)
N
tY
y v
I
ir-;
?i.
is I
-
.r
ri-t-
r
VOL. XIV. NO. X.
BSTABLISHBD IN 188G
PRICE F1VB CENTS
, . iwl 1
,Ki:tt' Jl m
t
'ri
LINCOLN, NBBR., SATURDAY, MARCH 11, 1801).
Ltt
Sitz
all personal considerations in order to
serve the district which elected them
certainly deserve some public recog
nition. Therefore has it been decided to
give them a banquet, decorated with
llowcrs and the national colors. For
their course has been characterized
by patriotism, both national and local.
In order to have the expression as full
as it is in reality, all classes and con
THf COURIER PRINTING UNO PUBLISHING CO ditlons of men are to be invited to the
spread, bucu unseinsii devotion ought
not to go unnoticed. Future delega
tions in reading of the rewards con
ferred on tlie Lancaster delcgatioti for
its distinguished services in the legis
lature of 1899 will be encouraged also
to be disinterested and loyal to the
interests ot their constituency.
Entered in the pobtofficb at Lincoln as
second class matter.
PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY
Mf
Office 1132 N street, Up Stairs.
Telephone 384.
8ARAH B. HARRIS,
Editor
Subscription Katet In Advance.
Per annum 1 00
Six months 75
Three monthB 50
One month 20
Single copies 05
The Courier will not bo responsible for vol
untary communications unloss accompanied by
roturn postage. ..
Communications, to rocoivo nttontion, must
bo sianod by tno full namo of tup writer, not
moroly as a guarantoo of good faith, but for
publication it advisable,
s
i
OBSERVATIONS.
1
The election of the Hon. M. L. Hay
ward as United States senator after a
weary struggle is very gratifying to
the party and the people in general.
There is little doubt that Senator
Hayward has been the choice of a
large majority of the people from the
start. Although many of the candi
dates from this city were able and
honest men, who have been identllled
with the party in this state for twenty
years or more, and It would have been
gratifying to Lincoln had one of these
men been elected, yet the state, as a
whole, through the country presB and
through representative delegations,
desired the election of Senator Hay
ward. In this respect the legislature
has accomplished the same resnlt as a
popular election, albeit somewhat
more tardily .
Senator Ilayward's election will
strengthen the republican party, and
he is a man worthy of the honor. It
is to be regretted that the election
has been deferred so long. The legiti
mate expenses have been great and
the friends of all the candidates, as
well as the candidates themselves,
regret the heavy expense the latter
have been caused.
When the legislature adjourns It
has been proposed to give a banquet
to the Lancaster delegation. A number
of prominent citizens have asked The
Courier to publish the proposition In
order that the enthusiastic gratitude
of thoso who are Interested in Lincoln
may have time to increase In volume
and depth before the occasion arrives,
These devoted men having laid aside
In view of the postponement of the
understanding between the gas com
pany and the council which the resort
to the supreme court threatens, Mr.
Walter J. Lamb's advice to the coun
cil to offer a franchise to any respon
sible company willing to furnish gas
at the price offered by the council, has
met with the approval of consumers.
It the council is not legally competent
to iix the price of a commod'ty deliv
ered through street conduits and by
overhead wires the only other resort
is to invite competition or for the
city to erect gas and electric light
works of ks own. Many of the largest
private business houses in the city
have put in plants and will doubtless
be willing to furnish the council with
figures regarding the cost of the sys
tem in use now as compared with
thecost of the light formerly furnished
by the gas company. If the company
is furnishing gas and electricity to
the city as cheaply or almost as cheap
lv as the city can build and operate its
own plant it would be inexpedient to,
increase the number of city employes
and departments. Gut an intelligent
attempt to tlnd out the cost of fur
nishing gas and electricity may result
on the part of the people In a deci
sion that the company is furnishing
light at only a reasonable profit.
Neither the council nor any reason
able citizen has any grudge against
the company, nor wishes to deprive
the company of a legitimate profit.
But there are indications that the
price may be lowered somewhat with
out confiscation and with the results
of an increased use of gas and greater
harmony and confidence between the
consumers and the company.
Not one of the many men who have
labored In the city council has the ex
perience and knowledge of Council
man O. W. Webster. For about
twenty Jive years he has been more or
less directly connected with the legis
lative body of the city. He has an ex
act memory, he depends, with reason,
upon his own mental processes, he is
not afraid sitherot stating his conclu
sions or of sticking to them. If he had
beon more politic and less outspoken
he would have, made fewer enemies,
hut his friends would have had less
reason for their confidence and ap
proval. The political mistake he
made a few years ago weighed against
him in the last election. But Mr.
Webster's services to the city are of so
unique and valuable a character, It is
ungrateful to remember his trans
gression, if it were a transgression,
against him. Stored away in orderly
sequence in Mr. Webster's memory is
the political and financial history of
Lincoln for the last quarter of a cen
tury, together with a knowledge of
the bosses and influences which pro
duced the events and elected this or
that city officer. He is so good a
councilman for the very reasons I have
quoted. It is upon him that the
transient race of reporters and news
paper men depend for information
and light upon any past or contem
porary subject of municipal interest
or legislation. Therefore is it, that
everybody who knows this very modest
gentleman is rejoiced that he is recov
ering from his severe illness.
I have been watching with some in
terest reviews of Richard Realf's
poems by literary critics whose opin
ions have a high value in the New
York magazine market. So far not
one has concurred with Walt Mason's
estimate of Realf's poetry. As to
Realf s character, it was unworthy to
be a part of the same personality
which wrote the poems some of his
poems. In regard to the discussion
which has arisen over Miss Cather's
puliation of his character because
of his poetry, the critics of the
critic are undoubtedly right. A 6ot
and a bigamist is a sot and a
bigamist, no matter what divine
gift, meant for a clean little soul,
fell upon him as he lay in his cradle.
Much was given him, but he burled
course If he had not been dowered
with what we call genius, the friends
and neighbors of the women he de
stroyed might have gone after him in
a posse, caught him and hung him,
where many a poor wretch born with
a clouded brain, has hung. Realf
does not deserve pity of the sort he
played for in his last poem. Like
kings and queens a genius should be
uncommonly good, rather than hold a
license for imposing on creatures who
cannot create but only humbly ad
mire. To the blind and the dumb the
world Is pitiful, and he who takes ad
vantage of dumbness or blindness
loses caste, may be stoned, and ought
to die. But the genius who has an
extra sense, more powerful and won
derful than all the common ones we
possess, Is, forsooth, to be excused
when he scruples not to deceive and
betray us the dumb and blind from
birth.
To the blind no joy so great as see
ing, to the dumb no benefice like
speech. The writer who can create
an immortal poem, a play, or a novel,
think you he docs not know he is
happy beyond all men? Would Poe
have changed places with the richest
man he knew of? We owe them much
these men of genius, but when they
brutalize themselves as though by
prescription we have learned, that
their crime is all the greater because
much they have received.
And the genius is dependant upon
us - the commonplace for an audi
ence and for wages.
If he choose to behave like Poe and
Realf we grant him an audience but
keep back most of his wages and the
devil pays him with death.
1 agree with Walt Mason, the con
stant, though not unkindly, critic of
the publisher of this paper, that
women, above all, should uphold
righteousness and take treatment for
his loan in a pigsty and on that last hysterics. Let us not be deceived by a
day in San Francisco when he took
his life and his loan back to the owner
it was wrapped in so foul a napkin,
and reeked so of broken vows and
bestiality, that it was well for him,
no being of three score years and ten
was his judge. He had destroyed the
lives of four women. His own misery
man who writes about himself as n
martyr pursued through life by fiends
thirsting for his blood. He is only a
man we have spoiled by praise, cre
dulity and our agreement not toapply
the rules of life to him. And let us
acknowledge the truth that our own
low standard and mean appraisement
does not count for much when com- of Koodness compared to brilliancy Is
pared with woman's woe multiplied lelly responsible for masculine im'
four times and just as poignant to Perfections. Guarded from evil by an
commonplace, innocent souls as to the environment of customs arid physical
soul of the criminal genius who conditions, chivalrous women will do
caused It. t,,e,r best t0 Protect the defenseless
ne took his life becauso one of his half of the world from temptation1,
betrayed victims dared to follow him and refrain from the commendation
and complain of her wrongs and.of criminals who have defiled the
wreaked an hysterical, maddened re- temples where genius dwells,
venge upon his manuscripts which she
found in his room. When Realf came Acting under the direction of Na
in and found her tearing his papers, poleon, Duroc wrote Barere thus: ,"It
he said the end had come, and, like a will be proper that Citizen Barere. in
coward, laid his death to the woman sert in the journals articles tending to
rather than to the too-long delayed animate the public mind, particularly
result of his crimes. He was a do- against the English." It must have
bauche, he had broken all the vows been a desire to animate the public
which the ordinary unglfted citizen mind against our own government
of this. country keeps as a matter of that induced the pastor of the First
a . '