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About The Conservative (Nebraska City, Neb.) 1898-1902 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 19, 1901)
9 general course of existence has worn its tracks , which are followed without reference to opinions ; the special tarns are brought about by causes which act dliko on all. There are certain bits or bodies - : ios of knowledge and opinion , of which these members generally partake ; their schooling , their Revolutionary history , their memories of the Great War , their local traditions or experiences , their special institutionstheir principal news papers , their leading men , their relation with the time and its events. These , bearing on their state of thought , give \f' \ { certain directions to it , as the stream does to the mosses floating in its course , which are not controlled by other mosses , individual or collective. "It is certainly not maintained , that men are never influenced by the opin ions of other men , especially in mass. We have the perfect ideal of public opinion-as it seems to be usually con ceived , in the phenomenon of the Mob. There a man , who had been thinking nothing in particular about a certain matter , falling in with a number of men who are thinking actively about it in .a certain way , at once adopts their thinking and their acting. Other col lections of people , in proportion as they approach the character of the mob , ex hibit the like effect of a public opinion. The political gathering , the religious meeting other than in regular routine , the wave of interest or excitement ris ing from any new occurrence , anything that affects the many of a given locality with a kindred emotion , in the ratio of that emotion to the knowledge and reflection accompanying , will exert such a force. The nature and the value of this influence may be indicated by the fact that we instinctively honor a man as he resists it. The man who stands before a hostile mob unquailing , who preserves his independence of ' } thought and action under conscience 1 and reason , church or party , or any common cry to the contrary notwith standing , is the man we respect. Curi ously , the form in which it now acts with the.nibst permanent intensity , that of political partisanship-divides each community on an average , into two authorities , with mandates directly opposite. Our best approval is reserved ; [ ) . for him who does not accept either of them too implicitly ! "How are we actually guided , in our proceeding through the world ? We rise in the morning ; then we dress. "Triumphant proof of the power of public opinion' , " we may hear : that "we dress at all , when it might bo more agreeable of a hot day to go without , and then that we dress as we do , which is largely determined by custom , a form of the same. Yet if we look for the actual motor , we would commonly find no trace of such opinion , but only the road or stream of habit , come from the M past much more than the present , and from no origin of opinion , but of use and convenience. Habit indeed is dress , and custom costume. No' doubt if a man were to go forth without clothing he would soon encounter a constraint of general disapprobation ; as he would if ho went forth with a pail of dirt and cast it upon every one he met ; but it is not that consciousness in the first place which hinders either. No doubt like wise there is a sway of fashion in the matter , as apart from extremes and fantasiesthere should be , taking care of the whole visible man-from the skin outwards better than ho could by his individual decision of each' point , and leaving him the freer to his own proper life. 'He then takes his meal ; which in many of its particulars also follows custom , but not in its main causation. He goes to his occupation ; this too is appointed for him , by a compromise be tween his own election : and the whole complex of' the world around him ; iii which opinion has very little .positive share , though it sometimes acts as a preventive. He cultivates his various side-interests , home-interests , aims of inward aspiration ; which of them is de termined by the collective opinion of his neighbors ? Where does such an opinion come in , among the factors of his life ? Where , in fact , does it exist ? The public consists entirely of individ uals ; it is difficult to addtheir , opinions. Personal opinion and its influence , is quite another matter ; one traveller .may powerfully lead another : the crowd can only jostle him. In the lighter things of life , society of the idler kind and the like , of course there is more reference to such a conception of a general opinion ; as we get to the more serious things , less and less. "What a fearful power do these com mon people wield , " says the disciple to imprisoned Socrates , awaiting his doom at the mouth of. popular clamor. "I would they did , " answers the 'saint of sages , "so they might at least once in a while exert it for-good. But now I see little that they can dp , either for good or evil. " ' . . " We find that there , are truly certain spheres of aggregate impression , more or' less predominantly impulsive and blind , to which men are subjected , rather inversely to their manhood ; that where such impression governs a man's actions , the control is somewhat ille gitimate ; that when wo search it.as a source of power , or factor of our own existence , it is apt to vanish , softly and suddenly , from our sight ; for the Suark is a Boojum , we see. DEVELOPMENT OP KANSAS WATER RESOURCES. A new light is thrown on Kansas as a water power state by a recent re ; port of the U. S. Geological Survey , which gives a number of interesting figures regarding the use and value of the Kansas' streams for water power and supply. The Geological' ; s.mryy has for ; several yoars.-.beeu. c.0ndac.tijig measurements- -flow on these rivers- and. has secured information. , regarding their water'supply which-jw.ill.be : of. value to- engineers- manufacturers/- The measurements also show ; the w ido extremes of flow common , to str.eam.s of this section of the country between the summer and winter months , " and indicate the proportion of time .iu which auxiliary steam powo.r. must , b.d used. Gagingstations are maintained.on the Arkansas , in a number of. places , the Yerdigris , the Neosho , Republi * can- Solomon , . Saline , Smoky Hill1 , Blue and Kansas rivers , where _ daily observations are made , . - , _ v - ; . : . . Besides , its- study of the rivers-of the state , = the Geological'S.urvoy is matcinga thorough.-investigation into the possibility of securing , : an. under ground water - supply which - can .be reached.by- wells , and which -if .dis covered will be of the greatest- value , especially on.tho. . . high plains in .the western part of .the state. It is doubtr ful if any state has. a richer soilor laud which can bo.-more'readily culti vated than Kansas , and with an abun dance of water for crops and stock , set tlement and development will be rapid - id in the western section whiohf'OU account of its present lack of water- cannot be fully utilized. - . . - \ The value of windmills as a means of increasing the .water supply of the state , by making use. of the prevalent strong and steady winds , has also at tracted the attention of the Survey and an interesting report on their va rieties , and uses has been issued. : STOPS THE COUGH AND WORKS .OFF THE COLD. Laxative Bromo- Quinine Tablets cure a cold in one day. No Cure , no Pay , " Price ,35. cents. STATEMENT-.OF THE CONDITION Nebraska , City'.National .Bani ; , ; - -'NEBRASKA CITY , NEB. , * ; . . at the close of business , December 10,1001" RESOURCES. Loans. . $834,629.04 Overdrafts 67.14 U. 8 Bonds and premium . : . 103,000.00 Other bonds and securities . " . 10,034.01 Bank arid other real estate 11,240.00 Cash. Sight Exchange and DUB from Tress. 0. Sr . . . . . . . . 126.109.45 Total. . ' . , . $591,0Q24 ; ' LIABILITIES. ; ; ; " Capital : " . $100,000.00 Surplus and profits - . . -16,700.09 Circulation lOO.OOO.OQ Deposits 376,270.18 Total. . , , . . $5 91,970.24 " ' ' , OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS : ! W. L. WILSON , Pros. ROBT. LoniONV. , Pros. . H. D. WILSONCashier. , ' ' ROUT. PAYNE. " ' A. P ; BTAOTORD :
