584 



NEBRASKA. 



Political. The political contest of this year 

 exceeded in interest any in recent years. The 

 prohibition question was discussed from one end 

 of the State to the other, vigorous efforts being 

 made by the temperance organizations to carry 

 through the proposed prohibitory amendment. 

 At the same time the Farmers' Alliance was act- 

 ive in arousing among the farmers of the State 

 a spirit of discontent. The railroads were es- 

 pecially attacked by the Alliance orators, and 

 radical reductions in the freight rates on agri- 

 cultural products were demanded. The existing 

 rates were denounced as ruinous to the farming 

 interests. The tariff policy of the Republican 

 party was also denounced, and the farmers were 

 urged to protest against the wrongs they were 

 suffering, by independent political action. 



The first State convention for the nomination 

 of candidates was held by the Republicans at 

 Lincoln, on July 24, at which the following 

 ticket was nominated : For Governor, Lucius I). 

 Richards ; for Lieutenant-Governor, Thomas J. 

 Majors ; for Secretary of State, John C. Allen ; 

 for Auditor, Thomas H. Benton ; for Treasurer, 

 John E. Hill ; for Attorney-General, George H. 

 Hastings ; for Superintendent of Public Instruc- 

 tion, A. K. Goudy ; for Commissioner of Public 

 Lands, A. R. Humphrey. The platform includes 

 the following : 



We favor such revision of the election laws of the 

 State as will guarantee to every voter the greatest pos- 

 sible secrecy in the casting of his ballot, and secure 

 the punishment of any who attempt the corruption or 

 intimidation of voters. 



We are in favor of laws compelling railroads and 

 manufacturers to use all appliances which science sup- 

 plies for the protection of laborers against accidents. 



We demand the enactment of a law defining the 

 liability of employer for injuries sustained by em- 

 ploye's in cases where proper safeguards have not been 

 used in occupations dangerous to life, limb, or health. 



Railroad and other public corporations ' should be 

 subjected to control tnrough the legislative power 

 that created them. 



We demand of the State that the property of cor- 

 porations shall be taxed the same as that of individ- 

 uals ; that the provision of our Constitution requiring 

 the assessment of franchises shall be enforced by suit- 

 able legislation. 



We demand the reduction of freight and passenger 

 rates on railroads to correspond with rates now pre- 

 vailing in adjacent States in the Mississippi valley, 

 and we further demand that the next Legislature shall 

 abolish all passes and free transportation on railroads, 

 excepting for employes of railroad companies. 



We favor the modification of the statutes of our 

 State in such manner as shall prevent the staying of 

 judgments secured for work and labor, and the enact- 

 ment of such laws as shall provide for the speedy col- 

 lection of the wages of our laborers. 



Owners of public elevators that receive and handle 

 grain for storage should be declared public warehouse- 

 men, and compelled under penalty to receive, store, 

 ship, and handle the grain of all persons without dis- 

 crimination, the State regulating charges for storage 

 and inspection. All railroad companies should be re- 

 quired to switch, handle, haul, receive, and ship the 

 grain of all persons alike without discrimination. 



We favor the enactment of more stringent usury- 

 laws, and their strict enforcement under severe penal- 

 ties. 



The omission from the platform of any refer- 

 ence to the pending prohibitory amendment, or 

 to the liquor question, was a significant feature 

 of the convention proceedings. 



On July 29, pursuant to a call issued about 

 two months earlier, a State convention com- 

 posed of representatives of the State Grange, the- 

 Farmers' Alliance, and the Knights of Labor, as- 

 sembled at Lincoln to form a People's Independ- 

 ent party and to nominate a State ticket. The 

 call for the convention contained a declaration 

 of principles to which the signers subscribed, and 

 these principles, with some additions, were adopt- 

 ed as the platform for the new party, in the fol- 

 lowing form : 



Our financial system should be reformed by the 

 restoration of silver to its old-time place in our cur- 

 rency and its free and unlimited coinage on an equal- 

 ity with gold, and by the increase of our money cir- 

 culation until it reaches the sum of $50 per capita ; 

 and all paper issues necessary to secure that amount 

 should be made by the Government alone and be full 

 legal tender for all debts, public and private. 



lLand monopoly should be abolished either by limit- 

 ation of ownership or graduated taxation of excessive 

 holdings, so that all the competent should have an 

 opportunity to labor, secure homes, and become good 

 citizens ; and alien ownership should be prohibited. 



The railroad system, as at present managed, is a 

 system of spoliation and robbery, and its enormous, 

 bonded debt at fictitious valuations is absorbing the 

 substance of the people in the interest of millionaires ; 

 the General Government should own and operate the 

 railroads and telegraph, and furnish transportation at 

 cost, the same as 'mail facilities are now furnished; 

 and our Legislature should enact a freight law which 

 shall fix rates no higher than those now in force in 

 Iowa. 



We demand the adoption of the Australian ballot 

 system. That eight hours shall constitute a legal 

 day's work, except for agricultural labor. That the 

 soldiers of the late war shall receive a liberal service 

 pension. 



The following ticket was nominated by the 

 convention : For Governor, John H. Powers ; 

 for Lieutenant-Governor, W. H. Dech ; for Sec- 

 retary of State, Charles N. Mayberry ; for Treas- 

 urer, *J. V. Wolfe ; for Auditor, John Batie ; for 

 Attorney-General, Joseph W. Edgerton ; for 

 Superintendent of Public Instruction, A. D'Alle- 

 mand ; for Commissioner of Public Lands. W. 

 F. Wright. An effort to secure from the con- 

 vention a declaration in favor of the prohibitory 

 amendment was unsuccessful. 



On Aug. 14, the Democratic State Convention 

 met at Omaha and made the following nomina- 

 tions : For Governor, James E. Boyd ; for Lieu- 

 tenant-Governor, Alexander Bear ; for Secretary 

 of State, Frank W. Sprague ; for Treasurer, W. 

 A. Gushing ; for Auditor, R. B. Wahlquist ; for 

 Attorney-General, John H. Higgins ; for Super- 

 intendent of Public Instruction, C. D. Rake- 

 straw ; for Commissioner of Public Lands, Jacob 

 Bigler. The platform favors coinage of silver, 

 ballot reform, and the election of United States 

 Senators by the people, and contains the follow- 

 ing: 



We roundly denounce the maintenance of the State 

 militia as an expensive Republican luxury, of no bene- 

 fit in any respect, and demand its immediate repeal by 

 the next Legislature. 



The Democratic party has a record of opposition to 

 all sumptuary legislation, and does not believe that 

 the social habits of a people are proper subjects for 

 constitutional provisions. High license and local op- 

 tion, however, have been tried in Nebraska and have 

 given satisfaction to a majority of the people. As be- 

 tween them and prohibition, the Democratic party i& 

 unreservedly in favor of the former. 



