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Vol.18. No. 928.
JOHM M. THAYER DEAD
Noted Nebraskan Passes Away at Age
of Eighty-Six Eventful Career
as Soldier and Statesman ,
General John Milton Thayer, pioneer
and soldier, ex-governor of Nebraska
died at his hime in Lincoln, 1915
Prospect street, at 7:30 Monday eve
Jiing the 19th inst. He was 86 years
of age and death was due to a gen
eral breakdown incident to old age.
Dr. W. G. Houtz who has been his
physician for sixteen years, gave up
hope of saving General Thayer's life
Sunday. Up to that time the public
barely knew that General Thayer was
ill. He has been very feeble for many
months, but was frequently seen on
the streets and his health appeared
to be as good as. usual up to within
a day or two of his death. He was
unconscious during his last hours and
only occasionally revived sufficiently
to recognize friends. - .
Messages were sent Sunday to his
two sons, George Dana Thayer of
Meeker, Colo., and - John M. .Thayer,
jr., of Alton, 111.,' but neither was able
to reach Lincoln before deat hcame
At the death bed there were Mr. and
, Mrs. Thomas McCaslin who lived in
General Thayer's house and who have
tenderly looked after his wants, Dr.
AV. G. Houtz, and two - neighbors and
veterans of the civil war, Henry V.
Hoagland and Mart Howe. General
Thayer's last hours were apparently
without pain. He slept quietly, occa
sionally rallying and endeavoring to
speak the names of friends who took
his hand. At the last he gasped and
sank into, his last sleep.
: The pall bearers chosen by General
Thayer were as follows:
Active: J. B. Strode, C. M. Parker,
J. B. Ferguson, Wm. Gillespie, Hen
ry Hoagland, Captain Baird. Two
more to be chosen.
Honorary: Governor J. H. Mickey,
Chancellor E. B. Andrews, General
C. F. Manderson, Dr. George L. Miller,
Captain H. E. Palmer, Dr. W. G
Houtz, Captain Adam Bax, A. J. Saw
yer, Colonel T. J. Majors, VY. A. Wood
ward, C. J. Bills, Harmon Bross.
He . was born in Bellingham, Mass.,
January 24, 1820.
Graduated from Brown university,
mi.
Settled in Nebraska in 1854.
Brigadier general and major gen
eral of territorial forces operating
against the1 Indians from 1855 to 1861.
Colonel of Nebraska troops in civil
war and brigadier general United
State volunteers.
Member of Nebraska's first consti
tutional convention, 1860.
; United States senator from Nebras
ka, 1867-1871.
Governor of Wyoming territory,
1S75-9.
Department commander Nebraska
G. A. R. 1886.
Governor of Nebraska 1887-91.
Oil Barons at White House
Washington. It is stated that II.
H. Rogers and J. D. Archibald of the
Standard Oil company visited the
A WEEKLY JOURNAL DEVOTED TO
POLITICS AGRICULTURE AND HOME
Lincoln, Nebraska,
president recently and advised him
of the uneasiness in Wall street, ask
ing him to use his influence in assaug
ing it, they being apprehensive that
a radical wave might sweep the coun
try unless the president checked it
through the people's confidence in
him. It is not known what the pres
ident answered, but it is significant
that the president is refraining from
making suggestions to senators on
railroad rate legislation, although si
lence may be otherwise construed.
PACKERS INNOCENT
Court Upholds Immunity Plea Cor
poration Guilty, Organ Innocent
Chicago The court decides that
the individual packers are not guilty,
but that- the corporations must be
tried on indictments.
All of the packers who were indict
ed by the federal grand jury last sum
mer upon charges of being in con
spiracy in restraint of trade and com
merce were granted immunity from
criminal prosecution under the in
dictment. While the individuals are
to go free, the indictments found
against the corporations, of which
some of the indicted individuals are
members and others are employes, are
to stand. ,
A decision to the above effect was
handed down by Judge J. Otis Hum
phrey in the district court. The arg
uments in the case were concluded,
and soon Judge Humphrey commenced
the delivery of his opinion. It was
oral and the judge spoke for nearly
an hour before giving the slightest
indication of what the ultimate deci
sion would be.
He. reviewed the case at length in
all its bearings, cited all the essen
tion facts which had been brought
out and concluded as follows:
"Under the law in this case the
immunity pleas filed by the defend
ants will be sustained as to the in
dividuals and denied as to the cor
porations, the artificial persons, and
the jury will find in favor of the gov
ernment as far as the corporations
are concerned, and against the gov
ernment as far as the individuals are
concerned."
CHINA PERFECTING ARMY
Success of Japanese a Great Lesson
in Way of Drilling
Hong Kong. Since the events of
1900, when the Chinese armv consist
ed of a mass of unskilled, undrilled
fanatics with a worthless eauioment.
long needed reforms have been intro
duced. China at present - possesses
the makings of a real army, organized
and drilled on the model of the Japa
nese lorces.
The international leaders durine the
Boxer troubles found the Chinese in
ferior in every way to the armies put
in me held against them. In addition
to their lack of skill and noor eauin-
ment, they were found to possess no
idea ot the meaning of war. They
even held a belief that any attacks of
the "foreign pigs" who foueht asrainst
them could not result in disaster.
Since that time, however, and with
the example of success of the Jana-
nese forces against the Russians be-
March 22, 1906
fore them, laws for the reorganization
of the army have , been passed and
competent officers have been secured
to drill the soldiers.
The recent law provides for thirty
six divisions of the whole army to be
formed as they shall be required, but
with the idea that in 1922 China shall
have an army of 500,000 men capable
of immediate mobilization. The cost
of maintainng this force is estimated
at $40,000,000 annually.
' At present the provinces of Chi Li,
No Han, Chan Tung and Shan Si have
been reorganized on this new footing.
FINISHED IN THIRTY DAYS
Great Northern Nearly, Ready for
Business at Fremont, Neb.
That portion of the Great Northern
road between Fremont and Sioux City
is completed with the exception of the
big cut near Oakland. Graders are
working on either side of this, and
the excavation will be completed with
in thirty days. The tracklayers are
right up to the graders and the sur
facing gang is not far behind. The
new station north of Fremont has
been named Walt Hill, this being the
name of one of the sonf of President
Hill of the road.
The Great Northern station at Fre
mont will open for business April 1,
in charge of O. C. Steele, now Bur
lington agent at Crete.
Grading on the Great Northern from
Billings to Great Falls, Mont., has
been commenced, and is well under
way. When completed, this line will
be operated in conjunction with the
Burlington's Omaha-Billings branch,
as will also the cut-off from Ashland
to Sioux City.
SENDS STATE SENATOR TO JAIL
Little Rock Judge Acts When Witness
.Refuses to Answer Questions
State Senator F. O. Butt of Arkan
sas, is confined in the Pulaski jail in
Little Rock, because of a refusal to
answer questions propounded before
the grand jury. He was placed in
jail by an order of Circuit Judge Lea.
Questions relative to the legislative
bribery inquiry were put to him, but
they have not been made public. The
refusal to answer is based upon the
plea that he stands upon his consti
tutional rights.
OHIO'S BAD BANKERS
Two Names Have Been Added to Roll
. of Bankers in Prison
Cleveland, O. President Travers
and Cashier Loille, of the First Na
tional bank of Conneaut, O., which
was wrecked a year ago, announced
in federal court, today that they would
plead guilty to misapropriating funds.
There are now twelve bankers in the
Ohio penitentiary. Travers and Loille
were sentenced to six years' imprison
ment. Send $1.00 for a year's subscription
to The Independent and receive Mr.
Berge's book, "The Free Pass Bribery
System," free as a premium.. This
offer applies to full paid advance sub
scriotions onh.
LIFE
Subscription $1.00
BATTLE ROYAL IN SENATE
The President Said to Be Weakening
Under Pressure of Politicians
in the Interest of Unity
Washington; D. C. March 21. The
rate bill occupies the center "of the
stage here. The hotels are filled up
with railroad attorneys great and
small from all over the states, and
all are busy trying to manufacture
public opinion against an unamended
freight bill. It is surprising how
glibly and fluently a country lawyer
from the interior of some western
state, who probably never had a case
before the supreme court of his own
state, can impart instructions upon
the most intricate and fine points of
constitutional law, and how accurately
if he is to be believed he can forecast
a decision of the supreme " court on
the bill that is now before congress.
If the voters in the various states
realized the pressure the railroads
are bringing to bear to influence the
votes of senators In favor of a court
review amendment, and would, even
one in ten of, them, take the trouble
of writing a letter to his senator ex-"
pressing his own views on the subject
the, case would be settled, and the
railroad attorneys would be wasting
their time. If the people throughout
the country knew the influence that
a hundred or a thousand letters from
his state arriving the morning before
the vote on any subject was to be
taken in the senate would exert they
would be tempted to write them, be
cause there isn't any influence under
the sun that brings a senator or a
member of congress to time like a
voice from their state that seems to
come with great, unanimity. When
the people of the state that a sena
tor represents have made up their
minds as to what they want the sen
ator can easily make up his mind to
give it to them. But when he is in
doubt whether the people in his state
are giving the subject much attention
or not, then he is an easy victim for
blandishness and the persuasive argu
ments of lobbyists. If the people
could be heard from the passage of
the rate bill without amendment
would be assured. But the railroads
are being heard from, and nothing by
them will be left undone to defeat
the purposes of the rate bill by
amendments drawn by the Spooners
and Knoxes of the senate.
The democrats are not presenting
as strong and as solid a front in the
senate as could be desired. It Is
possible and not improbable that they
may yet line up and : present a solid
front, but up to the present time the
prospects is not as encouraging as
could be wished. . .
Senator Tillman's report of the
measure was all that could be asked
for from the standpoint of the peo
ple, and it is the universal opinion of
all who know Tillman and are ac
quainted with the other senators that
this measure fell into the best hands
possible. While Senator Tillman is
not the most polished of senators in
his Language and manner, he is iovai