Omaha daily bee., 1902-09-11
vALUE or Tg1T cgAIRMANsBIP.

resent this district that takes the form
of an argument is that we must submit
to a nonresident congressman in order
to keep the craftsmanship of the public
buildings committee.
"Give up Mercer" we are told, land
we give up the most powerful lever for
pulling appropriations that we could get
into our hands. The men who would
defeat Mercer would deprive this con-
gressional district of the committee
craftsmanship of inestimable value to
our people," We are further told that
with this Craftsmanship Our Dave landed
appropriations in the last congress for
various Nebraska towns amounting to
$685. 900, and that he can swap com
mittee influence for anything his con-
stltuents want, If it is within the gift
of the government.
If all we wanted in a congressman
was a man to make trades for a slice
Of the pork, this sort of talk might make
some impression, but even then the
champions Of the nonresident overdo the
thing and grossly exaggerate the value
of that craftsmanship. One would i'm
agine from their gable that no other
state ever got any appropriations out of
congress, because there is only one pub
lie buildings committee Craftsmanship
and that has been appropriated by Ne
braska. One would imagine that Our
Dave did the whole business In landing
QROE nO0 81 onnronvfaftnpu fnr Nahroplyo
although only a small part of it came to
his district. One would imagine that
no other congressman who represented
this district before it was pre-empted
by the present incumbent ever secured
government appropriations for his con-
stituents, and that Nebraska never had
a public building until Our Dave slipped
into his Craftsmanship.
But what are the facts2 The first
appropriation for Omaha's new federal
building of ST. 900 was secured by
John A. McShane, a one-term democratic
congressman, without the aid of any
committee craftsmanship. Mercer him
self secured the appropriation for the
South Omaha postoftice in his first term,
before he was chairman of the public
buildings committee and under a demo-
cratic administration. Congressman
Dorsey had secured the appropriation
for the Fremont postoffice, Senator Van
Wyck for the Nebraska City postoffice
and Senator Paddock for Beatrice long
before Mercer ever thought of going to
congress.
If that craftsmanship were so valuable
It would be taken for granted that Nc.
braska Jared far better than any other
state in the distribution Of its benefits.
An analysis of the omnibus building
bill-that boosted contamination of we'll
directed swapping-does not support
Mr.. MERGERS contentious. That bill
carried appropriations aggregating ST.
belonged to Nebraska, and of the $780,.
600 only $45, 900 to Mr.. MERGERS district.
The same bill carried appropriations of
$445,0 900 for Colorado, which has NO
member Of the committee at all. II
carried $660,000 for Texas, which has
only a minority member of the com.
mittee; 100000 for California, without
representation on the committee; 1919.
600 for Ohio, likewise unrepresented on
the committee. Little South Dakota,
with only two members Of congress
came in for $2S7 900; Wyoming. with
only n member of congress-, for $780,,
600, and Oklahoma, with no member OF
congress at all. for 500, 1000. While
Nebraska, the ostensible owner of the
committee craftsmanship, got $4,000 as
its slice of the omnibus bill, the District
of Columbia, which is the real owner
of the committee craftsmanship, came il
for $2,125,000. If that committee chair
manship is as valuable as Mercer's
friends would have us believe, the Dis
trict of Columbia, where Our Dave lives
and has all of his interests, would seen
to be cashing in the big end of the draft
But even if public building appropria
lions were M of the chief objects ii
sending congressman to Washington
what more is Omaha to expect In tn,
shape of public buildings that any ordi
nary congressman cannot secure? Ap
preparations have now been made 70,
public buildings that will accommodate
all the public business here for at leas
twenty-five years to come.
We must not forget, however, tn
pork at the command of the publ
buildings committee can be traded of
to advantage to promote jobs for tn
corporations, who are so eager to fore,
on us a congressman who will repre-
sent them rather than his constituents
Swapping public buildings may he'll
grease h track for bills donating valu
able railway rights-of-way through In
dian reservations and national parks
Sllcing up the pork may help pull az
preparations through for fat mail cor
tracts and overloaded expense bills 70
transporting troops. But why shout
r the people of Omaha and this distric
, fOrego their representation in congress
; for the benefit of the railroad corpors
: tions and the real estate spectators /
the District of Columbia?
I
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE. =
r 1t is expected that the bill whic
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