Omaha Daily Bee Newspaper, May 10, 1902, Page 7

THE AHA DAILY BEE: SATURDAY, MAY 10, 1902 CAMPAIGN IN SECOND NEBRASKA DISTRICT 8peechof E. Rosewater to the Eighth Ward | Republican Olub, MERLCER AND HIS BACKERS ARRAIGN[D‘ Methods of the Men Who Present Comgressman from the Second Nebraska Distriet Speech of Edward Rosewater Tuesday, May 6, before the Eighth Ward Republican «lub: Mr. Chairman and Fellow Republicans We are now again on the eve of a mo- mentous political campaign—a campaign in which the destinies of the republican party ot Nebraska wiil be determined by the ac- tlon of the individual members and the character of the standard-bearers of the grand organization that brought Nebraska Into the union among the sisterhood of states. Your chalrman has announced that this meeting was called for the discussion of congressicnal candidates. It was not my intention to confine the scope of thia dis- cussion to the congressional campaign. Before entering upon that part of th program 1 desire to present a few reasons why republicans of Douglas county should participate actively (n the preliminary werk of the impending campaign. The state convention has been called by the state committee to meet in Lincoln June 18, and I presume the county com- mittee will, within the next ten days, meet to fix the time for holding the primaries. | Whether these primary elections are to be held under the old system of selecting delegates to the state convention by n county convention, or whether these dele- gates are to be chosen by direct slection by the so-called “Crawford county sys- tem,” is in the main Immatertal. The great question republicans must face s Whether they will present a state ticket to the suffrages of the people, made up of the ablest mer that can be selected from the best element of the republioan party, or whether they will court disaster by nominating eandidates who have to be apclogized for and defended. Blgger Men Needied for Leaders. It is as amaszing as It Is deplorable th the men who have been homored with lead- ership and high position in recent years are no match ¥n point of intellect, force and Integrity to the leaders and can- didates of Yerritorial days. That fact was forcibly ca’led to my mind recently whils . attending the funeral of J. Sterling Mor- ton, wir, was assoclated with a galaxy ot Intel'ctual glants in the upbuilding of this 8roat commonwealth. It is deplorable in. 444 that some of the ablest and best men #\thin the ranks of the republican party do not in late years participate actively in our politice, or have been crowded to the rear because the idea prevalls that any. body who h: ambition can pire to a state office, even though he is notoriously incompetent, ignorant or disreputable, and that anyhody can go to congress, even If he has not the abllity to fill a positidn ot city councllman. We remember that In 1891 a well-digger, who had previously scarcely touched a law book, was a can- didate for supreme judge on the fusion ticket of this state, and was only prevented from being elected to the highest judicial tribunal of Nebraska by the patriotism and pride of the rank aod file of democrats and popullsts, who dld not wemt to degrade the supreme bench. ; In the present campalgn we must en- deavor first and foremost to ct as our standard-bearer a man broad enough to be chief executive of a great commonwenlth, that hoasts nearly 1,200,000 population. It has been stated semi-officlally that Willlam Jennings Bryan will nat be a candidate for governor in the year 1902. I do mot, how- ever, consider It prudent for the repub- leaa party to make its nommation for gov- ernor with the idea that Bryan will not be his opponent. ‘Bryan may be forced to Tun, even azainst his own wish and private interest. He is about the only democrat who could cammand the united support of all of the elements of opposition to the repuwlican party. No Defensive Campal The republicans must nominate man «capable of keeping with any candidate the fusion reformers may fally under. A man whose record affords a guarantee of un- tmpeachable Integrity and executive ability of the highest order. It is gratitying In- deed that we are not compelled to enter this campeign in defense of the violatipn of one of the declarations of the last r publicap state convention. That conven- tion eraphatically declared against condon- ing enbesslement, and we will not be com- peled, thank God, to stand up In the mext c¥mpalgn to defend it. (Applause.) Now, Douglas county republicans have little or no show for securing a nomina- tlon for one of thelr number to head the republican ticket. I have lived here nearly thirty-nine years and do mot remember a single instance when a Douglas county re- publican was nominated for the positio of governor, but we will probably have the opportunity to secure the nomination of some competent and able man for the po. sition of lleutenant governor, or possibly for .atate treasurer. I p there wil} ®be no difficulty in finding men willing to serve, but we should be very particular to nominate only such a man for lleutenant governor as would be able to fill the posi- tion of governor creditably for himself and the party. Fourteen years ago Benjamin Harrison campalgn every nomination In a repub. lican state convention was equivalent to as election. Two years later, in 1890, James E. Boyd was elected governor of Nebraska and from that time on Nebraska has con. tinued to be a debatable state. Causes of Party Defeat. It was not merely the folly of submitting probibition that placed the republican party in jeopardy. It was the misconduct of men it had placed in positions of trust. It was the peculation and jobbery that prevafled in the statehouse for years by which exasperated people were impelled to repu- diate the republican party at the polls and *Let the GOLD DUST twins do your work.” Slave If you will, but if you prefer to make house- work sasy, use "QOLD DUST have taught it a lesson it deserved. We impeached three state officers in 1893 and It théke men had bBeen pronounced guflty by the full court Instead of belng let loose half vindicated with a reprimand we would have no Bartleys and none of the costly and_dlsgraceful experiences that have over- tiden us since that time. Let us see to it upport the {1hat it does not happen agaln by plac'ng men in office 5o constituted that a bribe no matter how large will be epurned, and that men who accept office will regard it 45 a public trust Right here let me say that there s no man in the statehouse for whom I enter- talned a higher regard than I did for Mr. Stuefer. We had ailways been personal friends and 1 had the most implicit con- fidence in him. The idea h: one forth that 1 have some personal grievance and that the publicity given to his conduct was lospired by some motive of revenge. This is absolutely unfounded. 1 can hardly even today convince myself that he was aware of the lawless things that he did, but the record is there. The transactions charged up to him make it impessible, In my judg- ment, for him to make a satisfactory de- fense ‘before the people of this state. I regret this as much as anybody, but the republican party must stand for the strict- est integrity In the office of state treasurer after all the lessons that we have had, and 1t the treasurer cannot afford to fll that office honestly, according to the spirit of the law, it {s his duty to step out and let someone fill {t who will abide by the law. (Applause.) Portance of Coming Contest. It Is not my purpose to indicate what candidate or candidates Douglas county should support for any particular office, but I do not want to be a party to a sham or masquerade. When we present a can- didate he must be a man who enjoys pop- ular confidence and respect, and must have Our earnest support. 1If we are going to Lincoln with a candidate for governor we ought to go there with a determination that he should be nominated. It we put Up a man simply to give him a boost and some free advertising, with no intention to make him governor, we ought never to put him forward as our candidate. It is not honest and it is not honorable. We have done such things heretofore, but it was always my conviction that it was not good polities nor good faith. You are doubtless aware that the last legislature left a great deal of important work undone, and that Its work was not satisfactory. This is the consensus of opinion not only of republicans, but of all classes of our citizens. It was the duty of the last legislature to have reappor- tioned the state In the legislative ana congressional districts. It absolutely falled to do so by reason of the pressure by mcles that e 80 well known. The fallure to give us the apportionment the conatitution required has robbed this county of at least three or four members In the coming legislature, and in the legislatures that will be, for the next five years, ana possibly for ten. We denounced the democratie party for falling to reapportion the state for the census of 1890 and we have repeated the oriminal folly that they perpetrated. While We are not obliged to reapportion congress, it femains for the future to show whether or not it would have been advantageous for republicans to do so. Issue of Congressional Election. Now, let me pass to another subject—one in which you perhaps have a more live in- terest—and that is the question of who is to represent this district In the next con~ Bres You all remember that It has been re. peatedly charged that The Omaha Bee had viclously opposed the nomination and elec- tlon of David H. Mercer to congress when he was a candidate the first time. The truth s that The Bee did vigorously pp. pose the nomination of Mr. Mercer, but it did not oppose his election after he haa been nominated. Every republican has a right to oppose the nomination of any candidate, and it is his duty to exercise that right to the fullest extent. (Applause.) Now let me read to you two editoriale that appeared in The Bee prior to the nomina~ tion of Mercer for the first term, in 1892, which embodied the reasons for this oppo- sition. On September 14, 1892, the follow~ Ing editorial appeared under the head, “Why He is Not Available:" The backers of Mr. Dave better bottle thelr wrath. This s not a uestion of good fellowship, personal riendship or political hostility. The editor of The Bee testified under oath before the United States Pacific Rall- way commission concerning the corrup- tion and debauchery of the leglslative lobby. He testified among other that ‘Dave Mercer was, with others, member of the oflroom lobby at Lincoln. That y_ other wit- nesses, notably Willlam F. Gurley Johni M. Thurston. His and thelr ony has been published by the tates and is accessible to the public and will be within reach of the candidates for congress on the opposite side. In the face of such evidence the editor of The Bee cannot stultify himself or this paper by endorsing Mr. Mercer for con- ress, even if he were atherwise fitted for he position or entitled to such a high pigce at the hands of the party. It has been the boast of the republicans resent campalign that the party has to the people candidates whose records are untainted. It cannot and it ghould not recede from this high purpose. We cannot hope to command success this year unless we deserve it by presenting oléan and capabie men for the suffrages of the people. In taking that position the editor of The Bee is not assuming to dic- \ate who shall be honored, but he simply discharges a disagreeable duty in pointing out who among the aspirants for leading positions are not avaflable. Mereer's Orf al Nomi. Mercer had testl- ited On Beptember 20, just before the nomina- tion, this article appeared, headed, “Dave Mercer's Candidacy A majority of the delegates chosen by the republican convention of Douglas county have expressed their preference for D Mercer as the candidate for con- in_ this district. What claim has ress? His careér In Omaha IJ‘ in the Unfon Pacific head: - third-rate clerk. from which %omohd to_the rallroad ollroom e work of “this lobb: and corrupt the do'l: of raulsun people and prom corporations and nfilbberl. The means used to hrln1 about this end were cards, Ilqufir and lewd women. Once in the meshes of the ollroom lobby the people's representatives became the pliant tools and creatures of their seductions. pibis ls the only line of business which ve Mercer hl.}{nuflucd with some de- fm of success. {f ice tion o roper steppin Bifakure: And what clalm has Dave Mercer upon party for services as a political worker? ‘As chairman of the city commit- tee that conducted the campalgn three Jiars Sgo he permitted ‘the campaign funds to go into the hands of treacherous thieving members of the committee had forined a conspiracy to defeat the the ticket for democratic boodle. natead of warning the candidate he de- 1 i Iy closed his ears and d [ty :E‘!yllcku b Na resul to slaukhter. The result Taa the election of Cushing and the form- &tlon of the boodle combine in the coun- ell, zlll iwe yeurs Dave Mercer has used ! ition as chalrman of the county committee to lay his pipes and pack the cauct and conventions. By the help of federal officials, who ought to be interested In bullding up the party instead &.nelll\ it. he has carried his point. If convention that meets today s reckless enough to nominate Mercer for congress it must take the responsibility. Bee's Support After the convention two or three short ®quibs appeared, and there was nothing further agalnst Mr. Mercer in The Bee. We were 1o the presidential’ year, 1883, sad consequently, as national committeeman, I centered all of my energy to carry the state for Benjamin Harrison, and notwith- standing the fact that there was 20,000 ma- Jority against us, the total vote gave Har- yFlson electors 4,300 plurality and kept the | state in the republican column. (Applause.) We not only carried the state for Harrison, but we elected Governor Crounse and the entire republican state ticket. Mr. Mercer also was elected. At the end of his first term The Bee en- Gorsed his renomination for a second term In the following editorial on August 21, 1804, under the heading, “A High Compli- ment:" Congressman D. H. Mercer has received a flattering compliment at the hands of the republicans of this district. Without a dis- senting vote the convention of the Second congressional district vote him a renomi- nation for the position he has filled during the past two years. With this action The Bee has no fault to find. Mr. Mercer has | made a very creditable and efficient repre- | mentative and in accord with its well known | policy, The Bee has not hesitated to give im credit whenever credit was due. Mr. Mercer has eeably disappointed those who had no confidence In his ability and fitness to represent the state in the na- tional legislature. His record has been consistent and satisfactory to all classes of republicans, and his constituency, regard- less of party, concur In the opinion that he has done as well In promoting thelr inter- ests during his first elghteen months in congress as any man could have done un- der like conditions. This we cheertully certity without r recelving, asking or expecting any favors at the hands nf Mr, Mercer. If he shall do as well in the future as he has In the past he will have no son for complaint of not being appreel or duly credited with whatever good serv- ices he may render. Mercer and the Exposition. In 1896, when Mr. Mercer had served two terms, we had reached a very critical stage In the affairs of Omaha. We had assumed the responsibility for a great en- terprise, the Transmississippi exposition, and the fact that Mr. Mercer occupled a position of prominence in the committes on public bulldings, in my judgment and in the judgment of the great majority of businese men of Omaha, necessitated the re-election of Mercer. To bring this about the most strenuous efforts were made by myself and The Bee, as you may note from the following editorial that ap- peared in The Bee of July 5 on behalt ot Mercer, entitled, “An Appeal to Working- men:" The workingmen of Omaha have more a{ stake In the renomination of Congressman Mercer_than any other class of our citi- zens. The most essentlal thing for worl ingmen s employment. If ercer goes back to Washington next winter with hie commission renewed for another term he will be in position to command support for liberal appropriations for all public works now under wn{ or projected In this ity and vicinity. He will be In position to se- cure all the funds necessary for complet- ing the postoffice building and he will have little difficulty in securing an increase from $200,000 to $500,000 for the Transmissis- sippl exposition. Vith a renewed commis- slon Mercer will be chailrman of the co mittee on public bulldings and that means a great deal, not only for workingmen in Omaha, but for workingmen in every town where a federal bullding 1s to be located. Rallfed tn by The Bee. Following this editorial came a double- leaded appeal just before the primaries, ing, “Omaha Must Stand By Omaba: No man ever can succeed who does not stand up for himself. This is equally true of cities. No clty has ever grown g and prospered that has lowered its flag turned its back upon its founders or champions. 1In the contest between Col fressman Mercer and his opponents t ssue is squarely presented whether Omaha willstan herself. up for herself or go back on Never before has any political contest Involved so much for the future of Omaha as does the renomination of Mer- cer. Personal likes and dislikes, political factions and petty feuds all sink Into In- significance before the one supreme ia¢ whether Omaha will deliberately strike staggering blow at a project that is most vital to her upbullding and a revival of business activity by gratifying the ambi- tions of men who are notorfously incapable of being of any in congress at the most critical time for the Transmississippl exposition. ~ Every rational man must realize that the rejection of Mercer in the face of the colossal work he has done for this city and South Omaha during the last two ~ sessions would be Interpreted at Washington as a declaration that Omaha does not appreciate the fayors granted as & concession to her indefatigable repre- sentative, and therefore is entitled to no turther consideration by congress. In behalf of Omaha, for which The Bee has always stood and In which its future is bound up perpetually, we call upon every citizen who has a vote to cast at the re. publican primaries to stand up for Omaha y casting his vote for the Mercer dele gates. We call upon citizens who have no vote to give to exert all their influence with those who have. We call upon busi- ness men and property owners who have everything at stake to devote their time for haif a day to the redemption of Omaha n jon. Poor man. His resources have been drained by a campalgn which by rights ought to have been fought for him by Omaha without a Eenn)’ of expens: It would only be an exhibition of apprec! lon of this man's service, which no amount of mone{‘ could have duplicated, that those who have carriages and vehicles place them at his disposal for the primary elec- tion for haif a da. Our Absentee Representative, These articles certalnly show that Mr. Mercer was under some obligations to The Bee and received a very cordial and very energetic backing through that medium. Nobody can truthfully charge that after Mr. Mercer's first term and up to a recent period he has not had the earnest and zealous support of The Bee with all the influence that it could exert, and that in- cludes the last election as well as the second, third and fourth elections. In 1898 when he had already served three terms my efforts in his behalf were ri newed with the same earnest vigor and his opponents found to their sorrow that the appeals of The Bee to the business man and to the working man had a very decided effect, so Mr. Mercer certainly had no grievance and had no right to have any up to the last time he was elected, and, in fact, up to the present time, After he had served four terms his con- tinuance became a serious question. It began to dawn upon the community that Mr. Mercer was what might be called a visiting statesman. He had absented him- self from Omaha from year to year except when he came wup for ré-election. For twenty out of twenty-four months Mr. senatorial campaign, and he cannot truth- | could testify, that they were marked thh"\""““"“ a candidate for senator, but the tully charge that I ever Invoked his sistance In anything except what was In he interest of Om (Applause.) 1 have time and again, of course, induced | him to Introduce and support certaln meas- ures, and even succeeded In getting him to do some things I knew to be for the | promotion of Omaha's growth and pros. perity and the Interest of the state, but never have I asked bim to do anything that would be damaging or detrimental to this city or to any of its citizens That famous dinner amounted to nothing except that an hour or two previous I re- ceived a telegram from Omaha announcing that Mr Blackburn had called a very pe- cullar endless chain eystem of Craw-| ford primary for the congressional nomina- | tion, in which all the counties and all the precincts in the three countles were to be tled together on one string, and the dele- gates to be all voted for in Sarpy, Wash. ington and Douglas counties on one ticket It struck me that this would precipitate a factional fight and I was very anvios to avold a factional fight in 1900. I was so anxious to see Nebraska redeemed from | populism that 1 wae willing to make any | sacrifice. Community of Interests Plan. The only thing that happened on that memorable occasion was that I asked Mr. Mercer to have Blackburn's call revoked, cr revised, as there was really no serious op- position to Mercer. I had gone into no compact with anybody to nominate any other man and, in fact, did not encourage anybody to be a candidate, although I then thought that Mr. Mercer with four terms had about all that he was entitled to. In fact, that any man with ordinary ambition would have dared to asked for. (Applause). After my return to Omaha we entered into what might be called a “Community of Interest Agreement,” In the Interest of party harmony. To ehow that I was dis- posed In favor of harmony, I made the overtures and went to the office of John L. Webster, and there met Mr. Gurley and other friends of Mercer. After several con- ferences we agreed substantially upon a delegation to the state convention and upon the members that were to represent this district in the national convention that nominated William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt. (Applause.) A few days the ter Mr. Blackburn called upon me with a paper, or rather an agreement, to support Mercer at the con- gressional convention, and requested me to head it. I signed that paper and my sig- Dature brought all of my friends into line. John L. Webster joined with me and brought his friends, and then we made it unanimous. If Mercer had not the man- hood to appreciate that sort of treatment he has not a particle of manhood in him. 1 feel sure that any other man would have appreciated it. Silver Platter Nomination. His nomination did not cost him a penny. He had put up a ilitle scheme, or rather his understudy, to make every candidate pay 3300 to Blackburn, the chairman ot the congressional committee, who carried all the other members In his pocket. Whether Mercer was to have pald $300 or not I cannot tell, I cannot guess, but pre- sume he would have pald it. Whether the money would have been pald out or refunded is another question. At any rate, he got his nomination without costing him & cent. At that time he had drawn $40,000 from the United States government. Just think of It, a man who never earned more than $75 a month at any honest calling had earned In elght years $40,000 and the per- quisites. (Laughter). We went into the gréat campalgn of 1900, and I went into it in good faith. It is a matter of record that the call for the con. vention that nominated the delegates to the congressional convention made no mention of the fact that there was to be a con- gressman nominated. That defect in the call made the nomination of David H. Mercer worthle: Judge Baker, who was anxious to contest Mercer's nomination, called upon me both before and after Mercer had been noml- nated and sald the nomination would amount to nothing. He proposed to go into the courts and have it set aside and make Mercer tun as a petition nominee, if he wanted to. I remonstrated against such a proceeding and succeeded In persuading Baker to drop it. I did not know until within the last ten days that the papers to make that contest were all made out by Mr. Baldrige. He tells me that he had the papers In his hands all prepared to go into court, and Mercer would have been thrown out if they had been filed. It was only at my instance that Mr. Mercer was retained as regular nominee on the ticket, and I fought his battle out and kept these people from acting. (Applause). In Good Falth with Mercer. Now, then, Mr. Mercer certalnly could not interpret my conduct as maliclous, dis- honest, treacherous, or anything of the kine I was in good falth and remained in good faith until the end. Wherever there was a campalgn meeting in this county I advocated Mercer just as much dvocal the national, state and leg- tive ticke Just before the campaign closed there was a meeting of German- Americans at Turmer hall. We sat side by side there in a great gathering that was assembled in my interest, and not for Mr. Mercer. I appealed to the German-Ameri- cans to eupport Mr. Mercer, and pledged it elected to the senate to work hand In hand and shoulder to shoulder with our energetic representative for every measurs that would promote the prosperity of Omaha. The great body of the people that was assembled In the hall gave Mr. Mercer an ovation, and doubtless many of them supported him because of the pledges that 1 made for him and the endorsements that 1 gave him. But strange as it may seem, during all that campaign Mercer never went near the republican county commit. tee; he never was in fouch with it. He refused to pay his campalgn assessment, and while the committee and others who had collected money to carry on the cam- paign were paying for bal fireworks, brass bands, carriages, posters and other Blackburn was the only medium through whom Mercer could be reached, although during the periodic congressional cam- paigns his constituents were showered with numberiess letters and packages of garden seeds. Year by year the workers became more convinced that he was not in touch with them. They began to com- plain, and as I thought justly, that he never took any interest except in himself; that campalgn after campalgn was fought here on county and state tickets, and Mr, Mercer was never on hand; and he furthers Poign assessments, and did not comtribute even to his own campalgn, as every other man occupying such a lucrative position s expected to do. Facts About the DI In an article recently published Mr. Blackburn charged that I invited myself to dinper with Mr. Mercer in the apring of 1900, and sought his assistance In my senatorial campaign. Well, I ae invited myself to dinner with anyon Wways been able to pay for my dinners, or €0 without them. I have always been able to earn a living without spoi accepted an invitation from Me: with him and spent a pleasant afternoon. I do not comprebend why he should have retailed the story of my visit to Black- burn as a wonderful event, or why he ehould insinuate I had called there for the purpose of promoting my pelitical in- terest. 1 aWyer asked Mercer to help me la incidentals to the campaign, he did nmot contribute a penny. He did not take the campalgn managers into his confidence to tell us who his work- ers were, where they were located, as any other candidaie would bave done without asking, and up to the time of the election, while I kept him fully informed of our plans and operations I never could get any Mercer and marked without Mercer pro. miscuously, because we intended they should be used where they could to the best advantage. There was nothing proper in that. On election day a lot of these ballots were taken to South Omaha in a hack, occupled by Llewellyn, Collins and myself. They were exhibited to Trou- ten, Schulz, Wilcox and other South Omaha republicans, and some were dis< tributed. But about 8,000 of these ballots are still in my office in the original pack- eges, and will be exhibited in due course of time, to show up the Imposture by which Mercer has tried to excuse his treacherous course. When the wolf wanted to swallow the lamb he chraged him with rolling the water, and that Is the way these people have done. Within forty-elght hours after ths election Mercer and his henchmen pre. tended that they had found proof that t had tried to defeat Mercer, and yet Mercer knew that these ballots were to go Into the hands of democrats only, and could not possibly have deceived any republican voter. In a recent article, in which I also trace Mr. Blackburn, he sald that about 150 votes were lost to Mr. Mercer In South Omaha by these tickets. What an impus dent fake. How could Mercer lose votes through democratic ballots, circulated among democrats? If the republicans had voted these tickets he might have lost some votes, but these tickets were demo- cratic sample ballots and he certalnly could not have sustaieed any loss among demo- crats who voted for Howard. The charge fs almost too absurd to require contr diction. It was tiumped up by Mercer in order that he might find some justification for his own treachery in trylng to defeat the republican legislative ticket and trying to prevent the election of two republican United States senators. (Applause.) That was his purpose, and I can prove it by credible witnesses. Mercer's Unfounded Charges. Now let us examine the situation and the relation of Mr. Mercer to the repub- llcans of Douglas county, and to the re- publicans of the district and state. He was nominated in good faith, and sup- ported in good falth, and recelved the larg. est vote he ever recelved in the district; not the slightest defection anywhere It 1 had been disposed to waylay him and help myseif; it I had given the tip to the democrats that they could throw him, as they could have done by appealing to the supreme court to rule him off the re- publican ticket, and make him a petition candidate, I could have had all the help 1 wanted for the republican legislative ticket from the democrats. Through that entire campalgn I never approached a man con- nected with Edgar Howard, much less Howard himself, and he never dreamed of that—not until long after election. (Ap- plause. Mr. Mercer had no ground whatever for complaint and he understood very well his obligation both to the paper that I edit, to myself and to the republicans of this city, county and district. What were these ob- ligatione? This is a government of ma- jorities, and when the will of the majority is expressed it is to be respected, and any man who seeks to overthrow the expressed will of the majority is a political anarchist. Verdict of the People. It was known to all men that the sena- torla] contest was squarely between myself and John L. Webster. Every sample ballot at the primary election of 1900 had elther my name printed at the head or that of John L. Webster. Mr. Mercer was not thought of as a candldate for the United States senate. When that fight was over and the republicans of the county by a most decisive majority declared in my favor Mr, Webster, be it sald to his honor, accepted the situation and abided the re- sult. But that was not all. When the election came the people of this district and state were glven the privilege to exprees their choice for United Btates senator. Under the constitution of Nebraska every citizen has a right to express that cholce on his ballot, when members of the legislature are chosen that are to elect United States senators. Now, then, the cholce of the peo- ple w expressed through the ballot box at that election. In this county alone 9,400 and some odd were credited to me on the official returne, but there were at least 600 or 700 mot counted for me. I know that because I was present at the canvass of the votes of this county. In the district nearly 11,000 all told were cast for me. A majority of the republican vote of Washington county way cast for me, and a majority of the republican vote of Sarpy county was cast for me. As a choice for United States senator Mr. Mer- cer was not thought of In this district. The official canvass of the state shows that only 15 votes were cast in the whole state of Nebraska for David H. Mercer—not one of those was cast in the counties of Douglas, Sarpy and Washington—not one. (Applause.) Mercer's Inexe: le Treachery. And yet Mercer had the audacity twenty- four hours after the election.to undertake to overthrow the popular will expressed through the ballot box by urging those who had been elected to violate their sacred obligations to their constituents, and to be- tray the trust confided In them by the people who had elected them. What would be thought of a man who would approach a presidential elector and ask him to violate his instructions and pledges implied through the expressed will of the majority at the ballot box? You vote for president nearly in the same manner that you express a cholce for United States senator. You did not vote for Me- Kinley, cr Bryan, you voted for the presi- dentlal electors, and they were in honmor bound to voto for the candidates for presi- dent and vice president nominated by their party. In this instance the party did not 1m- | | people had nominated him. Mercer's attempt to subvert the will of the people was, In my judgment at le #s great a crime against the people as | would have been his attempt to persuade a | presidential elector to jesert the eandidate | of his party. That was precisely what he did. He did not walt until the members of the legislature had assembled and en- | deavored to discharge thelr duty. He did not wait until those members had rogistered | their votes in accordance with the instruce tiona of the people, so that they could at least excuse themselves for the betrayal of their trusts. But he approached them and had them approached and worked upon be- | fore that legislature ever met and before | one senatorial ballot had been cast. Carries Tales to Washington. Before starting for Washington he gave | it out cold in Omaha that he had not de- | cided to be a candidate, although a very | great number of people were urging bim to | become a candidate. But when he reached | Washington—in order to excuse hie ewn | deepicable treason to the people of his own | district—he made out that I had endeav- ored to defeat Willlam McKinley and part of the republican ticket in my personal in- terest. But he found little credence at Washington. I sent him a scathing letter, and malled a copy of it to the speaker of the house and to Senator Hanha. And the | speaker wrote this in reply: “I regret that you have so much diseord in Nebras T feel eure that sometimes it ia w the olive branch and sometimes the ham- mer.” (Laughter.) This {s precisely what | David B. Henderson wrote. I did not have to explain to President McKinley that 1 had been loyal to the party. He unde stood it well enough and at the last Inte | view I had with him he complimentea me | highly on my course. Of course, it was all | nonsense, because I had already stepped_out and am out for good—but he sald, *‘You will get there yet. You made a noble fight out in | Nebraska; you earried the state; you ought to have been elected.” what he said to me. X Now, let me review Mercer's senatorial campalgn. He gave it out In Washington that he was being flooded with letters from members of the legislature asking him to become a candidate. There is not one soll- tary lotter of that kind in existence. When the legislature met he received on lonesome | vote, on complimentary day, and that was | given as a joke. The man who voted for him would not vote for him in joint con- vention. A great many scattered on com- plimentary day. 1 am not sure but Jud Jullus Cooley was among those honored. But in the seventy-two days that the legislature was In session, voting from day to day, no- body voted for David H. Mercer. And yet Mercer claimed at shington that he wi the cholce of a large portion of the legls- lature. Mercer's Play for Speakership, To show what little faith can be placed in him and what little honor he possesses: In the summer of 1899, after Thomas B. Reed had resigned from congress, it be- came apparent that a new speaker would have to be elected. A telegram was sent to me by the Chicago Tribune, in about these words: “Are you In favor of a western man for speaker of the house, and would you favor the election of Mr. Hop- kins of Illinols?” And I responded: (am In favor of a western man for speaker, but my preference s for David B. Hen- | derson, belleving him to be the most cap- |able and the most worthy man now sitting |In congress representing the | western states.” (Applause.) fore Henderson had an- nounced himself. I had already supported | Henderson when Connell was in congres: Within three days after Henderson an- | nounced himself, which was a few days later, our Washington correspondent an- nounced that Dave Mercer was going to be a candidate for speaker. The I of Mer- o for speaker was simply ridiculous. Presently I reteived a letter from Hender- son and he sald: ‘“Well, what do you think of Mércer being a candidate? 1 wrote him: “I do not think he means it; I do not think he is serious, but he eimply wants to be chalrman of his old commit- tee” Well, the fight went on, and here was Ohlo pronouncing for Dave Hender- son, then came Wisconsin, then came Illinots, and then came Massachusetts, but Nebraska was still holding back. 1 finally wired down to Burket! "Where does ka stand?" and Burkett re- plled: 1 am for Henderson. I am an Iowa man, but I made an agreement with Mercer not to go to anybody until he comes.” In the meantime Mercer was non eet. You could get no trace of him. He had not been seen in Nebraska for months and no one knew where to find him. Case of Unexampled Brass. Finally I recelved a t ram from Hen- derson saying: “Where does Nebraska stand?”, And I wired bim: ‘“‘Nebraska will Nebraska is for Hender- I took the ltberty to do that because I did not want Nebraska placed in a false light. When Mercer finally turned up I said to him: “I have taken the liberty of assuring Henderson that you were for him. It would have been shame- ful with Ohio, Pennsylvania and Massachu- setts in favor of Henderson for Nebraske to bold back. You could not afford to stay “Why, I have been on the ground floor with Henderson all of the time. I have been for Henderson all of the time. Mere cer evidently did not suspect that I had in my drawer & letter, received only three days previous, In which Henderson said: “I depend on you to look after Mercer. (Laughter.) I did not say to Mercer you are & blank falsifier, because that would have been disagreeably truthful. But 1 thought it disgraceful for a man to prevari- (Continued on Ninth Page.) information from him, nor from Mr. Black- burn, who was the chalrman of his con- L3 lonal committee. When the day of elec- tion came I went down to South Omaha with those terrible sample ballots that Mr. Mercer pretends were gotten up to assist his opponent. ™ Terrible Sample Ballots. 1 found men dewn the: by Mereer, democrats, hirea but Mercor was the only cand! date they were willing to work for. And Bow & word about those ballots. They were not gotten up surreptitiously; they were not designed to impose on anybody; they were headed Independent-democratio sample ballots, and were gotten up for that class of democrats who were disposed to vote part of the republican ticket. These tickets were straight democratic for presi- dent, but some of them were marked for Dietrich, some were marked for Mercer, and most of them were marked for the republican candidates for the legislature. 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