Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, February 14, 1888, Page 4

THE DAILY BEE. PUBLISHED EVERY MOR! G. TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION. Datly Morning Edition) tncluding Sunday 4 Your, #10 00 Yor 8ix Months ForThres Month The Omaba Sunday dress, One Year . OMAHA OFFICE, NOS N ik OFFICE, ROOMS 14 AND 15 Tit B NG, WARIINGTON OFFICE, N Fou NTH BTREET. CORRESPONDENCE, Al communications relating to news and edi- torial matter should be nddressed to the EpiToR OF THE BEE. BUSINE#S LETTE AT business lotters and remittar addressed to THE BEE P I Drafts, checks and postofi order of the company, should be On be made payable to th The Bee Publishing Company. Proprietors E. ROSEWATER, Editor. THE DAILY BEE. Sworn Statement of Circulation. Rtate of Nebhrask: County of Doug b Geo, 1. Tzschu , secretary of The Des Pub- Hshing company, does solemily swear that the wetunl cireniation of the Daily 1ee for the week ending Feb, 10, 1588, was as follow . 4 Average.......... * GEO. B, TZ8CTTUCK. Sworn to and subseribed in my presenco this 11th day of February, A, D., 188" N. P, FEIL, Notary Public, State of Nebraska, 58, County of Douglass, £ Geo. 13, Taschuck, being first duly &worn, de- s and says that he 8 secretary ot The Bee Paviisting company, th tual averago daily circulution of the Daily Bee for the month 7, 16200 coples; for February, I8, 14,400 copien 16 coples: for May, 1886, 14,227 copies: fOr June, 187, 14,147 coples: for' July, 14,018 coples; for August, 187, 14,151 coples; by, 7, 1440 copless, for_ October, e, W3; for Novimber, I8, 15,220 coples; fof December, 187, 15,041 coples, GEO. B, TZSCHUCK. Bworn and subscribed tofn wy presence thls 24 duy of January, A. D. 168, N. P, FEIL, . Notary Public. of Junuary, 157, 187, 14,178 copies’; for Marc for April, 18, 1 MR. BLAINE'S letter came one day too soon to be acceptable as a valentine. LAWS should be enacted to make *trusts” as unpopular as burglaries. THE gas monopoly fi-nvx:lg—cumo down and the “boys” made a lively fight for that $45,000 claim. PAT FORD was in the front of the fight with the ‘“boys” that ordered the $45,000 gas claim paid. D — ST PAUL now receives $297,000 annu- ally from high license. This beats pro- hibition and free whisky. SEVEN murderers will be hanged at Fort Smith on April 27. Hanging isn’t played out in Arkansas. SENATOR INGALLS’ residence in Kan- sas was recently destroyed by fire, but his prohibitionist friends point with pride to the fact that she well was saved. THE falling off in the revenue of the banks in the east shows that the spring revival of trade has already set in. The outlook for business in the west during the coming season is also good. E— THE question of most moment with Chicago children just now is what will be the spring styles in papas. Itisa poor Chicago child that cannot have a paternal change at least once a year. BLAINE being out of the field, assum- ing his announcement to that effect to be sincere, or that in any event the ro- publican party will take him at his word, a fresh impulse will be given to booms. The immediate effect has been ‘to give Sherman stock a sharp advance. THE political campaign in Louisiana is one of the fiercest that state has ever known, and is-developing all the char- acteristics of the old-time political bat- tles there. Thus far there have been six assassinations due to quarrels be- tween members of the democratic fac- tions. EASTERN papers have for some time ‘been busy telling stories about the terri- ble loss of stock during the past winter, There’s little or no foundation for these roports. The testimony of the stockmen s that the loss is lighter than it has been for years, and they ought w know a8 much about it as eastern editors. CEm—— SENATOR SHERMAN is reported to have snid regarding the Blaine letter that he had been expecting such an announcement for some time,and it ‘was for that reason that he had entercd the list of candidates. If the senator is correctly reported the inference is war- ranted that Mr. Blaine’s withdrawal is sincere and complete. —— THE strong confidence in the success of the republican party this year, ex- pressed by Mr. Blaine in his letter, ought to be very reassuring to tho purty.” In this respect Mr. Blaine is undoubtedly sincere, and if the party makes no serious blunders the result may justify his confidence, Emm—— THE républicans of Alabama are said to be showing more activity just now than they have shown for many years past. Thoy may not be able to make any serious inroads upon the solidity of the democracy of Alabama during the coming campaign, but republicanism is gaining ground and holding what it has gained. The influx of northern capital and northern idoas is on the incrouse. S—— Hien license in St. Paul has been eminently successful. Over three hun- dred saloons have closed their doors since Januury 1, and the city revenue has been increased by $300,000. In con- trast with this stands the city of Indianapolis, where low license pre- vails, With a population not ex- ceeding 110,000 there are 427 saloons in full blast, and the income of the city from this source is only 842,700. ————eme SOMEONE writes to the New York Sun to inquire whick is the correct style of wiltz this season, the hop or_ the glide. The Sun dodges an sanswer, probably because Mr. Dana does not waltz, It may be said, though, thatin the wild and woully west it depends on your partner. Youglide if you havea glider wnd hop if you have a hopper. Your _western waltzer is chivalric or uothing. Mr. Blaine Not a Candidate. The letter of Mr. Blaine to the chair- man of the republican national commjt- tee, announcing that his name will not be presented to the national convention for the nomination of candidates for president and vice president of the United States, is a contribution to the politieal incidents of the day of surpass- ing interest and importance. There have been reports that Mr. Blaine would not permit his name to go before the next republican national conven- tion, and certain gentlemen known tos be in his confidence have been credited with having received assurances from him that under no cir- cumstances would he again be a candi- date for the presidency, but no credence was given these statemonts. The most common expression regarding them was that they were a device of the friends of Mr. Blaine to ascertain the popular feeling, but as a matter of fact they re- ceived very lhtle consideration. The universal belief was that Mr. Blaine fully intended to altow his name to be presented to the convention, and that meantime he would place himself en- tirely ““in the hands of his friends.” His letter, if it shall not remove all doubt as to his intentions, certainly removes him from the list of acknowledged candi- dates, and thus materially changes the aspect and the conditions of the republi- can situation. The letter of Mr. Blaine was written less than three weeks ago, but it con- veys the information that his decision not to again be a candidate was made more than a year ago and at that time communicated to Chairman Jones. Very likely it was also known to others in confidential relations with Mr. Blaine, so that the disregarded reports were not without authority. The con- siderations prompting this decision Mr. Blaine states are entirely personal to himself. It would not be decorous to inquire or suggest what these considerations may be. The partisan opponents of Mr. Blaine will, of course, not omit to do this, but those who re- spect him asadistinguished party leader of whom valuable assistance to the cause of his party is still expected, will not be curious to know what the personal rea- sons can be that have induced him to take this most unexpected step. These and all others, however, will seriously ask themselves whether the personal considerations can really be so potential as to preclude Mr. Blaine from becom- ing the candidate of his party under any and all circumstances. What does this announcement of Mr. Blame that his name will not be presented to the repub- lican national convention really 1nean? Is it a sincere avowal of his fixed deter- mination not to be a candidate, or is there a method in it such as might be looked for from a shrewd and practiced politician? Misgivings respecting itare inevitable. It will be said of it that it lacks the vigor and earnestness that be- tokens sincerity, and it certainly sug- gests a reservation that leaves Mr. Blaine free to accept the nomination if it came to him in the way that he has been believed to desire. A fair judg- ment of the meaning of this let- ter seems to us to be that it simply is intended to withdraw Mr. Blaine from all conflict for the nomination and to deliver him from the discussion and criticism necessarily in- volved in such a conflict. He desires to avoid antagonisms, and unquestionably he has been well advised of the course of political feeling as affecting himself. He doubtless knows quite as well as if he were at home that thousands of men in the republican party who were hitherto his staunch friends have be- come convinced that the welfare of the party requires that it shall select some other one of its distinguished leaders as its candidate this year. He haslearned that many republican newspapers which have heretofore sup- ported him now think that it would notbe wise toagain nominate ‘him. He has seen that while the strength of his old enemies in the party is not diminishing his former friends are dropping away from him. He has observed that the more generally and carefully the question of his availability is discussed the stronger grows the opinion that his nomination would be hazardous to the party. And finally, he cannot have ‘failed to discover that there is a widespread disposition among republicans to revolt against the idea that the party, with a dozen able and trustworthy representatives of its policy and principles from whom to select a presidential candidate, is under an obligation to again nominate the only candidate who since its first victory led it to defeat. Having these circumstances before him, itis not difi- cult to understand that Mr. Blaine would see it to be a prudent political move to step out of the conflict and as far as pos- sible silence the discussion of his availa- bility. Remaining none the less for this announcement in the hands of his friends, if after declining to make a struggle for the nomination those friends should be strong enough in the conven- tion to make him the candidate of the party the responsibility would be upon the party, and Mr. Blaine would then have a right to expect and demand its loyal support. Is it not more than prob- able that the political considerations had greater weight in determining the decision of Mr. Blaine than the per- sonal? ‘What is now the duty of republicans? Obviously. to take Mr. Blaine at his word and drop him out of the list of possible candidates. If he is sincere in the assurance he has given the party that his name will not be presented to its national convention he desires not to be any longer thought of as a possible candidate. If the assurance is not sin- cere, and is simply a political mancuver, then be deserves to be discarded as a candidate. The duty of the republican party in this matter is plain, and what- ever view may be preferred rogarding his letter itshould be conclusive against Mr. Blaine recéiving any further con- 1s a presidential candidate. ¥ in the ment of & General as commissioner gune office is uttracting much comment throughout the country, Nr. Sparke! of the retirement was due to the opposition of his superior officers to his bold ana honest administration of the public land interests of the country. For the first time in long years honest settlers dis- covered that compliarce with the law was to be made 0 prerequisite to claims upon the government bounty. Through good and evil report General Sparks administered the general land office without fear and favor and with sole re- gard to the interests of honest men and an equitable conduct of public affairs. In this he was ably seconded by his assistant, Mr. Stockslager, of Indiana, who, as a member of the public lands cominittee of the house, had for a long time been an ardent champion of reform in our public land system. Upon Mr. Sparks’ retirement, Mr. Stockslager became acting land commissioner and for several months has conducted the office with a vigor and enegy and tact which has com- manded general admiration. Without yielding in any respect to the pressure which was brought upon his prede- cessor to relax his scrutiny of entries of public lands, Mr. Stockslager has ex- hibited a tact and apush which has car- ried on General Sparks’ work to its le- gitimate conclusion. It now appears that the same objections made to the administration of Mr. Sparks are uged against that of Acting Commissioner Stockslager. The great corporations whose acceptance of land-grants have been hung up in the general land office for investigation are moving vigorously against Mr. Stockslager’s appointment. The bogus pre-emptors and land syndi- cates who have secured through fraudulent representations millions of acres of the best agricultural lands of the west are using their efforts to prevent the nomination of Mr. Stock- slager. In addition political influences have been invoked by the enemies of land reform in an adverse movement against Mr. Stockslager, and the pros- pects at present are that a successor, other than himself, will be chosen to succeed Mr. Sparks. The people of the west, without re- gard to party, are in favor of such an administration of the public lands as will preserye to actual settlers and honest men the public domain. They have refused to lend an ear to the 2 per cent a month sharks and agents of land grabbing syndicates in their raid upon the administration of the general land office. In an honest execution of the laws they have seen vast areas of terri- tory filled up by actual settlers, where, under other auspices, great tracts of land remain unimproved and in the hands of non-residents. With the rapidly deereasing area of the national domain open for homes for the million and free farmb for honest men, the people of the west have learned that vigilance in land adminis- tration is the price of liberty for actual settlers. They are watching closely and carefully the course of the adminis- tration with respect to the public do- . main, and they will be inclined to treat with little leniency a return to the old methodsunder which political influences and dishonest methods operated ad- versely to the popular interest and in behalf of the favored few. S—— How Much Did They Get? About two months ago the editor of the BEE met two officers of the United Gas Improvement company at the Palmer house in Chicago. That company being the owner of the con- trolling interest in the Omaha Gas works, the editor asked why they did not come to some settlement with the city on their long pending claim. *“We would like very much to have that ‘claim settled, but the boys demand fifty per cent of our bill for themselves.” **What boys do you refer to?” asked the editor., ‘““Why, the boodlers in your council. They are so bold and brazen a8 to make mno bones of it, and insist that we divide our claim with them in the middle. If we have got to divide we would rather give the city the difference than pay it to that gang.” “Why don’t you ask that the claim be arbitrated and take the whole business out of the gas com- mittee?” asked theeditor. ‘‘We would very gladly do so,” replied Mr, Morgan, oneof the officer’s referred to, ‘“and we will recommend to Mr. Murphy to pur- sue that course.” On his return to Omaha the editor of the BEE through the columns of this ' paper urged the council to settle the gas bill by arbitration. He called on Mr. Frank Murphy and that gentleman stated that he would enaeavor to carry out the suggestion. Butno such action was taken. The council committee on gas, of which Manville is chairman, held on to the gas billstwo months longer, although they had been in their possession ever since last May, and on Saturday a epecial meeting of the council was called at the instance of this committee and at that meeting the gas company’s claim of 845,000 was allowed in full by the committee and ordered paid. Now tho question is what percentage of this claim are the boys to get? In December they were holding back for 50 percent; hew much did they finally agree to ac- cept in February? Will the council purge itself of this scandal, or will they brazen it out and defy the public and the taxpayers to help themselves? IF the testimony of the Chicago papers is to be accepted that city isthe wicked- estin the country. All sorws of crimi- nals swarm there, and the police force is eharacterized as utterly insufficient either for preventing crime orarresting the perpetrators of it. There are some matters regarding which the state- ments of Chicago papers would be re- ceived with great allowance, but as to the wickedness of that city we have full confidence. Chicago is really a very bad town, morally speaking, ——— It is announced from New York that District Attorney Fellows will at once present charges to the grand jury against Russell Sage and Jay Gould for the larceny of Union Pacific bonds, The district attorney has been promising ac- | tion of this kind ever since he went | into office, and now that he has been “approached,” as he alleges, he may fee! it.to.be necessary in Lis own vindi- coation to push the matter. The country will cheerfully - listen to the disclos- ures. THE FIELD OF INDUSTRY. The Maginis cottorf mills at New Orleans, have doubled their capital to $1,000,008, and the Lane mills have slso increased their capital. The brickmakers of Philadelphia and vi- cinity have in a few cases closed contracts for all the brick they can make from now up to midsummer. Three years ago a 1,000,000 textile manu- facturing company was started at Magog, Que., and another mill, to employ 300 hands, will soon be built. Indiana has 220 coal mines, the annual pro- duct of which last year was a little over 8,000,000 tons, Natural gas no perceptible in- fluence on the output. The growth of the business in: tropical fruit has led to the introduction of a new re- frigerator car,which keeps things fresh longer and better than any in use Alarge cotton mill at Enterprise, Miss., called the Stonewall,turns out 8,500,000 yards of cloth per year, and it is said to be the best vaying factory in the south. The exports of American machinery to Mexico, Central and Squth America and Aus- tralia continue to agitate the manufacturers of machinery in Great Britain, A patent thread extractor is having a large sale among cotton manuf .turers. The build- ers are sending a great many of the machines to England. A good many of our home manufacturers let the thread go with the waste. A syndicate of New York capitalists will build a railroad from Montgomery, Ala., to Chattahoochee, Fla. It will run through the richest pine forests of the south. A New York railroad has just ordered ten locomotives from the Rogers works, at Pat- erson, and the St. Louis & San Franci company has ordered twenty from the Bald- wins. A Pittsburg mechanic has just returned from Ontario, where he built a steel water tower 140 feet high and thirty feet in diam- eter. Similartowers have been built in Col- orado. The world's supply of pencil wood 18 drawn from the gulf coast swamps on both sides of Cedar Keys, and the product 18 shipped to New York, New Jersey and German fac- tories. A Meadville man says he has discovered how aluminum can bo cast, soldered and welded. If 8o he has a very valuable patent, because of the lightmess and strength of alu- minum. There are daily utilized in Chicago from 8,000 to 10,000 gallons of blood, which is evaporated and used to manufacture buttons, cheap jewelry, brooches, belt clasps and hair ornaments. In 1887 the exports of boots and shoes from Great Britain amounted to 602,485dozen. The continued depression in the agricultural in- terests is spoken of as the reason for the full shoe trade in Great Britain, Shoe jobbers in Lynn are urgently calling for shipment of goods already ordered, and are sending for more.. There is & tendency in this, as in several other branches of trade, for salesmen to go out earlier each year. American hardware is finding ready mar- kets all over the world. The exports of the week ending January 21 amounted in value to $23,000 to thirteen countries. Shipments were made to London, Liverpool and Hull, The Fall River Spinners are to get 19 cents a cut, instead of 18 cetits, from February 18. A sliding scale is to take effect when wages shall advance above & certain fixed limit, as has been practiced in the anthracite coal mines, In 1850 there were but fifty-eight power looms in Ireland, but about 25,000 are now used in the production of linen fabrics for home and foreign consumption, besides sev- eral thousand hand looms scattered through- out the country. e 'Tis But a Little Faded Flower. Chicago Times. ‘The latest news from New York is to the effect that Rosewell P. Flower is not one of those that bloom in the spring—not this spring. ety Omaha as a Hog Market. Columbus Democrat. South Omaha as a hog market is of great value to the farmers of Nebraska. Hogs are now bringing in that market as much as they are worth in Chicago, 500 miles further east. The people of Nebrask® now have the chance to appreciate the value of a home market. The cattle market at Omaha, while not being as good when compared with the Chicago market, is of no small benefit to the farmers and stockmen of this great western country. e Good News to Nebraska Farmers. Beaver City Times, The Omaha packing houses slaughtered, from November 1 to January 25, 245,000 hogs. During a like period a year ago they killed only 167,000. Thus it will be seen that the business is rapidly growing. This is good news to Nebraska farmers. It is much bet- ter to pay freight to Omaha than to Chicago. We are too far from Chicago to make that the market for either our hogs or cattle. Weo hail with satisfaction every indication that Omahais to be the market- for Nebraska's hogs and cattle. —_— Please Send Me a Valentine. M. E., Harper's Magazine. St. Valentine's coming to-morrow, And I'm an old woman, I know, ‘Who ceased thinking of posies and Cupids, And true-lover knots long ago. My autumn is very near winter, I've almost forgotten the spring, But please send me a_valentine, somebody, Just for the fun of the thing. That the women still youthful and pretty, ‘Whose lives are yet happy and bright, Should get ull the rhymes of the season Really does not appear to me right. Let them take the love poems. I ask but A verse that wili pleasant thoughts bring; So pleage send me a valentine, somebody, Just for the fun of the thing. —_— Knights of Labor Ball. The united assemblies are just now pro- posing to hold a joint ball, the proceeds to be applied to the land-building fund. Delegates from nine assembles met at Julius Meyer's room, corner Twelfth and Farnam strects last night and committees for the various duties in carrying out the arrangements were appointed. The exposition hall was or- dered hired for the occasion. The ball will take place on Monday, April 9. The enthu- siasm displayed by the members augers well for the success of the ball. If it is anything like last year’s ball it will be the biggest of the season. Last year's ball realized $711 over all expenses. The assemblies not rep- resented are requested to send delegates to the next meeting, Monday, February 20, at the same place. ———— Went Through the Ice. Three young men who attempted to cross the river from Conncil Bluffs on the ice last evening had a narrow escape from drowning. ‘When about in the middle of the river the ice gave way and two of the party, F. W. Graves and the other name unkvown, were precipitated into the water. After a struggle of about fifteen minutes they regained solid ice, but were obliged to move cautiously and did not reach this side until an hour later, landing near the Barber Asphalt company’s office, where, utterly exhausted, they were cared for and later escorted to their homes, e — Yesterday's 1nternal enue collec- tions amounted 0 m.st. EXTRAVAGANCE AND MISRULE They Demand a Public Protest of Citizens and Taxpayers. MR. ROSEWATER'S TiMELY TALK. The Board of Trade Begins a Move- ment to Investigate City Ime provements and Check Crooked Work, * A Fruitful Meeting. A large number of the members of the board of trade responded to the call for a mecting ot the assembly room last night. Prosident Iler presided, and the secretary, George M. Nattinger, was at his post, and read several cominunications. One, in the form of a petition from St. Paul appealing to congress to regulate the interstate law as it refers to wholesale dealers, was referred to the freight bureau committeo. The following communication from the Omaha postofiice clerks association was re- ferred to the committoe on memorial : To the Boord of Trade of Omaha—Gentle- men: Enclosed you will find a circular from the national postoffice clerks association, to- gether with three bills, viz: 1. A bill for the classification of clerks in first-class postofices, and for fixing salaries of same. 2. A bill fixing the hours of labor of clerks in first-class postoftices. 3. Abill granting leaves of absence to clorks in first-class post-oftices. This circular and these bills speak for themselves, ahd we ask that your honorable body forward to our congressional delega- tion at Washington your approval and sup- port of the bills, and facts as set forth in the circular. With the discussion of the needs of better postal services for the west going on in Washington, we hope to meet with favorable results in legislation in regard to salaries gnd hours of labor, Hoping you will give us your hearty sup- port, we are, yours respectfully, Omaha post- office clerks association, I)X L. 5. Move, Secretary. Communications requesting the co-opera- tion of the board in the proposed centennial celebrations were placed on file. Propositions were read from mgnufactur- ers contemplating locating in Omaha. They are: Charles M. Gosnell, sash, doors and blinds; F. C. Helm, brick company; L. W. Young, glass works; E. M. Birdsdell, mowers and reapers ; Bloom Bros,, buggics and gears for the wholesalo trade; 13, F. Herrington mowers and reapers; S. N. Stowart, to build pontoon bridges; William Mullen' & Co., knitting factory. Referred to committee on manufactures. . The special committee authorized to raise funds to assist I, E. Maynard made their re- port, which was referred to the committee on ways and means, The report of the com- mittee to whom was referred the matter of raising money for the aid of the John Derk's manufacturing company was placed on fi The committee on by-laws reported prog: ress and further time was grauted, Gair- lard & Raun wero appointed official inspect- ors and weighers of provisions. The follow- ing standing committees were elected for the ensuing year: Manufacturers—Gordman,Nason, Wheeler, Tuttle and Davis. Membership—Evans, Meeday and Meyer. Memorial—Meyer, C. S. Chase, E. Rose- water, W. A. L. Gibbon and J. M. Wool- worth. Live Stock—Iler, J. F. Boyd, J. A, Mc- Shane, H. H. Mceday, W. A. Paxton, Ways and Means—Wakefield, Goodman and Merriam. Meterolog: Arbitration—Martin, F. E. White, Hitch- cock, Gray and Walker, Auditing—Clark, Evans and Martin. Transportation—Wakefield, Squires, Trox- ell, Strong and Cody, Freight Bureau—Matice, Walker, Brady, Sheeley and Troxell. Provisions—Meday. Grain—Merriam, =~ Troxell, McWhorter, White and C. W. Thomas. Property—Iler, Meyer and Nattinger. W. N. Nason spoke encouragingly of the ‘work being done by the commitree on manu- facturers, and said that they had hopes of securing ‘8 large number of manufacturing firms to locate in Omaha. Mr. C. Hartman informed the board that Mr. E. Rosewater was in the room, havin, just returned from a trip to the east, an that he would be pleased to hear from that gentleman. In accord with popular request Mr, Rosewater spoke as follows: Mr. President: A little more than two weeks ago I left this city on a business trip to New York and incidently on the way bac! I touched Washington and several other cities. Before I left there appeared to be some agitation with regard to a railroad from Omaha to Yankton. The matter had not yet been presented in a tangible shape to the commissioners, and when I arrived in New York the following telogram was handed to me at our office. Omana, Jan, 31.—Edward , Rosewater: Proposition before commissiofers to bond Douglas county in aid of Yaukton road for $300,000. Douglas need not buy favors from railtoads now. Omaha knows your senti- ments. On that question, even you and I can meet, there, Instruct your paper to present the issuo in its right light and oppose it vig- orously. It is the wish of thousands of tax- payers. FRANK WALTER, I am not going to waste any time on this dispatch. It is suggestive, and those who know the relations of Mr. Walter to certain railroad cof®anies will realizé who is oppos- ing this enterprise. Before I left New York I had an interview with Messrs. Ben Smith, Frank Smith, Augustus Kountze and one or two other men interested largely in Omaha, and they were all congratulating themselves upon the prospects of this Omaha & Yank- ton road being built. When I got to Wash- ington I picked up an Omaha paper, and there I saw that the whole matter was on the point of collupse. Now, I am not familiar with the causes which brought about the delay of the propo- sition, but I know that the Omaha men in Washington were much disappointed. It ap- peared a black eye to the city of Omaha, mot 8o much 8o because we have not carried it out, but because it had gone forth that we were going to build that road, that our people in very large numbers had petitioned for it, and suddenly the enter- prise was shelved because of some quarrel among themselves. It would have been much better if this pro- ject had never been presented. I fear we are getting the reputation of doing a great deal of blowing and accomplishing very little. ‘While at Washington I discovered that our postoftice bill had passed the senate, and was meeting a great deal of opposition in the house committee, and that there it needs considerable work to get the committee to report favorably upon it. The house had given the committee one day, I think the 21st of February, for ' presenting all bills it may recommend, and unless our bill was presented on that day, the chances are that we will not get it through, at least, until after the presidential election. Mr. McShane himself is doing all he can, and other members of the Nebraska delega. tion have done a great deal of quiet work, and if anybody ‘in Omaha has any influence with any member of congress, they can do no Detter than address themselyes very promptly to that member and urge him to give ita support in the house. There is an appre- hension that Omaha is not large enough yct for a building of the first-class such as is proposed 1n the bill of Senator Manderso) I traveled from Washington on to Cin nati, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, and came back two days ago. While traveling I madc some inquiry and compurisons with regard to municipal government, and I must say, and 1 say it reluctantly, because 1 do not want to damage Omaha's reputation abroad, that our city as compared with other cities of oqaul population, or something nearly equal, i extrayvagant. Indianapolis, for insta city of 110,000. That is very nearly our popu- lation, but I find that our city gove ent costs fully fifty per cent. more than their's. They have twenty-five wards, cach ward rep resented by one councilman ;' five alderm: districts, represented cach Ly two alderme: Each of these gets $#0 a year, und these thirty-five members draw less than one-third as much pay a8, our eighteen councilmen. And so through the entire chinery of city ~govermment. I find, for instance, that Indianapolis has ouly one treasurer for the city and county. He has 1o salary, but simply gets fees from the colleetion of taxes, One cierk does the city business and acts as compiroller, His £vans. allowances for himself and assistants,, in- cluding fees, aro estimated at about &.500. Our clerk and comptroller with their deputios cost us together over §10,800 a year. Our ex- penses in that department are relatively nearly four times as high as they were three or four yoars ago. Since” my return T have taken some little pains in Iooking up city affairs, and I must say that wo are drifting rapidly 'into muni- cipal bunkruptey, unless we stop the ex- travagance und waste of money. On Tuesday last, I am told, the council made a lovy of 44 mills for city taxes for tho prosent . Now, with 80 mills county taxes. this will make us pay nearl) seven and one-half per cent of taxes this 3 When you advertise abroad that taxes are soven per cent and four milla in Omaha, you frighten capital away. The council is not entirely to blame for this state of affairs, The assessment in Indianapolis is sixty mill- ions, ours but sixteen or seventeen millions, but their taxes arc only ninety cents on hundred dollars, They are limited by the state law of Indiana. But our present coun- cil, a8 you all know, has pursued a very reck- less and lawless course that must be checked or we shail bankrupt the city trmumrf. 1 had a talk with the mayor to-day, and he said that in August alre there was an overlap of $44,000, independent of the $45,000 claim of the gas company. So that to-day there is an overlap in th city of more than §100,000, and yet the council kops going righton, piling on more inspectors, raising salaries, incroasing city expenses,and doing it entirely in deflance of the {lru\'lslunu of the charter. The treasurer of this city by law is entitled to £1,500 for a deputy and any work that may be dono in his ofice, He gots 2 per cent on all delinquent taxes, and then a salary of 1,600 himself. But the council have, in defiance of the charter, voted him nearly $5,000 since he has been in office, dat- ing back from May. The city clerk has three deputics; two of them are the sons of councilmen, and one of those, I learned only to-day, was accused when ho was in the em- ploy of the United States mail service, of ap- propriating things to himself that were com. ing through the mail, and a report was made about him in that regard. Now these young men—$135 and #110 a month— are worth §75 or 830 per month and no_more, “The charter provides that the city clerk shall make out the tax list, but the council have hired Mr. Hohn for 1,500 to make the tax list, and that $1,500 is added to the expense of the city clerk’s office, when that officer is oxpected under the law to do that work. This is only a trifle, however. These are only little surface matters. I came back and my attention was called to the action of the city council with regard to the city hall. You will pardon me if I go at some littlo length into this subject, because it interests not only myself directly as a property owner in the mneighborhood of the lall— that is a small matter, for the Bee building will be erected whatever may become of the hall. But these ure the his- toric facts. In May, 1885, wo began the agi- tation of erecting a city hall building on that ground. Inthe same month an agreement ‘was arrived at between the board of educa- tion and the ity council of Omaha to Join to- gether and erect a building on plans to be ap- proved by both parties through ther joint committees, the board , of education to furnish $25,000 towards the con- struction of the building, or rather to advance it, @s the city had no money then, and the city to assign to themn the rooms in one of _the stories of that build- ing as_subsequently planned. The plan, drawn by Architect Myers, was adopted dur- ing that season and the contract was submit- ted for ratification to the voters of Omaha. On the 8d of November, 1885, the citizens of Omaha located on lots 5 and 6 in block 116, the city hall on the plans of E. E_Myers; as expressly provided in the mayor's proclama- tion and at the same election the citizens of Omaha vcted authority to the board of edu- cation to expend $25,000"in_conjunction with the city on the some ground. Now, then, nearly three years have passed away and the city has been paying 5,000 or_ #5,000 rent & year. Sometime in Septem- ber, 1880, @& contract was made for the basement and sub-basement of that building with Reagan Hrothers, and that contract stipulated that that portion of it was to be done and finished on the 1st of July, 1887, The contract was for 848,000 and a fraction, It particularly stipulated that upon all questions arising as between con- tractors and the city, the architect was to have the final arbitration—that is, the final decision. The Reagan Brothers evidently had no design to do that work. They soon sub-let it to the Brennans, and the Bren- nans, having no capital or a very little, kept dijly-dallying and fooling around and when “the first of July, 1887, came they had not even built tho sub-basement. Meantime they had tried to substitute ferior material for the materials required in the contract; the board of public works stopped them in that and had a controversy over it, but the council stepped in and sus- tained the contractor. Then the architect insistod that within that contract was in- cluded all the work to the top of the water- table, including the iron beams. The con- tractor pretended that that was not eo and the council takes sides with the contractor, and then the war began on lhcdpluns of Mr. Myers. Up to that time no discovery had been made that these plans were deféctive, or that the building as planned would not stand. And they suddenly discovered when the contractor had failed that Myers was a very bad man, and had to be got out of the way. So we have had a controversy. Finally the board of public works dismissed the con- tractor and undertook to finish the buildings, as they had a right to do under the contract, but the city council reversed that action, and ordered that Mr. Brennan should go on. The city council released the bondsmen of Mr. Reagan and got up a new contract, in which no time was specified a8 to when Brennan was to finish the building. There never was any intention by Brennan to finish it, it was a put up job to let him out when they .found that he was going to lose $5,000 or which Reagan and his bondsmen were oblij to make good. . I am told that last Tuesday night the council had a_ special meeting, at which a committee of the council made a long winded report, stating that the building which Mr. Myers had planned would cost more than two hundred thousand dollars, and that, therefore, his plans must be rejected. Thereupon, in two minutes aud & half, Has- call jumped up and presented a resolution cancelling the contract of Brennan, and re- lieving him from all further obligation to the city, providing Mr. Brennan was \\'illlniz. And Mr. Brennan was on hand, and, while he seemod to be very unwilling, sigued very cheerfully. Thus the farce was completed of removing the city hall, as they said, but the roal play of it was to get Brennun out of a losing contract and to load the city with fibout $10,000 extra expense; but that is not all. Just before I started for the east a promi- nent contractor called on me and stated that Mr. Fred Nye had written a letter to the lato Mr, Rounds, and in that letter requested that the Omaha Republican join hands with i plan of Mr. Myers’ rejected and another one, if possible, gotten up by Mr. Hodgson, substituted, and Mr. Hodgson, T was told, but 1 do not know whether it is true, offered #1,000 for this kind favor toward the paying of My in case there was any expense connected with Myers' service to the city. So, then, there were two parties in the council acting in two different directions and uniting at one point. The o party wanted to relieve Brennan of all obli- gations and, in order to bring that nbout had w reject the plans of Myers. The other parties wanted to get an Omaha architcet a job, and, 1o undermine another architect suc- cessfully, had to come to the same point. And the mayor had the wool pulled over s oyes by Mr. Connell, who was the attorney of Brenuan. Mr. Connell, accidentally, as it were, was on hand at that meeting and saic that he had drawn those contracts botween the city and Myers and consequently it was all right to annut it; but as Mr. Connell was not at this time the official advisor of the city he could give this sort of advice verbully free of charge and without responsibility. “The mayor, who was in such a hurey, did not know he had been duped until he had signed this contract rejecting Myers plaus, open- ing the door for a gigautic job, and whou I suy a gigantic job [ mean it. “Phe only pretense on which the action is founded 1s that they wauted wmore ground and a larger bul Tho only legal grounds of nz the Myers plans is that the buildimg would cost’ wmore money than the amount voted by the c: 3 if v.l.e{ mean what they say—if they to build a lurger building costing mors mone than Myers proposed to build, the no right to reject the Myers plans. us leave that out of consi spending $25,000 of the board of education’s money the council jobbers propose to tear up the foundations and basement walls and take @ new start. Does that strike the taxpayers as very economicall Now let me state a fow 'p“gmu with regard to city balls, because ese gentlemen of the couucil profess that ] the city of Omaha will not have room onough in the building that Mr, Myers has pl rod. 1 have personally measured the city hall in New York s near as T could do so, and this is the state of facta: The New York city hall has a frontage of 154 foot by 95; it has three stories above the basoment. The first and the sccond stories are 154 by 05, the third story about 05 by 95; the total svace covered aggregates 38,985 square feet. 1 went to C ’l‘hl-e' have an old hall, somewhat out of date. It is a building 200 by 50 feet deep, and only two stories above the basement, with twenty-seven oftice rooms. On the first floor 18 the mayor's ofti the police court, office of the police clerk, the board of public works, the board of health, police commission, superintendent of police and the water works office. On the second floor is the council chamber, the city treasury and the law library, the city attorney city clerk, comptroller’s ofice, committeo room, city engineer and commissioners of sowars and highways. The space of the two places nggregates 20,000 feet square. At Cleveland the city hall building is four stories above the basement, 54 by 110 feot, aggregating a space of 28,760 feet, At Mil- waukee, where I stopped on the way back, there is an old city hall building, but a very 00 one, three storics above the basement, with an aggregate space of 8,400 foet on each tloor, or 25,200 foet of spuce altogether. Now, then, Omaha proposes to have a building four stories ubove the basement, without counting the mansard, each story 132 by 124 feet: the aggregate, without tho basement, is 65,888 feet square, as against 88,000 feot square in New York. With ono story resorved for the board of education there would still be 49,416 square feet, as aainst 85,000 square feet in New York. With the one story reserved for the public library and_one for the board of education, there would still remain 82,044 fect square. Then they have the uso of the basement which is fitted up for the police court, chiet of police and all that which in the other cities is used for machinery and other purposes they take the whole sto: Mr. Myers has planned for public library they will have five times as much space as is taken up by the present library room, Now, then, I think I have disposed very thoroughly of the idea shall not have room cnough for all city uses in our city hall since cven in New York when planned and _built their present city hall New York had more than 600,000 ‘mpulnllon. When Omaha has 600,000 people she can afford to pull it down, but I don't think Has- call and tho other members of the city coun- cil will be in Omaha at that time. One word more. It has been stated that the Myers plans of the city hall building are imperfect. Who said it? No competent architeet either in or out of Omaha has said it, fornone as I can icarn have ever ex- amined it. The only eminent und excel- lent authority quoted by the council is our superintendent of public buildings—a cheap John carpenter who don't know as much about public building as I do, nor half as much for I have visited and studied seventy-five office buildings and public build- ings in the leading cities of America during the last six months. He says that the plans aro imperfect. Mr. Bailey, the only mem- ber of the council who is a practical builder examined those_plans and pronounced them all right when Mr. House and my brother, thén ctty engineer, examined them, But no- body else, competent to judge their merits, has been asked to examine those plans. ‘When we started for the Bk building thoy got up a cock-and-bull story that the founda- tion of the city hall was not safe. By the way, I will say this: that when this building was first started it was always predicted ghat Myers would be my architect. Itis that he offered to do" my architectural work very cheap,but I have an architect that chnrcres me 814 per cent for constructing our building. Mr. Bemer, our architect, has up to this time already received $3,000 on his work, while Mr. Myers has not received 80 cents. My architect was here last fyll and he examined the foundation of the city hall, and pronounced it perfectly safe for a six- story building. But I don’t want tho city council nor anybody else to take and stock in the Bek architect. Ho may not be compe- tent. But why don’t they consult, take for instance, Van Brunt & Howe, who plannod the Morchants' National, or -Mead, McKim- ber & White, who planned the New York Life building. They aresentirely impartial, Let them say whether or not Myers' plans are perfect and are not such as would sus- tain a building of that character. The city council has never in any shape, manner or form sought to ascertain whether thesc plans were being carried out by the contractor. If there is anything wrong in the basement or foundation it is the fault of the contractor in using inferior ma- ial, and the fault of the inspector who al- them to use it, and the fault of the city council in sustaining that man Brennan in doing poor work. 1kuow that the plans were pronounced by Mr. Coats and other builders as perfect as the averago of plans for any public building, and let me say right here (and here is Mr. Mendelsshon who will mot contradict it) that the Douglas county court house is just a8 good a job as any public building in the United States. Ihave never segn any auywhere for the same money that would stand & co parison with it. Whether the plan is modern or ancient we know that Mr. Myers planned that building, and that the building as it stands to-day has no crack in it, so faras [ know. But the city council proposes now to load us up with a new setof plaus and a new architect. They say they want to expedito this work. It will take fully six months from now to get new building plans perfected in detail %0 that builders could bid for complet- ing the whole building. Instead of expediting the worlk as they pretend, they would delay it until next fall, and could not put in much more than the foundation by the end of this yea he whole thing is a gigantic job gotten up by aset of fellows who have neither decency nor care for their reputation, or they would have taken the trouble to inform themselves before they abandon a public building that has already involved so much outlay. But they imagino we are in their hands and must submit to any imposition. They will presently discover their mistake. They want us to vote $100,000 in sewer bonds, and they want Douglas county to come forward and vote 0,000 in bonds to help them do some grading, because they have raided the _ treasury and last year made an overlap. Will Omaha tax- payers vote to put any more money into the custody of such a reckless and extravagant cil? Only a few wecks ago two officers of the gas company told me in Chh'ufo that members of this council demanded fifty per cent of their gas claim before they would support it. What do you think of the mem- bers of a_commitice that would have the brazenness to go to & corporation and do- mand one-half of a claim_that a corporation hold against the city! When the city is in such hands is it any wonder people have no confidence? f T have said this, not as_an editor, but as a citizen and taxpay 1 think this board owes it t itself to together a more largely attended mecting and invite theso cou; w0 _come and meet the taxpayers face to face, Lot us see whether they can bo induced to_administer the affairs of this city just as the officers of any corporation expected to do. They uré directors in the corporation of the city just as you are dircetors in the board of trade. Had the directors of the board of trade, he, ro constructing the chamber of ded with the contractor against ot and against his protests, al- Jowed him to do inferior work and finally re- Jeased him and his bondsmen after sinking 00, your direetors would have a very titie to stay in Omaha any great length of Mr. Rosewater's re- r said they were very ap- s about time somethis wock to councilmanic job- v and oxtravagane: moved that o public meoting be o was satisfied here shonld in which wnd has heen payers, 1t L sler had ox- rined that the cr citics. id that there was no fe moved from it ad oc looked o dod the My, Jler the city hall would iy ent site, and tohi that things in mun litthe bit erooked. The Cax levy and said that th were & bulk of the taxpaycrs wel ing. Mr, Meyer should not kic littlo or nothing, and that it comers that were buildiug up the city. Mr. Wheeler insisted that the tax levy was too heavy and would keep manufaclurers and peo from louuu.hm‘. Mr. Rosewa ter said that the councll wesq 15, Wwho not kick-