Omaha daily bee., 1884-09-11
r1-SLoN IND CONFUSION.

~ NV tONT tnfOANs
This paper is now and always has been
in favor Of any political combination that
will prevent the election of dishonest,
disreputable and incompetent men to
public office. We do not believe in the
infallibility of party conventions. Under
our system of primary elections, in which
fraud, deception and trickery are prac-
ticed with impunity, conventions seldom
represent the untrammeled will of par.
ties, and the candidates thus chosen can
have no legitimate claim upon undivided
party support. The republican party has
been in control of this state for seven
teen years. Its majorities have
been growing from year to
year and up to within two years a nomi-
nation in o republican state convention
was equivalent to an election. Reckless
and dishonest leadership and the corrupt
manipulation of the party machinery by
the railroad bosses have brought about a
revulsion in the republican ranks. Near
ly one-third of the republicans of the
state have cut loose and joined In the eff
fort to reform abuses for which they
have vainly sought redress within the re-
publican lines. To redeem the state
from misrule, place its government in
honest and safe hands and secure the
enactment of laws that will prevent le-
galized highway robbery through
extortionate railroad tolls the
dissatisfied republicans have in
CONJUNCTION with men who were for
merly democrats or g~reenbackers organ
lied the farmers alliance three years
ago, which finally became what is known
as the anti-monopoly party. The highest
aim and object of Nebraska anti-mon-
opolists is not the overthrow of the re
publican party as such, but the election
of executive and legislative officers who
are free from the faint of corruption,
and will serve the people instead OF
merely being servants and tools .of cor.
porate monopoly.
Now whenever the anti.monopolists
combine with other political parties and
elements upon state, congressional and
legislative candidates of approved ability
and known integrity, they may safely
count on the support of thousands of
honest republicans who do not profess to
be anti-monopolists, but want better
government than we row have. In other
words, fusion between the anti-mo.
nopolists and democrats must not
merely be an effort to
substitute democrats or anti.monopo-
lists in place of republicans but it must
present to the people the opportunity
to substitute honest and capable men for
dishonest and incompetent candidates.
Any fusion that merely proposes a change
for the sake of n change must prove a
failure. Republicans will not desert
their party in a presidential election year
unless by so doing they can take the
state out of the clutches of the corpora
tions or displace public men who have
betrayed their confidence.
Nebraska fusionists must bear in mind
that it will take from 8 5000 to 60, 900
votes to carry this state al tho coming
election. Now, Judge Savage, who was
very popular among republicans, only re-
ceived 5000 votes nc the election last
year. 1t will therefore require the entire
democratic and anti-monopolyl vote and
from 1000 to 10000 republican votes to
elect any candidate on a fusion ticket.
This is se~lf-evident and indisputable.
No a n man contends that from 1000 to
10000 Blaine men will turn over to vote
the Butler Cleveland fusion ticket. What
folly, therefore, is it to attempt fusion in
presidential electors. There is not mon.
ey enough in Nebraska to successfully
carry out any such wild cat scheme.
On the contrary, fusion on the electoral
ticket means the most disastrous confu.
sion. II will enable Church Howe,
John nj. Thurston and Casper f.. Yost to
sound q furious and effective alarm all
along the line and drive disnffected re-
publicans to the active support of the
straight. unacratched ticket, and the
most odious and disreputable republican
candidates to pull through by good ma
~jorities under tho tremendous pressure
for Blaine and Logan. If the democrats
and anti-monopolists desire to do for this
state what they profess and prom.
Use, if they are earnestly desirous
of giving the people an honest ad-
ministration in stat0 affairs and faithful
representation in congress, they will drop
the electoral fusion scheme at once. The
BEE will not only diseountenanoe Is, but
oppose it with all the vim and vigoY at it's
command.
-. = a.pV . 49,