Omaha daily bee., 1902-09-12
CRANDSTAND PLAYER IS OUT
Mercer Beats the Atmosphere Three Times
and Thea Retirs7.
He IGNORES REPUBLICAN MEETINGS NOW
Nonresident Congressman Attends
only Three out of Nineteen club
Meetings since the Opening of
Congregational Campaign.

There has been some comment on my
failure to appear before the republican club
meetings, and / want to explain that the
reason l haven't attended any Of these
meetings up to this time is tina. I wanted
TO make my first appearance before this
the club OF my own ward. From now on /
will be wherever there is a meeting Of re-
publicans in this city, and l will be so
much in evidence at club gatherings that
some people will wish that I had stayed in
Washington or Minneapolis"
The above declaration was made by David
II Mercer at the meeting Of the Seventh
Ward Republican club on the evening Of
August 21. It was a part of the attempted
speech by the nonresident congressman,
made in q moment when he felt confidence
in his ability to discuss the issues Of his
campaign publicly. A few moments later.
however as he listened to a scholarly and
pointed address by John p. Breen, It must
have occurred to Mercer that he had no
business on the stump, but had best rely
on the quiet political methods of the rail
road corporations and the tricky tactics Of
Tom Blackburn and viii Gurley. So. Mr..
Mercer very readily forgot his promise to
"be so much in evidence at club gather
ings." Since the night when he made the
promise there have been just nineteen club
meetings and he has attended only three OF
them.
Aside from making another appearance in
his "own ward" Mercer has v~entured out
only in the Sixth and Eighth, appearing in
the latter ward under the special protec-
tion Of the Broatch- Mcdonald clique OF pro-
fessional boilers, and in the Sixth only to
see the honors Of the evening carried off by
Nelson c. Pratt. The First, Second and
Fifth ward organizations, the Mckinley club
and the colored republicans have sent him
Invitations to attend their meetings, but he
has not even had the courtesy to send his
regrets. At Wednesday nights meeting Of
the colored republicans Mercer got as far as
the bottom of the stairs, and then, hearing
that the sentiment of the meeting was
strongly against him, turned on his heel
and hurried away.
"Tt is easy to understand why Mercer
does not appear at republican meetings.
said a well known politician. "He has been
ordered by his managers to keep away be-
cause they realize that he has no argument
whatever to advance for his denomination
and reelection. His boasting tactics are
away below par in this campaign. When he
tries to tell the people that he Is the one
and only great man to secure public build
ings and other government favors for
Omaha he reaches the end of his rope, and
it's not a very long rope at that. There
was a time when a good many intelligent
people were inclined to give Mercer the
credit for Omaha's splendid postofice build
ing, but the fact that 81, 200, 900 Of the APP
preparation for that structure was secured
by John A. McShane. a one-term congress-
man, has been published SO conspicuously
Of late that MERGERS attempt to sop up all
the credit for that work doesn't go now"
The following notice. signed by Charles
A. Goss, chairman, and w. A. Messick, sec
Rotary, OF the republican county committee.
has been sent to the members of that COM
mittee resident in the country precincts:
There have been so many inquiries that
we think 1t proper TO issue general advices
TO all country precincts that the county
filing and the printing of official ballots by
the committee for any and all of the coun-
election on Friday. September 10, 1902, to
select 1--WE delegates to the. county conven-
ton. three to the congressional convention
and one to the judicial convention. You
must vote. by some form of ballot to he
determined upon by yourselves and must
the delegates elected their certificates Of
election to the respective conventions and
GlOA AHN u VI NAIG u lOI III
and judicial delegates to US, as usual, and
the result of the election Of congressional
delegates to the congressional committee,
as decided by the county committee on
August 30, 1902.
The populist party of Douglas county held
primaries yesterday, apparently in the
coat pockets of the ward leaders. Nine
delegates from each Omaha ward, five from
each South Omaha ward and five from each
country precinct were to be named for next
Saturdays county convention in Washing
ton hall. The county convention will
choose the delegates to the congressional
and judicial conventions, both OF which
will convene Immediately after the county
body adjourns.
TIL principal business Of the day appears
to be the embarrassing OF one Peter
Hofeldt, democratic nominee for county
commissioner. The complaint is made
that three years ago the populists wanted
the place for Frank 3. Hubbard Of Airing
ton and that Hofeldt and the democrats
then agreed that II Hubbard would step
aside then for Peter the Silent he (Hibbard)
should have the nomination this year. As
a side-stepper Hofeldt has proved a faiiure
and now the populistic axe is whetted for
his political neck. A prominent populist
said yesterday that Hibbard stands ready
to spend good money to get even.
"The rest OF the democratic county ticket
will be endorsed probably" said the same