Omaha daily bee., 1892-01-15
DEMANDING TOO MICH

but also q do away with many abuses
that are sappiug the foundation OF our
republic. There is a widespread con-
victiou among the farmers OF the west as
we'll as of the south that radical legisla-
tion, national and state, is absolutely
necessary to bring about the reforms
which they deem essential to the pros
perity Of the producers.
Now there Is no doubt that there are
some grevious abuses which can be cor
rected by legislation, and there are some
reforms advocated by the farmers alli-
ance that will sooner or later have to be
made.
The platform adopted at Lincoln is a
patched quilt demanding some things
that everybody comedies and others that
are beyond the reach of tho present gen
Grafton and of many generations yet to
come.
The demand for the election Of the
president, vice-president and United
States senator's by direct vote Of the peo-
Pile is in accord with the progressive
sentiment Of the country, and If the pres
idential term were limited to six or eight
years and no reelection a very import
ant reform would be achieved.
The demand for the election of post
masters by the people is not feasible
even at this juncture, and II we are to
have postal telegraphs and postal saw
ings banks, American postmasters in
every important town would inevitably
l,,,a 90 Ia, ,,,,nt;,,1 fa1Annnph nnarptnpG
as we'll as good business men. In Eng
land and in nearly all European coun-
tries postmasters nave u permanent
tenure of Office, with promotion from the
smaller to the larger towns, according
to capacity, length of service and merit.
The demand that the government in
stitute proceedings to foreclose it's lien
upon the Union Pacific and Central Pa
cific railroads is eminently proper, as is
also the demand for the enactment by
the mex legislature of u more stringent
usury law. 1t is doubtful, however,
whether a6 per cent rate on all loans is
not premature. A 6 per cen rate on
real estate loans and an 8 per cent rate
on bank loans and notes secured by
chattel mortgage would be more likely
to meet present requirements. A strict
g per cent law, including commissions,
would tend to keep out much needed
capital and create a money stringepcy.
The demand for a state law hat will
make all debts payable in any kind of
money the debtor may tender to his
creditor, regardless of contract stipula-
ton that the interest or principal shall
be payable in gold, would cripple our
producers and the debtor class generally
instead of helping them. No legislature
can abrogate the obligations of debtors
on contracts already made. Every mort
gage payable in god will have to
be paid in gold or in money exchange
able for gold at par. This is not a rank
injustice. inasmuch as every dollar
loaned in this country since 1878 was
equal to 100 cents in gold. If u farmer
borrows a bushel of wheat with the I'M
Outstanding that he shall pay back in
wheat it would be dishonest for him to
insist that his creditor shall be COM
pelled to accept "a bushel of oats or u
bushel of barley, unless the oats and
barley have exactly the same mar
ket value as the wheat. The effect
of making debts incurred after
the passage of the proposed law
payable in any kind Of money
would simply result in the with
drawal of loans and credits from Ne
braska. No capitalist would be willing
to loan money based on gold standard
values and take his chances on being
paid buck in debased currency that he
could not exchange in other countries
without a heavy discount.
The demand for a m tximum freight
and passenger rate law is right and
proper, but there Is neither sense nor
reasonableness in insisting that this ate
shall be no higher than the rate now in
Iowa. The Iowa rate was fixed by u
commission and has been changing from
time to time on various commodities
On some articles the Iowa rate is too
high, and discontented Iowa merchants
and farmers are demanding II reduction.
On other articles the Iowa rate could not
be adopted for Nebraska because it
would be unreasonably low for lines in
the sparsely settled portion of this state.
The Iowa rate differs on different rail
roads. These roads are classified as
trunk lines and branch lines, and the
trunk line rate is much lower than tn Q
branch line rate. What we sho uld have
in Nebraska is a low maximum freight
rate for the principal staples, including
grain. hay, cattle, lumber, coal and salt.
If this works we'll we can in due time
establish maximum rates on other COM
modities.
The demand for a constitutional
amendment to have the permanent
school fund loaned out on farm mort
cages is immature and pernicious. This
system had a fair trial under the first
constitution OF this state, and resulted
in the looming out of school money on
real estate appraised away above its
value, the formation of a school fund
ring in the state house and the impeach-
ment of two state officers.
The demand to prohibit alien land
ownership would, il enacted into law,
have the same effect in Nebraska that
it had in Texas. If an alien cannot own