Omaha daily bee., 1899-10-29

not testify, but | state these facts here for
the first time, and want you to note it.
can testify to the time and can prove 1t,
because my son as we'll as myself had each
| conversations with BARLEY before Hocomb
was inaugurated. | can prove that l in
formed several bankers OF omaha that Bart
ley was detaulter and there was no ques
| tion about 1t.
An Infamous Job.
Now there we have the re-
form governor at the very first stage. In
speech that he made only a few days ago
he called attention to his economical
administration, and we also have
the populist handbook which points
| out the bad administration of
the republicans preceding him and the
$4,000 cell house steal which was the
primary cause of the impeachment of three
or four state officers, but, by the way, they
we're impeached by republicans as well as
democrats in the legislature Then we are
told that a bill was introduced to take the
| penitentiary out OF the hands of the con-
tractor, and that 1t appropriated $500 for
a settlement with the contractor and that
the governor had signed that bill as mat
ter of good government
| When the bill was pending I went to the
governor personally and asked him not to
| SlBH IL anu Stateu 10 MIN tDat as BOOu n man
as Judge Maxwell, who certainly ought to be
| good authority for the populists and demo-
crats-as good a man as Judge Maxwell had
declared that inasmuch as Mosher, the con-
tractor for the penitentiary, was himself in
the penitentiary at Sioux Falls and Bill
Dorgan, the man he had left in charge, was
not recognized as contractor. the state had
a right to take possession and throw Mr..
Dorgan out Of the institution and let him
| collect II he could any claims he had
| against the state. But the governor did not
do that. Although it was the last night Of
the session and that bill had been rail-
roaded through and everybody around the
capital knew that II was done by crooked
| work, yet the governor, in spite of the pro-
test that / made, signed it, when he could
and should have killed it.
Under this bill the governor was
authorized to appoint an appraiser
and referee. He appointed as referee
your fellow citizen, Mr.. Gafin. The
two appraisers and Mr.. Gaffin went down
to the penitentiary to examine and ap-
praise this property. I do not believe
that Mr.. Gaffin or any one OF these men
spent over say half day, at the work and
each of them was awarded $500 by the gov
ernor for his services. What did they do?
The materials turned over by Dorgan con-
eisted chiefly OF lot of scrap iron in the
shape OF worthless used up boilers and ma
chinery OF all kinds, two pairs Of old mules
, that had seen service for a great many
, years and would have turned up their heels
almost any day. and some old wagons: al
though that property altogether could no
, possibly have been worth $4,000, it was ap
praised at something like $4,000, and the
whole 5000 was used up between the ap
praisers and Mr.. Dorgan. Will anybod,
dare contend that that was an honest trans
action and that the governor did his dut,
I when he countenanced that Infamous Job
} It was a betrayal of public trust to sign tn
r bill and an iniquitous steal to allow $500
, for less than IS 900 worth OF trumpery. IT.
say the least. this penitentlary deal stampe
Mr. Holcomb as very untrustworth
e executive. Yet the reformers boast that h
, has taken the penitentiary out Of the hand
! OF the contractors and put 1t into the hand
I of the state AS matter of fact not onl
myself but many republicans have advo
r Gated and did for years advocate that tn
y penitentiary should be taken out of tn
g hands Of contractors.
= A Sample of Reform.
In his campaign speeches Governor Hol
. comb points with pride at the marked re
duction in the expenses of the various insti
~ tutions, in all OF which he claims the run
ming expenses were reduced. But how wer
q these expenses reduced?
AS matter OF fact we know that abou
- 1895 and 1896 prices were away down. Pro
v visions, clothing, shoes, every material /
h use in these institutions had gone down /
: price and consequently 1t was easier to bu
them cheaper than 1t was previously whe
v prices were up.
a I will admit that there has been econ
q omy effected in some of the institutions br
how did the governor treat one of the mos
10 important institutions, the institute for tn
d deaf and dumb that ie located in Omaha
When he decided to make change in ths
institution it was his duty then to appoir
as superintendent a man who was quali6e
= for the work and who understood how
- deal with these unfortunates, the deaf an
- dumb. Instead OF that he picked up a ma
:, who did not know anything of the deaf an
=. dumb language, who had never been IL
. side of deaf and dumb institute and ha
- no capacity whatever for either impartin
II instruction or supervising the institution
10 The result IS that the institution has gor
70 down and down until mcst OF the competel
a. teachers are out and considerable numbt
7 of the pupils are compelled to go to inst
ot tutions in other states II they want to hay
" a proper education. That is what they ca
,e commendable management Of the state II
" stitutlons
ne But we have another thing;
a have the governors conduct in regard
lie the Omaha police commission. The COVE
Id nor now asks you to vote for him for Il
t. highest position In the judiciary. AS go'
m ernor he only had one judicial function. Vi
Of der the act OF the legislature authorizir
ed the governor to appoint members Of Il
w police board he was made the Judge as
ed their misconduct in case charges were pr
w ferred. Charges were preferred the fir
It's time against one OF the members OF Il
or Omaha police board; they were charges al
ed specifications so clear that there could n
n be contradiction He took those charg
at and put them in a pigeon hole and new
y paid the slightest attention to them.
od Afraid to Hear the Charges.
The second time charges were PREFER
against the whole board and those charg
p were very grave. They showed that the boa
had violated the law in many particular
10 had connved with the criminal classes hi
y held up gamblers and all classes of peop
'h who were law-breakers and criminals, al
40 what did he do? He said he did not ha
o. time to investigate this matter. but he a
hu pointed referee. referee was sent up