Conservative.
sentiment has ever been against the ten
per cent , tax on bank issue. Fusion is
at an end , and the reaction must be to
wards democratic principles. Populism
is dead as a national factor , and by the
law of extremes and for the most
material reasons this doctrine can now
be made to flourish where populism
flourished. As concerns money its pro
fessed objects have been commodity
security and a cheaper rate of interest ,
and as monetary reform will accomplish
these objects the rank and file of that
party may be brought to support it.
That fusion leaders may oppose such
policy is not a sufficient objection. Not
only does their premiership end with
fusion , but the interest of the party is
superior to that of any faction.
JAMES I. RIIEA.
Holdrege , Neb. , Nov. 17 , 1900.
A cash indem
nity of $600,000-
000 , punishment of those connected
with the attack upon foreigners , and the
prohibition of the importation of arms
and munitions of war are the conditions ,
it is reported , the powers have agreed to
demand of China. This government
may equitably demand that severe
penalties be inflicted upon the leaders of
the anti-foreign uprising and in addition
insist upon a reasonable indemnity for
the loss of property sustained by Ameri
can citizens. Beyond this we have no
moral right to proceed. To enlarge
upon these demands is to use diplomacy
as a disguise for international robbery.
An indemnity of $600,000,000 is be
yond all reason. If this amount should
be insisted upon by
Unreasonable. . , , ,
the powers it would
mean extreme distress , insufferable
hardship upon an already impoverished
and overtaxed people. The amount is
so unreasonable and excessive that there
is no chance of China being able to
meet it. There is much ground for the
suspicion that knowing ones placed the
indemnity at this high figure with the
certain knowledge of the inability of
China to comply with it and then to use
her poverty as a pretext to seize territory
as security in payment of the claim.
There are strong grounds for believing
that it is but a covert move for the dis
memberment of the empire.
The United States government cannot
afford to become a party to a conspiracy
of this kind. It
Must Keep Ftiitli.
would belie every
honorable and unselfish assurance given
to the Chinese government upon the in
vasion of her territory by our forces.
The state department then announced
our sole and distinct purpose to be to re
lieve the American legation besieged at
Peking and protect other Americans re
siding in China. We emphatically dis
claimed any ambition to become a party
to the dismemberment of the empire.
Thus far these assurances have been
kept to the letter. We have acted in
good faith. When the other powers
quibbled over the withdrawal of their
troops the United States acted indepen
dently. We thus established a precedent
that no doubt greatly influenced the
action of the other powers , and hastened
the withdrawal of the forces. Shall we
now cast a blot upon the splendid record
achieved for American diplomacy by be
coming a party to a scheme to partition
the Chinese empire ? Shall we thus aid
to accomplish in an indirect and covert
way that which we declared it our pur
pose to prevent ?
In the negotiations for peace it would
bo well for our government to remember
that where there is
European , .
so muoh smoke
there must be a
little fire. Perhaps the fault of
the original outbreak did not lie en
tirely with China. Reports from
reliable and trastworthy sources indicate
that citizens of the very countries , now
most strenuous in demanding indemnity ,
gave not a little provocation to the
natives. There are strong reasons for
believing that they purposely invited the
hostility of the oriental and provoked
the attack merely to afford their
respective governments an opportunity
to make advantageous peace negotia
tions. If this be true , ought we to play
into the hands of designing Europeans.
The United States should insist upon
a guaranty for the protection of Ameri-
. , , cans residing in
Act Independently. _ . . ,
China , a reasonable
indemnity for losses incurred , and the
punishment of those responsible for
recent depredations in violation of our
treaty rights. We should not , however ,
use the wrongs we have suffered as a
pretext for a counter Boxer-movement ,
under the leadership of foreign dip
lomatists , to plunder the people of
China. Neither should we do that
which would leave China powerless to
defend % herself against the encroach
ments of other powers. The law of
self-preservation is the first of natural
laws. Either a nation or an individual
has the right to protect itself from at
tack. But of what avail is the right if the
means of enforcing it are taken away ?
And this is what European diplomatists
propose to do in China. As our inde
pendent move in the matter of the
withdrawal of the troops resulted most
happily , why not try similar tactics in
the present controversy and again act
independently ? Why not negotiate for
peace direct with China upon a basis
satisfactory to ourselves and let the
European powers do what they will ?
We need not be generous but we should
be just. _
In the United
THOMPSON. _ . , , . .
States senate the
name Thompson has been quite com
mon. There was John B. Thompson
of Kentucky and Thomas W. Thomp-
so i from New Hampshire and John R.
Thompson from New Jersey. And in
Nebraska there are now two Thompsons ,
one at Grand Island and one at Lincoln ,
who are in the opulence of Nebraska-
willing also to become members of the
senate which kicked out Reformer w
Clark of Montana for bribery and cor
ruption.
The Grand Island Thompson is famous
as a little giant and the Lincoln Thomp-
as a business giant. There should be no
mixing up of the two Thompsons along
lines of gigantic nomenclature.
A DUPE OF William J.
.PROPHETS , stone's temporary
sojourn in New
York City , as eastern manager for the
democratic national committee , was pe
culiarly valuable to him from an educa
tional standpoint. Prior to going to New
York he was a firm believer in prophets.
His faith was implicit that some men were
endowed with the gift of prophecy and
could with unerring accuracy read the
future. So deeply rooted was his faith
that simple little Willie placed a finan
cial rating upon the political forecasts of
Croker , et. al. , and thereby hangs a tale.
A press dispatch thus refers to the un
happy post election plight of this dupe
of false prophets.
"Ex-Governor William J. Stone of
Missouri , vice-chairman of the demo
cratic national committee , in charge of
the eastern headquarters at the Hoffman
house , returns to St. Louis thoroughly
disgusted with Richard Oroker and the
result of the election. Mr. Stone's
friends at the Hoffman house asserted
that Mr. Stone had lost all his ready
cash about $10.000 betting on the size
of the republican plurality in this state.
Mr. Stone's friends assert that Mr.
Oroker assured the Missonrian that
McKinley's plurality could not possibly
exceed 100,000 in the state.
"Relying on Mr. Croker's judgment ,
based , as Mr. Stone had been assured ,
on a close canvas of the state by the
democratic state committee , Mr. Stone
wagered his own money and a lot that
his friends intrusted to him for betting
purposes. When the returns showed
nearly 150,000 in the state for McKinley
and Roosevelt , Mr. Stone was so
thoroughly chagrined as to be made
almost ill. His friends say that the
greeting he will receive in St. Louis will
not be over cordial , as his optimistic in
terviews on the political situation had
let his friends to suppose that Bryan had
a good chance to win.
"Mr. Stone said a number of severe
things the other day about political
prophets , and those who overheard him
interpreted his remarks as referring to
certain people in Tammany hall. "
HOG CHOEKRA.
This disease is very prevalent and
malignant in Southern Nebraska.
Otoe county has lost many thousands of
dollars in swine herds during the last
ninety days. At Arbor Lodge there are
between one hundred and fifty and two
hundred swine which so far have been
immune , it is believed , because of the
constant use for a year past of a cure
made at Council Bluffs. See advertisement -
' ment in THE CONSERVATIVE.
' -t ( .
