The advocate and Topeka tribune. [volume], December 28, 1892, Page 5, Image 5

About The advocate and Topeka tribune. [volume] (Topeka, Kan.) 1892-1894

Image provided by: Kansas State Historical Society; Topeka, KS

                
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THE BEASOIT OF IT.
Plymouth, Mich., Dacember 17, 1892.
Dbab Sib Being a subscriber of ycur
paper, I take the liberty of asking if you
will state in your next issue why it is that bo
few of the certificates of the Sherman act
of 1890 are in circulation when it ia said so
many are issued on the silver bullion pur
chased. Very few are in circulation here
and hare not been since the enactment.
Enlightenment on this question would
greatly oblige. The circulating medium ia
ery scarce and times dull. Yours,
F. Hall.
The Advocate has already ex
plained this matter several times.
The facts were brought to light by
the late Senator Plumb in the dis
cussion of a resolution he introduced
in the United States senate during
the session following the adoption of
the Sherman act. Daring this dis
cussion it was ihown that the secre
tary of the treasury, instead of issu
ing silver certificates in exchange for
the silver bullion purchased, gives
his check upon the sub-treasury in
New York. The holder of the check
presents it for payment, and as tbe
silver certificates provided for are re
deemable on demand in gold or ail
ver com at the option of the secretary
of the treasury, the trifling formality
of issuing the certificates is omitted.
The holder of the certificates would
have the right to demand their re
demption, and tbe treasury c fficials
would have the right to redeem them
in gold, and in order to save trouble,
the check is simply pail in gold In
practice, therefore, the Sherman act
simply enables the Wall street specu
lators in silver bullion to sell it to
the United States for gold, and v-ry
few of the silver certificates provided
for have ev-r been issued. This is
the reason why so few of them are in
circulation.
does it correspond with the general to coin it and put it in circulation as
prosperity literature found on the money among our people? If so, let
editorial pages of these same papers, ! it dump.
but it has more truth in it than either
the message or the editorials.
A FAI2 COUNT.
The second night after the recent eleotion
a state oflWal from Topeka r teppd from a
train at midnight in an eastern tier county
seat, waked up the republican county clerk,
went with him to his office, stayed in it an
hoar or more, then txk train to Topeka,
where he arrived about sun up, and wnt
home by a back street. When the commis
sioners met to oanva's the returns of that
county, the envelopes containing the re
turns from the different wards and town
ships were found to have been opened. The
county clerk said he had to open them to
get the ballots out of them, as they should
have been sent separately. Does any one
question that fraud was committed in this
oasef The state offioial wasreotgnizedas
be passed under a etreet lamp by those who
knew him well, as he was long a resident of
the place. This is but one of many instances
whioh can and will be proven. Jefferson
ian, Deoember 22.
"Why withhold the name of the
state official and the county clerk, or
the couaty in which this affair oc
curred! Let us have them in full
While it is not difficult to guess who
the state official is, we would like to
ee it spelled out in cold type.
The report of the sub-committee of
the house committee appointed to in
vestigate the sweating system has
found a place in the columns of the
press of the old parties during the
past few days. It hardly justifies
the statements made by the president
in his annual message respecting the
universal prosperity of the American
people and the equil distribution of
the luxuries and comforts of life, nor
NEEDS OF THE CITY POOS.
The New York Voice some time ago
asked the. following question:
" What can be done to alleviate at
once the miseries of the poor in our
cities f "
In answer to this question, several
writers of national reputation have
given their views. Among these, the
following seems to us to be the most
comprehensive and philosophical of
the answers given:
Editor of the Voica: There would be
no difficulty in answering this question if
our people had but the right disposition
Indeed, a hundred years ago Pennsylvania
answered it:
'If euoh Door nerson be able to work,
but oannot find employment, it shall be the
duty of the overseers to provide work for
him. according to bis ability, and for this
purpose they shall prooure suitable places
ana a sutnoient stoos or materials''
Let government furnish suitable, produo-
tive work. All objections are untenable.
The public workshops will be crowded. So
rauoh the better, since a man at all able to
work can alway earn his living and more
The products will depress those of private
enterprises in the market. Then let the poor
work to satisfy each other's necessities let
the tailor make clothing for the shoemaker,
-shi!e tbe latter makes shoes for the former.
No, it is fellow-sympathy that our people
are lacking, not alms-giving (it is the
charitable feature that condemns Booth's
soheme); most of them still share the dis
position, whioh makes the editor of the
Washington Post speak of men and women
as " human garbage," and the delusion that
they have no vital relation with any one but
their class. We sorely need a higher moral
ity and philosophy that shall convince our
heads and hearts that our own social and
eternal welfare is bound up with that f
all men. The cry now heard of obligatory
trade unions and industrial arbitration pre
pares us for it; and when we breathe the new
spirit shall be ready for muoh more than
giving work to the poor.
Laub&nos Gronlcnd.
Washington, D. C.
D02TT DODGE.
The Truth, of San Antonio, Texas,
undertakes to defend Dr. Macune
against the charge of participation in
the plot of sending out democratic
campaign documents as official Alii
ance matter. In doing this it entirely
ignores the positive evidence in the
case. In our charge against Dr. Ma
cune we make no attempt to hold him
responsible for the printing or mail
ing of the documents which Mr. Till
man claimed to have had printed and
mailed himself. Bnt what of the
Economist supplement? The Truth
says not a word about it. All we have
written in regard to this matter here
tofore since the Memphis meeting is
in reference to the crooked work con
nected with the printing and mailing
of that supplement. Let the Truth
examine that matter, and we will
await its explanation of the facts we
have presented. Don't dodge.
LET THE DUMP BEGIU.
Cold chills chase each other up and
down the spinal column of our great
financiers lest America should be
come the damping ground for the
world's silver if our mints are opened
for its free coinage. Will the world
dump its silver upon our shores as a
free will offering provided we agree
On the other hand, if it is brought
here to exchange for our surplus
commodities we can suffer no harm
from that transaction. There is no
conceivable circumstance by which
any injury could come to us through
the free coinage of a metal the bul
lion price of which regulates the price
of our agricultural products.
Let the damp begin.
IDIOQY.
The New York Journal of Finance,
in an editorial advocating the repeal
of the Sherman silver act of 1890,
closes as follows:
. The repeal oannot be brought about too
soon, and if it is accompanied by leaisla
tion requiring that payment of oustoms
duties shall be made with gold, and the
gradual retirement of a portion of our paper
currency, an end will have oome to the sil
ver agitation.
This is the kind of rot with which
the Wall street organs are filled from
day to day. It will probably dawn
upon these eastern financiers event
ually that tne "silver agitation" will
not be as easily disposed of as here
indicated.
A MEMORIAL OF THE LATE S. H.
WOOD.
Mrs. S. N. Wood has prepared and
published a neat memorial volume
commemorat ve of the life and ser
vices oi ner nusband wnicn every
Kansan fand every friend of liberty
throughout the land will desire to
read. Its historical reminiscences of
the early struggl for freedom in Kan
sas, and the copious quotations from
those who, with Col. Wood, partici
pated in that struggle the narrative
of his army service daring the war
of the rebellio t and his participat on
in the subsequent events that make
up the hist ry of Kansas, are all of
great interest in themselves, and hat
interest is intensified by the tragic
end of the subject of the memorial at
a time when human life should have
been safe in 'he state to which his
services had been dev ted Th story
of the murder of Col. Wood, the con
spiracy by whioh it was brought
about, and the brutality of its execu
tion, are subjects concerning which
all have desired information, and two
chapters of the book relate to these
matters. The names of the conspira
tors are given and the story of their
infamy is thus recorded in perma
nent form. The book contains 257
pages, to which is appended CoL
Wood's manifesto giving a complete
history of the legislative proceedings
of 1890-91. The price is 1.50 in cloth
and $1.00 in paper. The book will be
mailed postage paid on receipt of
price at this office.
ERRATUM,
In Mr. Easterly's paper contributed
to the Reform Press Association, pub
lished in another column, in the sec
tion enumerating laws demanded a
typographical error occurs. " Corpo
rational" representation should read
proportional representation.
Dealers in fine cattle should notice the
offer in this issue of a Jersey calf for
sale.
THE SUPREME COURT.
Mandamus Proceedings Brought to Test
Important Ppinti of Election Law.
On December 24 mandamus proceed
ings were commenced in the Kansas
supreme court to test certain legal ques
tions involving tbe validity of election
certificates recently issued by the state
canvassing board for the office of repre
sentative. Tbe counties involved are
Haskell, Coffey, Republio and Jackson.
In tbe Haskell county case (whioh has
been explained in tbe Advocate) the pe
tition sets forth that "The relator (Rosen
thal) has sustained great wrong and
injury, and bas been deprived of the
right to bae it determined and declared
by said state board of canvassers that he
was the duly elected representative from
the said Twelfth district, and for tbe
wrong and injury so suffered by him. he
has no remedy in the ordinary course of
the law." He therefore prays the court
to grant a writ of mandamus directed to
the board o! state canvassers demanding
them to forthwith assemble at the office
of the secretary of state, and without
delay to canvass corrected returns made
by tbe county clerk, and now on file in
the secretary's office, and make out to
Rosenthal a certificate of election.
The Coffey county case is that of 0. M.
Rice against the county commissioners
and clerk, setting forth that they unlaw
fully and intentionally failed to count
one vote in Avon township that was cast
for Rice, and asking that the defendants
be commanded to re-convene and make a
correct statement to the secretary of
state. As nothing is said in the petition
about tbe lottery in the secretary's office,
it is inferred that the question of whether
the state board proceeded legally or not
is simpley held in abeyance" and may be
considered after it is deoided whether or
not Rice has a majority. Tbe contest
reaches back of tbe canvass made bv the
state board.
The Republio county case in between
J. W. Wilda (Populis') and J. M. Poster
(republican), tbe Utter to whom the cer
tificate was issued. It in on th legality
of votes cast for Foster, on which wa the
number of another district than that in
which tbe voters lived.
In tbe Jackson county case the point
is as to tbe legality of votes cast in th9
city of Holton, which ia not in any dis
trict (t mistake of tin last legislature).
E l. Shellabarger is contesting as against
Niok Kline.
In the first named case Chief Justice
Horton allowed the alternative writ to
command the board to meet December
SO and re canvass the Haskell county
vote. Ia the latter three cases he set
January 3 as the date when the defend
ants should appear and show cause why
tbe alternative writs should not be
allowed. Judge W. C. Webb and O. C.
Clemens are tbe Populist attorneys.
Deferred Pensions.
WASHUfOTox. December 24. General
Green B. Raum, pension commissioner.
has expressed surprise at tbe publication
of tbe statement that tbe pension bureau
was holding up about 200,000 adjudi
cated claims because there was not money
enough in tbe treasury to pay them. MI
cannot imagine," said tbe commissioner,
44 how such a story originated, unless it
was based upon a table contained in my
annual report. In that table I gave the
condition of the business of the bureau
on October 12, which showed that
184,796 claims were on the completed
files apparently complete. But these
claims were not and are not now held
up. I shall publish a statement to-morrow
showing that the number had been
reduced to 150,000 up to December 10."