Omaha daily bee., 1896-06-19
FOUGHT BY THE BEE
Important Victories Won During a Quarter
Of a Century.
ALWAYS on THE SIDE OF THE PEOPLE
Review of the Great Political battles
ana Contests in Which This PAPER
Has Participated as mn Active
nnd Aggressive Factor.

taken an active part in every contest and
question affecting the material growth Of
city, state and nation. 1t has espoused the
cause Of the weak against the strong, op-
posed every species Of monopoly and cham
pioned every movement calculated to adj
vance the material prosperity Of Nebraska
land the great west. II has fought the
battles Of the toiler and producer against
corporate power, and scored victories when
the odds seemed overwhelming. Corruption
in public place was exposed and driven
from power. Abuses wherever they existed
were fearlessly denounced.
BoARD OF EDUCATION FIGHT.
The first contest in which The Bee was
an active and decisive factor was the rati-
fcation Of the Law framed and championed
by Edward Rosewater and enacted by the
legislature in 1871. organizing the Board Of
Education for the city Of Omaha and sbol-
ishing the Board of Regents, which then
had charge Of the High school. This law
made all public schools free and placed
them In charge Of the Board Of Education.
The board was to consist Of twelve mem
bers, two from each ward, to serve without
pay. A lively contest resulted. The Board
OF Regents, supported by the Omaha Re-
publican, attempted TO defeat the law,
while The Bee alone championed the
change calculated to LAY the foundation
of an educational system which cannot
fail to exercise the most potential inhu-
ence on the future prosperity Of the city.
The election took place Wednesday, July
l9, 1871, and resulted in a rousing victory
for The Bee. Speaking of the result The
Bee said: "out Of 1,o49 votes polled at the
special election yesterday, 10l represents
the potential influence of the leading repub-
licsn organ of the state, and a number OF
so-called leaders of public opinion. 1t
must certainly be extremely gratifying TO
this grand combination against educational
reform that The Bee is enabled to Judge
with mathematical precision the exact
force they exert in any desired direc-
ton"
The adoption Of this law was the founda-
ton of the present Board Of Education, and
the success of the system since then strik-
ingly verifes the prediction made by The
Bee.
FIGHT o THE CONSTITUTION.
The first constitutional convention. which
assembled in Lincoln June I. 1871, submitted
the result Of its labors TO the people late IN
August. Five separate articles were IN
cluded, the principal ones being woman
y suffrage, prohibition and church taxation.
The Bee approved the body of the document
: and fearlessly advocated its adoption, whlie
urging the defeat OF the separate PROPOSE
tiOns. The provision OF the constitution re-
ducing the number Of ofice-holders reused
the wrath of the spoilsmen and railroad SUP,
IidiZers, who were encouraged ana appiduueu
by the Herald, Tribune and Repubiicsn,
which at the same time damned it with faint
praise. The anti-sufragists and anti-pro,
hibitionists joined with them in a genera
assault on the whole ocument Religious
denominations attacked the provision taxing
all property exceeding $1,000 in value, ano
every pulpit was turned into an opposition
stump. These elements controlling the elec'
ton machinery OF the state, openly boasteut
weeks in advance of the election, tnat the
constitution would be defeated by at least
/ 900 majority. Developments after the cleo
ton proved that they had deliberately or
panized and successfully carried out a plar
to set aside the verdict of the people Inc
schemers withheld the returns from western
counties in the Omaha postomce, cnahse'
the figures. and thus brought about the de
feat OF the constitution by a fraction over
thousand votes. This outrage on the oaiio
was confessed later by one oil the leaaers
Had the registered will Of the voters peel
+ fairly and honestly counted, 1t would nav
I shown a strong majority for the constructor
and spared the state the expense and aus
traction of a second contest four years later
OPPOSES H FEDERAL
The steady growth and spreading inhu'
ence of The Bee not only alarmed tht
owners of political organs IN the CITY pu,
filled them with ill-concealed wrath. Inc
Republican was then the organ OF a com
pact federal ring, which had control OF pup
lie land surveys and a vast amount oil pat
ronage. Smarting under the exposures o.
The Bee, the mercenaries sought to CRUST
Its power by the most INSCRIPTIONS means
Anonymous sheets filled with scurriioui
assaults and personal abuse of the editor
were issued from the Republican once ahC
scattered daily through the city. Instead
Of injuring The Bee. they recruited support
,rs from all classes and advertised II as th'
zoe of venality in official life.
The postmaster and deputy postmaster
being stockholders in the Tribune and Re
publican endeavored to suppress The Be-
by postal discrimination During the WIN
Ter of '71-2, they began a systematic ralc
On the paper by delaying and sometimes re
fusing to deliver its mail and by annoylhs
and bulldozing outside sn6scrloers' Oom
pleints of non-deliyery Of the paper by post
masters became so numerous that The Bee
charged the p~ostofice officials with conspir
Ing to violate the postal laws ana aeiioer
ately destroying the papers delivered at TN
Omaha Office. The exposure reused th'
wrath Of the federal iunta, and the edito
was threatened with severe bodily pain IN
less he relented and repented. Threats Oh
moi brighten him nor change the policy o
the paper, and a new tack was taken. me!
concocted a yarn that he had violated IN
postal laws and endeavored TO have MIN IN
dicted by the federal grand jury, but IN
scheme failed. The Bee continued the hgh
Vigorously. while the federal ring improves
every opportunity 10 insult the editor ana IN
lure his business. Rival papers as usua
spplauded their efforts and encouraged then
with fulsome praise.
on the 18th OF December, while Mr.. Rose
ave VIC . a@ "@f
he was assaulted by the money order clerk
c. c. Sperry. who pretended to be mortall!
offended at a paragraph referring 70 gam
bling, which appeared in The Bee. u
reality. he was melted 10 commit the out
rage and was commended and supported 10
his rowdyism. Sperry and the deputy post
master were arrested and taken befor
Police Judge Porter. Sperry was fined 81
snd costs. and the deputy IS and costs,
During the month of February The BE
unearthed the theft OF mail bags which re
quilted in the indictment Of Postmaster Grill
Zen by the grand jury. lie pleaded guilt
TO the charge on May 81, was fined 800 an
y costs and retired from Office.
THE RUMP LEGISLATURE.
The Impeachment of Governor Butler b
the Legislature in 1871 elevated William II
James TO the goyernorship, and made lsaa
S. Hascall president Of the state senate mex
In the order OF succession. James was
veritable fence for the jobhers and corporal
schemer He was habitually dissipatec
and his orgies at the capital became a pun
lie scandal and gave James the utie OF IN
'Inebriate governor" State affairs wen
from bad 10 worse, The Bee exposed an