McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1884-07-24

Gus sect, strongly 1ntrenched IN one or the
| territories OF the Union. and spreading rapidly
into four other territories, claims the right 10
| destroy the great safeguard and monument of
| social order, and to practice as religious
privilege that which Is q crime punished with
severe penalty In every state of the. Union.
| The sacredness and unity of the family must
| be preserved as the foundation of all civil
government, as the source of orderly admin.
| istration, as the surest guarantee of moral
purity. -'F
dhyne aptse h tS raSsse
certain heather tribes If they should come
| among us, to- continue the rite OF. human sac
rifice. The law does not interfere with what q
man believes; 1t takes cOgnizance only of what
he does. AS citizens, the Mormons are enti-
tied to the same civil rights as others, and to
these they must be confined. Poygamy can
never receive n atonal sanction or liberation
by admitting the community that upholds it
as a state in the. Union. Like others, the
MOrmons must learn that, the liberty of the
individual ceases where the rights TO society
begin. 'l--J--- .--- $50 '.' IT, 2 OF
f-r OUR CURRENCY. Nv I'D.
The people of the n United States, though
often urged and tempted, have never serious
ly contemplated the recognition of any other
money than gold and silver-and currency di-
rectly convertible into them. They have not
done SO, they will not do so, under any neces-
sity less pressing than that of desperate war.
The one special requisite for the completion of
our monetary system is the fixing of the rela-
tive values of silver and gold. The large use
of silver as the money of account among
Asiatic nations, taken in connection with the
increasing commerce of the world, gives the
weightiest reasons for an international agree
ment in the premises. Our government
common standard of value shall be reached
and establiShed-a standard that shall enable
the United States to use the silver from its
mines as an auxiliary TO gold in settling the
balances of commercial exchange.
THE PUBLIC LANDS.
The strength of the republic is increased by
the multiplication of land owners. Our laws
should look to the judcious encouragement
of actual settlers on the public domain, which
should hencofOrth be held as a sacred trust
for the benefit of those seeking homes. The
tendency to consolidate large tracts of land in
the ownership of individuals or corporations
| should, with proper regard to vested rights, be
discouraged. One hundred thousand acres of
land in the hands of one man is far less profit
able to the nation in every way than when its
ownership is divided among one thousand
men. The evils of permitting large tracts of
| the public domain to be consolidated and con-
trolled by, the few against the many is en-
HANGED when the persons controlling it are
aliens. 1t is but fair that the public land
should be disposed of only to actual settlers
and to those who are citizens of the republic,
or willing to become so.
OUR SHIPPING INTER ESTS.
Among our national interests one anguish
| es-the foreign carrying trade. 1t was very
seriously crippled in our civil war, and anoth-
| er blow was given to it in the general substi-
frontage on the two great oceans, with a
freightage larger than that of any other ma
ton, we have every inducement to restore our
navigation. Yet the government has hitherto
refused its help. A small share OF the en-
cOuragement given by the government to rail-
ways and to manufactures, and small share
of the capital and the zeal given by our citi-
Zens to those enterprises would have carried
our ships to every sea and to every port. A
law just enacted removes some of the burdens
upon our navigation and inspires hope that
this great interest may at last receive its due
share of attention. All efforts in this direc-
ton should receive encouragement.
SACREDNESS OF THE BALLOT.
This survey of our condition as nation re-
minds us that material prosperity is but
mockery if it does not tend to preserve the
liberty of the people. "A free ballot is the
safeguard of republican institutions, without
which no nationalwelfare is assured. A pop
ular election honestly conducted embodies the
very majesty of true government. Ten mil
lions of voters desire to take part in the pend
ing contest. The safety of the republic rests
upon the integrity of the ballot, upon the Sc
curity of suffrage to the citizen. To
deposit a fraudulent vote is no worse i crime
against constitutional liberty than to obstruct
the deposit of an honest vote. He who cor
ruptS suffrage strikes at the very root of free
government. He is the arch enemy of the re-
public. He forgets that in trampling upon
the rights of others he fatally imperils his
own rights. ut is a good land which the Lord
our God doth give u.s. but we can maintain
our heritage only by guarding,with vigilance
the source of popular power. am, with great
regpect, your Obedient servant,
JAMES q