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VOL. i. NEBRASKA CITY , NEB. , THURSDAY , DECEMBER 8 , 1898. NO. 22.
WEEKLY.
OFFICES : OVERLAND THEATRE BLOCK.
J. STERLING MORTON , EDITOU.
A JOUHNAL. DEVOTED TO TUB DISCUSSION
OF POLITICAL , , ECONOMIC AND SOCIOLOGICAL ,
QUESTIONS. , - >
.CIRCULATION THIS WEEK 5,309 COPIES.
TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION.
One dollar nnd ft half per year , in advance ,
postpaid , to any part of the United States or
Canada. Remittances made payable to The
Morton Printing Company.
Address , THE CONSERVATIVE , Nebraska
City , Neb.
Advertising Rates made known upon appli
cation.
Entered at the postofllce at Nebraska City ,
Neb. , as Second Class matter , July 20th , 1808.
WAS THE SPANISH WAR FOB OF
FICES ONLY ?
Some very evil-minded and wicked
citizens suggest that the war between
the United States of America and the
Kingdom of Spain was forced into a
shooting and killing existence by repub
lican statesmen mostly senators aided
by Bailey of Texas , and other blatterers ,
who could not see that the whole effort
to bring about war was in the inter
ests of the gentlemen who expected to
run for congress on the republican ticket
in the autumn of 1898.
The statesmen referred to certainly
could not have desired war merely for
the sake of war and the possibility of
' * wholesale corpse-making at those inter
national expositions called battles.
It is , however , barely possible that
they.iNvere dreaming of an imperialism
tocome. ; But the great dubiety which
permeated their minds relative to the
revenues to be derived from the
Diugloy tariff , which had already
proved an almost total failure , uii-
dorbtedly inspired them with pug-
nac-'ty ' and bellicosity. They early in
the season realized that McKinley had
ridden into power on a false pretense.
Ho pretended to be the only candidate
in favor of a reformation of the currency
of the United States. Ho posed as the
one man who could and would immed
iately institute a reformation of that
currency. His friends declared him to
bo a single gold standard advocate of
great courage. They promised that
a complete , perfect-- ; and permanent
establishment of , , the gold standard of
. . - value-in , the United * States -should * be
brought about as soou. after his election
as possible.
Now the wicked and doubting Thom
ases of this country are wondering if
the McKinley administration brought
about war for any other purpose , than
hiding the failure of the Dingley bill as
a r < Jveuuetoe annd'coyering''ap'/their /
treachery to the causa of , sound-inoney
during the present congress ?
Can it be that such Tinctndus goody-
goodiness , such oleaginous.sympathy for
the suffering Cubans , os Veneered Sena
tor Proctor's-thrilling tale of Spanish
atrocities was merely a thin covering for
partisan ambition ?
Can it be that the pious and .pliable
McKinley is anything like the Eev ; Mr ;
Chadband ?
According to J. Sterling-Morton cheap
money demagogues and delusions are
born of and supported by public dis
tress , while prosperity kills the dema
gogues and dissipates the .delusion. He
might and should have added that re
publican policies and ascendancy in
sure prosperity. Omaha Bee-Iec. ) 2.
Mr. Morton is such a confirmed , old-
fashioned believer in the : goodness of
God that he frequently attributes to
His providences good crops , fat harvests
and the abundant fruits of the orchard ,
instead of to McKiuley , "republican
policies and ascendancy. " And thus
THE CONSERVATIVE often forgets to
mention that the rain is wetter , the sun
shine brighter and the fields more fer
tile under that' 'ascendancy" which gave
nsMosherv"Bartiey'and'6tifeiTslb'f blessed
tax-eating , tax-absorbing andtreasury -
looting memory !
We continue to
hear of the -
annoyance
. . .
ance that our army
in Cuba suffered from the lack of daily
baths and frequent changes of under
clothing. Without seeking to be at all
humorous ( although many of our con
temporaries conceive that to be the cor
rect light in which to view the subject )
we wish to suggest that this matter has
come up before. The downfall of many
nations is explained , by their historians ,
as being due to the encroachments of
civilization , which sapped their sinews ,
softened their rude virtues , and reduced
them to a state of effeminacy , in which
they were easily overcome by more bar
barous peoples. In fact , this is so very
common a story in the chronicles , that
it seems superfluous to cite any particu
lar instance/ Only , it Bounded quite
*
t
s'
' - "
differently ' when our instructors ex
plained it to TIS , from the way it appears -
pears to us when it is pur own fighting
men who suffer for want of their acciis-
tomed comforts. The fact seems to be
that war is a barbarous institution , in
consistent with civilization , and requir-
| fig"3nen of somewhat barbarian tastes
to maintain it successfully. If two
armies equaL-Ju. physical strength and
mechanical equipment were to confront
each other , it is quite possible that vic
tory might incline to that side which
was less ; conscious of the absence of
bathing facilities and fresh underwear.
, i I. . .1 . . . . . ,
The newspapers
UNPABTISAN
which presume
.
PROSPERITY.
upon the ignorance
and credulity of a largo body of the citi
zenship of the United States sufficiently
to endeavor to make them believe that
corn , wheat , oats and all other farm
products willgrow , more rapidly and sell
more readily and at bigger prices be
cause of the'.ascendancy of any particu
lar , party or any named man or men , are
not as numerous , as prosperous , nor as
well-patronized as they were twenty
years ago.
Thinking and practical Americans
know that government has no other
business than protecting the liberty , '
property and lives of its citizens. Can
did and conservative citizens understand
perfectly that a majority of all political
parties in the United States desire pros
perity , and that they honestly aim to
rhig ab.gnferprpsperity. to .oil the .
of ttiis.repnblic. But candid ancT'cibn ?
servative people also understand that
the prosperity and happiness of a people
depend upon their temperate , industri
ous and frugal habits as individuals. No
community that is slovenly .intemperate ,
indolent and illiterate can be prosperous.
It matters little to such a people what.
political president or party may be in
power prospex-ity will not dwell with
them.
On the other hand , a temperate , indus
trious and economical community will
prosper under any sort of partisan dom
ination , if God , in his infinite compas
sion , confers on them sunshine and
shower , seed time and harvest lime
so as to give them a generous subsistence.
Prosperity is born of Providence and
intelligent industry.
Prosperity is non-partisan.
But prosperity can be diminished ,
dwarfed and repressed by. bud law
makers , who are always intense and
bigoted rr partisans 7 - , . . ; in . ( this . . . . . and , . . . , , . every . . . , . , , * other .
country. .