Omaha daily bee., 1902-10-15
HOME RULE PUZZLES THEM
Republicans Legislative Candidates Unable
to Get Together on It.
QUESTION OF csRRALLlNG VOTES
How to Saw wood So as 60 Get
support from Both sides
IL what PerpIexes
Them.

The puzzling problem that is perplexing
the legislative candidates on the republican
ticket IN this county is whether they should
declare themselves for municipal home rule.
The nominees for state senators and repre-
sentatives have had several meetings to
discuss campaign matters and agree upon a
plan Of canvass, but thus far have reached
no conclusion as to the course they Will
pursue on the question Of home rule. One
Of the candidates present at the various
meetings explains the situation as follows:
when the subject was first brought up
and & vote taken on It every one OF us
found that we were in favor Of home rule
as an abstract proposition, and we all
agreed that we could not successfully OPP
pose the argument in favor Of home rule.
which has made such a widespread demand
for charter changes hat will make all Of
our municipal officers responsible to the
people OF this city.
I'VE had, however, in the first place, de-
cided that no one Of US should take any
stand on any one subject unless all Of us
took the same stand. or, in other words, to
act as a unit, and as some Of the candidates
we're uncertain as to what practical effect
a declaration In favor Of home rule would
have, we let the matter rest until the next
meeting. in order to give time during the
week to ascertain what public sentiment
was on the subject. At the second meet
ing our reports showed that public senti-
ment was decidedly in favor of home rule.
Yet a number Of the candidates expressed
themselves as opposed to taking any pub
lie stand for fear Ii would antagonize the
members Of the present police board and
deprive us OF their support and that Of their
friends.
1T was argued that because the demo-
cratic candidates had declared themselves in
favor Of home rule they had alienated the
democratic members Of the police board
and those democrats who favored the
present board Of fire and police commits
sioners, whose votes we might get II we
made no expression on the subject. 1t
was argued that II we all say we are in
favor of home rule in the abstract, but
cannot afford to advocate the removal Of
the present police board by a change in
the charter that would make the positions
elective, we would leave the way open for
some democrats to vote for us and give no
excuse for republicans to vote against us.
you see, II the board were made cleo
tive, the democrats, who are now assured
Of two places on the board by the appoint
ment OF the governor, would take the chance
Of being unrepresented II the city election
went republican, as II doubtless would. An
other suggestion as a way out OF the d.
emma is that we issue a public statement
that we are willing to submit the whole
question to the vote of the people and
pledge ourselves IL elected to work for the
enactment Of the bill providing for a refer
endum by which the voters would say how
they wanted their municipal officers elected.
THE chief trouble with this is that IL we
pursue this plan we could not discriminate
between the different classes of city off,
GERS, but would have to make all of them
elective. including the city attorney, city
engineer, health commissioner and other
positions which are now appointive, which
many Of us feel should remain appointive,
because they require special qualifications
in the way OF professional kind. The OBJ
lection against a referendum scheme is that
It simply puts on home rule, which the
democrats promise Immediately. We ex-
pect to reach some conclusion shortly"
Peter Hofeldt is to orstel Back to the
shadows with Cicero. Demosthenes, VIII
liam ]. Bryan and Ed Morearty!
The sphinx OF the Third commissioner
district will plead his cause before the cen
trail committeeman OF that district next Sat
aAAag hOCh NJ 4 ONAObhs ahh 6OIAN
prominent democrats confess to anticipating
an outburst that will make the arraignment
OF Catiline sound like a high school grad.
yates maiden effort. II is quite generally
believed that member OF Peters own party
are inclining toward Frank Hubbard, tn,
populist nominee, and 1t is even limited tina
some of the democratic committeeman ouI
there are doing things they shouldn't, 81
Peter proposes to speak out in plain Eng
lish and some explanatory German concern.
ing the matter.
The entire democratic county committe,
is called TO meet Saturday at 3 o'clock u
I'LL vacancies on the ticket and dispose o
any other business that may come up. Ho
feldt mas had II arranged that two hourJ
before that time the two committeeme
from each precinct Of his district shall b.
herded and held while he tells them wha
Is what. and what is something else. Tn
emergency OF the hour seems to demand It
Hubbard is slashing away so determined,
on Peters premises that the ample hgur
Of one Carl Deneker, republican nominee
looms up with appalling height on the ad
jacent lot.
The populist is circulating through tn
district a printed letter. with a wood Gu
Of an evergreen tree on the top OF tn
Shnot anu wv paBeS VI PROMISES 10 sNan
pat for good roads and whatever else tn
farmers out there want. Furthermore. h
pledges that when not attending meeting
OF the board he will occupy all his tim
with drives over the district and call
meeting every spring and fall at whic
he will ask advice and seek to learn tn
needs. At the close Of the letter he state
that before election day he proposes {
give every voter In the district 9Th