The Red Cloud chief., 1897-10-29

And more aOOuI lnc TctOlm RoN'ih'''
Ransom's charges in open court that
the governor knew OF Bartiey,s snort.
aqe.c coming rs it did from a populist
senator and the chairman OF the free
silver republican state central commit
tee. aroused such a demand from pop.
ulists all over the state that the
governor, already much embarrassed
by tne ENHANCEMENT, was forced to
take the witness stand in self.defensc.
He could no longer stand out against
the pressure that came from his party,
demanding that he make some otlort
to purge himself from the awkward
situation.
But his evidence in the court at
Omaha, instead Of bringing rellei 10
the embarrassed f%usionists, caused the
water of ribulation 30 rise higher ana
higher around their drowning cause
The governor tried to explain to the
court that he had done his best, but
when IL finally developed by his W
testimony that he did not count the
money that he had not examined the
securities in the treasurer's office, that
he had utterly failed in his duty, II
the people who heard the testimony,
smiling at each other, said: III ms
is the best that a reform governor can
do, then the less we have OF 1T in Neb'
raska the better Any further
struggle on the part Of the governor is
useless. Every word that he uttFs IN
explanation sinks him deeper ana
deeper into the mess. In the mind OF
every citizen is the great big interroga.
ton point asking the governor! II
you did your best when you approved
Bartley's straw bond and the McScrNC
.0xa. laYI A. tntr flRinn EnII host
now when you permit Meserve To con-
tinue in office under a worthless bond,
with several of the principal sureties
VIGOROUSLY bankrupt, aud with sew
eral other having abandoned the state
foreverY Are you doing yoru bestnow
GOVERNOR" This is what the people
are asking of Governor Holcomb.
Did you do your best in the recount
fraud? Did you do your best to re
form the pass system? With eighteen
annual railroad passes and two Pull
mar passes bullying out the little
morocco book in yonr vest pocket,
with your record in the last six months
as a iunketer, surprising the record Of
all previous iunketers in this state, do
you pretend to look the farmers OF
Nebraska in the face and tell them
that you have done your best?
In the campang of 1894 the in.
surance question was prominent. You
taught the people in that campaign
that the old-fine insurance companies
had made of themselves a wicked and
greedy trust which was depressing the
people with exorbitant rates, and by
which, under the law as it was then
they were able to prevent the organiza
ton of mutual insurance companies
among the farmers. The effect OF
your teachings in that campaign
Governor HOlcomb, was to arous
among the people a strong feeling
methods OF these old.lins companies
TO desire q law which would curb thei,
ambitions, which would permit and en-
courage the organization of mutual in
uranc companies and thus bring re
lief to those who were oppressed will
.exorbitant insurance rates. The sam,
campaign that elected you, Governor
that year, elected a republican legisla
tire. This republican legislature rec
ognizing their duty as the represents
tives OF the people, passed u mutua
law, giving the relief which the peOpl
desired. The law was exactly In lin
with what you had advocated on tn
stump. Now, what did you do to tina
law, Governor HoleOmb? You held
at the close Of the session, refusin
your assent TO il as chief executive, uT
til the session had adjourned, and the
you let it die. You championed thi
law before election, and then killed
after election. Were you doing you
best then, Governor Your action |
this was o great surprise at the tim
There had been a strong mOneye
lobby in the legislature, with hea,
quarters ut the Windsor hotel. durir
the entire session. 1t was the busine
Il this lobby to defeat this law. "
did at the close of the session 4
those Old.line insurance cOnpani
what the republican Legislature I
fused to do. 1t was said by some
cause II was q republican measu,
q reform governor. There were 9th
reasons limited at why you let this /
die but l am ashamed to write tho
There Is q limit to the humiliation II
may be put upon q state, even VIII
Justice seems 70 be clamoring for [
whole truth. But this is not all:
last session Of the legislature pass
the same mutual insurance law, q
You signed it eagerly. The next
after the law was passed aud sign
you, Governor Holcomb, bobbed
before public rs president Of O nut
insurance company. Would you Il
the witness stand uOw, Governor II
comb, ard swear you did your best
this insurance matterr
IN six months from the time ,
commenced your executive duties
your first term, there came To y,
table the semi-annual report
Auditor Moore. In that report
could have read at a glance that
fees which are required to be paid
insurance companies and other ,
porations into the treasury, were
being paid into the treasury, but
the auditors office, which had no
thority to receive them. You she
have Q that the auditor was issu
business permits to these insura
companies illegally, because the
requires that the fee money shall b,
.,casVrv hafnra tho narn,it 10 10,