Omaha daily bee., 1902-05-10

1900. l lsbored necessarily, night and day.
and when the last day came. remembering
the pledge | had made TO the president that
Nebraska should return two republican sen.
stors, l stepped out Of the way, although
l had the positive pledge of the governor
that l would be appointed IL no election &C.
CURED. and might have fought It out at
Washington. Rather than jeopardize the
future Of the republican party by continued
turmoil I gave up and stepped aside, aud
the state OF Nebraska elected two repub-
lican senators at the last hour. (Applause.)
In opposing MERGERS candidacy | have no
personal ends In view, have nothing to ask
Of a congressman and do not need a con-
gresham TO introduce me at Washington.
What / want Is a congressman who is loyal
to the republicans Of this district and will
get out and work with them, and who re-
sides in Omaha when he is not at Wash
lngton. To be sure Mercer has a plan for
a house to be built. Those plans have been
here several times before. The assistant
building inspector is here and maybe he
can tell you more about these plans. But
we have not seen the house. (Laughter)
Now, fellow republicans, l trust that you
will give these matters serious consldera-
ton. The conditions under which Mr.. Mer-
z Was OAABlhaAAg bNACNANht VI aAAN q
been supported, no longer exist. Omaha has
a public building large enough to serve
two or three generations of citizens. South
Omaha has a public building, Blair has a
public building. There are no more post
Offices to be built in this district, and the
man who is chairman OF that committee Is
OF no value so far as our public buildings
are concerned. He can give the working
men nothing more than possibly a road from
Fort Crook over here to Thirteenth street.
/ don't know just where.
Time for n New Man.
Mr.. Bruner-Let me ask a question: Did
he secure the fret appropriation from the
lower branch OF congress-?
Mr.. Rosewater-No, sir. John H. Nc
Shane secured the first appropriation for
the purchase of the ground and that made
II easy to get appropriations for the build
ing. But that does not matter. Mercer Is
entitled to credit for everything he has
done on these buildings. l want to say
that he has done a great deal Of good work
and he has had very good recognition for
IT.. There is no use Of decrying him. He
has done good work In certain directions;
but the work is done; It Is finished; he has
had ten years in congress-; he has received
$50, 1000, or will when he gets through, and
the other little incidentals, and some otner
man ought to have the place. (A%pplause.)
We are told that when we have a good
man in congress we should keep him there.
We are told that other districts have kept
their representatives in ongress so many
years. Now, l looked that up the other
day while l was in Washington, l looked
into the congressional directory, while at
tending the memorial service for Mckinley
to see who was there twenty years beforA
when l had attended the Garfield memorial
service. And l found that there were only
eight men in the house of representatives OF
those that had been there twenty years
ago; only eight men. l do not believe hat
there are over twenty men in the house
that have been there fifteen years; prob
ably less than that, and they are men OF
the very highest order.
Mr.. Mercer does not pretend to be any
thing more than a good ~rustler. We want
somebody there that represents principles.
that represents ideas, and that will do
something besides merely the rough and
tumble work around the departments. And
any man who goes there after two years
service will be able to render us all the
services in the departments that Mercer
can.