Omaha daily bee., 1897-03-07
THOMPSON, BELDEN & Co.

another substituted, making the privileges
of the initiative and referendum applicable
to cities only Of the metropolitan class. He
said he was willing that Omaha should saddle
Lancaster county and the city of Lincoln
the people there couldn't afford it. They
had not the money to waste on elections
every time 15 per cent of the voters diff
fered with the members of the common
council. jenkins was of the same opinion.
He said he spoke for the people of his
county. By a close vote Clark's motion
was lost and a division was not called
for. Then Clark moved that the provisions
of the act should not apply to cities hav-
ing population of over $4,000 inhabitants.
He directed attention to the fact that judges
and clerks of election could object to any
ordinance passed by the council, circulate
a petition, secure the names OF Is per cent
of the voters and earn a few dollars in fees
to put in their pockets. 1t was a most
vicious measure. In large Cities. he said,
1t would require so per cent of the collected
taxes to hold elections under the law.
REFUSES TO RISE
Clark of Richardson then moved that when
the committee rose 1t report the bill for in
definite postponement Shull of Nemaha
opposed this. He thought it assumption on
the part OF the gentleman from Richardson
to speak for the people of the whole state.
Clark declared that he had spoken only for
the people of his own county. Shul pointed
out that the initiative and referendum had
been made an issue of the populist cam
paign. Clark replied that he had heard moth
ing OF 1t In his bailiwick.
snyder OF Sherman spoke at considerable
length in favor of the bill. He dwelt upon
the giving away OF franchises in big cities
until Clark of Lancaster asked him to point
out the place in the Lincoln charter which
made II possible for the common council to
give away any franchise. Dobson of Fill
more made savage assault on the measure.
He denounced it as cowardly because 1t did
not include the state as well as municipali-
Ties, He said he was a populist, but not
popullst enough 10 support such a measure.
Then he surprised the whole house by voting
squarely against Clark's motion for in
dehnite postponement. Wooster inveighed
bitterly against the bill. Burkett moved that
the committee rise This was lost Clark of
Lancasters amendment that the bill should
not apply to cities of the first class also
failed. Then the measure was amended pro-
yiding that but one special election should
be held annually unless the parties signing
the petition should deposit sufficient money
10 deLray the expenses of the election, the
money TO be returned to them in case the
proposition was successful at the polls
There was a furry of flibustering and a
manifest disposition on the part of the flu
sionsts to shut of BuTkett from speaking on
the question. He began, however at l2:15
with the evident intention of talking against
time. Sheldon had moved that when the
committee rose 1t recommend the bill for
passage. Burkett said he was willing to
stop talking and allow the committee to
rise and ask leave to sit again. The fu-
sonists laughed at him and told him to go
ahead
Burkett yielded the floor few minutes to
Pollard. The latter said that the sitting
committee had jumped the bill into the hous
the hrst thing this morning, and he, for one
had time TO look 1t up and examine its pro-
visions. Then Sheldon withdrew his motion
and moved that the committee rise and re-
port progress. This prevailed. Burkett had
carried his point and forced a fair discus
sion on Yeiser's bill. Following a long
wrange the house adjourned at 1:1O until
10 a m. Monday.