* * * * '
" ' V'i&i :
12 Conservative.
BURLINGTON LETTER CONTEST.
The Burlington & Missouri Eiver
Railroad has opoiied a contest for
letters about Nebraska. The total
amount represented by the awards is
$500. The letters are to be confined
to 1,500 words in length and will be
published in The Corn Belt , issued
monthly by the company. They should
be mailed to J. Francis , general passen
ger agent , Omaha , Neb. , so as to reach
him not later than May 81st , 1901.
They have received a great many con
tributions , but can make use of twice as
many more. In view of the fact that
the first prize is a free trip to and
through Yellowstone National Park , and
that there are nineteen other prizes ,
many of them almost as valuable , they
feel warranted in expecting a very gen
eral response to their offer. The contest
is still in progress , the prizes are well
worth trying for , and details may be had
by addressing the office of J. Francis ,
Omaha , Neb.
OKLAHOMA
OPPORTUNITY.
HOMES
FOR THOUSANDS
IN THE KIOWA ,
COMANCHE
AND APACHE
RESERVATIONS
Which are to be opened for settlement
in 1901.
S
THE GREAT
ROCK ISLAND ROUTE
1 is the only line running
to , through or near the
* > ! RESERVATIONS.
"OKLAHOMA OPPORTUNITY , "
A book describing these lands and con
dition of entry , SENT FREE.
. 1 Address ,
JOHN SEBASTIAN ,
Q. P. AT. A , ,
CHICAGO , ILL ,
E. W. THOMPSON ,
A , G , P , &T.A , ,
TOPEKA , KAN ,
THE CONSERVA-
FREE SEED TIVE calls attention
AGAIN. once more to the
venerable swindle
of gratuitous and promiscuous distribu
tion of seeds at the expense of the
general government. In the present
issue will be found comments upon the
swindle from high republican authority ,
like the Philadelphia Ledger , together
with criticisms from other sources upon
the charges made against the Depart
ment of Agriculture.
The Wholesale Seedsmen's League ,
through its Secretary , Burnett Landreth ,
has filed four specific charges with the
Controller of the Treasury , and the
Disbursing Officer of the Department of
Agriculture at Washington , protesting
against the payment of any money oh
the vouchers of the contractor.
The Plorists Exchange , which is
exclusively a trade paper , published iu
the city of New York , in its issue of
Saturday , April 27th , makes some very
sharp criticisms.
The Florists Exchange declares :
"It is believed that there is sufficient
evidence in the hands of the Seedsmen's
League to substantiate the charges pre
ferred.
"With respect to charge No. 2 , to the
effect that no varieties are named on
the printed packets , only the words 'a
selected variety ; ' while this is correct
in the great majority of cases , there is ,
apparently , no arbitrary condition
expressed by the wording of the govern
ment's specification calling for the nam
ing of varieties contained in the packets
distributed. The stipulation relative to
this matter sent out by the Secretary of
Agriculture , and accompanying the
specification , is as follows : 'The seeds ,
together with all material necessary to
make them ready for distribution , and
all labor connected therewith , the
necessary printing on seed packets rela
tive to variety , culture , etc. , also the
place of conducting and carrying on the
work of distribution are all to be at the
expense of the contractor. In other
words , the seeds are to be furnished all
ready for mailing in packages of five or
more packets each , as may be required ,
each package to show the kind of seed
contained therein , and delivered in
United States mail sacks at the nearest
postoffice , or to the mail carriers of the
Senate and House of Representatives. '
"Those responsible for this year's
distribution of seeds have taken advan
tage of the loophole afforded by the
astonishingly indefinite language of the
stipulation in question , rendered so by
the effort to give it greater perspicuity ,
to use the words 'a selected variety. '
"On the other hand , the object of the
free seed distribution is to furnish the
farmer and cultivator with such seeds
as will be beneficial to him , and how is
he to know for future npo t n variety
hoJiaB been favored with by thu govern-
ment , and is growing , unless its name
appears on the package ? Of what help
is it to the farmer to be thus kept in
ignorance ? Why should he be asked to
plant something regarding which he
knows absolutely nothing ?
"All reputable seedsmen are not afraid
to call a 'spade a spado. ' They name
the seeds they sell to their clients ; that
name appears on the seed packet , and
the naming takes the form of a surety
to the purchaser that he is getting that
for which he pays. The United States
government has bought certain seeds ;
these are desired and required of varieties
named in its specification. Why should
the firm supplying the government with
such seeds depart from trade usages and
dub the seeds furnished 'selected
variety'which means anything or noth
ing ? Is the name of the 'selected
variety' unknown to them ; if so , why
this ignorance ?
"It will be seen that to allow of this
being done at once opens up an avenue
for substitution and irregularities of the
worst kind. An explanation of what is
certainly an unnecessary proceeding
where the ordinary and correct methods
of business are in vogue should surely
be demanded.
"It appears to us that the time has
arrived when Congress must take some
action in this matter. Our lawmakers
are responsible for what has been rightly
termed , 'one of the most farcical and
ridiculous pieces of extravagance that
the American people has ever indulged
in , ' and if into the enjoyment of this
extravagance corruption has entered ,
the Government should at once abolish
and forever that which can only bring it
into disrepute , besides bringing to book
those who are profiting by such corrup
tion. At any rate , the charges under
consideration , coming , as they do , from
a body of men who know what they are
talking about , Congress , or those repre
senting it , on whom devolves the faith
ful and honest performance of one of
its enactments , cannot afford to ignore.
The standard of farming in the Union ,
through irregularities of the nature
charged , will suffer rather than be promoted
meted ; and the time may not be far
distant when , conducted on the lines
along which the present carrying out of
the seed contract is alleged to be con
ducted , the gratuitous distribution of
common seeds by the Government will
lose votes , instead of winning them ,
which latter is its only virtue , and by
reason of which it is allowed to exist , to
the nation's everlasting shame and
financial loss.
"Seedsmen and all florists who sell
seeds should at once call the attention of
their respective congressmen to the sub
ject , so that an investigation of the fore
going charges be made forthwith. "