The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1904-09-08

The story goes that a man was about
to cross a stream. and to feel sure that
he was running no risk asked native
what was the depth of the water.
"Oh." said the native. Its average
depth is about two feet" Relying upon
this information the traveller started
across, but plunged into place be-
yOnd his depth and was drowned.
Those papers of the republican school
that are attempting to quiet the ris-
ing protest of the people of this state
against republican extOrtiOn and ex-
trayagance and Ubiquitous republican
schemes, would do well to take this
lesson to heart. and remember that
statistical averages" do not cut much
figure with the man who is being
squeezed.
Suppose the victim who is being
squeezed should complain of the pres
sure of four-inch band about his
chest This is about the way the re-
publican statistician would go about
it to quiet him: MY friend, you are
not suffering. The band about your
chest is just four inches wide. Its
whole pressure upon you is just two
hundred pounds. That is equal to
fifty pounds pressure to the inch OF
your circumtance. Now your height is
six feet. Six times twelve inches equal
seventy-two inches. You will there
fore observe that the average pres
sure upon you is little more than two
thirds of a pound to the inch-a mere
trif1e'
Now if the voters Of this state will
examine the biennial report OF the
state auditor, instead of accepting the
average statistics of the republican
spell binders, they find something like
this in the way of appropriations:
FUSION.
Session of 1923. 49,. $2,335,843 40
Session of 1899-00. ...... 1851 1878 60
Total for fusion. ...... s4,927,217 90
REPUBLICAN.
Session of 1901-02. .... $2,S75,2 89 so
Session of 10000 -. ~. 3,740,280 70
Total for republican $6,6l5,57O 20
Total extravaganza under redeem
ers2: $1,788,353.20.
Now, as every person who performs
any useful service in this world is
taxpayer, let us see just how long it
would take one Of our taxpayers, pre-
sumingthat he receives $40 per day,
to earn enough money at that mod
crate wage, to pay this difference be-
tween the. appropriations of fusion
legislatures and republican legisla-
lures. OF course there are not many
wage-earners in Nebraska who receive
$40 per day, seven days to the week,
but as The Independent desires to be
as Conservative and considerate as pos
sible to Dietrich and Savage and
Mickey's administrations. it will base
this figure upon wages at $40 per
day.
Now, assuming that our mechanic
commenced his arduous toll on the 1st
day of January. 1904, toiling unceas-
ingly from day to day, never losing
a day through any cause, never spend
ing cent and never being robbed by
any one, saving every penny he had
earned. why about sunset on the 18th
day of November, in the year 1893, he
could step up to the window of the
state treasurer's office, and turn over
this enormous sum of 81, 1888. 1858. 20. And
who would then deny him much
needed rest from his labor after 4S9
years $50 days of ceaseless toll? Who?
Why the republican state administra-
ton. For by that time, were the ex-
penditures to increase at one tenth
the same rate of increase that has pre-
vailed during the past four years, an
account would then be handed to him
TO settle that would stagger his inn
agination. He would then repent him
that instead of having toiled so long
TO make up for four years of repub-
lican extravaganza, he had not re-
buked the spendthrifts and elected
Berge and the state ticket in 1904.
There are few people who stop to
consider what an enormous amount OF