Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-07-30

! A. Holcomb, populist, of Broken Bow,
was elected governor and reelected in
1896. Populist or peoples independ-
ent was the name given to the party
which grew out of the farmers move
ment. During his term the struggle
over the use of the school money
of the state went on, In the end it
was found that over $500,000 of the
school money had been lost or stolen,
some of it in broken banks and some
by state officers. ]. S. BARLEY, state
treasurer, was tried, convicted and
sentenced to the penitentiary for
twenty years for his part in this loss.
Mr.. BARLEY always asserted that the
money was lost or stolen by others.
The State School Lands-When
Nebraska became state, the United
States gave to it, for public schools,
the sections OF land in every township
numbered 10 and Sc, in all about
100000 acres. The state of Ne
braska pledged the United States that
it would never lose any of this land
or the price of it when sold. The
rent from the land and the interest
from the money received for it was
to be paid every year to the districts
for the support of public schools. A
little over 100000 acres Of this land
has been sold Part Of the money has
been lost or stolen and never replaced.
In 1897 an act of the legislature for
babe further sale of this land. The
state has now about 100000 acres OF
school land which cannot be sold and
which is rising in value every year.
The rental from this land and the in
terest on the $4,000, 900, which remains
of the money the state has received
from the land sold, goes every year to
pay the teachers in Nebraska schools.
No other state in the union has larger
prospects for the future support OF
its schools than has Nebraska.
Changes in the Political Parties;
Free Silver-In these years there were
many changes in politics. A part OF
| the democratic party tended to unite
with the new peoples independent
party, or populists, while another part
of the democrats was inclined to aid
the republican party in order to pre-
vent the triumph of the new move.
ment. In both the republican and
democratic parties there was a divi-
sion at this time. The immediate
cause of the division was the question
whether or not the free coinage OF
silver dollars at the ratio OF sixteen
grains Of silver to one Of gold should
Be carried on by the United States
mint, There were number OF other
questions involved in the struggle,
but free silver, as it was called, pc
came the war cry in nation-wiae
contest, In this conflict Nebraska
| was suddenly called to play the lead
ing part.
William ]. Bryan Of Nebraska
Named for President-ln june. 1870,
the democratic national convention at
Chicago declared for free silver and
named William ]. Bryan Of Nebraska
As It's candidate for president. 1be
populist national convention at 81.
| Louis in July also nominated Mr.
BRYAN. The republican national CON
yention declared against tree silver
and nominated William Mckinley, OF
Ohio for president. Free silver re-
nuhl;cans left their party and also
Nominated Mr.. Bryan. Gold standard
dsn,ncrats bolted and opposed MT
1 Bryan. The campaign OF 1870 wnisn
foliowed was the most exciting IN the
/ United States for many years. u wa
Ithe first time q candidate TOT presi,
dent had ever been named by one o.