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"Che Conservative
General Wilson's
TROPICAL conception of free
TRADE. trndo within and
through out the
New World is a bold measure of sound
statesmanship , which would increase
the prosperity of all the countries of
North and South America , promote
ponce and good will among them , and
make them a unit in defence against
European aggression. If coupled with
a moderate revenue tariff against the
rest of the world , it would cause no
hostility among other nations , for their
productions would fare better under
such a tariff , made reasonable and per
manent , than under the myriad and
constantly shifting rates of a score of
tariffs. The American Free Trade
League will send his complete address
in pamphlet on receipt of five cents
postage.
THE EVILS OF SPECIAL PRIVILEGES.
BY DR. JAMES H. DILLAKD.
If people could only be induced to
quit talking about a conflict between
labor and capital , it would be a great
gain to economic progress and the pub
lic good.
There is , as we shall see , an apparent
reason for the notion of conflict between
these two ; but , in truth , there is not ,
never was , and never con be a conflict
between labor and capital.
Labor is work engaged in production ,
and capital is wealth engaged in pro
duction. They are natural , mutual
helpers of each other.
Capital as such cannot possibly be a
foe to labor. It is only when it takes a
pernicious partner that the taint of hos
tility and oppression becomes attached.
This pernicious partner is monopoly ,
or call it by what name you please ,
charter , franchise , protective tariff ,
favorable location , any special privilege
whatsoever.
Since the beginning of economic
history it has been monopoly that has
oppressed the masses and taken from
them their just living.
In old times , kings either kept mo
nopolies in their own hands , as a means
of squeezing money from the people's
labor , or gave them to their favorites.
In modern times , monopolies are got
and kept by partial legislation or by
actual bribery of parliaments , senates ,
congresses , legislatures , and city coun
cils.
cils.In
In all times monopolies have been the
chief enemy of pure and righteous
government.
Monopolies.
Monopolies give the power of amass
ing wealth so easily and effectively
that they have always been sought after.
They have been natural channels , in
wholesome competition , for meeting
natural demands. In this way it can ,
in no wise , stand in opposition to
labor.
Real Enemy.
The truth of what I have written ,
namely , that special privilege , in what
ever form , whether it bo a tariff tax era
a telephone franchise , is the real enemy
of good government , the real enemy of
labor , the real enemy of the natural
use of capital , this truth must come
home to the American people if they
would save themselves from , increasing
corruption in public life , from increas
ing concentration of wealth , and
from increasing social discontent.
We have for a century been putting
into platforms the words "special priv
ileges to none. " What have we come
to mean by it ? Nothing. It has be
come a sounding phrase , that's all I The
time has come when we must put mean
ing into it , and stand by the meaning in
each particular case.
There is at least one man in public
life today who sees this fact.The new
mayor of Cleveland is bending all his
energies to make the monopolies of that
city yield more to the people and less to
the magnates. That such a man , on
such a platform , a democratic democrat
in a republican city , could be elected by.
a great majority of the voters , is the
brightest spot in American politics to
day.
PENSION PROSPERITY.
While the population of the United
States has increased 21 per cent in the
past decade , their pension roll has increased -
creased 47 per cent in the same period.
And [ Secretary Hitchcock's report
gives color to the hope , that before
many decades have passed , the pension
roll will overtake the population , the
American people can stop work and
live on their pensions , with congress
assembling occasionally to vote an in
crease all around. Already one Amer
ican in ev.ery eighty has a pension ,
and if only the applications in sight
are allowed , this proportion will be
reduced to one in every fifty-eight.
The pension roll is now the longest
in our history. It contains 997,785
names. There are 403,569 claims pend
ing , and every mail is bringing in
new claims by the bushel. But the
good work goes on too slow. This
man Clay Evans should be put out and
his place should be filled by somebody
who will take possession of the
United States treasury and hang out
a sign : "Why work ? Step in and
help yourself ! " New York World.
BEEF SUPPLY SHORT.
According to information received
at the headquarters of the national
live stock association , con
gress will have the western public
land situation brought to its attention
V
\
this winter in a new and startling
manner. A number of prominent cat
tlemen of the west , who have been
quietly investigating , are prepared to
show that during the last five years
there has been an enormous decrease
in the number of cattle in this coun
try , a decrease which seriously threat
ens the beef food supply , and unless
speedy action is taken by congress ,
in the course of a very few years beef
will be selling at such a fabulous
price that only the wealthy can afford
to indulge in the luxury of a beef
steak. The cause of this rapid de
cline in the number of beef cattle is
said to bo due solely to the contrac
tion of the western public grazing
lands and the increase in the con
sumptive demand. The rapid settle
ment of the west has caused the ranges
left to become crowded , and this
crowded condition has prevented the
re-seeding of grasses and consequent
ly millions of acres of once good past
ures have been turned into absolute
desert. Most of the large herds have
been dispersed and slaughtered .and
the bulk of the cattle supply is now
being furnished by the small stock
men , but the evolution from the large
herds on the open range to the small
herds in pastures is too slow owing
to unfavorable land conditions , and
where a few years ago the markets
were supplied with cattle four , five
and six years of age , even yearlings
are being slaughtered to make up the
supply of beef.
The stockmen claim that the un
favorable methods of administering
the public lands of the west are back
*
of the threatened shortage , and at the
coming national convention in Chica
go this month an effort was made
to throw the whole matter into con
gress , ask that a commissipn be ap
pointed with expert assistance to in
vestigate and devise plans for reliev
ing the situation.
NEBRASKA TERRITORIAL PIONEERS'
ASSOCIATION.
Official notice is hereby given that the
annual meeting of the Nebraska "Ter
ritorial Pioneers' Association" will be
held at University Chapel , Lincoln , Ne
braska , on Tuesday , January 14 , 1902 , at
2 o'clock p. m. , sharp.
As one or two meetings of this soci
ety have gone by default , I urge a full
attendance. The organization is an important -
portant one in connection with the history -
ory of the territory , and should be
maintained and perpetuated.
The officers of the association will be
elected at this meeting and general ar
rangements made for the interests and
advancement of the organization.
I repeat , let us have a full attend
ance. ROUT. W. FUKNAS ,
President.
Brownville , Neb. , Dec. 1 , 1901.