The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903, October 10, 1896, Image 2

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    THI COURIER.
Highest of all in Leavening Power. Latest J. S. Gov't Repopf
fm
ABSOLUTELY PURE
once or twice in bin whole life and that
is remarkable, lie is singularly hone&t
and clean in his private life, and he
would be honest in his politics; but boy
ish enthusiasm, and the desire to create
an effect, bare led him over the border
line of sincerity.
W. Morton Smith.
MMMIvl)MIMf)MIlwll
: :
The most important problem that will
Confront the city central committee next
spring is as to the different methods of
making nominations for city offices viz.
the convention system or the Crawford-Lincoln
system.
While consideration of this vital ques
tion will not detract any interest from
national politics, its importance strikes
the average voter with greater force be
cause it is nearer.
Last spring this new voting system
captured the republican voters of Lin
coln by storm. It was adopted for mak
ing the nominations which ware made
at that time. Its results, while disas
trous to a few candidates, indicated
that thorough knowledge and careful
management of the municipal cam
paigns under this rule brings the matter
of choosing candidates closer to the
people. Immediately after the nomina
tions were made, some fete began regis
tering long and loud kicks against the
inefficiency and awkwardness of the new
voting plan.
The republicans who were nominated
under the new rule at that time were
all elected. The chief objection made
to nominations was that none of the
nominees received even a fair represen
tation of the republican votes in this
city, and such being the case, they did
not reflect the sentiment of the mass of
local republicans. While it is true that
none of the nominees received a vote
equivalent to one-fourth of the republi
can strength of the city at the primaries
on nominating day, and were not per
kaps in one instance, the choice of the
main body of their party, the fact that
they were elected by good majorities in
itself should suggest the intrinsic worth
of the new plan.
Under this system the people vote di
rectly for their nominee for any public
oslce, yet under it as much fraud and
corruption can be practiced as urder the
convention system, provided, the people
permit it With the Crawford Lincoln
system, no corporation, no money nor
machine power can triumph if the vot
era will but employ the same tactics the
machine or political combines use in
conventions or primaries and that is the
method of absolute concentration.
,
But at thk stage appears what has
been called by some the inefficiency of
the system. It is asserted that the mass
of voters never will combine on any one
candidate, and this being true, the vote
jrill invariably be split and scattered be
tween numerous "good men" to the ex
tent that any of the above enumerated
influences can by concentration of their
forces, nominate any man whatsoever,
whether he be good, bad or indifferent.
Some of our most prominent repub
licsM refer to the nomination last
rou
HIS
Baking
Powder
spring of a rity official to prove their
opinion that the Lincoln system is weak
and defective. But the results of the
ffrst experience with a political inno
vation should neither condemn or rec
ommend it. If the full import and tech
nical provisions of the system were over
looked the first time, the voters are now
sufficiently familiar with it to give it a
more thorough and convincing trial.
Grant, for argument's Bake only, that
all the men elected last spring were not
the real choice of the people. Does that
reflect at all upon the By stem? If the
officers in question were not the most
popular nominees why, then, were they
elected by the large majorities and plur
alities they received? It is very easy to
assert that a man is not popular but the
vote he receives is usually a reliable
thermometer.
Of course, as I have said, corrupt tac
tics may be e an ployed in this uow vot
ing system. It is just as convenient for
a democrat to vote at the republican
primaries as before. Numerous candi
dates can be brought out by certain
factions for the sole purpose of accomp
lishing the defeat of some one or of sev
eral men. The power of money effects
greater changes at times in results, and
on some occasions a large corruption
fund can secure the few votes which
may be necessary to nominate a man
with much more ease than it could in a
convention. It is also an incontrovert
ible fact that a campaign under the
Lincoln system is much more difficult
for a candidate to conduct than a rard
primaries or a convention contest, as
his efforts, instead of being confined to
his ward and ward delegations are neces
sary all over the city.
But regardless of all the shortcomings
of the Lincoln system, it certainly is an
improvement over the convention 6tyle
of nominating. The coercion, intimida
tion, promises and deception which have
beep characteristic of contentions are
conspicuous by their absence. There is
no such thing as "unit rule" and "in
structions" connected with it. A can
didate can go into office untramelled,
and politics is certainly benefitted by
this new rule or any other which will
bring the selection ,of candidates com
pletely into the hands and control of
the people.
Without the virtue of concentrating
strength, however, the people under this
system, as well as any other, may as
well subside and turn their affairs en
tirely over to corrupt and intriguing
politicians. Without centering their
power on some clean man, all their ef
forts in that direction will prove futile,
while, on the other hand, they are com
plete mastera of the situation if they are
willing to unselfishly accept any cap
able and honarable man who is eligible
for office.
Purity in politics naturally starts at
the primaries, and while every man has
the privilege, under certain prescribed
laws, to run for office, the people will
sooner or later realize the great import
ance of concentrated power, and give
unto the beet and most available man
their combined support Further, the
time is coming when each candidate's
chances for election will be considered
with much more interest than they are
now. No party can positively vouch for
the election of a man just because be
has received the nomination, whether he
receives it under the new or the old sys
tem. At present the various candidates for
municipal office next spring are bus
cogitating this one point. They can
see tho defects and the benefits of the
system simultaneously, but that fact
does not relieve them from their quand
ary. The so-called "ring" has a certain
"pull;"anyway the primaries may decide
as it can call its concentrated power,
or at least apart of it, into requisition
either in a ward or over the entire city.
However, most of the present aspir
ants for municipal office favor the Lin
coln system for the reason that intimi
dation of voters can not be accomplished
in so high-handed a manner as at a ward
fight, owing to the generality of the
contest, and it is much easier for the
political "boss" to attend to the details
of a ward fight than to oversee his num
erous interests all over town. Further,
it doeB not permit the man with a "pull"
to lie around one ward and force his
followers to vote when he can observe
them. But it takes him to several
wards during the day. In his absence
from a ward considerable of his strength
may vote to suit themselves or some one
else.
The republican city central committee
must consider well before they decide
which of the two the Lincoln or con
vention systems will be utilized to
nominate candidates for city office next
spring. If they refuse to endorse the
Lincoln system, much strife in the re
publican ranks must be expected. The
republican party is the party of progress
and improvement. The party is aware
that the Lincoln system isof great bene
fit to the people, and it is not improb
able that the rank and file of republi
cans will demand another experiment
with the system. T.
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The readers of this paper will be
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OIiio. Sold by druggists, 75 cents.
COMFOKT TO CALIFORNIA.
Every Thursday morning, a tourist
sleeping car for Salt Lake City, San
Francisco and Los Angeles leaves
Omaha and Lincoln via the Burlington
Route. It is carpeted; upholstered in
rattan; has spring seats and backs and
is provided with curtains, bedding,
towels, soap, etc. An experienced ex
cursion conductor and a uniformed Pul
lman porter accompany it through to
the Pacific Coast While neither as ex
pensively finished nor as fine to look at
as a palace sleeper, it is just as good to
ride in. Second class tickets are honored
and the price of a berth, wide enough
and big enough for two. is only 15. For
a folder giving full particulars, call at
the B & M Depot or City office Corner
Tenth and O street
Geo. W. Bonnell,
C. P. T. A.
tf
A novelty in wafers, breakfast food,
and cereal coffee from the popular Sani
tarium Health Food Co., Battle Creek,
Mich., for sale at the Keystone, 138 and
U2 South Twelfth street.
Oct 17.
A
'V
M0
iO
--'
Time Reduced
To the
CHICAGO,
ROCK ISLAND & PACIFIC
EAILWAY.
The Rock Island is foremost in adopt
ing any plan calculated to improve speed
and give that luxury, safety and comfort
that the popular patronage demands.
Its equipment is throughly complete
with Vestibuled Trains.
BEST DINING CAR SER
VICE IN THE WORLD,
Pullman Sleepers, Chair Cars, all the
most elegant and of recently improved
patterns.
Its specialties are
FAST TIME,
COURTEOUS EMPLOYES,
FIRST CLASS EQUIPMENT
AND
FIRST CLASS SERVICE GIVEN.
For full particulars as to Tickets,
Maps, Rates.apply to any Coupon Ticket
Agent in the United States, Canada or
Mexico, or address.
JOHN SEBASTIAN, gp.a.
Chicago.
Dec 12
ooocooooooo
H. W. BROWN
o Druggist and
g Bookseller.
VITliltlniE
8 Fine Stationery
9 and
Calling Cards
127 S. Eleventh Street.
PHONE 68.
OOOOOOOOOO-O
UERICJIli EXCHMGE KAMI Ml
LINCOLN, NEB.
M. RAYMOND,
President.
8. H.BDRNHAM.
Cat bier.
A. J. SAWYER
Viceo President
D. G. WING
AtiUtont Casnier
CAPITAL, $250,000 SURPLUS $25 000
Directors -I. M. Raymond, 8. H. Burnham
C. G.Dawes. A. J. Sawyer, Lewis Gregory
N Z Snell, G M Lambertson. D O Wins. 3 W
Bnrnam.
Canon City coal at the Whitebreast
Coal and Lime Co.
When wanting a clean, easy aha?
r aa artistic hair-cut, try
S. F. Westeafield
THE POPULAR TONSORIAL ;
ARTI8T.
who has an elegant barber shay
witk aak chairs, eta, called Tfce
Abmz" at 117 North Thirtasatk
street, south of Laaaiaf theatre.
r mu tu nnr meut bath