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

yention. These state officials have
junketed In all directions. Look at the
disgraceful conduct of the state aud
itor. What reform paper has criticised
him? What reform convention mas
denounced him? Where are the fraud
ulent t~aily-sheets OF the fraudulent
recount which Hedlund exposed. and
for which he was removed by II
governor from the recount commits
sion? Where Is the investigating COM
mittee with it's $4,000 appropriation.
that 1t has not investigated this fraud,
brought out so conspicuously before
the public, pointed out so explicitly ny
Hedlund, and attaching its wicked con-
spiracy to the very person of the gov
ernor? All these things are in line
with the governors conduct as to
Bartley's spurious bond and the other
| spurious bond of Meserye. What set
of party leaders have before shown
such utter disregard for the rank and
file of the party? These reform Off
Gals treat their followers as IL they
were dumb cattle; as IL they had no
self-respect; as IL they would follow
blindly any set of political shysters IL
only they posed as reformers.
They promised to raise the valuation
of railroad property. They taught the
people for six years that railroad prop
erty was assessed too low. They made
the people believe 1t. 10 was a lie, but
they made the people believe it. There
has never been a year since Nebraska
had railroads that the railroad prop
erty was not assessed at a higher valu-
alton In proportion than other prop
erty, and yet these reformers pre-
tended that the people had been
wronged in this matter. and that they
would right the wrong as soon as they
got into power. Did they do IL? Mo-
When the opportunity came they pet
tifCgged and caucused and pretended
for a whole week that they were
grayely considering how to carry out
the pledges they had made, and then
ended their .arce by leaving the rail-
road assessment as it had been be-
fore. They pretended that they would
control the corporations as to rates.
They would regulate telephone and
telegraph companies. They would re-
duce telephone rates for the benefit of
the down-trodden farmer, who never
uses a telephone. But have they done
it? They passed a law authorizing the
state board of transportation to regu-
late these things, but they have not
enforced the law, and they make no
p%retense of enforcing it. They cannot
enforce 1t. 1t was unconstitutional
when they passed it and they knew it,
Their law provides a fee to the at
torney general for every case which he
brings against the railroad, and this
thing alone makes it unconstitutional.
because the constitution says that no
state officer can have his salary raised
while he is in office. They knew that
this railroad law would be neid uncon-
s~titutional, and the railroads winked
the other eye when it was passed.
These boasting reformers think that
they can fool the people year after
veal by advertising what they are
going to do, and by pretending to do
something which they know will be
unconstitutional, and then they appeal
to the people Inc say that they we're
hindered by republican courts and by
injUnctions.
And now the question of Me~serve's
straw bond is knocking at the door.
What will the governor . about it?
What will he do about the ugly charge
which Acting-Governor Ransom has
made against him in open court? Will
he go IN counting his annual passes
and his Pullman passes, arranging for
another junket to the red apple
country" And will he attempt to
sooth Nebraska people with another
chapter from MUTT, the investigator?
How much of this MUTT will ~popuIist
voters endure without protest? How
long will they endure the humiliation
the state house gang is heaping
them without making some dem
onstration Of their "disanDrovaI?