Omaha daily bee., 1902-12-06
INDIFFERENT ABOUT MERCER
Mr.. ROsewater Finds Washington Has No
interest in 0ongressman'I Defeat,
PRESIDENTS POSITION ON FENCING LAW
MIR. Hartman Says He Knows So
Little About Union Pacific strike
That He Doesn't Care to
Discuss 1t.

Edward Rosewater returned yesterday
from the east, where he visited Washington
and New York. At Washington he had two
conferences with the president over Ne
braska affairs and met FIVE of the members
Of the cabinet, with whom he discussed
matters in this state.
81 found an apparent Indifference in
Washington to the defeat of Congressman
Mercer, both in the departments and among
the representatives." said Mr..
Even among the newspapers Of the city,
which took such an active interest in his
candidacy during the campaign, there
seemed to be little sorrow. The Washing
ton Post, which had boon so protuse with
Mercer cartoons during the campaign, threw
upon its stereopticon sheet the picture OF
a big man PROSTATE with one large Bee
singing the seat Of his trousers. The
colored people in the departmental build
ings, for some reason, seemed particularly
we'll pleased with his defeat and l was
thanked and congratulated by a lumber OF
men of this race whom l had never seen
before. While l met the president twice,
and Secretaries Shaw, Hitchcock and Will
son, Postmaster General Payne and Attor-
ney General Knox, the only one to refer to
| MERGERS defeat was Secretary Wilson, and
he said that from what he saw while In
Nebraska he expected it..
81 was misrepresented in dispatches sent
out from Washington saying that i was
involved in a quarrel with the senators
from Nebraska over the matter Of the fenc-
ing OF the public domain in this state. !
had a talk with the commissioner OF the
land office, with the Secretary Of the In
terror and with the president on the Bub-
ject. President Roosevelt told me that he
desired to do nothing to iniure this section.
but he had given the cattlemen a year in
which to prepare to remove the fences ard
now the law would be enforced. l was rcp-
resented with working with Colonel John
S. Mosby, a guerrilla in this matter. l
certainly have no reason to love the ex-
confederates, and l have never met Colonel
Mosby. but l believe that an ofieer OF the
government should enforce the law without
question, no matter what his antecedents
may be. / had no trouble with the sena-
tors over the matter and at this time SEN
ator Dietrich stands squarely with the pres
ident on this subject.
Military Man for Indian Agent.
II was informed that the government has
under consideration the appointment Of q
military man as agent at the Omaha and
Winnebago Indian agency. There is an ap-
parent scarcity of officers of the army who
may be removed from the line for This
work, The president has said that II 6
civilian be appointed to the ONCE he SHOULD
be a man whose residence is SO far removed
from the agency that he has no familiarit!
with the surroundings"
In New York Mr.. Rosewater met Mr.. Har
riman and Winslow Pierce OF the director!
OF the Union Pacific railroad. The latteI
expressed satisfaction with the editorials
OF The Bee Oh the subject of the presen
strike, saying that they we're conservative
and fair. Mr.. Hartman professed to know
so little about the strike that he was unabl
to give an expression on the subject. sayinI
he had been too busy to look IL up. Nj
ROsewater suggested that the matter b
referred TO arbitration, similar to that o
the anthracite coal strike, but Mr.. HaTri
man said that he knew too little about 1
to discuss the matter. AT. Hartman did