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The governor of Nebraska , has appointed ...

The governor of Nebraska , has appointed ... image
Parent Issue
Day
22
Month
December
Year
1899
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The governor of Nebraska, has appointed the populist Wm. V. Allen to the vacant seat in the United States senate caused by the scent death of Senator-elect Hayward. Mr. Allen is noted principally for having made the longest speech against time ever made in the senate.

If the people want railroads taxed at a basis of assessed valuation, the same as other property is taxed, instead of on the basis of gross earnings, as they are taxed at present, alI they have to do is to elect a legislature that will represent them. There is no constitutional provision in the way, and a $25,000 session of the legislature is not necessary to accomplish that purpose. The only thing the present constitution blocks are essentially Pingreeesque features which have marked recent attempts to revise railway taxation law.

The demand for gold on the part of the English government, although barely started as yet, has set official centers on end here. An absence of a half-penny in the bank of England's buying rate on American eagles sent two and a quarter portions of American gold on its route to London at once. Britain will want more, no doubt, and Yankees are always ready to speculate. The endless chain is in as good working order as ever, and, should the demand be sufficient, we may have a repetition of the bad experiences from which we have but scarcely yet recovered.

The little flurry in the Ann Arbor ward of education at its meeting, Wednesday, indicates that the board is working its way to broader ground with more progress in the direction of the interests of the people in the public schools. Absolute quiet in a school board no more indicates perfect satisfactoryness in the handling of the business of the board than corresponding conditions indicate satisfactory progress in school work at all times. A little effervescence may and generally does indicate an effort to advance to a position of greater merit and justice. The mothers in the employ of the board should be liberally compensated for the services rendered, but farther than that they have no claims under stating conditions upon the treasurer of the school district.

The response of the English government to the defeat of Gen. Buller with the appointment of General Lord perts to the supreme command South Africa, with Lord Kitch as his chief of staff. This indicates more strongly than words the seriousness of the situation as England. That there has enormous loss of prestige to Great Britain in the reverses to her as in South Africa, is true. That these reverses have, likewise, greatly lengthened the cause of the Boers, annually true. The result will, undoubtedly, bring thousands of rich sympathizers to the support their relatives of the two republics. These reverses must also convince Great Britain that she has no sympathy in her South African â– bles from the world outside her possessions, However, there is a certain degree of respect which other nations will continue to her fleet, and this will prevent interference from without. Without other complications hands, she will, ultimately, the Boers. But it is apparent they will need many more men I as on the ground at present i to bring the war to an end without tremendous cost in an lives. In the meantime is earning to have respect foe, whom she at first despise.

The controversy over the governorship in Kentucky, which promised bloodshed and riot and destruction, has been settled in the most lamblike fashion imaginable. The very law which candidate Goebel relied upon proved his undoing. It caused a split in his own party and the loss of a considerable vote to the independent candidate and Gen. Taylor. The law is a dishonest one and, politically, puts a premium upon dishonest political methods. But even a bad law, administered by honest men, may not result in wrong, The state canvassing board decided that it was a ministerial body only, lacked judicial powers, and, consequently, had no authority to go behind the returns. This settled Goebel's case. However, the board stated that, even if its powers were judicial, Goebel would not have been given the certificate. Now the law should be repealed and an honest one substituted in its place.

By calling the legislature together, the governor has short-circuited any testimony reflecting upon his military board, which the grand jury might otherwise wring from unwilling legislators. Legislators are exempt from process while the body is in session. Just what is Pingree's excuse for calling an extra session of the legislature, which will cost the people $25,000, at this juncture is not apparent. Constitutional revision is a hoax. There is no popular demand for it. The people had a chance to vote on the question of constitutional revision at the last general election, and they defeated it by a big majority. They knew just as much about it a few months ago as they do now. In fact, the election occurred within a few days after the Atkinson bill was declared unconstitutional, and the question was before them in all its freshness. The upshot of the whole business will be a little more Pingree fireworks at an expense to the people of $25,000.

The English have heard from Buller, to whom they have been looking to retrieve the disasters suffered by Generals White, Gatacre and Methuen. But he has met with the same thing which happened to them, and his reverse was brought about by the same tactics on the part of the Boers. Buller attempted to cross the Tugela river at a ford, and the attempt discovered a Boer force which, evidently, the English had no knowledge of. The British soldiers showed their usual gallantry, but they were surprised by the proximity of the enemy and were compelled to retreat, with the loss of their artillery - eleven guns. Apparently, Gen. Buller showed better judgment than did Methuen, in withdrawing his men before so many had been slaughtered. Gen. Buller does not report his losses, but says they were severe. While these successive defeats are most galling to English pride, and there is a disposition to criticise the English commanders, there appears little evidence that they have not done as well as any generals could under the circumstances. Some credit must be given the Boers for putting up a mighty hard proposition for the English generals. 

Exercises commemorative of the centenary of the death of Washington appear to have been quite general last Thursday. This was most fitting. Just at this time it is well for the whole people to turn their attention again to the example and precepts of Washington before and during the establishment of this, the first government, whose right to be rests upon the consent of the governed. All of his acts as patriot and statesman were based upon the principle of the might of right, and this principle is as essential now in all our acts as a nation as then. And as the republic has been true to it in the past, so should it be in still greater degree in the future. That the present chief executive recognizes this fact and will use his best endeavors to follow in its light, is evidenced by his speech, Thursday, at the tomb of Washington. He said: "The nation needs at this moment the help of Washington's wise example. In dealing with our vast responsibilities, we turn to him. We invoke the counsel of his life and character and courage. We summon his precepts that we may keep his pledges to maintain justice and law, education and morality, and civil and religious liberty in every part of our country, the new as well as the old."

In appointing Gen. Leonard Wood civil and military governor of Cuba, President McKinley has given the people there the best of evidence that a broad, generous, liberal policy is to be followed in directing the affairs of that island. No better man could have been found. Wood, while able as a military officer, is more of a civilian than soldier. He is a man of great versatility of talents and seems to be able to succeed almost equally in any pursuit he turns his attention to. Besides being a man of large and varied ability, he possesses great tact for handling delicate and sensitive affairs and conditions. Of all the men thrown up above the common level by the Spanish-American war, not one has won the confidence of the whole country to a greater degree than has Gen. Wood. He has handled the affairs of his position at Santiago with consumate ability, accomplishing the difficult reforms required without offending the sensibilities and dignity of the most independent section of the Cuban people. He has made friends of enemies and won the support of these people by recognizing and respecting their rights and convincing them of the merit and justice of his rule. In the broader sphere of governor-general of the island he may be looked to confidently to do equally well. As the Lucha says, " Cuba has cause for self-congratulation " over his appointment.

Governor Pingree seems, not yet to have lost all of his cunning. Whether he accomplishes anything in the interest of tax reform, by having a special session of the legislature, may be doubtful; but he, undoubtedly, has a keen perception of the conditions by which the solons will be environed. With the speaker of the house under indictment by a grand jury, members on the floor similarly circumstanced, and still other statesmen approaching a state of nervous prostration, lest they be the next to hear the uncomfortable summons, he may think the third house, some of whose members are also facing criminal indictments, will not put in an appearance, and that there may be a possibility of having something done in the interest of the people. Of course, none of the statesmen can be indicted while the legislature is in session, nor for fifteen days preceding or following the session, consequently there is no danger but that he will have a quorum present to do business. Practically all Pingree legislation thus far that has had any merit in it has been invalidated by the supreme court. The present may, therefore, furnish the great friend of the people the opportunity of yet putting something on the statute-books which will redound to the credit of his administration. The principal object of the governor, probably, is to give the people an opportunity to say whether they desire the constitution amended so as to permit some such measure as the Atkinson bill to become law. May he be successful.