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of the state, and of other states.
Apropcs of the exposition it is of
interest to know that a number of
prominent commissioners have sug
gested the desirability of placing Prof.
R. B. Owens, of the university- of Ne
braska, In charge of the electrical de
partment. Undoubtedly the state uni
versity will b called upon to con
tribute to the success of the exposition,
and the university Is capable of ren
dering material assistance. Professor
Owens' services were utilized In con
nection with the electrical exhibit at
the world's fair, and he enjoys a wide
reputation as an electrical engineer.
A convention composed of 1057 dele
gates, as was the republican state con
vention recently passed Into history,
Is an unwleldly body, altogether too
unwfeldly. A convention of this size
is easily stampeded. It is more like a
great mass meeting than a sober, de
liberative body, and Its proceedings
are much more likely to be influenced
by emotion and prejudice than by con
siderations of wisdom and Justice.
It is significant that the fact that
one delegate to the. democratic conven
tion in Chicago took six drinks of
water was telegraphed all over the
country as an item of importance.
"To have won and lost is better than
never to have won at all." The Hon
orably Tobias Castor may experience
some feeling of gratification as he re
gards this week's proceedings of the
national democratic convention. He. did
not succeed in having his patron, Mr.
N. S. Harwood, and the other select
and honorable gentlemen who have
sought to uphold Mr. Cleveland's ad
ministration, permanently seated as
the representatives of "regular" dem
ocracy, but he did obtain a fleeting
recognition that was as pleasing to the
Harwood faction as It was displeas
ing to the Bryan faction. Tobias Cas
tor is sometimes lightly spoken of in
the public press, and sometimes he Is
abused. He Is so thoroughly enveloped
In mystery that some people really
doubt his existence. But Tobe lives
and when it is possibly to reign he
reigns. He Is a great man. He is the
Richelieu of the Nebraska democracy,
and by democracy we min real, out
an1 out democrats. Without the tact
ful manipulation, the shrewd diplom
acy, the grim determination of Tobias
the remnant of the faithful in Ne
braska would not b a compact, order
ly body as it is today, but would be
disorganized and ineffectual. With
Tobias as the guiding star the little
band has held together In the most
delightful harmony. There's only a
few of them left, but they are happy,
every one. In the family circle around
Tobias, Mr. Harwood beams benlgn
antly on his brothers in what, under
ordinary circumstances, would be
misery. Andrew Jackson Sawyer
strikes hl3 classic heels together in
perfect joy. Albert Watkins cavorts
about with philosophical dignity. Dan
Cook eats crow and Imagines it is can
vas back. Dr. George L. Miller,, as
one of the nestors of Nebraska dem
ocracy, rubs his hands together, and
advises his colleagues in a highly se
rious manner, just as if the little band
really cut some figure. Tobe is the
rallying- point, the leader par excel
lence. And he Is a good man for the
stranded patriots to stick to. If there
is any hope in the situation Tobe will
find It. If there Is anything to be won
Tobe will win it. And then, just see
what satisfaction he takes In wallop
ing Mr. Bryan! If he can only Just
give the ex-congressman one slight
touch as he runs the gauntlet he may
be depended upon to do his best, and it
is something to have a leader who can
occasionally give. Bryan a knock.
In Omaha this week patriotism and
common sense prevailed against pusil
lanimous pettifogging. Upstarts, pre
tenders, popinjays and ringsters were
defeated and Dave Mercer was made
the triumphant choice of the people
for a third term in congress. Decent
opposition to any candidate.- is entirely
proper, but the opposition to Mercer
was disreputable from the start.
ly disgraced had Mr. Mercer been
beaten. As It is the republicans of the
metropolis are to be congratulated on
their repudiation of the tactics em
ployed to prevent the re-nomination
of the most efficient congressman who
ever represented the Omaha district.
Mr. Mercer Is personally popular with
members of the house and he Is In a
position to do and has done more In
Washington than any other man for
the people of the Second district. To
have denied him a renomlnatlon now.
Just after his magnificent serMce in
securing the passage of the Trans
Mississippi exposition bill would hav.
been dishonorable repudiation.
Hobart's brief speech to the com
mittee in informal acceptance of the
republican nomination for vice presi
dent indicates that the tall of the ticket
can bark as well as wag. Mr. Hobart
Is a good deal more than a figurehead,
as nominees for vice president often
are. The speech was a clear, forcible
utterance and was a strong exposi
tion of the principal Issues of the
campaign. Money was given the most
important place, and his declaration on
this question was one of the most
straightforward and honest statements
thus far made by any prominent re
publican. Hobart has Individuality
and strength and he will be an impor
tant figure, in the campaign, and in
public life after the 4th of March next.
Nothing has been settled definitely
as to the plans of the democrats and
populists for the state campaign, but
there will be important conferences
within the next few days, and the
public will not be long kept In sus
pense. There Is little doubt that there
will be fusion. The original plan wa
for the populists to nominate Holcomb
for governor and the free silver demo
crats to name the electoral ticket, tha
combined silver-demcoratic and popu
list, strength to be cast for Holcomb
and the electors so named.
In any event the reoubllcans will
have a lively contest on their hands,
but the leaders of the party are confi
dent of success. There Is a general
conviction among republicans that the
ticket has peculiar elements of strength
that it will draw a large vote. Hed
lund and Casey will be particularly
strong before the people, and the other
candidates are commended by their
records. Mr. McColl was not supported
In these columns', but there are many
republicans who claim that he will be
a good vote getter. They say he is
particularly strong in Douglas county
and has an unusually large pesronal ac
quaintance throughout the state, that
he will draw support, not by speeches,
but by personal acquaintance. We
sincerely hope this Is true, for we do
not want to see a pop or a demo-pop
in the governor's office while we are
all standing up for Nebraska and try
ing to make the Trans-Mississippi ex
position the biggest kind of a success.
A local paper discourages the at
tempt to entertain the national asso
ciation of lawyers on the ground that
the city Is poor. It says the lawyers
are robbers and if any entertaining Is
to be done they should bear the ex
pense themselves. Lincoln has been
cursed by such talk as this for years.
There have always been people. In this
city who have, on one ground or an
other, opposed every .effort that has
been made to prove that the town is
not asleep, and they have, been so often
successful that the idea is prevalent
that the town is fast asleep. If the
lawyers are robbers, as our sour con
temporary says they are, it must be
remembered that there is a law for the
punishment of robbers. Let our con
temporary invoke this law or else hold
its peace. Lincoln wants the lawyers
o'f the country to come here, as It
wants every big meeting and every
thing else that will make the town and
its advantages known.
The morning paper makes a plea for
a special Tate on corn and other farm
products to Chicago as a means of
helping the Nebraska farmers to ob
tain a better price for their crops. It
is argued that prevailing prices are so
low that the regular freight rate would
leave the farmer practically' nothing. '
and that the crop In this state is. or
will be. so large that it would pay the
lallroad companies to make a tempor
ary concession. There is at least one
precedent for such a course in this
state, and it Is to be hoped the railroad
companies may decide to grant a sec
ond concession at this time.
It has been said that the plan would
not work to the benefit of the pro
ducer In Nebraska Inasmuch as the
big operators In Chicago would Imme
diately take off of the selling price a
sum equal to the reduction in freights,
but there Is no danger of that. The
operators in Chicago, powerful as they
are. could hardly manipulate the sell
ing price of all com simply because
the railroad companies took a few
cents off the carrying charge from Ne
braska. Here is a chance for the rail
roads to help the. farmers out of a
whole.
THE EDITOR.
A WATER CURTAIN.
XAtcstDaTloa For Fir Protection IasTaUd
by m Boetoalaa.
The "water curtain" is the latest de
Tice for the prevention of the spread of
fire. It is the product of the genius of
First Assistant Chief Regan of the Bos
ton tire department.
The arrangement was given a trial on
the R. H. White building in Boston the
other afternoon in the presence of sev
eral big property holders, firemen and
reporters. The experiment was success
ful in every way and was considered by
all a most progressive and np to date
device for effective fire service.
The plan is simply this: A pipe is
fixed to the building and extends to the
roof with a coupling at the bottom to
connect the hose from a hydrant. On
the other cud the nozzle is so arranged
that the water as it is forced np is sent
out in dense spray in both directions
and falls to the gronnd in an unbroken
sheet
This watery barrier between two
buildings should most effectively pre
vent the spread of flumes if it works as
well as it is especial to. It is said,
however, that the inventor will make
an improvement in the nozzle before it
is given enctber trial. But this contem
plated improvement will not change the
design in the lecFt, but rather will have
a tendercy to fcrce the water out in
greater volume. Boston Journal.
HE FREFERS SLAVERY.
This N-nro 1 atifled as Voog aa BU
Wives Hold Out.
There is a negro in Butts county who
finds slavery preferable to liberty. As
the stoiy pece aLout 65 years ago the
father of Dr. 7. P. Phillips caught a
runaway ucgic in the woods. He was a
young and Lkcly darky who wanted a
good master end was willing to servo
him. The feet of his promise to stick by
the man who bought him, through lash
ings laid on thick, if deserved, or left
off altogether, has been exemplified by
his condnct, for he has never deserted
the family, and at the age of 96 he has
just taken unto himself another wife.
He is yit igcrcus, for his bride
blushes leli.Dil a tawny skin of 36 sum
meis' grevstb, while she chalks np to
the mark cf Ka 37, so far as conjugal
ity is conferred, but his ideas on the
divorce laws cud his deference to polyg
amy would make a Mormon turn a
shade gicciicr with envy. It is thought
that he liasciily 16 living wives, though
it is not straupc that snchjshould be tho
case, as he hears so much said about
"16 to 1"' being the right thing.
The old fcllcw is perfectly content,
and wants no better fate than to die
"on Marsc Deck's plantation, " provid
ed the supply of wiveH holds out At
lanta Constitution.
"Queen Victoria," Ladies Favorite
Her Majesty's Perfume, is the latest
most delicate and refined opera Per
fume. At Riggs' Pharmacy, corner
Twelfth and O street.
BENKE, the popular tailor has
moved to 121 N 12th; for first class work
and low rates give him a call .
BTJLPHO-8AT.TNE
BlITHUElniM
COR I AND M.
rINCOIX, 7K3
Open at all Hours Day and Nlgrt
All forma of bathe.
TURKISH, RUSSIAN AND ROHAN
Witk special attention to the
cation of natural aalt water
Several time stronger than tea
Special department for surgical i
and diaeaeea peculiar to women.
Rheumatism, Skis, Blood and NerrfM IMp
eases. Liter and Kidney Troubles aad Cknae
AUaMBta are treated uceeerfmUr.
Baa bataiag may be enjoyed at all eaaaaa
onr Ian a salt swimming pool, 50x142 faet, ft
10 fast deep, heated to uniform temperature at
aa ilAffmea
DR8- M. H. AND J. O. EVERETT
Managing Physicians.
A
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BuFim
Time Reduced
Qreat ftock Island Route
JRuns their
Pbillips' Pullman Excursion
Cars to
on their fast trains. Examine tim
cards and see that we are nearly
TWO HOURS
quicker than any other route Chicago
to Los Angeles.
The Phillips excursions are popular
He has carried over 125,000 patrons in
the past fifteen years, and a comforta
ble trip at cheap rate is guaranteed, and
he fast time now made puts the Phili
ps Rock Island Excursions at the top
Post yourself for a California trip be.
'ore deciding, and write tne for explici
information. Address,
JOHN SEBASTIAN,
DR. F. D. SHERTVIN
DENTIST,
Porcelain Fillings, Crown and Bridge
i
Work a Specialty. - t .
ROOMS 17, IS, 19, BURR BLOCK
SECOND FLOOR.
Lincoln ------ - Nebraska
SB
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