V i
8 The Conservative ,
( he president of ( ho United States. Mr.
Hepburn has been at pnins to collect sta
tistics upon this subject , not complete
for the whole country , but sulliciently
so to show what a deplorable condition
of things exists by reason of the facility
with which these criminals escape pun
ishment after conviction. Ho first ob
tained the whole number of convictions
in a particular state since 185) ) ! ] , and the
terms of imprisonment to which the cul
prits were sentenced , then the di
minution of the sentences by pardon ;
and from these data arrived at the average -
ago term of confinement. In Vermont ,
the state which deals most rigorously
with criminals , the average sentence was
for 8 years 2 months and 12 days ; the
average time served was fi yours and 4
months. In New York the average sen
tence was 7 yours 4 months and 5 dnj'S ;
the average service iJ yours and iJ
months. A part of this shortening of
sentence was duo to the "good-behavior
clause" of the state law. The worst
showing of all is made by the pardoning
power of the president of the United
States. The average sentence in the
courts of the United States during the
period was 5 years und 11 months ; the
actual service was only JJ years and 0
days. Almost exactly one-half of the
penalty imposed by the judicial depart
ment for bank robbery and defalcation
was remitted by the executive depart
ment. The chief part of this clemency
is exercised in behalf of rogues who have
social influence and "pulls. " They are
men who have held positions of trust in
bunks and have operated from the in
side. They have betrayed the trust re
posed in them , and hence have sinned
against greater light than the burglars
who , with jimmy and dynamite , have
cracked safes from the outside. Their
sentences ought to have been longer for
that reason. Of the various classes of
offenders , they are much the worst und
the least entitled to symputlry. Mr.
Hcpbxirn has rendered the community u
service by culling attention to those dis
creditable facts. The Nation.
INTKUNATIONAL , If an inteniu-
I'OWKit. tional agreement
cun fix , in gold , the price of silver per
manently and satisfactorily , why cun
not it nlso fix the price , in gold , of wheat ,
corn und all other commodities ? All
demand is bused upon desire. If inter
national action cun creuto in civilized
humanity u desire for sixteen ounces of
silver in coin equal to one ounce of gold
in coin why cun it not also create a de
sire in civilized humanity for sixteen
ounces of silver bullion precisely equal
to that which exists for one ounce of
gold bullion ? And if international
agreement cannot creuto a human
desire and the consequent demand evolving -
ing from it , how cun the United States
do the net
desire-und-domund-creuting ,
"Without regard to any other Nation ? "
Tin : INDIAN The North
CONGKKSS. American Indian
is passing from the world's stage. His
final exit from the play of life will soon
bo announced. Therefore the Congress
of Indians at the exposition in Omaha is
the most instructive collection of the
aborigine of this continent over gathered
together und one which offers the ethno
logist the rarest of opportunities for
studying savages and barbarians. Every
parent and grand-parent who can should
take children and youth to see the
Indians at Omaha where nearly all
prominent tribes are represented by
delegations.
TIIH AMKKIOAN This patriotic
FOKKSTKY ASSO- and useful orgun-
CIATION. izutiou will begin
its annual summer meeting at Boston ,
Mass. , on the SJJrd and continue until
the evening of the Sflth of August , 1898.
General Francis H. Appleton , itst presi
dent , J. D. W. French , vice-president ,
and George P. Whittlcsoy , treasurer
und recording secretary , are doing all in
their power to make this convocation of
uboriculturists and foresters the largest
and most useful over held. Nebrusku ,
which has during the past twenty-five
years planted more forest and fruit
trees than any other state in the Ameri-
cun union , ought to bo represented at
the coming meeting. Will the officers
of the State Board of Agriculture and
the Stuto Horticultural Society send
delegates to the Boston Forestry
meeting ?
J. Sterling Morton's paper , the
first number of which appeared under
date of July 14 , while in u sense re
stricted to a narrow field by locul issues
and locul advertising , is quite cosmo
politan in its broad und comprehensive
editorial range. In this respect it is
both disappointing und promising. Dis-
uppointing to many who hud expected u
live weeldy paper on the usual country
plan , which would , by reason of its dis
tinguished editor's popularity , tuko u
front pluco at once among the prominent
newspapers of Nebrusku ; promising
becuuse its appearance suggests a need
in the West of a magazine of such nat-
ionul churucteristics , with a western
tinge. No man is more capublo of fill
ing this want than is Mr. Morton.
There is room for such a magazine , but
it must lift itself above Nebraslai City.
It must cease to bo local to exercise the
influence it can so easily attain. The
whole Transmississippi country is its
proper field both in editorial discussion
and advertising patronage. The logical
presentation of national subjects will
buoy it up and extend its circulation
over all the West. Attention to local
issues will weight it down and neces
sarily contract its circle of influence.
It is published by the Morton Printing
Co. , Nebraska City , Nob. , $1.50 per
year. Washington Pulse.
THE COiNSEUVATIVK , U HOW gold Stillld-
urd paper by J. Sterling Morton , at Ne-
bruskn City , comes to our tables this
week. Its muke-up is a neat piece of
journalistic art and it is a well edited pa
per. Setting forth the advantages of
gold as a money standard us it does
and having the right kind of stuff behind -
hind the throne THE CONSERVATIVE has
a long life before it. Louisville Courier.
J. Sterling Morton's paper , called
Tin : CONSERVATIVE , made its first
appearance at Nebraska City on the
14 inst. The editor announces that
THE CONSERVATIVE will bo devoted to
the discussion of political , economic
and sociological questions. The first
two numbers that have reached this
office devote considerable space to the
early history of Nebraska City , Otoe
county und the "Grout American Des
ert , " as described by Multe-Bruns.
Politically the paper will advocate the
the true principles of democracy in
cluding the gold standard. Mr. Morton
is an ublc writer nnd his nameat the
head of the column us editor ought to
give the paper prestige enough to insure
a large circulation. Weeping Wuter Ro-
publican.
THE CONSERVATIVE , unew paper from
Nebraska City , by J. Sterling Morton ,
comes to hand und its contents are im
plied in its name CONSERVATIVE. Mr.
Morton wus secretary of agriculture
under Cleveland. He is a democrat in
politics , but when it came to the money
question , Mr. Morton was for sound
currency , in consequence whereof he no
more rides in the democratic wagon.
Tire CONSERVATIVE takes hold of , and
handles the current topics of the day in
a manner that displays good judgment ,
curoful study und well developed
thought. In fuct its arguments are bused
on considerable experience and are
worthy of consideration by everyone , ir
respective of politics. Burt County
News.
The Democrat has received , T. Ster
ling Morton's now paper , THE CON
SERVATIVE. The paper is interesting ,
because nothing that Mr. Morton writes
lacks interest , even thoxagh one disa
grees with much it contains. THE CON
SERVATIVE is to bo issued weekly "in the
interest of the conservation of all that
is deemed desirable in the social , indus
trial und political life of the United
States. " The paper will "declare for
the continuance of the gold standard"
and "combat the free coinage of silver
at 10 to 1. " This appears to bo the real
purpose of the paper , und wo know of
none so capable of defending the gold
standard us Mr. Morton. His diction is
elegant , his rhetoric alluring and his
sophistry the boldest of any writer defending -
fending the destruction of ono of the
country's metallic money. Adams
County Democrat.
