Omaha daily bee., 1884-10-22

the constitution, construes the clause tha'
prohibits the legislature from including
more than one subject in any one bill tc
moan that it would be unconstitutional tc
insert in bill, providing for the general
regulation of railroads, provision fixing
maximum passenger tolls, he proves con.
clusively that he knows as little about
constitutional limitations as parrot does
about poetry. The regulation of rail-
roads, whether by direct legislation or by
authority delegated to a commission,
means of course tho restriction of tolls,
and any person OF intelligence knows
that the Legislature is not
obliged to pass separate bill for
every proposition with regard to railroad
regulation and restriction. How would
the Hon. Ezra Brown be able to get up a
legal charter for city of the first or Sec
ond class2 Such bills contain provisions
for several commissions In the shape of
the city council, board of public works,
and city officers. They contain provisions
about raising revenue through the machin-
cry of these officers, and they also contain
police regulations with regard to what
should and what should not be licensed.
Incidentally there are also provisions
about criminal offenses to be tried by city
magistrates, and the penalties they may
impose. Would the Honorable Ezra
Brown contend that bill having 80
many various provisions is void, because
the constitution gays that "no bill shall
contain more than one subject" Just
such men as this man Brown, who is ss
full ofegotism as an egg is of meat ARE the
Dogberrys of every legislature. They
pride Themselves on what they know
about law, and they really don't know
what they are talking about.
There ius just one other point in
Browns open letter which is worthy of
notice, and that lis his unwarranted asser-
tion that the editor of The BEE and other
anti-monopolints obstructed his effort to
put through conference railroad bill be-.
cause they prefer agitation to legislation.
Mr.. Brown admits that the railroad bill
passed by the anti-monopllsts in the SEN
ate was good railroad regulation bill.
Does he or any other man dare to assert
that any anti-monopolist sought to pre-
vent or obstruct the passage of that bill
through the house2
Brown claims that the republicans
were unable to pass railroad bill be-
cause the anti-monopolists were in the
way. Why did not the house, which
was largely republican, pass the bill
which the anti-monopoly senate had en-
acted2 If they did not want to pass the
bill exactly as it came to them, why did
they not amend 1t and send it back to
the senate for concurrence. The Clay
county Dogberry knows we'll enough that
the house was presided over by railroad
republican speaker, and its committees
were packed with railroad attorneys
and stool pigeons. Why does he
contend that his conference bill
had any show of becoming law when he
knows that the house, after tossing it
around amid sneers and jeers, put it on
its passage five minutes before midnight,
the hour set for final adjournment, when
it could not possibly have been enrolled,
engrcssed, and signed by the officers of
the two houses and the governor before
adjournment, even if the senate had
passed it. There is about as much sense
in Dogberry Browns assertions about
the insincerity of anti-monopolists
as there is In his trade
against the BEE for refusing to support
Jim Laird. He cannot comprehend how
we can support Blaine and Logan and
oppose republican principles in attempt
ing to defeat republican congressman.
We do comprehend how aman of Browns
calibre can profess desire to regulate
railroads and at the same time support a
railroad lawyer like Jim Laird for con-
gress. To such q man Jim Laird Is the
embodiment of republican principles, no
matter how many times he votes with
the democrats, As matter of curiosity
We should like to know what republican
principles, as republicans have under
stood tn EN- during the last twenty years
would 60 to the wall by the election o.
Captain Stickel, who was a loyal soldier
during the war, and voted the republican
ticket, state as well as national, until he
became disgusted with the methods by
which republican conventions and legisla
lures in this state have come under the
control Of corporation lackeys, land-grab-
bers, jobbers and oorruptionists.
Now that County Attorney Gown has
given his opinion that the county really
owns tke..old courthouse property, and Can
sell it and give perfect title, the queB.