FEBRUARY 14, 1907
0
THE . NEBRASKA INDEPENDENT
ble the interests of education could be
forwarded by "any combination of
teachers which operates through pol
itics." This feeling may not be justi
fied by experience. Weighty philoso
phers of ancient civilizations were
strongly opposed to paying teachers
anything, considering that paid teach
ing degrades education :nd prostitutes
teaching talent. We are only half over
that notion now, for we still insist that
teachers work for about half the wages
paid for equal service in other lines of
endeavor. Perhaps we shall in liko
manner get over the notion that
teachers should not organize to help
themselves to the other half. Whether
we do will perhaps depend much on
how the teachers go about it.
POLITICAL ITEMS
An important admission Is made by
the Missouri railroads in their efforts
to effect a compromise with the legis
lature on the two-cent fare bill. The
roads offer to accept a two and a half
cent fare, with a further reduction to
two and a fourth cents on round trip
tickets. They thus acknowledge that a.
two and a fourth cent rate would be
equitable, and their willingness to con
cede this much indicates their doubt
of being able to prove the unreason
ableness of a two-cent fare.
Illinois has caught the force of the
legislative reference library. Owing to
the complexity of politicfe interests
and public, affairs in that state, largely
due to tho presence of the nation's sec
ond largest city, legislation in that
state ha3 been more than ordinarily
tangled. The idea of an information
bureau in connection with the legis
lature, to serve the same purpose in
state legislation as the congressional
library in national matters, has spread
from Wisconsin to Springfield, and a
bill is under way to establish a legis
lative reference library there.
An effort to get through the Illinois
legislature a bill submitting a consti
tutional amendment to modernize the
state tax system Lets about been given
up as hopeless. It is desired to cut the
state revenues loose from the general
property tax, making them depend up
on franchise and inheritance taxes,
leaving the property tax to be applied
only locally. The proposition has been
beaten by the familiar cry that the
change would rob the conntrv iistrita
by depriving them of the benefit of
me tax on Chicago property. It is
observed that it is not the country
districts that make this complaint. In
this respect the case is similar to that
of the proposed terminal tax in Ne
braska,, where the protest is raised
that the tax would rob the country
for the benefit of the cities. This as
sertion, which is entirely without
foundation, comes not from the coun
try people, but from sources that are
usually found speaking for the rail
roads. In the case of Illinois, the obvi
ous answer to the argument against
the change in taxation is that New
York state has been on that basis for
some years, with no evil results to
the country districts. The cry of wolf
raised by the interests that have great
reason to oppose anv simDle scientific
system of taxation which could not
oe juggiea as tne railroads have
juggled their way out of city taxes in
Nebraska, is to be successful, however.
This is not the first, or the second or
tne tnirtt time that these interests
have raised the same false alnrm. Tn
the parable two false cries of wolf
were sumeient to end its effectiveness.
It sometimes takes more in these
days.
Connecticut, of times regarded as a
hopelessly corrupt s.tate politically,
proposes to make a record for reform
In this winter's legislature. A bill is
about to be passed forbidding salaried
employes of the state to employ them
selves as lobbyists.
Colonel Colt's thirty-fight votes
which he gets regularly in the Rhode
Island senatorial balloting are a littlo
more than a third the total. Ills legis
lative supporters represent less than
one-tenth the qualified voters of Rhode
Island. One vote in elections in some
parts of Hhodo Island thus equals in
forci1 more than time votes in other
part, and if all reports are to be
emitted, the price fully represi nts the
difference. We feel quite Indignant on
viewing the ii'iinan election returns to
note that patties polling a majority of
the votes et only a fourth the Mat In
the K. It Itstair, iin imiiiy 1 a thinly
disguised desroilxm, anyway.
The testimony of I. H. Franeh of St.
Louis on b t.aif of hi friend. Senator
I'.alley, A ll"t CoiicltlslvO in cMubllidllnt?
tho Innocence of the eminent Texan. It
rocs 'o how tint Senator ItalNy .n.
Misted the Water-Pierce OH company
lit gtlnhuf u.linH: lon In T"xa, For thl
m n lee he d eliit.-. payment In cith.
but did .to (.! the eourtey of a loan,
fc'uf lUe renaior it M argued that h
did not know that this oil company
was associated with tne standard un
company, and that there was nothing
improper in the assistance he gave to
secure for the concern permission to do
business in Texas. The difference be
tween a cash payment for services and
a loan In cash is not very great, ana
yet his friends argue that there is a
difference The value of the testimony
offered by Mr. Francis must depend
largely upon what has gone betore ana
what will come hereafter in this re
markable case.
One by one dwindles the number of
crafts whose members are not asking
to be saved by statute from the full
operation of the law of competition.
The chiropodists of Massachusetts and
the cab drivers of New York are
among the new claimants for special
protection, and others might be found
by a careful examination of the bill
files of both houses of the Nebraska
legislature. In California the barbers
are asking for a second trial of a
license system for barbers, a first trial
having failed as it did in Njebraska.
The architects of California are also
organized for an effort to get a law
forbidding any house to be built that
has not been planned or the plans ap
proved by a licensed architect, a board
of architects, self interested perforce
in keeping down the number of archi
tects, being the licensing power. Why
the tailors have not proposed a law
forbidding men to wear clothing unless
passed upon or made by a licensed
tailor we cannot imagine unless it be
that the tailors lack strangely in polit
ical Influence. Almost everybody is
firmly attached to the principle of com
petition. It is the life of trade. But
as to its application, we are inclined
to think as did Mark Twain when
asked where he considered was the best
place to have a boil. He thought the
best place was on some other fellow's
neck.
An Iowa legislator has introduced a
bill intended to outlaw the firecracker
throughout the commonwealth. The
father of the measure is sixty-three
years old and of a nervous tempera
ment. Lincoln's birthday recalls an opinion
recently expressed by Professor Gold
win Smith of the effects upon recon
struction of the untimely death of Lin
coln. Mr. Smith was regimus professor
of modern history at Oxford during
the civil war, and devoted himself ably
during that period to combating the
pro-southern - sentiment voiced in
Great Britain, particularly by the Lon
don Times. In the last year of the
war he visited the United States partly
to convey to the president at Wash
ington assurances of English sym
pathy for the north. He has told,
among other things, how completely
his first glance at the president dis
pelled his Idea, then prevalent in
Great Britain and due largely to the
president's story telling habits, that
Lincoln was given to levity. Professor
Smith, now a resident of Toronto,
wrote a few days ago: "Never was a
more fearful blunder than was the as
sassination of Lincoln by a southern
hand. It proved the ruin of reconstruc
tion. I cannot help thinking that Lin
coln mistook the nature of the prob
lem with which he had to deal, taking
for a rebellion, as he always did, that
which In fact was not a rebellion but
the sudden creation of a new nation
ality by a rupture which was inevit
able and which had been long foreseen.
But the influence of his character
on reconstruction would have been in
estimable." LEGISLATIVE I
The child labor bill introduced by
Representative Henry T. Clarke, jr.,
of Omaha, providing for the regulation
of child labor in the state of Nebraska,
says no child under fourteen years of
age shall be employed or permitted to
work in connection with any concert
hall, theater or placo of amusement, or
wlure any intoxicating liquors are sold
or in any mercantile institution, btore,
office, hotel, laundry, manufacturing
establishment, bowling alley, passenger
or freight elevator, factory or work
shop, or as a messenger or driver there
of during tho hours when the public
rrhools are In session.
No child between f-urte-fn and six
teen Is to Im permitted to work it the
place! designated, excluding uncondi
tionally any pl.icj vvh ro liqurr H fot.J,
unless employ.-!' procure: and keep- nr
tl!e nn employment certificate sU:n'd
by the i ti rent or guardian, teacher arid
the principal of tho school. A eclllil
cafe must alw b.' p stee near tho piiil-
clpul entrance of tho building In wnJ h
null children at employed. The
fell ifW llteK Intlft frhdW I hut tho child
ban completed Hit? work of thw t-Uhili
irtodo or U equivalent, or h regularly
itttc ndlnir a night school.
The flenato mid th holme of t. pit
nentatlve-i have, been extremely mnr.
lion to cn another no f.ir. neither
having turned down a bill origin it it g
in the opposite branch. Let them be
as courteous as this- to the people of
Nebraska by passing laws which have
received the popular indorsement, and
no fault will be found with the work
at this session.
Ttenresentntive Tlndere of Dousrlas
yesterday dictated a new primary bill
which had been agreed upon in general
at the meeting of the sub-committee
on the previous night. The new bill
will be much shorter than the original
Dodge measure and will contain a
number of provisions for simplification
which were contained in a measure
drafted bv Renresentative E. P. Brown
of Lancaster and considered by the
sub-committee. It was round possioie
by referring to the general election
laws for procedure to simplify greatly
the procedure.
While the new bill has not yet even
been approved by the sub-committee,
it is the oninion of the members that
it will go through with possibly some
amendments. It will provide ior tne
adoption of a state platform by a con
vpnilon nf candidates elected to state
legislative, senatorial, judicial and con
gressional ollices togetner wun mu
county, chairmen of. the various coun
ties. Members of the state committee
will be elected at the primary but
members of the county committee, con
gressional and judicial committees will
be appointed by the candidates, the
committee to select a chairman.
The committee is practically evenly
divided on the question of rotating bal
lot and this will be put up to the joint
committee. It will be provided that tho
high man at tho primary shall receive
the nomination to avoid the necessity
of a double primary.
The sub-committee plans to complete
its work by the end of the week.
Professor Howard of the state uni
tho denartment of in-
itnHnnol hletrirv fl.Tul ftOClOlOfiy. Was
one of the speakers before the seriate
committee on judiciary yv,ivij
afternoon, in favor of the passage of
H H. No. 9 or S. F. No. iu, tne cnuu
labor bills. Senator King of . Polk -resided
as chairman of the committee.
Man men and women, some of the
latter club women of Lincoln, were
present to favor the bill. A large num
k, c moniho of the senate i .'.id
UCl "
some of the house listened to the ad
dresses. The speech of Professor How
ard made a profound impression. Ho
reviewed the history of legislation m
favor of children, beginning in 1802, in
England to the last bill of the Kind,
one that was passed in 1903. He told
of the conditions that once existed,
told hairraising stories of abuse ar d
torture, and narrated the changes that
had been brought about by public sen
timent and laws, some of the latter
having been in force in Massachusetts,
New York and Illinois for many years
with marked success. Professor How
ard gave the objection to the bill that
ho i hoon raierfl hv a. vcrv few Ne-
I 1 . : L J V . 1 . . . ' . - - -
braska newspapers, and each point ii
his own torcetui way. in regaru to tne
personal statement of many men that
they had labored in their childhood
day;) and had got along, he said the
children of today need greater advan
tages than their parents to meet the
advanced times and must have all the
time possible to prepare for the bat
tle of life that is growing fiercer. In
reply to the statement that such a bill
might enforce idleness and thus beget
vice, he said children today can be
given manual training that will keep
them busy, creative work that a chiid
likes, to keep them from idleness, Lut
even if there is some enforced Idleness
it will do less harm than overwork.
He admitted that there are not so many
children at work in Nebraska as there
is in some of the eastern states, ut
he argued that there never shouid be
and the proposed bills will have a
tendency to keep this condition as U
exists today, that an ounce of preven
tion is better than a pound of cur' ,
and that it will be easier to enforce:
such a law than when the state be
comes filled with shops and factories.
Even If there Is only one child in Meed
of protection, lie believed the state
should use Its power to save. Tin; eco
nomic and moral sides of child saving
were discussed.
Ex-Representative Frank Currie of
Dawes was in town last evening ac
companied by his part net In the -at tie
bushiest, Mr. Tulleys, whom Mr. Cur
rie defeated for tho house two years
ago. Mr. Currlo's friends were sym
pathizing with him on his escape from
drowning near Anselmo, Custer coun
ty, Saturday In the flood waters that
somel lines sweep ucroMH e annus in
t'wit part of the state. "You fellows
are just wasting your niuinunlllon,"
said Mr. Currie. "'"bat unfortunate
lie In if wan ex-Senator F, M. Cunle of
CiMtcr county. A for myself 1 make
it iv rule never to o mar the water
I do not believe lii dipping. SpmyliiH
Is irood noiiKh fur inc."
Tho two Curries have often been
mixed up in c h.UKe of ft nc ing of kov
eminent land but this U the tirl lime
they ever Ret Into th, water together.
Two year uiro U preventative Frank
Currle dlt!nK'ilhi d blmwlf by m iK
UK one ipcech, it ml for lit brevliv li
received u Vo of thapM. lie bad tl -trodnecd
tt bill to mak it unl.rwf it dr
any one to briiej mI. ii h r into
this state, an offense that is not now
covered by the law, and one that is
said to be frequent in his district near
the Wyoming border line. When the
bill came up for consideration in com
mittee of the whole Mr. Currie ex
plained the purpose of the bill and
closed with thiri assertion:
"Gentlemen, here is a bill that no
one but a horsethief will oppose."
Whether or not the men of this pro
fession got in their work or whether
it was merely the work of lawyers will
never be known, but the bill did not
pass both houses. Senator Hanna of
Cherry has introduced the same bill
and a similar one relating to the
bringing of stolen cattle into the slate
and the offering of the same for sale,
and both bills passed the senate with
out objection.
At a meeting of passenger represen
tatives of the Northwestern, Burling
ton, Rock Island and Union Pacific
railroads held in Omaha yesterday
forenoon important concessions to the
traveling public were agreed upon in
relation to mileage books. It was de
cided to make the interchangeable two
thousand mile book, now sold east of
the river for $50 with a rebate of $9.50
when used and cover returned by the
original purchaser, good in Nebraska
and that book will be placed on sale in
this state just as soon as the change
can bo made and tho proper notion of
rate reduction can be made with the
interstate commerce commission. The
rebate on this book is paid only when
the book is entirely used within one
year from the date of sale. This makes
the rate two cents a mile, plus 50 cents
for two thousand miles. The lniok Is
good on all roads In this state. It has
been' in use east of the Missouri river
for some time.
It was further decided to place on
sale west of the river the black book,
or credential, where for three thousand
miles traveled the companies make a
rebate equal to one cent a mile. In
this scheme the purchaser buys tickets
on the credential plan, and when he
has used three thousand miles he pre
sents his credentials to' the roads and
gets the rebate. Ho pays full rates for
the tickets purchased, and is out but
one dollar for the book.
Discussing this move, General Pas
senger Agent Wakeley of the Burling
ton said: "The effect of this action
practically wipes out the Missouri
river line, the books good in Iowa be
ing good in Nebraska. This concession
has been made to the people who
travel.
"The net receipts of passenger mile
age in Nebraska Is two cents a mile,
A few years ago it was two and three
quarter cents. You see the rates have
been reduced gradually. The Burling
ton is now operating trains on some of
its branch lines that do not bring in
revenues equal to more than forty
cents a train mile. These trains are
operated at a great loss. Yet for the
purpose of development and to help the
country served passenger train are
run.
"We are opposing a two-cent rate
law. There is no money for the Bur
lington in passenger traffic. It is nec
essary to run trains, but the profit is
in the freight. The people of Nebraska
should wait until the roads are aide to
improve their lines, build needed ter-,
minals and get in a position to handle
the business of the state."
Mr. Wakeley compared Urn popula
tion of Nebraska with Iowa and other
eastern states, and showed that Ne
braska has a much less population per
square mile. The Burlington road has
2,600 miles of road in the slate, with
nearly one thousand miles west of the
central part where population is light
est. He was certain that his road can-!,
not stand a cut to two cents on local
passenger fares.
Safe liiventiii('iilk.
"Are those mining-stock certificates
safe investments?"
"In a sense. The'y are the sort of
investments that you lock up in a safe
and then hope for the best." Wash
ington Star.
I.uelty She Didn't lleicr Him.
Marks "Say, old man. did I ever
tell you about the awful fright I got
on my wedding day?"
Parke "S-sh! No man slmuld speak
that way about his w trV." HoMoii
Transcript.
LITTLEAILMENTS
of the Stomach, Liver, Kidny or Bow.
el, if rtecjlected, will soon develop inter
one? of n more s.-ilous nature. There
fore we urtte i ve ry man or woman ihu
afflicted to retort to
HOSTETTER'S
STOMACH BITTERS
ut the tiit Hun of any et. uthKi u.i ut.
It restores the appetite, Ind'lee CMimd
le ep, sit .olt tli' le r e-. !. I .i e l. i
Flatulency, Heartburn, Dytpepft, Irtdi
gefttion, Cottivtnett, Chilli, CiJ r
Grippe,