Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-14
PATRIOTS FOR REVENUE ONLY
No Money for Republican Campaign, but
Plenty for Knitting Brigade,
WtBSTERS UNStlFlsH PARTlSANSHlP
sidcIights on Few of the other
shining Lights md Financial
Backcrs of the Un-
Patriotic League.


ance?" exclaimed a member OF the repub-
lican county committee.
What caps the climax of assurance?"
"Why that subscription list started by
the members of the un- Patriotic league Sat-
urday night, with the ostensibe purpose Of
establishing a permanent organization as
central republican club in regular quarters
This same crowd has formed central clubs
galore in the last few years, always with
the same purpose in view, and always ending
in smoke. They have always taken UP a col
lection and pretended to charge dues, but
only few suckers have paid, and when the
money once got into the hands Of the treas
urer 1t was either absorbed or planted. but
never used in any way to help the repub-
lican ticket or republican candidates.
"Just go over the list. Do you remember
the old Alexander Hamilton club? Some
body who acted as treasurer has some of its
funds yet. The same is true of the Union
League club. the John l.. Webster club and
others. The latest before the un-Patriotic
league was the U. S. Grant club. The Grant
club was lavish in entertaining newspaper
editors from out in the state with money
collected by special subscription from people
who were afterward charged 50 plate In
addition to their IS or $40 contributions
Later it blossomed out with reception to
members-elect of the last legislature which
1t tried to turn into a love feast for John l..
Webster, to the disgust of the guests who
accepted invitations. Its principal work.
however, was to slaughter republican candi-
dates and elect democrat to be county at
torney year ago and turn the control OF
the county court house over to democratic
majority of the county board. With this
record it seems to have outlived its use
fuIness, and so the same gang Of knife
wielders had to get together under an alias
which now happens to be the un-Patrotic
league.
webster's Patriotic Selfshness.
"But to get back to that subscription list.
Just look at it! There is John l.. Web
ster, with munihcent donation OF 500.
Webster prides himself on his great serv-
ices to the party, and as matter of fact
he has usually contributed to campaign
funds each year whenever there was any
one on the ticket belonging to the Webster
gang. This year, when asked for sub
scription to the campaign fund, Mr.. Web
ster replied, Where is this going to help
me-? When it was explained that it was
intended to help the republican party and
promote the election of republican candi-
dates, he said: I would be glad to con-
tribute If l saw any way In which 1t would
help me, but l cannot see it, and do not
see how / can give anything John L.
Webster, therefore. did not contribute one
penny to the republican campaign in Doug
las county, but he has money to burn in
boosting the bolters' club to stimulate it in
the work of knitting republican candidates.
John l.. Kennedy is another patriot ad-
vertised as having given $50 to the league
raJ, oelro Q hp
wished to contribute to the campaign fund,
he pleaded poverty. He said he was max
ing speeches for the ticket out in the state
and paying his own expenses, and s25 was
too much to expect of him, but he would
think it over, and if he felt able to do so
he would give a smaller sum- He was too
poor to help the campaign while it was
going, but $50 is nothing to him after the
ticket has been slaughtered to reward the
men who slaughtered it..
GurIey for Revenue Only.
Then there is Bill Gurley. Gurley is
another patriot who always wants to know
what there Is in it for him first. One of
the first propositions made to the repub-
lican state committee was to employ Cur
ley to make speeches at so much per day
and expenses as the price Of his repub-
licanism. Gurley had money to bet down
Oh the street OIL QeulOCTdllC Dul
not cent of his money was visible to help
the republican ticket. His liberality in
sending word to the league that he could
be counted on for $25 should entitle him to
an illuminated scroll.
'To show the interest of the league in the
success of the republican ticket, it will not
be giving away secrets to say that Of the
whole federal brigade from janitor up to
congressman just one is represented among
the contributions to the county campaign
and that one is Missouri River Commits
sioner Chaffee, who sent check for $50.
If the others contributed anything their
money must have gone to the state commit
tee, but even that is doubtful. If we had
the complete list of subscribers to the un-
patriotic league nearly every one of them
would probably come in the same class of
patriots who had not a cent to help the
ticket, but plenty of money to perpetuate
the assistant fusion OrganiZationn