Omaha daily bee., 1889-10-21
prcKlrss avn MtsLEADfNG.

RECKLESS AND MISLEADfNt'
For more than week the credulous
patrons OF the World Herald have been
craniug their necks in expectancy OF q
great treat. y standing notice in glar-
ing type was kept before their vision
with promise OF n revelation. The
fate Of prohibition in Nebraska was to
be exhibited through the Herdld's horo-
scope in hgures that do not lie.
But the mountain labored and brought
forth a mouse. The greatest effort that
our contemporary has ever made in tho
domain OF political economy and statis-
tics is a roaring lizzle. II is a most pre-
postcrous compound OF gush and guess
work. Tho total vote of the state
for 1890 is estimated at one hundred and
eighty-two thousand three hundred.
1t safe to predict that the total vote
of this state will aggregate not less
than two hundred thousand, and more
likely two hundred and ten thousand.
It was over ono hundred and eighty
thousand in 1855, and two years. growth
of the state will show an increase of
more than thirty thousand votes in
hotly contested election. But even II
the aggregate vote was only one hun
dred aud cightytwo thousand the eX-
hibit of our contemporary is utterly
baseless, and for the most part shows
lack of common sense and surplus OF
inexcusable rccklessness.
An Omaha paper Of any pretenslons
should Mt least know enough about the
population OF this county to make rea-
sonable estimate of its vote in 1890. Ac-
cording TO the World Herald Douglas
county will poll eighteen thousand votes
for and against the prohibition amend
ment next year. The vote of this
county on presidential elec tors in 1883
was twenty thousand, and two years
afterward it certainly will be not less
than twenty-five thousand on the pro-
hibition issue. That would only repre-
sent population of one hundred and
fifty thousand, or one voter to every six
inhabitants. In November, 1890, Doug
las county will have over one hundred
and sixty thousand population. Omaha
and South Omaha together have one
hundred and twenty-five thousand at
the very lowest estimate.
AS q specimen brick of the farcical
performance of the World Herald on its
prohibition prophecy, we need only
point to its estimate on Lancaster
county:
The total vote in Lancaster county will be
as follows: The county clerk says 1900, the
county judge gave no estimate. the county
| treasurer says 1900. The vote for prohibit
| tion is estimated in this way: BY the county
clerk 500, by the county judge no estimate,
| by the county treasurer 1000. For high
| license the vote is estimated: BY the county
| clerk 1000, by the county Judge no estimate,
| by the county treasurer 5000.
Thereupon the lightning calculator
| of the World Herald reaches the follow
| ing conclusion: "Total vote in Laucas-
| ter county. twelve thousand; for prohi-
bition, two thousand four hundred;
against prohibition, four thousand five
| hundred
This only foots up six thousand nine
hundred votes. What is to become of
| the five thousand one hundred votes
| that are not accounted for on either
side of the question? Are they likely
| to remain neutral ?
| The same recklessness in estimates Of
! the probable vote on prohibition and
high license pervades the entire page
| devoted to this subject. The iuforma-
tiou furnished is misleading and of no
| value whatever to anybody who desires
to form even the remotest estimate OF
the probable outcome of the prohibition
| isGue in 1890