The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903, 1902-02-08
Lincoln
mere numbers.


nominate men who have some stake in
the city? All the taxes paid by the
present cOuncilmen amount to an IN
significant sum. Two contemporary
councilmen were obliged to purchase
lots in the wards they represent before
they could take their places as mem
beers of the city council. dollar or
two changed hands. The transfer was
made in order to comply with the law
that each councilman shall hold real
estate in the ward he represents. As
at present constituted some of the
councilmen are engaged in an organ
lied attempt to make their positions
pay. The pirates who sailed the seas
ran up a black flag with a skull and
cross bones painted on it. Before they
boarded a merchantmen they ran up
the traditional pennant of plumber.
Every Tuesday morning The Journal
prints the doings of the council meet
ings held on Monday night. Every
citizen who reads the report sees again
the black flag and the horribly grin
ming skull and cross-bOneS. The same
old crew of Portuguese and Malays are
preparing TO ship for another cruise III
the ship in which we are only passen-
gers and have not a word to say. with
their knives in their teeth they are adj
vancing and they'll set us adrift on
rafS with a bottle of water because
there is no one in particular to get the
passengers together and concentrate
their overwhelming strength against
the pirates.
Mr.. NJ. We'll of the Fourth ward is
mentioned to take the place OF MI.
Bacon who, as chairman of the claims
committee, signed claim made by his
son for $500 for ten days clerical
work. The change would be a very
grateful one both to the Fourth ward
and to the city. Mr. We'll is bust
ness man of demonstrated probity and
ability. There are other men in the
city whom everyone respects who
knows an honest man from a robber.
There is Mr.. II. Whitman of the sec
ond ward, a man of patience, courage,
foresight and unimpeachable integrity
As councilman he would be taking the
first step to the mayOralty. an office
which. Judging by the activity in coun-
ell matters of a defeated politician. has
again excited his cupidity.
Mr.. Whitman has lived in this city
for more than twenty-five years. He
belongs to the few men who accept
without question the conditions of life
as clever players accept the rules of
game. play it and win. Lincoln men
could. if they cared enough about it.
put men like this one in the council.
They care about it spasmOdic-
ally: when they are reading
the reports of the city council
meetings; when they go to their
work in the morning and find railroad
tracks in the middle of a down town
street and learn that the peoples prop
erty has been given away without af-
fording them an opportunity to object:
when they pay their taxes, which are
in many instances, about third larger
than they We're last year. and on other
occasions that demonstrate we are a
badly governed. a plundered people.
Every ward in the city has a large
proportion of respectable residents.
Robbers are an insignificant minority.
In every ward there are a few men
with a liking for politics and office.
any one of whom would represent his
ward with distinction. Yet only few
of this latter type have eluded the Wig
ilance of the minority who are in poll