Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-10

apprccat, tho compliment you have paid
mo In inviting me to address
you upon tho issues in the
irrcpressibe conflict that confronts us. The
campaign Of 1900 promises 70 be the most
momontous that has ever been fought on
the soil Of Nebraska. The eyes Of the whole
nation Will be riyetcd on Nebraska auX-
iously waiting to learn whether her people
endorse the admuistration of Vim. McKin-
ley, under which this country enjoys the
most unparalleled prosperity in ite history
In political as in military campaigns there
are honorable and dishonorablp modes Of
warfare. In tho coming great battle our
plan OF campaign should he on broad lines
on those lines on which republicans Of the
United states are in the habit Of hghting
their battles, The question that confronts
you is, Are you willing to march TO battle
in serried ranks and grapple with the COM
lucn enemy in tho open, or do you propose
to fight from behind the ambush, with uiTks
in your bootcgs awaiting a chance to way
lay your own comrades in arms? Remem
Der that in all political campaigns those
who arc not with us are against US and
treacheroui friends are moro dangerous
than open enemies. Before we enter the
great campaign OF 1900 we must stamp out
tho treacherous bushwhackers who wage
cowardly warfare under the republican flag.
Tb' disasters that have overtaken the
republican party in the past are chiefly due
ia q lack Of moral stamina on the part of
its leaders and a lack of integrity on the
part Of the men the party has honored with
positions of profit and trust. IN the inn
pending conflict we must place sincere devo-
tion to republican principles ana in0eXible
integrity above patronage and spolis of
Office.
ny TTcnchery i'm the CamU.
In our own county we have but recently
had serious disaster, but one that was not
brought about by the valor superior
strategy of the enemy. 1t was not due to
being overpowered by numbers, but by be-
ing sold out and assassinated in our own
ranks. There is no question about that.
(Applause)
Since that compaign has closed we have
heard great deal about tho unfairness Of
tho primary election as an excuse for the
wholesale desertion from our ranks and the
voting of the fusion ticket. Is there any
foundation for that charge? l presume not
n man in this hall is not familiar with every
stage of the last primary election and the
whole campaign. Every one of you knows
that the howl about primary election frauds
was raised by the popocratic organ to give
ar excuse to the renegades,
There was not a particle of ground for
the charge of fraud or repeating, or impor-
taton OF voters The machine, so-called,
at the outset was in the hands of what is
known as the Webster faction. A year ago
our convention was captured by that fac
tion, not by the free choice of the delegates,
but by downright bribery, and 1 can prove
what l say.
1t is notorious that two-thirds of the del
egates elected TO that convention were
elected in opposition to the faction that took
of e a
matter of notoriety that delegates We're
bought over night and turned with money
and with patronage. One of the delegates was
accused in a paper in foreign language of
receiving $35 for his vote in that convention
and he Indignantly spurned the charge, say
ing he had only received $50. 04aughter)
And that admission was published at the
time.
In the campaign of 1898 John L., Web
ster himself was the head and front of the
county committee. He managed the whole |
campaign, disbursed the money and directed
that wooden man. the chairman, who was
simply figurehead and nothing more.
Neither Mr. Webster nor his followers could |
tguthfuly charge that the machine in con-
ral of the primaries this fafl was manipu-
lated by Mayor Moores myself or any 9TH
ers who are his friends.
How was this years campaign opened? |
Two-thrds of the members of the county |
committee petitioned the chairman to call |
the committee together so as to give ample |
time for the notice of primary election. |
That request was ignored and spurned and |
when the committee attempted to get to- !
hall where the committee was to meet to |
bulldoze members to cause them to remain |
gether. emissarles were sent around to the |
away so as to break the quorum The in
M
ments, but to documents as well that had |
the name Of some national banker at the |
bottom One of the leaders in this attempt |
to break up the meeting was a federal oihce-
holder who lived in your ward
Having succeeded in breaking up this
meeting. the chairman called the commit
teo for two weeks later The committee
responded the apportionment was made;
the places OF voting were selected, the Judges
Of election named. All this was done by
MIR. Webster's friends and if any undue in
huence or pressure was brought upon the
men or the committee to give advantage to
their opponents, it was by the faction that
follows the lead Of Mr.. Webster. This was
particularly true of the Fifth ward
Go ns Far as Thcy Dare.
In this ward the three members of the
committee we're respectfully requested to al
low one out of the five Judges and clerks
OF election to be selected from the opposite
faction. This request was not granted so
that they had the entire five. In other
words. Saunders and his hackers had con-
troll CT the whole primary election ma
chinery in the Firth ward; they had their
own challenger on the ground and were in
position either to receive or reject any vote
tcndered You all know that they exercised
that power as far as they dared go. And yet
trey claimed a foul,
As a matter Of fact. the only ward in
which there was any controversy was right
hoge There was no conflict in the First
ward The delegates elected from that ward
were chosen by two-thirds vote aud no.
b, dy has ever indmated that there was
any improper influence used to get them
elected IN the Second ward there was a
vlry decisive majority for the delegation
that was elected, In the Third ward only
sixteen votes we're east against the deega
lion elected cut of over 900 and those only
fsr two OF the delegates, In the Fourth
ward. The banner republican ward of the
cttv. there were more than 500 votes
east for tie delegation elected as against
2S0 for tho delegation that M, Webster had !
put up
Now, let me show how fair those were who
wero ON the other side Mr. Webster sent ,
word 70 the mayor that he wanted to 50 to !