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About The Conservative (Nebraska City, Neb.) 1898-1902 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 21, 1899)
Conservative. SYMPATHETIC. . Mirror of Burt County , in its issue of the eleventh of December , 1899 , extends condolence and consolation to nil the active partisans within the range of its acquaintance , and also cheerfully states its incapability of being surprised by the possible sudden death of the editor of THE CONSERVA TIVE. "It would not surprise us if J. Sterling Morton did not live another year. Poli tical disappointment , jealousy , hatred and heated controversies , kill thousands of our brightest and most gifted men of America. In the list are the names of Tilden , Elaine , Hancock , Hendricks and hosts of other illustrious men. Probably no man ever lived in Nebraska whose disappointment is greater than that which Mr. Morton has to contend with when he sees the leadership of the fusion forces in Nebraska wrested from him by Wm. J. Bryan , W. V. Allen , G. M. Hitchcock , Silas Holcomb and others. Had Mr. Morton not kicked up such a rumpus with the fusion forces , no power in the state could have prevented him from being appointed to the high office of United States senator to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Senator Hay ward. " There is no human being now on earth who may not die before another year. There are few men of sound mind , how ever , foolish enough to die of political "disappointment , jealousy , hatred and heated controversies , " and as there are no symptoms of any such complaints in the muscular or mental anatomy par ticularly referred to by the Mirror , the contract of making it moribund must be awarded to some other malady. "Probably no man ever lived in Ne braska whose disappointment" is less than that of the Disappointment. . . . , , citizen named by the Mirror. As a pioneer in 1854 and in the forty-five succeeding years he has realized in home , wife and children his highest and best aspirations. No man living in this state or anywhere else on this globe has been more blessed with strong , faithful and competent sous. The citizen who , besides doing his share to increase and enhance the cereal , fruit and other staple crops of the common wealth , has by education and discipline in a well-ordered home added to the decent man-crop of the state , can have no disappointments of the fatal variety referred to by the Mirror. Tha im measurable pleasure of living in good health to see one's sons all settled in life , respected as decent citizens and successful business men of honor , truth and stainless character is as far above political office , its honors and satisfac tions as the shining stars are above the sickly swamps and rackety bullfrogs oi this little earth. The Mirror should try to teach its patrons the value of the intelligent management of their own homes anc children and endeavor to convince them ; hat the citizen who contributes to the Republic industrious , temperate , honest and efficient men and women is far more important to its preservation than ihe politicians who , for "money rather ; han honor , " get offices , low and high , ittle and big. The responsibility and honor of ap preciated private citizenship in this re public is enough to inspire to reputable effort every man who loves family , kin dred , good name and home. Ralph Waldo Emerson , in his private diary , on October 12 , 1864 , after a visit with John M. John M. Forbes. _ . , , _ _ , Forbes at Naushon mentioned such a citizen and said : "Mr. Forbes at Naushon is the only 'squire' in Massachusetts , and no nobleman ever understood or performed his duties better * * * He is an American to be proud of. Never was such free , good meaning , good sense , good action combined with such domes tic , lovely behavior , and such modesty and persistent preference of others. Wherever he moves he is a benefactor. * * * I have been proud of my countrymen , but I think this a good country that can breed such a creature as John M. Forbes * * * I came away saying to myself of John M. Forbes : 'How little this man suspects , with his sympathy for men and his re spect for lettered and scientific people , that he is not likely ever to meet a man who is superior to himself. ' " Mr. Forbes never sought or held public office. Nevertheless ho was sent as a special agent to London in 1868 to nego tiate a loan for the United States as a financial and confidential agent of the administration of Lincoln. He was en trusted , upon his character and without other securitywith ten millions of dollars of the bonds of the government. He gave his time and great abilities to his country without pay and rendered modestly and without publicity a great er service than an army of ten thousand men at that time could have given. He really established the credit of the United States at a perilous time and under great difficulties in the money markets of all the world. The honor of having lived so useful and worthy and practically patriotic a life as thai The Honor. . , , _ _ praised by Mr. Emerson is greater than any office , from the lowest to the highest , can bestow upon a true American citizen ; and while no man in Nebraska can perhaps accomplish all that Citizen Forbes did for Massachusetts and the whole coun try , all men may emulate his splendic example by elevating and dignifying the duties of private citizenship. It is bet ter , thoroughly and with a good con science to discharge the office of head of a family ; of neighbor , of a taxpayer and of a self-respecting manhood than to be known merely as a governor , a member of the national house of repre seutatives or a senator who half realizes and very imperfectly and inefficiently performs the functions of his position. The Mirror is informed that Mr. Morton never had any ainbitou to lead anybody or any party except for the sake of certain economic ideas and poli tical principles. He could not if he would , and would not if he could , lead a partisan organization whose members have brazenly cast aside , in some in stances , their adherence to a protective tariff ; in other instances , their devotion to free trade ; and in other instances , their faith in the power of the govern ment to make money by mere fiat , and fused solely for the purpose of getting offices. A political party so organized for office-getting only must necessarily be led by men who have made office- hunting a means of subsistence. There fore the populists of Nebraska , who are without devotion to any fixed views or policies as to the administration of the affairs of this government , are properly and logically led by incarnations of monstrous and insatiable appetites for office. And no citizen who respects himself can possibly wish to usurp their leadership of fused vagrants from Democracy and apostates from Repub licanism whose absurd vagaries as to governmental functions are only paral leled in intensity by their voracity for public office. AVOUTHT.KS8 , FIGURES. for > tnings given away year after year , are not of value , as a rule , and they generally work harm to the donee. Agricultural statistics sent out from the United States department of agriculture are made up from the figures furnished primarily without compensa tion to the furnishers thereof. All over the United States , in each county , are four agents of the department afore named who work for nothing if they work at all , and upon their reports the deportment of agriculture utters its statistics. During the last twenty-five years these reports have been often proven unreliable and erroneous. In that time they have cost the American farmers one hundred millions of dollars through the fluctuations and depressions of the grain markets which they have caused. The foundation of the agricultural statistics of the United States costs nothing. It is worthless. Upon it a superstructure is built which costs more than a hundred thousand dollars each year. And it falls down each year when facts knock it over. The existence of a senate financial bill "is well enough , " says the Indian apolis News ( ind. ) "but the republicans should bear in mind that the people ex pect from them united action. They will be hold responsible if currency re form becomes the subject of prolonged controversy between the two houses , ? ' fit-
