Omaha daily bee., 1902-10-28
SWEDISH VOTERS ARE WARY
They Are No Longer Accepting MERGERS
Promises at Par.
MAY ATTEMPT TO VOTE STRIKE BREAKERS
Mercer Managers Have secured
List of Imported Men at
Union Pacific shops.

inc swedish voters OF Nalsey precinct
IRE being put TO the test Of their credulity
again by Congressman Mercer in his en-
deavors to secure the votes Of men OF that
nationality. There are two Swede voters Of
the village who know just what the prom
Uses Of Mercer are worth and they have In
formed a number Of their compatriots, show
ing that his promises to the Swedes two and
four years ago were worth just as much
as the promise he made to place a Swedo
on the county ticket in Douglas county this
fall.
In 1896 Albert Egbert, a grocer Of Valley,
was approached In behal Of Mr.. Mercer
and asked 70 do what he could With tho
Swedish voters OF the precinct and that In
return Mercer would see that the postmas-
tership Of the town would be given to him.
Egbert believed the congressman and
started to work with vigor. He was en-
dorsed afterward by a number OF the voters
OF the village and precinct, but the post
mastership went to one of the Pufter broth
ers, who have since removed frnm the state.
In 1895 A. r. wilkstrom, a leading Swed-
ish merchant OF Valley, was used as the
cStspaw. He was promised the postotace,
A. Egbert had been two years before. His
work was 80 effective that Mercer carried
the precinct by a slight majority. Mr..
Wikstrom then went after the appointment.
He was endorsed by the Swedish Republican
league OF the county, by the Garfield club,
by prominent politicians and by 24o patrons
Of the Valley postofice. He was turned
down by the congressman as his fellow
countryman had been before. The candi-
date, II is said, has been working hard to
find some other Swede In Valley to bunco
this fall. but they are wary now and he is
rnRAFrQd IN TOharf and UtEofHnpn
The state Society OF Labor and INDUSTRY
is getting ready to make a strong plea
before the coming legislature to secure the
enactment Of laws which. will be of benefit
to laboring men and TO retain upon the stat
ute books the present gsrnishment law.
which is practically no punishment law al
all. There will be a meeting Of the legis-
lAtive and executive committees at Omaha
some time next month at which all bills
submitted to the former committee will be
| considered and those which the joint com.
mittee deems the best will be introduced
and a plan Of campaign before the legls.
lature outlined. At this session a record Of
the vote Of every member OF the assembly
will be kept upon all questions in which thu
laboring people are interested. and These
records will be preserved for the use OF tn,
members Of the society.
A good story is told Of W. T. Nelson, can.
didats for the legislature on the republican
ticket. One day last week a politica
worker was talking 70 a Swede who was OBJ
jecting to the way in which his nationalit!
had been turned down and the worker said
You must be mistaken. W. 7. Nelson
is On the ticket. and surely q man name
/ NTalaAa a. wo0H commemorative ~ Nhi
Swedes."
A short time afterward the swede me
Mr.. Nelson and spoke to him in Swedish
The candidate and the voter looked at eaeI
other with suspicion for a minute and the
passed by, the swede convinced that all o
the Nelson's DO not come from Stockholm.
Congressman Mercer lays great claim (
doing much for the business interests o
Omaha, but one house which depended upo
him for a very slight favor has reason {
deplore the f1ct that Il did so. In 1906
after the In ilan supply depot was Opene
In Omaha, all OF the jobbera expected 10 &c
business for the government. The Richard
son Drug company was one Of the house
which had In times past secured contract
for the sale OF drugs to the bureau and eI
pected to continue. When the blank pre-
posals were scot cut in 1901 II was foun
that Omaha delivery had been specified upo
4 number Of articles, but that drugs va
not upon the list Of goods TO be delivers
al Omaha. Correspondence between II
drug house and the commissioner Of India
Affairs and with Mr.. Mercer ensued. n
commissioner said the failure to specii
Omaha delivery Of drugs was an Oversight
but that II was then too late to make
correction. Mr.. Mercer wrote In the san
strain. but said that he would see that Il
oversight did not take place again. and thi
Omaha delivery should be specified in a
blanks OF 1902. Mr.. Weller Of the Richari
son Drug company rested with this assn
Gnce from the Congressman, but when Il
1902 blanks we're sent out there was
Omaha delivery OF goods specified. Al
again the commissioner said that IL was q
late TO make the correction. This buslne
which, with Omaha delivery. would U
doubtedly have given two Omaha house
even chance with Chicago aud New Yor
went away from the city simply becau
the congressman was too busy with 9th