Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-20
ECHOES OF POLITICAL COLLISION.

Beaver City Tribune (rep) Well, 1t
wasn't so much OF shower after all OF
course we got our feet wet and lost little
sidewalk here and there, but we eaved the
| live stock and poultry and well be happy
yet, you bet.
Gothenburg Independent Freight aud ex-
press rates are higher in Nebraska than
they are in any OF the surrounding states,
with the exception of Colorado. Why don't
the populist state officials get after the cor
porations instead of talking so much?
Tobias Gazette (repJ: 1t has been truth
fully said that politics make strange bed
fellows. 1t was a sad sight during the late
campaign to see the apostle OF temperance,
Helen Cougar, sitting on the platform be-
tween the president and secretary OF the
Liquor Dealers league OF Nebraska. There's
consistency for you with big C.
Kearney Hub (rop); Tho suspicion that
the railroads OF Nebraska preferred Hol-
comb to Reese is borne out in the returns
from the more populous voting places, where
tho railroad influence could have been eX-
pected to get in Its work. The railroads
prevented the re nomination of Reese eight
years ago. 1t is not too much to assume
that they prevented his election again in
1899
North Platte Tribune (rep) The liquor
dealers of the state are boastng that they
are the fellows who elected Holcomb to the
supreme bench This is little hard on Bryan,
Coin Harvey and others who const
tuted the galaxy of fusion star performers
who take the credit OF converting the peo
pie TO the policy of antiexpansion. In this
instance 1t was the rum power and not the
money power that swayed Nebraska.
Wayne Republican, The new election law
prohibiting candidates from treating voters
for the purpose of influencing their votes,
has had trial and while in all probability
1t did not fulfill the highest hopes of its
champions yet it did do much toward break
ing up practice that to say the least has
been very demoraizing to voters and very
expensive to the candidate. Another sec
tion could be added to the law that would
certainly be OF immense benefit to all con-
cerned and that would be one prohibiting
either candidates. their friends or any one
else from personally soliciting the votes of
any elector. 1t would compel men to stand
purely on their merits and not on their
ability to deceive. Let the voter ascertain
for himself the qualifications of the nominee
to fill the place to which he aspires and if
the voter does not take sufficient interest
in the matter to inform himself, let the
fault rest with him.
Schuyler Quill (pop) There is no deny
ing the fact that the popuists and demo-
Gratis have lost a great deal of prestige on
account of the inconsistent conduct OF many
of their leaders. In most cases the fault
has rested chiefly with the inconsistency OF
the act mere than in the act itself. In other
words, it has been a violation of undue pre-
tensions more than the commission of any
great wrong. Not unfrequently have men
made their campaign on the pass question
and denounced pass as bribe They have
been elected on that issue and taken their
oath of Office with that pledge upon their
lips. No sooner were they installed than
the proposition to ride on a pass and save
their money came up for solution. They
forgot their pledge and accepted pass, rea-
soning with themselves that the pass would
not influence them in the performance of
their official duty. Perhaps it would not,
but that was not the question with them.
They had, during the campaign, convinced
the voters that passes do influence men. To
then turn around and accept pass was to
shake the confidence OF the public in any
thing such person might advocate or in any
principle his. party platform might contain.
Therefore, while the act itself might not be
erroneous. the doing of it under such cir
cumstances is radically wrong and pos lively
retards the progress of real reform. Trivial
and secondary matters should not be made
paramount issues in the first place, but
when they are the man set of men max
ing them such should be consistent enough
to treat them in that light. 1t is to be
hoped that hereafter all our leaders may
find the jewel in consistency.