Omaha daily bee., 1902-08-09
SAVAGE SENDS TART ANSWER
Reply 10 Letter Of Plumbers Indicates They
Touched q Tender Spot
Poor OPINION OF ORGANIZED LABOR
Repusiieanr from Over the state
BrinE E-ncouragins Reports late
Republican state Head
quarters.
,OR OPINION OF ORGANIZED LABOR

LINCOLN, Aug. Acknowledgements
Savage has forwarded TO the Omaha union
Of plumbers. gas and steam filters the fol-
lowing communication In defense Of his APP
pointments for the Omaha IRE and police
commissioners
Receipt Of your communication under
date Of August s is hereby. acknowledged.
/ regret that I am required to take issue
my action In appointing the Board OF Fire
and Police Commissioners for the city OF
Omaha. Ny sole aim IN the performances
that. when vested with the power Incident
to their office, would have some regard for
laws Of the ststs. IRIS reouired me 10
exercise thought and circumspection, and
that the commission as selected did not
candidates was, / regret to say, not en-
trely due TO the large supply and limited
number to be chosen. Some of the candi-
something OF them. while others were not
appointed because / did not enjoy their ac-
failed OF appointment because their candi-
decy sayored OF corruption, the best evil
dence OF which was an effort to obtain
money, Fearing that personal aggrandize-
ment was responsible for much OF the In
triguinE and concluding from what IN
for appointment, that one who occupies a
position on the commission is at all times
III nAA Vi Evil InHUEnCGA. L OeIREmInHU
upon selecting only men OF known char
acter and standing, whose conception Of
duty was. not to multiply the emoluments
Of the once, but to maintain the majesty
Of the law. Startling reports reached me
Of municipal corruption. and this, together
with the fact that large sums Of money
pleasure, led me not alone to conclude that
much of what was said was true, but that
personally to me to be honest and honor
able. IN making. the selection 1 weighed
carefully the merits OF every candidate, in
Eanized labor. Just as I had agreed to. and
from the large number l selected the four
nesting he ez meaS eam rsou sRe nssse't tho to
wisdom Of which act the future viii de-
Poor Opinion Of Organized Lsbor.
AS for labor not being represented in the
psrsonnei Of the commission; the state
q laboring man. Who works harder than
the man behind the .plow. the counter or
Labor is not known by the saw. hammer'
paint brush shovel OF spade alone. Neither
IL 4 alone known by earpins agitators and
and eat up the earnings OF their fellow
Workmen. Neither Is II alone known by
me reo insignia; OF socialism and anarchy
From my boyhood ! have been a laborer.
performed more work for so cents a day
man labor today. renders its employer for
"a. Ny credentials were. not q card bit
calloused and blistered hands. / have the
highcst respect for honest labor. am ifs
friend. But by this I dc. not mean to rec
ognlze that type OF labor which stands
! upon force. rather than upon merit. / have
no sympathy nor. esteem for walking dele
gates and kindred disturbers. who first san
500 Diyvu u IaDor ana then by their law
sooner labor shakes OFF this incubus the
better tf will be for everyone
Speaking again OF the commission. per-
init me to assure you that Il represents
labor no less than any other OF the better
elements OF society. Because those nomi-
mated by organized labor were not ap-
pointed II does not follow that labor IL not
represented or that some ALLEGED promise
OF recognition on my, part has been vio-
lated. 1 solved this as l have solved every
other public. prohlem--ohi It's merits-and
tnat my acuon should. maet some opposi-
tQn IS not at all surprising.
1 have reason TO and do believe that the
better ms OF organized labor does NOT
reason to and do believe that the
cation which YOU forwarded me was in
epired,. not BY your organization, bat by
the editor Of The Bee, whose pet minions
and whose licensed privileges have at last
Ree1 brought face 70 face with law and
The citizens OF Omaha have a right 70
enjoy the blessings of an honest admsnfs.
tration and enforcement of law, and the
personnel OF the commission as now CON
eututed ~, 4 believe, a suflcient guaranteed
that such shall be their legacy.
l have the honor to be,
Very respectfully,
EZRA P. SAVAGE.