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About The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 3, 1898)
tyfpra' -f$Sa0m- I V 3 A'OL.13. Nil. 48 HSTABLISH1D IN MM PRICE F1VK CKNTS. h i ih Ji - fr..,-r- WSto. iiv- -wu-4-)w 1H AtJfelr -Mt, B j&i AH iMf- at ? V "WHHgyiJp.c. -qsy? i& &&&&&& sSZ? ' ' MBHMBHHHHBBM 'X. VbbbBwI 1VX bbb-H m-BBBMm-m-BLi-H vtolKOBCAJKHHH H BkV c X. J m -m-H M BHimi-m-aHBHEsSwCS A V Aiw T W-- i- & . sv s. LINCOLN. NSBR... SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3. 1886. x. BBk.. IV TH MROmCI AT LTCCi AS 9COHB CLAMXATTBB. PUBLISHED EVKST SATUBDAT KCNHERNimwmuauiaci Office 1132 N street, Up Stain. Telephone 384: 8AJUHB. HARMS, Editor Sabscriptioa Kate In Advance. Par anaam 1 21 giX,B0fitB Three months 50 Oae month atiagle copies 05 TnCocinwUl sot tawwcrtkbtorrol; gg ffiRL weeive tUaUee.BMMt luiintdto tfcTnUl UM ef the writer. BOt ZEST rVrmBte. et good faith, tmt for I OBSERVATIONS. 8 LavaVtyt00 Most of the men who hare been mentioned as candidates for the posi tion of United States senator, If elected, would be a credit to Nebraska and be of real assistance in the delib erations of the senate. They are men who have studied the principles and history of the republic, they hate demonstrated a scholarly and practi cal knowledge of constitutional law and have shown, either by a choice of the law as a means of livlihood, or by discussion of public affairs with their fellows, an interest in affairs of national import as distinguished from those which bear immediate relations to their own income. A man who does not possess an absorbing interest in the affairs of the nation is surely not a statesman, and in the United States senate would be of little use to his country or his state, because his own business, which has always inter ested him to the exclusion of other matters, will still bear the same rela tion to the people's business. But curious accidents happen in politics and sometimes a man is elected to a most Important position in spite of his entire lack of the mental and moral characteristics fitted to make him serviceable to those who elect Him . Such accidents happen of tenest in a state legislature, because the body is small enough to respond indi vidually to promises of assistance, po litical a financial, from Importun ate' caodias. who go to the senate with theaetermination to make good what the place has cost then. Thus, when approached by the agents of trusts who live in Washington and disburse an enormoae corruption fund, these purchasers of senatorships are easy to reach. Of those capable of serving the country well and of being a credit to the state several reside in Lincoln, one in Omaha and one in Nebraska City. We would be much gratified if the senator chosen should be a good mas from Lincoln, but rather than the state shoHld be unworthily repre sented local pride must give way. 1 do not believe that the coming legisla ture, composed of men of a high average of intelligence, will vote for a man who has devoted his life to money getting, to tricky politics, to foisting his tools into the mayoralty or into the council, upon whom later he might depend to help his business at the expense of the taxpayers and to the consequent loss of value to every building and lot in the city. Such a man is one of the senatorial candi dates. He would be an injury to the state and would mean the loss of good council to the nation. At no time in the nation's history has there been greater need of patriotic, unselfish statesmen as legislators. A man who boasts that he has never voted is not patriotic, nor is he a statesman, or be would have learned the primary lesson of democracy. A great struggle be tween trusts and the aggregate com posed of. individual voters is sure to occur this winter in congress, as it has before, a struggle between the few and the many as to the rights of the for mer to the larger share of the wage of the latter. The eventual victory of the few means the pauperization of the many, or hard times. The ques tion of imperialism and the difficul ties of planting American ideals and habits of thought in our new islands, is of secondary importance to this one. Nebraska should send to the council of the states a man nof impatient of the cry of the people heard since so ciety was organized and plundered by a few heartless members of it, whose love of money developed money get ting into a conventional system, so old that even the victims do not recognize its full injustice. The posi tion of United States senator is one of exceeding dignity and power, and should be bestowed upon no man who has not shown an unselfish interest in his city, state and country, and who has not repeatedly demonstrated his wisdom in a large way for impersonal ends. ! Mr. D. E. Thompson is a candidate for the United States senate. Is there any reason why he should be elected? Does he believe that a public office is a public trust? lias he served this community. or state in anyway? Is there any indication that he is inter ested in constitutional development? He has lived in Nebraska for a quarter of. a century and Jiis i-eputajjajnod or bad, is founded upon his opaectkm with the Capital National bask of this city and his withdrawal f rest l a year before its failare; his bosbss sioa of Mr.Mosher's gas stock,, his manipulation of the city lighting con tract to the great advantage of the gas company and to the disadvantage (f the city, his intimacy with and direction of the most unscrupulous of the city politicians, and finally, the universal distrust and suspicion which measures proposed by him excite. Gillett, the cattle p'unger who ran away in Kansas the other day from two millions'-of liabilities, was like Ernest Terah Hooley and many other new rich men whose early life was passed among the poor, his relatives and friends. Gillett always wore a big diamond and carried a few large sparklers in his pocket, and he was fond at rattling them, as he talked with his friends. He must have an evidence immediate and dazzlisg of his wealth. He never grew used to it. The Kansas City Star says of Gillett that he believed every man had bis price and he did business on that theory. When a man brought a suit against him in Abilene once, he went to the attorney of the man aBd offered him 11,000 to "throw his client." He paid lawyers twice as much in fees as they expected and gave his preacher presents of 150 at a time. The enor mous easiness deals of Gillett seem wonderful when it is remembered that four years ago he hung around the town of Abilene all summer trying to get the position of deputy sheriff at K0 a month. The desire to give large sums unexpectedly and ostentatiously is also a characteristic of the new and unlettered rich. The hsbit does not presuppose generosity, however, so much as a desire to surround onesself with people who are more or less sub servient for the sake of their partizan help should it be needed. It is the cheapest way of getting power. That it was not generosity or sympathy is evident from his desertion of his busi ness friends after involving them in inextricable difficulties. From their illuminated covers to the funny pictures atthe back, turned loose among the advertisements, the Christmas magazines area joy. The cover of The Century is a water color drawing by the famous painter of scenes in the life of Christ, Tissot. It represents the wise men bringing iheir gifts to the baby born in a, manger. Bowing low, in robes of old reds and greens shot throagh with gold, they offer trays filled with burn ing incense and myrrh and the per fume and scented smoke ascend in thin v lines beyond the edge of the picture. Blended like a Turkish carpet- the cover, as color, is worth a frame. Doubtless these wise men who brought gifts to the new born kdew what .tOjXffer' a sovereign in spite of toe rssf iiresoae exordiums about givlqgjioaaethiag useful which alwaysi.feeta.like a reflection on the judgmeatof the wiseaasa whw brought oaly myrrh aad instaos ia this jars of gold, . Jewell topped, to a homeless baby. If they had been less wise they would have brought untypical and material things for the baby and his mother. In the back pages of good old Harper's there is an illus trated story of a man seized with the passion of utilitarianism. This man urges his wife and children to bestow useful presents. The children accept his advice and buy their father a doll house, tin soldiers and other toys, tell ing him when they present it, be will need these things to .give to them. For instead of the usual purely senti mental gifts of Christmas" he has bought them shoes, woolen clothing and other things, which, to the well fed, well born, well clothed, are lack ing utterly in idealism. Christmas time is commonplaced by grown peo ple sometimes. Children know better and spend all their store of strength or pennies for something which ex presses not that love which thejr owe,, but that which is spontaneous and unmeasured. Guided by the purest sentiment they give trifling gifts pro cured by renunciation of play and " sweetmeats as the wise men presented their priceless incense in the stable. And if it were not for them poetry would die. Lewis Carroll's letters to children which The Century publishes on this, children's month, are not disappoint ing to us, to whom Alice in Wonder land, and Behind the Looking Glass, was half the delight of childhood. In stead, unexpectedly, these new chap ters are added to those we know by rote and the author who was en throned in my cbildheart, is revealed, as not unworthy bis coronation or insensible to it. The notable numbers in the Decem ber Scribners are the translation of Part one of Wagner's Bing of the Nibelung, by F. J. Stlmson, with illustrations by Maxfleld Farrisb, who has the rare gift of pic turing mythological or romantic being? who have no existence outside of story or tradition, so that the imagination accepts the likeness as a good one. and some very beautiful, sketches by John Buskin, and an ap preciative criticism of the critic's own work by M. H-Spielman. The war. story by Richard Harding Davis, is, as usual, profusely illustrated! and very unexpectedly has no .pic-! ture of himself as he looked, when giving Colonel Roosevelt. or General Sbafter pointers on how to. run the war. If it were not for the standing of Charles Scribner's Sons, such an omission would be internal and indisputable evidence that Mrl Davis did not write the article. Therefore tbey must have paid him extra for- leaving it out. Voluntary modesty on the part of Mr Davis is improbable. The frequent desire of the collectors for the picture of a male angel may oe gratified If they will turn to page twenty-five of the current number of Harper's magazine. The reason for the exceeding rarity ot 3a4