Omaha daily bee., 1889-12-05
Work OF BRcArCH,s HENcHMEN.

WIFI anu DOllIlCS. bub bneEO is an un-
written code Of honor among soldiers
and politicians which no man can vio-
late without being execrated and held
in contempt. In the history OF Ne
braska factlonal feuds have not been
uncommon and in some memorable cam
palgns the rank and file OF the party
vent into open revolt against caudi-
dates who were nominated by unfair
means or who were VIGOROUSLY dishon-
est and disreputable.
In the history of Nebraska politics
there is not a parallel to the infamy
and base trcachery tina has eliminated
in the defeat OF George w. Liningor.
The followers of w. j. Broatch, con-
sisting chiefly of mercenary %henchmen,
city contractors ana the mayors ap-
pointees on the city pay roll, were fairly
overthrow in the primary election, in
which Broatch had all the advantage of
compact cohorts massed at the city's ex-
pense and gangs of repeaters and non
resident graders that we're m~arshaled
by the waterworks bosses, Street Com
missioner Kent, the notorious Duff
Green and Mr.. Wyley, Of the Thomson
Houston electric lighting company.
When the battle was over Mr.. Broatch
had carried four wards and his COM
petitors for the mayors office five wards.
With only twenty-eight out of the
siXty-threc delegates elected on n square
Issue, Mr.. Broatch had no chance for a
nomination unless he could buy
four delegates from the opposition.
1t is al open secret that all
the way from five hundred to two thou
sand dollars were offered to anti
Broatch delegates to induce them to go
over to Broatch. After ten hours
session and two hundred and sixty
seven ballots Mr.. Broatch was fairly
beaten by the majority of the conven-
ton and G. w. Lininger nominated.
That nomination was made unanimous
on motion of Broatch's right bower.
John 7. Clarke. 1t was duly announced
by the chairman, Mr.. Z. p. Davis. Fol-
lowing the nomination of Lininger Mr..
John Rush was renominated treasurer
by reclamation. Not a dissenting vote
was cast or n whisper of opposition from
any delegate. Under the political code,
every delegate in that convention was
in honor bound to give these nominees
their support.
But what did they do? In the Ian
guage of Zach Chandler, in his famous
speech on pensioning JEFF Davis with
other Mexican war veterans, with
treason in their hearts and bravado on
their lips" these tools and henchmen
of Broatch %conspired under the inspira-
ton of that arch-hypocrite and double
dealer, held secret %caucusses to play
into the hands of the enemy and defeat
Lininger and Rush. And while they
were plotting to knife Lininger
these scoundrels were profuse with
Broatch gave it out that Lininger
was his choice above all other rival
candidates. The arrant old hypocrite
went SO far even as to declare that
Lininger was his first choice, and he
would not have been a candidate him
self had Llninger only consented to
allow his name to be used in the pri-
maries. Lininger was invited to
Broatch's banquet with the Twenty
eight and there given pledges and
assurances by one and all that they
would give him their most cordial and
active support to the end. But when
L%ininger's back was turned the I'M
p%rincipled villains were whetting their
stllettos to a~ssasslnate him.
The most damnable exhibition Of
duplicity and vlperous treachery was
| ,nn,ifaota1 AZ fho T tp;n~au M ~ ~ boot,
ing dinner to the delegates of the con
vention. With the exception of Judas
I~scariot Clarke they were all there.
They toasted Lininger as their next
mayor and each and every one raised
their hands to pledge themselves to
work for him and the ticket from that
time on to the close of the polls.
But how did these traitors keep their
word? The very next night they held
a secret caucus in Councilman Chaffee's
Office. Twelve out of the twenty-eight
were there and Paul Vandervoort, the
Dodlin granite iobber, who had ut the
Broatch banquet pledged himself
personally to Lininger was also there,
to concoct the plot that was to
defeat Lininger, Rush, Bechel and
other candidates who were offensive to
Broatch and his totteriug dynasty.
But the conspIrators were not only
working out political revenges. 1t IS
stated by parties who know that over ten
thousand dollars Of democratic Doodle
was paid to the Broatch contingent, and
with this Doodle the 'law and order''
ticket headed by Cushing and McShane
was peddled openly by the very dele
gates who had helped to nominate the
ticket, reinforced by members of the re-
publican central committee who had
sold out, and they did effective work for
Cushing.
OF all the political de~speradoes and
low-lived scoundrels that have ever
been honored with any political posi-
ton in this or any other state Il.
=. Davis stands out in bold
relief as the most despicable. Davis is
republican councilman. He was made
permanent chairman of the republican
convention. AS president of hat con-
~vention he made the official declaration