-y.r/
Conservative.
The average
APPROPRIATIONS.
statesman seems
to think that to get an appropriation out
of the federal treasury for some build
ing , river , harbor or fortress in his state
or district is the very consummation of
patriotic effort. Getting money out of
all the people to bestow upon a few
people is genuine beneficence in the
estimation of all the ambitious tax-
projectors and tax-eaterd in the Ameri
can congress. A direct and liberal act
setting aside a large sum of tax-gathered
funds to build a United States court
house or improve a river at some in
consequential point in his district makes
a congressman famous and popular.
But it is no more an act of statesman
ship than picking the pockets of one
community to replenish the wallets of
another.
And next after that method of de
pleting the common treasury of the re
public comes the old and threadbare plan
of billeting crossroads politicians and
ward heelers upon the government.
This is done by creating needless offices
and filling them with needy and depen
dent partisans. In every executive
department of the federal government
are scored and hundreds of these para
sites paid for doing nothing except to
shout for their party , praise its "bosses"
and make maudlin speeches about "the
dear old " "old " "
flag" glory" "stars and
stripes" and the sinful and vile "dis
loyalty" of any and all who object to
their hypocrisy.
The offices of the government have
become the property of politicians and
their families.
Nepotism.
Even the heads of
departments scruple neb to place their
incompetent sous and nephews on their
pay rolls when they know , perfectly well ,
that no adequate or needed service is
rendered for the money they draw.
The confession that they have begotten
and reared sous and daughters who are
incapable of making a living is thus
shamelessly made by men pretending to
love their country and posing as states
men ! When shall these abominable
practices cease ? When will the multi
tude rebel against feeding the incompe
tents of the few upon the pretext that
they are rendering a public service ?
Admiral Dewey
TJJE GIFTHOUSE.Admiral
is not a politician
and he is not a business man. He is a
simple-hearted , brave and determined
old man. Accustomed to the isolation
of a ship whereon he is a monarch , used
to giving orders which are immediately
and silently obeyed , possessing by birth
a chivalrous love of women which his
sailor's life has kept inviolate , Admiral
Dewey thought when ho got married
that ho could do nothing loss than give
that which he thought most of to his
wife. The newspapers , which are re
sponsible for most of the misunder
standings between Americans and for
some of the wars between America and
other countries , deliberately exasperated
the people by the sensational way they
reported Dewey's gift of his gift. It
was not because ho was not pleased
with his house but because he thought
more of it than any thing else he had ,
it was not because he did not appreciate
that the house was given to him because
the people idolized him , but because the
house was a sign of a people's affection
and gratitude , that he gave it to his
wife. No woman would ever have done
it. But the great admiral gave it to his
wife thinking the American people
would appreciate the chivalry and
generosity. Aud if we were somewhat
finer-fibred ourselves wo would have
understood and at any rate would have
said nothing. The newspapers found
out immediately what the admiral had
done and by all sorts of inuondoes and
disgraceful and baseless insinuations in
cited the people to bray in the deafen
ing chorus which has made the gentle
admiral sick of the whole thing. He
has lived in clubs or on his ship for
years and he was tremendously pleased
with his new house. Because it was so
goodly and so satisfying he gave it to
his wife. He h w not lived enough on
laud , or perhaps he has forgotten the
very peculiar noise a donkey makes
when he is mad or hungry. Had he
been more accustomed to the sound it
would not have kept him awake. The
admiral is entirely mistaken though if
he thinks there is no one to defend him.
There are several million people in this
country who know him the old-time
gentleman , the unworldly finely-tem
pered old blade that he is. And it makes
us wish we were good prize-fighters
when we hear him abused. The house
was his , given to him to enjoy , and in
giving it to the woman who is making
him very happy after his long cruise , he
was using it to his highest enjoyment.
The Chinese show their wisdom in
making their idols of jade and teak.
On crossed legs , with four arms or six
and with an extra number of eyes they
sit forever in the attitude their
designer and worshippers think mostap-
appropriate for a Chinese god. Ameri
cans are different. They will not wor
ship jade or teak or Vermont granite.
But they are always in an uproar be
cause their god uas moved unexpectedly.
Would it not be much more rational to
make an idol out of stone that cannot
move , nor make any eccentric motions ?
Anyway one cannot expect Admiral
Dewey to sit-cross legged forever be
cause it is the conventional idol attitude.
Lincoln Courier , Deo. 2 , 1899.
Mr. John D. Rockefeller has planted
10,000 trees in a single year in the
neighborhood of his home in East Clove
land. His own premises consist of 000
acres.
THE DIFFERENCE.
Hast over wandered at the close of day ,
Across the fields nnd down the village street ,
When winds wail softly nnd the skies are grey ,
And twilight shades as pinions long nnd fleet
Enwrnp the hill nnd town ; while steals away
The river clothed in misty winding sheet ,
Bearing upon its bosom the dead dny ?
Hnst wandered thus , and noted the bare weld
The naked woods , the sky without n star ,
The long slow rise of wind sharp with the cold
Of coming night ; the lights that near and far
Gleam from the countless homes of men that
hold
The precious things of life that sacred are ,
Love's ministry to loved within its fold ?
And standing thus without , hast known the
pain
Of homelessness amid so many homes ?
The hopeless sense of loneliness that fain
Would lese itself in these , but still must
roam ,
Having no part , no place nor any name
Among them , yet heart hungry for thine
own ,
Thy love , who dwells afar nor comes again ?
Tims is it dear when we are far apart.
But when thou waitcst mo , the gathering
gleam
But brings theo nearer , and the glistening
lights
Gleam , many-rayed , to guide mo to my own ;
All homes nre types of mine , nil sounds and
sights
Of cheer and comfort shadow forth the one
Where bides thy presence , a3 stars shine at
night ,
Pure , changeless , ftd by love's eternal sun.
Thy love , dear , is my house , my hearth , thy
heart.
EMMA SHUMAN.
January , 1899.
LETTER TO GOVERNOR POYNTER.
The Omaha World-Herald of Satur
day , the ninth instant , contains a letter
signed by those distinguished citizens of
Omaha , Messrs. Smith , Connor , Reagan ,
Liddell , Wappich , Hart and Bochun ,
and addressed to Governor Poynter.
Those leading citizens and general
managers and principal officers of the
Chicago platform and sixteen-to-oneism
demand the appointment of Gilbert
Monell Hitchcock to succeed Monroe
Leland Hayward in the United States
senate. One of the choicest reasons
given for the propriety and necessity of
appointing Mr. Hitchcock is thus
lucidly stated : "Hon. Gilbert M.
Hitchcock is the logical gentleman for
the senatorship for the reasons set forth
in the resolutions adopted. "
Currency by fiat and "logical gentle
man" by resolution can make a mighty
monopoly in the manufacture of money
and statesmen.
Personally THE CONSERVATIVE re
gards Mr. Hitchcock with the kindest
feelings and cannot deny that he is "the
logical gentleman" in the face of the
fact that his logical powers have HO often
worked him over from one financial
faith into another , and latterly from
protection into free trade.
However , measured by the bottle or
quart , William Vincent Allen hag the
greatest capacity ,