, ' < * t
MM
Conservative *
and constant struggle "did not pay"
and economical necessity gave rise to a
very indefinite apportionment of terri
tory by the larger communes and more
or less enslaving of the people of the
smaller and wenker. In this birth of
slavery there was a civilized advance ,
for , instead of universal slaughter , we
find a sparing of life to the weaker ;
that is , if sparing of life is a universal
civilized measure , as so generally
claimed. But with territorial fixity of
residence , and a lessening of inter-clan
struggle , with the addition of slave
labor , came a now factor under sexual
promiscuity. That factor was over-
multiplication. The struggle of today
began then. It was intra instead of
'iitor-commuual. The remedy for this
was to fix paternal responsibility only
those who could maintain more than
one woman and her children were
allowed more. Hence polygamy ! With
the augmentation of intra-couimunal
( national ) or local struggle , economical
necessity forced monogamy out of poly
gamy , still leaving promiscuous poly
gyny as the result of male sexuality
and a nece&sity , humanity cannot yet
grapple with , to those who can afford it ,
or think they require it. If polygamy
is hard on the mental refinement and
self-respect of some women , who dares
assert that monogamous limitation is
not terribly hard on the decent self-
respect of hundreds of refined women
and on the health of thousands more ?
We have to do with facts , not senti
ments.
Polygamy NecehHiiry to the Survival of
Mormoiiihiti.
One has but to consider the conditions
of Mormouism in Utah to find that
polygamy was the one way out to sal
vation for such a "peculiar people. " II
must be remembered that they were a
so-called religious organization which ,
like the Pilgrims , went into a strange
laud to do as they pleased. 'fcTo' 'multiply
and replenish the earth" with their kinc
was the only way open to communa
salvation. Some may say : "Why not
then promiscuity ? " to which it may be
answered that the Mormon church has
been far more rigidly opposed to promis
ouous polygyny , not even countenancing
or overlooking it , than Christian monog
amy ever has. Promiscuity could noi
be countenanced in a community niak
ing a religion out of polygamy. Poly
gamy was necessary to the continued
existence of Mormouism. It is so no
longer to the individual Mormon as a
man. Religious and individual surviva
caused the birth of Mormon polygamy
Individual economical necessity wil
soon cause its death. With the death
of polygamy Mormouism must eithe
die or so modify itself that it will be
but a tradition of the primitive church
Economical necessity , individual sur
vival in the struggle for existence
caused the evolution of promisouou
polygyny into polygamy and the latter
nto monogamy. The sure necessity
will eventually lead to state matronage
and the utter rooting out of modern
promiscuous polygyny. At the same
ime monogamy will also become one of
hose things of the past which coming
generations will look upon as an indica-
ion of the ignorance and moral de
pravity of the present.
FRANK S. BILLINGS.
Sharon , Mass.
LAND VALUKS. .
constantly raising
'arm-land ' values in Nebraska is found
n the praises of the profits of agriculture
> y the populist press and orators of the
state. Their perpetually repeated state
ments that no man can make alivingby
'arming the rich and fertile soil of this
commonwealth is wonderfully alluring
; o capital and makes it yearn to invest
.11 broad Nebraska acres. Populism is
potent in putting up prices of laud.
Without it , where would they bo ?
Where are the
THE SLOOUBI
LAW. good , auti-drunk-
ard men who pro
claim themselves prohibitionists in. Ne
braska ? Under the provisions of the
Slocum law each liquor seller iu Nebras
ka can bo made to sell only unadulterat
ed drinks or go out of business. How
far would the compulsory sale of only
pure beer , pure whisky , pure wine iu
Nebraska come from absolute prohibi
tion ? What ails S. D. Fitchie aud other
temperance leaders in this state ? Do
they lack the courage to try to have the
Slocuui law enforced ?
VANDALS.
I.
A calm , white statue as pure and cold
As the snow that falls on the wintry weld ;
Before it a pout would breathless stand ,
Saying : "God 1ms guided the sculptor's hand ; '
But the vandal comes with a wolfish shriek ,
And laughs , and disfigures the marble cheek.
II.
A noble painting , by hands long dead ;
A and " ' . "
strange haunting "Madonna's Head.
O , eyes of sorrow , and brow of caret
A gleam from Heaven is shining there.
And the soulful gazer can only say :
"The portals have opened a bit , today. "
But the vandal comes from the haunts of shame
And tears the canvass from out its frame.
III.
A tree of beauty that sways and sighs ,
And talks in whispers to winter skies.
On a landscape brown it is green and bright ,
A token of summer , in winter's blight.
And the old man sees it , and says : "Fair tree
When I have crossed over the silent sea ,
My children may rest in your grateful shade
Their children may sport in this cheerful glade
O , long may you breathe , if a tree has breath
Fair emblem of life , in a world of death ! "
But a vandal came ( and an ax had he )
And ho chopped it down for a Christmas tree
WALT MASON.
A SUGGESTION.
MR. EDITOR : How would this plank
it in Mr. Josiah Patterson's sound
money democratic platform , to-wit : 4th ,
o repeal the infamous salary-grab act jj
of 1873 , restoring all the salaries of
) ublic officials to what they wore before
; he era of corruption inaugurated by
he boodler republican congress of 1873 , j !
by the passage of the back-pay steal and
alary-grab act , increasing the presi
dent's salary from $25,000 to $50,000 a
year , thereby establishing a precedent
> y which all our public offices in our
municipal , state and national government - *
ment are prostituted to the avarice and
greed of pot-house politicians that com
pose the official aristocracy , who are
making serfs of the industrial classes to
provide salaries for political bums ,
which no legitimate business or industry
will afford ?
What say you , Mr. Patterson ?
We all understand that in order to
maintain a sound money basis the civil
service of the government must be
placed upon a sound business basis. It is ( i | |
fanaticism , pure and simple , for any
people to hope to maintain a sound
financial system as long as they supinely
stand by and look on and see political
adventurers of the McKiuley type use
our public offices to enrich themselves.
Cause and effect follow and bankruptcy
is the natural cause of such pusillani
mous patriotism , to rescue all our
municipal , state and national govern
ment offices out of the grasp of the
greedy political vultures who are prosti
tuting them to their own avarice and
greed. This offers a solid platform upon
which to inaugurate a political party if
there is the patriotism among the
American people to build up such a
party , of which I have my doubts. Let
Mr. Patterson and Judge S. F. Davidson
of Georgia try it on.
Yours respectfully ,
J. B. COREY.
Pittsburg , Pa. , Dec. 1,1899.
Ten powerful locomotives for pas
senger service have been added to the
equipment of the Burlington lines in
Nebraska. They were built at the
Baldwin Locomotive works from designs
furnished by the Burlington. The big
machines have already made some
records pulling heavy trains across the
Nebraska plains. Some of the dimen
sions are of uncommon interest. The
driving wheels are six feet in diameter.
The tender carries ten tons of coal and
has a water capacity of 5,000 gallons.
The weight of engine and tender is
243,800 pounds. The cab is arranged to
give the engineer the best possible
chance to work. The levers are within
easy reach of his seat , while the right
side of the boiler has been stripped of
machinery in order to give the engineer
a chance to look ahead without having
his vision blurred by escaping steam.