r
I
'Che Conservative *
two Gabriels aforementioned , or by any
additional number that may join them
in their senseless demands. Eldorado
( Kan. ) Republican , Nov. 20 , 1899.
The value of per-
TAX-l'AYimS * . . . . . .
GUILD. sonalattention , in
vestigation and
action relative to expenditures for the
public by the resident tax-payers of a
town and county has been thoroughly
proved in Nebraska City.
On May 19th , 1877 , The News pub
lished the following financial statement
as to this city.
Wo give below our city's indebtedness , up to
date , comprised in the following items :
Sundries $ 7,000
Kefunding bonds 204,000
Briil ges 10,000
M. P. Bonds 75,000
Coupons Unpaid 25,000
Judgments 25,000
Babcock 22,000
General Warrants 25,000
Total Indebtedness $374,200
The late Thomas B. Stevenson organ
ized a tax-payers' guild and proceeded
with energy and skill to arrange for the
reduction of that debt. He did a great
and good work. He should be held in
grateful remembrance by every lover of
his home in this town by the whole
community. The debt of Nebraska
City this day is only about two hundred
thousand dollars. But it too must be
speedily reduced and taxes lessened.
The remarkable
OUR FOREIGN
COMMERCE. excess of American
exports over for
eign impoits into the United States is
not materially checked , according to the
figures of the Bureau of Statistics for
October. The exports of merchandise
for the month were $126,764,786 , while
the imports were only $72,705,894 ,
creating a balance of exports of $54,058-
892. This is about $12,000,000 less than
the corresponding balance for October ,
1898 , when exports were $118,619,563
and imports were $52,849,526 , but the
excess of exports is still far- beyond the
normal balance of trade. The balance
for October is at the rate of $650,000,000
per year. The exports for this period of
ten months have surpassed all previous
records and reached a total of $1,029-
249,286. The imports have also increased
more than $180,000,000 above the figures
for 1898 , but have not been sufficient to
radically reduce the balance in favor of
this country. This balance for the ton
mouths ending with October two years
ago was $219,248,144 , and one year ago
$460,169,226. The net imports of gold
for the ten months have been $8,180,592 ,
as compared with imports in 1898 of
$180,020,820. The excess of exports of
silver has not varied greatly for the last
three years , the figures for the last ten
months having been $18,800,721. Tak
ing the entire account together , the
' merchandise and gold and silver move
ment , the not credit balance in favor of
the United States for the last ten months
appears to be about $880,000,000 , while
the balance for the same months of 1898
was about $350,000,000. These figures
are subject' to the deduction of Ameri
can obligations abroad on account of
interest , freight charges and travelers'
credits , but if those have amounted to
$150,000,000 for ten months the United
States still has a credit balance on the
business of the last ten months amount
ing to about $280,000,000. Railway
World.
The largest tieo
l.n. . ,
recorded in the
history of the world was found in Cali
fornia , near the Tulo river , in 1874.
When discovered the top had been
broken off and the standing trunk which
remained was two hundred and forty
feet high while the diameter at the place
of the breaking off was twelve feet.
The age of this tree was estimated four
thousand eight hundred and forty years.
At its bnse , within the hollow of its
trunk , one hundred and fifty persons
gathered.
Some heathen in the infancy of that
tree might have chopped it down for a
barbaric festival and we then should
never have known its majesty and
worth. How many possible giants
among the trees growing in the young
forests of the United States are to be
destroyed this year for Christmas cele
bration ? THE CONSERVATIVE insists
that some other method of observing
that anniversary than that one which
requires the destruction of millions of
beautiful and useful trees should be
adopted by all sensible and provident
people.
The time for reT -
T AX-PAYERS' , .
COMBINE. ducing expenses in
the administration
of local government is not during a
political campaign. Systematic business
is never inaugurated during a riot. But
in the cool and calm of winter } evenings
the best citizenship of a community can
get together and form a combine of tax
payers. This combine can consider the
ways and means of lessening the ox-
nenditures of common councils and
county commissioners. Those repre
sentative tax-paying citizens can , should
and must devise methods of lowering
the rates of taxation.
The annual estimates for running
Otoo county are needlessly exorbitant.
They can bo re-
Otoo County. , ,
duced.
How ?
By having every tax-payer residing
within its limits acquainted with its
thoroughly itemized expenditures.
How shall such general knowledge of
its finances and business methods bo
brought to the public ?
By means of the tax-payers' trust ,
combine or conspiracy for the over
hauling , criticising , , and correcting the
lax , extravagant and wasteful methods
of transacting the public business.
The tax-payers' combine will bo
organized in Nebraska City. It will
employ a good business man and ao- + '
countant to go through county and city
records. This combine means business. „ „
It will do business in a business-liko ?
way. Many of its members are largo
tax-payers and some of them propose to
attempt to provide for the liquidation of
outstanding evidences of debt against
both county and city , by paying up now ,
in advance , their full respective shares
of such debt and to ask others to do
likewise.
Taxes must be lowered. The cost of
city councils and county commissioners
is extravagant , unnecessary and de
structive to the people.
The gushing
ARYAN'S congratulations of
CONGRATULATE- ; . _ , ° - . .
CONGRATULATECol. . Bryan to
Qoebel thrilled the telegraph lines from
Lincoln to Louisville just after the elec
tion , some days ago. And now , in its
issue of Nov. 28rd , 1899 , the Louisville
Evening Post , a democratic newspaper
claiming the election of Taylor , a Re
publican , to the Governorship of Ken
tucky , thus reviles Col. Bryan's friend
and congratulateo :
"Goebel's public career is one long
career of crime , beginning in murder
and concluding in an organized bur
glary on an unparalleled scale.
"For more than a week Kentucky has
been in doubt and turmoil because of
actual crimes committed and other
crimes ordered by the Goebel gang of
desperadoes.
"All over the State Goebel's hench
men have wandered , stirring up strife ,
publishing falsehoods , intimidating
weak-kneed officers and doing all the
heart of a desperate and defeated poli
tical adventurer can conceive.
"He can succeed in his last desperate
attempt to count out the man chosen
governor by the people in case the
people relax their vigilance , reduce their
courage or change their determination.
"Should Goebel succeed in seizing the
Governorship after defeat , we will know
nothing of law , order or peace for four
years.
"His very name inspires lawlessness. i
Every assassin and murderer was a
Goebel man. Every thief is a Goebel
man. Every gambler , lottery vender ,
pool room seller was or is a Goobol man ;
every outlaw of every degree is a Goobel
man.
"Goebel's campaign from the Music
Hall convention to the Nelson county
scheme is a series of crimes against
popular government , and no self-respec
ting community will accept his yoke or
bow to his authority. "