Omaha daily bee., 1902-06-01

the minority OF a plurality. / am a mem
Der OF that committee, but I want to say
to my distinguished opponent that l am
not David II. MERGERS man or any other
mans man. / represent on that committee
the republicans Of this district and that
committee will run those primaries or the
convention fairly, orderly. honestly and
according to the good old American rule
Of majority. (Applause).
Now then, / want TO ask my distinguished
opponent again, IL David H. Mercer is the
nominee Of the republicans Of this Second
congressional district, will he support him
or will he not? l have a right to ask that
question, my friends. My distinguished OPP
ponent may call me inquisitive. but that is a
question which every republican in this dis
trict has a right to ask; that is a question
when the gentlemen agreed to meet me
here tonight in debate he had a right to
expect would be asked, and It is expected
he will answer It.
/ ask him TO answer II now.
Voices-He can't. (Applause).
MIR. ROsEwATER.
My very disting uished opponent has held
me up to scorn for resigning from the ma
tional committee. I never made a secret Of
that did resign from the national COM
mittee. I regarded It as a matter Of honor
to support the nominees Of the party from
top to bottom so long as I was a member Of
the national committe and l resigned from
that committee when / could not con-
scientiously support Mr.. Majors. ZAP
plause.) But my friend here is a member
of the congressional committee Of this dis
trict. Did he resign when he made up his
mind to bolt the ticket as he did in 1900.
,,rhop ha triad IN Give ne fwa daunncrotEC
United States senators or a vacancy? He re-
manned on that committee while giving aid
and comfort to the common enemy. Why
did not he have the decency to say to repub-
licans that they should fill his place with
g man who would be loyal to the ticket
from top to bottom? Why did he not re-
sign? Why did he go down to Lincoln
afterward and try to keep in their seats the
democrats or fusion members whose seats
were contested? Why does he defend such
~scoundrels as that man Mitchell, who
trumped up the most idiotic charge that I
had sought to induce him as chief of police
OF South Omaha at 1 o'clock in the after
noon to raid the ballot boxes Of South
Omaha and destroy the ballots. That in
famous story was part OF the conspiracy
into which these men had entered in order
to defraud the legitimate voters Of this dis
trict. Some day when WI get to the bottom
Of the South Omaha election frauds they
will be pretty thoroughly ashamed Of them
selves.
l do not propose to answer the question
Of MERGERS candidacy until 1 am face to
face with the issue. l want to see first
whether a majority is secured for him by
an honest. square primary. (Applause.) 1
suppose l am the master of my own con-
science and l am not accountable to any
man for what l do. l will support repub-
leans that support republicans when there
is no flaw in their title. There was no
flaw in the title of that legislative delega-
ton; there was no flaw in the vote that
the people gave, and Mr.. Mercer sought TO
subvert the expressed popular will and
destroy our system of self government
and attempted to establish a system Of
anarchy; for 1t would be nothing less than
anarchy to change the publicly expressed
will OF the people. expressed In conformity
TO the provision In our constitution, that
gives every citizen the right to instruct his
representative for whom they should vote
in the election of senators.
What would be thought today OF Senator
Jones OF Arkansas II he should turn back and
attempt to overthrow the popular will now
when the democratic primaries Of Arkansas
bhNp NN ~ SAoAh W ~ o.
senator? The Arkansas legislature is not
yet in session. What would be thought Of
him II he should return to his state and
try TO decoy members instructed on that
insue from their allegiance? He would be
despised OF all men.
l want to ask my friend why he has not
explained why the quartermaster's supply
depot was kept In the pocket OF Mercer7
That bill was introduced by Senator Thurs
ston in February, 1900. II passed in the
senate in the month OF May and Mr.. Mercer
had ample time to report 1t. The speaker
told me personally that he referred 1t to
him In preference to the committee on
military affairs, because he believed he
would report II, but he did not. He kept II
In his pocket and let II die out Of pure spite
and malice because he did not want to give
Thurston or anybody else credit for the
? work done.
We want a congressman who is loyal and
who is Identified with us, and not a man
who is Identified simply with corporate in
terests which control him absolutely.
MR.. GURLEY.
My distinguished opponent wanted to
know why / did not tell you something
about that quartermaster's supply depot.
thought l had explained that very early IN
the game. but II he does not understand II
! will try to explain It again. II thai
quartermaster's supply depot bill. In which
my distinguished opponent is so deeply In.
terested. had gone through. we would hav,
lost the Offices of the headquarters Of tn,
Army Of the Platte, for the city OF Omaha
Kansas City and st. Louis were making g
vigorous fight for those ofices. II the
quartermaster's supply depot had gont
down TO the old postofice building, so tha'
the government OF the United States woul(
have had to pay from $1,000 to $12, 900 4
year rent for three OF four years until the
wings OF the new federal building were com.
pleted, we would have lost those oficel
TO Omaha. 1t was Of some value to the
people of Omaha that they should be per
manently retained here and wait a littl,
while for the quartermaster's supply depot
Cloud applause.) David II. Mercer
has already introduced a bill pro-
viding for an appropriation Of SIS. 900 FOL
q quartermasters' supply depot in this city
1t has been recommended for passage b!
the committee and will pass the house thii
session. We will get that depot all right
go