Omaha daily bee., 1902-06-01

term and an eighth term. 1 want to know
whether he expects to be retained in con-
gress during the full term Of his natural
life. I want to know whether II he is in
dispensible now why he was not indispensi-
BILE two years ago when he was willing to
leave us and go into the other house with
out the consent Of his own constituents, 1
want to know why it is. for instance, that
he pockets 500 a month that properly be-
longs to some young man of Nebraska in
addition to his salary of $4,000 a year, be-
cause congress has made an allowance Of
81, 200 a year for a congressman's clerk.
The COMMITTEES on public buildings has a
secretary; that secretary is obliged to do
the private work Of Mercer and Mercer
pockets the 500. 1 want that explained.
1 want to assure this audience that l am
not ambitious to fill Mr.. MERGERS shoes. 1
desire to say emphatically that 1 do not
want to be a candidate and would not accept
the nomination. There are a number of
men In this district amply qualified, and 1t
is not Mr.. Gurley's business to demand OF
me which one l prefer. 1 would have Just
as much right to ask him whom he pre-
ferred. That is not my business. 1t is his
business. We have individual rights as
citizens that belong to us, and our choice
OF public servants is as sacred a right as
our right to cast our ballot in the ballot
box and express our will through the ballot
box.
We have been told that Mercer can do
great things and only a week ago Sunday
three columns appeared in the Washington
Post, with a beautiful portrait of Mr.. Mer-
Ger and a carefully prepared sketch showing
how much Mr.. Mercer has done for Ne
braska and what he has done for the Dis
trict OF Columbia. Upon investigation 1
IHfgoar1r~1 A. .,nd.-r1,Nh 49,
picture. 1t is simply this: Mr.. Mercer is a
member Of the District OF Columbia commit
tee and the publisher of that paper is just
now engineering a scheme to sell the power
house grounds at Washington to the gov
eminent for $3.50, 900, and he wants Mr..
MERGERS support, and therefore Mr.. Mercer
suddenly looms up as a great statesman.
(Laughter.)
Why did Mr.. Mercer ask to be assigned
on the District of Columbia committee? He
is a member of two committees, the public
building committee and District of Column
bia committee. How and when has Mr..
Mercer ever assisted Nebraska by being on
that committee? That committee has a very
scaly reputation at Washington. 1t is said
that 1t has its hands out for a great many
things. 1t controls the city government at
Washington completely, Just as the mayor
anu CITY COuuCll 10 Omdnd. 10dI commit
tee Indirectly controls the fire and police
force at Washington. 1t controls contracts
for paving, for grading, for sewerage and
every public improvement. 1t controls pub
lie lighting and street railway franchises.
1t controls the parks and legislates on ev-
erything that pertains to the government of
the district. Now, where does Nebraska
and where does Omaha have any interest In
that committee, and why has Mr.. Mercer
chosen that committee rather than any other
committee in which he could have made
himself useful? Why? Because it has
such a vast amount Of patronage and such
vast opportunities for specializing in Wash
ington realty. That committee has a vast
amount of patronage, but l would like my
friend to name one single Nebraska boy,
man or woman that has had any employ
ment through the District of Columbia COM
mittee.
Mr.. Mercer could have readily had his
choice Of committees. He could have been
on the postofice committee and helped the
postal carriers and the railway postal
clerks, or the rural free delivery. He could
have been on other committees that control
legislation to promote western interests, but
he preferred the District of Columbia COM
mittee.
We have heard very much in a letter that
has been read how Mr.. Mercer got a little
delivery station established. Why, 1 have
never been In congress. I have never
claimed to represent this district and yet
secured the first supervisor of rural free
delivery for Nebraska, through an appoint
ment made by the postmaster general with
out the aid Of Congressman Mercer. I have
never had much difficulty in securing rec
o~gnition for Nebraska without being a
III -
department.
/ have been accused here of falslfying
in 1896 because I stated that Mr.. Mercer
was credited with many things that others
had also helped to do. That cannot neces-
sarily be termed Justification. 1t is merely
an overestimation, that is all. All the other
men, Senator Allen, Senator Thurston, and
the Iowa delegation, all had q very great
deal to do with getting the appropriation
for the exposition I personally went to
Senator Gear. to Speaker Reed and Sen
ator Gear asked as the first favor he had
ever asked the speaker to have the Trans
mississippi exposition bill reported. Sen
ator Allison followed Mr.. Gear and also
made 1t a personal request. The bill was
first introduced by Senator Allen and passed
the senate. Mr.. Mercer had nothing TO do
with that and Senator Allen had to help
MN a great uedi Win pOpulisllC anu uem-
ocratic members in the house.
/ do not think 1t is worth while for me
to answer this letter. The letter contains
nothing that l am ashamed Of. They were
the sentiments 1 entertained then. 1 don't
think It worth while to discuss them. This
is true. however, in everything connected
with my career in public life I have acted
as a republican. I became a republican
from choice when that party was born and
I have kept faith with the republican party
es a republican. but 1 have been down on
. boodlers, / have been down on lobbyists,
! and l am detested by them cordially and
will continue to be.
5 MR.. GURLEY.
Fellow citizens, l do not know that I
have any apology to offer for defending
upon occasions men charged with crime,
and I might say in this connection that IT
: might be very unfortunate for some gentle
, men II they were deprived Of the right to
be represented by counsel in criminal
cases. 1t is a right guaranteed by the law
Of the land to every man charged with
crime. be he innocent or be he guilty, and
as a sworn Ofhcer of the court 1 should
: violate my oath and my duty as a lawyer