The independent., 1904-01-07

down 677,O93.IO
Leaving the ne. debt when
the present "redeemers"
took charge the sum OF 81, ,727 ,447.72
Three years of republican
redemption" has in
creased the debt. $500. 535, 1888
Leaving the present debt. So, ,263. .l77.l
For convenience of those who dis
like exact figures and delight IN
.'round numbers" let us say that the
fusionists cut down the debt at the
rate of about $l70,O a year, and the
republican "redeemers" have increased
It about the same figure each year
since they took charge. Great Is re
demption!" "Stand pat!" Let well
enough alone!" 'Vote 'er straight"
II is barely possible that if the gentle
men who owe Joe hartley, and those
who have been trafficklng in post
Offices, army blankets, and oil inspec-
torships, could be induced to put 1t
back" some trifling reduction misht
be made in the present floating debt
(Since the above was written,
former Adjutant General Colby has
"put back something less than three
thousand dollars. This was done in
the dead hours of might and next
morning the dailies recorded the TACT
that the federal grand jury at Omaha
had indicted him for embezzlcment)
While on this head, am reminded
OF a recent editorial in the Evening
Edition of the Morning State Jour-
nal" alias the Lincoln Evening News,
in which labOred effort Is made TO
exonerate Governor Mickey and his
fellow executive state officers OF any
blame for the present condition OF
the state debt. The whole trouble
lies in the fact, as the News views it,
that the legislatures are growing
more and more extravagant." The
News admits that the present state
of affairs lis an arraignment of the
party in power and most persons re-
gard it as the symbolism of Wasteful-
ness but insists that
"The remedy Of our democratic and
populistic friends is TO change the
political complexion OF the admir-
istration, but experience has not
proved that this is any cure all. The
reason is plain: Honesty and eff
ficiency are personal qualifications,
not political ones. There have been
defalcations and breaches of trust
under republican as well as demo-
cratic administrations and scandals
and extravaganza have found shell
ter under one kind as well as I'm
der the other"
am free to admit that honesty and
efficiency are personal qualifications.
Being a populist or democrat is not
per Sc badge of honesty and effic-
iency any more than being republi-
can Is per Sc badge Of dishonesty.
Most men are naturally honest They
become dishonest through the inflH-
ence of environment. The real reason
why populists and democrats gave the
state of Nebraska an honest. economi-
cal administration of affairs on the
whole I freely admit it was not per-
fect) is because these men represented
and had back of them the middle
class"-farmers and small business
men of the State-and not because
they were at heart materially differ
cnt from the average republican Off
cial And the real reason why repub-
lican officials have proven incompe-
tent, extravagant-and often dishon-
est-is not because they are at neart
any worse than men generally, but
because they represent and have back
of them as the real power behind
the throne" the big corporations.
Now, the big corporations pay rela-
tively lighter taxes than the middle
class" farmers and business men,
hence. do not object to wasteful ex-