Omaha daily bee., 1902-11-10
THE DEFEAT or MERCER.

sting proved fatal.
Beatrice Express: The defeat Of Dave
Mercer was due to a bitter fight in Omaha,
which fight he courted rather than Stunned.
Scfibner News: Dave Mercer and his
friends are probably willing to admit that
Edward Rosewater had at least one more
good fight left in him.
Valley Enterprise: Douglas county has
gone democratic, all on account OF trying
to force Dave Mercer onto a revolving peo-
pie and thus spite Rosewater.
Holdrege Citizen: Because OF the defeat
OF Congressman Mercer, Rosewater and
The Bee will have another scalp in their
belt and a whole lot Of fellows clamoring
for revenge.
Fremont Tribune: The Tribune greatly
regrets MERGERS defeat in Omaha, but since
the victor is a fusionist It is pleased to
know the honor fell to Gilbert NJ. Hitch
cock. He is a gentleman and a scholar.
Kearney Hub: Poor Mr.. Congressman
Hitchcock will have to flock all alone by
himself when he gets to Washington, so
far at least as Nebraska congressman are
concerned. His second state is nearly as
bad as his FIRST.
Stanton Picket: What now, we wonder,
does Mr.. David II. Mercer think Of Edward
Rosewater's ability to influence 300 in
Douglas county? To a man at this distance
It looks as though some power had in
auenced fully 5000.
Holdrege Progress: Rosewater and The
Bee. not the fusionists, elected G. NJ. Hitch
cock to congress. Rosie" was it again
as in tho days when he, with his little
Bee, swept Tom Majors from the horizon
of political ambition.
Blair Courier: Hitchcock, ct cetera, de-
feated Mercer by 1900 votes. There were
a good many things that contributed to this
result and few there be to deny that e.
Rosewater was one Of them. The rest
would take too long to tell about.
Waterloo Gazette: One thing in the cam
paign is to be regretted, to our way OF
thinking, and that is the personal hght
made on R%osewater and the lack Of effort
to conciliate the factions. Fighting Rose
water only made him fight the harder and 1t
NAV be that his influence would not have
been SO great had q more conclliatory
course been taken. True, his fight on Mer-
Ger was probably personal, but abuse Of
Rosewater didn't help the matter any.
Springfield Monitor: Those republicans
who have been trying to make themselves
believe hat Rosewater's influence in The
Bee against republican candidates, or. in
fact, to whatever party candidates be-
longed, was no longer effective, have again
been shown that they were of. There is
no getting around the fact that his bitter
fight against Dave Mercer was the cause
Of the %latter's defeat, no matter what is
said to the contrary, and the little editor
will still have to be looked upon as a very
important factor in Nebraska politics,
whose support in future campaigns cannot
be ignored.
Columbus Telegram: No use denying 1t.
The result of the late election in Omaha
establishes the fact that Edward Rose
water, with his newspaper behind him, Is
the most powerful political factor In Ne
braska. Aside from Mickey. the average
republican candidate for state ONCE had
majorities ranging from 800 to 1900 in the
Second district, and yet in that same dis
trict Rosewater defeated David Mercer, re-
publican nominee for congress, and elected
Gilbert NJ. Hitchcock. democrat, by 1000
! majority. 1t was a remarkable light. 1t
was a good fight. The result is good. Mer-
Ger is and has been a corporation tool.
Hitchcock is a man of principle, and will
represent his district with credit. He owes
| his election wholly to his ancient and i'm
placable enemy, Edward Rosewater, WI
also In the same fight aided in the election
of a part of the local democratic ticket in
Douglas county. Rosewater may be cor
rupt. but It is a fact that whenever he
fights a republican nominee 1t Is after the
| corruption OF that nominee has been fully
established, . He showed a high
grade OF manhood in supporting his bit
terest personal enemy in order to defeat
the railroad candidate for congress. All
men do not have the moral courage to lose
sight Of personal interests in order to &C
complish public good. as Rosewater did
when he elected Hitchcock and defeated
Mercer.
Ord Quiz: The fate Of the republican
ticket In the Second congressional district
wherein Dave Mercer went down to defeat
in a republican district. constrains the Quiz
to make again the protest, which 1t has
made frequently before, against the foolish
| policy OF nominating men for office who
have any considerable scrap on their hands.
There is no necessity for the republican
party to name such men for ONCE. 1t
should make no difference whether the man
was right or wrong in his scrap-the fact
that a man will have to fight any consid-
cradle number of his own party to get to
office ought to disqualify him for nomina-
ton. II is not the party's place to volun-
tarily inherit a scrap Just to show that II
believes the man right. II a man has the
| smallpox 1t is not necessary to ask how he
got 1t before you decide whether or not to
take him to your arms. Likewise, a man
| with a political fight on his hands.
The case of Mr.. Mercer is an exasperating
one. He has made a good congressman and
stood we'll with the powers that be. But
he had the displeasure of The Bee. Whether
he was iustihable in his fight with Rose
water is not for us to say. 1t was naturally
hard for people to turn such a man down
simply because he was opposed to The
Bee. but the question arises, Would It not
have been better for all concerned to do
so rather than to lie down when they have
to? Have they rubbed 1t into The Bee by
nominating Mercer against The Bees pro-
test and later by seeing The Bee get Mer-
GERS scalp? The thing that we are con-
tending for is that any man opposed by
many Of his party should not be nominated,
whether he is a friend or foe Of The Bee.
You remember the case of Tom Majors.
The Bee fought him, but he was noml-
mated and defeated. Later McColl, who
was ardently supported by The Bee, but
opposed by a large number OF other re-
publican forces, was nominated and suf-