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y Itoit ,
Conservative *
THE CONSERVATIVE -
TIVE observes with
much patriotic
satisfaction the decline in the volume of
voice crying for the free and unlimited
coinage of silver at the ratio of 10 to 1
without regard to any other nation on
this or any other planet in the universe.
Governor Boies of Iowa was one of the
earliest apostates from the fallacy and
his immediate disciples are becoming
more and more numerous.
Among newspapers which have de
serted that monetary vagary are the
Now York Daily Journal , the Kansas
City Times , the Chicago Chronicle and
many others.
Every prophecy of evil made in 189G
by the advocates and orators of this
great financial heresy has been proved
false. The evidence against the fore
casters of disaster abounds everywhere.
It is upon farms and their lessened
debts , upon railroads and their increased
receipts , upon labor , its more constant
employment and steadier scale of wages ,
and in all the clearing-house reports of
the United States. Nobody needs or
even pretends to need the free coinage
of silver at 10 to 1 in Nebraska.
"We cannot re-
raember when we
THE FLAG. . . . , , , . , . ,
did not think the
American flag the most beautiful object
of its kind in the world. We learned
to love it in the days of its peril , as we
could never love "but once , " and that
once all the time ; still more , we have
learned to hold it , not in heart only but
in reason , worthy of such a love , in all
it stands for and all it promises , to our
selves and to mankind. We have sailed
foreign oceans , and the sight of it as we
drew into New York harbor was a re
newal of the intensities of youth ; it
could only be compared with the joy of
greeting our own household and child
ren or better , not compared at all , for
either feeling was one to itself alone.
When we have read in the English nov
elist , Clark Russell , of his wrecked and
ocean-driven mariners , famishing and
frozen , where a most begins to glimmer
above the misty sea-line , straining for a
sight of the ensign , praying that if it be
not of their own country , then it may
be the stars and stripes , the one supreme
assurance they could have of rescue and
humanity it has made us feel almost as
good as if we had ourselves wrecked a
craft of some feeble enemy.
It ought not to be surprising then if we
feel an interest , keen even to sensitive
ness /in the honor and glory of an em
blem so adored. We hope that in our
earnest efforts to preserve that honor ,
we may not seem over-zealous and ag
gressive to our fellow-countrymen. If
wo wish to keep it clean , at least to the
requirement of decency ; if we would not
deface it with needless mire , blood , and
all corruption ; above all if wo would
\
iv i
s
vithdraw it as swiftly and decisively as
) ossiblo from any false and dishonoring
) osition ; wo trust that our care of the
log may bo regarded , even if somewhat
deal , as at least patriotic.
Suppose a young man among his fol-
ows , getting into some dispute , and not
sure precisely what position ho will as
sume ; then suppose a doughty follower ,
armed to the teeth , coming up and pro
claiming in his ear from behind , "Go
right on , never talk of right and wrong ,
whatever you claim or do I will stand
> y you , and maul the life out of any-
jody that lifts a hand against you"
; hat retainer might bo faithful and able
n his part , he might in some dull sense
be called mindful of his patron's inter
est ; but how of that patron's honor ?
3y all the latest gospel of clap-trap that
las filled the land , if a pranky school
boy should set up our banner on the top
of Saint Paul's , we must fight all Britain
; o the end of time before it should be
: aken down. * # *
If the competition for first prize as
adulator of President McKinley were
not apparently closed , with the choice of
Ambassador to Great Britain and Sena
tor from New York , we should have
liked to enter a Cuban. He is Don
Francisco Javier Bolmaseda , who has
just published a pamphlet setting forth a
plan for the government of the island.
On its title page he puts this sentiment :
"God said , ' Let there be light , and there
was light. ' McKiuloy said , 'Let a free
people be made out of a colony of slaves , '
and Cuba took her place among inde
pendent nations. " Senor Balmaseda
may not get anything for this , but it
should make him persona grata at the
White House. New York Evening Post ,
January 25th.
The Post may be right as to Balmaseda
and his White House reception , bul
what of the reception after that burst of
adulation of Balmaseda at mansions in
the skies ?
Now then at last
ARMY AND/ i
NAVY FOREVER.V everybody musi
admit the need o :
a stronger navy and a readier army for
the emergencies we are likely to meet
What risks we ran , and what sufferings
our brave men endured , which migh
have been avoided with a little more
equipment ! The Spanish war , through
our surpassing valor , turned out a brie
one ; but none the less we felt the disad
vantage of unpreparedness , and woulc
feel it more in a heavier war. Let us
take our lesson in time. Thus does
jingoism play the role of prudence.
Once a go-ahead sort of a man , who
had the reputation of minding his own
business , as he was known to have a
good deal of it on hand , sat at work in
his office as usual ; when he began to
hear an awful row going on outside in
the street. Impatient at lost of the
loiso and obstruction , and getting the
dea that a small boy , whom ho used to
ee playing in the dirt around but whom
10 really know little or nothing about ,
vas being abused , ho finally jumped out ,
and snatching whatever came to hand ,
10 soon cleaned out the region ; for , in
'act , there were few in that district who
could stand against him , when ho got
started. But ho came by a scratch and
miiso or two in the melee. Then , as
10 walked back , ho reflected : "I see I
mvo made a mistake , in going hereto
fore unarmed. If I had had a good out
fit of knives and pistols , it would have
jeen a much quicker and surer thing.
[ will got mo a dirk and a revolver , and
nave them always ready. " So , being
long in the log , he had no difficulty in
stepping at a single stride from the
twentieth century to the sixteenth , and
from the capital to the backwoods.
* *
*
Mr. Wall , mem
A AVAIL , FROM ber of the democratic
MR. AVAI/L.
cratic national
committee for the state of Wisconsin ,
lias tendered his resignation of that
place because he declares in advance
that he cannot longer give either coun
tenance or support to the silver part ,
and , presumably , some other parts , of the
Chicago platform. Coming from one of
the strongest men and leaders of the
party in the Northwest , this blow to the
pnrty which is now based upon a propo
sition that favors the payment of 100-
cent debts with 50-cont dollars , has come
very near reaching its cardiac plexus in
the state of Wisconsin and Vilas.
Super-patriotic people are characteriz
ing all who differ with the pillagers of
the Philippine Islands as traitors to the
country , copperheads , disloyalists and
tories. No one can differ from McKin-
ley's policies , no matter how much ho
loves his homo and country , no matter
how much he has accomplished for both ,
without being denounced by the syco
phants as "a little American. "
Foreordination , predestination , annex
ation , and refrigeration are a good deal
talked about just now ; but vaccination
is , in popular estimation , held at a
higher valuation than any other method
for the mitigation of the infected situa
tion which dates its inauguration from
our occupation of islands which used to
belong to the Spanish nation.
Local history is of value to the child
ren and youth of Otoe county. There
fore at great expense , and by the sacrifice
of much valuable space , THE CONSERVA
TIVE publishes "The Origins of Nebraska
City" so that the teachers and pupils of
public schools hereabouts may bo fur
nished with historical facts and dates of
indisputable authority.
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