fBw Nebraska independent
MARCH S,
PAGE 3
MASTERFUL SPEECH OF HON. GEORGE W. BERGE
MR. BERGE'S SPEECH
j,,. Tou.stn.asi or and Gentlemen:
There is in progress now among
the i.oplo a revolution the like of
whlcb thin country has never seen.
Furvears the people have been Impor
tuning, petitioning, yes, begging, their
chosen represent I veg to save thlB
Leriuneni for them and their chil
dren from the greedy grasp of selfish
ness cuiruptioii and corporate domin
ation but having petitioned and
In vain, the people are now
tcaliins ('l'e" revolt aea'nHt thi8
usurpation of political power by these
influences and are determined at any
... ,,.i-,ini the government again
anil themselves administer It for their
gUOtl.
People Do Not Rule
nnr i.MK-rnment In name Is a gov
eminent of I he people, but If In fact
,i iicnnli' are shil out from lis con
trol; if aoine other influence has
usurped this control and Is running
ii,p L'nvernmeiit for Its owb private
ami st'llLsh ends and forcing down upon
Die people something that Is to their
injury, then tills government Is not
administered by the people nor ior
I lie people.
Never since the formation of the
rnierninenl have the neoule groped
about in the murky atmosphere of
pillage ami plunder, or bribery ana
romnitbiii and eornorale domination
as now. Representative government
has been robbed of its true meaning.
The people's voice has been silenced
bv the iiower of monev. Their Influ
ence in public affairs has been para
lyzed iiy corporate tyranny.- in oiner
words, the corporations, the trusts,
the millionaires and multi-millionaires
are running the government for the
nnrhnu,) of tiliinil.tt-lTiv tVit mimlrv flnH
11 r rr ....v. j
the people are lying helpless and pros-
iraie ai uieir ieei.
Bryan a True Prophet
For more than ten years the
voice of Bryan, like one crying
in tne wilderness, has been tell
log the people of the judgment to
come, Din tie was ridiculed, ma kned
nd called a demagogue. But now the
truth of all that he has ever told us
and more has burst upon us like a
cyclone wlih all its rage. The coun
try stands shocked and overwhelmed
before the disclosures of the past
year. Whenever ftnrt nVi
nuvi vili iuvi V
has been a chance to rob the people
"u sen mem out to corporate wealth
there the commercial and political
wKiiwaymen nave done their work.
m .New York thav hom wtl.ha.l
- - ' ' J .11. , V, j vwu
widows and orphans of millions of
trust funds; in Philadelphia, St. Louis,
Milwaukee and many other cities they
. nmneu me people of valuable
franchises and bribed and corrupted
the public ofticiMiu- iha ,n
, uc vvi jaji aiiuito
a the trusts have openly carried on
woik or exploitation and ruin
without any mil interference from the
government: H.
. , """wiB imvo muue
""made men, business enterprise
LTk . ' Uloy nave completely
""neti and overpowered our public
omciaU so i hat these officials instead
rLr,!P'"'i"K lDe oVle have be-
o SU le wi1(,le there lg cornlpton
win . . 1 ",e People aud you
ta l,! ,d ,"1,,t, !' officeholders are
"""u pomieians.
Delinquent Representatives
The
Delivered at the Democratic Dollar Dinner at
Lincoln, Nebraska, March 6, 1906
"The Issue in Nebraska"
Representative government has been robbed of its true meaning. ' The
people's voice has been silenced by the power of money. Their influence
in public affairs has been paralyzed by corporate tyranny.
. The corporations, the trusts, the millionaires and multi-millionaires are
running the government for the purpose of plundering the country, and the
people are lying helpless and prostrate at their feet.
Whenever and wherever there has been a chance to rob the people and
sell them out to corporate wealth, there the commercial and political high
waymen have done their work.
The corporations have bribed and overpowered our public officials so
that these officials, Instead of representing the people, have become the
agents and servants of the railroads. Go into any city, county, or state
where there is corruption and a betrayal of the people and you will find that
the officeholders are pass-bribed politicians.
In this state no man, except by accident, can be elected to the United
States senate, to congress, to a state office,. to the legislature, or even to
a county and city office unless he bows his head to railway dictation.
The office-holders and politicians and the railroads constitute a machine
that absolutely dominates the political and commercial life of Nebraska.
This machine is held together and constantly made stronger by the
free pass bribery system and federal, state and county patronage which the
railroads always control. The railroads not only distribute the passes, but
they also distribute the offices.
This relationship between the railroads and the politicians is a relation
ship of bribery and conspiracy to betray the people whenever railroad inter
ests are involved.
In 1890, when I came to this state, the first voice I heard from Nebraska
people was an appeal for a reduction of freight and passenger rates and
control of the railroads generally, but today, apparently, we are no nearer
the goal than when we started sixteen years ago. The chosen represents
tives of the people, instead of representing the people have represented the
railroads and obstructed every piece of legislation the people wanted. God
forgive us that we let go unwhipped such recreant public officials.
The real Issue In Nebraska is to qet men who will be true to the people.
The people want no more sham battles with half-hearted generals; they want
no more lip service; they want real men who can be trusted and who will
lead them out of the mire and quicksands of corporate domination and cor
porate debauchery, out to the hills of common decency and self-government.
.
In Nebraska this republican machine has always been the defender and
protector of the railroads and an apologist for public thievery and corruption.
Two years ago I made my campaign for governor upon these Identical
Issues. I demanded that the free pass bribery system and the professional
lobby be destroyed. I demanded a reduction of freight and passenger rates.
I Insisted that the railroads pay their just share of taxes. I said that the
real issue was the overthrow of railway domination in the state and the
restoration of the state government Into the hands of the people. The
people gave me 30,000 more votes than Parker and Watson combined. That
vote spoke in no uncertain language.
Yet when the legislature convened Governor Mickey In his message to
the legislature was as silent as the grave touching every question relating
to the railroads. Neither the governor nor the legislature did what the
people wanted. They did the bidding of the railroads. That was the time
to talk; that was the time to act. They did nothing and have forfeited the
confidence of the people.
If this year we will unfurl the people's banner and champion their
cause In dead earnest, then on next November's election day the prairies
of Nebraska will be strewn with the wrecks of corrupt bosses and broken
political railway machines and the people will have won a glorious victory.
aveniL'n
ciiniu..,. . '""fcn-Mslllun
nmiseif
sp.Hh
" Jobs f,.
J""11 at b()l,1().
K.U'dHi s
today
with leave to
now and then
is political hench
lie sends nut
if nuu ,. . i . " 1 "" nun men
"r a hit ,. "', m"ttry for n clor-
nt ( ""' f"r "" oW lmllr
a,"i r.'iu,',i "T "f hU -nnlii'nt
'.IW v,' ". ''rnment for
k.i , "I'll Ule lnrirur mi.ulUn
u,,w '" l'h the welfare of
the people he gives himself no con
cern. He leaves them to the bosses
and the corporations. Some of the
senators are even worse than the con
gressmen. When they go to Washing
ton they are wined and dined by the
aristocracy of that capital city and be
come at once the center of every social
function. They do not even pay
proper respect to their political hench
men at home. They draw their sal
aries as senators; they become the
attorneys of large corporations and
represent them not only in the courts,
but also before the departments of
the government.
Liberties Are in Danger
As attorneys for these corpor
ations they Introduce and have
congress pass laws giving special
privileges to their clients. But
their work of treachery and betrayal
docs not end even there. When the
wrath of the people can be suppressed
no longer and when with the whip of
righteous indignation, under the lead
ership of a courageous president, they
drive the congressmen to the passage
of some needed legislation, then these
senators step in between the people
and the corporations and openly defy
the people and actively plead the
cause of the corporations. My friends,
Benedict Arnold was no more a
Irultor to his country tliuii these Mut
ators who so brazenly betray the peo
ple. Is this popular government?,. Are
these the representatives of the peo
ple? Is this the government where
we are told the humble citizen, the
small man In business, gets the Bame
protection as the rich and powerful?
Tell me, are the people or the corpor
ations in control of the government?
I sound the note of warning that un
less the people make sure In the pres
ent revolt to reclaim their govern
ment the time may come when they
will not bo able to do it.
Conditions in Nebraska
In Nebraska conditions are even
worse. Here the people are abso
lutely shut out from the control of
their government. The railroads are
absolutely supreme. In this state no
man, except by accident, can be nomi
nated and elected to the United Slates
senate, to congress, to a state office,
to the legislature or even to a county
and city office, until he hows his head
to railway dictation. The politicians
therefore, and the railroads constitute
a machine that absolutely dominates
the political nnd commercial lifo of
Nebraska. This machine Is held to
gether nnd constantly made stronger
by the free pass bribery system and
federal, stale, and county patronage
which the railroads always control.
The railroads not only distribute the
pnKSCg but tliev also illufrllmln ti,
offices from the highest lo the lowest
una rreiiuentiy make new ones for
I belt- political henchmeu and friends.
This relationship between the rail
roads and the nolltlrlimu
highest to Ihe lowest in the slate,
Is a Velnllonshiit of brim TV M till ('(HI-
splracy to betrny tho people whenever
railroad Interests are Involved. These
conditions In Nebraska are a national
disgrace and every self respect lug cit
izen should hang his head In shame
on account of llieni.
Work of Railway Machine
But let us look at this mnchlno In
operation. Not for twenty five years
has a law been passed by our legisla
ture, except a few by a fusion legis
lature, that was really designed for
the good of the people. The fusion
administration early In its reign,
passed the Australian ballot law and
the maximum freight, law, bolli good
laws and both far-reaching In (heir
wholesome effect, but the Australian
ballot law has been weakened and
emasculated by the politicians and Ihe
maximum freight law was at first en
Jolnod In Ihe courts and (hose charged
with Its enforcement now refuse to
enforce It. But outside of these laws
not a single law has been passed for
the people.
In 1S1KI, when I came to this state,
the first voice I heard from Nebraska
people was an appeal for a reduction
of freight nnd passenger rates and
control of the railroads In this state.
This agitation has continued all these
years and today, apparently, we are
no nearer the goal than when wo start
ed sixteen years ago. The chosen rep
resentatives of the people, Instead of
representing the people, have repre
sented the railroads and obstructed
every piece of legislation the people
wanted.' God forgive us that we let
go unwhipped such recreant public
officials.
A Recreant Legislature
Take the last legislature what -did
It do? With few exceptions the mem
bers came to Lincoln with railroad
passes in their pockets. When they
got here, ubout the first thing they
did was to make a raid on the treas
ury of the state and rob It of twenty
cents for every mile they traveled for
which they never paid. With uplifted
hands they swore they were taking
the money as travel money, when It
was nothing less than a graft. Could
the people expect anything from such
a body? Scores of good bills were In
troduced, some of them by honest,
members and some of them by railroad
tools to fool their constituency at
home. But whatever the merit of the
bills and by whomsoever Introduced,
everyone of them met lgnomlnous de
feat. During that whole session rail
road lobbyists led the members around
by the noses Just like that many blind
pigs.
A Monumental Farce
I had a little experience myself with
that legislature. I drew and had In
troduced an anil-pass bill. Later I
appeared before the committee on
railroads to argue for Its passage. In
the room where we met Ihe legisla
tive committee was seated before me.
Behind the committee spectators gath
ered In large numbers. In front to
my right and half way facing the aud
ience sat the lobbyists representing
the different railroads. I appealed to
the committee as best I could for the
passage of this law. When I hud fin
ished, certain members of thicommIt
tee joined the lobbyists In heaping
ridicule upon me for advocating the
passage of such a law. The whnlo
proceeding was a monumental farce.
It was a startling revelation to me,
I might Just as well hnvo argued the
question direct lo the lobbyists, Tlmt
committee sat there looking at me
with glass eves and wlih their hearts
steeled against the bill nnd what I
m Id. The complete mastery ever the