Omaha daily bee., 1902-08-24
PROTOTYPE OF BILL DEVERY
Hsw q Seventh Ward Republican Takes Mr..
MeroeTs Measure.
LOOKS EOR cAMPMeN uIKE "BIe sILrs"
Does Not Hope TO Hear "Our Dave
Discuss Great National Issues,
but Anticipates . series
Of Beer-Fests.

EFT looks to me-" said q Seventh ward re-
publican yesterday, "as though the In
telligence OF this community is to be given
n severe test by the oncoming congress
sional campaign. The question upon which
our intelligence Is to be tried is whether
we are to be swayed by the lowest order OF
Tammany influence or by sound reason and
intellectual force. / attended the meeting
in the Seventh ward Thursday night and
heard the talk Of Congressman Mercer. He
told US Of some Of the incidents Of his trip
70 the Philippine islands last summer, and
while It may please his friends to know that
he attended a dance given by the natives.
had a talk with Governor Taft about the
inadequacy Of the government buildings and
observed that the Suez canal was only a
narrow ditch with sloping banks, l can't
see that he has any right to take up the
time Of public meetings to relate matters
that are Of merely personal interest.
1T am presuming that political meetinge
are held for the purpose Of discussing pub
lie questions and l take 1t that the para
mount question for the republicans OF this
district at this time Is whether Mr.. Mercer
is possessed Of qualities Of intellectually
and statesmanship which entitle him to q
place in the class with Blaine, Reed, Gros>
venor. Hepburn, Henderson, Dolliver and
OLneTb WHO uhN0 CnJOyNu iOhB ~
congress. II he rightfully belongs to that
class he ought to be continued as the rep
resentative Of the people OF this district.
But before / grant that he is the best man
TO represent us in congress l want to ind
out that his ability 10 better than that OF
ian aldermanic trader and log-roller.
wants More Than Small Talk.
IT would like to hear Mr.. Mercer discuss
the great questions that are now demand
ing the attention Of congress-, questions
in the settlement of which the people Of
this district, through their representative,
have a right to participate intelligently.
] want to know. for Instance, II Mr.. Mer-
Ger understands our moral ana legal
responsibilities with regard to the Phil
ippine Islands and our other insular pos
sessions. / want to hear him discuss the
Cuban reciprocity proposition and / want
TO know what measures he considers nee
essary for the regulation Of trusts. l don't
care to hear him talk any more about
making a trade with that or this mem
Der Of congress in order to get an appro-
~priation for a public building, for 1 haven't
any doubt that Omaha and the other towns
Of this district will get all the public i'm
provements they need. just as any other
congressional district does, no matter who
represents US in congress. We had federal
buildings here before Mercer went to con-
gress and we will have them even after
he ~retires. / don't care to hear Mr..
Mercer talk about somebody having bats
in his belfry,' because that sort of
language from my representative at Wash
ington humiliates me
Looks for "BiE Bill"
while / am anxious to hear Mr.. Mer-
GERS views on great national and inter-
national questions have no reason to be-
lieve that my desire Is to be gratined.
/ understand. as almost, every other repub-
lican in the district understands. that Mr..
Mercer is not going to attempt to talk
about any Of the real issues in the cam
paign. hear 1t from a reliable source
thai he proposes to adopt the tactics Of
the notorious Bill Devery and give a series
OF picnics, brass band entertainments and
beer-fests. 1t is his ambition to become
the Omaha prototype Of New York's Big
Bill and hand out basket lunches. beeI
and band music in lieu of an intelligent
discussion Of the questions involved in the
campaign.
IT have been told that Mercer bas con.
siderable money to spend this fall and tina
he feels the necessity of dispensing 1t aftei
the fashion of Big Bill Devery. That is
perhaps, his ideal way Of campaigning. o.
1t may be that, being conscious OF his ina
bility to talk like q member Of the nationa
house Of representatives and give an intel
ligent constituency any sound reasons 10
his denomination, he is forced to use tn
Devery methods to dazzle the people. Sucl
a campaign ae he Is said to be contem
plating, in my Judgment, would be an in
suit to the intelligence of this community.