Omaha daily bee., 1899-07-02
RRASS R1Nn RELLEr moRk.

/ the hNpocrites do In the Synagogues ana In
/ the streets that they may uave glory of
men Verify say unto you, ney have their
reward Christs Sermon on the Mount
! During a career of more than Il quar-
ter of century of active journalism i
have never found it necessary for the
promotion of the business interests of
, The Omaha Bee or for the qualification
of personal ambition for popularity, 10
make capital out of acts of bcnevolence.
That role has been left to Il would be
, rival who seems to delight in mock auc.
ton charity that tlaunts the red cross
flag with an advertisement of his paper
while dispensing other peoples gifts.
These periodic outbursts of spontanc-
Gus self-laudation over its unscltish re-
lief work forcibly recall to mind the
circus chariot that not many years ago
rolled into Omaha with n magic healer
I of the female persuasion who relieved
hundreds of dupes of sound and unsound
teeth without pay or pain while the
brass band played and the relief agents
relieved other dupes of half dollars for
magic cure.all nostrums.
i'ullhS III. bbScllNp llOll lllt NlNN a 'tN
days ago the World-Herald published
what purports to be an address TO the
public by the people of Herman extoll-
ing its work for the tornado sufferers,
scoring The Bee in scathing terms and
pledging II transfer of patronage to the
World-Herald. Upon inquiry find that
this portion of the precious document is
u downright forgery. The paper, when
signed by the citizens of Herman, cou-
tanned no reference to The Bee, but was
personally solicited by World-lIerald
reporter as an expression of apprccia-
ton of what the World Herald had done
and special compliment to himself.
On the heels of this infamous attempt
to foment Il boycott for its own benefit
the World-Herald published bombastic
review of its matchless record of aims
soliciting, coupled with the most wanton
and baseless attack upon myself, reitcr-
ating substantially its cruel and vindic-
tive assertion of some weeks ago that
l was devoid of all human sympathy and
had never been known to raise my hand
or voice to alleviate human distress. The
exact language in the latest of its de-
famatory screeds is this:
In every one ard in all of the good works
in which the World Herald has been en-
gagged TIE Bee has sought to make those
works non-effective. No plan has been so
mean, no scheme so vile that that sheet
has not resorted to it in the hope of de-
stroying the good purpose of this newspa
per. During all The Bees existence it has
never sought to relieve human distress.
1t is not my purpose here or elsewhere
to point to the numberless contributions
made by myself to public and private
charities or cite individual instances or
alleviation of distress either in money
or employment where l had more help
than | needed. | confess, however, that
never in my life have purchased relief
supplies with other peoples money and
l never have solicited contributions for
charitable objects without paying fair
share myself.
The history of The Bee and it's files
afford the most effective contradiction
of the assertion that it has never sought
to relieve human distress or that any
other paper published in this section has
outdone it in genuine charity work. Two
instances will sutfice-the Nebraska
blizzard of 1888 and cyclone of 1890 that
destroyed a greater part of the town of
Bradshaw. l make bold to assert that
more money was raised by The Bee for
the sufferers by these two calamities
than has been raised by the World
Herald in all its existence.
Right here let me recall my experience,
which may throw some light upon the
brutal treatment to which / have been
subjected at the hands of men who dis
grace journalism and show themselves
unfit for any reputable calling: The
blizzard of 1883 was made historic by the
sublime heroism of three Nebraska
school teachers who, at the risk of their
own, saved the lives of a score of chill
dren. In recognition of their service
and for their relief The Bee called for
contributions, which, at the end of thirty-
days, aggregated over $4,000 OF this
amount Miss Freeman. who escaped
without injury, received IA fraction over
$1,000. Miss Shattuck was fatally frozen
and the relief fund amounting to about
$1,000 was given to her father, resid-
ing in Seward county The third teacher,
Miss Royce of Plainview suffered the
loss of both feet and remained an in
valid for several months. About 81 800
of the amount collected for her was
forwarded to her home and the balance
held for investment at the urgent re-
quest of her townspeople, who feared
the money would be dissipated by rela-
tives.
TO make sure Of an absolutely safe
endowment for Miss Royce | made APP
DlicatiOn to several life insurance com
panies. Among these was the New York
Life, for which DR.. Miller was then
general agent. Through him an offer
was secured from his company of II
life annuity of $50 per month. Deem
ing that proposition most advan,
tageous, | made trip to Plainview and
induced Miss Royce and her parents to
accept the offer. A few days later they
recalled their consent and asked that