Omaha daily bee., 1889-01-27

OF every effort TO carry on the construction
of the building. They tampered with the
counCilmen and took advantage OF the bitter
contest between the council and the police
commission IN which incurred the enemity
and dislike Of the council by standing out in
favor of the police commission, which be-
lieved to be lawful body; and when in-
voked the aid OF the courts ana prevented
the contamination of the conspiracy con.
cocted by Jim Creighton Redman ana their
associates, tncy kept on agtating and plot
ting to prevent the resumption Of work on
the city hail.
"You will remember that the court held
that the council could not change the loca-
ton of the city hall or take any steps TO
change il unless IL was authorized by vote
of the people. The court also held that the
council could not use the proceeds OF the city
hall bonds for any other purpose excepting
to complete the building as planned by
Myers, or under modified plans that would
Carrv out his general design. When the
council took steps to have these plans modi-
fed and invited Omaha architects to submit
revised plans, the conspirators with their cor.
rupting influence manipulated the council
and blocked every effort of that body to pro
cced with the work. They went so far as TO
spirit away councilmen that were elected
and pledged TO so on with the work,
and they boasted openly of their in
fanny One night they spirited away
Councilman Van Camp, by what promises
or threats | know not, but every honorable
man must say tnat lUe pnOrtS pursued DN
these raiders are reprehonsible, and should
be reOuked at the ballot box one week from
next Tuesday.
"Tho most disgraceful spectacle of the
present campaign is the reckless misrepre
sentation to which the advocates of jefferson
square have resorted since the council has
ordered the location resubmitted to the peo-
pie We are told that the foundations and
basement of the city hall on upper Farnam
are utterly worthless, and that they must be
L.. - l,,,s 4
can be erected On that spot. This brazen
falsehood is contradicted by competent ar
Chitects and builders, who have made care
full inspection of the premises and found the
walls to be substantial and strong enough to
hold "A six story building with the possible eX-
ccption of a portion of n wall, which can be
taken down and replaced for less than ~ 800
This is the opinion of John f.. Coots, Richard
Withnell, Mendelssohn ~ Lowrey, f.. T..
Myers, and S. $. Beman, each of whom is
thoroughly competent and has a reputation
at stake. But if it is true that the walls of
the city hall are all rotten and worth
less, IN what light do the champions
of jefferson square stand, who, in
in declaring that the Brennans work was
satisfactory. -.
1--WE are also told that the city hall, 12Gx132
feet on upper Farnam, under Myers plans
is good enough for village or u small city,
but that it could not possibly accommodate
thousand population, Let us see whether
this is true. The floor space of our court
house equals about 1900 square feet for
each story, and the county occupies but two
stories or about $4,000 square feet In this
space are accommodated the county treas
urer, county clerk, sheriff, county
commissioners, the law library,
county court, court chamber and
a council chamber, The city hall building
on upper t'arnam has floor space of over
10000 square feet. Three of these stories
would give the city nearly $4,000 square feet
of floor space for its officials, and leave two
stories for the board of cd
ucaton and public library. l
venture to assert right here that no city of
half million population III America requires
over 1000 square feet of Office space for all
the public officials that may require accom-
mediation i'll city hall; and ] assert further
right here that the five stories of the city
hall building on Farnam street offer as much
space for city officials as is to-day occupied in
the Chicago city hall by the officials of the
city Of Chicago with a population of over
eight hundred thousand.
~ concede at the outset that utility is one
of the vital points in the location and con-
struotion of a city hall building, and ask
you in all fairness whether the building on
jefferson square, no matter how large or i'm
posing, could meet the needs of Omaha in
the matter of utility. A city hall building
nowadays is as public office building con-
structed expressly to afford Office room for
the various officials of the city, and for no
other purpose. 1t should be substantial
commodious and fireproof. Everybody must
concede that for public convenience and for
the uses TO which the city hall is to be
put the site opposite the court house
is by all odds the most desirable. 1t has al
ready been shown through the press, that
the intercourse of our city officials with the
county officials, together with their business
in the county court requires constant
going to and from the two buildings. 1t
would be waste of time and Il great incon-
venience to compel the city attorney and en-
gineer, the board of public works and the
city clerk to make half mile trips several
times week, and even several trips each
day, between the court house and Jefferson
square. Every trip from one of these build
ings to the other and back would be full
mile, and could not be made without the loss
of twenty minutes. In almost every law
suit tried in the court house either for or
against the city the records and books in the
custody of the city clerk and city engineer
and the board of public works must be pro-
duced, and these ponderous volumes and
maps wond have to be carried to and from
these buildings half mile each time, in
good weather and bad in rain and storm.
You would either have to vote each of the
city officials carriage or cab hire for trav-
cling between the city hall on Jefferson
square and the court house or be at the risk
af spelling many public records and losing
some of them. So much on the point of
ut ility.
My friend, Major Balcombe wrestled with
with the city hall problem through two
columns of the Republican on last Friday,
and note that among many stupid and alb
surd things he declared that the time has
come to call halt on erecting any more pub
lie buildings on hill, and he asserted that
business never can and never will cross the
hills in any city while there is room enough
for it on the level ground. i beg to differ
with him on both these points, and with Mr..
Sidney Smith, who has great deal to say
about King Solomon's temple, and other
great and grand and beautiful structures.
The bible tells us that King Solomon's tenn
pie stood on Mount Zion, on the greatest and
highest hill that overlooked the city of
Jerusalem. All the great temples reared
by the Greeks, aud for that mat.
ter all the greatest buildings of
ancient and modern times, have been con-
structed on elevated ground The Capitol
ian hill of Rome was crowned with magnii-
cent and imposing structures and monu-
ments Saint Peters church, the vatican,
the quirinal and all the great palaces ard
temples of Rome stand on the hills, In every
great city in Europe where elevations exist
public buildings, great churches and the
most magnificent structures have been rear
ed upon the elevated sites. And in our
country the capitol mt Washington, which
has cost more than S25, ,OO0, 900 already,
stands upon the highest eminence of tho
national capital neatly 800 feet above the
level of the Potomac, and congressman and
tttA,r md