Omaha daily bee., 1897-03-22

AN TOR,


The career of William j. Broatch as
mayor of Omaha during the term for
which he was elected in 1887 was so
VIGOROUSLY lawleSs that in spite of his
desperate efforts and the use of the
double patronage of mayor and Missouri
river commissioner he was repudiated
by his party and defeated for renomina-
ton. His last act us mayor was the
approval of a resolution directing the
city attorney to confess Judgment on a
disputed gas claim for we $40, 900.
which the present city attorney and the
gas Inspector pronounced excessive and
fraudulent. His nomination and cleo
ton as mayor two years ago did not
voice the sentiment of the rank and file
of the republican party, but was brought
about by the lawleSs use of the power
exercised by him as police commissioner
and the influence of franchised corpora
tons and Doodle.
In his inaugural message fifteen
months ago William J.. Broatch prom
Used the taxpayers an economic bust
ness administration But the leopard
cannot change his spots, though they
may be painted with Il brush. The very
first acts of Mayor Broatch We're an ex-
hibition of reckless law defiance. The
charter expressly requires the mayors
appointee for boiler inspector to be an
experienced stationary engineer or
boiler maker. In open disregard of this
provision Mayor Broatch appointed as
boiler inspector a man whom he knew
to be disqualified under the charter and
this man has been kept in a position for
which he has no capacity and which he
has no right to fill.
The charter requires the mayor to APP
point Il city electrician, but Mayor
Broatch has defiantly ignored the law in
order to hold Il club over the head of
the present incumbent.
The law requires the mayor to APP
point II member of the Board of Public
Works each July. Mayor BrOatch
named John 7. Clarke, Il man whom
he knew the council would not con-
firm, and has refused to comply with
the law by sending in another name.
BY this action or %non-action he has con-
tinued in office james II. WinSpear, n
man whom William j. Broatch pub
licly denounced as a corrupt official.
against whom he intended to institute
Impeachment proceedings. Not only
has he continued this man in office, but
he has also approved his salary warrants
from month to month, although he has
said that his term had expired under
the charter on July /, 1896.
The charter prohibits the mayor and
council from increasing or diminishing
the salary of any city officer or employee
during the term for which he is APP
pointed. In defiance of the law Mayor
Broatch has sanctioned the increase of
the salaries of several city employees
and notably that of his own private
secretary.
The law does not empower the mayor
to grant licenses or permits. Yet the
mayor has repeatedly violated the law
by granting for political purposes free
peddlers' permits to parties who have
ample means to pay the prescribed fee.
The same disregard of law was shown
by Mayor Broatch when he permitted
the city engineer, who, while drawing IA
salary Of $1,000 from the city, was also
receiving II salary Of $1,000 as secretary
OF the State Board of Irrigation at Lin
coin, to import n substitute from In
dianapolis ard have him paid out of the
city treasury at $50 II month, and that
after the council had refused to concur
in his appointment, as required by law.
These are only n few of the many
outlaw acts Of William ]. Broatch since
his re-entTance into the mayors Office in
1896. Can republicans afford to re-
nominate IL man with such II record and
risk the defeat of their entire city ticket
in order to crafty the insatiate amDi-
ton of II man who by his misconduct
has forfeited all claim upon the re-
publican party?