Custer County Republican. (Broken Bow, Neb.) 1882-1921, 1902-10-16


! feet honesty, untiring energy, abso-
! lutte fearlessness and devotion to the
interests OF the people, which mark him
| as a. worthy successor OF William NC
Kinley He has gained In wonder
ful degree the respect OF foreign ma
lions, and the United States maintains
| it's position as the leader of thought,
OF enterprise, Of craftsmanship. to
which II had attained.
Issues Past and Present.
Our position as a world power was
| only reached as the result of severe
| conflict with the ideas advanced by
our opponents In 1895 the issues of the
campaign were sharply made. The
| democrats insisted that II the gold
standard were maintained, the result
would be dire disaster, that gold
would be wonderfully appreciated in
value, that it's scarcity would curtail
| business, throw laborers out OF en-
ployment result in the foreclosure of
mortgages, and all the various finan-
cial lis which the mind of man could
conceive would be fastened upon the
poor people OF this country. The re-
publicans, on the contrary, took de-
cided stand in opposition, predicting
| that the result Of conforming to the
financial standard OF the commercial
nations of the world, WOULD give the
| United States an opportunity to use
commerce, Increase It's exports, and
assist in making the United States
credit nation instead of a debtor.
Bryan's Prediction.
Our distinguished fellow citizen,
William j. Bryan, was unfortunate in
that, at the close of that campaign, he
| published a book called THE First
Battle" Within its pages. his dire
predictions were preserved. They have
become a matter of indisputable rec
| ord, and In the light of events which
have transpired since then must prove
to him extremely embarrassing. How
he now succeeds with comfort to him
self in posing as statesman, Is
matter of wonder to those who are
familiar with the contents of that
book.
History always ratified the wisdom
of the act of republicans. Accustomed
from the infancy of the party to Crap
pie with momentous questions 1t has
been our proud satisfaction that when
we have settled these questions and
they have passed into history, exper-
fence has shown that we had settled
them right.
Our form of government is complex,
unique, the states within their several
boundaries and on a good many ques-
lions. being supreme, and yet we are
controlled in the large policies Of the
nation oy a central government. In
dissolubly bound together as we are,
II is impossible to separate state and
national politics from each other. We
are republicans on account OF national
policies To help and strengthen the
national policies OF our country, 1t is
necessary that those policies should
be considered in n state campaign, and
yet our friends are making a strenu-
Gus endeavor to confine the issues of
this campaign to state questions alone.
We would have no objection to do that
If 1t were the proper thing to do, as
fortunately in the matter of admins
tering the affairs of the state, the re-
publican party has no reason to fear
comparison of It's record with those of
It's opponents.
state Finances.
Every tax payer and citizen is in
I terested In the disbursement OF state
moneys. The legislature for the last
Y several years has appropriated In the
, neighborhood of 81, 900 for each BIZ
, ennium, the greater part of which Is
e required to maintain the several state
Q institutions. This enormous sum OF
: money Is raised by taxation. 1t is i'm
{ perative that II be expended econom-
I ically and honestly No contract for
I supplies for any state institution
should be let except to the lowest bid
der who should be compelled to ex-
ecute a bond to the state to faith
tract. Such is the policy of good faith
and business honor; and / am glad tc
say that such has been the strict pol
Icy and practice of the present repub-
, lican administration. | do not believe
!. that money should be taken out Of the
e state treasury unless the state gets
: full consideration for every dollar TAX.
y en- Our state institutions are main.
3 tanned for the benefit of the inmates
Il wards OF the state, and not for tn,
s ties or relatives of the several super,
d intendents and their subordinates
= Business principles alone should gov
J. ern the management of these institu
= lions.
u Nebraska Revenue Laws.
II That our state revenues are In bat
4, shape. no one disputes, not from tn.
10 fact that our present law does not pro
Il vide for an adequate revenue, bu
II rather In the fact that we are all OF
. nearly all, a lot OF tax strikers anC
have allowed by common consent
system of assessment OF property to b,
put into practice that has for year
= put us down to such a low valuat ion
d that In many school districts, towns
II cities, counties and even In the state
/ II has been difficult to provide revenue
"a sufficient to properly meet the neede,
II expenses. When the levy Is limited b,
n statute and the assessment is one-tentl
t. to one-twentieth of the real value. a,
n indebtedness 10 sure to accumulate
a Our constitution provides that the in
debtedness of the state shall not excee,
:, 100000, and yet the fact stares us Ii
n the face that we have allowed our la
!" bilities to increase at the rate of abou
- 100000 per year for many years, an
at today we face an indebtedness o
IN about 81, 000, 900. This we have Dor
,e rowed from the school fund and owe 1
,e today. There il a very grave doub
IN In the minds of many about the lagalit!
10 OF this course. and 1t IL evident tina
AZ this matter must be given attention
, and the fund replaced. The question
>, arises, how shall we do 1t? Our assess
,0 ment roll reveals the fact that in lS9
our total valuation OF all property as
> sessed was S4770. 304 81. This yeaI
=, 1902, the assessed valuation was Sl79,
70 1857 81. being 4,7eS. 1858 less thal
20 In 1890. The mere quoting OF these fig
"a ures shows that something is wron
~ either in our revenue laws or in thei