Omaha daily bee., 1883-01-06
"By all O6ds the Most Repre-,
sentative Legislature Ever
Assembled in Lincoln"
The Desperate Attempts of the
Monops to Defeat the Ants
and "Shake' with Agee.
A Vigilaut Watch to b Kept on
tho Tricky Clerk of the
HOUSE,
The RepentarU Pawnee Returns to
Ais Vomit-
H TIRST <

kft1S ana VEIN |
Correspondence OF The Bee.
OPENING OVERTURE.
LINCOLN, January 5.-The curtain
has been rung down upon the first act
of the political drama, that ia being
played at the state capitol. Like q
Chinese play which continues from
day to day, through comedy, tragedy
aud melo drama, the biennial p%erfor.
nance that commenced at noon Tues
day, will extend to a period of up.
wards OF forty days. In many re-
spects the spectacle affords much in
struotion as we'll as amusement.
THE INTERIOR DECORATIONS
of the two houses excel in elegance and
luxury anything of the kind that has
ever been seen on the political foot
boards In Nebraska. Thesenate is by
all odds tho most digniied Es well as
Intelligent bcdy of men that have ever
assembled to make laws for the COM
monwealth. Ia fact there is a pre-
ponderance vt brain, aud a very good.
Iy display of bowels among The crave
and digniied senators, most of whom
would pull down the scales at 200
pouGds,
The house ia not only tho moot nu-
nervous lsPislative body that has ever
convened to make laws ia Nebraska,
but comes nearer representing tho ag-
gregate wish and will of the people
than any OF it's predecessors. Unless
appearances ara deceptive, I am safe
Ia predicting that this legislature will
ACouIT ITSELF WITH CREDIT
in the discharge of ita great truet. Tho
members appear to DO Bober, iHdustri
Qua snd earnest. They mean business
and will not be trjAed with. Many
et them, OF course, lack acquaintance
with their dutios, bat nearly all seem
to DO disposed to serve their oonstitu-
ents with fidelity. The speaker, Mr..
Humphreys, is o man OF mo.o than
average ability. Prompt and decisive
in action, sPd If ! Judge him rightly,
ambitious to make a reputation thai
will advance him to a higher post al
no distant day.
RE STANDS PLEDGED
not only to respect the anti-monopoly
sentiment, but to aid in wholesome
anti-monopoly legislation. When hif
committees are announced, we shall
see how far his action sccords with his
profession.
The greatest blunder the house has
made up to this time is the reelection
of Brad Slaughter as chief clerk.
Slaughter is a dangerous man in that
responsible position. He "a notori'
ousIy
IN OoLLUsIoE WITH JoBBRRS
aud corporations that seek to thwarI
legislation and defeat the will OF tbs
people by trickery and fraud. These
parties made u desperate effort to gel
him in under all sorts of p~retexts,
the main one bling that he knows tn,
duties CT the position. The fact "a he
knows too much, and makes bad
use of his knowledge In hand
ing bills. / am told that two
years ago every railroad bill intro
duced into the house was immediate
ly copied and duplicates sent to Omahr
to the b. & M. and u. p. h~eadquar
tiers, and that is not the worst by any
means. His efficiency in other re
spects is questionable. The name,
In which he calls the roll is simply u,
insult to the house, to which no legis
lative body in any state would submit
Most of the time he calls the names 3,
rapidly that only a few can answer
and nobody can tell who Ia absent o
present. When billy are put on thei
passage, his peculiar roll call enable
him TO defeat bills by miscount, an,
he also carries jobs through Ia tn
| same way. AS a matter of fac
Slaughter 10 not get legally chief clerk
/ He only received ~ votes when tn
records should chow 81. But thos
who have discovered their blunder or
3 not disposed to retrace.
TOR Ii FIRST TINE
> the senate has asserted it's dignity j.
| stripping the Lieutenant governor q
5 the power to pack the committees i
, the interest of corporations and jot
d Ders. Although there is a docisiv
Q anti.monopoly majority In the senat
T the result was only achieved by q
organized struggle. Every schem
that ingenuity could contriye ws
tried to defeat the will of the major
> ity. After the senate had a~ppointe
it's committees the gang of monopol
henchmen that hung around the lobh
made a dash at several Of its men
q bers with The view u creating discor
: and division,
. THEY OFFERED SENATOR HOWELL
y Of York the privilege ii appointir
the entire list Of committees and tan
whatever he wanted If he would on
make b minority report and vote
sustain it. Mr. Howell did not Nib
NJ the bali.
i. Other senator's were roped in by n
al capper5 iuto the rooms reserved f
.g corrupt work aud thoga Emporium,
!, with all SORTS Of base proposals., b
. ali the schemes failed. When Il
az committees were finally reported
4, the senate ex Governor Butler, wi
= had been
"a THROWN OVERHEARD
by the anti monops in their confe