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About The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 16, 1899)
r0L. XIV., NO. XXXVII. ESTABLISHED IN 1880 PRICE FIVE CENTS u-t V v ,-' ti$-. ' it - .ft . LINCOLN, NBBR., SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 1800. iKNTKREDIN THE P08TOFFICK AT LINCOLN AS BBonwn ot.awb matter. PUBLISHED EVERY SATURDAY -BI- THE COURIER PRINTING AND PUBLISHING GO Office 1132 N street, Up Stairs Telephone 384. 6ARAH B. HARRIS. Editor Sabscription Katep In Advance. 'Per annum 9100 fc8ix montbB 75 Three montbB 50 FOne month 20 iBingle copies 05 The Courier will not bo resDonsiblo for vol bUtitary communications unloss accompanied by ftoturn pnstHgo. i communications, to rocoiro attontion, must Jbo sitrncd by tlio full nnmo of tho writer, not ftnoroly as a guarantoo of good faltli, but for publication II advisable i t nocPDVATinwc Q JLisJlDly rl 1JIM9. l,1 Results of the Peace Conference. P When tho Czar proposed an inter- national peace conference, when the -nations accepted his invitation to talk it over, when the commission finally assembled and tho parts of it began to watch each other as though they were seconds arranging for a duel of their principals to the death, all the societies for the amelioration of mankind, and many newspapers 'expressed high hopes of tho result. ;The real consequences of the con ference may be large but they are so far in the future that it is not safe to I attempt anything but platitudes con cerning them. One of tho largest fcand most formidable nations is act ually at war and tho mistress of the ; seas is getting ready for a declara tion against the Boer government of South Africa. Tho Advance of the Russian occupation of China has not ij uuuii uutxKcu. xiiu niiigiu tcBuu in the establishment of tho principle of the neutrality of merchant vessels of all nations and their immunity from attack is worth all the expense and tho I elaborate preparations and hopes. A result which wus not incidental, but of first importance, to the members of tho peace conference was the op portunity they had of meeting with the more or less distinguished men of ull nations, of making speeches in a hull hired for the occasion, and of practising the evanishing art of dl . plomacy. Voting the Straight Ticket. Whatever tho machine men say about it the voter who refuses to fray i by his party when tho party leaves him and all 'ther honest men in the lurch by making bad nominations is the man to whom each party owes whatever rcspectubiltty it may pos sess. Tho independent voters turn the scale and the fear of them is present in nominating conventions. This fear is frequently the cause of the nomination of a ticket better than the composition of the average con vention. The disdain therefore, that the machine-made have for the bolter Is undeserved, for the bolters by tho very fact of existence and by their habit of scratch ingoir the names of unworthy candidates from their parly ticket purify that party and stimulate and frighten conventions into making better nominations. The bolter is the only loyal party man. He alone cares enough for his party to see the spoils divided among the advocates of another one. He is the idealist who is willing to sacrifice the loaves and fishes for his principles. If it wore not for the bolters in the republican party, it would today bo destroyed of its own cupidity. So long in power it has fattened on per quisites and if it were not for the sterling dogma and creed of those who believe in its principles and caro nothing for its patronage and plunder it would have destroyed itself as Greece did and then Rome in tho intoxication of power. The Treatment of Trusts. Henry Mccfarland in the Septem ber Review of Reviews, offers a valu able suggestion entitled, "How to eliminate Trusts from the presiden tial campaign.'' It is conceded by lawyers and students of the constitu tion and legislation based on It that congress has not the constitutional power to destroy trusts. But it has never been admitted by anyone, since the war, that tho con stitution is impeccable and perfect without further amendments. Tho anol-slavery discussion of pre-rebel-lion days proved ono thing definitely and that is, that the constitution is not like the bible, nor oven like tho books of Mormon, or like Al Koran or Zend Avesta. It is not complete and perfect but a convention and con tract for living Americans to keep with each other so long as it suits the convenienco of three fourths of tho free and independants ates to do so. If trusts aro enslaving black and white in this country and there is by no means a unanimity of opinion about that it is easy enough to amend tho constitution so that they will become illegal. It is easy enough, that is, whenever three fourths of the people agree that they are obnoxious. Mr. Macfarland, therefore advises tho republicans in congress who aro as much Interested in eliminating trusts from the presidential campaign, as tho democrats are in agitating their destruction, to propose an amend ment to the constitution, giving con gress tho power, which it now lacks, to deal with trusts and other aggrega tions of power and capital which threaten the interests of tho many and favor the few. uJt would take, of course, two thirds in each house to adopt such a resolution and tho re publicans, when they meet in De cember will not have two thirds in cither house, but the democrats can not afford to oppose such a proposi tion, directly in lino with their con tention against trusts. There can bo no doubt that tho resolution would be adopted and it could be ratified by three fourths of the states, according to the constitutional requirement in time for tho congress to be elected next year." Republicans, since the last amend ment to the constitution, have been inclined to regard it as a closed book, to be referred to and quoted with awe. Consequently they will be re luctant to accept this advice as sound and act upon it. The people aro of more consequence than a constitution and the very men who drew it up would be the first to amend it on necessity. They would not have been rebels if they had not been revolu tionists, radicals, brave men, ready to adapt old principles to no times. The law of tho continuity of types makes it certain that as soon as the people decide that trusts are unfair and inexpedient tiiey will be dis solved by the people, and if tho con stitution is in the way it will be amended so that it shall become an instrument. of their destruction. The Veterans of Two Wnxu Tho gray beards who were boys in 1801 and tho boys who aro now vet erans ofthc Spanish American war aro jealously weighing the hardships they endured. Tho graybcards of '01 have told us their stories so many times and posts of the G. A. R. have been drawn into politics more or loss. Tho effect of repetition and of using an organization to accomplish some pur pose other than the ono for which it was created is inevitably to decreaso the enthusiasm of the membership and of outsiders also. The soldiers of '01 have lived over and over again the four or five years war. As General Manderson very eloquently and truly said at tho first celebration of tho First's victories "tho years of a man's life since the war, though they have been many and filled with honors do not count with him as the few stren uous years when he was a soldier." And if General Mandorson, who has been a senator of tho United States and is recioving constant recognition of his brilliant legal services counts the time he spent as a soldier as the most worth while of his whole life, how much more the less ambitious private in the G. A. R. who recounts bis experiences with an ever increas ing enthusiasm to a decreasing audi ence. The soldiers of the Filiplnes, on the other hand possess the modesty of youth and their experiences have Just happened. Three months ago they were wading through swamps and running from ono rice rldgo to another. They aro just from tho field whore thoy woro in advunco of their rations most of tho time and subsisted on tho corn and rico foraged from the fields, Tho old soldiers think tho youngsters of the First ltavo not suffered hardships because thoy aro ruddy and fat. Perhaps more remarkablo than tho mngnlfi. cent charges of tho First and Its quick conversion from green troops into a regiment of splendidly disciplined soldiers which was selected from all the reg' moots in the Filipinos for tho hardest and most dangerous duty, Is the silence of the young horos con cerning tho hardships ttioy suffered. Questioning will elicit something of tho hardships they suffered with a joke and a laugh. Thoy had llctlo to cat but corn and rice. Thoy slopt on the wot ground, they had scanty clothing uud they woro in a foreign, tropical country. Tho soldiers of '(11 woro never far from their rations. Tho climate of the south is cool in comparison to the climate of the Fill pines and the soldiers could retain their haversacks. Thoy havo not made any complaint and no investi gation will bo made as to tho kind of corn and rice, privates and officers alike ate. All the poor soldiers wore shipped home before tho first engage ment. For Colonel Stouonburg, know the good soldiers from tho poor ones and was willing to ship tho lat ter home on a thin pretense of sick ness. Peeling that tho real reason of their release from tho army was not sickness but one more uncompli mentary to themselves, Just as soon as these soldiers arrived in Nebraska they drew up a petition and presented it to the Nebraska legislature which thereupon committed the consplc? uous folly of condemning a man on the fighting lino who was even then making a reputation in tho Filiplnes such as (ho Sirdar has made in Africa. The little recognition we have given these veterans of the year Is not enough. It is due them and will deep en our satisfaction to read the reports of the campaign some of them will write. Thq Rough Riders fought in all the scrimmages they could get into. But those were few. They have been celebrated by Governor Roose velt and the prestige of his name has exalted tho Rough Riders to an esteem they may deserve absolutely. Com paratively the First were in ten times the number of engagements. Colonel Stotzenburg's ability to manage men and win a fight was recognized by the general in command who constantly consulted him- Stotzenburg and the First Nebraska are to Nebraska what Roosevelt and the Rough Riders are to New York. Only the First hns a longer list of victories on Its banners. Dreyfus Seattacc. Ten' years of Imprisonment to save
