Omaha daily bee., 1902-06-08
AscArDALoUs PERFORMANCE.

Once more the people Of Nebraska
have been shamelessly betrayed by their
trusted public servants. The parole and
pardon Of Joseph BARLEY Justly reused
the people of this state TO intense in
dignatlon and an overwhelming public
sentiment swept the state like a hur-
ricane. If the liberation of the great
embezzler was an objectionable %offense,
what should be said of the outrage per-
petrated by Governor Savage, Auditor
Weston and Treasurer Stuefer on the
people of Nebraska by their AFFECT sub
road lawyers, who forced them In star
chamber meeting to recant and recall
their sworn declaration to the supreme
court, that they had refused to assess
the franchises Of the railroad corpora
lions because they did not believe that
they had the legal authority to assess
anything but their tangible property?
Only two weeks ago, when the appeal
for more equitable assessment of the
property Of the railroads was denied
ny NAiD bOhAhB taNh llNIAbVA " AAtt bOhl
tried to excuse himself for refusing to
do his sworn duty by claiming that
the statutes relating to railroad assess
ment did not expressly include fran
chlses with their tangible property.
This plea was inserted by the attorney
general on behalf Of the board In his
answer to the writ issued by the SUI
preme court, coupled with the respectful
request that the court interpret the pro-
visions Of the constitution and statutes
relative to the assessment Of the prop
critics and franchises Of railroads and
telegraph companies.
The answer drawn up by the attorney
general was considered, discussed and
approved by the board before 1t was
filed by the attorney general and was
In the nature of individual testimony of
zach Of the three state officers consti-
tuting the board. The withdrawal Of
this document from the supreme court
and the substitution of a document that
attempts to negative in almost every
particular the statement originally
made, is the most infamous piece of
perfidy and treason to the people of
which any state officer could be guilty.
There are no palliating circumstances
to justify such conduct. The state Off
GERS are elected by the people, for the
people, and not for the corporations.
If there was any doubt in the minds
Of the members of the board, as to their
duty in the premises, the benefit of the
doubt should have been given to the
people and not to the corporations; but
from the outset the board, while pro-
Tossing to be loyal to the people, ex-
hibited its insincerity and ~disloyalty at
every stage. Its meetings were held
within closed doors and its legal adj
visors were railroad attorneys instead
of the chosen law officer of the state,
the attorney general.
If the members Of the board were
honest and faithful to their trust, why
should they have held a star-chamber
session to reconsider and revoke the
original Interpolation addressed to the
supreme court with their sanction and
on their behalf? Do these men i'm
agine that the pc ..e of Nebraska will
exeulpate them for such an ~unheard-of
proceeding? If they do, they underrate
popular intelligence and misunderstood
the temper of the people. If they have
deliberately sacrificed the interests of
the state for some political advantage
they will discover before long that cor
poratlons are impotent to redeem such
pledges.
From the party point Of view, the
action of the board is, If anything, more
r~eprehensible than it is from the stand
point of good citizenship. The repub-
lican party will be compelled to de-
nounce and repudiate their acts Just as
it has denounced and ~repudiated the
unwarranted exercise Of executive elem
ency.