Omaha daily bee., 1902-09-12
THOSE PERTINENT QUESTIONS

NANASNEA SSHSANoRAAANAh
been invited to address nearly every
ward meeting that has been held in
Omaha since his return on his every
other-year visit, people are still waiting
for replies to the very pertinent but un-
answered questions originally pro
pounded to his champion, William +.
Gurley, and repeated again and again
to our nonresident congressman himself.
Mr.. Gurley said he could not answer be
cause he is no mind-reader, but that ex-
cuse does not hold good for Mercer.
Will Mr.. Mercer tell us whether he
will be satisfied with a sixth term in
congress and quit there, or will he in
sist on a seventh term. an eighth term
and a perpetual lien on the district until
he gets a more lucrative job2
Mr.. Mercer has not lived in Omaha
during the last six years. He has paid
no personal taxes in Omaha since 1890.
Will he become a resident of Omaha in
case he fails to secure denomination or
will he continue to live in Washington
and resume his old vocation as legisla-
tive lobbyist on a larger scale?
1t Is a matter Of notoriety that Mr..
Mercer has treated cadetship appoint
ments to West Point and Annapolis as
personal perquisites, to be distributed to
sons Of favored politicians, instead of
throwing them open to competition, SO
that every boy in the district-the poor
mans son as well as the rich mans son
should have an equal chance to secure
a military or naval education. Will Mr..
Mercer pursue this policy in his sixth
term, as he has in all his previous
terms?
Every congressman is entitled to draw
500 a month for clerk hire and every
house committee has a salaried secre-
tary. The secretary of the committee
on public buildings, Of which Mr.. Mercer
is chairman, receives $1,000 a year for
his services. Instead of giving employ.
ment to some deserving Nebraska re.
publican as his clerk, Congressman Mer.
Ger has pocketed the $1,000 a year clerk
hire and made the secretary Of his com.
uulllGt pGllOl" NhG uullCS VI ptlcOho
clerk without allowance for the extra
work. Will Mr.. Mercer continue to
pocket the $1,000 besides his regular
salary of $1,000 a year and other per
q~uisites in case he secures a sixth term
in congress?
In the month of May, 1900, the senate
passed a bill establishing a general
quartermaster's depot in Omaha, which
would have given our merchants the
l~ong-desired army supply purchasing
station instead of a mere storage ware
house. This bill was referred by the
speaker of the house to Congressman
Mercer, but he kept it in his pocket until
March 4, 1901, and deliberately killed it.
The only explanation MERGERS cham.
pions have seen fit to offer for this be.
trayal of the interests of Omaha is that
the bill was designed to keep the army
headquarters in the Bee building, which
would have exposed Omaha to the risk
Of losing the army headquarters alto.
gether. Inasmuch as the army head.
quarters were removed to the old post,
Office building in June, 1900, eight
months before congress adjourned, Mr.
Mercer must invent a more plausible
story to satisfy intelligent voters. What
is the true story? Was it because the
bill had been introduced by Senator
Thurston or was it because Mercer did
not want the editor of The Bee to have
credit for doing a good thing for Omaha
In the winter of 1899 a draft for 5000
was handed to Mr.. Mercer, to be used
in promoting the Greater America ex
position. That draft, now in possession
of the Merchants National bank, is en-
dorsed ON the back by George Sabine
who holds a position at Washington as
part of Mr.. MERGERS patronage. Why
did Mr.. Mercer have to have a middle
man to cash that draft? Is that the
way business is lone at Washington?
Proceeding on the brazen assumption
that the people of Omaha need him more
than he needs the people of Omaha, Oul
lOrdly nonresident congressman evinces
a disposition to ignore these pertinent
questions. But the people will not be
satisfied with contemptuous silence. II
is up to Mr.. Mercer to answer.
STEADFASTNESS OF NEW ENGLAND.