Dakota farmers' leader., December 19, 1890, Image 3

About Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??

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LETTER .TQ ./I.
jriir gjrttom IVopoaed for tfie Inde
Meut l'arty, Baaed on Builnoii PHn
pie*.—Two Issnes before the People.
5eab Sik:—Your communication
In the Liberty Bell advising the
meeting of farmers and laboring men
:to discuss political and financial
ouestionsis no doubt a good one.
Batf the reading of at least one
independent paper is a necessity to
any. man who would be an intelligent
v?,terj,a8
the
S- o. p. papers Bystem-
Mically suppress or misrepresent
every thing which would injure their
party. Now the Libert Bell, has
SP®0®^ its columns for all honest re
viSifipfrmers to exchange ideas—not to
wrangle and misrepresent each
other's theories, but to assist each
other in reaching right conclusions
principles. In presuming to
er your request allow ihe to say
a banker and further I do
®eve you need any advice from
km, but I claim to have some
ledge of political economy,
ext to your article in the same
paper is one signed "A Farmer,"
which sets forth many of the reasons
given in support of a protective tariff.
It is a godd article and a truthful and
strong argument in its main points.
Notice particularly tliat part where
he says "Their interest and aim is to
secure commercial supremacy." Now
what is commercial supremacy?
Just this: if I in my dealings with
other men buy more than 1 sell and
thus become indebted to them they
fc.Wi.Y'.'v.jggghave commercial supremacy over me.
And vice versa. Just the same be
Wi tween nations as individuals. Did
friFM ofcever know an individual to hab
tti&lly pay out annually large
ms more than his income from all
rces and yet remain prosperous?
.^because that would be impossible
dit is just as impossible for a na
tion as for an individual.
Now where "A Farmer" makes his
mistake is in assuming that the pro
tective tariff has prevented and will
§g prevent other nations from securing
^ri^fi commcircial supremacy over us. We
have had a protective tariff now since
MM'and'it has utterly failed in that
respect. The buroaq of statistics
shows a balance of trade against us
m: pi since 1838 including gold and silver
r^ of more than eighteen hundred mil
'lions of dollars largely accumulated
«ince 1861. I have figured up the
Hi? amounts, taking the different years
111 and adding together to get the result
L® an*kno^ am telling the truth. So
money has been exported. That
la precisely the evil which the pro-
*jj( "tective tariff was to prevent and
''v S which "X Farmer" assumes }t has pre
vented and will prevent, and yet here
4, fev'^are the facts which I have stated.
jeltlr Any one can examine the government
reports and know for himself it is
Now there are three ways by
which large amounts of money are
Utaken from us-to' foreign countries:
jgfet, in payment for imported goods,
fcond, by our citizens traveling in
"foreign countries. Third, interest
and principal paid on corporate loans
Kmii negotiated In foreign countries. Of
fthe two last the government has no
knowledge and'collects no statistics.
fill The merchandise, all classes, exported
Jill ^as been usually since 1873 larger than
imports, leaving a balance in .our
1 1
favor, but in foreign travel and pay
ment of interest on lofcns there ia
fsg every year a heavy balance against?
US.
-y I have a letter from the chief of the
bureau of statistics in answer to my
inquiry, showing that a little over
1 200,000 of our people visit foreign
countries, other than Canada, and
J! Mexico, annually. 1 estimate the ex
p! pense at $75,000,000. Then the pa.v
88$ ment of interest can hardly be less
than $100,000,000 and may be more.
Two years ago the Financial Ghron
icle, of New York, estimated the toal
ance against this country at $161,000,
"000 for that year. Last year there was
property in this country sold to fo'r-
QllmSmm «Ign syndicates to 'the extent of $200,
',Vr ooo,000 which probably just about rep-
1
yfev wan
{hut
resents the balance of trade against us
on all items for that year. This bal
/Viance at present i£* being re-ih vested
ihere. It is not taken out of the coun
Suppose now that your neighbor
owes $1,000 at ten per cent interest, at
the end end of the year he says I don't
want to pay that interest at present
will give you a note for $100 at 10
cent. You want your money out
drawing Interest and you take the
S note. That isrepeated year after year
t" until you become alarmed and de
'ij rj,.mand your money. Then the other
sm
fellow has a financial panic. Now you
smm$ represent England and your neigh
hor the United States, and you can
'i see the point. The fact that these
debts are corporate debts makes no
difference. The corporations collect
from the people tapay them and con
cfeiqtieiitly it is debts -of the coun
try as much as government bonds are
i^ow take the other statement of "A
Warmer" that last year we Imported
$624,000,000 worth of foreign merchan
dlse a large part of which might just
as well have been produced at home,
•_ i.-/. which is true and then think of bow
to p®y $200,000,000 annually to other
countries easier and better for us,
than to shut out that amount of im
ports and manufacture that much
more- ourselves. If you learn such
way please let me know, as I have
'•f'k -1 not been able to do so. We can not
increase our exports in quantity very
much because the world's market will
not absorb more.- Even if we reduce
3«,our selling price others must do the
same and we would lose value with
out gaining quantity of sales. Our
iiighe8t balances of trade on exports
"'V* and imports were when money was
comparatively plenty and prices high,
fjv —was from 1877 to 1885. So the idea
that our exports will largely increase
with a low tariff and low prices for
MvVfc labor aud conseauentlv low prices ot
&\S\ farm produce and merchandise is
simply nonsense, or if not what, good
4" could come to us by reducing every
thing to the European standard? A
tariff that is best for you is best for
your neigbor also, although you may
he a free trader and he a protection
11st. You can not both be right in
Lw
£ri'
I your opinions then do not quarrel,
f^r,, but go to work calmly to learn which
ki -, 7i Is best and then work together. That
srA^ 1 Is the reform idea.
•--^y a Now I will explain why and how
•%..' our protective system has proven a
'fraud. The protective system was
E"" lanned and intended to encourage
ome industries, to make us commer
cially independent by keeping our
money at nome and that conld be
done only by keeping the balance of
-?-r
trade'in our favor. This tariff law
enacted at the commencement of a
great war which for four years oc
cupied the attention of the whole
country. During that time a great
amount of money was put in circu
lation which naturally increased
manufacturing and business of all
kinds by raising prices* while im
mense quantities of foreign goods
were imported and large amounts of
money borrow* d'from Europe to build
new railroads. In short there was a
great, boom and wild speculations.
The forge balance of trade agaiust us
took the money directly back to Eu
rope and then we borrowed it again,
giving more bonds, then it was col
lected from the people and returned
by the Corporations and importers,
and we borrowed again through other
corporations. And the ptoce'ss is
still going on and these debts still in-,
creasing.
Late reports show the debts of
railroad corporations in the United
States to be over $9,000,000,000. A
few days ago a large corporation in
the northwest arranged with Euro
pean parties for a loan of $40,000,000.
Many of the corporations have their
bonds in English money to accom
odate the English buyers. The low
rate of interiest there and the high
rate of interest here is sure to trans
fer large amounts of thpse that are
considered safe,. as our government
and the corporations have been very
careful that no knowledge of this
matter should reach the public. Let
us suppose that one half of the money
owned ih Europe at 5 per cent inter
est, the annual interest, would be
$225,000,000, Remember you repre
sent England aiid your neighbor the
United States,.still paying the inter
est with other notes and bonds, and
you will understand what we may ex
pect in the future.
Suppose again that thirty years ago
our {government had issued treasury
notes and loaned the money to the
corporations to build railroads and
taken first mortgage bonds and rig
idly compelled annual payment of
iuterest at
5
per cent and prohibited
any over i6sueof stock or tne borrow
ing of foreign money, pur railroads
would now be owned by the govern
ment ahd the people of the country,
the debts of the corporations not
more than half what they now are,
the interest going to support the
government instead of being exported
to other countries, and more than one
thousand millions of our money,
which bad been exported, remained
ih this country where it has.been and
is now so badly needed. A little or
dinary Intelligence and common hon
esty was required at that time, but
was lacking. The leading politicians
instead of trying honestly to Carry out
the protective policy as at first In
tended, joined the crowd of shysters
and speculators located in New
Yoi*k add London and have used
nearly every means in their power to
rob instead of benefit the masses,
while the latter held up their handi.
Their legislation on the Pacific rail
roads and finance ought to shame the
devil, and we ought to be ashamed of
keeping such a gang in office so long.
The different laws which they passed
I can not take dine or space here to
enumerate or describe. You no doubt,
are acquainted with many of them.
Now I will propose. that the Inde
pendent party adopt the following as
a definite tariff policy for the future:
First, congress shall take such ac
tion as will compel every corporation
to report annually the amount of its
stock and bonds owned by foreigners,
and rates of interest dividends.
Second, to collect statistics of for
eign travel of our citizens showing the
amount of money exported in that
way, also the amount of money
brought here by immigrants and any
other statistics which may be neces
sary to ascertain approximately the
actual balance of trade between this
and other countries in all lines of
business.
Third, Thus having obtained the
necessary intelligence on which to
base an honest tariff system the
tariff shall be adjusted as to give a
small balance of trade in our favor.
Germany and France prohibited the
importation of American pork into
those countries for precisely that rea
son, to maintain the balance in their
favor, although the excuse was that
our pork was unhealthy. They have
a sharp contest to keep even, but
England is so far ahead of all the
rest of the world with foreign in
vestments and such vast sums of in
terest and dividends paid to her peo
ple annually that she can import mer
chandise in excess of her exports, from
four to eight hundred millions of
dollars worth annually, and yet on
the whole have a heavy balance of
trade in his favor. Now it is abso
lutely true-that any nation situated
as Ireland or Egypt is under complete
control, comniercialy, of other na
tions, can never give prosperity and
protection to its own people, no mat
ter how well and justly its Internal
affairs are managed in other respects,
because its money is constantly taken
by its foreign creditors. It is in
precisely the same condition as so
many western farmers, gathering
every dollar possible and sending
away to pay the annual interest,
leaving a chronic condition of pov
erty at home.
But some one says issue more
money. Yes there should be more.
But what good would it be to pump
water into a trough to fill it, with a
hole in the bottom as large as the
stream you pump in? Ordinary intel
ligence would say stop the leak first.
And it is just ordinary intelligence,
such as the farmer and merchant all
the time use in their personal affairs,
which we need in national affairs.
Use it and be independent of the po
liticians.
So far 1 have been speaking of the
affairs and interests of the nation as
a unit but there is another side that
is so broad I snail only mention it in
this letter. First, then, a country
like England with great wealth and' a
large balance of trade in its favor,
may by unjust class legislation (other
than the tariff) keep the masses of its
people in abject poverty. AH politi
cal power both in England and the
United States is held at present'by
the wealthy class. That fact ac
counts for class legislatfon and indi
cates the result. If our present, poli
tical system remains, it needs a
thorough overhauling and refitting to
make it meet modern requirements.
The trust for instance, which is an
outgrowth, a developement of modern
business conditions, must be nation
alized. It is a mistaken idea to sup
pose the trust is caused by either
foria of tariff sir either political party.
First all business was done by in
dividuals, then by corporations, then
by a combination of corporations
called trusts. Competition becomes
too sharp hence the trusts. Men who
work for these are oppressed and will
be made slaves there is an irrepres
sible conflict between the trusts, the
monopolies and the. masses of the
people. The people must own them
or they will own the people. You
will notice then there are two dis
tinct issues to be met, one in regard
to foreign dealings, the other oiir
home regulations. Both must be
righty adjusted to insure prosperity
to the masses. Independent.
Sioux City, Iowa. Dec. 5,1890. .....
Money tomdert Complalnlnc.^
The following is a dispatch from
Topeka,.under date of November 22,
which is undoubtedly for the purpose
of trying to scare some of the People's
Representatives:
"The bitter hostility that has been
expressed during the campaign by the
People's party leaders toward all mon
ey-lenders is already acting against
the best interests of farmers of this
state. One of the leading banking
houses of New York has sent out the
following:
'"The reported control of the Kan
sas legislature by the Farmers' Alli
ance disposes us to make no more in
vestment in your state for the present.
We are apprised that such control ex
ists and will be made manifest in the
next legislative session by adverse
legislation toward mortgage creditors
resident outside the state, so far as
such legislation can be constitution
ally enacted, and perhaps much fur
ther. With this menace of hostility
can we go on increasing the amountof
loans there? We hope this condition
of things may be only temporary, but
we cannot disregard it. We do not
care for any new business, at least un
til after the next legislature has ad
journed. l&llp
Old Soldisr* Don't Lllic Fraud*.
Do the old soldiers who' voted for
Alliance men and elected Democrats
expect to hear of the service pension
bill passing eongress very soon?—
Ainmcorth £kar.
Sat, Tom. a republican congress
passed the pauper pension bill and
pigeon-holed the serice pension bill.
What's biting you?—itodfc County
Bugle.
Tax: old soldiers have ceased to ex
pect their rights from either of the
qld parties, so they have gone into the
political business, with a party which
demands a service pension. l%ere
are two old soldiers in the Sun office
who have quit the Republican party
for something better.—Sheridan
County Sun.
Apropos of this entrance of woman
into so wide afield ot pursuits and the
bearing sustained in some unusual
branches of labor, it is said that Mrs.
Nicholas of New Orleans, the only wo
man in the country who holds the posi
tion of editor and proprietor,, is so
quiet and low voiced and refined in
manner that she would never be sus
pected of being the
great power behind
the New Orleans Picayune. An
other instance is that of a New
York lady, who at the death of her
husband, could only earn $5 by two
weeks work at sewing. She mastered
machinery nntil she became fore
woman in afactory at $8 a week, and
then by night study gained a know
ledge of bookkeeping, which secured
her a salary of $12 a week and finally
led to the development of talent in
another direction, so that she is
now able to earn $3,000 a year steadily
as a writer of advertisements. And
yet this lady preserves her womanly
tastes and delights in the artistic
home she has earned and is gentle of
voice and manners. Records of wo
man's achievements in. new lines of
work are delightful in proportion as
they bear this dual witness of strength
combined with the softer graces and
there are countless numbers in the
United States to-day who are versed
in affairs and can talk or write "on
mind and art, and labor and changing
mart, and all the frame work of the
land," and still sustain thetrue man
ly ideal of woman as portrayed by Glad
stone: Woman is tne most perfect
when the ihost womanly."
The New York World says: "The
Alliance men of Kansas made a great
feature in the late campaign of ad
vertising their poverty. In this they
weresuccessful, but it was not a val
uable advertisement for Kansas as a
farming country." The "country"
had nothing to do with the griev
ances of which the Farmers' Alliance
complained. The soil and the cli
mate are not responsible for the de
pression of the agricultural industry
in Kansas. There is no other state
in the union where farming can be
made so renumerative under proper
conditions, as in Kansas, or where it
can be carried on with as small an
outlay of labor and money. The
farmers movement in Kansas was or
ganized for the purpose of correcting
abuses which have prevented the
tillers of the soil from realizing the
results to which they are entitled by
reason of the superior advantages
which the state affords in the way of
natural facilities for a profitable cul
tivation of the soil, when they ob
tain the concession which they are
now in a position to demand, Kan
sas will present the most inviting
field for agriculture between the
Atlantic and Pacific oceans.—Kansas
City Star.
I is remarkable what changes can
be brought about in a short space of
time. It is also remarkable to what a
degree of solicitude the papers through
out the country are espousing the
cause of the farmer. No matter what
their political or religious belief they
are all with one accord intesestad in
the advancement of the interests of
the farmers and acknowledge that he
has grievances that should be heard
and righted. This sudden and unex
pected change has come about since
the 4th of November. Quite a differ
ent song to that chanted before that
date.—Nevada (Mo.) Jndustlial Seview.
RKAD the following choice bit of in
formation from Chauncy Depew,
president of the New York Central
railroad system:
"Fifty men in these United States
have it within their power, by reason
of the wealth they control, to come
together within twenty-four hours
and arrive at an understanding
by which every wheel of trade and
commerce may be stopped from revolv
ing, every avenue of trade blocked and
every electric key struck dumb.—Ex.
'i!'"iiii.i.ji
Stand by Vour Friends.
There are aphorisms and aphor
isms, says the National View, but
none more worthy of application than
the ope we hbve selected for the head
of this article. We believe in it here,
now and all the time. He who wiil
not do it, but instead slinks away
into the darkness, where he .cannot
be seen, is unworthy and deserves
nqthing but shame. But he who at
once recognizes the obligation and
thereupon comes to the front to man
ifest his regard does a noble and.
praiseworthy act. To be a friend you
must be a friend indeed, without any
shifts or cutoffs.
Friendship is a sacred obligation
which may not be trifled with. You
must be true to its claims and un
questioned as its requirements. It
naB a meaning and a significance
which no. dereliction can excuse or
palliate. It is the most sensitive in
the hour of extremity or misfortune.
Then it expects recognition and ac
knowledgement, if ever. Certainly
'this is due and cannot be ignored.
If it is worth anything then Is the
time to show it. Who doubts or
hesitates, loosens his hold and forfeits
his claims. So nature works and
man disposes.
Confidence is inspired when men
are true to their convictions, when
they act in good faith and value
honor more than place. Then manli
ness rises superior to any mere selfish
trappings, or fictitious seeming or
pretense. Then, too, a man stands
by his friends and pays no discount.
All that he desires to know is that
his assistance is needed, and he
stapds forth ready to respond to any
reasonable demand. Unhappily there
are too many who do not answer to
this obligation, who shirk the duty
and run away from its claims. In
gratitude is the only response they
offer for favors already granted.
Thus they go back on the most
sacred impulses of our nature, and the
finest sensibilities thereof, that move
the generous activities of men. A
sad commentary on individual integ-,
rity and the finer impulses which are
supposed to move the actions and
stiffen the fraternities of friends.—
Omaha United Labor.
?$§-'
The
silver BUI.
When congress was petitioned for
free coinage of silver, the pretence
was set up, that such a bill was more
in the interest of tne farmeis, than in
the interest of the silver men, for it
would have added to the value of farm
products from twenty to thirty per
cent., thus giving to them about one
fcfurth more to settle balances. The
interest of the farmers, when the gold
men diotate legislation, goes unheeded.
So congress deprives the farmer of
this means of paying and puts on a
tariff to increase taxation. All done
for their benefit, of course it is, done
to make products cheap. Thus the
circulating medium is contracted, to
make farm products cheap and a tariff
if added to make manufactured pro
ducts dear. A two edged sword that
cuts both ways.—Glad&ook [la.) Labor
Review.
A GREAT many people seem to think
the Alliance and Independent party
identical. This is erroneous. In the
declaration of the principles of the Al
liance we assert that one of the pur
poses of the order is to benefit our
selves politically. This can be done,
according to Milton George, the
founder of the Alliance, either
through existing parties or through
an Independent party. In Nebraska
the movement was Independent, and
was successful beyond a degree hoped
for by many of the most sanguine of
our members. We have two congress
men out of three and a majority on
joint ballot over both Democrats and
Republicans in the next legislature.
This has given us encouragement, and
we aregoing to have every state official
two years hence. Haven't the people
aright to do this kind of work? Why
not?—Lincoln (Neb.) Alliance Tribune.
The new tariff bill admits free of
duty human hair. With the duty
taken from the fine tooth comb the
average farmer could spend his leis
ure evenings chasing hayseed through
his wad of imported human hair by
the brilliancy of that free-from
duty diamond in his shirt front.—
Nevada (Mo.) Industrial Review,
Tom men whose giant intellects
conceived nothing more in the Alli
ance movement than the saving of a
few nickles on groceries, dry goods,
etc. are now standing with open
mouths and their hands in their
pockets wonderine when the proces
sion went by.—Western Advocate.
"A jjjbt reading of the constitution
is this: 'Congress shall have power to
coin money, emit bills of credit, and
make anything besides gold a^id silver
coin a legal tender in payment of
debts.' "—Daniel Webster.
Jay Gould is a few million dollars
richer than he was two weeks ago
and a good many others are poorer
and wiser. This is the net result of
the reeent financial convulsion.—
Grafton (Neb.) Leader.
A report is being circulated that
there is to be an Independent organ
started at Omaha with a capital stock
of $100,000. E. Thornton, of Kearney,
is spoken of as editor.
Frond orHU Yaari.
Among tbe most venerable men who
registered as voters in Brooklyn for the
last election was a tall man with ruddy
countenance and white hair and beard.
His form was erect, and he would easily
be taken for a man of 60.
As he approached the registry clerk
and announced his name there was a
general craning of necks to catch a
glympse of the proud-looking old man.
"What is yonr age?"
"Eighty-five years."
"Where were you born?"
"In Brooklyn."
"How long have you lived in the
state?"
"Eighty-five years."
"How long in the ward?"
"Eighty-five years."
"How long in the election district?"
"Eighty-five years."
"That's all, sir," said the clerk, and
an American citizen who was born in
1805 in the house in which he now lives
and has always lived walked away.—
New York Herald.
The man who never made a mistake i?
a son of the woman who never gossipec
and of the man who never had "the bos:
cure for rheumatism you ever saw."'—
Boston Traveller.
FIGURES AGKEED UPON
THE DAKOTA COMMISSION PIN~.
|H ISHB8 ITS LABOR. |j|
Satisfactory Adjustment of the Iridebted
edneu of North and South Dakota
Opinion Concerning the Term* ol
IjCounty Auditor*—Mews In Brief.
Sioux
Falls.
Dec.
13.—Charles
E.
McKinney, of Sioux Falls, one of the
South Dakota members of the Joint com
mission for the two Dakotas, has re
turned from, Bismarck where he attended
the last and'final session of the' commis
sion. All claims were disposed of one
way or another and the report of .the
commission will' be ready for the gov
ernor next week. The amount settled
upon as due North Dakota by her south
ern neighbor was, in round numbers,
$65,000,
which includes
$46,000
allowed"
by the former joint commission. There
are
$163,000
in outstanding territorial
warrants, including $12,000 interest,'
half of which belongs to each state. In
the final settlement reached South Da
kota assumes her own share, $81,000,
and
$65,000
of North Dakota's share,
leaving $10,000 as a balance in favor of
South. Dakota if she takes up all the ter
ritorial warrants outstanding and issues
bonds in their stead, which were the
terms of the settlement, North Da
kota agreeing to pay the $16,000 differ
ence in cash.
Many individual claims were allowed
by the commission at its last session, as
was the claim of the citizcns of Madison,
who advanced
$15,000*
to complete the
structure of the state normal school, for
which an appropriation had been made
the territory, but fell short of the
amount necessary to complete the build
ing. The Madison claim was allowed at,
$11,000, the.amount of the bonds issued
by the city of Madison to protect the
citizcns who had come to the assistance
of the board of trustees.
Mr. McKinley states that the South
Dakota commissioners received generous
treatment from the members of North'
Dakota. Everything was arranged in
the most friendly manner and adjusted
to the satisfaction of every member of
the joint commission. In fact, the com
missioners of North Dakota gave the
benefit of many doubtful questions to
South Dakota, which will accrue to the
latter's advantage to a considerable ex
tent.
•'1
1
I
Terms of County Auditor*.
PtERBK,
Dec.
13.—The
following opin­
ion has jnst been given by Attorney-Gen
eral Dollard, relating to the term of of
fice of county auditors, upon an inquiry
from W. B. Burr, a district attorney:
Responding to your request for the opln
iou of this office as to when tbe county
auditor is elected, in pursuance of section
5, article 0, of the constitution, in the coun
ties that had not hitherto such an office, I
would say that the section under consider
ation, while it provides that the term of
ofBce of the county officer therein men
tioned shall be two years, it no where to my
knowledge fixes the time when the term
shall commence. Tbe language of tbe sec
tion is that at the first general election held
after the admission of the state of South
Dakota into the union and every two years
thereafter, there shall be elected a clerk of
the court, sheriff, county auditor, register
of deeds, treasurer, state's attorney, sur
veyor, coroner and superintendent of
schools, whose terms of office respectively
shall be two years, directs the mind to
such provjsions as govern the qualifica
tion and entry into office of the
other county officers mentioned, Sec
tion 1379 of the compiled laws
provides that, except when otherwise spe
cially provided, the regular term of office
for all county, township and precinct offi
cers when elected for the full term shall
commence on the first Monday In January
next succeeding their ejection, but if the
office to which he was elected be vacant at
the time of the election, even If he was not
elected to fill a vacancy, he shall forthwith
qualify and enter upon the duties of the of
fice. If the office of county auditor is va
cant, because previous to the election pro
vided for by the constitution no such office
existed, the provision for such an election,
conpled with the act of election, created it.
then the auditor-elect in such case should.
qualify and enter upon the performance of
his official duties. This is a difficult and
delicate question, but I am inclined to tbe
view that the office is not vacant in the
sense of the term as Used in the section of
the compiled laws' under consideration, as
every duty which devolves on that office at
tache* to the office of register of deeds, who
is ex-offlcio county clerk, and who under
authority of tbe schedule and ordinance of
the constitution, will continue to hold and
oxercise his office until suspended under the
constitution, which as the office of the
county auditor, may occur on the first Mon
day of January next.
A Clean B*oord.
One of the happiest men in South Da
kota is Judge C. S. Palmer of Sioux Falls.
For years, owing to peculiar circum
stances, his right to membership in that
grand organization of the G. A. B. has
been questioned. When a mere boy at
the age of
17
he entered the army as a
substitute for an older brother. He had
an older brother, S. M., who enlisted.
The latter was tbe chief support of the
family, and finally C. S. persuaded him
to remain at home and he (C. S.) would
go in his stead. Through the entire
service he always answered to the roll
call of S. M. Palmer, and when he was
mustered out it was under that name.
The judge never cared to have
the records of the war department
changed until about a year ago, when
for political purposes his right to mem
bership in the Grand Army was ques
tioned, and he was discharged. The
judge had joined the army from Ver
mont and he called upon Senator Ed
munds to help him out. An interview
was had with Secretary of War Proctor,
the result of which is that after a quar
ter of a century hps passed by an hon
orable certificate of discharge has' been
issued from the war department to C. S.
Palmer. Tbe National Tribune of Wash
ington, in commenting upon the circum
stances of the judge's enlistment, re
marked that no similar case has ever
come to light. -v
Dakota Hew*,
Yankton county has seventy artesian
wells.
It Is reported that the Sixth cavalry
will be stationed at Fort Meade.
Ax old-fashioned circular wolf hunt Is
proposed for Christmas at Blunt.
A VEIN of coal has been struck at
Winnebago agency, forty-five feet be
low the surface.
Is Clark county the Brotherhood of
Purpose has several indictments against
a large number of persons on the charge
of usury. One usurer has been con
victed.
Ben Abxold, the Bad river philoso
pher, was at Pierre the other day. Ben
brought with him the latest official dis
patch from the seat of war, to the effect
that Indians had stolen the Nebraska
line and were fast making it into lariats.
•i'.
COULD AND THE UNION PACIFIC^
What Director Amu Say* of the Road
and Its Future.
BOSTON, Mass., Dec. 9.—Director F. LAI
Amet of the Union Pacific says in an,
Interview with the Boston news bureau:
"The floating debt of the Union Pacific
was fully explained in last year's report.
It was set down then as about $15,500,n
000 in notes and accounts payable. It
has been reduced the past year about .,
$4,000,000 and is now about $11,500,000.J,
We sold $7,100,000 collateral trust bonds^'
issued against the Oregon Railway A
Navigation stock, and could at one time
have sold all the $13,000,000, but thought
it worth much more, so that on account
the Oregon Railway & Navigation stock
purchase we now have $6,000,000 bonds
unsold. We have besides
to show their faces in Dublin.
HOLDBN MUST HANG.
The Deslaloa of the Mlnneieta Cenrt At
firmed by the Highest Tribunal.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 9.—Clifton Holden,
the Redwood Falls murderer, must hang.
The United States surpeme court to-day
affirmed the decision of the Minnesota
court. By this decision the JShn Day
Smith execution law isdeclared constltu-
tional. Justice Harlan, in rendering tho
decision, has this to say relative to tho
"solitary confinement" section:
The only intarpetation of the act of 188#
that will give effect to tbe Intention of tho
legislature Is to hold as we do, that sectloa 1
4 of that act prescribing solitary confine-.
ment is applicable only to future offense*.
not to those committed prior to it* passage, i?
No principle la better settled tbm.lt th«
valid and Invalid portion of a statut# ara
capable of separation the latter may bo
designated'and the former enforced. I»
this view It does not appear that tho ap
pellant la kept In solitary confinement.
There is no ground, then, on which It cao
be held that the imprisonment is la viola
tlon of the constitutional provisions against
ex-post facto laws. The sentence of death
and the subsequent Imprisonment of tho
convict trader sentence and warrant of ex
ecution are ia accordance with tbe lawn of
the state as were when the offease waa
committed, and do not Infringe upon any
rights secured by tho constitution of tho
United States. The fourth section ef the
act of IMS I* so entirely distinct from tho
provisions upon which the rest ot the pstor
unrevaaled law relating to the sentence oC
death and subsequent Imprisonment with
ont solitary coaflnement that It may bo
held iaapplicabW to previous offenses and
therefore aa not affecting tho validity of
A"
1
11
$2,000,000
Or­
egon Railway St Navigation bonds:
for construction advances, and there
has been invested in the Portland
& Puget Sound road $800,000, and,'
new equipments $1?400.000, for which
bonds have not been sold. We have also
put a large amount of money into side
tracks, new shops at Cheyenne and Den
ver and the union passenger station and
freight depot at Omaha, as well as other
improvements. Mr. Gould knew about
the floating debt when he entered the
directory and he has discovered nothing:
new about it. He agreed to take care of
it, and has provided for the Jan. 1 re
quirements, which are less than $2,000,-
000.
"Mr. Gould expressed great" satisfao
tion Saturday at the apcearance of,
everything connected with the property
1
and the outlook for the future. He has^
no more idea of a receivership for his W
property than I have for the Ames build- v-1,
ing, I do not know of any scheme for
funding3 the Union Pacific debt. Bad
there been no. change in ownership
or- management there would havef
been no talk of it. We can easily pay it
when the railroad bond market revives.
No appeal was made to Mr. Gould, Mr.
Vanderbilt or anybody else to help the
Union Pacific. The first intimation wo
had that Mr. Gould wished to enter the
directory was in the newspapers, but. .,
Mr. Adams had many times expressed ,\
desire to get out of the harness."
v}?
nMM
THE IRISH SITUATION.
Home Kale I» D«ad According to the Llab- r"
lin "Kapro«n."
Dudlin, Dec. 9.—The Exprtst,
Independent conservative, says: "The
,!v
prospects for home rule fo* j'
Ireland at the next election are
A
as dead as Queen Anne. Irish public''''
opinion points to the continued popular- '1
ity of Parnell."
The Freeman's Joumal,in which Par
nell is understood to have, an interest,
to-day advocates on its own re
sponsibility, without recommending
the plan to either side on
grounds beyond its reasonableness, that
efforts be made by the two factions ot
the Irish party in ,the direction of con
ciliation and peace. It urges Messrs.
Dillon and O'Brien to return from tho $».
United States to Paris forthwith, andj S
that all the nationalist members of the"
house of Commons or delegates from
each section of the party assemble in.
conference in that city.
"With the full knowledge of all that
has happened to decide with them what
course to pursue, such conference," the
Journal says, "would not only provo
that the sections desire to hold together,
but would attract attention to tho
fact that .the -men in the front
rank are of the best and bravest of the
Irish party, and will preclude the set-,|
ting on fcot among their own people of &
an utterly fatuous break up in the tem-%»&
per of the party it took so many years to*]m&S§&
establish and consolidate." The Journal
assumes that tho threat of the secession
ists to start anew paper in Dublin is
threat against itself. It says it will be^w VV,/
delighted to welcome a new journal, but'
Warns the gentlemen who may be wil
ing to Invest money in anew paper that'
the hardest thing to make or unmake to
a good newspaper, and that the worst
time to start such a project is when the
promoters are at th§ lowest ebb of their' ',
popularity, many pi them hardly daring
J-
Ih'V
r:
such sentence aad Imprisonment. In thin
way effect may he given to both tho old and
the new law without rejecting any part of
either as Invalid under the ooostltattoa.
Died In the PalpU.
NBW BRUNSWICK, N. J., Dec. 9.—
While preaching to a large congregation
at the Bast Millstone Reformed, church ',
Sunday night, the pastor, Rev. Dr. J. H. i'
Strong, said: "A man might fall aa.
easy as the star. from heaven." Tha
next Instant his face turned ashy pale,
he ckitched wildly at the pulpit for say
port and then dropped on the floor In a
fit of apoplexy. The horrified congre
gation was spell bound for a momenta:
Then the cooler ones rushed to the proa-.
trate pastor and raised him from tb»
floor. He was taken home and died yea
terday morning. He was about 60.year*
of ago.
Veil IOO Feet aad Waa Killed
TOPEKA, Kan., Dec. 9.—Deegan, an
iron workman on the state house, fell
100 feet and was killed. He was horribly
mangled. Deegan is the ninth workman
killed within the last five years while at
work on the state house.
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