Omaha daily bee., 1902-06-01
CANDIDACY OF DAVID HENRY MERCER FOR A SIXTH TERM in CONGRESS

I his own office, never came and testified. So
much for the sacredness OF the ballot box.
My friends. my disting uished opponent
says that he opposes Mercer on principle.
Now, when a man says that he opposes an
other on principle we have a right TO in
vestigate his political record and see
whether he is consistent as to that PROPOSE
tion. In 1899. when Senator Hayward was
nominated for the senate. but before he
was nominated, my distinguished opponent
admits that he wrote the following letter.
The letter / quote from now was published
by him in the columns Of The Bee after he
had been charged with writing another let
ter which contained something that this
letter does not contain. The parties who
made the charge claimed to have seen the
letter, but unfortunately they were unable
to get the original. My distinguished OPP
ponent published what he calls a copy, and
l suppose in newspaper Offices whenever
they get copy they always consider they
have a right to edit it before they publish 1t.
But l will give it just as he published 1t.
He said In an editorial shortly after the
senatorial campaign:
1 was invited to define my position on
national issues and complied with the fol-
lowing letter, which is the only statement
/ made.
."htu NY ulSllubulSutu oppOhcuI COHtS
to reply will he kindly state who invited
him. He was invited, and as a result of
that invitation he complied. That letter
came into the hands of Governor POINTER
Of this state. Governor Poynter told me
yesterday over the telephone from Lincoln
that that letter was brought to him
direct from my distinguished opponent.
Oaughter.) That it was placed in Gov
ernor Poynter's hands for the purpose Of
exhibiting to fusion members Of the legis-
lature that they might understand that my
distinguished opponent stood with them
upon all the fundamental doctrines of their
party platform. This is the copy which
my distinguished opponent publishes:
OMAHA, Jan. %. 1s99.-Hon. T. F. Mem
legislature): Dear sir-Your request for an
expression of my views on issues being OF
vital moment to the American. people, and
cheerfully compiled with.
Then he goes on, l haven't got that part
Of the letter, and says that he has always
been an Abraham Lincoln republican and
always expects to remain so. OF course
he understood when he said that that a
great many of our fusion friends were
claiming to be Abraham Lincoln repub-
licans about that time. But to get down
to the meat of this, he states his platform.
He says:
I am opposed to corporate monopolies
and trusts. l am in favor of national legts-
lation for the control of the former chat Is
corporate m~onopoliesl ana restrlcton ana
And yet only a few weeks ago, in a con-
troversy with the World Herald over the
beef trust, my distinguished opponent in
an editorial commended President Roose-
welt for the prosecution Of the beef trust.
and then denied there was any beef trust
whatever, and then roasted the World
Herald for attacking the beef trust. He
then 'eters the World-Herald to his we'll
known views on trusts, published two years
ago In tho report o: the trust conference
at Chicago. (Laughter.) Wherein he said,
mark you. that trusts were the outgrowth Of
natural conditions and the result of the in
evitable tendency Of civilization, and yet he
writes a letter to this gentleman stating
that he favors the reversal of national laws,
that is. II he could get I'm Office. He favors
overturning the inevitable tendencies of
modern civilization and l suppose II he
could have got fusion votes given to him he
would have favored plotting out the sun
and moon and stars and would have cheer
, fully agreed, II elected, to become the light
Of the world. Qaughter.)
My time is nearly up. The next PROPOSE
i ton: 81 favor tEo postal telegraph and
postal savings banks; I am opposed to re-
tirement of the greenback." Is that in
keeping with the gentleman's past political
record? Has he not favored the retire
ment Of everybody and everything he could
not control? (Laughter.) And why now
in heavens name should he balk on green
backs is more than I can understand.
(Laughter.)
But again he says: II am opposed to the
says that was before the ratification of the
treaty, but after the ratification of the
treaty he opposed the annexation Of the
Philippines and he did not fall in line until
some time a%fterward, when he evidently
thought he was getting upon harmonious re-
lations with the national administration
Now l understand and will the gentle
man tell us-now I understand he Is in ia
vor Of having the American nag stay put
wherever 1t is put. Is that SO, or isn't it?
(Applause.)
MR.. ROsEwATER-
came here at the Invitation Of Mr.. Cur
ley to discuss the candidacy of Mr.. Mercer
for a sixth term l am here still to discuss
1t. l am not here to answer any OF his i'm
pertinent questions. l am willing to father
everything / have written and every senti-
ment that / have uttered. What sentiment
j hae he got that is not openly in the mar
ket? What sentiment have these people
who are always defending criminals, de-
Tending everything and anything. and will
ing to destroy the very foundation of gov
eminent SO long as they have a retainer?
, Applause, Kisses and groans.)
, Well. gentlemen, you Will have your in
} nings when Mr.. Mercer returns. He will
discuss all of these things. He is a gentle
man so proficient that he can discuss every
vital question with the foremost leaders OF
/ the nation. We all know that we have
heard his views In congress. We have
t heard his voice on the stump. We have
heard 1t very much as they heard the
Y cry Of Beef beef! beef" from the revo.
r lutionary army when Washington was dowI
In Valley Forge. All We hear from Mercer
, Is that he wants another term. Let us SO,
, whether he is entitled to II. He never Il
known to talk for anybody but himself
What more can he do, this gentleman wants
to know, and repeats the question? Hav,
/ We now got all the public buildings we ar,
likely to get in the city of Omaha or in tn,