THE COUKJER
CHARACTER SKETCHES.
THE SOCIALISTS.
second series.
NO. 4.
Last week we had a politician of a certain type an uncommon
typo. This week wo are concerned with another politician, a man
known of nearly all men in Lincoln, a man, of individuality and
prominence. Wo will give his description first. He is neither very
tall nor very .short. He is not a fat man like Tom Cooke; nor a lean
man like R. E. Ignore. So far as shape is concerned he is an aver
age man. He is probably out in tho sun a good deal, for there is a
ruddy glow to his complexion. Some people would call his com
plexion sandy. He wears a moustache, and there is a tuft on either
side of his face. In conversation ho has a way of screwing up bis
face that is peculiarly his own, and there is generally a cigar between
his teeth. He has a running mate who is generally by his side.
In tho days of his youth something must have happened to take
the sweetness out of his disposition. Some untoward circumstance
must havo caused him to lose faith in mankind.
There is nothing soothing about him. Even among congenial
spirits ho is irritable. Ho is full of combativeness and talk, and his
talk is full of ginger, as they say of a base ball player. Sometimes
bis language is so strong that weak men, hearing it, shudder.
He believes, apparently, that every man is engaged in the business
of living for just what he can get out of it in dollars and cents.
Every man has his price. Some men hold themselves dear and
others cheap. H9 i9 willing to trade with the dear ones. The
cheap men he counts on being able to manage without a trade. He
makes little or no allowance for considerations of honor or integrity
in his estimate of men and in his dealings with them. He does not
see any more harm in buying a lot of men than in buying a load of
corn cobs.
This man is a politician; one of the kind who do not believe in
wasting time discussing or considering principles when they can bo
out manipulating men. What has he to do with the tariff? Of
what concern is it to him whether the financiers and statesmen
give us free silver or adhere to monometalism? These things are as
high above him as tho clouds, and he is only an earth worm crawl
ing in the dust. He knows all about a pull, but very little about
principle. Tho former he estimates at its highest value. He has
his allies and his influence, or rather power, may be said to be con
siderable. At a caucus or a primary or a convention he is in his
element. He knows all the combinations, and he sets up and knocks
down men with ease.
He has a profession, but his business and his politics aroso closely
associated one with the other that they are practically the same
thing.
This man is one of tho obstacles in tho way of genuine municipal
reform.
THE METROPOLITAN JOURNAL.
It is a pleasure to read the Journal now that it is conducted on
metropolitan principles. It is a pleasure to know that the eagle
' eyes of the Journal reporters never allow happenings liko the fol
lowing to escape.
Postmaster J. H. Harley acted the humanitarian yesterday. He
saw a dilapidated umbrella blowing around the street. He picked
it up, closed it and placed it on the sidewalk so that horses might
not be scared thereat.
The importance of this item may not be apparent at first glance,
but it read several times slowly and carefully tho reader will bo sure
to comprehend its portentious signiflance. The people of .Lincoln
have reason to be glad that the Journal is conducted on metropoli
tan lines.
There used to be a Nationalist club in this city. Thero is yet,
only the ultra socialists, liko Lafevre, havo persisted in putting
socialism first and nationalism second, with so much effect that tho
organization is now known as 'The Socialists.
Meetings are hold every Sunday afternoon in tho Grand Army
hall, Twelfth and N streets. Every member is allowed tho utmost
freedom in tho expression of his views, and tho members generally
take full advantage of this freedom. Tho result is that radicalism
sports itself, and iconoclasm is a favorite plaything. One peculiar
and interesting thing about theso meetings of the socialists is that
no two men oors agreo exactly on any one point. And usually
nearly every man present insists on being heard.
Last Sunday afternoon tho club discussed tho recent city olection,
a subject calculated to bring out the diverse views of tho members.
Tho president, a be-whiskercd patriarch, opened the discussion,
assuming a somewhat conservative tone manifestly displeasing to
tho majority of thoso present.
C. M. Clark addressed tho meeting. Ho thought no community
that licensed crime could be prosperous. He spoke of tho social
evil and condemned alike the policy of Weir and his predecessors in
dealing with tho question.
R. AWIawloy, a serious mannered man who has been a candidate
for office on a losing tickot almost as many times as John II. Ames,
was asked if lie had anything to say. Ho had. He said ho had
nothing in common with tho republican party or the
democratic party or the populist party. Thero was only one
party founded no principle and God, and that was tho prohibition
party. All the evils in politics could be traced to the saloon, and
the only party that was consistently fighting tho saloon was tho pro
hibition party. Ho said the issue in the late city campaign was
whether we should have Graham saloons or Broady saloons. For
his part he couldn't see any difference between them. Mr. Uawley
abused the church members for voting for these saloon tickets. Ho
said ho would liko to see a saloon next door to the First Congrega
tional church, between the church and Mr. Gregory's house. Ho
would also like to see one in the yard in front of the Christian
church. Church members had voted for saloons and they ought to
have them.
Dr. Aley, one of the conspicuous labor agitators of the city, a
rotund man with a black goatee, rose and camo forward. He voted
for Graham, he said, and was proud of it. He was one of thoso who
refused to be led by the men who sold out the populist party. Then
he went for Hawley. "A saloon keeper," he said, "might be just as
good a citizen as a prohibition minister." In fact ho thought ho
might be better. He gave a definition of a good citizen. "A good
citizen' ho said, "is one who is truly generous." For his part he
couldn't see any harm in drinking a glass of beer.
had ever been destroyed by its vices.
He said no nation
In the discussion over the adoption of a subject for next Sunday's
meeting Mr. Lafevre got an opportunity to put forth some of his
wild eyed ideas. The meeting tomorrow afternoon will give the
iconoclasts a wide field, as the subject will be Resolved that we as
socialists view with gratification the rapid accumulation of wealth
and business into the hands of the few. It was the idea of tho
introducer of tho resolution that this rapid accumulation would
speedily bring about socialism.
IMPUNITY.
Tho burglar turned with a sneer of malignant triumph.
"If you shoot me,'' he hissed, "you'll wake the baby."
There was nothing to do but to permit him to load all the silver
into a sack and carry it away, leaving the front door open behind
him.
