Omaha daily bee., 1889-08-27
THE SAME OLD SONG.

The representative OF the Omaha
World Herald at Lincoln has interviewed
Secretary OF State Laws concerning the
objections raised by THE BEE to his
candidacy for the congressional vacancy
in the Second district. When asked
whether he had anything to say in re-
ply, Mr.. Laws thought little was neces-
sary TO be said.
"The attitude of THE BEE toward promi-
nent republicans" said MIR. Laws, "is well
known. No public man is safe from its
attacks, and as tho public understands its
policy well and is familiar with the plans
and schemes OF the editor, it can do little
barm.n
AS to the charge of being railroad tool he
says that is sa old and threadbare that no
one need pay any attention to it, Every man
is a railroad man who is not continually
bowling about the extortiens Of corporations
and is willing to give even railroad COM
pany justice and a fair show.
This is the same old song which
every corporation politician from
Church Howe down to Vandervoort has
been singing for the last twelve years.
Will Mr.. Laws name any public man
who has an honorable record and has
not betrayed the people whom THE BEE
has wantonly attackedp Will he point
out among the men who have been
assailed by THE BEE any man who did
not deserve TO be denounced? What
does he mean by his reference to the
"well-known policy of THE BEE" and
''the plans and schemes of its editor"
Does he want to be understood to say
that TIE BEE has any policy Mt vari-
ance with the public interest, or the
good of the partyp Does he mean to in
sinuate that the editor of THE BEE has
any design to profit from the candidacy
OF any particular aspirant, or
has any scheme by which
THE BEE is TO secure patronage?
Has Mr.. Laws or any other state officer,
congressman or senator ever been
| asked to contribute one dollar, directly
or indirectly, to the support OF THE
BEEp
Perhaps Mr.. Laws believes all the
vile slaIders and exploded fabrications
about the editor OF THE BEE that have
been the stock in trade of railroad poli-
ticians. He cannot, however, pretend
with any decency that he is any
thing else politically than the mere
creature of railroad influence. This
| charge may be very threadbare, just as
stubborn facts often are. Has Mr.. Laws
| forgotten the confidence game he
| played on the people less than twelve
| months ago? Is his mind
IL l.. 4 ,l~,~, /
game he played just before the last state
| convention when, as member OF the
! railroad commission, he voted to reduce
freight rates, and after the state con-
| vention had heartily endorsed his course
turned over and voted that the reduc-
tion be indefinitely postponed9 A man
need not be an enemy of railroads to
condemn such duplicity.
But there are none so blind as those
who will not see. Mr.. Laws and those
who, like him. owe their elevation in
| political life to their subserviency to
railroad bosses, never will admit that
the republican party Of Nebraska has
been demoralized by the pernicious
interference OF corporation politicians
The condition OF the party in Ne
braska in this respect has afforded a
text for unfavorable comment in remote
sections of the country. In proof of
this we only need quote the following
editorial from the Springfield (Mass.)
Republican,:
"rhere is vacancy in the Second con-
gressional district of Nebraska, caused b,
the death of James Laird. We refrained il
our obituary notice of him to state his atti.
tude toward railroad legislation. For six
years he virtually sat in congress as the at
torney of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy
railroad. The Second district has been for
years considered the political preserve oi
that thoroughly ramiaed corporation. Now,
no member Of the republican party of Ne
braska would seriously enter the canvass for
that district without first being willing tc
make himself solid with the Chicago, Bur
lington & Quincy. Unless the advances OF
other roads in that district have procured Q
more healthy situation, the next member
will be mortgaged upon railroad matters just
as Mr.. Laird was. Win any one tell us how
statesmen can be grown in Nebraska under
such limitatlonsa"
This is plain talk from a source tina
cannot be charged with malice or sell
fish designs. 1t is not inspired by en-
nifty to railroads, but simply points Out
the danger to free institutions by the
corporate control of the national legis
lature.
The railroad politicians of the Secont
district may resent this sort OF talk, but
the people who do not depend upon the
railroads for their existence mus
feel keenly the disgrace that attaches
to Nebraska when she is advertised as
railroad preserve and her congressman
as mere dummies doing the bidding o
masters who do not even live in Ne
braska.
A NEW COMPLICATIONS