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About The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 26, 1895)
SSHWSWi THE COURIER Gould, fired at Carnegie, when the latter was first accused of dispos ing of defective armor plates to the government. '- V ' A W I - y . rr.- -- -" " . klTi&rrL'y fr s- l.if g . , - v M - fVBp R !Lv Wf ENTERED AT THE LINCOLN' POSTOFF1CE AS SECOND-CLASS MATTER. I'URLISIIED KVEKY SATURDAY IIY THE COURIER PUBLISHING COMPANY. OFFICE 217 North Eloienth St. TELEPHONE M W. MORTON SMITH, Editor. LUTE 11. MOUSE, ... Rests ess Manager. Pornniium.. Six months. Stibrriptlon Kate In Ailvimre. $2(0 I Three months H)c. , 1UI I Ouomiintli 20c. Sinclc copies Five cents. For snle at nil news stands in this city and Omaha and on all trains. A limited number of advertisements will bo inserted. Kates made known on application. Lincoln, Nebraska, January 20, 181(1. Mayor Weir, by his oliticaI speech last Sunday night, reminded us that an important election is close at hand. In a few months now the voters of this city will he called upon to elect a mayor, seven councihnen, one from each ward, and other city officers. Notwith standing the desultory talk that has been Jicard at intervals during the past twelve months as to what "we." the citizens, not the politi cians, were going to do, there is not, as yet, much prospect that things will he any different from the usual order in the approach ing election, Respectable, non-jwlitical, citizens always indulge in ante-convention and ante-election talk, and sometimes the talk is of an inflammatory or revolutionary character; but when the timo comes the politicians, they do the business. These remarks apply to the republican party, as the republicans are in the majority in this city whenever the republican party is defeated it is because the machine has gone a little farther than usual. When will the people, the taxpayers, the men who are vitally in teiested, rouse themselves and take this matter of the election of municipal oflicers into their own hands and out of the control of the politicians? Probably never. It is so much easier to let politi cians run things. The fact that the city of Lincoln is a vast busi ness corporation in which all tax payers are stockholders seems to be lost sight of. The city employs a large number of people and spends millions of dollars, and yet the stockholders of the corpora tion, the men who have to put up the money, manifest but little interest in how the city affairs are managed. They are apparently content to let the profesbional politicians, men whom they would not employ in their own private business in any capacity or at any price, handle and disjwse of the large amount of money collected without interference. Lincoln is virtually bankrupt through the carelessness and dishonesty of the men who have held positions of power in the city government, and unless there is a radical reform matters will speedily get worse. There will be a chance this spring to elect a business mayor and seven business councihnen honest and capable men. Will citizens seize the opportunity? There is a man in this city who answers to the name of L. S. Gil lick. We have not the pleasure of Mr. Gillick's acquaintance, and have never seen him so far as we know. We do not know what he is or anything connected with his history: but wo are impelled to bestow on him a measure of consideration. We like unconvention ality; we like to see a man get out of the beaten tracks; we like to see originality in men, and we like unique things. Perhaps this is the reason we like "Trilby"' but "Trilby" hasn't anything to do with Mr. Gillick. This gentleman has recently produced a work that may be described as literary, political and philosophical. It is in the form of a resolution, and we have no hesitancy in stating that it is in every way entitled to a place in the same class with the memorable resolution which another citizen of Lincoln, Mr. C. II. The fourth semi-annual convention of the Nebraska state federa tion of labor was held in Lincoln a few days ago. Mr. Gillick was present and offered his resolution. It was referred to c committee and if wo can accept the opinion of our beloved contemporary, the Stale Journal, it will be reported favorably at the next meeting. Mr. Gillick's resolution is more sweeping than Mr. Bryan's political platform. It is more elegant and eloquent than the choicest ,?ein that that esteemed and cultivated patriot, Mr. John Currie, has given lib, and it deserves, we think, more notice and consideration than the daily papers of the city can give it. The resolution is as follows: "Whereas, Labor is the basis and guarantee of civiliza tion, the very foundation of society; Whereas, The world's greatest benefactors have bi en the hardest workers; Whereas, The divine plan is that all men shall be producers; Whereas, The bonds of production and exchange are an indissoluble chain which binds all men; Whereas, The golden chain which unites men is the Father hood of God and the brotherhood of man; Whereas, Union is nec cessary for the highest interests of labor and humanity; Whereas, AH men are created free and equal and no man can claim the time and productive force of his brother, except for just compensation; Whereas, The American is above no one, beneath no one, tho slave of no one, but the equal of the highest; Whereas, Money is the common return for labor and the basis of exchange; Whereas, The precious metals are the works of the Creator as well as the air and water for the use and benefit of man; Whereas, Reason, experience and history show that the precious metals are the best money; Whereas, Their free coinage and distribution are the basis of un changeable prosjerity: Whereas. The ratio that has prevailed should be the American's guide and not the associations of tho usurer and his bought horde of corrupt hirelings: Whereas, Money, land and liberty are inseparably united; Whereas, America today is cursed with the most avaricious and desperate conspirators that ever sold God and man for money; Whereas, They have, as the an cient philosopher said of the rich and ignorant youth, bodies of gold and souls of dirt; Whereas, The few are cornering all the money and gobbling the land; Whereas, Liberty goes with the mon ey and land, as surely as the rind goes with the melon: Whereas, The men who stole while our soldiers fought, bled and hungered, are starving now: Whereas, Many of our heroes are hungry today, and instead of the glorious and prosperous land for which in fancy they shed their blood, they find the union a tramping ground, with a pauper's grave at the close of their earthly career; Whereas, They were paid in rags, clothed in rags, severely housed and scant ily fed during tho war; Whereas, This injustice stil! continues through corrupt political manipulation; Whereas, Our heroes" assistance is necessary for the success of the labor cause; Whereas, The executive power and patronage of Grover Cleveland has been used to drive out the people's money and break down state rights; Whereas. This conduct of his has made the people's enenves his friends and bankers: Whereas. The only hope of keeping money, land and liberty in the possession of tho people is by the union and sacrifices of the people, be it Resolved, That all laborers become one in the holy cause of mankind, labor, money, land and liberty, just compensation, equal distribution of employment, American equality; in the promotion of free coinage principles; in the extirpa tion of mouoo!ics and combines, ghouls and harpies by the free and intelligent nnd pure use of the ballot: in efforts to win our sol diers to sound financial views: in detestation of Cleveland for his desertion of the people and violation of the constitution, and in the unceasing effort which we will transmit to our children; 'to make and keep these United States in truth and practice what they are in theory, the poor man's paradise and the home of the oppressed, so help us God." Lincoln may have lost the state fair; but we have got some great people in this town." . Nearly one-third of the session of the legislature iagone, and the record thus far made can be best represented by an O. The major part of the time has been spent in discussing the question of employes; and in the meantime additions hava been made to the pay roll almost daily, until a grand total has been reached that is. we believe, unprecedented. In the senate there are nearly three employes for each member, and it is almost as bad in the house We repeat, the republican majority is too large.