Omaha daily bee., 1896-07-05
A REMUNERATION
Congressman Meiklejohn Expresses His
Views on MERGERS Candidacy.
HAS BEEN A MOST FAITHFUL SERVANT
Has No Complaint to Make over the
Result of the State Convention
lis Not Himself n Candidate
for denomination.

Hon. George D. Mciklejohu OF Fullerton
y was seen az the Willard hotel last night by
e Bee reporter. He speaks In the highest
terms OF commentator Of the ticket nomi-
nat ] by the republican state convention
last Wednesday. lie would rather have
been nominated for governor himself than
Ito have seen his friend, MacColl, the nom
inee Of the convention. but he has rendered
his services TO the republican state cen
trail committee. and will be found from
now until election giving Mr.. MacColl and
the balance Of the ticket his most loyal
Z support. In his travels over the state In
connection with his own canvass for the
gubeTnatorial office. he discovered the ex-
istence of conditions which Justify him in
predicting very bitter disappointment for
those who prophesy anything but success
Tor the republican party in this state this
year.
Mr.. Meiklejohn was not inclined to talk
much about himself. He said. II noted
what you stated in your columns yesterday
relative to my denomination for congress.
You may say that / am not a candidate for
denomination, and when | announced that
] would be a candidate for governor. and
v not a candidate for congress. l meant what
1 said. / shall not stand for denomination,
ana were | to pursue any other course, |
would be an migrate, indeed. to those who
ere candidates., and their supporters who
have earnestly and loyalty supported me
In the past"
He expressed great surprise that there
should be any opposition to the
ton of Congressman Dave Mercer. He
said.
IL have known Mercer a great many
A., years, ard we have been quite intimate dur
z Ing the time that we have been in congress,
having both been elected in the fall of 80.
l know of my own knowledge that there is no
more popular man in the lower house of
congress, among both republicans and demo-
Gratis. than Dave Mercer. Dave is a
hearty, whole-souled. good fellow the hard
est and most diligent worker l ever saw
and he has accomplished a great deal for
his constituents. He has not been given
much to speech-making, and while a great
many others have been writing speeches.
he has been working for his constituents,
securing legislation and looking after mat
tiers in the various departments in which
they have been interested, and in doing a
thousand and one things which devolye
upon a member of the lower house. l
firmly believe, now, that Mr.. Reed has
decided to stand for reelection, that he will
be elected speaker of the next congress.
Mr.. Mercer will be the chairman of the
committee on public buildings on which he
Is now the ranking member. OF course
no new member of. congress could expect
to be honored with the craftsmanship Of as
important a as the committee
CT PUBIC DullulUBS anu lHal ultduS IluCH
to the people of Douglas county. 1t means
the early completion of the Omaha post
office; it means the commencement of the
South Omaha postofiCe building, and Mr..
Mercer can get what probably no new mem
Der of congress could succeed in obtain
ing-an increased appropriation for the
Omaha Exposition.
II know something of the difficulties which
we all had to encounter in securing the
passage of that bill; not that there was
--l 1900 g..A, - 49, Ian ,F,-. NJ.
:. Mercer had succeeded in converting MIR.
Dingley of Maine, the chairman of the
committee on ways and means, who was
originally opposed to an appropriation OF
that magnitude. and held the bill in com
mittee, but when reported. there were
many bills of one kind and another on the
calendar that took precedence of the Ex-
position bill, which could not be passed
out of its order, except by unanimous con
sent, or under suspension Of the rules.
Mr.. Mercer, in view of the interest Of the
people of Omaha in the bill, made 1t his
special business and devoted his entire time
to the measure until he succeeded in get
ting everything else out Of the way. when
Mr.. KEN interposed his famous objection
to granting unanimous consent for its con-
sideration out of its regular order. The
public know the result, and while not
yielding to Mr.. Mercer In my loyalty to
the people OF Nebraska and recognizing the
valuable assistance of the remainder of the
Nebraska delegation, save Mr.. KEN, l am
perfectly willing to go on record as saying
that Mr.. Mercer is entitled to the credit
of securing the passage of that bill through
his recognition by the speaker from per
sonal considerations. With the knowl-
edge gained during my two terms as a mem
Der OF congress, of the manner in which
business is done in the house and depart
ments, and of MERGERS familiarity with 1t
! am quite sure the republicans of Omaha
would commit an act OF supremest political
folly not to renominate Dave Mercer, espe-
cially when an additional appropriation is