Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-21
sNAr SHOTS AT TUE nrropMnps


Rcd Cloud Argus: The professional spoils-
! man Is In tho saddle, while the weak and
lowly patriot who organized the great re-
form party pods along empty handed. King
! caucus rules the roost even after the man
nor Of the very wicked two old parties"
! o'Nenl Frontier; Now that tho popullsts
| have cleaned the state house pie counter OF
| every available crumb, It will be In order for
! them TO show up some tangible reform
work tor the benefit OF their constituents
besides drawing their salaries,
! Grand Island Independent; \ comparison
| OF the roll call OF the employees around tho
| state legislative halls will convince the most
! hopeiul that the pretense OF popullst fusion
| list reform in reducing the number OF clerks
and the other eupernumcrarics is all a
| mockcry and sham,
Cedar Blufs Standards The founders OF
| the old alliance or independent party can
hardly recognize their offspring In the pres
| ont fusion organization, dominated, as it is
| by lawyers professional politicians and place
! hunters. 1t seems to be merely race for
spoils, Under this competitive dog eat dog
| system, what better can be expected?
Hastings Mirror: Slate-making was Just
as bad in Lincoln last week as II the legisla-
ture was composed of republicans. There
is about as much human nature in the COM
position OF body OF fusonists as there
would b. in the same number of men be-
longing to a regular party, All fusionists
are not angels.
Schuyler Herald In tho matter Of em-
ployes the members OF the Nebraska legis-
lature have thrown economy behind them
| The people had right to expect different
| action at their hands Two years ago when
! republican legislature had the same num-
| Der of employees the party in power was
| charged with extravaganza, and properly, too
by both democrats and populists, The state
could i'll afford the extra expense then and
certainly cannot now. To say the least a
very poor beginning has been made by what
we had right to expect would be a reform
legislature.
Clarks Leader: This legislature is sup
posed to be one of reform and retrenchment.
1t was elected on that expectation, and there
are ample opportunities for It to live up TO
these expectations. But so far there is very
little indication that 1t will. A bad start
has been made. Every uncalled for and use
less expense in the organization OF former
legislatures is retained in this, from
half dozen needless clerkships down to tho
custodian of the cloak room and the closet.
True reform and retrenchment like charity,
begins at home, and there Is where the leg
islature should have begun, or else stayed
at home
Grand Island Independent The present
Nebraska legislature seems to be in the
hands of the caucus" fends. Everything
is done by caucus of the leaders. And
now It is proposed that a caucus of self
gether and pass judgment on all bills to be
presented to the house-and without the
sanction of said committee, the bill don't
CO. Such proposition Is most always
loaded, and the oreeching will blow clear
out before the session is fairly started, II
conducted on such a basis. Every county
has sent a member two to help make
laws, and they expect them to do 1t.
Battle Creek Enterprise: The populists
are after all not so very different from other
people. At the opening Of the legislature
they added two new employees to the list and
didn't drop off any. One would suppose
from their doctrines that they expected to
show the republicans a thing or two about
cutting down expenses by dropping on un-
necessary employees, but they changed their
tune when the time came for putting their
reform ideas into operation. More hang
ers-on are feeding at the state house pie
counter now than there ever was when tho
republicans were in power, and the end Ia
not yet
Stanton Pickett: No party ever had bet
ter chance to reform state than the popu-
lists have had to reform Nebraska. They
now possess the land and the fullness
thereof. Everything in sight except the su-
preme court has passed into their hands, and
they are now to engage in grand CONSOLE
dated effort to steal that of justice. VIII
they do anything toward reform? That's the
question. The legislature made start In
that direction by spending a whole week
jangling over who should receive the ap-
pointments to few petty helpers positions.
That's about the kind of reform the people
may expect
Fullerton News: The Nebraska legislature
convened in session on Tuesday. There are
many opportunities offered this body to ef-
feet genuine reforms but whether they will
be grasped is another question. One of tho
first matters that ought to receive attention
is the economical expenditure OF the public
funds. The combined elements opposed TO
the dominant party in Nebraska have time
and again charged the republicans with ex-
travagance in expenditures and promised re-