Omaha daily bee., 1888-10-16

gated in the council chamber, where C. o.
Whcdon and D. w Lansing OF Lincoln,
were announced to speak. II was shortly
after O'Clock 'when Major T. S. Clarkson
called the moeting to order and presented
Mr.. Whedon, who addressed the meeting on
the subject of 9"Nebraska Prison Labor"
He took the, ground that the manage
ment of state prisons is practical
rather than q political question. He
stated the arspiffnts for and against
the contract systetp, and reviewed the prison
policy of the state as it presented itself dur
ing the legislatlyS session OF 1887. MIR.
Whedon then mad statement Of the ex-
penses of the Nebraska penitentiary, and
compared its operations with the Kansas pen
itentiary. This, was followed with state
ment of the earnHEs. Under the head of
competition he explained that tho work OF
the Nebraska Convicts under contract was
equivalent to the labor of l23 men. There are
in the state in the same trades as pursued at
the penitentiary 30, I55 men. The speaker
argued that the competition of the convicts
cuts little figure He showed that the bill OF
1879 extending the contracts was generally
commended at the.time. He held that the
system had been q benefit, but was prepared
to accept any better system offered.
Following Mr.. Whedon, the chairman in
troduced |. w. Lansing, who spoke suostan-
italy as follows:
We are now on the eve Of campaign that
after its termination. We have set out as an
oppressed people to battle tor our rights,
and as republicans to protect our home IN
dustries from the invasion of British pro
ducts. The democratic party has stnmered
down and has dragged what few principles
it possessed down with it. 1t has simmered
down to one man-Grover Cleveland. 1t
has got to that point that when Grover takes
SNUFF every democrat has to sneeze They
launched out on an issue OF free trade, but
how Qin al sod hat
tolerated, and in consequence have began to
craw-tish Cleveland in his last message TO
congress dwelt lengthily on the tariff and
pictured metaphorcally the evils 1t was
ssheltering. What was this MESSAGE :
l assert that it was measure
on free trade, as radical, too, as ever found
its way into PRINT, and to the eyes Of the
reading public. What does 1t mean? Does
it mean that the manufacturing element has
grown rich by not having an active com
petit0rl ] defy any man to draw any other
conclusion than that it was designed in the
interest of foreign manufacture and foreign
capital and labor. l do not desire you to
take my utterance as proof, but turn TO the
indsputable evidence that stands on our
records. Figures are the speechless wit
nesses that often supplant human testimony,
and in this instance they play most con-
splcuous part. Now let us take up the record
of the present democratic administration. In
the cabinet Of the. United States we have
ion the destiny of all our purposes. Who are
they! Six arch-traitors to this republic
landmarks of rebellion and disunion. But
regret that such can be said 1t is only one
of the many unpardona able errors
of the present administration. Then
again permit me to call your attention to the
weakness of the chief executive. Turn to
his action on the fishery issue with Canada.
Our school-boy of to-day is vested with more
moral courage than was shown in this in
stance. Then
fiasco. his pension vetoes, and above all
tingcd with monumental disgrace and cow
ardice, the attempted return of the rebel
flags. wonder ttigtthe spirit of conviction
does not unchain the patriotism of every
American citizen and cause them to wipe out
any man or party, that would dare to reflect
upon the pride of this government in such a
dastardly light 81
In concluding the speaker took occasion to
review the tariff issues, aiming some scath
ing epithcts at j. Sterling Morton whom he
styled 'the free trade satellite of rural
democracy" =