TTbe Conservative. 3
gressivo position in favor of sound
money ns will leave no occasion to
doubt republican sincerity , and thus
keep with us those heroic democrats
who have preferred good government
and national prosperity rather than
party victories. " Senator Gear of the
same state thinks "it is imperatively ne
cessary for congress to have an extra
session. " It is a great gain to have
such a state as Iowa in the Central West
and such another as Oregon on the Pa
cific coast fighting without gloves
against financial dishonor , and refusing
to make any kind of compromise with
the advocates of depreciated money.
The weak-kneed republicans are al
ready saying that the currency is good
enough now , and that there is no need
of an extra session of congress or of any
new legislation. It is a great satisfac
tion to know that Iowa does not intend
to rest satisfied with half a victory or to
leave the door open to now panics like
that of 1898.
was a surprs-
A WONDER. .
ing feature of the
recent election in Nebraska that , while
the result of the voting for congressmen
showed that the same reaction against
populistic principles of finance had oc
curred in that commonwealth as in Kan
sas , the populists still succeeded in elect
ing their state ticket by a narrow mar
gin. The explanation is that the repub
lican party suffered from boss rule and
the resentment of the voters against an
odious machine. The battle was lost in
Douglas county , of which Omaha is the
business center. The Omaha Bee insists
that the right sort of a campaign would
have resulted in a majority of 5,000 for
the whole state ticket in that county , as
the mass of the voters had been im
pressed with the benefits of republican
rule , were prosperous and contented , and
were ready to support a good ticket.
The whole county committee , however ,
practically abdicated in favor of a boss ,
John L. "Webster , "and the foisting
upon the party by "Webster of a legisla
tive ticket that not only ignored impor
tant elements whoso support was essen
tial , but kept away several thousand
voters disgusted with notoriously bad
nominations , proved fatal to all hopes. "
The truth is that
A TRUTH.
popu 1 i s m owes
poetically all of its successes in Ne
braska during the last few years to the
blunders and crimes of the republican
machine. There is probably not a state
in the West which has suffered more
from bad government at the hands of
the republican party. Honest voters at
last got so disgusted and desperate that
they were ready to turn anywhere for
relief. Something has been accomplished
towards the overthrow of the bad influ
ences which' had so long ruled in the
party , but the work is not yet complete.
A. great deals yiep.wd.upon the newT
, ,
T K-
legislature , in which the republicans
will have a small majority. The Bee
tells the leaders of the party that , if re
publican success in 1890 and 1900 is to bo
insured , the legislature , in its organiza-
ion , should steer clear of all the old leg-
slativo barnacles and notorious boodle
nen , and select clean , reputable , and
competent clerics and employees ; should
set an example of economy , both for it
self and all the state institutions ; and
should pass wholesome laws in the inter
est of all classes of the people , irrespec
tive of any threatened veto by the pop-
ocratic governor.
Th ° inO WM ° f
GOLD GALORE.
gold continues at
such a pace that the Mint Bureau can
hardly keep pace with it. The director ,
Mr. Roberts , says that the returns from
South Africa for the ten months of the
present year show that its yield will ex
ceed that of 1897 by $10,885,000. The
yield from the Yukon country promises
nn-incroaso over last year of $8,000,000 ,
and these figures lead to the belief that
the world's gold production for 1898 will
reach the enormous sum of $288,192,800 ,
that of 1897 having been in round num
bers , $240,000,000. The whole product
of gold and silver together in 1888 was
only $251,000,000 , reckoning the silver at
its coining value of $1.29 per ounce. In
other words , this year's production of
gold exceeds the productions of both
metals ten years ago by more than $80-
000,000. The gold famine that many
politicians , and some men of scientific
pretensions , predicted with such posi-
tiveness two or three years ago is as dis
appointing and elusive as the day of
advent in the creed of Millerism.
CONSTITUTIONAL , 1JAKS TO AN O1M3N
JUOOU.
Waiving what may or may not bo
done under military government , a law
unto itself , the levying of a duty in
Philippine ports xipoii importations from
the United States would violate section
8 , article i. , of the constitution , declar
ing that all duties , imposts , and excises
shall be uniform throughout the United
States. Should the Philippines be taken
by us they would be part of the United
States , and the Philippine tariff could
not bo enforced as against the rest of
the United States , and the "open door"
would then be practically shut against
Europe for the reason that the consti
tution flatly declares that no vessel
bound to or from one state shall bo
obliged to enter , clear or "pay duties in
another. " Article i. , section 9 , of the
constitution , presents another obstacle
to a Philippine tariff operative against
the states of the Union in the provision
that no tax or duty shall be laid upon
articles exported from any state. A duty
levied by action of congress upon a
cargo entering Manila from New York
would bo tantamount to the levying of
an export duty upon exports from New
York , i This power cannot be .exercised
P *
by congress , directly or indirectly , with
out a violation of the constitution , sub
ject , of course , to the decision of the
federal supreme court upon the point.
Philadelphia Ledger ( Rep. ) .
The state press
KKI'KAL ,
seems agreed that
the railroad commissioners , oil inspect
ors and a whole lot of other political
parasites ought to bo abolished at the
next session of the legislature of Ne
braska. The unanimity for the repeal
of all unnecessary and pernicious stat
utes is solid. Few new laws are needed.
Many old laws should be repealed.
They are worse than useless. Some
of them are a disgrace to the
commonwealth. Some of them
are never invoked except to gratify
malice. Notably is this true of the law
providing a penalty for swearing or
for treating. Every unoboyed law left
on the statute books uurepealed begets
disregard for all laws.
TKSS JAAV AND MORE COMMON
SENS * : .
The American people have become so
saturated with governmental paternal
ism in certain sections of the United
States that there is very little self-reli
ance left in them. It is only a few years
since a senator from one of the Dakotas
introduced a bill appropriating one mil
lion dollars from the federal treasury
for the purpose of paying for pulling
up and destroying weeds in his state.
The Russian Thistle was debated in
the United States senate with serious
gravity. And , at last , after much learn
ing and eloquence had been exhibited ,
by that august body of statute makers ,
an amendment to the agricultural ao-
propriation bill was passed providing for
one million of dollars to be expended in
eradication of the Russian Thistle.
But the house defeated this attempt to
pay for killing noxious weeds out of the
national treasury.
But there was as much righteousness
and propriety in attempting by an ap
propriation to destroy weeds and their
seeds as there is in distributing garden
and flower seeds for propagation at the
public expense.
It is not the business of government
to kill weeds.
It is not the business "of government
to purchase , with money belonging to
all of the people , seeds for donation tea
a few of the people.
Less law and more common sense are
needed hero in Nebraska. And tin's is
true of Washington and the Um'ted
States at large.
Much individual character being
marked with habits of thrift , industry
and intellectual force in every county ,
town and state ; that concrete , which
wo call our country , the republic , will
be distinguished for its tranquillity ,
prosperity and intelligence.
Less law and more common sense ore
needed everywhere ,
,
p- f i art t