NEBRASKA. 



NEBRASKA. Public affairs in this State 

 during the past year, have been unusually 

 quiet, and little occurred worthy of record. 

 A session of the Legislature was held in the 

 early part of the year, and, although one hun- 

 dred and seventy-three acts were passed, the 

 legislation was mostly of local interest. After 

 the adjournment it was ascertained that the 

 " act to define the boundaries of certain coun- 

 ties," approved March 23, 1873, contained cler- 

 ical errors to such an extent as would have 

 led to inextricable difficulties in the adminis- 

 tration of justice and the collection of revenue 

 in certain portions of the State ; and that the 

 " Act to incorporate cities of the first class " 

 by an oversight, had failed to receive the sig- 

 latnre of -the President of the Senate, as re- 

 quired by the constitution, and thereby its va- 

 lidity was left in great doubt. After consulta- 

 tion with the Attorney-General and repre- 

 sentatives from the localities affected, the 

 Governor deemed these matters of sufficient 

 importance to summon a brief extra session 

 of the Legislature to remedy the defects. 



In Nebraska, as in most of the Northwest- 

 ern States, the "Farmers' Movement" was 

 one of the chief events of the year. The 

 views of the agricultural and industrial classes 

 in this State are set forth in the following 

 resolutions, which were unanimously adopted 

 by the Convention of the " Grand Castle of the 

 Order of American Farmers and Mechanics of 

 Nebraska," held on the 29th and 30th of July 

 at Lincoln : 



Whertat, When people organize themselves into a 

 >ody for the accomplishment of objects of public 

 importance, it is proper and requisite that they de- 

 clare to the world the objects and principles of'their 

 organizations, and the reasons which impel them 

 thereto : therefore be it 



Boohed, By the Grand Castle of the Order of 

 American Farmers and Mechanics in the State of Ne- 

 braska, that, although our order is a patriotic school 

 f instruction for the young and middle-aged ; is 

 benevolent and beneficent in its objects, toward all 

 ts members and toward all mankind, seeking the 

 highest good of all ; yet it is national in its objects, 

 id aims at the accomplishment of honesty and pu- 

 rity in political action ; integrity, sincerity, truthiul- 

 ss. and justice in onr public servants; to be their 

 masters in fact, and not in name alone ; to secure a 

 it and equitable administration of all public af- 

 fairs ; in rid our Legislatures and our Congress of 

 monopolists and corruptronists, and of their con- 

 trol ; to effect the passage and enforcement of just 

 laws for the benefit of the whole people; and to in- 

 fuse a spirit of sincerity, truth, and justice, into the 

 entire body politic, from the centre to the extremes 

 of the nation. 



Xaofoed, That we deem it better, and cheaper, 

 ("T our servants in Congress to prevent crime among 

 themselves, than to investigate it, and let the crimi- 

 Umu ffo unpunished. 



Refolded, That in our opinion those servants of the 

 people who robbed theTreasury ofthe UnitedStates 



I)V nnnronrifttl Rir t/t tlir.m a/.l T/U tin, m Ann f.f t-1. ~ 



527 



line railroads of the country are frauds upon the 

 people, whose extraordinary liberality in many in- 

 stances gave to the companies the means to build 

 the roads, in the firm belief, and with at least an 

 implied promise, that the roads were to be built for 

 the benefit of the people; but they now find their 

 gilt in the hands of tyrants, who seek to reduce to 

 perpetual slavery the people who raised them from 

 poverty to opulence. 



Saohtd That as revolution or reform must come, 

 -his Order seeks and offers to the people a true and 

 simple, yet perfect means of reform, *by uniting in 

 strong fraternal ties, and by ties of mutual interest 

 and mutual protection, all ofthe industrial classes of 

 the nation, and all who are sincerely opposed to 

 fraud and corruption in high places, and to the ty- 

 rannical oppression of monopolies. 



Resolved, That the people require, and have aright 

 to demand reasonable and liberal means of inter- 

 communication and commerce throughout the coun- 

 try, and reasonable river and ocean freights, and no 

 pooling or oppressive combinations of railroad com- 

 panies. 



Resphed, That we are opposed to subsidizing cor- 

 porations upon principle ; that hotels, printing com- 

 panies, and flourmg-mills, are as justly entitled to 

 ubsidies as railroad companies; and that the issue 

 of bonds, as gratuities or gifts to railroad corpora- 

 tions, as practised in this State, is prejudicial to the 

 interests of the people. 



Resohed, That while taxes for the support of gov- 

 ernment ought cheerfully to be paid, taxes extort- 

 ed for the payment of bonds donated to monopolies 

 and the interest thereon are illegal and grievouslv 

 oppressive. 



Resolved, That we arc friends to railroads, and oc- \ 

 knowledge their necessity and usefulness as ser- ' 

 vants, but we are opposed to them as masters. 



Resohed, That we have no feelings of opposition 

 to any body or order of men, who are sincerely op- 

 posed to monopolies, corruption, and wrong- and 

 we will freely cooperate with all who will support 

 the rights of the people. 



Resolved, That thorough firm and determined 

 organization by all the industrial classes is neces- 

 sary for the accomplishment of the purposes herein 

 contemplated. 



The present State government, which is en- 

 tirely Eepublican, is as follows: Governor, 

 Robert W. Furnas ; Secretary of State, John 

 J. Gosper ; Auditor, John B. Weston ; Treas- 

 urer, Henry A. Koenig; Attorney-General, J. 

 R. Webster ; Chief-Justice, George B. Lake ; 

 Associate-Justices, Daniel Gantt and Samuel 

 Maxwell. The Legislature is composed as 

 follows : 



vin^iy guilty 01 a gross ana nrnzen iraua 

 upon the nation, and by that act stomped their 

 names with lasting infamy, and proved themselves 

 unworthy of public confidence. 



RunlrrjJ, That the unjust and oppressive tariffs of 

 way-freights and of passenger-travel en the trunk- 



The latest official exhibit of the finances 

 and wealth of Nebraska' is that of January 1, 

 1873. At that time the liabilities and re- 

 sources of the State were as follows : 



LIABILITIES. 



Outstanding bonds (held by State School 



Fund) 



Nebraska Territorial Bonds '.'. ,'. tlSSOO 00 



Dne Cniverp it.v Fnnd 1G.OOO 00 



General Fund warrants " ' 250*295 21 



Interest on General Fnnd warrants (esti- 

 mated) 10,000 00 



Total $892,695lil 



