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About The Conservative (Nebraska City, Neb.) 1898-1902 | View Entire Issue (April 12, 1900)
' > f 1 * I the Conservative * 11 innate modesty and irrepressible diffi dence could point out hundreds of farms bought and improved ; scores of industrial plants established and oper ated ; because of his exhortations and teachings. Jp. fact , if Colonel Bryan severs his citizenship from Nebraska every material , mental and moral inter est is jeopardized. Without Bryan there would be no development of manufac ture , agriculture or commerce. He is morals , mind and money for the whole people. THE NATIONAL PARTY. The national party , to which reference was made in a letter from J. B. Corey , formerly democratic candidate for governor of Pennsylvania , published in THE CONSERVATIVE March 22 , has incor porated some commendable ideas in its platform. The declaration of principles , adopted at the mass convention Sept. 1 , 1894 , is substantially as follows : WHEREAS , It is clearly evident that our people are solely dependent upon the products of our soil , mines and factories to avoid death , and that those products in excess of our wants are our only available wealth , RESOLVED , That we look with great apprehension upon the strides which an official aristocracy has made upon our republican system of government of late years , by which our millionaire congress men , United States senators and repre sentatives of powerful corporations and trusts are colonizing at the capital of the nation , building costly residences and establishing an aristocratic style of liv ing , contrary to the principles of our democratic institutions and exceeding incest cost the salaries of our representatives and public officials , and which can only be maintained by accepting bribes , voting themselves perquisites , as is done , or by increasing their salaries far in excess of what same service will com mand outside of public office. RESOLVED , That as the best means of abolishing these evils , we would recom mend the amendment of our state and national constitutions , so as to render our legislative bodies more practical for business purposes by reducing our representatives to one-fourth the present number , by providing for the election of United States senators by the people direct , and making candidates for the presidency of the United States eligible for only one term ; also by reducing the salaries of public officers to what the same service will command outside of public office. RESOLVED , That the independence of the American people , which is essential to good government , shall not be abridged ; and in order that we may avoid the rook upon which all previous independent movements have stranded and failed of their purpose , and that we may more speedily and effectively uproot and eradicate the present abuse of our civil government we recommend that the motto of the national party be anti-partisan , anti-spoils and antimonopoly - monopoly , and that it be based upon the principle of securing control of the municipal , state and national legislation , thereby securing the only possible means of eradicating the aforesaid abuses of our civil government. RESOLVED , That in order to do this we must unite and concentrate all the forces of the and wage-earners pro ducers against the tax-eaters and non- producers , and in order fo more effectually accomplish this purpose , we recommend that the national party , instead of setting up candidates , shall unite , when it is possible , upon a candi date or candidates , of any party who will pledge themselves to vote for the reduction of exorbitant salaries and the reduction of the number of public officials ; to abolish all sinecures and officials known as political reward offices ; to reduce the number of representatives in congress and state legislatures ; to amend the constitution so as to limit the presidency to one term ; provide for the election of United States senators by the people ; to adopt the gold standard as the money of the United States ; and such other amendments to our state and national constitutions and laws as will eradicate all these abuses and protect the civil government of the American people and to the benedictions of him , whose grace the Father of our country invoked upon his children. Oongre8Bman De THECALAVERAS TREES. Vries' resolution directing the secre tary of the interior to negotiate with the owners of the Calaveras big tree grove for the purchase of that property and the adjacent forest , is moving along in a satisfactory manner and doubtless will pass both houses of congress with out serious objection. The only diffi culty to be anticipated in the saving of the sequoias in Calaveras county is that which will arise when it comes to agree ing upon a price to be paid. For many years past the owner of the grove has been Mr. Sperry , but last January an eastern man agreed to purchase the forest for $100,000 , and he paid down $1,000. When the Sierra Club heard of this it called a meeting and invited Mr. Sperry to be present. He came , and in the course of the talk with the club members he stated that he felt consider able doubt whether the purchase of the grove would be consummated , because that was dependent upon securing eastern capital , the man who took the option not being prepared himself to pay the hundred thousand dollars. Mr. Sperry waiting to see how the easterner would succeed in his attempt to raise the bulk of the money before anything further should be done , and this was the policy the club agreed upon. But afterwards other clubs and news papers took the matter up and the result is the presentation of the resolution of Representative De Vries. It seems hardly doubtful now that the purchase from Mr. Sperry will be completed , because it is certain that the government will offer a fair price for the grove and forest so that the eastern people have a certainty of making a good sale , and consequently are not likely to fail in raising the money. If the matter had gone along quietly the sale to the eastern syndicate might have fallen through. But perhaps it is better that the agita tion has commenced , because an awaken ing on the subject would have been necessary sooner or later. Had the present negotiations for the sale of the grove fallen through , others would have been begun some time , for such timber as that in the Calaveras forest was bound to be in request by lumber men before very long. THEIIENUY Committee FUNI > . having in charge the fund for the benefit of Mrs. Guy V. Henry , the widow of General Henry , of the United States army , has received a number of contributions as the result of the pub lication of the fact that such a fund was being arranged for , without any syste matic work having been undertaken to swell that fund. The publication of the fact that a committee had been formed has brought in a number of responses , not only in the shape of contributions , but in letters from those who are in sympathy with the movement , and who have announced their willingness to cooperate. The last letter received on this subject comes from Adjt.-Gen. W. Liller , who writes from Lancaster , Pa. He says : "It affords me much pleasure to learn of the movement to raise a fund for the widow of Gen. Guy V. Henry. I had deprecated the fact that the memory of one who has rendered the country most valuable services seemed to have been almost forgotten. I recognized in General Henry an American soldier and gentleman , and took what I deemed the initiative step toward honoring the dead hero when I suggested and asked the adoption of his name for a camp of the National Association of Spanish-Ameri can War Veterans , which was legally admitted into our folds , February 21st of this year , at Shamokin , Pa. This camp is known as 'Gen. Guy V. Henry , No. 15 , Dept. of Pennsylvania , Spanish- American War Veterans. ' "I believe this step will bo the fore runner of the organization of other I camps throughout the country to cherish { his memory. I shall be glad to be of service at any time in aiding the com mittee. Wishing for the movement's unbounded success , believe me , Yours very sincerely , W. O. LILLER. " The total contributions thus far re ceived are $5,702.25. Information concerning this move ment can be obtained from any of the officers of the committee , but checks should be sent to the treasurer , A. S. Frissell , 589 Fifth Ave. , New York. Congress , mindful of the popular in dignation over the Porto Rioan bill , will postpone making "precedents" until after election.
