THE DAILY BEE-TUESDAY , JUNE 23 , 1885
THE DAILY B3E.
OMAHA Omc No. 914 AND 010 FAIISAU Si.
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COHKUrOXDXXCI !
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mitten should b ddrraied to the Kciro * or mi
Do.
itnnrws LKTTIU.
All BntJnen t tter nd IlemUUnce * ihould b
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THE BEE PUBLISHING CO , , Props ,
B. ROSKWATBR , EDITOB.
A. n. Fitch , Manager Daily Circulation ,
P. O. Box , 483 Omaha , Neb.
"Wmi n long pull , n strong pull , nnd a
pull altogether , the grade of Harnoy and
Sixteenth streets may bo carried through
this soison.
Is THEnE no law by which men who
own property on Farnam street can bo
compelled to put their sidewalks in proper
condition ?
GENERAL GnANx's momolra will receive
more gratultona advertising than any
ether book over published. The olc
commander la welcome to It , as every
nowopnper In the land will gladly aid In
the good work.
THE OhoyennoB , now in the Indian
territory , are reported to bo uneasy ant
threatening to go upon the war-path.
The regular army may yet bo moro uso-
than ornamental if those redskins attempt
another hair-raising expedition.
IP the city council cannot have the
sidewalks on Farnam street Improved , II
certainly can glvo na batter cross-walks
on that thoroughfare. It should Imme
diately put down flat atones In place oi
the rough granlto blocks , which not only
wear out shoe-leather bnt are painful to
thin-soled pedestrians.1
IF the visionaries who want to plcnl
the city hall on Joffmon tqnaro would
exert their energy and Influence towards
the grading and improving of Sixteenth
street south from Farnam to the city
limits , they would contribute a great deal
moro toyards increasing the value of
Sixteenth street property.
"TiiE trouble with Omaha Is that she
has scattered her business over too
much ground. In Denver , Kansas City ,
Minneapolis and Si. Paul the public
buildings and business blocks are located
clona together , thus making a compact
business center , and giving business
property greater value. From now on
Omaha should centralize her business
Instead of scattering.
MR. GERE , the head of the Nebraska
railway commission , officially announces
that the commieslon will take no notlco
of charges of exorbitant freight rates In
any cases prior to the 6th of June. Mr.
Gore Is undoubtedly afraid that the com
mission would be Btvaraped with work.
It remains to bo eoou whether the com
mission will take notice of any cises oc
curring after the Oth of June.
THE public has almost lost sight of
Dennis Kearney since ho settled down to
the respectable and lucrative business ol
looping a pie-stand In San Francisco.
Dennis has evidently tired of plea , and ho
now aspires to ba a candidate for the
governorship of California. With a
Bolf-assnrance that la characteristic of the
great man , ho predicts his own election
in the most magnificent campaign over
witnessed In that state.
THERE will bo no lack of cotton thla
season , If nothing occurs to Injnro the
Immense crop , According to department
ostlinatoa there are 18,000,000 acres ol
cotton planted this year. If there shonlc
bo an average crop the product would bo
ever 7,000,000 balos. So big a aupply
would certainly swamp the marKot. But
there are many contingencies between
tho'sowlng of the seed and picking the
cotton which are yet to bo encountered
The heavy acreage shows the undiminished
ishod faith of the southern planter In
King Cotton ,
WHILE wo are talking about the no
ceaslty of viaducts across the railroad
tracks , wo should not forgot that Omaha
la largo enough to have a union depot
She has paid for the Union Pacific depol
grounds and given the railroad comjja
nios enough right of way to compensate
thorn for the erection of B commodious
and modern depot building. If such a
building were orootod at the foot of Far-
n m , Harney , or Howard street , the an-
annoyance and danger to passengers
would ba obviated , There Is probably
not another city of equal population that
has auoh wretched and Inadequate depot
and tronster Accommodations as Omaha ,
KINO ALFONSO , of Spain , in
splto of the protests ot hla cabinet and
friends , propoaes to follow ( ha example
of King Humbert , of Italy , and person.
Uy visit the cholera-Infected dlalrlcts of
iU domain. His firat visit will bo to the
province of Murcia , where the plague la
. raging the wont. His ministry has ro-
algnod on account of his determination to
lima expose himself , bnt ho nevertheless
persists In his resolution. Whatever maybe
bo the tate of the bravo sovereign ho will
oror llro In the hearisof his countrymen
KB will also King Humbert ot Italy ,
irhcse comforting visitations last jcar
among the cholera pitlonla won for him
the admiration of ( lie world.
ELECTION REFORM IN ILLINOIS
The election reform bill passed by tha
Illinois legislature la Intended part.cu-
arly for the city of Chicago , In which so
many frauds h&vo been perpetrated at
every election for toveral years past.
The operations of ballot-box Bluffers , re
peaters , and perjurers have become so
frequent , bold and successful that the
respectable cltizsns of Chicago , enraged
at tbo frauds committed at the last elec
tion , resolved to appeal to the legislature
for aomo remedial measures. They gave
up all hope of over having an honest olec-
lion without some vigorous and effective
legislation. Their appeal lus been
answered by the passage of a law , which ,
it is hoped , will work a much needed
reform. Whether this now law will ac
complish the much desired result remains
to be soon. It certainly will not unless
It Is strictly enforced and a vigilant
watch Is kept upon the movements of the
"gang , " which seems to bo almost Irre
pressible. Naturally enough the "gang"
exerted every possible cflbtt to dofuat
every election measure towards reform ,
but happily the election law was carried
by n handsome majority. It was a sub
stantial victory for the republicans. o
democrats did not support it , bnt on the
other hand attempted to defeat it by an
effort to prevent a quorum. They wore
working of course under the influence
and direction of the Chicago gang. Thla
now law , before it can bo applied to
Chicago , must bo submitted to the people -
plo at the next regular election , noxl
fall. In all probability it will bo
adopted , notwithstanding the efforts oi
the democrats and their profesnlona'
strikers. Howovcr , there Is a possibility
of its defeat. It Is rather unfortunate
that the bill contained this provision ,
because it gives the old gang another
chance to obstruct and defeat reform In
elections. Why thla loop-hole was per
mitted to remain in the bill is
something wo can hardly understand.
If defeated next fall , however ,
it can bo re-anbmlttcd at csch succeeding
general election until It is adopted. This
makes it pocsiblo for Us eventual adop
tion , as It requires only a majority of the
votes cast on the proposition , It is safe
to say that It will receive the votes of
such democrats as bcllovo In honest elec
tions , and there certainly are quite a
number of such persons among the dem
ocrats.
This bill provides for a board ot elec
tion commissioners to bo appointed froai
both parties by the county judge. The
voting precincts are to bo so arranged by
the commissioners that each precinct
shall contain about three hundred voters ,
and after each presidential election if
any of the precincts shall have moro than
450 votes a redlstiibutlon shall bo made.
This In Itself is a commendable feature ,
for this lltnit'of votes will glvo every veteran
an opportunity to got In his ballot , acd
enable the judges and clerks to fur
nish the count early In the evening and
thus prevent frauds. The judges and
clerks are to bo taken equally from the
two parties , and are to bo appointed by
the commissioners , who shall also super
vise the registration list of voters. The
doing away of voting by affidavit will no
doubt put an-end to wholesale perjury.
Very strict rules will govern the count
of ballots , and a returning board , con
sisting of the county judge , city attorney ,
and election commissions , shall make
the final canvass within ono week
after election. Severe penalties are
provided for violations of the law. In
addition to this election reform bill , an
other law was passed limiting the number
of voters in a precinct to 450 , and re
quiring the polls to bo located in respect
able places. This is intended to proven !
the holding of elections in or near
saloons , and this feature Is also to bo
commended. It has rbecomo altogether
too common to run a gin mill In connec
tion with the ballot-box , and thus not
only get the voters drunk , but also the
judges and clerks , vrho , while In thai
condition , are not able to ooo the frauds
that are psrpotrated under their very
nose * . Still another law was passed by
the legislature to govern the
primary elections , this law ,
of course , depending for its
adoption upon the acticn of the executive
committees of the political parties. If
adopted by the committee , as wo under
stand It , It is binding upon the party. It
is similar to the Colorado primary elec
tion law. With all these safoguirds
thrown around the ballot-box , the Illinois
elections , especially those In Chicago ,
ought to be very free from corruption
and fraud , It Is to bo hoped that those
laws will bo onfor ad to the letter , an
everything dopenda npon that. There
may bo defects In those laws , but they
can bo remedied by legislative amend
ments. Experience Will show what Is
needed in that direction , The worsl
feature Is the closing of the
polls at four o'clock In the afternoon.
Thli provision was no doubt Inserted be
cause election day Is to bo a legal holiday ,
bnt as it la not to ba a compulsory holi
day the result will bo that thousands up
on thousands of voters , especially among
the working class , will bo disfranchised.
The thopj and factories will not bo closed
on election day , and hjnco the employes
will bo kept at work , and have little erne
no opportunity of voting. Worklngmen
vote before going to wotk , and at noon ,
and when they quit work at five or six
o'clock in the evening. It will bo found
necessary , If the closing hour of 4 p. m ,
la not changed , to pata a law compelling
the suspension of bnalnesi whllo the polls
are open , and providing a heavy penalty
? or any violations. The hour of 4 p. m. ,
f election day is made a compulsory legal
lollday , would then bo eatlsfactory. It
itrlkea ua that the election days in this
country are of sufficient Importance to
lemand that all business bo suspended
during the hours of voting.
NEBRASKA CITY feels indignant over
, ho effort of Gov. Dawes to delay the
erection of a government building Inthat
-own with the appropriation scoured by
Senator Van Wyck. Under the act ol
congress relative to pnbllo buildings It Is
necessary that the state , wherein such
building Is to bo located , should code Its
jurisdiction over the alto. Secretary
Manning , who has control over all gov
ernment buildings , addressed a loiter to
the governor for the purpose of ascer
taining whether the state had ceded such
jurisdiction in regard to the Ne
braska Cltypoatjffico si to. The governor
In response stated that it woulc
require a special act of the legislature.
Inasmuch as that body will not convene
until January , 1887 , unless called by the
governor In extra session , the inference
would bo thnt nothing could bo done
towards the orootlon of the poatoflioo
until 1887. The Nobroika City Pra
calls attention to the fact that the legls
latnro passed a general law with rcgan
to government buildings by which th
state codes jurisdiction ever any of them
wherever they may bo located , Thla law
was approved by Governor Dawoa him
aolf , bnt his memory in this matter , as in
the case of the Tom Kcnnard claim , ha
boon sadly enfeebled , In his last message
sago ho recommended that the k-glsla
tnro thonld settle Konnnrd'a swamp land
and Indian reservation claims , and abolish
ish the claim agency , whereas the pre
vious legislature- already repealed th
law creating the agency , and Govorno
Dawes himself signed the repeal bill
His excellency ought to have
private secretary who knows less abou
military tactics , especially cavalry mov
ments , and moro about the laws enactoc
during his own administration.
THE ARIZONA TROUBLE.
The San Francisco Argonaut of a recent
cent date assorts that the present troubl
in Arizona arises from a plot of thieve
and rascally contractors to make mono
by the presence of troopn In that torrl
tory , that the Indiana have been abused
starved , and deprived of their rightsam
that the present outbreak Is the attomp
of the Chiricuhua Apaches to escap
from a prison reservation , as well as from
starvation , which latter fact has boon
reported from tlmo to time by Genera
Crook , The Argonaut claims that sine
the organization of Arizona moro whit
men have boon murdered by whlto men
than have been killed by Indians , tha
moro horsea have been stolen by whit
thieves than by Indians , that dtunkon
ness has led to moro assassinations am
killings then have the Indian wars , am
that nine-tenths of all the stories of In
dlan outrages are unadulterated lies do
llberately manufactured by white thieves
army contractors , speculators and klndret
plunderers , for the purpose of robbing
the Indians. In view of this lamentabl
otato of affairs the Argonaut oxpresse
the hope that the Indians will give General
oral Crook's troops a threshing , and thu
be enabled to dictate terms of peace b ;
which their rights and immunity from
persecution will bo guaranteed to them
This is certainly taking a very strong
stand npon this matter. No aoubt there
are two sides to this question , and wo are
led to believe that there is a great doa
of truth in the charges made wit !
regard to the treatment of the
Indians In Arizona. In his annual re
port Gen. Crook stated that the Chlrlcn
huaa were peaceably inclined and mani
fested a disposition to become self-sup
parting if the proper onconragemen
were given to them. They started In
well , and made considerable progress in
tilling the Eoll , although poorly provldcc
with seed and implements. That they
have not been treated fairly by the In
dian Department , and that they have been
moro or less provoked and plundered b ;
whlto thieves and contractors , in order
to make them go on the warpath , so tha
the maintenance of a largoforro of troop
In the territory would continue to bo a
necessity , is quite probable. Granting
that such Is the fact , the rcsponalbllit ;
for the present trouble rests in a largo
measure npon the shoulders of mercenary
while wretches , whoso tcalps ought to
ornament the belts of Goronlmo and hi
followers ,
A NEW departure In railway telegraph
ing was dlseutsad at the convention o
railway telegraph superintendents In
Denver last week. The present system
of train dispatching by telegraph Is largely
ly responsible for accidents which conic
bo avoided If every train on the roac
could bo kept under the direct and con
stant communication with the train dls
patchor'a offico. For moro than twenty
years electricians have reeked tholr brain
for aomo appliance that would enable
them to solve this problem , Various devices
vices have been gotten up at dlfferen
times , but they have proved failures as
they were too complicate or too costly
At last , however , u simple and economic
device has been perfected for this very
purpose , and wo may soon look for
revolution In the matter of train dis
patching. By this arrangement It la
claimed that constant comrannica
tlon can bo kept up between
moving trains and the dispatcher's
office , and also between two or more
moving trains on the same track. The
new system will of couno necessitate a
telegraph operator on each train , and will
create a demand for skilled operators. It
will also save tbo railroad companies a
; reat deal of money that Is now paid out
In compensation for damages arising from
.ccldenls to life , limb and property.
SEVERAL emigrant girls have been dis
covered in Castle Garden who were
brought over from Belfast under con
tract to worklnuflix mill In this country
for starvation wajos. They h&vo been
detained , and will no doubt bo used as
wilneises In the proeecnlion of tbelr con
tract employers. The law provides n
fine of $1,000 for each person thus Im
ported under contract. It will bo seen
that the law prohibiting the Importation
of laborers under contract Is productive
of good results after all , and If strictly
enforced will not only protect American
labor bnt will prevent much suffering on
the part of the victims of cheap con
tractors who are endeavoring to continue
the villainous system of whlto slavery ,
THE Portland people threaten tu solzo
all the whisky cons'gnod to the Gram
Army of the Republic In that city. While
the Portland prohibitionists might posal
bly capture enough corn-julco to start a
wholesale liquor house , wo venture to nay
that the men who have sipped the llquic
from the same canteen will not suffer any
sot-back in tholr enjoyment , owing to the
enforcement of the Maine liquor law.
They will find'"forty-rod" liquor lying
around aomowhoro on thopremlsos. It isa
notorious fact that there never waaa tlmo
when liquor could not bo obtained in
some way in Portland. Ono thing I
certain , and that la that there never wl !
bo another grand army reunion in tha
city.
TUB latest rumqr concerning "Chinese
Gordon , whe was generally supposed t
have boon killed nt Khartoum , Is that h
fs a prisoner in the hands of the mahdi
who is keeping him in a secret place
This is welcome news to the hosts of ad
mirers of the bravo man. It is hopoc
that It Is hue , for if such is really th
case his release Is only a question of tim
and money , aa the mahdl is no deub
holding him for a big ransom. Th
mahdl , so say the dispatches , dlscovorec
Gordon in a wounded condition , and now
that ho is recovered it la but very natura
for the mahdl to lot the fact out , as ho I
anxious to get the heavy ransom whio
ho well knows the English governmon
will bo willing to pay for his release
No positive proof has ever boon prescntoi
that Gordon iras killed. It was eimpl
taken for granted that ho was among th
fallen. Th o story of hla capture and do
tentlon la very plausible.
CI.A.Y AND BhtVINU.
Remarkable Btnillarlty of their Oft
rcor m Politics ,
A Washington correspondent writes : A
friend of Mr. Elaine's eald to-day : "You
may bo euro that Mr. Blalno will neve
again bo a candidate. Hn believes tha
his chances are exhausted. Do you know ,
said he , "that Elaine has a queer belie
about his future based npon the market
similarity In the career of Henry Clay and
hia own ? Early In llfo both wont from
their native States to Kentucky. Both
entered public llfo as members of thol
State Legislatures. Mr. Clay was Speaker
or of the Lower House in Kentucky
Mr. Elaine filled a similar position in th
Maine legislature. Mr. Clay was a member
ber of congress afterwords and served a
Speaker sixteen years. Mr. Blalno wai
also a member of the House and servec
as Its Speaker six years. Mr. Clay was
first elected to the Senate from Kentucky
to fill a vacancy. Mr. Elaine was ap
painted to the Senate , but also to fill a
vacancy. Mr. Clay resigned his seat In
In the Senate to accept the Secretaryship
of State from John Quincy Adams. Mr
Blalno resigned the Senatorshlp to become
como Secretary of State under Gaifield
Mr. Clay waa three times the candidate
for the Whig nomination. Ho was twice
defeated in convention. Ho waa finall ;
nominated in 1844 , but was defeated b ;
James K. Polk. M. Blaine was beaten
twice in the National Conventions , nominated
natod in the third ono , and was defeate <
by Grover Cleveland. Mr. Clay's loiters
on the Texas question are held to bo a
parallel In their evil effects npon tb
writer to some of Mr. Elaine's letters
The Abolitionists in New York in 184 <
threw their vote to BIrney and thereby
gave the State to the Democracy. It Is
claimed that last year , If U had not been
for the votes given to St. John , Blalm
would have carried New York. The voti
of No ir York decided the election In f
vor of the Democrats in 1844 , and again
in 1884. " Mr. Clay was never n candl
date after his final defeat , and Is believed
by Mr. Elaine's friends that ho will nevei
again bo proscntod to the pnbllo as a can
didate. The parallel between his caree
and that of Clay's will probably remain
unbroken. '
Convict vs. Free Labor.
ShrevepcrtLtt. ( ) Times.
No sane person will contend that
state should not use the labor of its con
vlcts to produce at lout sufficient rev
enno to prevent actual loss , provided the
system does not operate to reduce the
wages of free labar. The question ia how
can thla bo accomplished ? The only
method by which it is possible to ntlliza
the convict so that ho will not compote
directly with free labor is for the state
Itself to assume direct control of the
work , to bo responsible for its expenses ,
and to receive the direct benefit of what
ever profits accrue. If convicts are to
be worked cuteldo of the penitentiary
they should not bo worked for a loss
sum per day than the same class of fret
labor can bo employed. The leasing ol
convicts la wren ? , both in principle one
practice , and at no distant day this and
other ! states will bo forced by public
opinion and the demands of honest free
laborers to cancel their contracts with the
leosoca. If men con grow immensely
rich in a short while by leasing from the
itato the labor of ita convicts , it certain
ly stands to rosson that the atato can
manage and opeiate that labor BO thai
It will bo no burden to the taxpayer * .
Dtcs Threaten Trouble for Itevougo ,
Fonr LEWIS , Ool. , June 21. It is rumored
.hla evening that BIZ Ute Indians were killed
y whites In the Dolores valley , Tbe chief ol
ue tribe to which they belonged la very much
onrsfied and demands satisfaction. If the
umor proves true there will probably bo
rouble iu southern Colorado with tbe Utes ,
Joe MBCfcln Oantlmii'H In
CHICAGO , 111. , Juno 22. According to an
afternoon paper considerable indignation has
> e n expreited by reptuabld dunocraU hero
ver tbe published call for primaries to select
ouuty cormnltt emcn winch is signed by
oseuh 0 , Mackm , as secretary of the Cook
9uaty central committee ,
In Teheran. I'erela , the tea licuics are all
PBU to the public , and oven the tchools are
xpoaed like tbe shops , olten having shops on
ach tide The boya tit on their heels in rowu
ud repeat tbe leeson after the matter , tppar-
otly undisturbed by lbu continual hubbu
olog on around them.
RELATIVE TO RATES ,
TUeiate Committee on Inirtatc
Commerce at foil ,
Homo of the GrlcvnncCB
TrnnRportrxtion Gornp nlca JL'ro-
innlgAtotl by Cltlr.ons oi Ne
braska BnbBtanco of
their Testimony ,
The United States senate Inter-state
commerce Invest gating committee are
having a pleasant tlmo in Omaha. At
the close of their afternoon session yes *
tcrday Senator Handcrson had carriages
at the hotel and took them out driving
through the city. They were much do *
lighted at the beautiful sights presented
everywhere and greatly surprised to find
Omtha such an Important metropolis.
A reporter for the BEE met Senator
Oullom yesterday morning and had a short
but very pleasant talk with him. Said bo ,
In response to an inquiry , "Wo shall remain -
main in Omaha taking the testimony wo
need until to-morrow night , when wo will
go to Minneapolis , and thence to St. Paul.
After that , wo shall , for a time discon
tinue the work. Yes , wo hope to have
the results of the Investigation In tucli
shape tint they can bo laid before con
gress at its next re-assembling.
"Tho committee has mot with good
success thus far In Its labors , " continued
Senator Oullom. "In ono sentence , the
object wo hope to attain by this work Is
that enabling congress to regulate the
laws which control Inter-state commerce
In auoh a manner as to remove , as far as
possible , all grievances which may now
exist , nndor present relations. To this
end wo seek the expression of representa
tive business men , professional men and
formora in all sections of the coun
try. "
The committee commenced the work of
taking testimony yesterday morning.
TAKING TESTIMONY.
The committee mot at 10 o'clock
in the parlord of the { ] Paxton
Hotel , Nearly an hour was devoted to
reading tbo Monday morning BEG and
waiting for somebody to put In an ap
pearance who could tell them something
about Inter-state transportation and the
relation sustained between the transpor
tation companlca and the people. In
the moan time Senator Ll&ndorson , and
two or three others , busied themselves
hunting up vitncssos , and a few visitors
called. Senator Onllom cbatted pleas
antly with the reporters nnd gave abort
accounts of tbo meetings held at Chica
go , St. Louis , Springfield Missouri ,
and Dca Moines , Iowa. Finally
about 11 o'clock , Senator Man-
derson appeared , bringing with him Mr ,
N. B. Falconer , of thls clty , who was In
troduced and given an opportunity ol
rotating his experience with railroads tc
the committee.
Senator Cullom stated to him the ob
jects desired for hearing any complaint
ho had to mako.
Mr. Falconer , said in substance , tha1
the great trouble in Omaha was cause'
by the pooling system among railroads.
"Wo think Omaha h s been worse use
by the railroads than any other town In
the country. Wo are a city of GO.COO
people , but are practically cut off from
the outside world. This is partly cause
by the bridge. Until very recently w
haven't had a single/ line run
ning into Omaha. Ono reason
for this Is that some
the directors own a largo amount
land in Council Bluffs. The 0 , B.
Q. built a bridge at 'PJattsmonth bit
didn't have to ran trains Into Omaha foi
two or three years , and it would seem
seem that this alone- was causa for inter
ferenco. Eecently the 0 , B. & Q. ha
made pome arrangements to get htrabu
they make neither bettor time nor rates
on account of the pool. This brings up
another subject and that is the fas
froltrht line business. It seems to bi
nothing bnt an arrangement for the di
rectors of the company to blond thi
public and the railroad compan
les. If any company want
to start a fast freight lini
from Now York they can't do I
without permission from some railroad ,
The river biidgo at. this point Is owned
and controlled by a company on the in
side of the U. P. railroad company. Mer
chants xparlenco great inconvenience
with the shipments over the alleged fas'
freight lines which Is owing entirely ti
tbo affiliations existing between them
Another trouble is the undue length o
tlmo ccnsnmed in transporting goods
from New York to Omaha , often nqulr
ing fourteen days to get a bill ol
goods through. To biing eults for dainu
ies would be a very cxpemivo master a :
the companies all belong in Now York. '
Mr. Falconer thought that he would cs
inblloh a rate for freights , of so much per
hundred over all dittances long or ah or
and put railroads as much under government
mont control as tbo malls. In addition
to the sohodu'o price of hauling ho would
make a pilce that could bo agreed on for
handling at depots. Ho would not allow
the shipper to load and unload his own
: ; ooda , because the greatest expense Is
: roated by stopping cars too long. Ho
would make the same rates for frd 'ut
apply to all roads In the country. Wher
asked whether this would not effect i
serious discrimination against reads that
est two .or three times as much
to build as other roads , Mr. Falconer
answered that In almost every such case
, ho expensive road had three or four
; imes as much trtflio to carry as the
cheaper roads and by reaton of having
so much moro freight to move , moro
han overbalance thbir profits , In com *
: arlton with cost of construction as
gainst the cheaper lino. Mr. Falconer
testified that Omaha , In his opinion , is
not what can bo termed a very extentive
dlitrlbntlpg center , aa compared , for in
stance , with St. Joe , Mo. Mr. Falconer
stated to the committee that he favored
, ho publication of rates , the simplicity
if rebates and a ptovlslon for clssaifici-
ion of trains for hauling the different
classes of goods. There is no redresser
or the wrongs done to smillahippoiB
> y reason of any Injustices
leapud upon them , for tbo reason that
all the freight lines arc oontroled meat-
nrably , by the pool , therefore every ship-
tor 1s in the hinds of this stupendous
nonopoly. A wholesale shipper is de-
erred from suing for redress , because by
eo doing ho would make a mortal enemy
of the railroads , and forever be shut cO'
rom receiving any special favors , The
a-.t freight line system , ho believed , la
ho worst monopoly In the country , and
hould not ba recognized in any way.
And , by reason of the pools , there is
no competition between Omaha nnd Chi-
ago. Owing to the war between rail-
rada east of Chicago the meiohanta hero
eo ive a great benefit from the low iatca
: tus incurred.
At the close of Mr. Falconer's ( alk the
oramittco took a recess until 2 o'clock ,
AFTEUNOOJf BKSSION , ,
The committee met at 2 o'clock , but
we ro compelled to wait half an hour for
Witnesses. Charles F. Goodman , w a
tli9 first man to appear. Mr. Goodnun
had noticed recently the nuttor of claaii *
CcMion between eastern and western
line * . On account of the changes made
In tlieno classifications nt Uhlcago it Is not
possible to secure through ratoa on many
classes of gooda. Especially is this so in
the matter of glassware purchased at
Plttsbnrg and destined for Omaha. Ho
believed that this existing state of auAlta
Is an < 3vll that should bo remedied by
government legislation , acd that no tilt-
ftronco should bo allowed to control
various sections of the country. The
unit of rate thought Mr. Goodman
ougbt to bo made on the car load.
Whether variations in rates should bo
made on the number of car loads shipped ,
ho hardly felt Inclined to glvo an opinion ,
In answer to Senator Onlloms Inquiry re
garding the system of rebates , and
whether It should bo allowed to exist or
bo abolished , the witness replied that ho
believed it would bo bettor for the whole
country to have the rebate system abel
ished. The transportation companlca
ought to make rates that would nut ro *
qnlro giving rebates , As between the re-
tall and wholesale merchant i , Mr. Good
man could aoo no reason why ono should
bo favored moro than the other when
their amount of shipments are equal.
Mr. Goodman had heard some com
plaints from people in Nebraska that they
were not being as well treated by the rail *
roads aa other states. This , ho thought ,
oimo principally from morcoants through *
out the interior who are compelled to
pay higher rates on goods shipped to
thorn from Omaha than they oin got
from Chicago. This friction between the
railroads and people , however , ho be
lieved to bo much less than it was a few
years ago. Tbo prinaipal ironblo about
this change In the schedule of rates again
causing a raise nt Omaha for points west
arises from the jaclonay existing between
two roada which Invade the country ,
against transferring from ono to the
otbor. The syatom of pools ho thonght
not a very bad evil. " Should a railroad
company bo allowed to charge as much or
moro for delivering a carload of goods
at other than competitive- points 3"
was asked by Mr. Cullom , to which
the witness answered that ho thought
they ought to charge as much. The
greatest trouble nilsing from the bridge
at this city is the delay it causes some
times to receiving gcods.
A IUNKE11 TALKS.
Capt. J. H. Stickle , a banker from
Hebron , was the next gentleman inter
viewed. Mr. Stlcklchad his suggestions
and complaints prepared in manuscript
to the printed questions sent him a week
ago by Senator Mandorson. The wit
ness in substance answered as follows :
1 The people cf this state at th
polls last fall rejected the commlssiono :
syatom as the best method of provontln [
extortion and cnjust discrimination , be
cause It does not work to thu advantagi
of the prudncoiB.
2 West of the Missouri river , loca
rates charged for freight are simply ex
tortlonato. There is not so much com
plaint regarding through freights.
3 Publicity of raloi should bo require
by law ; changes of rates without publl
notlco should bo prohibited. As to th
best method of securing uniformity one
stability of rates , the witness had n
definite suggestions to mako.
4 The advleiblllty of maximum o
minimum rates are unquestionably do
slr.ible.
5 The elements of cost should novo
include ono mill of watered stock.
Rebates and drawbacks should b
entirely prohibited.
7 Pooling should bo entirely prohibited -
hibitod by law.
8 Provisions rhould by all means
mady by law for securing to shippers ih
right to select the lines over which to
make their shipments.
9 I do not know what method can
bo adopted to secure a uniform system o.
rates for transportation , bnt doubt th
efficiency of the commissioner system ,
10 Living so far from tide water we
could not stand pro Tata charges as 1
would reduce our farms to $2 per acre.
11 Certainly no concessions in rate
should bo allowed to largo shippers. The
poor man should never bo discriminated
agr.inst nor the rich man favored.
12 Cannot say whether corporations
engaged in inter-stato commerce ahoulc"
be required to adopt a uniform system o :
accounts.
13 It is dealrablo that corporation
make annual reports to the government ,
14. It is Important to have a Hjatom ol
water mutes for securing cheap transpor
tation.
15 Inter-stato commerce should b
regulated by law and not by a commia
aion.
aion.When
When asked by Senator Cullom to giv <
dtgatt of the Nebraska law , Air ,
Stickles stld that it waa called the Doati
or the Tnb law , so oiled in illustration o
throwing a tub at the monopoly whale
The law , ho conolderml , wascf no benefit ,
There hai never been any prosecutions
for violations under it.
The committee was furnished by Sena
tor Mandoraon with a copy of the Tub
aw to examine at their leisure.
The now comniitalonor law not having
been publlslu d yet , Mr. Stickles could
not toll what results will bo obtained.
The railroads , said Mr. Stickles , run
this atato and have for seventeen years.
They have run It through legislation In
their favor. The rates charged are sim
ply extortionate and the common peonlo
are heartily alck of It. From Omaha to
Grand Island the shippers pay & and C
cents per ton per mtlo. The rates In this
state , ho thought , ought to bo In proportion
tion to the ratoi between Omaha and
Chicago.
One great trouble and Impcsltlon tbo
people experience la a refusal on the part
of all railroads to transfer freight from
ono to the other without back charges are
first paid.
Mr. Stickles believed that the
bill , Introduced In congress , would satisfy
the peuple of this state , Mr. Stickles la
decidedly in favor of all prol and rebito
systems being abolished , and that public
notice ehould bo given when any chances
are to bo made In freight rates. The
corporations In this ettte , declared Mr ,
Stickles , are moro powerful than the
peoplo. If the law of this state was in
the hands of three men , unequivocally In
favor of enforcing It , It would give eatls
factory relief.
With a tribunal that wou'd hoar com
plaints from anybody and then prosecute
such complaints honestly and vlgornuly ,
some good results might boaoosinplluhod.
In answer to a question as to whether
congress should iix maximum > atos and
lot them ttand , Mr. Siioklea thought that
the shippers nnd producers could atand It
better as the a ate cf affairs are now.
Win ther the qu ( athn of regulation should
ba delegated to congress or the people ,
the witness thought that senators and
representatives were engaged too mno x
In looking after their own comfort.
Maximum and minimum jates would
probably bo of such olcaticlty that tatlr-
factory changes might bo made on any
olats cf nnd , whether expensive orchoi- ] ,
In Its oon.mullon. 3
SOUK IIIBTOHIOAL FA OTH ,
Mr , Eiwnrd Ilosawater , of the
followed. In aubst nio , ho raid ; "E h vo
given the question a good many yovra *
etucly , bnt the progress of the country
naturally has brought about rjcnhy new
phiitcr , and perhaps tome changes , in my
own opinions with regard to the proper
couno which should bo miriucd toireliovo
the patrons of transportation companies ,
and particularly the railroads , from the
many abuses Hint nro nnw existing and r
have existed. I take it for granted that
cocgrota hns jurisdiction over nil lailr.wls
In the United Stntoi , nholhor located
within or without iho bound
aries of a atato , for the reason
thnt any railroad , no matter how ahott ,
will assnmo to bo n pnbllo carrier for
other railroadn tnd do an intrratato busi
ness. To that extent congress will have
jurisdiction , In aa much ns railroads all
pretend to carry on that kind of traffic ,
and do not confine themselves to the
builnosa within their termini , oongroaa
has jumdlatlon ever them , There Are
two classes of railroads In the country.
The land grant roads , constructed with
the aid of congress and by Its authority ;
and ordinary railroads which have boon -
chartered by the states , The right of
congress to regulate rates has been par
tially exercised over the laud grant rail
roads. Wo hnho a great deal moro
to do hero with the land grant
railroads than the other * , The two
principal railroads in Nebraska , the U.
P. and B. & M. are both land grant rail
roads In reply to a question from Sen
ator Platt , asking what the Burlington &
Missouri river railroad was , Mr. Rosewater -
water replied : "It was chartered by
congress as ono of the branches to inter
sect with the U. P. at or about the 100th
meridian , running from some point In
the western boundry of Iowa , across the
territory of Nebraska , and the right of
way was granted by congress , and the
road was built from Plattomouth , twenty
miles belotr herd , to Kearney , where it
Intersected with the U. P. , but the latter
road denied its right to prorata and to
the privileges accorded nndor the orig
inal aat , as interpreted by that railroad.
The Chicago , Burlington & Qalncy built
this syatom from hero and when they
found they could not got proper regula
tion In congress to compoll the Union
Pacific to give them justice thty finally
constructed fiolr road into Colorado
and connected at Denver with the Den
ver it Rio Grande railway and other
roada to Salt Lko. Now these two
r.-ads nro our prlnclpjl thoroughfarco.
With the cxcsption of ono other , all the
other reads are branches of these two
rondc that It ! the Elk Horn & Misnonrl
Valley , owned by iho North
western. They come cross
the river at Blair and
run to Fremont. Really , there are in
Nebraska only three railroads , viz : the
U. P. , B. &M. and Northwestern , the
Missouri Pacific being a part of tha
Gould eystom. The others nro all the
branches of the otbor system and they
are all controlled by ono of the companies
named , so wo are dealing principally with
railroads subject to the regulation of
congress.
When they were constructed originally
there were no railroads in Iowa within
ISOmlles of the terminus of Union Pacific
at Omaha , and of course the change from
the staging system and overland traffic at
twenty-five cents a pound to the rilltoid
system was a desirable ono. Though the
rates were extrivogantly high seven
cents per mile for passengers It seemed
to the people who lived hero a great relief ,
it used to take us a month to drive to
Fort Kearney in wagons , and ncmotimos
required two nnd tbrao months to reach
the coast , hence when the Union Pacific
was constructed it waa a great blessing
to the country , even with the rates they
charged. Bat SB the yoara wont by
people began to think about this matter
and compare the rates with rates paid
elsewhere , and as the state began to ba
settled and travel and traffic kept in
creasing , there was a proat deal of talk
from time to tlmo about getting some re
lief. Another thing , the U. P. road ,
after ita first establishment , being the
only road to California , was managed by
set of autocrats. They ruled this
country , not only by controlling trans
portation rates , but otherwise. There
was no ono dared to go to congress , or
any other office from constable up , that
they did not direct. Wo have had con
siderable reduction from tlmo to tlmo on
the U. P. , both freight and passenger ,
but these reductlona have only
coma through agitation and through
conflict. The queatlon has been carried
irom year to year fiom ono legislation to
another , and from ono convention to an
other , until at last , on the fiiat day of
this month , wo got down to the three
cent rate on passengers between Omaha
acd the 100th meridian on the lino. Be
yond that It Is four and five cents , and
some of the local rates are as
high aa soveti cents. But up to two
years ago wo had ihe'five-cant rate , and it
was only dcnnndlngjjloglalatlva reduction
that wo have reduced tbotn. This reduc
tion to three cents was made by the last
legislature. Nebraska vras n territory
wnon the B. & M. road wag begun to bo
built. Then they had so tan little legisla
tion regarding the otale'a c'cnating to
them an additional subsidy. They orig
inally gvo them
MONEY SUBSIDY
' ii
and the state has 5CO.OCO acres of lands
donated for publio Improvement. That
land was legislated by tbo legislature of
the state then as a anbildy for the last
railroad to bo built , or under construc
tion at that time. The Burlington was
not entirely completed then and they
secured tholr prorata of it. The early
railway from here to Plattsmcuth was
called the Omaha & Southwestern and
another from hero north called the
Omaha & North western. All received
3,000 acres pir mile , and then , Indepoud.
out of that , almost every county through
which they passad was induced and bnll-
dczjd Into voting them bonds in tddi-
tlon. "
"Tho charters are from the United
States g vornment , so Nebraska has
no power to alter them , " suggested a
member of the committee.
"No , " continued Mr. Rozowater , "bnt
phon wo adopted the now constitution In
1885 we adopted a gocd many of tl.o 111
features as to railways , and no railway
waa accorded the right to operate In the
state of Nebraska without enbj\ctlng itrolf
to all the laws of the etato. Tbo Union
Pacific railway , or Its attoriioya at least ,
bollovod wo had fnll jorlidloUon. In
1871 , aa manager of the Atlantic & Pa
cific telegraph lines , which at that time
WAS controlled < r owned in part by
the Un'on ' Pacific , I was elected to
the legislature , and tbclr gner ( ieuper ;
Intendent Gou. Stlckto aikod mete
to introduce a bill authorizing tbo Union
PaciQu road to collect nud ruccivo to ]
over Its railway biHge at Omaha , and Its
wagcn bridge , as at that tlmo they
thought it would ba a wagon as well aa a
rillroad bridge. That bill was intodnccd
and vt o made It under ono provlco , The
or'glnal ' proviso waa that the company
ihuuld charge ajoh toll as they from tlmu
to Hmu ( hould fix. I put In that thu
mpany should dur o Buch tolls as tha
mayor and the citv coano 1 of Omiha
ilojld from tlmo t < 2tirae fix , 'That bill