Teachers of Malice

[FOR THE CONSERVATIVE.]

     The death of President McKinley is not directly chargeable to any political party or individual other than the assassin Czolgosz.
     There, however, can be no question as to the nature, effect and tendency of slanderous utterances, directed at law, government and society.
     It is surprising that in Nebraska, where every form of treasonable language and violence of speech has been coined and used to further the ambition of political parasites and plain people sycophants, that some of the seeds of anarchistic teachings have not fallen on one whose narrow brain is already soaked in the poison of anarchy, or the disappointments of a political insanity.
     The awful “crime of ’73,” the destruction of law, order and government by a simple court process called “injunction,” the crucifixion of the plain common people on a “cross of gold,” the robbery of the poor “voters” by the rich plutocrats, the hopeless gospel of despair preached by the Peerless Apostle of political revolutions; and utterances of this character, so numerous that no book could contain them all, together with dishonest and dishonorable teachings, have left their deep, dark, deadly marks and baneful influence on thousands of previously honest, honorable and peaceful citizens. No one can estimate the moral and financial injury done by these political mountebanks to thousands of their deluded and misguided followers.
     Men who otherwise would have done their duty and remained in the State of Nebraska, during the drouth and panic, keeping their small holdings in cattle and chattels, were driven to despair by these ranting hypocrites, and to sell their cattle for little or nothing, and worse still, made to believe they were on the verge of “moral, political and financial ruin.” Hundreds of these men under the sinister spell of these mercenary demagogues and political poltroons, were discouraged and incited to leave good homes and seek homes abroad, only to return later on at a great sacrifice, to retrieve their losses caused by these anarchistic teachings. Those who remained in Nebraska, keeping their homes and small holdings in cattle, are in good financial condition today. Many others of those driven from their homes by these political assassins of their honor and credit, have since returned and rebuilt and redeemed from debt their homes. Others were never able to get back, having spent their all, and have only those to blame who counselled [sic] them to despair. No one who lived through that period of gloom and despair, wrought into existence by these windy ranters, can deny one word of these statements. Men who teach repudiation, who teach others to violate their sacred obligations, who teach it is right for the debtor to cheat, beat and defraud the creditor; who teach the borrower to hate the banker, the laborer to hate the employer, who teach government by “injunction,” who teaches that he is the only political Christ and there is no other, who teaches anarchists to vote for this savior, who teaches that the Supreme Court are paid hirelings of the money power, who teaches Altgeld and Tillman, who teaches money is half fiction, who teaches there will be no more Fourth of Julys, no more songs of “My Country ’Tis of Thee,” who teaches the few are getting rich and are getting fewer, that the poor are getting poorer and the rich are getting richer, who teaches all kinds of false prophecies, paradoxes, paraphrases, parables and paramounts. Who teaches the doctrine of hate and envy of classes. He is the greatest Dr. Hyde and Jeckel politics has yet produced. Who teaches the populist party, who teaches the Kansas City Convention the platform to [10][11] adopt and who to nominate, who teaches everybody and everything, except “the humblest man in the land,” known as the poor negro. (He would teach him if there were any votes in it.) He is a great double. He is the whole doctrine of the trinity of the fusion forces, who teaches there is no prosperity, that it is all myth and mirage. Who teaches himself to teach others, who teaches himself to believe he is the only father, son, and savior, of a rebellious and fallen democracy.
     These men and these teachings are the enemies of good government, good society, good morals and men. They are not the real friends of the plain common people. They want their votes at any cost, that is all. No love, no passion plays, no conned and canned orations, no “the humblest man in the land, clad in the garment of righteousness, can put to flight the hosts of error,” no more “crowns of thorns and crosses of gold,” for the poor, plain, plodding people.

AN OBSERVING NEBRASKAN.     
Loup City, Neb., Sept. 29, 1901.