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VOL IV. NO. 22. NEBRASKA CITY , NEBRASKA , DECEMBER 5 , 1901. SINGLE COPIES , 5 CENTS
PUBLISHED WEEKLY.
OFFICES : OVERLAND THEATRE BLOCK.
J. STERLING MORTON , EDITOR.
A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO THH DISCUSSION
OP POLITICAL , ECONOMIC AND SOCIOLOGICAL
QUESTIONS.
CIRCULATION THIS WEEK , 13,925 COPIES.
TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION.
One dollar and a half per year in advance ,
postpaid to any part of the United States or
Canada. Remittances made , payable to The
Morton Printing Company.
Address , THE CONSERVATIVE , Nebraska
City , Nebraska.
Advertising rates made known upon appli
cation.
Entered at the post office at Nebraska City ,
Neb. , as Second Class matter , July 29 , 1898.
Free Trade does
FREE TRADE , not compel Ameri :
cans or anybody
else to trade anywhere. Free Trade
merely permits Americans and every
body else to trade anywhere or every
where.
Inter-changes of goods and products
between individuals continue so long as
they are mutually advantageous. All
legitimate exchanges are profitable to
both the buyer and seller. Whenever
either party to a series of exchanges
ascertains that he is losing money he
stops making such exchanges. He
ceases to buy or to sell along. , that line.
Unprofitable trade withers and perishes
between individuals and nothing can
force its continuance.
Trade between Americans and Eu
ropeans is governed by the same law of
gain fulness that
Foreign Trade. controls domestic
trade between
Americans here at home. When a
Yankee finds that an Englishman or
any other kind of an European is getting
all the advantages , all the profits in the
exchanges of goods , products , commodi
ties between them , that Yankee im
mediately quits that trading. And on
the other hand , whenever John Bull
finds that Jonathan is getting all the
advantages he stops the exchanges.
A protective tariff with duties that
are prohibitive of purchases or ex
changes in certain
Prohibitory Tariff. - foreign-made goods
is therefore only an
impediment , or an electrocution , of
profitable trade remunerative and mu
tually advantageous exchanges be
tween Americans and foreigners. The
period of exclusiveness has expired.
The United States can not forever sell
and never purchase in the markets of
Europe. Bad trade , unprofitable trade
trade not gainful to each party stops
itself. A prohibitory protective tariff
therefore only kills that trade between
Americans and foreigners which is mu
tually profitable and advantageous.
President Roose-
THE PRESIDENT'S velt's first official
MESSAGE. communication to
congress is a long
one. The president evinces a dispo
sition to cover the whole ground , like
the hard-thinking and conscientious
man that we all believe him to be.
This makes the message hard to read ,
and gives parts of it a somewhat per
functory appearance , as if they were
inserted because the matters had to be
treated of.
We notice , however , that Mr.
Roosevelt has the faculty , which a few
men possess in a marked degree , of
putting a great deal into a short
phrase. "Grimes of cunning , " as
applied to the making of large fort
unes by iniquitous mt-ans ; does not
that remind one of President Cleve
land ? Such expressions as this are
epigrams , and become proverbs.
The message deals for the most part
\yith business matters. It starts with
a denunciation of anarchy , which he
says should be made an offence against
the law of nations , like piracy ; all
mankind should band against the an
archist.
He then speaks of the large fortunes
of todayand says , "it is not true that
as the rich have grown richer the
poor have grown poorer. Never be
fore has the average man been so well
off as in this country and at the pres
ent time. On the whole and in the
long run , we must all go up or down
together. "
Overcapitalization of the large cor
porations is a real and grave evil , be
cause of its many baleful consequen
ces ; it is as important to rid the busi
ness world of crimes of cunning as to
rid the body politic of crimes of vie
lence.
He recommends publicity as the on
ly sure remedy WQ can evoke. In
view of the absence of uniformity in
state laws governing corporations and
especially railroads , he says that the
federal government should take their
supervision into its own hands , and
amend the constitution' for that'-
' ' - pur
pose if necessary.
He advises a department of com
merce and industries , with a new
cabinet officer at its head.
The immigration laws are unsatis
factory ; " a law should be enacted to
keep out not only anarchists , but per
sons of a low moral tendency or of un
savory reputation , or those unfit to
compete with American labor. ' '
No changes should be made in the
tariff at present ; but he asks thn sen
ate's attention to Mr. McKinley's
reciprocity treaty.
He believes in forestry and irriga
tion , and believes the federal govern
ment should assume charge of both.
Cuba is progressing towards inde
pendence , and Porto Rico is thriving
as never before. He advises patience
and forbearance , strength and stead
fast resolution in the Philippines , and
thinks our danger lies in overdoing
our good intentions toward the is
landers.
He recommends a Pacific cable and
the interoceanic canal ; which he an
nounces he has fixed all right with
Great Britain. He emphasizes the
Monroe doctrine , which he says is a
long step towards universal peace , and
a guarantee of the commercial inde
pendence of the Americas.
He thinks the army is big enough ,
but wants more ships and sailors , both
in the navv and in the merchant
marine. ' ' Ships work for their own
countries just as railroads work for
their terminal points. A strong navy
is the best guarantee against war/ '
Ho speaks for the merit system of
civil service appointments , especially
in the consular service He also
wants an effort to "make the Indian
work like any other man on his own
ground. ' '
In conclusion , after touching on
China , Queen Victoria and President
McKinley , ho says , "we reverently
thank the Almighty that we are at
peace with the nations of mankind ,
and we firmly intend that our policy
shall be such as to continue unbroken
these international relations of mutual
respect and good will. "
OUR LIVING EX-PRESIDENT.
We have only one living ex-president.
A peculiar interest thus attaches to the
health of Grover Cleveland. The ex-presi
dent has now been loner enough retired
from active public life for the Hoerbities
of political controversies to soften , and
even his most earnest opponents in the
past are steadily coming to recognize
the sincerity , courage and patriotism
which always dictated his course. Mr.
Cleveland should have many years yet
before him and he already has the assur
ance that old ago will be rendered happy
by the general recognition that ho was
cne of the strongest executives the
nation has ever had. New York Even
ing Post.
