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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
