Hesperian student / (Lincoln [Neb.]) 1872-1885, November 12, 1886, Image 1
THE HESPERIAN. UNIVERSITY of NEBRASKA. Vol. XV. LINCOLN, NEB., NOVEMBER 12, 1886. No. III. "ENTJiENOUS." Tho Y. M. and Y. V. C. A. organizations have the promise of room seven as a place of meeting for their Wednesday evening prayer meetings, until such a time as better accom modations can be had. This promise has encouraged the members of these organizations to fit up the room with car pot, curtains, paper and painting, that it may appear a more enticing and more pleasant place of meeting. One hundred and twenty-five dollars at least will be needed to complete the arrangements. Faculty and students alike will certainly feel free to contribute to this fund. Committees to visit and take subscriptions from all have been appointed, and we hope they may be very successful. Let every student contribute something. No little anxiety is felt by New Yoik politicians over the Might prospects of labor's nominee for the mayoralty, Henry George. The peculiar beliefs of this Socialist have been widely published, and there are but few, indeed, who profess to be interested in matters of government that have not studied more or less carefully some or all of Henry George's ideas on socialistic subjects. There is no doubt that his lean ings arc Communistic, and it is the knowledge of this, coup led with the fear that he will certainly try to realize all tha is possible for Communism in his administration, that would seem to cause the "rings to be so fearful lest he should be the successful candidate. But we arc convinced that those who lead in politics are not such fools as to fear anything of Georce's administration on this line. Indeed the office of mayor can avail him nothing, if, on the contrary, it does, not work decidedly to his disadvantage, such will be the restric tions laid upon his actions and his declarations. It is rather the fear of his opposition and the consequent precarious con dition into which they will be forced that is worrying the po litical rings which have ruled and plundered the city of New York; and we would add that its worst thieves are its "rings." As students of the University, so near the field of experi ment, we should watch with interest the developments made by those who have been appointed to test the salt basin just west of town. Costing the state a goodly sum of money, it should aim at such thoroughness, and careful calculation of all finds as would justify the expenditure of so great an amount. It is an attempt to develope, or rather to determine our natural resources and if faithfully performed will amply repay "us for the expense. Whether or not we have a sufficient salt deposit to warrant the setting up of an extensive salt manufactory has long been a subject of conjecture; and that it is now to be settled is certainly a good thing. A depth of thirteen to fifteen hundred feet has already been attained, and no great deposit of salt has been found. Success may yet crown the experiment. But should we fail to find a brine sufficiently strong to be paying, yet the experiment is of im portance to. science since it gives niv accurate idea of the struc ture' of the underlying strata of this section. Still another feature of the experiment is the possible discovery of oil or coal, which, if found, would ccrtoinly work an economic change in favor of Nebraska, now supposed to be destitute of these articles in paying quantities. For the first time in the history of the state a democrat is sent to congress from the first congiessional district. A'hard fight was early suspected and the contest anticipated as very close. It did not prove so close as anticipated, and the plu rality was against all precedent. Money did not gain the battle for the democracy, as many will no doubt be led to be lieve from the campaign gush published by the leading news papers of the district. A man without a reputation in the political arena defeated the man reputed to be an eminently successful trickster. Blind adherence to party cannot longer be calculated upon with any degree of certainty. The peo ple prefer the untried man above the man that has proved untrustworthy. This struggle has also shown that the Repub lican party will never again be able to regain the full confi dence and hearty support of many of its best men until it has redeemed its pledges on the prohibition question. If this be done in all faith we predict that future campaigns will not prove so disastraus lor them; if not, we are ready to predict a Democratic state rule in the very near future. That some thing must be done is evident. That the people will not longer be imposed upon is now more apparent. Let the Rc pablican party profit by this unpleasant experience, and re-' solve for the future to be nearer what it professes to be, a party true to its principles. ( Some one has said that politics and political factions should have no part in the administration of municipal governments. That "rings" do control them, however, is the appalling fact, and reveals the most serious failing of our munici pal regulations. But this is the general tendency in the po litical. world. It is true that nations and peoples are conserv ative. That they should cling to old forms of government, and antiquated institutions, seems to be the rule almost with out exception. And yet, we question if they do not oftener retain the form while the power and principle themselves have passed into other forms, and too often into other hands. In other words, while we all believe the powers of government to be vested in the people, yet we must admit that they are too often usurped by a limited portion of that body. It is a sense of this loss of power and its misuse by those who have usurped it that rouses the people every few decades to rise and resume their authority This move has generally given rise to a new party, "a party of the people" to begin with, but finally drifting of! into a mere faction. Such is about the status of the old Republican and Democratic parties mere factions, remembered and kept alive for their past useful ness, awaiting the birth of the "party of people." This new party may accept the name of one of the old parties, but will not the less truly be a new party. It will not be a Prohi bition party nor a labor party; it will be the "party of the peo ple," no matter what the name adopted. The Prohibition party and the Labor party are but different phases of a-great-er and more widespread movement of reform, the resumption of the powers of government by the people themselves. Rings, monopolies, factions, must yield for a time to the will of a roused and united people. History will support us in . this reading of the signs of the times.