Omaha daily bee., 1892-04-24
kEhT SCOTT

pollJlcal mack who had played nlmseli
out completely at Council Bluffs years
ago had acquit ted in Omaha during my
absence abroads' He had worked up
boom for himself by agitating in favor
OF Omaha as the place for locating tho
national republican nvention and Kept
himself before the public day in and day
out under the title of Colonel Scott, al
though he had never been either
major, captain or corporal so far as can
be learned Presently the colonel
| blossomed out rs candidate for district
| Judge and his most devoted friend and
backer was Hon. George w. Lininger.
L had met this man some years before at
| an Associated press meeting which he
| attended as proxy for the Council
Bluffs Nonpa1eH and he left most un-
favorable impression by his exhibition
| OF brass and gall mixed in largo doses.
Ordinarily | seldom have occasion to
revise my first impressions, but | was
persuaded by MIR. Lininger that l had
| struck II rough diamond. He vouched
| for the brassy colonel as u true man who
had been prosecuted and kept down be-
SruSo vi MS dubl-tlOuOpViy bOhuShSiOoi
and only wanted an opportunity to dom
onstrate his ability and fitness for the
| bench. Mr.. Lininger was seconded by
our managing editor. Mr. Haynes. Very
reluctantly, must confess, yielded to
| Mr. Lininger's entreuties because | sus-
| pected at the outset that Scott was
pounding the national convention tom
fn,n with 6aiil,,,,,ta and cplftSh NJ
| pose. In due time my antipathy to
| Scott gave way, and the columns of TIE
| BEE continued to keep him before the
| people, although Scott never seemed
quite content with the quantity of puffs
| he was steadily sponging.
Up to my return Scott and the men
| associated with him had only raised
| $4,000 of the $50, 900 guaranty bond for
the national convention. and the whole
scheme was about to be abandoned.
| Feeling that the city would be disgraced
in the eyes of the country after Scott
had solicited and secured endorsements
for Omaha always at the expense OF
others) put my shoulder to the wheel
and lifted the project out OF the ruts by
raising the greater part of the $4,000
guaranty bond, and over $500 in
money subscriptions to defray the ex-
penses of the delegation. Then Scott,
GREAT Scott, blew his horn at what
he had accomplished aud had himself
named by little cotere of the Real
Estate Owners association as the spokes-
man for Omaha before the national COM
mittee.
But I am putting the cart before the
horse. Scott had ingratiated himself
into the confidence of an element of our
people who had risep en- masse last fall
against local mfsrule in the court house
and city hall. A natural-born dema-
gogue, Colonel Scott READILY foresaw
the cyclone, and he jumped in with the
tide, just as he would have done had
there been a popular prohibition
crusade or any other uprising through
which he could ride into Office. So
Scott had no trouble in getting nom
mated, and by tho help of THE BEE,
which commended him without stint,
he was elected.
That turned his head completely.
His conceit and insolence knew no
bounds He became Extensively arro-
giant On the special train that carried
the Omaha delegation to the national
capital he quarreleu with everybody
| and made himself unbearable. At
Washington he gave Omaha II very un-
| enviable reputation. Great Scott in
sisted upon monopolizing the entire
| time allotted to Omaha for the presen-
tation speech when every other city had
| three or four of tho ablest orators of
| their respective states, and was only
| time after several disgraceful scenes at
| the Arlington hotel.
His speech before the committee was
| viciously abusive and lost Omaha several
| votes that would have been cast for her
| but for Scotts TRADE. He was lampooned
and denounced by the leading papers of
| the country for his want Of courtesy and
| outrageous insolence.
But the most discourteous exhibition
| of concoit was Scott's conduct at the
| White house. The Omaha delegation
had called to pay their respects to Pres
ident Harrison. 1t was ushered into
the reception chamber, while the pres
ident was holding conference in an
adjoining room. Great Scott pompously
seated himself in the presidents chair
and remained seated after the president
had entered. Senator Saunders intro
duced tho delegation to the president.
Scott did not rise from his seat, while
every body, including the president,
remained standing Very naturally the
president WAS nettled and turned his
back on Scott while talking to the dele
| CATION, Scott remained motionless in
tho presidents chair during the entire
interview, and when the delegation
passed out of tho room the president
ignored Scott'sf apresence and Scott
finally picked up his hat and sauntered
out after the delegation, manifesting the
most irritable temper because the presi-
dent had Ignored him-Great Scott.
Ever since theao Scott has been plot
ting to get even with Harrison. He
kept his own counsel up to within four
or five days and en- he suddenly dis