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The Conservative ; 5
It seems only the
THAT ROUND other day that a
ROBIN. young mnii , inex
perienced in mili
tary affairs , joined in an insubordinate
"round robin" with reference to the
conduct of the Cuban war , called the
equipment of the United States army
"archaic" and evinced a lack of respect
for his superior offlders generally. For
these offences the authorities were very
much down on him at the time. This
young man , by a rather singular turn
of events , is now President of the United
States. Will he , or will he not , make
the venerable officials of the war depart
ment hop around , do yon suppose ?
The State of Ne-
GOOD ROADS , braska , every coun
ty and township in
Nebraska , should have better roads.
The people have it in their power to
secure legislation which will insure im
proved roads without increasing taxation
A general law that will permit us
to narrow the roads ought to be demand
ed by petition to the next legislature.
This law should provide for selling on
each side of each road 16 feet of ground
to the owner of adjacent land at an ap
praised value , made by the County
Commissioners. If adjacent owners do
not purchase in a stated period of time
then the land should be sold to the
highest bidder , no bid being entertained
except at or above the value fixed by the
County Commissioners. And in case of
sale to person not owning adjacent land
it should be agreed and held that the
strip so sold is subject to cross road foi
entrance to the land of which , under
government surveys , it had been pre
viously a part.
By cutting down the highways from
sixty-six feet to thirty-three feet and
selling the other half as above a road
fund of generous proportions will be
established. The weed propagating
area in Nebraska will be reduced by
more than a half-million of acres. The
quality of the roads will be made better
and keeping them in order will become
relatively an easy and taxless task.
The Conservative asks everybody to
study the road question with a view of
increasing the facilities for hauling
heavy loads from farms to markets in
the State of Nebraska.
GROWING BOYS.
"In conclusion , we beg to state we are
appalled at the large proportion o :
youths from 1C to 21 years of age in
dieted for crime , " says the grand jury
in Chicago in its final report.
Nothing could better enforce The Con
servative's theory that it is better , mucl
better , to live in a small and healthful
town in the west , than in one of the
great , rancid , furious , smothering , dis
eased masses , crawling with deformed
and unnatural human animals , that we
call world-cities. Boys may grow up to
be good men in those surroundings , but
hero are terrible chances against them.
And wo do not believe it is wholly in-
'ection ' or example that causes the harm.
There can be no normal life in a city ;
ihe existence is unnatural. The pleas
ures that are offered a boy , the avenues
for ambition that are open to him , are
not those of the sane life by which a
breed is perpetually recruited and kept
fresh ; and the presstiro of sap in the
growing tree must force it to sprout
forth in unwholesome growths.
We dwellers in small towns are happy
in the variety of hopeful directions in
which our young men may develop.
There is no end to the possible ways in
which a boy can make himself of use in
a town that has the certain future of
Nebraska City. He can fit himself for
any land of a position that he feels a
liking for , and there is room for him.
The schools , the library , the factories ,
shops and round-houses are all open to
him , and no matter what line he takes ,
if he will make use of his time he can
count on succeeding ; and he can do it
all in a plentiful supply of the free
prairie air , and without losing touch
with the good green earth , which the
city boy cannot do.
The subject of
FOREST RESTOR- forestry , or the
ATION. art of cultivating
forests , is one that
has not received much attention in
Indiana. In a number of other states
its importance is better understood
and action has been taken toward in
creasing the forest area. Nebraska
being originally a treeless country ,
no argument was required to convince
land owners of the need of planting
trees , and they have willingly cooperated
erated with the authorities in the
work , with the result that thous
ands of acres of young timber n
diversify that state. In eastern states ,
notably New York , tire efforts of for
estry organisations have taken the
form of protecting the forest lands
yet remaining , rather than in planting
now trees. Indiana was heavily timbered
bored in its early history and the
work of clearing the land for agri
cultural purposes was great. It was
in later years , when the lumber mar
kets opened , that the cutting of the
trees became reckless , as is the case
in all new countries. Land whicl
would have been better left covered
was then denuded of trees and the
consequence was shown in the drying
up of streams and the loss of protec
tiou to cultivated fields , to say noth
ing of a lessening of property value ;
and of general picturesqueness o
scenery. There is but one way o
remedying the recklessness and lacl
of foresight of the earlier settlers
and that is by taking care of the for
sts that now exist and in planting
nero trees. There 1ms been little
agitation of the matter , and for that
cason there is no popular sentiment
concerning it , but not a few people
lave taken thought of it , and the re
sult is a bill before the legislature
whose purpose is the encoiiragement
of tree-growing. As an inducement
o land owners it offers to all who se-
ect any part of their land , not ex
ceeding one-eighth of the total area
of the tract , as a permanent forest res
ervation , a practical exemption of
: ax upon that acreage. To be exact ,
such reservation is designed to be ap
praised at $1 per acre. Provision is
nade for a certain number of trees to
jhe a"ure , for a replanting when any
are removed , and for a county record
of such reservations. The measure is a
stop in the right direction. It may
not become a law , because the public - ' $
is not yet awake to the desirability of
such laws , biit the time will come
when their wisdom is recognized ,
and if this bill does nothing more it
will call attention to the matter and
thus serve an educational purpose.
Indianapolis Journal.
CONSERVATISMS.
Pseudo or traditional conservatism
rebels against the word of the "liv
ing God" while it upholds that of
the dead gods of tradition.
Civilization comprises the institu
tions and methods evolved by man
for his individual preservation
through social organization.
Culture though a result of civili
zation , is often a"parasitic attachment
and in the way of progress.
Progress and civilization are identi
cal. Progress is the improvement in
the methods of self-preservation of one
period and people over and against an
other period and people.
Institutions or methods which may ,1
be life-saving , or supporting to in
ability , are invariably detrimental
to the race.
Altruism and humanitarianism are
toll-gates on the road to progress.
Traditionalism is constantly in the
way of civilization.
Ethics is the science , morality the
art of self-preservation.
The brotherhood of man is an ab
surdity , but an intelligent utilitarian
ism the basis of. individual sal
vation.
Religion is the intelligent con
sciousness'of the unity and inseparableness -
abloness of all things and one's self
as an individualized entity in the
eternal solidarity.
Religion is attachment to the whole
as a part of self.
