Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, February 19, 1888, Page 4

Changed Views of the Constitution. One of the most interesting politieal developments during the last ten years has been the growing tendency on the part of public men to construe more rige idly the constitution of the United States. The feeling that paternalism in government had been dangerously bul- warked by the necessities of the eivil war, and that the constitution had been necessarily strained during that great struggle in order to perpetuate national unity, has caused a silent reaction whose effects are yearly growing more | THE DAILY BEE. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. TERMS OF BITBBL-‘RIPHOH. Daily (Morning Edition) neluding una-ym BEE, One Year .., Rl e Omaha funday Bee, dress, One Year.. 108, NO! AND 016 FARNAM STRERT, K OFFICE, ROOMS 14 AND 15 TRIRUNE SHINGTON OFFice, No. 613 CORRESPONDENCE. Al communications relating to news and edi- torial matter should be addressed to the Epitok oF THE BEE, USINESS LETTERS, The def , i All bustnens Jottsrs and remitsaes should ve | Apparent. The democratic party and ressed to Tne Bk PusLisiing Company, | the south, which for years before the Drafts, checks and postoffioe orders to be ‘made payable to the "ordet of the company, The Bee Publishing Company, Proprietors E. ROSEWATER, Editor. THE DAILY BEE. Sworn Statement of Circulation. ite of Nebraska, "(':(mmr of Douglass, {58 60, B8, Tzachuck, secretary of The Beo Pub- ing company, doey solemnly swear that the actual circulation of the Daily Bee for the week ¥l 11, 1688, was as follows: ) war, and its continued calls upon the national government for appropriations to benefit that section, has made many converts among southern statesmen as to the powersof the national government in its relations to the states, especially where a money consideration is in- volved, On theother hand, the increas- ing expenditures of the gevernment for objects which, prior to the war, would have been considered quite out of its ", Average. o 3 & | provinco, have awakened conservative i Sworn to and subscrfbed in_my g}'flenrc this | republicans to a feeling that the “‘gen- , SRy Ot ¥ uruscy; AV DLty L Fs Bkl | eral welfare clause” could possibly be too broadly interpreted. Added to this, the interference of the federal courts itate of Nebraska, 2 County of Douglass, {58 4 Geo. B Tzschiuck, betng first duly 4" Pny 1o | in state matters, and the enormous bulk y Joten and sayn that he ls secretary of The n ¥ hiishing Sororis that the actual average | of litigation resulting from the transfer i dafly circulation of the Daily Bee for the month g 4 of February, 1887, "'"T mlxm-u:“h')’rlirr;h, n?n. of local cases to the federal courts, seems E 14,400 coples; for ' April , 14,316 coples; for Ve df SR8 v o X May, T 4.2 AP bies: for June, A jaaar | to have drawn the attention of the su {es: for July, 1667, 14,08 coples: for August, | preme bench to a closer study of the 51 coples; for eptember, 1887, 14,349 national constitution in its application to the citizens of the states, and to the states in their relation to the national government., The tendency, as noted, is an interest- ingone principally because it evidences tiie large part which self-interest plays in all questions of statesmanship or of practical politics. Theories which were formerly bolstered throughout the south by local conditions and the industrial dependence of the section have since been rudely shaken by the upbuilding of manufactures and the breaking down of the barrier which slavery interposed between two parts of one country. As aresult, the south, through its public men, and in congress, is growing more and more ready to accept a liberal con- struction of the constitution, so far as the power of the general government to legislate for the general interest, inde- pendent of state lines, is concerned. The debate on the Blair educational bill has brought this fact out as nothing else has during the past twenty years. The measure, which proposes to appro- priate 877,000,000 from the national treasury for the support of state schools, would thirty years ago have been bitterly opposed on constitutional grounds by every nfember south of Ma- son and Dixon’s line. It would have been announced as an unwarranted in- vasion of the rights of the states by the general government and an unconstitu- tional interference with .the preroga~ tives of the citizens in the line of the promotion of local education. It is sin- gular to-day to find republican senators like Plumb, of Kansas, and Hawley, of Connecticut, denouncing the educa- tional bill as an assault upon the rights of the states, while other senators on the democratic side endorse it as a proper application of the coustitutional clause which empowers congress ‘‘to provide for the general welfare.” Fifteen years ago the country would have been star- tled if aleading republican senator from one of the strongest of republican states had announced that in his opinion “‘there ought to be somewhere a division between the powers of the states and the powers of the general government, and that if there were no final resting place, no immutable and never to‘ be broken down barrier, the time would come, and that very soon, when the states would practically disappear.” What one of the old war horses of the senate during the civil war would have remained in his seat if he had been told, as Senator Plumb informed the senate on Monday, that ‘‘the "fed- eral government was growing like an octopus, Tt not only retained all that it put its hands upon, but that it was con- stantly enlarging its powers and strang- ling everything else in opposition.” Or with what surprisé at the close of the war, when the men of states rights raised a question of loyalty, the republicans would have heard Sen- ator Hawley remark, as he did Wednesday in the senate, that the theory of decentralization was one of the most glorious heritages handed down to us from the old tithes and hundreds of English feudalism, The constitutional questions pre- sented constantly through legislation arvising from the great treasury surplus ave leading our public men to a closer study of the instrument itself and to an investigation of the successive steps in its construction by the supreme court. From this the country is likely to gain. The whole doctrine of secession asa corollary to the rights of the states as distinet from those of the national gov- ernment is admitted to have been set- tled forever. But the settlement of that question has not disposed of the problem of the true interpretation of the constitution on questions arising from the extravagance of government due to the immense sums of money which are annually drawn from the people by taxation. The tendency to centralize all the legislative, executive and judicial pow- ers of the country at the national capi- tol and to override local government and local legislation by a simple vote of congress is causing a not unnatural alarm in the mindsof thinkers and students of republican government. The press is beginning to voice its views and public men, quite irrespective of party, are calling a halt. The Ameri- can constitution, which is the oldest and the best written constitution in ex- istence, has stood many strains and is able to withstand many more. But its strength has always been in the dual authority which it has given to the people directly in their capacity as citizens of the states, and collectively in their capacity of states united in a national legislature for the common welfare, Originally coustructed to prevent. the "absorption of :all govern- 16,226 coples; for December, 1887, 15, for Jumuary, 1888, 16,200 coplea: 3 GO, B, TSOHUCK. Bworn and subscribed to in’ my prosence tils 2aday of Jauuary, A. D. 18%. N. F. FHIL, Notary Public, coples; for October, 1881, 14,553; for November, Sk % (41 copl Now that Pat Ford has become vice president of a bank, his pard Manville will soon be in position to take the E presidency of a trust company. A cIT1ZEN of St. Louis has challenged the world to a sleeping match of one hundred and forty-two hours, that is, to see who can sleep the most in a week. 3 ‘This is just the challenge to come from i 8t. Louis and Philadelphia is the city to take it up. A RETURN tide of Chinese has set in toward the celestinl kingdom—a wretched tide of worn out, blind, halt and lame Mongolians who are going home to die. They are leaving San Francisco in considerable numbers at half rates and the city isthus spared the expense of taking care of them. 4 EARLY - republican conventions will Lo probably be the rule this year. By the terms of the national call twenty days’ motice must be given of state conven- tlons, and these must meet thirty days Before the date of the national conven- tion, The early part of May will very likely witness a flood of state conven- tions. DISPATCHES regarding the condition of the royal patientat San Remo con- tinue to be very contradictory, but @oubtless no one has any faith in his ul- timate recovery. It is simply another case of a vigorous constitution making a brave fight against an insidious and relentless foe to its life. The aged em- peror is said to feel most keenly the im- pending bereavement,gnd when it shall come it will be very likely to snap the well-worn thread of his own life, THE San Francisco papers report the existence in that city of an opium ring organized to smuggle the drug into the country. A great deal of this smug- gling has been done in the past, and it would seem to be the duty of congress either to reduce the duty soas to remove the incentive for smuggling or to pro- hibit the importation of opium, provid- §ng also that the drug when seized should be destroyed. As one of the San Francisco papers says, opium being an object of luxury in the strictest sense of the word no tariff can keep it out, and 41 it is necessary to be admitted for the sake of revenue, the duty should be re- duced to such a figure as to render smuggling unprofitable, — THE United States consul of San Sal- wvador speaks very highly to- that coun- 4ry. The temperature in the interior s remarkably even as the thermometer hever falls below seventy-five degrees or rises above cighty, Coffee is raised {n large quantities and tropical fruits in i sbundance. Labor costs from twenty to b twenty-five cents per day and food for the same time does not average more than ten cents. The government is trying to attract foreign capital, espec- fally American, by grants of valuable franchisés. If the consul’s report is well founded San Salvador would seem #0 be just the field for profitable invest- cwnts. American labor, however, is ot likely to rush in that divection. HARVARD college a few yearsago mbolished compulsory attendance at morning prayers. The result shows that this institution of learning is not a A stronghold of piety. Under the com- 3 pulsory system eight or nine hundred students attended the services. Now the attendance has fallen off to one hun- dred or less. Still the new system is undoubtedly the correct one. Attend- ance at devotional exercises should be 4 voluntary. Otherwiso they can do no 49 good. We can imagine the frame of mind i of a young man compelled to hurry to chapel half a sleep on a cold morning. His mental observations and reserva tions are likely to be anything but de- wotional. The tendency in colleges is \ more and more to treat students as citi- A zens of the community and the effect has generally been good. Many of the eollege rules and regulations are relics of the darker scholastic ages which it is mbsurd to keep up now, If the attend- ance at college prayers has fallen off V. decidedly since attendance became optional, the fact may be deplored as indicating a lack of reverence, but it does not prove the voluntary system wrong. It is not likely a young man can be forced to become pious any more than & horse can be compelled to drink after he hus been led to water. Probably, also, if college prayers were just what Shey should be, more studeuts would be presout. war considered themselves the conserv- ators of strict construction, have ina measure changed sides with prominent republicans. The impoverished condi- tion of the south, as the result of the time on the part of workmen, and less waste. These a conditions which vrotit-sharing pi d. They are not always attained hhe first year of trial, because al kmen do not at once enter into sympathy with mental functions at the national capital, the people of this country, without re- spect to party lines, are not likely to diverted allow 1t .to be benefieent purpose. from its Pawiotism in the Schools. the plan, but as intelligent and The duty of making the publicschools | gteady workmen satisfied of the of America the fountain.of patriotic in- | merits of the pri e there is there- struction to the youth of Americaisre- | after no diMiculty in securing ceiving attention in comnection with | their emtire interest and their the general discussion of the needs and | hest efforts in their work. The requirements of the public school sys- tem. It must be regarded as a timely subject that merits the mostserious con= sideration. The president of the New York board of education said recently in the course of an address: ‘‘An essen- tial and specific purt of the training and instruction given in our public schools should be a love of country, a knowledge of its institutions, a proper estimate of its unrivalled advantages, and the bless- ings of a free citizenship.” An- other advocate of this policy says: “The purpose of the common 'school ic to make the children of this country good American citizens, and to be good American citizens it is not only necessary for them to read, to write and to figure, but to thoroughly understand the meaning of American liberty, its privileges and its obligations. Itis un- questionably the duty of free schools to teach those who attend them the funda- mental principles which underlie our government, to teach them to love and honor those principles.” With this end in view Bishop Coxe says of the Amer- ican system of public education: ‘It should include historical instruction widely different from that which is now prevalent in all our schools. The de- tails of our warfare from the days men who got their fair share of the profits of Mrs. Tu er's business un- doubtedly returnédto dvork on Saturday with a better liking for their work, greater confldence in themselves, and an increased respect and loyalty for their employer. They could not but feel that they had a material interest in the business which it would be both their duty and their advantage to sub- serve during the ensuing year. They would instinctively regard themselves as something more than ordinary em- ployes, and therefore called upon to render something more and better than rdinary service, and they will do it. That establishment is not only safe against strikes or lockouts, but its pro- prietor can depend upon every man and boy in it doing his duty faith- fully and to the very best of his ability. He has an incentive to do this which is unfailing with those who have an am- bition to succeed. Profit-sharing is not wholly an ex- periment, We some time ago cited facts to show that during the nearly half a century it has been widely adopted in France it has been productive of the most gratifying results. 1t has not made very great progress in the United States, but we are not aware of a single of our earliest conflicts with | case of failure where it has been given the Indians until'the close of our | an honest trial. The general success of late civil strife, are indeed | the principle shows it to possess merits important, and, if confined to fact and judicious comment, might be in the highest degree useful. Then, if our young Americans are to become at- tached to the principles of the constitu- tion, ought they not to be instructed in the laws of the land and its history if we would make them intelligent and morally fitted to fultill the manifold duties of citizenship?”’ There has been much more recently said and written to the same effect, all exhibiting a strong popular interest in the subject which if for the present somewhat localized is very certain to grow as the discussion extends. Every American citizen willacquiesce in the general propesition that the schools being maintained by the state for the good of the state, and which must ultimately cause it to be widely adopted. S—— WHAT the average congressman might not do, if he had free way, in ex- tending the federal authority to all sorts of concerns with which it can properly have nothing to do, itis hard to say, but there have been some nota- ble evidences in the present congress of the disposition to widen the scope of the national power. It was shown the other day in an attempt to prohibit news- papers from advertising lottery tickets, but after the newspaper member from New York, Amos J. Cummings, had shown the absurdity as well as the un- warranted charaotgr. of the proposition, there was coimor§ense enough in the committee to whichthelbill was referred the chief if not the sole reason for their | to lead them to re, ainst it. . The existence being the education of the | latest ml\nilef i of the children of the land to become good | unfortunate con onal tendency citizens, prepared to intelligently and patriotically perform the obligations of citizenship that will devolve on them, their first and most important function should be to impart to American youth some knowledge of the institutions of their country, give them at least an in- sight into what is comprehended in a republican system of government, make them as familiar as shall be found prac- ticable with the fundamental principles of popular liberty and equality, and im- plant in their minds a thorough love of is a bill to suppres: bucket shops. TH not be a particulat] ful citizen, and the bucket shop ig@nJinstitution that ought not to be permitted to exist, but congress has no business with them,any more than it has with any other class of gamblers or gambling practices. Evi- dently the ‘“‘genernt wdlfare” provision of the constituti ‘ needs to be more clearly defined ang ts flmimtions more definitely established. totk brokers and k broker may MANY people have wondered how it American principles and ideas. This does not imply that they should | came about that Blaine’s letter was first receive any instruction of a | published in a Pittsburg paper. The partisan nature. Political theories | cause was a blunder on the part of or policies represented by one party or another could of course have no proper place in public school instruction, and would not be tolerated. There is per- haps a danger that the teaching of American ,principles in the schools might be thus perverted from its true purpose, but it is a danger not difficult to guara against. Another possible danger is the creation of a national feeling that would. array children of native birth and parentage against those of foreign birth and parentage, but this is not a danger to be seriously thought of in view of the much greater one of permitting all children to obtain Chairman Jdnes, it seems. A private note from the Maine statesman in- structed him to give the letter to “my friend Ried,” of the New York Thribune. Purposely or otherwise Mr. Jones de- livered it to his friend Reed, of the Pittsburg Commercial Gazette. A smell of sulphur still lingers about the Z'ribune sanctum. P E—— POLITICAL POINTS. Senator Cullom is having a modest presi- dential boom in central Illinois, Boston has a woolly horse and has named it Cleveland. He is a mugwump. It looks as though Senator Riddleberger the educational advantages of | was about ready to go to Detroit. the schools without any knowl- Ex-Senator Warner Miller is spoken of as edge of the nature of the 1n- | republican candidate for governorof New stitutions and the character | York. Colonel A. K. McClure is of opinion that all sessions in which Riddleberger figures should be secret. Senator Brown of Georgia, is reported as saying that his public career will close with his present term, Senator Voorhees is quoted as saying that if the democrats can't elect Cleveland they can’t elect anybody. . John Sherman is now preparing to capture the Chicago convention. His campaign is familiarly spoken ofas Sherman's March to C. Ex-Congressman Strait (rep.) of Minne- sota thinks that his state can be depended upon for a good republican majority— ‘with a proper presidential nomination, of the government under which they live. And the fact that so large a pro- portion of the children in the public schools are of foreign birth or parent- age is really a forcible argument in favor of imparting such knowledge. The child of American parentage is very likely to get at home, by precept and example, a proper idea of his country, and whenever opportunity offers an inspiraticn to patriotism. The general defect in our educational system is shown to be a lack of proper and adequate instruction in American history, and the demand that is making for'reform in this particular must be met. The almost worthless text books | General Swift thinks the republicans will which simply chromclo events, | this year carry California_by 15,000 majority, now universully used in the | “0d the independent San Francisco Bulletin admits that his estimate is not exaggerated, John Wannamalker has been proposed as a delegate to the republican national conven- tion by his Philadelphia friends, and it is said he will come to Chicago to nominate George W. Childs for president. General Butler has a contempt for the callow brood of Massachusetts politicians who have been trying to elbow him out of the way on account of his age, and he thinks the age of political consent ought to be raised. In view of the growth of the prohibition vote in New Jersey from 2,004 in 1882 to 19,808 in 1886, the Philadélphia Press(rep.) appeals to the republican législature to pass either a local option law or bigh license law or both, ' Henry C. Ball of New York, is the only re- publican remaining in_the consular service of the government. He is minister to the Central American states, but will doubtless s00n lose his head, as a’New Jersey democrat 18 after the place, o9 Roswell P. Flower declares that he is not a candidate for the presidency, governorship, or any office under the sun. This is sad news for the boys who again expected to have the pleasure of tapping Mr. Flower's bulging bar'l. . General Sheridan is said@ to be growing very tired of the constaut iteration of his name in connection with the presidency, and when an acquaintance approaches the sub- ject the soldier becomes positively rude and public schools, must sooner orlater give place to the histories that will give the pupil fuller information than mere names and dates. There is in this re- quirement a splendid invitation to any one qualified for the task to win both fame and fortune. The sort of history chat is required would not lack de- mand, and he who would write it would have all the honor so uséful a labor could derive. Meantime this subject may be expected to grow in interestand attention, and it is certainly worthy of all that can be given it. - Profit Sharing. Several instances of the successful operation in this country of the profit- sharing principle have recently been noted, and the uniform testimony they bear is so favorable to this system that it can hardly fail to make an impression that will lead to the extension of the principle. The last reported is from Pittsburg, where on last Friday a divi- sion was made among the more than four hundred workmen in the locomo- tive works of Mrs. H. K. Porter. This was the second annual profit-sharing in the establishment, and according to the dispatch the result was a grati- fying surprise to all the em-| 4y oy his heel and walks away. ployes. h\:ery may ¥ anl boy Northern democratic papers have again got something, aecorditg to the | peen pointing out the advantages, from the amount of salary or wages riceived dur- | partisan point of view, of cutting up Texas ing the year, and entire fa‘rness being | into several states, but the Galveston News observed all weve satisfied. That the { (dem.) curtly says that ‘‘the people of Texas will not consent to it, and there is no use to disouss it." Colonel George W. Hooker (rep.) of Ver- amount shared was greater than was expected 1sevidence not only of a larger business, but of better work, less loss of inont, ex-sergeant-at-arms. of the national house of represchtatives, assures repud- licans that ‘‘great enthuslasm prevells' among the republicans of his state, and ap- pears to regard Vermont as safe far the re- publican candidate next f: A Little od. Philadelphia uirer. A Paris paper says ‘“‘the ple of St. Louis, D. T., are dying of & discase called the biiz- zards.” R — Too Tiresome. Philadelphia Inquirer, ‘Washington wants to get up a spectacle for the nations in 1889, Well, what's the matter with congress? - A Mystery to the Young Only, Chieago News. What mainly puzzies the small boy when he begins to study politics is this: How does it happen that a drum major has never been elected president? —_—— Nothing New. Boston Post, It is said that the new vestibule cars run 80 smoothly that & man can be shaved on them. So he can on the ordinary palace cars; the porter has always done that for all the passengers, e — A Much Needed Tie. Lincoln Demoorat, Omaha complains that her hands are tied by her charter. If she could get & very strong charter that could tie tho hands of her councilmen she would feel that she was greatly blessed Please Explain This, Yankton Press, Hard coal in Sioux Falls costs 50 cents a ton less than in Sioux City, and $1 less than in Omaha, notwithstanding the fact that both cities enjoy a freight rate from Chicago of 75 cents less per ton than Sioux Falls, it il Resisted His Name, Chicago Herald, Mr. De Camp, the Cincinnati banker, ap- pears to be entitled to considerable admira- tion and sympathy. It is not every banker situated as he was who could have resisted the suggestions of his pretentious name. S ) Cheap Way of Hea! Cinetnnati Commereia Railroad companies are slow to adopt the improved method of heating passenger cars with steam from the locomotive, preferring, it seems, to wait for hot weather and warm up passengers with fire and smoke from the iron horse, —_—— Garden Spots in Eclipse, Detroit Free Press. There are no less than twenty-threo locali- ties calling themselves “the garden spot of America,” and thirteen 'of them have been buried under the snow drifts for the past six weeks, Gardening won't begin with them much before June, e e B0 The Best All-Round Newspaper, South Siour City Sun. _The Omaha BEE is the best all-round news- paper that reaches this region. Its news is the latest and best arranged, and its editorial opinions and comment are nearly always sensible and sound. It is an every day paper well worth taking and veading by business men in northesatern Nebraska and north- western Iowa, o —— A Close Resemblance. St. Louis Globe-Democrat. The prince of Wales has distinguished him- self again by appearing in a theater in an in- toxicated condition, ana disturbing the perf@mance with loud and coarse horse talk. There are times when the coming king of England very closely resembles our man Riddleberger. Someee Practical Temperance Sermon. Jersey City Herald. A Jersey City man who deals in second- hand furniture found $520 in an old lounge which he was repairing. He was honest; so he sent word to the man from whom he had purchased the lounge. It turned out that the man who sold the lounge had hidden the money in it when hewas drunk and forgot- ten all about it. Then he had accused his wife of taking it, and the row that ensued broke up the family and caused the sale of the furniture. —— Gentle Humanities. Thomas McKeller. Shoe the horse and shoe the mare, Never let the hoof go bare; Trotting over flinty stones ‘Wears away the hardest bones, Life has many a stony street KEven to the toughest feet; Men, the sturdiest, find it 8o, Ero through life half they go. Streaks of blood are in the way, Trod by humans every day, Seen by Love's anointed eye, While the blinded world goes by, Yes, if all the sighs were caught, ‘Wherewithal the air is fraught, ‘What a gale would sweep the skies Laden with man’s miseries, Gently then, Oh, brother man! Do the utmost good you can. God approveth e'en the least Deeds of truth to man or beast. ——— ‘WHAT 18 NIHILISM? [WRITTEN FOR THE SUNDAY BEE.] In the paper on Stepniak, the head of the great secret Russian political organization— nihilism—printed in the Sunday Bee two weeks ago, I ventured the opinion that th theory of nihilism is but indifferently under- stood by the American people. From cir- cumstances this is natural, for the Russians as a race have not been a potent, or even sig- nificant, factor in the social or political life of the American autonomy. There is no Russiand vote to cater to and necessitato the American office seeker's acquiring a knowledge of Russian life and literature, In- deed, it may be said that it is within twenty years that the American mind has become aware through translations that thereis a Russian literature. But Russia has literature, and its motif is’ political almost exclusively, The conditions arising from the long years of misrule of 100,000,000 - people by autocrats have naturally made paramount the better- ment of the political welfare of the masses, and hence it is that animating and inspiring every Russian pen worthy of the name is the spirit of politics. Liberty, or the desire for it, is the basic idea, and whether the Rus- sian literati write of the miserable condition of the peasantry or the social intriguery of the nobility they write politics—and, perme- ating all their productions, is nihilism in either positive or negative tone. And what is nihilism1 Perhaps I can enlarge the education of the Ber's readers upon this subject—mark the perhaps—but at any rate I shall endeavor to eradicate a misconception which I know by my own experience prevails in some minds, Nihilism is generally supposed to be n doc- trine of destruction; but it is not. It is rather one of terrorism as @& weapon in ac- complishing social reform. An oveérwhelming majority of Russian people are protesters against the injustices attendant upon the au- tocratic rule of the czars and their abuse of power, but only a small proportion of the pro- testors are nihilists. The latter are the ex- tremists. They stand in the same radical at- titude towards the rest of the great body of protestors, or liberal party, that the abolition- ists did towards the republican party in the early days of that organization, though the methods used to accomplish ends are widely dissimilar, . p The word mbilist was first introduced in the Hussian language by Tourgenieft in his 10, 188 ~TWELVE PAGES. 8. novel,'Fathers and Children,” and applied to & character Bazaroff, & materiatistio icono- clast who was in reality an anarchist. The conservative party, the supporters of the throne—-and it can casily be understood that in a country having an established church, the terrestrial head of which is the csar, that the throne's adherents are not few, as 80 many allow their relig- fous loyalty. to formulate or over- ride their political convictions— seized upon the term as an opithet to be ap- plied to all their opponents, and the sequence is that in outside acceptance all members of the Russian liberal party are nihilists, This is far from being true, Takingthe literal meaning of the term, or even as used by Tourgenief, nihilism does not exist to any appreciable extent in Russia. Thero is no party in the empire whose doctrine is that of destruction or whose policy is thatof nega- tion, Nor Is there a party which deliberately chooses violence and bloodshed as the most desirable means of accomplishing social re- form, The most radical of the Russian lib- eral party havo espoused terrorism as a nec- cssary agency in helping their’ cause to frui- tion, just as somo dovotees of liverty in Ire- land, yolept dynamiters, have sought to terrorize the English mind. Ryssakoff, the regicide, was a nihilist, i. o. he was a member of the secret organization designated by that term, but he did not assassinate the czar to overturn social order in his country. He only sought to demon- strate to the Russian dynasty that the policy of oppression and repression would not be tolerated. It was about in 1863 that Alexander IL., following his emancipation of over 15,000,000 serfs in 1861, undertook some sweeping reforms in the government of Russia, Com- parative liberty of speech and the freedom of the press were granted, a system of local self-government by provincial assemblies corresponding in 8 measure with our state legislatures was inaugurated, and the courts were partially reorganized with greater fairness to the people. It was notlong though before a reactionary policy ensued. The gov- ernment avowedly became alarmed at the indeperf@ience which cropped out in some of the zemstovs, as the legislatures were termed, in the addresses to the throne and began to curtail and abrogate the privileges which had been granted. A more rigid cen- sorship was exercised over the press, juris- diction of cases mvolving class rights was taken from the reorganized conrts and pri- vate or public meetings of citizens to discuss state questions were prohibited. This repres- sive policy exasperated the liberals and popu- lar indignation became great. In the cities secret socicties began to be formed which were termed *‘Circles for Self Instruction.” They wero composed mninly of young and enthusiastic liberals. Originally they were designed to discuss political economy and in the strength of union secur> redress for grievances, but under the rej re ision pol- icy of the government they soon becamo rev- olutionary organizations. Thus originated the nihilists as a factor in Russian politics. Terrorism was not at first believed in, at least not adopted. Indeed,the remarkable movement which sprung from the “‘Circles of Self-Tustruction,” and was termed ‘“‘going to the people” indicates that a policy of peace at first prevailed. This *going to the peo ple” was an impulsive and generous crusade for the intellectual betterment of the lowly classes, Thousands of educated young men and women, many of them of noble birth, went among the peasants, especially those who were formerly serfs, and in the work- shops, on the farms and everywhere the lowly toiled, sought by sympathy, co- operation and education to help and elevate them. The crusaders renounced the com- forts of their own refined homes to share the hard lives and sufferings of the common peo- ple. Of course, the political significance of this crusade was not lost upon the autocratic government and reprossive measures were soon adopted to put astop to the seditious movement. Through secret police the “Circles for Sclf Instruction” wero harrassed by the arrest and exile to Siberia of thousands engaged in them. In the hope of breaking up the revolutonary propaganda educated young men and women founa among the peasants were by “administrative process” compelled to desist. The prisons were crowded with political offenders who were sub- jected to inhuman treatment. The government inaugurated the policy of terror and before long was met with a like weapon. Mysterious threats from time to time were reccived by many government officials, but not until 1878 were reprisals begun for the wrongs inflicted upon the people, when Vera Zassulitch, a talented and refined young woman who had been active in the crusade, shot the chief of police of St. Petersburg for ordering punishment with the knout of a political prisoner named Bo- goeuboff. About that time General Mezzent- sef, the chief of gendarmes, was also assassin- ated in the streets of the same city. For fully a year there was a succession of similar occurrences and it was then that the radical portion of the liberal party became known as nihilists. Early in 1879 the conservative lib- erals began urging a cessation of reprisals and an abgndonment of the terrorist policy. They argued that more good could be accomplished by peaceful methods, and ata convention of liberal and terrorist leaders secured a prom- ise of cessation of acts of violence on three conditions namely, the concession from the throne of freedom of speech and of the press, a guaranty of personal rights against capri- clous executive authority and participation by the people in the affairs of government—in short, they wanted a constitution. But when the zemstovs ventured to discuss addresses to the throne in behalf of those concessions the government prohibited all such attempts, Re- pression was agwin met with terrorism, and in April, 1879, Solivioff attempted to assassi- nate the czar. Martial law was then declared and thousands of arbitrary arrests and ban- ishments ensued. The conflict between the authorities and the nihilists was fierce until it culminated March 12, 1881, in the czar's assassination, one day after he had signed a ukase calling for a representative conveution to formulate a constitution, His successor, the present czar, did not promul- gate the proclamation, but & period of “anxious expectancy” on the part of the nihilists ensued for four ycars. Alexander 11T has not, however, given any satisfactory evidence of an intention to grant the conces- sions sought by the people and there are now signs of renewal of terrorist activity. Such is an abbreviated history of nihilism as it exists in Russia. It is not anarchism as many suppose: nor is it ignorant and un- reasoning blood-thirstiness, for let it not be forgotten that prerequisites for admission to the ranks of the nibilists are intelligence, ed- ucation, prudence, courage and patriotism. With the right or wrong of the theory of nihilism it is possible that one at this distance ent to deal, especially since nihil- ism is an effect springing from a cause steeped in atrocities beyond American ken, F.R. M. it i Can Care For 1ts Own Poor. Kaxsas City, Mo, Feb. 15.—[Special Telegram to the Bee.|—Recently informa- tion was sent out from Wichita county, Kan- sas, that hundreds of families were doestitute in that county. The report is oficially con- tradicted in a letter received this morning by Mayor Kumpf from the commissioncrs of ‘Wichita county. They deny the existence of such suffering us 1o justify the appeals which have been made by several Wichita county citizens for aid from eastern citics, and say the county is amply able to care for all ite oitizens who are in need of assistance. THE PROMOTER'S PROPOSITION Advooates of the Railroad to Yanite ton Before the Commissioners. . THEY MAKE A FAIR OFFER In all Probability an Klection Will Be Ordercd—More Jallers Suggested-A Trip On the Tapis. The County Commissioners. Messrs. Herman Kountze, A. Rosowater, D. C. Patterson and N. Shelton yesterday appeared before the county commissioners, and re-opened the Omaha, Yankton & Northe western railroad affairs. Mr, Kountze told the commissioners what a benefit the road would be to Omaha, and said that it was the purpose of the promotors to in every way comply with the wishes of the commissions ers 80 far as it lay in their power. At the conclusion of Mr. Kountze's remarks Mossrs, Rosowater, Shelton and Patterson retired to draw up a proposition and the commissione ers settled down to tho transaction of rogu lar business, The citizens of Millard recommended the payment by the county of the doctors and druggists bills incurred by Henry Kranas and wife during their illness, Jane Lessentine asking for a reduction of asscssment on the property from $2,000 to 066 was reforred. 5 Councilman Burnham, chairman of the city council committee on police, reported that there had been referred to him the commise sioners communication to the council regal ing the koeping and boarding of city prisone ers in the county jail, Mr. Burnham in his communication says: *‘As it seems quite im- practicable at present to provide arrange- ments for keeping such prisoners elsowhere, 1 address your body to ask and request that you will make and submit to me in writing a Proposition us to the rate for, and conditions under which the county authorized will, in the county juil, board, keep and maintain city prisoners with the understanding that the city by its proper officials, and all at its own expense, a8 to guarding directy the same, muy remove temporarily said oners, during the term of their confinement, for the purpose of working the same if found practicable so to do, your proposition to be submitted to the eity council for its advice and action.” Referred to the committee on court house and jail. H. C. Barnes' official bond to run the grads ing nachine was accepted. The following resolutions was referred to committee on judiciary : Resolved, That on and after March 1, 1383, the county Jail be, as recommended by the grand ]\lr{, provided with three jailors to work as follows: First man, from 5 a. m. to 4 p. m.; second man, from 9 a. m. to 8, p, m.§ third man, from § p. m. to 5 a. m. Taxes on the' Omaha college during the years 1882, 8, 4, 5 and 6 wero canceled, it have ing been proven that the property had been used for scheol purposes. J. J. Points was allowed 8150 for services during the month of Junuary, and his sulary was placed at that amount. Charles W. King was appointed constabla for Florence precinct. All bids for building a railing in the new court room were rejected, the committee on Jail and court house considering it unnocces- sary. The claims of P. Konnafler, $49.50, H. Link, $74, Henry Kruse, #6470, for care and medicol freatment of Fred Massan Millard wete referred to the committee on charities, County Agent Mahoney reported 82 inmates at the poor farm. Messrs. Rosewater, Shelton and Patterson returned and read the following as the prop- osition of the Omaha, Yankton & North. western railroad to be voted on by the legal voters of the county : Resolved, That the following proposition:to vote bonds to the Omaha, Yankton & North- western railroad company to aid in the con- struction of a line of railroad be submitted to the electors of Douglas county, to-wit: Resolved, That by virtue of the authorit in us vested by the laws of the state of Ne- braska in that behalf provided, a_special .election be held in the county of Douglas, state of Nebraska, on the 20th day of March, A. D. 188, for the purpose of submitting to the legal voters of said county the following pm‘mnition : Shall the bonds of the county of Doug- las, state of Nebraska, to the amount of #300,000 be issued to aid in the construc- tion of the Omaha, Yankton & Northwestern railway on the following terms and condi- tions, that is to say said bonds to be made yable twenty years after the date thereof, Pl redecmable afior ton yoers at the opHon of said county as provided by law to draw in- terest at the rate of b per cent per annum with interest coupons attached payable semi- annually, the said bonds to be executed, issued and delivered to the saia railway com- pany immediately upon the completion of the work as hereinafter set forth, If at said election said electors of said county shall vote in favor of said bonds and authorize the issue thercof, then the said rallway company shall within a reasonable time after said election commence the con- struction of said road and within two years after the date of said election shall have con- structed, completed, equipped and have in actual operation 150 miles of single track, standard guage railway, the line of said rail- way shall commence. within tho corporata limits of the city of Omaha, the general course of said railway to be in a northweste erly direction from the port of begin. nin and the track thereof shall be laid upon‘a new road bed; the head- quarters of said_railway company, its pas senger, freight depots aud shops shall be located and mantained within the corporate limits of the city of Omaha; the freight and passenger depots of said company shall ba at some point, withif one mile and half from the present limited stato's court house build- ing, located at the intersection of Fifteenth and Dodge strects in said city of Omaha, said railway company in reaching such depots to have the right to use the tracks ot any other railway company within the cit, of Omaha, but such tracks thus used shail not be counted as part of the 150 miles, and further shall a tux be levied annually not ta exceed two mills on the dollar for the inter. est of said bonds as it becomes due, and an additional tax be levied and collected to pay the principal of said city bonds when they shall become due, provided that no more than 10 per cent of the principal of said bonds shall be collected in any one year, Resolved, further, that the foregoing ques- tions arc propositions, together with tho i hen and the place where such ques be voted upon, and the form in which the quostion shull bo taken, shall be published in said Douglas county, and a copy of the question to _be submitted to be posted up at each place of voting during the day of said election, in all respects s by law in that behalf provided. Resolved, further, that in counting the votes upon said election all votes ‘“yes" shall be deemed in favor of and shall be counted for the proposition upon which said vote is cast, and all votes “no" will be deemed op- posed to and counted against the proposition upon which said vote is cast. Resolved, further, that the question of the issue of said bonds shall not be deemed to have been adonted unless the questions of the amount of tax to be levied to pay princi- al and interest of said bonds, shall likewise have been adopted. The proposition was reforred to the com- mittee on judiciary, to e reported upon at 3 P. M. to-morrow. 3 The following resolution by Commissioner Mount was adopted. Resolved, That the chairman of this board appoint at the next meeting i committee cons sisting of himsclf and two other members of the board to visit the f St. Louis, Mo., or such other cities as they may deem expedis dient; the duty of such committee will be to examine into the management of the county Jails located in said city or cities, and to as- certan the most feasible plan of cnlarging the county jail of Douglus county, Nebrasks, s Army Orders. WasmiytoN, Feb. 15.-|Special Telegram to the Bee.|--Private Dominicus Richiel, Company D, Niuth infantry, now at Fort Nubrars, is transferred to the band of the Eighth infantry, stationed at that post. The superintendent of the recruiting ser- vice will cause sixteen colored infantry re- cruits to be propared and forwarded under proper charge to such point or points in the Department of Dakota as the commanding enerul of the Department shall designate, Yor assignment 10 the Twenty-fifth infantry,