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About The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 1900)
X C-. r.r h s.. , K r 1 A- fv - VOL. XV., NO. XXXV ESTABLIbhED IN 1SSG PRICE FIVE CENTS J 1 : I LINCOLN. NEBR., SATURDAY. SEPTEMBER 1. 1900. THE COURIER, Official Organ of the Nebraska State Federation of Women's Clubs. EnTKKKOIN THE P08TOFFICE AT LINCOLN AS SECOND CLASS MATTER. PUBLISHED EVEBY SATURDAY BT TIE COURIER PRINTING AND PUBLISHING GO Office 1132 N street, Up Stairs. Telephone 384. 8ARAH B. HABKIS. Editor Subscription Katee In Advance. Per annum f 1 00 Six months 75 Three months 50 One month 20 Single copies 05 The Cockier will not be responsible for vol nntary communications unless accompanied by return postage. Communications, to receive attention, mnst be stoned by the full name of the writer, not merely as a guarantee of good faith, but for publication if advisable. r o c iffeOO OBSERVATIONS. 8 Mob Anarchy. Two children were killed, one man fatally hurt and several men badly in jured last week by a mob, not in Ala bama, Georgia, Mississippi or Ken tucky, but in Obio. A large crowd gathered in the city of Akron, Ohio, for the pur pose of lynching a negro who had assaulted a little girl. The officers heard the threats and sent their prls 1 oner to Cleveland, and when the mob arrived, its prey was out of reach. The conduct of the mob shows that it was animated by a lust for blood, and that outraged humanity and the de sire for vengeance had little to do with the murders which followed. The sheriff allowed a committee to search the city jail. After the mem bers of the committee reported that they had looked in every cell, and had thoroughly searched every part of the city jail, the mob rushed to the county jail. There they started to batter down the doors, and the sheriff offered any committee which the mob might appoint, the same privilege of examining the jail, telling them that Peck, the man the ringleaders had de cided to haug, was not there. They searched and did not find him, And because that world-old hunter's lust of blood was denied, the mob rushed back to the city prison and the men who concealed themselves behind others began to shoot with ritles at prison officers who stood in the win dows fylng to calm a frenzy that when once aroused, and is unthreat ened by death, is like that of Indians or cannibals whu tie a prisoner to a tree and kill him by degrees. A boy was shot, guns were tired con tinuously, many men were wounded, and as the dead and wounded were carried off, the crowd yelled exultant ly. All the Akron ambulances were called out. The front of the city building was wrecked. At midnight the mob broke into a hardware store and stole guns, rifles, ammunition and pistols with which to fire upon the defenders of the city building. Then these avengers set tire to and burned the hall which adjoined the city building. One of the fireman who attempted to put out the fire, was shot. Such lawlessness is planted and cul tivated by cowardly mayors and gov ernors like the mayor of St. Louis and the governor of Missouri, who profess to have a reverence for the rights of men engaged in an assault upon other people's property and life. The day will come when mayors and governors will order a disorderly mob to dis perse or remain to be fired upon. Jlobs are not made up of brave men, but of cowards, vicious tramps and ruffians whose lives should be no more sacred when they attack scciety, than the wild beast who prowls about a Tillage looking for an unarmed man or woman. No incident of recent date so plainly as this one, shows that it is neither revenge nor pity for the prisoner's victim, nor fear that the law may not adequately punish him, nor indigna tion at a brute who has committed the worst crime of all. This mob ascertained that the prisoner had escaped, and immediately recognizing thai the cause of congregating was the desire to torture and kill some one, they fired on the innocent and destroyed public property. Since the days of Adam the lowest grade of society has not advanced one step f rom sa -agery. And the higher grades need only to get a taste of blood to feel the tigerish exultation of killing. Therefore there is double need for men of character and bravery, men who would rather be right than be re elected by large majorities, who are not afraid to punish street car strik ers who denude women and destroy property. Instead of enlarging the limits of suffrage, 1 would see it re stricted to men and women who pay at least a certain small rent or own property. The hoodlum or anarchistic element has too large a vote. The damage the Akron crowd did last week will be paid for by the reason able, law-abiding men and women who deplore the conduct of their tur bulent fellow-citizens, but would be very much shocked, if it were pro posed to deprive them of their vote. There is a terrible injustice to good citizens in tbese lawless outbreaks which will continue until milennial mayors are elected, who are not afraid to do their duty, though it involves unpopularity with the lowest classes. J An Iridescent Dream. Senator Ingalls lost his influence in Kansas, not wholly because of the rise of the populist party, but because his experience in politics at Washington and at his home in Kansas had taught him that reform in politics and in the heart and methods of a politician was "An iridescent dream.' He had an excellent opportunity to observe the trading and the buying and selling between Kansas and Washington. It was, however, unpardonable that he should announce that reform was impossible. Parties must have plat forms and principles and aspirations, and the candidate who announces the truth, gives away a trade secret, hurts the business, and no party can afford to carry such a figurehead. Now Sen ator Ingalls may have been a trifle mre conceited than the average poli tician, though that is a hard saying. At any rate, some quality gave him courage to say what he thought. And what he thought was the result of his observation, which was. that in the long run. the men who bleated about reform were the most approach able for buyers looking for a bargain in votes. A lew people did not diog nose Senator Ingalls when he made this fatal speech as a bribe-taker and a bribe-giver, but only as a cynic who had been behind the scenes too long, wearing a pair of remarkably clear and unromantic glasses. It may have been just as well for him to re tire when he did, for it is certain his illusions were all gone and his sum mary of human nature accurate enough for one life-time. By instinct, the Anglo Saxon is de voted to high-sounding, conscience satisfying phrases. It is unfortu nately true that immoral practices do not shock us nearly so much as reck less, defiant denials of aspirations dear to us and deeply imbedded hopes of reaching finally an unearned, un-prepared-for heaven. See for example the numerous trials for heresy of Pres byterian ministers who have led blameless lives, but whose studies have led them to doubt the verbal in spiration of the Bible, or the doctrine of predestination. The Frenchman, as the editor of Scribner's Magazine has just pointed out, leads an Immor al life, knows it, admits it, and does not claim to have any principles superior to his practice, which would necessitate an accounting at once irritating, unsatisfactory and of daily recurrence. But then, as the editor says, "the Frenchman ignores the fact that the exact agreement of practice with principle is of the highest ethical value, the converse proposition is not true at all." To be a successful politician in America, it is necessary to have the appearance and the sound of deep moral conviction, both as to the wis dom and the possibility of reform. Senator Ingalls was unwilling to belie his experience, so he told the people that reform was an iridescent dream and the people never got over the shock, and be never got his place back. But I have always thought him an honest cynic. All the more because, being a well read, a traveled and a worldly-wise man, lie must have known how tenderly we regard the, sound of things. Children's Libraries. A Boston man, Mr. Charles Blrt well, designed a little book case, of white wood stained red, with a glass door and a yale lock. It has a shelf for fifteen books and above that an other for juvenile periodicals. The book-case, the books and the periodi cals cost only twenty-five dollars. The book-case and books were placed in a poverty stricken home in Boston and the child of the house, made cus todian of the books. Two other book cases were placed in homes under the care of responsible children These children selected from among their playmates the other members of the library group. The books were very carefully handled by the seventeen children who read all the books and returned them to Mr. Birtwell who is the secretary of the Boston Children's Aid Society.Receiving his loan back ha exchanged it for seventeen new books and lie hopes to keep up the supply till the groups are graduated into the . Boston public library. Such a chari ty might be tried here. Most of the children who use the Lincoln library, I suppose, are from homes, the par ents wherein have already contracted the reading habit. Modern libra rians and library boards believe in expansion and extension. The old fashioned librarian's principal func tion was the guardianship of the books. The new librarian's business is to see that the books are read by an increasing number every year. There is something wrong somewhere if the increase of readers does not hold its own in relation to the popu lation. If a certain class, which needs books most, will not come to the library, It is the library's duty and inspired mission to go to the people. Woman in the Paris Exposition. Mrs. Potter Palmer and the other women commissioners sent by the United States to Paris were Ignored by the French authorities. Mrs. John A. Logan, who Is peculiarly sensitive to affronts and accustomed to take the highest seat in her neighborhood, says that not only is the work of wo men permitted no proper display but that the opposition of the Exposition managers to women commissioners has left even Mrs.Potter Palmer with out recognition. The women com missioners have not been invited to