The Conservative *
AN OLD TIIttKU.
ST. JOSEPH , Mo. , Jan. 15,1900.
EDITOR THE CONSERVATIVE :
I went to Plattsmouth , Neb. , in 1857
to start my cousin , Dr. Win. Douelnn in
the practice of medicine. I was elected
to the legislature and served with you
during that memorable session in which
wo adjourned to meet in Florence. I
remember well the exciting time over
the bill to remove the capital to South
Platte. James H. Decker of your city
was speaker , but Dr. "Wm. R. Thrall
was in the chair ; he ruled against us ;
we finally got Decker in the chair , who
was favorable to us. Decker had taken
the chair and Hanscomb slipped up and
knocked him under the chair. This act
produced great excitement and the
house became a mob. I remember Dr.
Campbell of your city. He was very
nmch excited. I called for order all the
time , but no order came. Governor
Richardson was sent for , and I remem
ber his words after taking a view of the
members ; ho said , as well as I remem
ber , "by God , if I had the power I would
prorogue this house. " Well you know
the result going to Florence and the
governor not approving our acts. But
changing the subject , the first democratic
convention held in Nebraska was held in
Plattsmouth. I think you were there.
I was a member of the committee on
resolutions and we adopted a sound
democratic platform. I was elected
mayor of Plattsmouth , re-entered the
town site , made deeds to all property
holders , issued script and gave the place
a good start. I was also elected to the
council the next session , and elected
president of the council , and as you re
member , ouo of the most important acts
was the bill to abolish or free the slaves.
This bill came to me as president of the
council a tie vote. I voted no and de
feated the bill. I believed the constitu
tion recognized slaves as property and ,
after taking an oath to support the con
stitution , I could not consistently vote
for it at the time. There were only two
or three slaves in the territory , and they
belonged to the Nuokolls family. The
member from Sarpy changed his vote
and Governor Black vetoed the bill in a
very able message. Yon were secretary
of the territory at the time -and made
me a present of a nice gold pen. While
president of the council I think I dis
charged my duties impartially. In all
my legislative experiences in Nebraska ,
I never had any person offer me a bribe ,
or attempt any improper influences to
procure my vote. But enough of this.
I would be delighted to see you , Dr.
Miller or Hanscomb , and talk over old
times. I called on Dr. Miller and Hans-
comb the last time I was in Omaha and
had a very pleasant chat with them. I
have but one relative of the name in
Nebraska , that is John Donelan in a
bank at Weeping Water. He is very
well off and a good business man. If
you are ever in that place call on him.
He is a son of Dr. Wm. Donolan , of
Plattsmouth , deceased. Please excuse
this scrawl as I have written in hasto.
Respectfully ,
E. A. DONELAN.
ENCHANTED HIGHFALUTIN.
A current of imperialism of a very
high voltage was discharged in the
senate chamber at Washington today by
the junior senator from Indiana. This
young man has been to the Philippines ,
and he also undertakes to speak for the
Almighty , and to indulge in sooth
saying which will soon attract attention
in other countries as well as in the
United States , if there shall prove to be
any considerable number of persons
here who see things as ho does. Ho
declares in the most positive terms that
"we are the chosen people of God ; " that
we are required to take the lead of all
the nations of the earth , not only in the
Philippines biit elsewhere ; that our
constitution permits us to do anything
we please in the way of supplying auto
cratic officials to all the rest of the
world ; that God has called us to make a
beginning in the new imperialism by
treating the Filipinos as so many chil
dren whom we are to govern as such for
their good , and also for our own good
that the Philippines are , in fact , a price
less possession , full of gold and wealth
of all kinds which God has given to us ,
presumably as a reward in advance for
treating the Filipinos as children , and so
kindly ( as we are treating them ) .
Of all the enchanted highfalutin that
has ever been uttered in the United
States congress , it strikes us that this
Indiana man's speech is the most re
markable specimen. Hartford ( Conn. )
Times ( dem. ) .
THE SPIRIT OF PLUNDER.
Senator Beveridge was inspired by
the spirit of plunder. He confessed as
much. The "nugget of pure gold picked
up on the banks of a Philippine creek"
excited in him the spirit of cupidity ,
which would make the Philippines per
manent American possessions , not for
the purpose of giving the Filipinos the
blessings of freedom , but for the pur
pose of stealing what they own to
increase the -American hoard. The
whole spirit of the senator's speech was
piratical , not patriotic , and after stealing
the mines and fields and forests of a
"friendly people , " the senator would
provide that "the Americans must run
everything. ' ' Not content with a frank ,
if wordy , acknowledgment of his pur
poses of plunder , the senator tried to
make Providence a silent partner in his
schemes of wrong and oppression.
We do not think that Senator Bever-
idge's speech will last. It was made to
the galleries , and even the galleries are
very severe critics. Charleston ( S. 0. )
News and Courier ( dem. ) .
* " " '
"vA' Bostpn paper
1JIG INDIAN
HEAP. asks the question :
"Who is the great
est man of the century ? " and the Times-
Herald of Chicago remarks that
"modesty prevents Mr. Bryan from
sending an answer. " If modesty prevents -
vents the Times-Herald from sending in
a reply wo opine the Boston paper has
received a pink-tinted and rose-scented
sheet bearing the single name : "Her
mann Kohlsaat. " Omaha World-
Herald.
The Boston paper will soon hear from
the editor man whoso cheek neither in
flamed nor flushed oven from "the sting
of ingratitude. " That almost United
States senator is greater , in patience ,
than Job ; and a thousand times meeker
than Moses. Ho will send in his name
if Allen-Bryan populists do not enjoin
him.
Wo have r e-
MINNESOTA
PLANT LIFE. ceived with the
"Compliments of
the University and of the Author" a
most attractive volume entitled "Minne
seta Plant Life , " by Con way Mac-
Millan.
Mr. MacMillan states in his preface
that in producing his work he has a
definite educational purpose in view and
seeks to accomplish the following ends :
1. "The plant life is presented as an
assemblage of living things.
2. "The different kinds of plants in
Minnesota , from the lowest to the
highest , are briefly reviewed in their
natural order.
3. "Some plant structures and be
haviors are elementarily explained , as
adaptations to surrounding nature.
4. "Certain plant individuals and
societies are brought before the reader
as having life problems of their own ,
not as mere material for economic ,
anatomical or classificatory industry. "
Each chapter of the book contains
helpful and valuable information for
students , both young and old , who wish
to know more about plant life. The
author has visited every part of Minnesota
seta and made a study of the products
of its soil , so that his work is "the off
spring of the woods , the prairies , the
rivers and the lakes. " Besides the facts ,
presented in a most interesting way and
classified in systematic form for the
reader , the pages are enriched with not
only numerous engravings of individual
plants but also with charming views of
the roadside , the ravine and the shores
of the beautiful Minnesota Lakes , each
scene affording a study of the plant life
that flourishes in its locality.
Superstition is founded on the shifting
sands of personal ignorance.
Love of country , profession , wife or
child is intelligent self-love ; otherwise
it is fetishism , or ignorant emotionalism.