The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1895-03-15
The Kansas and Nebraska
DrOuth.

The so called depl0rabe condition o
things, and the amount OF restitution arts
| ing from the crop failure in these state.
have been grossly miSrepresrnted and over
drawn by eastern papers, which have beer
miSled by the false and exaggerated report,
that have been circulated for political ano
private purposes.
The general impression prevails that the
crop failure extends Throughout these
states. which is contrary to The facts. The
tothl crop failure extends through small
portion of central and western Nebraska.
into Kansas Outside Of this belt the crop,
| while perhaps not as large as some years.
was nothing like total failure. and the
people are not in need of help at all.
The first cry for relief was made by the
POpuliSt party for political purposes. then
INSCRIPTIONS and unprincipled persons
sent out begging letters, setting forth the
starving condition they were in. aud ask
ing for funds. Even ministers. in some of
the rural districts, signed appeals for relief.
pretixing the Rev, which had with those
not acquainted, the same weight as if it
were Henry Ward Betcher. And when. in
response to these appeals, the East sent in
clothing. food and fuel by the carload. it
became quite the hing for the represent,
tive who wished u make himself solid with
his constituents. to order the relief com
mittee at Lincoln TO send he town or dis
trict relief supplies. This abuse has ex.
listed to such an extent that the better class
of people III these states are using their in
fiuence to prevent people being swinded
further. We quote the following from the
report of the Relief Committee at Lincoln,
to the legislature of Nebraska, Feb, 9TH:
1--WE are still having offered us large do
nations of food. supplies and clothing, but
we do not need any more clothing For the
past fifteen days we have doubled the de
mantis for clothing from every county, and
can still SO continue in all just demands to
double them in other shipments"
At the time the writer was in Lincoln, for
every order for clothing the Commit re-
etiveS they send four times the amount TT
drre,l, and even then were unable To per
reduce the amount of supplies on
hand. Rev. Luther p. LutldeI of Lincoln,
who has the general management of dis |
the supplies, states that at Chi |
eag0 there were side-traeked carlpads OF |
clothing that they could not find use for |
He also stated i'm reply to the question, Ii |
The state of restitution was as represented |
that hr thought there were more destitute |
people I'm the cities of Omaha and LInc0!a |
han In all the rest of the state. That % |
was true that there were poor people, anal |
N some localities they would have required /
,elp. but the state was well able 10 give
hem such help as necessary. We can
'radily believe this when we look at ih4
stale Tr asurer's report and find that b.
idS III CoSil uu nan. duu dNdIIdOle asset
more than five million dollars over and
lDpve all indebtedness.
Nebraska appropriated $4,000 for aid,
'30. 600 was used to pay freight ON the sNp.
lilies sent from the East. AT one time the
ailrOads ana express companies earned
,oOds free of charge. but discontinued do
ng 50 as soon ~ they saw that the peopl,
we're well supplied. There were shipped
nt0 Lincoln in one week four hundred car.
Dads of supplies Probably the people of
Nebraska have at no time for the past iyr
ears been so well supplied as to day.
The relief committee, under the able and
ftcient management of Rev. l.. y. Ltlddpn.
ave done all In their power to prevent I'M
people from being drfrauded.
nd have distributed rs judiriously as pos
lille, under the circums ancps. the supplies
ent them. We quote the following from
Kansas City paper:
according tp the secretary OF the State
relief association OF Nebraska, whos,.
sadquarters Is at Lincoln. there Is n per
on who calls himself Fiscus collecting
money Ostensibly for the drought sufferers
4 Nebraska. but In reality for himself. n
vas understood he collected nearly 81 .Oooi
rum prOple In this city. not a cent Of whey
yer reached the association. Chief of Pc
zee Speers has been asked to look into iife
natter" ss