the country, which could be utilized to his financial advantage upon his retirement to private life.  This explanation would have been rejected without serious consideration, but for the fact that some others have pursued the same course for the same reason, and their hopes have been, in a large measure, realized.  In his bid for the support of the Populist members of the Legislature of his State the Senator had established the fact that he did not have very strong convictions upon any subject, and that those he had could be easily changed to suit the times and the occasion.

Nebraska, though not very strong politically, is one of the most important States in the West.  It has sent a number of men to the front who have made an impression upon the public mind.  For many years no State in the Union was more reliably Republican than Nebraska.  A large majority of its voters, I am sure, are not now in harmony with the Democratic party,—­nor have they ever been so,—­but it is true, at the same time, that thousands of those who for many years acted with the Republican party, and voted for its candidates, have become alienated, thus making Republican success at any election in the State close and doubtful, and that, too, regardless of the merits of opposing candidates or the platform declarations of opposing parties.

For this remarkable change there must be a good and sufficient reason.  The State in its early history was sparsely populated, and stood very much in need of railroads for the development of its resources.  In those days, railroads were very popular, and the people were in a mood to offer liberal inducements to those who would raise the means to furnish them with the necessary transportation facilities.

For the same reason the Federal Government made valuable concessions in the interest of railroad construction in the Western States.  Since the railroads, thus aided, were in a large measure the creatures of the State and Nation they thereby acquired an interest in the administration of the National and State Governments,—­especially those of the State,—­that they otherwise would not have had.

The construction of the roads went on at such a rapid rate that they soon acquired such a power and influence in the administration of the State Government that the people looked upon it as being dangerous to their liberties.  In fact it was claimed,—­a claim, no doubt, largely supported by the facts,—­that the State Government was actually dominated by railroad influence.  No one, it was said, could be elected or appointed to an important office who was not acceptable to the railroad interests.  This state of affairs produced a revulsion among the common people; thousands of whom decided that they would vote against the Republican party, which was then,—­as it had been for many years,—­in control of the State Government because of its having allowed such a state of affairs to be brought about.

Edward Rosewater, editor and proprietor of the Omaha Bee, the most influential Republican paper in the State, took sides against the railroad interests.  The result was that Nebraska, for the first time, elected a Democratic governor.