rock
Island has large mileage it has established
what is said to be the finest political machine
shops ever erected. In Iowa no man dare
aspire to a state office without the consent
of the Rock Island. In Kansas and Oklahoma
it is said that the Rocl: Island controls the
political situation as certainly as the Burling
ton controls in our own capital city. The
funny feature of the republican state conven
tion was the adoption of a platform denounc
ing the railroad political pass, and then nom
. inating for supreme judge a man who for
years has been recognized as one of the best
champions of railroad " political interests a
man who probably never paid a cent for rail
road fare since he began practicing law in
Nebraska. It has been said that politics
makes strange bed-fellows. It indeed looks
strange to see our old friend, Judge Letton,
prince of the Rock Island brigade, in the
same bed with an anti-pass platform.
At a loss to find anything else to say re
garding the attitude of the republicans in
this state on the pass question, the fusion or
gans are vociferously insisting that the rail
road politicians are fathering the scheme for
ulterior motives. If the republican party '
should declare for government ownership of
railroads and the confiscation of railroad
property by the people these same newspapers
would charge that it was a plot concocted
by the railroads themselves. Funny critters,
these fusion editors. Central City Nonparlel.
With the single exception every action
taken by the convention was dictated by the
railroad bosses. It was, in the first place,
the biggest assemblage of annual pass-holders
ever gathered under one tent on Ne
braska soil. At no other convention has there
ever been seen so many railroad claquers.
Present as delegates were a large majority
of the members of the late unspeakable legis
lature, and the most of the other delegates
were of the same stripe. Probably a majority
of the entire number carried "annuals" and
nine-tenths of the remainder were present on
trip passes. And it was this conglomeration
that, with snickers of mirth at their own ef
frontery, declared against the "pass evil."
The railroads made Lieutenant Governor Mc- -Gilton
temporary chairman and then they
made him permanent chairman. His speech
was the poorest excuse for even a non-com-
mittal partisan speech ever conjured up, con
sisting of cheap glorification of the G. O. P.
and nothing more. Its most telling point was
the statement that the republican party is
composed of "fallible men." Had there been
an adjective beginning with the fourth letter
of the alphabet before the "fallible" the Doug
las county giant would have given birth, then
and there, to an immortal epigram. The reso
lutions committee was made to order and
plugged to size. Its chairman, the redoubt
able "Paddy" Miles of Sidney, is division at
torney for the Union Pacific railroad. E. C.
Harris of Chadron, another member, was di
vision superintendent on the Elkhorn under
the Burt management. C. G. McConoughey,
postmaster at Holdrege, is a Burlington,
henchman and pass-peddler, dating from the
year 1. John L. Webster of Omaha is John
L. Webster. These comprised a majority of
the committee. The remaining three mem- ,
bers were: C. B. Dempster of Beatrice, who
had always trained with the Union Pacific;
Allen W. Field of Lancaster, the most inde
pendent man in the outfit, and Editor Ross
Hammond of Fremont. The platform was ac
cording. If it is a bid for "reform" support
it is a deliberate affront to the Intelligence -of
every reformer. Its redeeming feature
Is the declaration for a direct primary. Its
anti-pass plank, which had been written and
agreed upon by the railroad bosses before the
convention met, is insincere, cheap and
puerile. It does not demand a return of
passes by republican office-holders, does not
pledge the nominees of the convention and
binds the party to nothing. It is merely a
sop, dishonestly designed to placate, by de
ceiving, public sentiment. World-Herald.
The republican anti-pass crusade recalls
the fate of senate file No. 240, before the last
legislature. This bill was introduced at the
request of Hon. G. W. Bergc, fusion candi
date for governor. When it came up for dis
cussion before the committee on transport
ation, composed entirely of republicans, it was
recommended to indefinitely postpone the
bill, the customary mode of executing laws
the railroads don't want. While it was under
discussion the members of the committee got
up one after another and gave their opinion
of the bill. Each admitted that he had a pass
in his pocket but each said that a pass was
not a bribe and that the railroads could have
their passes back if they wanted them.
Therefore there was no need for such a law,
and it was indefinitely postponed! What a
feast of logic and reason the discussion was!
And of course the senate body, which was
practically unanimously republican, accepted
the recommendation of the committee by bal
lot. Exeter Enterprise.
The platform is silent as to the demand
for lower freight rates. It is silent as to
the demand for lower passenger rates. It
. is silent as to the demand for a fair and Just
assessment of railroad property. It is silent
as to the demand for the election of senators
by a direct vote of the people. , It is silent
upon the indefensible record made by the last
legislature. Its one redeeming feature is the
expression in favor of direct primaries a re
form that will never be granted so long as
the railroad representatives that wrote that
platform are able to prevent it. World-Herald.
HOPE FOR THE STAND-PATTER
The New York World grows satirical in ita
comment on the action of the czar in abolishing
the retaliatory tariffs imposed on certain Ameri
can goods a few years ago:
At last there seems to be a way by which
the United States can obtain trade conces
sions without touching a single stone of the
sacred Dingley tariff wall. All that is neces
sary is to wait for a war between two powers.
Then the president of the United States can
extend his friendly offices and the beaten na
tion will show its gratitude by removing some
of the retaliatory restrictions imposed upon
American commerce. If there are only wars
enough, with enough peaces of Portsmouth
and with proper recognition of the president's
good offices, in time most of the barriers to
American trade can be removed, the Dingley
schedules in the mean time remaining intact.
To be sure, the injury in the mean time to
the American exporters who are discriminated
against might be consid arable, but they have
compensating benefits. The manufacturers
who for the last five years have seen the
Russian market slipping out of their grasp
and into the hands of their German rivals
have undoubtedly been consoled by the ample
protection extended to the sugar-beet inter
ests. It was at the demand of the sugar
beet people that the countervailing duties
were originally suspended. It was this that
led to Russian retaliation. Weak-minded .
persons may think it would be better to have
avoided the whole controversy, but they are
no better than Cobdenites, and their opin-
. ions are hardly worth the consideration of any
standpatter who is sound in the faith.
DISRUPT THE GRAIN TRUST
The Papillion Times believes there is no com
petition in the grain-buying business in Nebraska,
and with reference to the attorney general's fight,
against the trust says:
All dealers who belong to the combine
receive their card of prices to be paid each
day and these are the same in the same ter
ritory so there can be no competition as far
r.s prices are concerned. It is also known
that the independent shipper has a hard time
to receive the same treatment from the rail
roads in the matter of securing cars and track
rights that the members of the combine re
ceive. Attorney General Brown will receive
the lasting gratitude of the farmers of Ne
braska if he succeeds in disrupting the grain
trust.