Omaha daily bee., 1899-04-01
WANT THE BRAVE BOYS BACK
Anxious Parents Desire to Have the First
Nebraska Ordered Home,
APPEAL TO MEIKLEJoHN TO HELP THEM
Congressman Mercer, in nm Interview
In Washington Paper, Sizes
Up the Political situation
in Nebraska.

WASHINGTON, March 31.-(Special Tele-
gram )--Acting Secretary Meklejohn is re-
ceiving many letters from mothers and
fathers OF Nebraska asking that their boys
in the First Nebraska be ordered home, as
the assistant secretary promised last fall on
the stump in Nebraska would be done. Some
Of these letters are most pathetic.
Secretary Meklejohn, who feels keenly
for the boys Of the First Nebraska, said that
bis promise made on the stump last fall
had not been violated in a single degree;
that his promise that the First Nebraska
should be among the first of the volunteers
to be returned to their homes holds just as
good today as it did then Conditions, he
said, have greatly changed since November
and work is to be done. Then the sky
seemed clear for sending the volunteers
home and filling their places with the regu-
lars but now all is changed, and until the
purpose for which the volunteers were sent
to the Philippines is accomplished 1t will
be impossible to make any change in the
| troops
Some criticism has been INDUCED in be
cause | did not make a mandatory order
for the return of the First Nebraska" said
| Secretary Meildejohn. God knows If had
the ordering of things the First Nebraska
!
would reign in the islands constituting the
Philippine group. l sympathize with the
mothers of Nebraska who have boys in
these far-away islands and l repeat my
! promise, that the First Nebraska shall be
among the first to leave the islands. but l
cannot tell the date when it will be
ordered away, for we have work to do and
every man is Loyalty doing his part toward
! bringing order out of chaos. No promise
OF mine has been violated, but rather every
promise will be fulfilled to the honor and
| glory of our state"
| Mercer ON the Outlook.
Congressman Mercer, interviewed by an
| evening paper, says as to the contest next
| fall:
The election this fall" remarks Mr..
Mercer, although only a supreme court
! judge and two regents OF the university
are to be balloted Tor, will be contest OF
universal significance. In the judgeship
4 the fight will assume strictly party lines
and, coming as it will, just year before the
! presidential election in state which gave
Bryan a plurality of 1855 in 1896, will be
watched by the nation. The democrats will
probably nominate William " Allen, whose
term in the senate expired the 3rd of this
month. The only other candidate men
| toned is Ex-Governor Holcomb. Either
! would bring out a full vote and so afford
a good test of the Bryanite strength in the
state, as between them the understanding is
that Hocomb, who lives in district which
has been represented in congress by Will
4 liam l.. Greene, who died few weeks ago,
may be nominated to fill this congressional
vacancy in which case Allen will have no
rival for the nomination for supreme court
judge.
The republicans have not decided upon
their man yet, but will try to pick out some
body equally representative of their party in
the state. If the republicans carry the
state by substantial majority it ought
to put an end to w. ]. Bryan as a demo-
cratic nominee. But If the republicans carry
it by trfing majority it will be argued
that Bryan's candidacy is needed to save the
= day Everything points to a warm fight.
: Allen and Holcomb make any contest into
which they enter picturesque. The repub-
: licans will not be outdone in the selection
Of talent for the stumping of the state, and
ii would not be strange If the most signiti-
cant election held anywhere In the union
November next would be that OF Nebraska. F"
Government Buildings Appraised.
The board of appraisers appointed by
Secretary Gage OF the Treasury department
TO appraise the government building and
life saving station at the Transmississippi
Exposition, provided for under the act grant
ing government aid to the exposition held
in Omaha last year, had meeting today.
After full discussion between members of
, the board consisting CT Supervising Archi-
: tect Taylor, the chief of the drafting divi-
sion and the chief of the computing division
of the supervising architects Office, it was
decided that 81 900 would be fair con-
slderation for both buildings. Accordingly,
| p1a no p1 IN Frank u
> Moores, representing the city of Omaha, and
Gurdon w. Wattles, president OF the Trans
mississippi and International Exposition,
calling their attention to the act above re-
ferred to and stating that the buildings put
! up by the government had been appraised
according to law. The letters written re-
quested the parties in question to indicate
, to the secretary of the treasury whether
they desired to purchase said buildings,
, preference being given to the city Of Omaha
and next to the Transmississippi association
Should neither desire the buildings, then
the Treasury department will sell to the
best advantage.
Senator Thurston returned today from
Howey Cedars, an island In Barnegat bay
where he has been for the last week, shoot
ing duck and enjoying the breezes Of the
Atlantic. He was the guest of William
, Henry Sayre, one of the leading manufac-
turers of Philadelphia, who entertained a
party of ten, including the senator. at his
bungalow on the island
Wyoming pcstmasters appointed: Bertha
C. Miller al Arcola, Laramie county, and
Yorick Nichols, at Pratt Laramie county.
An order was issued establishing post
{ office at Elk Decatur county, Ia, with John
4 l.. Brown as postmaster. An order was also
b issued disseminating the postofiice at Wax
I CasS county, Ia, it's mail going to Grant.
e Eden j. Hanshorn OF Iowa was today
I reinstated as assistant attorney In the De-
5 partment of the Interior at 81 900 year.
Robert Potwin OF Nebraska was today sp,
e pointed messenger in the Interior depart
S ment at $3.50 year.
FOOD is ALL RIGHT IN MANILA
Major PenrOse's Report on the Condi.