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About The Conservative (Nebraska City, Neb.) 1898-1902 | View Entire Issue (March 30, 1899)
° ' * . , * < Cbe Conservative. RAILROAD SECURITIES. There seems to bo no question about greater prosperity throughout the coun try now than at any time in the last seven years. All indications point to enlarged busi ness transactions and increased volume of trade. The railroads are enjoying better times and the relations between them and the public are apparently much im proved. The legislatures in many states have adjourned and few statutes unfair to railroads have been enacted into laws. There seems to be quite a general disposition among railroad managements to keep out of politics and this of itself will go a long way in keeping legisla tures out of the railroad business. The railroads of the country should be pro perly protected as well as regulated by state and national laws and the people of the country should feel as safe to buy railroad bonds as they are to invest in government bonds. If the country continues to prosper and the people remain conservative there will be a great deal of investment and in the interest of the frugal , careful people of the country the railroad se curities of the country should be pro tected against all kinds of vicious legis lation. GOODGOV. Among the best Eiut AIENT. * yPes of American citizenship the faith that good government is good bus iness is rapidly growing. The old notion that partyism aloue determines the qualifications of a candidate for official position is being surely obliterated from every educated and thoughtful mind. Local governments have been rapidly and fearfully increased as to their cost during the last twenty-five years. There are many cities and counties in the United States today where local taxation makes a fixed charge for citizenship equal to all that an ordinary man can possibly save after paying expenses for himself and family. Municipal taxes must be reduced in every overburdened city , or such city will enter upon a commercial and financial decline. Men with money will get out of an over taxed community when they can ; and those who are out never will come in. Many good towns in Nebraska have taxes up to an unendurable percentage on personal and real values. THE CONSERVATIVE advises the people ple of Omaha , Lincoln , Hastings , Beat rice , Plattsuiouth , Nebraska City and of all other commercial and manufac turing points in the state to take up the study of municipal government. Olubs ought to be formed for the discussion of the best methods of reducing taxes and also of enforcing their honest collection and disbursement. McMillan & Co. , publishers in New York city , will soon issue an exceptionally valuable work of > /c 500 octavo pages entitled "The Growth of Cities. " Through the Reform Club , of 288 Fifth Avenue , Now York , copies of this valuable work can be secured at $1.50 each , by every member of that club in regular standing. In this connection we submit a letter recently received from the Reform Club and ask that readers who desire to be come members thereof send their names to the editor of THE CONSERVATIVE and he will make the application for them in due form. Nothing could be of greater service to the cities and towns of Nebraska than to enter at once upon the work of putting their governments into the hands of bus iness men for business government with a view of reducing the present taxation and preventing further increase of pub lic indebtedness. Dear Sir : In the eleven years since it was founded the Reform Club has demonstrated that good causes are good neighbors , and that its usefulness has been increased by combining in its mem bership those specially interested in more than one of the causes in which agree so large a proportion of thoughtful and patriotic citizens. This club has stood for 1. Tariff for revenue only ; no taxa tion for private ends. 2. Sound money , including a safe and elastic banknote currency. 8. Business , as distinguished from partisan , administration of city affairs. 4. Electoral reform toward equality , as between independent and party voters. 5. Local option as to subjects of tax ation for local purposes home rule in local affairs. 6. Civil service reform public ser vants to bo chosen and retained for fit ness and efficiency. During the current "off" year , in general politics , the committees ap pointed to promote 8 , 4 and 5 of the aims above noted will be especially ac tive and the co-operation of our non resident members will be peculiarly needed and welcome. With the as sembling of the Fifty-sixth congress the other committees will be called upon to add aggressive work to the large amount they are even now constantly doing. It is not required that a candidate for membership sympathize equally with all the aims of the club ; or oven that he favor them all provided he is in general accord with its purposes ; and the fact that our club committees are each supported exclusively by the spec ial contributions of those who wish to aid its work has been an important fac tor in the club's usefulness one result being that each committee , when most active , has been largely aided by nonmembers - members of the club who appreciate the economy and loyalty with which aid given it will be used in the special work for which it is contributed. The standing of the club is assured as one of the more prominent and most frequented clubs in the city. As to the club accommodations furnished and rate of dues the enclosed will answer the inquiries most likely to bo made. Ex tensive improvements are now being made , providing special restaurant fa cilities for ladies , and adding two-thirds to the accomodations for non-resident members. Wo wish as large a membership as may bo of those interested in freer com merce , sound money , businesslike city government , enlightened methods of tax ation , the greatest facility possible for expression of popular will , and efficient public service. Will you not use one or more of the within blanks for proposing such ? Sincerely , WALLACE MACFARLANE , President. CHARLES S. FAIRCHILD , Chairman committee on sound currency. CALVIN TOJIPKINS , Chairman committee on tariff reform. JOHN DE WITT WARNER , Chairman committee on municipal ad ministration. SIMON STERNE , Chairman committee on electoral reform. JOHN G. AGAR , Chairman committee on reform in local taxation. SETH SPRAGUE TERRY , Chairman committee on civil service reform. In giving a list of queer towns in a recent issue of this paper , New York ( N.Y. ) was inadvertently omitted. Now York ( N. Y. ) naturally comes at the head of any catalog of queer towns in this country. Kansas City is another queer town. There the women all take off their hats in the theaters , and the men uncover themselves in the public elevators when a woman enters. So long as they behave thus it is useless for them to expect people to stay away from their town. In southern California where sun shine is the rule and storm the excep tion , where flowers blooni in qvery mouth of the year the people are obliged always to look into the almanac to as certain whether it is Christmas or Fourth of July. Hero in Nebraska wo have no such obscurity brought about by winterlessness. Here snow and zero weather proclaim the need of overcoats and furnaces , stoves and grates. With strict economy , the pope ex pects to got through this year on a mil lion and a half of dollars