The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1888-08-10
The Campaign In Nebrs.ka.

Two-.hirds OF the people OF Nebraska are repubii.
cans. IL 10 safe to predict that Harrison and Morton
will carry the state by from twenty -nye to thirty
thousand majority. This majority IL assured even
II every republican paper and every republican cam
paign orator remain mute on the national Issues
from now until the Sd Of November. But there are
issues viisi TO the people OF this state which must
be fought out in the open arena. In this irrepreAsi.
bic contest party lines cannot safely be drawn.
The people OF Nebraska are confronted with grave
problems with which the next legislature must crap.
pie. Nebraska Is pnc OF the most taIr.dden states
In America. State taxes are higher In Nebraska
than In any state In the union, excepting alone Ne
vada. With u debt OF less than half q million. OF
which over fo1r hundred thousand dollars 10 Leld by
the permanent school fund. Nebraska last year lev
led 8 state tax OF elghty-one cents on the hundred
dollars of assessed valuation. The state OF Loulsi-
ana. with = state debt of nearly twelve millions. lev
les n state tar of only slXtv cents on the hundred
dollars. North Carolina with a state debt Of over
fifteen millions leyies a state tax of only twenty-five
cents on The hundred dollars. The state tax In
Iowais twenty-five cents, in Kansas forty one cents.
Minnesota thirteen cents. and Wisconsin fifteen and
three quarter cents on the hundred dollars. The
ordinary running expenses OF this state for salaries
and maintaining state institutions are over one mil
lion a year, AMI the last legislature piled up appro-
prations for another million aycar which have to
be vrung from n people heavily burdened with
county and municipal taxes. How Is this exhaustinR
drain to be checked? How are the people 10 secure
tax reduction and r more equitable distribution OF
the burdens OF taxation? Can these needed reforms
be secured unless the next state officers and leg!sla-
tors are men of integrity and men who cannot be
sway,d frois their duty?
This is only one Of the issues. The ever pressing
and ever present railroad issue must be met and the
lines must be sharply defined between honest men
who will faithfully represent the people. and venal
loSue3 who want TO sell out or intend TO use their
positions for levying ~blackmaiI. Brazen thrOated
railroad 20 1 icians and professional jobbers will. as
usual, howl themselves hoarse over the national
issues In orderto bcfOg the taxpayers, and seek To
keep the issues I'm which the people are more yitaly
concerned I'm the background. They Will discuss
protection and free trade when the people want
to near about revision OF the state assessment laws
and railroad regulation. They Will fight over the
battles of the war. but make no reference to the
scandalous debauchery Of our legislature and the
to be seen. however, whether the people OF II state
that frI udly boasts its intelligence can be deceived
and distracted by such tactics. IL remains to be
seen whether they will blindly support yellow dog"
candidates because they were tagged and labeled
straight by a packed convention. The campaign IN
Nebraska has already begun. The Industrial classes
must do their duty. Let them rally and unite. re-
gardless Of party. to elect honest, competent and
unpurchasable men TO the next legislature. The
BEE proposes to do its full share of the work to re
deem the state from monopoly misrule. With this
end in view ii will labor earnestly until the legisla-
tnrc conyenes. We want to place a copy of the
WFEKLY BEEi I'm the hands of every farmer and me.
chanic and appeal to friends OF good goyernme nt t.
aid us. We will furnish the WEEKLY BEE from
now until the end of The year for thirty-nve cents. or
TO The BEE PUBLISHING Co, Omaha, Neb.