The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1897-10-22

Eors: that much appears from tn
Icourty records. Where did he get tn
4 money? What would have been hi
relation to Red Willow county had h
not been elected state treasurer? VIVA
would be his relation to the state to
day IL the governor should require o
him an accounting now? Will tn,
governor require this accounting
VIII he require n new bond in lieu o.
the worthless bond under which the
state treasurer now holds office?
There must be somewhere some con-
science among the rank and file OF
populist voters. IL this election passes
without a manifestation of this higher
conscience in the populist party 1t can
ley again lift up its head and ask
for the respect or the votes OF Me-
braska people.
Several times in the history OF Ne
braska the republican press has united
in scourging republican offenders and
making their actions odious be-
fore the public. There has been
at any time in the history OF the state
what could be justly styled a subservi-
ent republican press. At no time when
the republican party was in power has
~ DCOAl bJ q 81 hohtoS
ring so powerful that not a single re-
publican paper dared to lift its voice
in protest. A year ago now the re-
publican press was outspoken against
Bartley's influence in the republican
party. The republican newspapers
voiced the demand of republican voters
all ver the state that BARLEY should
not be a controlling factor in shaping
the party politics. All this Is fresh in
the mind of the people to-day. When
Bartley's shortage was first limited at
but not fully established, not a single
republican attempted to shield or ex-
cuse him. Republicans with one nui-
versal voice said: Let no guilty man
escape" In all this the republican
party shows it's conscience and it's
natural instinct for square politics and
honest administration.
What has the populist press said or
done to purge the reform party from
the actions of the rotten ring at the
state house? Look at the disgraceful
spectacle presented by the last reform
legislature. Look at the infamous re-
count fraud, and the governors con-
nection with it. To carry out this bold
plot they ousted four republican mem
bers from Omaha and one senator,
making no p%retense that there was
any reason except that they needed
that many votes to pass the ecou
measure with the emergency clause.
Did any populist newspaper utter n
word OF protest against this infamous
thing while it was being carried on?
1t would be difficult to find in history
an instance where there was such uni
versal and general consent by a polit-
ical party and all it's officials and it's
press to a plot that was revolutionary
and laWless in every feature. That
recount matter will always remain a
dark spot in Nebraska'S history. 1t is
all the darker for the a that the
populist press was silent and uttered
no protest against it. Take the S10,-
900 investigating committee. Here are
five members of the legislature draw
ing pay for two years at the rate OF
81 500 per annum and for this they
render no equivalent to the public, and
make no pretense to usefulness except
as they trump up political capital for
the reform movement. The members
of this committee make no pretense
that they are qualified for the business
of examining records or accounts.
What a spectacle this man MUTT has
made of himself as chairman of this
investigating committee. And yet no
populist newspaper has offered to crit
icise him.
Look out over the state and you will
see a trail of d~efalcations wherever
populists have been in county offices,
but you will read no criticism against
these d~efalcations in the populist press.
In Lancaster county the populist clerk
Of the district court robbed the county,
but no populist newspaper nor no pop
ulist convention has condemned him.
In Custer county, the home of Governor
Holcomb, a populist plundered the
county treasury, but because this treas
urer was Holcomb's friend, no word of
has ever been uttered against
him by any pOpulist newspaper or any
populist convention. Another county
in Custer county defaulted. The
default was published by the commits
%sioners, the public knew it, but the re-
party in Custer county carries the
name of that official to-day as it's can
didate for county judge. The reform
county committee u there have de-
manded his withdrawal from the
ticket, but because he is Holcomb's
friend, he remains on the ticket and
the populist voters there are whipped
line by the bosses demanding his
support. In Merrick county, the home
Of Secretary Of State Porter, the treas
urer plundered the county to the
amount of $4,000, but neither Secre-
tary Porter, the populist press, or the
popuiist conventions of that county
have dared to criticise it. In Platte
the home Of Judge Sullivan,
The treasurer stole $4,000 but neither
Judge Sullivan or the other democratic |
of the county have lifted So
much as a little finger to |DrnSecu"- -
offender. Not only does this Platte
defaulter go scot free from
prosecution and free from criticism,
but his brother, who was intimately
associated with him when the default
was committed, has been promoted to
a public office at the state house under
Land Commissioner Wolfe, because he
Is the scn-in-law of United States Sen
ator Allen. A populist treasurer
Hamilton county and his son
was indicted for burning the court
house there, but through the influence
Of Congressman Stark and others the
prosecution was nollied and the
man allowed to escape; not only
to escape punishment, u to escape