Omaha daily bee., 1897-05-16
OMAHA HAD EARNEST FRIENDS
Review of the Campaign for the 1ndiar
Supply Depot
OPPOSITION OVERCOME BY HARD WORK
Combination of Iowa, Illinois and New
York Defeated by Persistent
Enort of senator Allen and
Congressman Mercer.

ETort of senator Allen and
Congressman Mercer.
WASHINGTON. May 15.-(spcciai)-On
April 10 Senator Allen offered an amendment
to the Indian appropriation bill providing
that the secretary Of the interior should
within sixty days after the passage Of the
act establish in Omaha a warehouse for In
dian supplies. from which distribution
should be made to the Indian tribes Of the
west and northwest, This amendment had
been previously presented to the committee
on Indian affairs and, as the senator said on
Offering It. 1t was acceptable to Senator Pet
tgrcw lin charge OF the bilD. Hardly had
the amendment been read for the benefit Of
tho senate when Senator Gear Of Iowa OBJ
jected to It's adoption, demanding that SIOUX
city be- substituted for Omaha. This action
precipitated a running debate between Sena-
tors Gear and Allen, Senator Carter also
taking hand in an endeavor to have St
Paul made the base for q warehouse such as
has been contemplated by the people oil
Omaha for a great many years. Senator
Gear reviewed at length the advantages
presented by Sioux City over Omaha, assert
ing among other things that it was near o
larger body of Indians than Omaha ana that
its railroad facilities were considerably su.
periur to any towns In the west OUTSIDE OIL
Chicago All OF this was strongly comDateu
by Senator Allen, who took up the rallroau
facilities Of Omaha in contrast with those
OF Sioux city and showing geographlcaliy
that Omaha was the natural distributing
center for that great country lying west Vi
the Missouri.
This was the beginning Of as stubborn O
40 "A
town to secure legislation for the establish
ment of governmental institution. ihe
speech Of Senator Gear sounded the keyhoI'
for tho opposition and New York, Chlcago
st Louis Sioux City and Denver united IL
an effort to defeat the measure. One on wv Nv,
minor amendments were made to the Alei
omendmrut in the senate and on a vote
being taken it became part OF the Ahuiai
appropriation bill.
HOUSE REFUSES TO CONCUR.
rrom that moment a strongly entrenche'
onnosition began an attack upon Omana AM
when the bill came up in the mousse an SUI l
of substitutes for Omaha we're ohered py @ @ioca
representatives of the towns seeking 10 nay
tho Indian supply depot at their points, anu
u,as ,his parliamentary way of killing legs
lation that gave omaha its first setback Il
the house. ,, -
Mr. Sherman. chairman of the Indian com
mittee of the house, was perslstehtly actly
In refusing to concur III lilt StIt''S ai'iN
ON the supply depot and he was assisted L
his activity by Judge Sayers Of Texas, Bailey
Belknap MCGUIRE Lacey, DollVer, Shaltot
and Barthod Mercer endeavored to stet
the rising tide by answering the Variou
speeches made against the amendment, bu
he was alone and the attempt proved tutlie
After the house refused to concur In IN
senate amendment the subject was referred
a conference committee made up from IN
two houses OF congress- and upon TINS com
ti,n off nf
directed to secure reversal OF the house or
der The senate conferees, Pettigrew an
CockrelI, Senator Teller being absent, wer
in favor of the amendment. sherman, a
chairman Of the Indian affairs committee
with Curtis of Kansas and Allen OF Missis
slppi as his associates on the conference CON
mittee, began a systematic juggling with tn
amendment, and in the light of later events
1t is understood his opposition was direct
traceable to the large canning interests OF tn
east who seeing in the growing young In
dustries of the west possible rivals for tn
distribution of these goods strongly oppose
the measure. About this time came wor
to certain western representatives that Gea
had indicated in a letter to friend in Cour
ell Bluffs that his opposition to Omaha wa
due to a misapprehension Of the import c
the removal of the warehouse from Chicago
Omaha. 1t was understood that he ais
stated that he was not opposed to Omaha an
would not be found perncously against tn
Gate City. But Gear continued his attaC
upon Omaha. He publicly eXorted Curt
of Kansas to vote against the amendment
conference, and openly lobbied on the foc
of the senate, eastern as well as wester
representatives, against the senate amend
ment. -
GEAR ENPLAlNS HIS COURSE
Asked for an explanation as to his cOur!
on the Indian warehouse at Omaha, Senate
Gear said: 81 will not be found supportin
legislation Championed by Senator Allen.
look upon the whole matter as trap set
Mr.. Allen for the purpose or catching the r.
publican party. He has stood on the iot
of the senate and openly charged the repui
lican party with extravaganza, and do M
propose to be fooled by voting money out {