Omaha daily bee., 1902-08-25
c oF

N one planes the people Of Washing
ton for exhibiting anxiety to have Mercer
Kept In congress perpetually. He lives In
Washington and has all Of his interests
there. He represents the people of the ma
tional capital as II he were elected by
them. But why should the District of CO.
lumbia dictate to the Second Nebraska dis
trict whom 1t should select as its rep
resentative in the lower house of con-
gress ?"--Omaha Bee.
The fact that a man serves the District
OF Columbia well In congress is no good
reason for unpopularity at home. He is
sent here not merely as the member from
a certain district in a certain state, to leg
islate exclusively for that district or that
state, but as a member OF the national con-
gress. to l~egislate for the whole country
and incidentally to serve as a member Of
the body which Is given, by the constitu-
ton, exclusive Jurisdiction over the ten
miles square chosen by the government az
a capital. : Mr.. MERGERS interest
In the District is even more broadly ma
tional than that Of some others Of his coll
leagues in district legislation. He is as
well chairman Of the committee on public
buildings, a body which has to do with the
business of providing the government with
a proper outfit. Naturally there is no other
single city where this work centers so
largely as Washington. And quite as nat
urally Mr.. Mercer, being q diligent worker,
attentive to details and eager for results,
exerts himself to the utmost to secure APP
preparations for the capital, where they are
needed so badly. He Is serving the whole
people, however, when he aids in the
process Of bringing the public building
equipment more nearly up to date. Me-
braska benefits with other states whenever
q new public building is erected in any city,
and especially when one of the great gaps
In the governments garb here at Washing
ton Is filled.
The District has made no moves which
SAVIOR of a dictation of Mr.. MERGERS return.
II has naturally expressed its appreciation
Of his services. II would be more than
pleased to see him return. 1t will benent
more largely. and the country with II, from
the services OF an experienced man than
from those of a newcomer. who must ac-
quire the true perspective which only sew,
eral years OF Service can give to the legis-
Observation-Disclosures Star.
MERGERS unpopularity at home is not
because he has made himself popular
with the property-owning citizens AT
Washington who are vitality concerned
In big appropriations for public improve
ments in the national capital, but be-
cause he no longer Identifies himself
with the people Of this district. In other
words, 1t is because for years he has
been only an occasional visitor to the
district he represents, during campaigns
in which he Is seeking reelection and
Furthermore because he has systematic,
ally shirked his political obligations and
has never extended a helping hand to
any candidate for office. while insisting
that every republican In the district
must help him. Incidentally Mr.. Mercer
has managed to make himself unpopular
with his constituents by an alliance with
an unpopular governor and a politica
interloper from an adjoining state whC
has nothing in common with the peopI,
OF this district, but has used Congress
man Mercer and Governor Savage al
catspaws to pull Union Pacific chestnut
out OF the political oven.
The assurance that the District Of Co
lumbia has manifested no other interes
in Mr.. Mercer than 1t does in other mem
bers Of congress who have served Ion
terms is not borne u by the facts
: Why have all the Washington papers
! democratic, independent and republiea.
/ alike-taken such an active interest 4
Mercer while they appear absolutely IN
different about men who RAM muc
p higher on the national ~chessbOardI WI