OCTOBER 26, 1905
t i A '
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tant and valuable, not only for the revenue It
will yield but for the principle it establishes.
. It is a movement in the direction of scaling
large estates. It is a step toward requiring
wealth to contribute more to the burdens
. of government. When a man possessed of
great property dies his possessions, except
for the operation of law, would become prey
for anyone to seize. It is, therefore, proper
that the law which protects it and bestows it
upon his heirs or legatees should fix the
terms and provide a proper charge or tax for
the service. This . Is for the benefit ; of so
ciety. ' The Nebraska law exempts estates
less than $10,000. When estates exceeding
$10,000 are left to close relatives, such as
husband, wife, parent, child, brother, sister
or grandchild, the tax is only 1 per cent on
the amount exceeding $10,000. Where the
heirs or devisees are not so close, as In
cases of aunts, uncles, nephews and nieces
the tax is 2 per cent. Where the heirs or de
visees are more remote, a tax is levied
which increases with the size of the estate.
Below $10,000 it is 3 per cent. Up to $20,000
it is 4 per cent. Then it, rises to 5 per cent
on $50,000 and to 6 per cent on estates ex
ceeding $50,000. Thus a remote relative or a
friend who receives a fortune exceeding
$50,000 pays $3,000 for the privileges. Is it not
reasonable and right?
Uh Nebraska. Indopondcnt
public. Let them make an end to all the
sentimental nonsense about widows and
orphans, and say bluntly: We want your
money; pay us -the largest possible prem
iums and we will give you the smallest pos
sible returns. We will accept your money
as a trust, and administer it for our own ad
vantage; we will pay ourselves enormous
salaries and, in one form or another, pension
the different members of our families; we
will load the management of the business
you commit to us with the heaviest possible
expense of administration; and we will use
your money in all kinds of enterprises for our
own benefit, employing as much of It as we
see fit in buying legislators and contribute
to campaign funds. If this policy of frank
ness is adopted, the country will respect the
courage if it cannot trust the honesty of the
men whom it now holds to be not only betray
ers of its honor but hypocrites as well. It is
high time for plain dealing; the country is
weary of scandal in high places; of men of
reputation who are suddenly discovered to
be without character; of moral sham and
humbug among the eminently respectable
There are too many pious schemers; far too
many well-behaved self-seekers. If we can
not be honest we can at least stop pretend
ing to be what we are not. Let us hoist the
black flag and stop sailing as a missionary
ship.
' PAGE 5
policyholders are expected to pay extrava
gant premiums, not so much for insurance
upon their lives, for the protection of loved
ones, but to enable President McCurdy to
draw $150,000 per year, and the other mem
bers of the McCurdy family $500,000 per year.
That's the meaning, as he uses them, of the
words "elemosynary? and "philanthropic'
Perhaps he may also mean that the policy
holders, when they insure, should remember
that the .men to whom they intrust their
money are wiser than they, know what is
good for them, and therefore have a right
to dissipate that money In bribing legislators,
corrupting courts, and in fighting "enemies
of society" like William Jennings Bryan
San Francisco Star.
LIFE INSURANCE GRAFT
Insurance revelations are beginning to arouse
indignation, disgust and protest even among the
least radical publications. The Outlook in Its
latest issue contains an acrid criticism of the
"low moral standards, cheap deceits and callous
indifference to the rights of others on the part
of men of financial and business prominence."
The article concludes In this fashion:
If the gentlemen whose dealings with the
vast funds committed to their care have re
cently come to light have any sense of hu
mor, they will put an end to the sham phil
anthrophy which they have preached for
business purposes, and make their appeals
for patronage with, manly frankness. If they
cannot be honest, let them at least drop the
mask of honor and deal squarely with the
President McCurdy of the Mutual Life
says that an insurance company is not an
institution founded to make money for , the
policyholders, but is, or should be, a great
philanthropic enterprise founded to Increase
and spread its benefits over the entire earth.
"There has been a great mistake made," he
says, "about the real province of life insur
ance companies in these latter years. Peo
ple have been led to believe that the main
purpose was to make money for the policy
holders. In my view that Is not the pur
pose of such companies. They are eleemosy
nary. When a man insures In a company he
should take into consideration the fact that
he has entered a great philanthropic concern
that is in duty bound to spread ' itself, even
though this growth prevents him from re
alizing as much as expected." 1 By which
President McCurdy doubtless means that
Large sums have confessedly been paid
out by certain life Insurance companies to
influence state legislatures. The inference
generally drawn has been that some of the
money was pocketed by legislators In return
for passing bills the companies wanted or
killing bills that were prejudicial to their
interests. President McCurdy of the Mutual
denies that any of the money spent by his
company to influence legislation went for
bribes or blackmail. He "resents the sug
gestion" that the money was spent in im
proper ways, and tells how it was used. The
explanation Is interesting. When a state legis
lature met the person employed to see that it
did no harm to the company visited the state
capital and found out where the political
godfathers, relatives, and near neighbors of
legislators lived. He made journey after
journey to get acquainted with them and en
lighten th.m on the subject of insurance. He
went to Washington, talked with the senators
and representatives from the state, told them
how much harm unfriendly insurance legisla
tion would do, and got letters from them to
the members of the state assembly. Legis
lators got no money, but it appears that some
of the godparents, relatives, or neighbors of
legislators were busy men who did not care
to waste their time in listening to a talk on
proposed Insurance legislation, so the com
pany's agent had "to pay them to sit and
listen to him." After they had listened they
presumably became quite interested in the
subject and used their influence in the com
pany's behalf. Chicago Tribune.
PACKERS PLEAD BAR
ALLEGE GOVERNMENT OBTAINED
EVIDENCE BY COMPULSION
Technical Objection Made That Laws
of United States Do Not Warrant
Use of Such Evidence Against a
Defendant
Chicago, Oct. 23 Declaring that
the testimony the packers were com
pelled to produce before the secretary
of commerce and labor was used by
United States District Attorney Mor
rison in obtaining an indictment
against the packers and alleging that
inasmuch as the same issues as men
tioned in the indictment were raised
and disposed of in an injunction writ
issued by Federal Judge Grosscup,
the packers who are under federal
Rheumatism
(s one of tho constitutional
diseases. It manifests itself
in local aches and pains,
inflamed joints and stiff
muscles, but it cannot bo
cured by local applications.
It requires constitutional
treatment acting through
tho blood, and the best b a
course of tho great mc&cino
Hood'sSarsaparilla
which has permanently
cured thousands of cases.
For testimonials of rerr.arkoMa curt
to4 for Book on Rheumatism, No. ?.
C L Hood Co., Lowell, Mau.
indictment here, charged with illegal
conspiracy, today again attacked the
famous so-called "Beer trust" process.
Object to Government Action
The special plea sets up assertion
concerning investigations by the com
missioner of corporations and alleges
that the defendants were compelled
to testify and to produce certain books
and other data, and that thereafter
the matter was submitted to the presi
dent of the United States, and finally
to the United States district attorney
here, and that the district attorney
used the material in seeking indict
ments against the defendants. Be
cause of these alleged facts the de
fendants ask that tne indictment be
dismissed.
Regarding the Grosscup injunction,
the plea filed today maintains that by
the prosecution of the injunction and
the entry of a final decree by the su
preme court "the said United States
of America did finally and fully elect
to pursue that remedy, and not to
prosecute the defendants respectively
for or on account of the said sup
posed engaging in the supposed con
spiracies, which is in said indict
ment mentioned."
Investigation is Set Up
The special plea In bar declares
that the Fifty-eighth congress of the
United States passed a resolution di
recting the secretary of commerce
and labor to Investigate the cause of
low prices In beef cattle and the al
leged unusually large margin between
cattle prices and the cost of dressed
meat to the consumer. The secretary
directed the commisfner of corpor
ations to make a diligent investiga
tion, which, it is alleged in the plea,
he did. Ills Investigation Included,
among other things, the transactions,
matters aud things averred In tho In
dictment. This Investigation was
pushed In the following cities, among
.other: Chicago, South Omcha, Kan
gas City, Mo.. Kansas City, Kan.,
Sioux City, Fort Worth, St. Joseph,
Mo., I..os Angeles and East St. Louis,
111. Then it is alleged: On March 7,
1904, and on divers days thereafter
wards and before the finding, of the
Indictment the defendants at the afore
said mentioned places and at divers
other cities at the Instance, direction,
requirement and compulsion: of the
commissioner of corporations did at
tend before him and testify with re
spect to the divers transactions, mat
ters and things directed to be inves
tigated. "This defendant further says that
on March 3, 1905, and divers days
thereafterwards, the commissioner re
ported the information so -athered to
the president of the United States,
and embodied it in a volume contain
ing 351 pages, entitled, 'Report of the
Commissioner of Corporations on the
Beef Industry.' "
Then it is alleged that on March 20,
1905, the report was furnished United
States District Attorney Bethea in
Chicago, and that the facts contained
as secured by the commissioner of
corporations was used by the district
attorney and the grand jury(In con
ducting the investigation, resulting In
the returning of the indictment by
tho special grand Jury, and was also
used In preparing and searching out
other evidence to be used in the trial
of the beef cases. '
Samuel A. Mcltoberts, agent of
Armour & Co., filed a separate special
plea. In which he seeks Immunity be
cause he testified before the grand
Jury which afterward returned an In
dictment against him. Under a fed
eral statute It Is alleged no person
shall be prosecuted In the caso In
which ho testified. If lie Is compelled
to testify acaln3t himself. This pleu
Hn held to be good bv tunny and, al
though it will be vIwuouhIv attacked
by the government. It Is declared thero
Is a likelihood of the qunshln of lhe
I Indictment In the asa of Mcltobert.
WeakJKidneys
Itis of but little use to try to doctor the kid
neys themselves. Such treatment U wrong.
For the kidneys are not usually to blame lor
their weaknesses or irregularltt s. Tbey have
no power no self-control They are operated
and actuated by a tin v h red of a nerve which
is lar elv responsible for their condition. If the
Kidney nerve is strong an I healthy tie kidneys
nre strong and healthy. If the Kidney nerve
goes wrong, you know it by the Inevitable re
sultkidney trouble.
This tender nerve is only one of a great system
of nerves. 'Jhis system controls not on y the
kidneys, but the heart, and the liver, and the
stomach. For simplicity's sake Dr. Shoop has
railed this great nerve system the "Inside
Nerve." They are not the nerves of feeling
not the nerves that enable you to walk, to t ilk,
to act, to think. They are the master nerves
and every vital organ is their slave. The com
mon nume tor these nerves is the "sympathetic
nerves" because each set Is in such close sym
pathy with the others, that weakness anywhere
usually results In weakness everywhere.
The one remedy which aims to treat not the
Kidneys themselves, but the nerves which are
to blame, is known bv nhvsicians and druneists
everywhere as Dr. fchoop'a Hcsiorntlve, (Tablets
or Liouia.) l his remedy is not a symptom
remedy it is strictly a canse remedy. WhUe it
usually brings speedy relief, Its effects are also
lasting.
li you would like to read an Interesting book
on lnile nerve disease, write Dr. Shoop. With
the book he will also send the ''Health Token."
an intended passport to god health. Hoth
the book and the "Health Token" are free.
For the free book
and the "Health
Token" yon must ad
dress Dr. rboop, Box
I'tttu.Kacine.Wis. stale
which book you want
Book 1 on PyspepMs.
Hook 2 on the Heart
Book 3 on the Kidneys.
Hook 4 ior Women.
Hook 5 for Men.
Hook 0 on Rheumatism.
Dr. S hoop's
Restorative
I'repared In both Liquid and Tablet farm
for sale at forty thousand drugstore. Mill
e are ollen reach! ty a single 1'aekag a.
