8 Hbe Conservative.
The Adams bill ,
IX CONGRESS.
"to increase the
efficiency of the foreign service of the
United States and to provide for the
reorganization of the consular service , "
previously unfavorably reported upon
by the house committee was reconsidered
and reported favorably to the house.
The bill as recommended is amended
slightly from its original form , the
salary of consul general of the first-class
being increased from $6,000 to $8,000
and that of the second-class from $5,000
to $6.000. The bill provides for a nonpartisan -
partisan commission to assist the presi
dent in the reorganization of the consular
service. Consular offices are graded ,
with fixed salaries , and a system of
examination and promotion is provided.
The Puerto Rico tariff bill passed the
house Wednesday , Fob. 28 , by a vote of
172 to 161 , after
Iiifiular
being amended to
reduce the tariff to 15 per cent of the
duties imposed by the Dingley law.
Four democrats voted for the bill and
five republicans against. It was passed
in spite of the protest of General Davis ,
governor of Pnerto Rico , who stated in
a letter to the secretary of war :
"I cannot in any words at my com
mand over state the urgency and gravity
of the industrial paralysis now existing
in Puerto Rico. The only remedy for
the industrial condition I can suggest is
the opening of markets for accumulated
surplus of productions and the establish
ment of such trade conditions , by con
gressional legislation as will give
confidence to investors and encourage
the development of the natural re
sources. Until this is done , the paralysis
must continue and the poor and hapless ,
in increasing numbers , must be fed or
they will starve to death. "
The action of congress is severely
criticised and in many places formal
action has been taken by representative
political and commercial organizations
condemnatory of the measure , notably
among them the New York chamber of
commerce. There is every reason for
believing that the political effect will be
disastrous to the administration , es
pecially because at the last moment the
president threw all of his influence in
favor of the bill and sent for rebellious
congressmen and by all the arts known
to statecraft enforced their submission.
The following resolutions were pre
sented in congress by Senator Cullom
on behalf of the
Oleomnrgnrlno
Chicago National
Resolution * ) .
Live Stock Asso
ciation which is interested in the manu
facture of oleomargarine :
"In the interest of justice and fair
competition between two principal food
products , in which the producer and
consumer are alike interested , and as
opponents of class legislation , this
organization protests against enacting
an oleomargarine bill directed against
the vital interests of the laboring classes
and others.
"It believes onr national lawmakers
owe it to our producers , consumers , and
commercial interests in this and other
countries that before action is taken on
any oleomargarine bill , a critical in
vestigation be made by a select com
mittee into the methods employed in the
manufacture of oleomargarine , of the
ingredients of which it is composed , of
its wholesomeuess as a food product , of
its right to exist as one of the leading
commercial industries , unhampered by
unnecessary , uncalled for , and pro
hibitive taxation , or other unwarranted
restrictions.
"If it appears oleomargarine is a legiti
mate article of commerce , the com
mittee should recommend that no
restriction be placed upon oleomargarine
which is not also put upon butter. "
The resolutions owe their origin to the
fact that the butter-makers' association
have petitioned congress for legislation
hostile to oleomargarine.
* * om time to
REPUBLICAN
STEALS. time various
amounts have been
due the state of Nebraska from the
United States. Any private individual
in making a similar collection , would
buy a two cent postage stamp and by
mail request the United States treasurer
to send him a draft for the amount due
him. The cost of the postage would be
the total expense of the transaction.
THE CONSERVATIVE asks former repub
lican state officers to explain their
method of collection. Why it was
necessary in each instance to send
special representatives to Washington ?
Who they were , republicans or popu
lists ? The amount paid in commissions
to these special agents ? Whether the
regular rate was not 25 per cent ? What
the arrangement was with T. P. Ken-
nard by which he now demands $18,000
for going down to Washington and
bringing back a check ?
The reporfc from
_ , , , ,
London that the
postmaster-generals of England and the
United States have about completed
arrangements for a cheap parcels post
between the two countries , has aroused
strong opposition among the small mer
chants of this country. The proposed
system is objected to on the ground that
it would result in London merchants
acquiring a large mail order business
from the United States to the injury of
American merchants. This would lead
to a demand on the part of the larger
American houses for a like system of
parcel delivery in this country which
would mean an enormous mail order
business for the large cities much to the
detriment of the small merchant. Hence
their protest against our government
running a "cheap express. "
John
TEST CASE.
ex-secretary of the
treasury , on behalf of Ludwig Dnplace ,
a citizen of Puerto Rico , has brought
suit in the United States court of claims
to test the constitutionality of the
Pnerto Rican tariff. The action is
brought to recover $6,548 which Duplace
has paid as custom duties on goods im
ported from the United States. He
bases his right to recover on the claim
that he is a citizen of the United States
under the treaty of peace with Spain
and the constitution of the United
States. Puerto Rico , he claims is a part
of the United States and therefore ,
under the constitution , the duties were
illegally exacted.
PURE POPULISM. 10Z"
1890 , James E.
Boyd , regularly nominated by the dem
ocratic party of Nebraska , was elected
governor by a plnralsty of 1,194 votes.
This plurality was made up of straight ,
old-time democratic ballots and those of
conservative republicans who were op
posed to prohibition , just as gold demo
crats now are opposed to free silver.
The legislature contained a majority
of populists. Those patriots positively
refused to count the vote of the state
until they were ordered so to do by a
mandamus from the supreme court.
Then the question as to whether S. M.
Elder , speaker of the house , or George
D. Meiklejohn , lieutenant governor and
president of the senate , should preside
over the joint session was raised by the
populists ; but the lieutenant governor
finally succeeded to the chairmanship4
Then the vote was counted and James
E. Boyd and all the officers on the ticket
with him were declared elected. That
was before populism had swallowed de
mocracy in the state of Nebraska. Gov
ernor Boyd was sworn in by Judge Cobb
of the supreme court.
Ex-Governor Thayer , whom Boyd had
been honestly elected to succeed , re
fused to surrender
The ContoHt. , , , , . ,
the gubernatorial
chair to him. The ground for his re
fusal was the alleged non-citizenship of
Boyd as discovered and declared by
Thayer. To hold his office , Governor
Thayer surrounded himself by a com
pany of state militia. Governor Boyd ,
however , was assigned rooms in another
part of the capitol and was recognized
by all of the state officers. After three
or four days Thayer surrendered the
office.
The populists inspired John Powers ,
however , who was their candidate for
. governor , to f urth-
Jolin Powers. , ' _ , .
'
er contest Boyd's
election on the ground of illegal natural
ization of voters in Omaha. Thus pop
ulism , combined with republicanism
managed to stave off the seating of Gov
ernor Boyd , by their allied contests ,
until about the 15th of February , when
