Omaha daily bee., 1898-05-30
mrx Politics AND PATRIOTISM

Tckamah Herald Governor Hoicomb's dis
tribution Of military commissions Is In keep
ing with his appointments OF nor. partisan
boards contemplated by statute. They are
composed Of men who will sing the same
political song and vote the same ticket.
Harrington Herald Governor Holcomb has
given W. ]. Bryan permission TO raise a reg
iment over which he is to be colonel Bryan
knows Just about as much about practical
war as he does about practical finance. The
governor Is distinguishing himself I'm his
ability TO find commissions for his political
patrons and pets.
Leigh World: IL Is TO be regretted that
the brave Nebraska troops had to be used
by designing demaEogucs to further n pop.
ulist governors political schemes and the
boys are to be commended for not allowing
strife to arise at such n time over party
animosities. II appears that Governor
Holcomb's unjust discrimination will prove
a stigma on his party.
IIoldregc citizen Governor Holcomb ar.
CUES that people who %crlticisc him because
OF some OF his appointments in the selection
OF officers for the state troops arc not pa
triotic. Many would feel that the governor
was more entitled to talk about patriotism
II they could be convinced that the governor
was influenced by a desire TO promote the
efficiency OF the troops by the appointments
he has made.
Kearney Hub: The Nebraska National
Guard as II will be when recognized or
reconstructed by Governor Holcomb will
be worth going miles to see. The men
chosen for the head Of the new reg
iments are almost without exception popo-
cratic politicians and no respect whatever IL
being paid TO merit or fitness. The Hub docs
not make mention of the matter by way Of
complaint. for IL does not care n rap. but
merely to keep the record straight as IL goes
along.
Wood River interests: Governor Holcomb
has had a good many republicans who have
looked with friendliness upon him as an
executive, but his conduct as n war gov
ernor in mixing UP politics with the soldier
boys is bringing down upon his head the
wrath OF every man who believes that pol
tiles should emphatioally be lost sight OF
with the soldier boys. We want no pop
regiments. no republican regiments. but
plain soldiers to strengthen Uncle Sans
right arm and uphold the dignity and the
glory of the stars and stripes.
North Platte Tribune: Now that w. j..
Bryan has secured a commission as colonel
of the proposed Third regiment of Nebraska
volunteers and that he and Governor Hol-
comb will virtually appoint all officers above
corporal, let neither of them forget that
North Platte has several jobless populists
who have done nothing but talk reform"
for six years past while their wives have
taken in washing to support the families.
A man who will lounge on the street cor
ners while his wife slaves over the wash
hoard ,nuhl tn ,nnl, a unnJ i1un11inr -
Allen News: To appoint a man colonel
who has not even ever thumbed the touch
hole of a cannon takes considerable nerve,
but not half so much for the man named to
accept of the position and then have every
tin can editor of his party point with pride
to him and yell, See how brave and loyal!
Bryan may not be a demagogue or a grand
stand player, but 1t would have created more
enthusiasm for him among the dear COM
mon people, IL he had enlisted MS n private
at the first call for volunteers and worked
his way up and earned his title of colonel,
the same as other great men; but then Col
oncl Bryan sounds big and the pay OF a
colonel is larger than that of a private.
Edgar Post: Holcomb promised the young
men who organized the heavy artillery reg
iment that should there be another call they
would be the first ordered out. Colonel Dud-
ley who was to command the regiment Is
an experienced military man. whose educa-
ton and training would soon bring the or
ganization up to n high state of efficiency.
Besides this the captains and 1ieutenants
have all had training in the university ca
diets and are specially fitted to supplement
the efforts of Colonel Dudley. But Bryan
came along with a little political balloon
that needed blowing up and Holcomb was
the only man who had the gas TO do IL. The
result is that politics are to the fore while
the boys of the artillery regiment are being
elbowed toward the back seats. What ex-
cuse has Governor Holcomb to offer for such
conduct? 1t would be unbecoming in n
ward politician.
Schuyler Quill: Governor Holcomb
has certainly shown very poor judg-
ment in his late official acts as
to the militia. To begin with, he forced the
militia boys to go to Lincoln and cncamp
while waiting for orders from the nation, in
stead of having them go to Omaha and go
to the old barracks at Fort Omaha, where
they would have had the best of quarters.
AS it was, they were forced to go to Lincoln
and camp out on the old state fair grounds
and live in tents during the rainy weather,
He has dipped into the militia In n political
way also not to his credit. For instance.
when there was a second lieutenant rejected
for physical disabilities in the Norfolk COM
pany, instead OF having the company's ON
GERS advanced in the regular way or allowing
the company to select its own second lieu
tenant, he goes out of the company entirely
and appoints Henry Allen OF Madison, n
son of United States Senator Allen, who is
n private OF another company, To that lieu
tenany vacancy. He did this be-
cause Allen wanted his son made
a lieutenant. The Norfolk company
protested and the people OF Norfolk
held an indignation meeting and then Allen
sent word to HIS son to resign, which the
governor tried to block, His latest political
move is to appoint w, ], Bryan as colonel OF
the proposed Third regiment when Bryan h
In no way htted for II by experience or
training. The fact Is that Holeomb Is In
dulging in too much political soheming In a