Omaha daily bee., 1898-09-30
WEBSTER ASAPARTYPATRIOT
His False Claims Completely DiSproved by
the Records.
DRAWS BIG DIVIDENDS ON PARTY DEVOTION
No Truth in the Assertion of John L..
Webster that He Has Served Re-
publicnnism without Honor
or EmoIument.

LINCOLN, Sept. 29.-(Special.) I'm his
speech before the last meeting OF the county
central committee at Omaha John l.. Web
ster Is reported as having said II have
devoted twenty-five years to work for the
republican party without honor or emolu-
ment and have asked nothing OF the party
to the present time"
The same idea has been assiduously
spread by Mr.. Webster in every possible
way In the self-laudatory biography which
the John l.. Webster literary bureau has been
circulating through the medium OF subsi-
died republican papers. Mr.. Webster has
this to say OF himself
"As years pass we find Mr.. Webster occu-
pying position OF some prominence as his
ability is recognized by election to the leg
islature in 1873. and two years later by
election as member OF the constitutional
convention. Of which body he had the honor
to be chosen president. From this intro
duction into the political arena, the repub-
lican party OF the state of Nebraska has
found In Mr.. Webster an ardent and untir
Ing worker, enthusiastically identified with
the interests Of the party In every cam
paign, and gives his time and substance to
the cause, yet withal, never an officeseeker
or an officeholder, while laboring early and
late for the success of the party ticket"
These repeated boasts OF self sacrificing
devotion to the party without return of any
kind naturally lead to the question whether
or not they are true Investigation into the
records will show that John L. Webster,
ever since he entered upon his active career,
has been a constant seeker after office, has
held Office at the hands of the republican
rarty on numerous occasions and has been
paid literally for whatever service he has
rendered the marty.
Where He Started.
lie has referred to the fact that he first
entered politics in 1873 as a member of the
state legislature. Mr.. Webster's name is
to be found on the pay rolls of the legis-
lature, drawing the same stipend and mile
age as every other member of the legisla-
ture. His service in connection with the
constitutional convention of 1876 was re-
warded with the remuneration of s6 a day
for every day that the convention was in
session.
Hardly had the new constitution been
adopted when John L. Webster emerged as
a candidate for congressional honors before
the convention held in this city in 1876, and,
although he did not secure the coveted prize,
he was none the less an officeseeker. From
time to time he came up for various honors
at the hands Of the party and upon the
election of William ]. Broatch to be mayor
of Omaha for his first term, Mr.. Webster
was appointed city attorney and drew the
usual emolument of $4,000 per year. 1t was
while he was city attorney that the term
OF tho mayor was heightened by Legislative
enactment, and the term OF the city at
torney heightened at the same time, so that
he held this Office for two years and half
and drew the salary for that period, to say
nall. To-, - 1tL ,s..t - ~
Again in 1888 Mr.. Webster became an
oflceseeker and contested with w. j. Con-
nell for the delegation from Douglas county
to the convention which was to put in
nomination a candidate for congress in this
district, and again he failed 10 make the
nomination.
III 1891 Mr.. Webster projected himself
into the Boyd-Thayer governorshp contest,
and, although he pretended to be acting
solely for the good Of the republican party,
he has openly justified his action by saying
that he was paid for his services in that
case. The same Is true with respect to the
defense of the impeached state officials, in
which Mr.. Webster engaged in 1898, and
repeated claims have been presented to the
legislature to reimburse the impeached Of
ncials with the money which they paid out
for attorneys fees.
Paid Him Very Well.
Mr. Websters most remunerative service
to the republican party, however, arose out
OF his connection with the maximum freight
rate case. 1t will be renRmbered that by
some unknown influence he got the attorney
general TO call him into the case, although
the law vested solely In the governor the
right to call upon special counsel to assist
In suits brought against the state. and the
retaining Of Webster was over the protest
OF Governor Crounse. For his services in
defending the maximum rate cases in the
United States courts John l.. Webster drew
out OF the state treasury $4,000.
So far as honors are concerned, the polit-
ical history of Nebraska shows that John
l.. Webster has been honored beyond his
deserts Twice he has been sent to ma
tional conventions on the Nebraska dele
CATION, not to mention honors as well as
emoluments in the legislature and in the
constitutional convention and special re-
tainers as legal adviser. Nor should men
tion be omitted of his various efforts to
have himself appointed Judge OF the fed
eral circuit court and even the United
States supreme court and his recent efforts
to secure the position of attorney general
under President Mckinley.
The facts In the case, therefore, are that
Mr. Webster's statement that he has never
been an oficeseeker or an officeholder
since the present constitution went into
effect is not only misleading but false.
A careful computation OF the money
which Mr.. Webster has drawn out of the
public treasury by favor of the republican
party will also show that instead Of serving
the party without honor or emolument he
has never done anything for the party ex-
cept in the expectation of profit and he has
been made richer in pocket bv at least
s2O,O 900.
Thus is established the insincerity Of his
claims of twenty-five years OF self-sacri-
hcing devotion to the good OF the party.
WclTnDC' AlnuT AT TUE n I'D