Che Conservative *
Tauimauy up to the convention'at Kan
sas City iu favor of Mr. Bryan only
means that Tammany at this national
election lias been whipped into line and
has concluded that it cannot afford to
again fight the Nebraskan. Richard
Orokcr says :
' 'Mark my words , when W. J. Bryan
is elected ho will work eighteen hours a
day in order to carry out in spirit and in
letter every plank in the democratic
platform. Hitherto other men have re
garded the platform drawn up at their
convention ns a ladder on which they
mount to power , and which they kick
down as soon as they get to the top.
Mr. Bryan is not a man of that sort.
Ho does not want to bo elected for pur
poses of vainglory and love of position.
He thinks , and I agree with him , that
if ho is elected ho will do his country
good. Ho will be able to serve the people
ple , and ho will be a governing presi
dent , not a more lay figure , whoso
movements are governed by wire pull
ers. He is a man of conviction. "
This very fidelity to the platform , is
exactly what the Now York democrats
do not want in Mr. Bryan , as all the
world knows , and the hollow hypocrisy
of Croker's statement is most obvious.
The idea of Orokor's admiring a man
of convictions , and a man who will do
the country good , is too absurd. Oroker
is not in politics through any such high
motives , as everyone knows. He is the
finest representative the country affords
of the men who are in politics for office
and for money , and who have no prin
ciples or care for the country. St.
Joseph News.
POLITICAL. TALK.
The gold brick lately purchased by
Charlie Dietrich , aroused the jealousy of
his brother bankers , and now one of
them has on exhibition a specimen of
the $18,000 variety. They come high
but the agony is much sooner over than
in Charlie's case.
The organization of the Republican
party iu Hawaii was formally baptised
with a gigantic fraud on the ballot box
at the primaries that shows them true
followers of the "God and Morality"
party of Zach Chandler , John Sherman
and the visiting statesmen of 1876.
When Cuba and Luzon can produce
equal evidence of benevolent assimila
tion they will undoubtedly be prepared
for political annexation.
The Gorman meat bill is but another
illustration of the fact that all retalia
tion for our Chinese style of tariff must
fall upon the farmer. When our own
beauteous tariffs were under discussion
a great wail of indignation was sent
forth at the mere suggestion of consider
ing any foreign nation. In fact the
more protest that arose in Europe the
greater the evidence of benevolent as
similation by our infant industries.
Sioux Falls having issued the orders to
; ho democratic annex there is really
nothing of interest in the Kansas City
gathering but the question of hotel rates.
Whatever contempt Rosewater may
have for the supreme court or any mem
ber thereof , it cannot equal that of the
people for a man who permitted a per
sonal quarrel to induce him to turn our
state over to fusion and confusion. The
insignificant fine of $500 for making
possible a supreme court subject to the
contempt of Rosewater shows that
Holcornb is inclined to pay his political
debts honestly.
A new sugar infant with $20,000,000
capital has been born into a cold and un
feeling world. That it will need the
nursing and protection of the tariff goes
without saying. Only by shutting out
the fierce aud terrible competition of the
half breeds in Puerto Rico was it pos
sible for this puling infant sugar trust
to see the light , The great joy of the
republicans at finding an alleged demo
cratic trust shows how long and desper
ate has been the limit and the greatness
of their surprise. I opine that the dis
covery of a republican trust would
create about as much comment aa find
ing a pebble on the sea shore.
A remarkable fad sprang up in Denver
of going to the cemeteries for picnics.
It became such a nuisance to have
thousands strew the grounds with sar
dine cans , beer bottles and lunch boxes ,
that police interference was contempla
ted. But the ability to look happy
under discouraging circumstances was
soon seen to bo worthy of cultivation in
view of Colorado having to this year
support Bryan and free silver when her
mines are insisting upon producing more
gold than any state in the union. The
education of a graveyard picnic will be
a tower of strength this fall when the
returns come in and Bryan tells the
boys to look happy ; that the silver cause
is still triumphant.
If we refuse absolutely to consider for
one moment trade of other powers , by
what reasoning do we demand through
our minister a modification of German
restrictions avowedly made for the bene
fit of their own people. Free trade means
taking the markets of the world by force
of merit both in goods aud business
methods. A tariff by any nation is
either a lie or a confession of weakness
and incompeteucy to meet the demands
of the people. It is the "baby act" of
the commercial world a protection to
the infants. It means that our manu
facturers cannot or will not furnish us
goods of equal quality and price that
others would do. Any man who be
lieves for an instant that manufacturers
desire a tariff for any reason , human or
inhuman , except to increase the price of
their wares , is a fit subject for initiation
into the mysteries of the cave at Leaven-
worth where Lo , the poor Indian , guards
the wealth of "my Cousin Alberts'
Friend. " Between a gold brick chump
and a high tariff farmer there is not
room to stick a pin without pricking two
fools.
The dear old State Journal has bbon
sleeping on its oars , as it were. Whore was
the hawk eye of Gere when a truth like
this could escape into the editorial
column : "The boom in wheat comes
entirely from the news of crop .failures
in the northwestern and middle states in
addition to the bad conditions that
have long prevailed in Franco. " Where
is that great and noble friend of the
farmer , the Dingley tariff ? Can it be
possible that the Journal still recognizes
Almighty God as occasionally having an
influence ? From twenty years steady
reading of the Journal I had come to
the conclusion that when once the re
publican party legislated upon a subject
that the Almighty drew a sigh of relief
and turned His attention to less favored
lauds. The pen of Jones has lost its
cunning when an opportunity like this
arose to prove how much the farmers of
Nebraska owe to the philanthropy of
Dingloy while the northwestern and
middle states , to say nothing of France
and India , are still suffering from the
droughts produced in the early nineties
by the infamous Wilson bill.
Already the protectionists are demand
ing the repeal of the stamp tax. This is
a real revenue producer and they fear
a surplus that may lead to inquiry into
taxation. Of course they favor relieving ,
playing cards , patent medicines , beer
and other necessities. The truth is that
the stamp tax is the most equitable of
all the forms used by our government.
No matter how great the tax the busi
ness need not be done unless profitable.
But direct taxes are always unpopular
with politicians. Men always reluctant
ly pay a known amount. A great up
roar is made if a bank charges one dollar
lar for the use of one hundred for a
mouth. But the same man will buy the
same amount in goods and pay a profit
twenty times that size without a mur
mur simply because he does not know.
Were the merchant to state his profit ho
could not make a sale. So with taxa
tion. State , county and school taxes are
closely watched. Every appropriation
of twenty-five dollars extra for a teacher
or a bridge is discussed for mouths in
every corner of the township. Twenty
millions for a new boat , building or
commission is not given the second
glance when seen iu the paper. Colbert
once said "the true theory of taxation
is to pluck the goose for the most
feathers with the least squawk. " And
as long as the people prefer insidious
robbery to an honest , open payment of
taxes , the tariff will be the favorite
method of extorting from the people the
millions necessary for the extravagance
and corruption rampant in congress. S.
