Conservative *
begin with its size ; the Press calls it "n
huge qnnrto , three by four and a half
inches , pp. 10. " They compliment the
publisher on his mathematical skill in
making the distance , 188 miles , from
Omaha to Fort Kearney , by the North
Platte route , shorter than a straight
line ; and wonder at his moderation in
allowing only 250 miles to the Nebraska
City route , when , by his map , it
meandered about so as to cross every
watercourse along the line.
They were also kept busy denying
other malicious reports , circulated by
their industrious enemies ; as that the
grass had been burned off the Central
route , that the Nebraska City ferry had
been discontinued , or that the Morton
House and Nuckolls House had closed
their doors. One wonders , in reading
these things , whether all the stories
they themselves printed about the other
lines were strictly so ; as of the dearth
of necessaries of life along the southern
route , and the bottomless sloughs and
impassable river-crossings encountered
on the northern. These things interest
the explorer of the old newspapers , and
we may quote further from them
another time. There were able men
putting forth strenuous efforts in behalf
of their several towns through all those
years ; but they worked out their own
salvation , or otherwise , and it is all
over long ago.
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF LABOR
AGAINST SUBSIDIES.
The American Federation of Labor in
session at Detroit took action on the
ship subsidy question on December 16.
The subsidy seekers made up of ship
builders , a few ship-owners and the
politicians who are indebted to the ship
ping people and who , through Mark
Hanna , have promised to put the sub
sidy bill through were present in full
force in the hotels and worked hard to
get the delegates to favor subsidies. In
fact they overdid themselves. Because
of their great numbers one delegate
says he counted 19 subsidy lobbyists
and the great zeal displayed in their
work , the delegates , at first apathetic ,
became violently opposed to a subsidy
scheme which could command such an
expensive lobby. After three hours
discussion only one vote was registered
in favor of the subsidy proposition.
After squelching this particular sub
sidy scheme the federation , while its
blood was up , adopted a declaration
upon the subject which is so pronounced
an expression of sound principles as to
be worthy of quotation. It is as fol
lows :
1. "A subsidy in the very nature of
things is the granting of special privi
leges empowering some men to fill their
'pockets at the expense of others
through the forms of law.
Tlioy Debauch Legislatures.
2. "Special privileges have a cor
roding and demoralizing effect on the
citizenship of our country , inasmuch as
they debauch our legislatures and tend
to the belief that a public office is a
public snap , to be worked for personal
gain and class interest.
8. "Such legislation cultivates the
belief that anybody may , if he can ,
stick his hands into the public treasury
and fill his pockets without harm to
others.
4. "We are further opposed to the
indorsement of such legislation by this
body because subsidies in general are
passed by the liberal use of corrupting
funds and we cannot afford to have it
charged that the labor movements"
America have had their judgment
warped and conscience polluted by
meddling with boodle measures. Its
indorsement would justify the rank and
file of our members in raising a question
of the integrity of delegates so voting ,
thus destroying the confidence of our
representative men , undermining the
very foundation of our movement and
inviting universal disintegration.
5. "To sanction this at this session
would be but an entering wedge to open
wide our doors for subsequent legisla
tion of the kind and the lobbyist , armed
with a corruption fund and his loud
pretense for labor's interests , would be
a fixed institution in our midst , pollut
ing the very atmosphere in which he
moves. With all confidence destroyed
in one another , we would find ourselves
overwhelmed by the greatest disaster
that could possibly befall the masses
struggling for a higher civilization.
G. "Even were the principles of
government subsidies permissible in
justice and equity , it would be unwise
for this body to commit itself to ship
building subsidies until the shipbuilders
of this country have unionized their
plants and shown by their conduct that
they are in harmony with the objects of
organized labor. "
Republican Recklessness.
The most notable thing about the
present attitude of theHanna-McKinley
machine is its apparent recklessness in
arranging for legislation that will re
sult in the extravagant expenditure of
public money. They seem to take it for
granted that the people are too dazed to
see through their schemes , one of the
most costly of which is the ship-subsidy
job , which is to be started with an
appropriation of $100,000,000 , to be
disbursed in ten years. This job was
endorsed by Mr. McKinley in his mes
sage , and by the republican national
committee at its recent meeting , and it
is to push it along that Assistant Post
master-General Perry Heath , and Oomp
troller of Currency Dawes have been
selected so long in advance of the cam
paign , and in absolute defiance of the
civil service law , to prepare literature to
be distributed by the national com
mittee. The principal duty of this
republican literary bureau for several
months will be to try to fill republican
papers with demands for the passage of
the ship-subsidy bill by congress , in
order that the weak-kneed republicans
in congress , who are disposed to balk on
this subsidy business , may be made to
believe that the press of their party is
demanding the legislation. From the
Ithaca Democrat , Dec. 28 , 1899.
Pacific Mull Buoyant.
A report from Washington that the
passage of the subsidy bill seemed
assured helped Pacific Mail yesterday ,
with the result that , on buying of less
than 6,000 shares , a gain of 2 } points
was scored. From the New York
Times , Dec. 80 , 1899.
Republicans In Favor of It.
RepTiblicau senators and representa
tives have been pretty generally approached
preached on the subject of the steamship
subsidy bill. As heretofore announced
in this correspondence , this measure has
the active sympathy of the adminis
tration. Many powerful influences are
also at work in its favor , and if it does
not go through it will not be for want of
pushing and log-rolling. According to
reports , it will be brought in pretty soon
after the recess. It is claimed by its
advocates that they have the promise of
nartv support to a very large degree , so
much so that it is freely said the caucus
will have no trouble in bringing all up
to its support.
There are a number of republican
senators and representatives whoso
whole record is in opposition to measures
of this character. One of these is Sena
tor McCom'as , of Maryland , but it is
alleged he has been practically won over ,
and a subsidy advocate said tonight that
McCoinas was down on their'affirmative
list. * * * As a party measure ,
there is no means'of stopping its passage
through the house. * * * In the
rather uncertain event of the success of
the bill , the merchant marine would be
benefitted very little , but favored ship
building firms , contractors , politicians
and lobbyists would realize . most
handsomely. From the Baltimore Sun ,
Dec. 28 , 1899.
"It is not necessary to get alarmed or
excited over the large number of pen
sion bills that have been or may be
introduced in congress , or the peculiar
character of some of the measures pre
sented , " counsels the Washington Post
( Ind. ) . "Under existing conditions ,
with an annual outlay of $145,000,000
on account of pensions , and a strong
prospect that it will be increased to some
extent by adjudication of claims result
ing from the military operations of the
lost two years , we can scarcely conceive
of the possibility of the passage of bills
adding hundreds of millions or even
tens of millions to the rolls. "