Conservative
VOL. II. NEBRASKA CITY , NEB. , THURSDAY , SEPTEMBER 7 , 1899. NO. 9.
PUBLISHED WEEKLY.
OFFICES : OVERLAND THEATRE BLOCK.
J. STERLING MORTON , EDITOH.
A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO THE DISCUSSION
OF POLITICAL , ECONOMIC AND SOCIOLOGICAL
QUESTIONS.
CIRCULATION THIS WEEK 6,320 COPIES.
TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION.
One dollar and a half per year , in advance ,
postpaid , to any part of the United States or
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Morton Printing Company.
Address , THE CONSERVATIVE , Nebraska
City , Neb.
Advertising Rates made known upon appli
cation.
Entered at the postofflce at Nebraska City ,
Neb. , as Second Class matter , July 29th , 1898.
UNITED STATES PENSIONS.
There are a lot of chronic growlers
snapping and snarling at Commissioner
Henry Clay Evans of the pension bu
reau. These gentlemen seem to regret
that there is no more laxity of the laws
under which they can crowd to still
further repletion the lists of pensioners.
Last year the total appropriation for
pensions by the United States was $140-
000,000. Out of this sum was paid for
pensions alone $188,855,052.95.
The medical examiners last year cost
the government $950,000.
The salaries for clerks and other bu
reau officers at the agencies for the sev
eral states amounted to $487,000.
The demand for the year to liquidate
the pension roll on June 30 , 1899 , was
$181,617,961.00. This is an increase
over the year ending June 80 , 1898 , of
$650,000.00. The difference in the value
of the pension roll at the end of the
year and the amount paid out is ac
counted for by the first payments in the
pensions , which last year , as anyone can
see , was the difference between $188-
000,000 and $181,000,000.
Xiifu Insurance.
The pension commissioner knows , and
many of the public understand , that
there are a good many men drawing
pensions , some of them for total dis
ability , who are , nevertheless , found to
be thoroughly sound when they are ex
amined for the purpose of securing life-
insurance policies in reputable compan
ies. In such cases , who is swindled
the government which pays the pension ,
or the insurance companies which issue
the policies ? Or both ?
During the last year the pension
agents of this country made a deter
mined and malicious fight upon Henry
Clay Evans , the present commissioner.
This fight was made because Commis
sioner Evans had demonstrated that he
proposed to abide by the law and to
show no favoritism in any case whatso
ever.
HnrvcKt Time.
In the years 1891 , 1892 and 1893 , pen
sion attorneys throughout the United
States managed to place more than 500-
000 new names on the pension rolls of
this country. These were the great
harvest years of pension attorneys and
brokers and they seem to think that the
crop should be kept up in perpetuity.
But it cannot be under the present laws
as administered by Mr. Evans.
During the fiscal year ending June 80 ,
1898 , pension attorneys collected
through the pension agencies of the
United States , as their fees in the al
lowance of claims , $780,000.00. But the
fees for the year ending June 80 , 1899 ,
of these patriotic promoters of public
indebtedness amounted to only $472,000.
This shrinkage of the fee crop is the
cause of the abuse of Commissioner
Evans. He is regarded as an enemy
because he stands guard against unlaw
ful and dishonest pensions.
THE CONSERVATIVE -
ouRENEMEs.
TIVE is gratified
and complimented by the character and
number of enemies it has evolved.
Every advocate of the money fallacies
of Bryauarchy antagonizes and de
nounces THE CONSERVATIVE.
Every illusionist , delusionist , con-
fusiouist and fusionist is an avowed ad
versary and vehement opponent of THE
CONSERVATIVE.
All who admire the honesty and ap
plaud the voucher-making methods of
House Rent Holcomb are enemies of THE
CONSERVATIVE.
All the silver syndicate newspapers
which advocate the vagaries in finance
that would measure high-priced goods
with low-priced money are enemies to
THE CONSERVATIVE.
For all this THE CONSERVATIVE is
grateful. The character of its enemies
is its choicest and best endorsement.
THE CONSERVATIVE
FREE TRADE.
TIVE was amused
it the non-mention of the tariff for pro
tection by the meeting of the directors
Df the office-seekers' combination at
Omaha on August 22d , 1899. The mem
ory of the logical and eloquent pleas for
commercial freedom , made by Colonel
Bryan in 1890 , are now like dreams of a
lost symphony. No more the silver
tongue talks for cheaper and bettor
manufactured goods ! No more pleads
Bryan for a reduction and reform of the
tariff to make things cheaper for con
sumers.
But he assaults the so-called "trusts. "
Theoldman.the father.goes unpunished.
The children are charged upon by
Colonel Bryan with a ferocity , only
equaled by his courage in Cuba.
Of the omission of denunciation of the
protective tariff by Bryanarchists in
Nebraska the Now York Evening Post
says :
"They did not mince words in de
nouncing trusts , which 'testify to the
administration's indifference to monopoly
ely or to its inability to cope with it. '
They denounced also the failure of the
administration to enforce the present
law against trusts , or to recommend new
laws if the present law is deemed in
sufficient. They demanded the enforce
ment of the present law , the enactment
of such now legislation as may bo neces
sary , 'and a constitutional amendment ,
if the present constitution is construed
to protect trusts , to the end that the
monopolization of industry by private
corporations may bo absolutely pro-
vented. " But the democratic platform
in Nebraska is as silent on one obvious
practical measure which can bo taken
against trusts as the Pennsylvania re
publican platform was oil the whole sub
ject. The high tariff fosters trusts , and
the Nebraska platform says not a single
word on the subject of the tariff. The
explanation is that there was a conven
tion of 'silver republicans' in session on
the same day which was going to 'fuse'
with the democrats and the populists , and
that many of the republicans had been ,
and presumably still are , believers in a
high tariff. "
The trust is the union of the members
of previously organized business corpor
ations into a larger and more complex
organization , thereby simplifying the
management while comploxiug the
machinery.