Omaha daily bee., 1899-10-29

Mother of Secretary Porter, Mrs.
! Free board at Geneva home. i6
J cents per day, three years,..,.,.... .',..'''
Commissioner Wolfes son-in-law, c.
Job at Kearney Industrial school. 1,25O.co
Daughter of Commissioner Wolfe,
/ Mrs. G. ID. Grlffs- . -.
job at Kearney Industrial school. 1850 90
! As you will see by the above statement
| Maude Parker, sister-in- law OF Judge Sulli-
| van. drew from the state tS16.46 For steno-
graphic and clerical work for Judge NJ. b.
Reese warrants amounting to $746 were
drawn.
The Ballot Frauds.
Now have just shown you how nepotism
is pretty generally permeatng the state
house and how these wonderful retormers
are swallowing a camel while straining at
gnat (Laughter) Let us now pass to an
other subject In 1896 twelve constitutional
amendments were submitted to vote OF the
people. One of these amendments was to in
crease the number of judges of the supreme
court from three to Ave. l myself drafted
most Of these amendments and spent three
months at Lincoln and consulted and con-
ferred with eminent jurists. l had the CO.
operation of Governor Holcomb, but for some
reason that l never have been able to fathom
the populists and democrats refused to ratify
these amendments or help to ratify them,
that their candidates for contingent judges
had been elected, they attempted to have at
least the first amendment increasing the
court ratified.
Now the returns from the counties showed
that the amendments were all defeated, the
first as well as the last by decisive majori-
ties; that is, they had not received a ma
jorty of all the votes cast at that election.
Thereupon conspiracy was hatched
and an attempt was made to
count in the first amendment
and for that purpose ballots were tam
pered with, and a commission was ap-
pointed which, according to the testimony
taken at Lincoln and according to the in
formation that we have had from parties
whom we had reason to believe, deliberately
went to work under the sanction of the
leaders Of the populistc party to subvert
the will of the people and count that
| amendment in. The worst scandal was in
York county. l cannot now go into detail
about that matter. Suffice it to say that 1t
was laid very closely to the door Of Gov
ernor Holcomb.
, Last winter the state senate OF Nebraska
appointed a committee to thoroughly inves-
tgate the management Of state affairs after
the legislature adjourned. Among the sub
jects to be Investigated was this tampering
with the constitutional amendment ballots.
r The committee cited Governor Holcomb to
' appear before it, but Governor Holcomb re-
fused to appear. The papers were served
upon him at Lincoln to appear before this
q committee but he responded in very in
I sulting letter saying that the committee had
g no right to investigate, and therefore he
1 was not going to stutify himself by appear
n ing before them. Now whether this COM
t mittee had or had not authority to compel
r the attendance of witnesses Is immaterial. E.
8 1t certainly had authority to examine the
e books and records of the state house and
= take the testimony of every witness who
e was willing to present himself before them.
t II they did not have the power to arrest
X witnesses and punish them for not attending
r they did have authority to send fer wit
o nesses and let them come and testify before
n them. Governor Holcomb deliberately re-
e fused to appear.
d What About Recount Fraudss
" Why did he refuse If he had nothing what
g ever to do with this ballot box fraud? II
: his conscience was clear on every point why
y did he refuse to appear before this COM
IS mittee? If his hands are clean and con-
. science clear he ought to have challenged In
a vestigation. He should have said: Il an
IL ready at all times and upon all oc-
|
IL and to answer every question that is put tc
II me-" That would have been the honorable
IT way and that would have cleared him before
e the people. His refusal to do 1t leaves thai
n cloud upon him that naturally hangs over the
is head of the man against whom grave charges
IL are preferred. And man of that character
] 1t seems to me has not much claim upor
ID the confidence of the people.
of This recount question will not down. Il
} is matter that has impressed itself upon the
y citizens of Nebraska as very serious. We
W all want the constitution amended and no
e. body Is more anxious than am to see thai
* the supreme court be increased to five ant
80 that they be adequately paid for their serv
ices, SO that we can get the ablest and bes
jurists to serve.
Let us now say word with regard t
y Judge Reese, the opponent of Mr.. Hocomb
. Judge Reese resided in this county man!
y years ago. He is undoubtedly we'll known t
20 you all He was elected in 1883 as Judge o
: the supreme court, and l confess and de
clare right here that at the tim
" he was candidate for that offic
~ did not have the confidence il
,e him that would justify me in sup
,a porting him. He had been the nomine
J. of convention that was largely dominated
d by corporation influence and I had an ide
to that when he got to be a Judge of the su
a preme court that they would exert a per
Id nicous influence upon him. In this / wa
,h most agreeaby disappointed. His record oil
ne the supreme bench is unassailable. No mai
in who ever occupied that position was NOR
10 free from outside influence, corporate or 9th
In erwise. For six years Reese was Judge o
ir the supreme court OF Nebraska, an
We there was act Of his tina
ly has ever been justly criticised
so The people Of Nebraska irrespective @
g party had the utmost confidence In his in
al tegrity. He was the fearless exponent @
he tho law and the corporation manager
re were the only people that were offended b
IT, his decisions. for at the end of his term the
40 ransacked the state from one end to tn
e. other, captured the convention and defeate
ne him for denomination. 1t was the resent
lu ment over the turning down of Reese tina
III caused a revolt In our party and lest Il
~ thousands of votes in the campaign te
~ ~ years ago. BY the spontaneous action c
NO the republican convention he was nominate
70 against his protest in spite of his protes
= and his refusal to allow his name to b
IN used There seemed TO be feeling permeat
is ing that convention that he was the ma
ov OF all Others in whom the people woul
,I.a a