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About The Conservative (Nebraska City, Neb.) 1898-1902 | View Entire Issue (March 15, 1900)
m Conservative * SITUATION IN KENTUCKY.er n&S I30011 ed to the Kentucky - tucky scandal. Warrants wore issued last Saturday for the arrest of Secretary of State Caleb Powers and Captain John Davis on the charge of complicity in the Goebel murber. By order of Governor Taylor , the sheriff in attempt ing to serve the warrants , was refused admittance to the state capital building and the militia used to prevent his en trance. The fugitive officers escaped by donning soldiers uniforms and boarded the train for Lexington where they were taken in custody , Others prominent in republican politics will be placed under arrest. Governor Taylor defends his action in resisting the of ficers on the ground that the arrest of the state officers is but a political con spiracy and that there is no evidence to support the charges. Judge Fields , of the circuit court , to whom was referred the Taylor-Beck- with contest , has decided that the leg islature was the final arbiter in canvass ing the vote and their decision , as to who should receive the certificate of election , could not be appealed from. This decision confirms the election of Beckwith. The opinion of the court has caused a clash in the militia. A part of the national guard have recog nized Beckwith as the Commander-in- chief and a part are still loyal to Taylor. Serious trouble is apt to occur before the difficulty is finally adjusted. Much feeling has been aroused over the arrest of Powers and Davis. POllTOKIOO. . has proposed the following amendment to the House tar- riff bill for Porto Rico : "And it is hereby enacted that all duties , imposts , and excises imposed or levied , laid or collected , by congress upon Porto Rico or any products or business thereof or in relation to said Porto Rico , shall be uniform with all duties , imposts and excises laid and col lected throughout the United States. "That no capitation or other direct tax shall be laid by congress in or upon Porto Rico , unless in proportion to the census or enumeration directed to be taken by the constitution. 1 'That no tax or duty shall be laid on articles exported from Porto Rico. "That no preference shall bo given by any regulation of commerce or reve nue to the ports of Porto Rico over those in any state in the union , nor shall vessels bound to or from Porto Rico be obliged to enter , clear , or pay duties in any state of the union. "Nor shall any preference be given by any regulation of commerce or revenue to the ports of any state of the union over those of Porto Rico , nor shall vessels bound to or from the ports of any state of the union be obliged to enter , clear , or pay duties in any port of Porto Rico. " Senator Davis' amendment grants free trade to Porto Rico and extends the constitution specifically to that island but does not commit congress to the constitutional question involved of establishing a similar policy for the other insular possessions. In view of the unpopularity of the House bill it is quite probable that the Davis amendment may be accepted by the senate. Senator Nelson endorses the action of his colleague. Senator Oullom , who has been favorable to free trade , in speaking of the amendment said : "I have no hesitation in saying the proposed tariff between this country and Porto Rico is not right. I believe the house made a great blunder when it passed the bill. I am not prepared to say yet that I shall vote for the Davis amendment providing for free trade , but only because I do not understand how far duty to the party will compel us to go. As an original proposition I should certainly vote for free trade in this case , and may do so anyway. " PROSPECT FOR PEACE. The week witnessed the departure of of the Boers from Natal leaving Bnller in undisputed possession. The opera tions of Clements in Capo Colony have pretty effectually driven the Burghers from that locality into the Orange Free State where a considerable force was collected by Gen. Joubort at Osfonteiu on the Modder river , in the vicinity of Paardeberg. An attack was made by General Roberts and the Boers forced to retreat. Roberts then continued his march to ward Bloemfonteiu. At Dretfontein he came up the rear guard of the Boers , his force greatly outnumbering the Boers and completely routing them. Presidents Kruger , of the Transvaal Republic , and Steyn , of the Orange Free State , have made overtures of peace upon the condition of independence for the South African republics and am nesty. President McKinley consented to act in the interests of peace and instructed Secretary Hay to transmit to Great Britain the overtures of peace from the South African Republics. As the Boer armies are so disorganized and a con tinuation of hostilities apparently so futile it is quite probable that peace is near at hand. EASY TO HEAT. tftlk among populists - lists , fnsiouists , silver republicans , Bryanarchists and other partisan hybrids that McKiuloy will prove the weakest nominee before the people of the United States in the presidential race of 1900 who can be named. Every fiat finance man , every anti-writ of injunction man , every govornmont-ought-to-own-aud- the railroads-man , like Allen every po litical job-hunter seeking office for "the money and not the honor , " by gulling "the plain people , " is solicitous for the republican reuomiuation of McKinley. They know that their candidate can defeat - feat him aud could not defeat either Tom Rood or Gen. Harrison or Roosevelt. The gold standard democrats cannot be massed for McKinley again aud if he is reuominated his defeat is assured pro vided present conditions continue. BKFBNDKU OP PATERNALISM.GdltS n and a newspaper at the same moment , the views which secured the former generally color the latter. The Fremont Tribune states : "Secretary of Agriculture Wilson came all the way to Nebraska to help the dairymen in their efforts. Ex- Secretary Morton , whose hostility to shains ought to lead him to lend the same support , should revise his opinion concerning the relation of the dairymen to oleomargarine legislation. " There is no greater sham than that of government and its authorized repre sentatives attempting , in a paternal way , to build up one industry by de liberately destroying another. Govern ment was not organized to milk cows , to skim cream , to churn or to sell butter. It is not a function of government to exercise the power of taxation for the purpose of crippling the oleomargarine industry in order to strengthen the but ter industry. Good butter needs no legislation to give it price. Good oleomargarine asks no legislation against chemically mixed and chemically purified butter. The makers of butter and the makers of oleomargarine ought to be equal before the law. Every industry should thrive or decay because of its own merits , ' or demerits. Those who wish to buy oleo margarine , because it is as wholesome as butter , cheaper than butter and no more a subject of federal taxation than butter , ought to be free so to do. It is not right , it is not fair nor just to raise , by imposing burdensome taxes , the price of oleomargarine to those who use it instead of butter. THE CONSERVATIVE can not revise these opinions nor miti gate its opposition to all class legis lation. As the co n- TO ME SEEN. staut candidate , did not suc ceed in having his national com mittee which met recently in Washing ton , fix a satisfactory date for a national convention , he will arrange with Sena tors Allen and Butler , who represent the other political party he owns , to change the date of their convention tea a time more convenient. Definite no tice of which will be given the public later.
