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About The Conservative (Nebraska City, Neb.) 1898-1902 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 20, 1902)
- 8 Conservative * T h o Crown IS IT A TRINITY ? Prince of Japan is preparing to visit the United States. England and Japan have entered into a formal alli ance for the purpose of preserving the integrity of China , and defeating the Manchurian agreement. The United States , as a govern ment , has affixed no official signature to this document , but , by reason of her own extensive interests , acquired rightfully or wrongfully , and main tained through acuteness or stupidity , as the individual may see it , but still undeniably not to be encroached up on , is she not in all probability tacitly a party to the contract ? It looks so. About three years ago , when an ob scure Nebraska paper predicted a triple alliance , of these powers within five years , the laugh which followed reached both oceans ; but . changing seasons bring changed con ditions , and here we find the prophecy fulfilled , or , at least , nearly so. Whether or not the situation is ac- ceinaoio to cue maiviauai , ne cannot avoid feeling a certain degree of pride in the thought that in casting up the balance of power among governments , in taking the political poll of the globe , each foreigner makes a super human effort to lift the United States out of the doubtful column , and add it to their own roll of supporters. The Yo u u g e r RIGHTEOUSNESS brothers , notorious OR MALICE ? desperadoes and murderers , having been released from the dungeon keep , and similar pardons having been grant ed by governors of Nebraska and other states , it is high time that the virtu ous republican press turned its belch ing batteries iu the direction of the men who signed these paroles and pardons , if the editors are really sin cere in their desire to see justice meted out to evil-doers. Undeniably guilty of almost every crime in the decalogue , are not these men more fit subjects for penal servi tude than the man who weakly list ened to the voice of the siren , who sang and for the want of a few paltry dollars was cast into the cell ? It is a matter of public comment that there are men now enjoying the respect and confidence of the people ; men who are intemperate in their con demuation of the course of Governor Savage , who , had the iron hand of adversity fallen upon them at a cer tain time in their lives , would have gone down to disgra'ce and ruin , be sides being held amenable to the law for their misdeeds. Can it be possible that a panic or a crop failure can brand a man as a criminal , while an other as reprehensible but more fortu nate , does evil in a period of opulency and in consequence is rated a respect able financier ? What a sordid , greedy , selfish , penurious justice which , biased by the loss of a few miserable copper cents to the individual , rises to con demn the pardon of a broken old man , more sinned against than sinning , and who has already served what in ordi nary cases is considered a sufficient term for offenses of this character , but has no word of reproof for those who grant legal absolution to the looter , the night rider , the murderer of innocent babes and defenceless women. Is it a plea for justice , a miserly de mand for the pound of flesh , or a shallow demagogic assumption of virtue "for the good of the party" ? Discrediting the motives of these virtuous gentlemen , as they so freely discredit the motives of the governor ; extending to them no greater measure of consideration than they grant to those who honestly and sincerely con tend that Bartloy has suffered enough and is now being made the target for a pyrotechnic display of republican buncombe , the question is , would a proffered bribe of $35,000 induce one of these gentlemen to pardon Mr. Savage ? Observing inter - CHURLISH. national courtesy , President Roosevelt velt very properly appointed delegates to represent this country at King Ed ward's coronation. This act of com mon decency on the part of the chief executive has provoked wrath in some quarters , where demagogy and jingoism would earn moro approval than the dignified course which Mr. Roosevelt , being fully acquainted with the ethics of his position , saw fit to pursue. Stranger yet , the prime objector is the man who aspired to this high office , and about whom it hasbeen , hinted that once installed iu the presidential chair , with no proper conception of the high character of the office , ho would proceed to play the cheap jester , for the benefit of the upper gallery , rather than act tlfe manly part and earn the plaudits of box , dress-circle and parquet. Surely these remarks are in no wise personal. A virtuous seii- REPARTEE. ator informed President Roosevelt velt that a person who had just been appointed to an important office was a faro dealer. The president had a far away look in his eye when ho re sponded that ho had known senators to play poker until 4 a. m. , but that far-away look did not prevent the tattler from resenting the remark as entirely too personal. At no time since ETERNAL this reeling sphere VIGILANCE. attained momen tum have the siiu's rays glanced once across the face of a country , and shone upon no element of discontent , no smoldering fires of rebellion. The same blight appears every where , from the great civilized and enlightened governments , whoso peoples ples , as a whole , dwell in peace and amity , to the cannibalistic jungle tribes , each consisting of little moro than a single family , but harboring within the narrow confines of the Chief tain's kraal the same disgruntled unrest , the same revolutionary senti ments , which crouch in the corridors of the white ruler's gilded palace. That these cancers on the body politic may ever be completely cured is doubtful , as the poison lies deep , and vital parts are affected ; but , proper precautions being taken , the dread disease may be stopped and hold in check. The subtle poison of anarchy , the slow malignant growth of envy , the flaming fever of revolt , the premoni tory symptoms of senility and decay , should each be given timely attention and intelligent treatment , duo import ance being always attached to the old truth that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. In the black man's country the remedy is surgery ; it goes to the head of the evil. In the white man's coun try , the remedy is homeopathic , but effective , the white , silent packet that passes through the hands of any man , who lias the power to make it potent for good or evil the ballot. A geu-t 1 e in u n THE REBUKE who was soliciting DISCOURTEOUS , funds for the erec tion of a church edifice once waited upon Horace Greeley , at a busy hour of the day , and , upon being refused admission , called through the transom : "Let mo iu ; I want some money to keep men from going to hell ! " Instantly the answer came from within : "I won't give you a cent ; there are not enough men iu hell now ! " It is sup posed that the ill-mannered solicitor was uppermost in Mr. Greeley's mind when he administered this somewhat inelegant though thoroughly deserved rebuke ; but now poor Cuba , starved , naked , scarred Cuba , more humbly and at a moro opportune time- makes much the same appeal , and receives much the same answer , which is in her case utterly unmerited and inex cusable , as she asks not for a dona tion , but simply pleads in the name of Justice for the right to live and prosper by her own honest effort.
