The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1905-03-02
They all Turn Populist and Denounce
the Nebraska Political Pass
System.
DOBDINS SCORES the PERJURERS.
Every Office Holder Takes an Oath
Not to Accept Any Valuable
Thing From Corporations.

iiiiilS IlUiii Oul pUI dtiOno'
The Nebraska Editorial association,
composed very largely of republican
editors, met at Kearney last week and
passed the following resolution:
Resolved, That the Nebraska State
Press association in convention as
sembled at Kearney declares it's inter-
est in and support of the question
before the legislature for direct pri-
mary law, and such legislation as shall
speedily destroy the political pass sys-
tenn that exists in this state"
In advocacy of the adjustment of
the pass system, many strong populst
speeches were made by these repubi-
can editors They could be duplicated
almost word for word from populist
speeches made ten yeasr ago by the
men who organized the populist party
in this state. Perhaps the strongest
speech of the occasion was made by
Mr.. Dobbins, editor of the Lincoln
Evening News, republican daily, of
long standing. Among other things
Mr.. Dobbins said was the following:
Have you ever stopped to consider
why it is that in state SO purely ag
ricultural as is Nebraska, state where
the prosperity Of each OF us is de-
pendent entirely upon the prosperity of
the farmer, that six lawyers and two
bankers represent us in congress, and
not single farmer? What influence
is it that brings about this condition?
1t can all be traced back to the use OF
the free pass and railroad favor, which
makes fish OF. one mans ambitions and
fowl of another's. Why is 1t that in
the legislature now sitting at Lincoln
it is impossible, notwithstanding the
fact that more than majority of the
members are farmers, to secure the
passage of bills compelling railroad
companies to furnish the same facil-
tiles to farmers elevator companies
that they do to old line owners? Why
is it that earnest, honest men in the
legislature have struggled for years to
secure a reduction in freight rates
and been unsuccessful? In 1902 the
Nebraska farmer received four cents
less per bushel for his corn, six cents
less for his wheat, five cents less for
his oats and nine cents less for his rye
than did the farmers of Kansas. These
figures are from the government re-
port and the explanation lies in the
fact that there is just that difference
in the railroad tariffs of the two states.
"Why is it that you and every other
individual taxpayer in this state must
list with his local assessor at its full
own while the railway property in the
entire state is valued by board of
state officers who owe their nomination
almost as rule to the favor of state
conventions controlled by railroad pol
iticians holding and distributing rail-
road free passes? What was it, do you
think, that only last Friday, impelled
the lower house of the state legislature
to vote down overwhelmingly a propo-.
sition that it be made mandatory for
this state board to value railroad prop
erty at the market value of its stocks
and bonds, method pronounced by
the supreme court as just and fair on
the theory that property is worth for
purposes of taxation whatever it is
worth as means of producing in
come?
What dry rot has seized upon the
morals of our executive and judicial Of
ficers, of our legislators, that permits
them complacently to violate the con-
stitution and decency by accepting free
passes from the railroads? Section 16
of the state constitution requires and
every executive and judicial officer and
every member of the legislature does
take this oath: 81 have not accepted
nor will accept or receive, directly
or indirectly, any money or other val