Omaha daily bee., 1902-04-02
TWO 1RR1ET DEMAGOGUES,

tine ]. Smyth. According to the World
Herald, Mr.. Hitchcock asserted that he
had not come from Omaha to discuss
the personal side of the campaign, be-
| u he knew little of the personality
Of the candidates, but 1t was enough for
him to know that the democrats had Sc
lected Mr.. Loechner for their standard
bearer. From the very reasonable re-
ports that had reached him, he declared,
there was an effort being made to n
South Omaha to the Omaha machine
and ventured to assert that the South
Omaha democrats are not content with
| compulsory annexation TO such a cor
rupt machine as was behind the repub-
lican candidates in this contest.
Reasonable reports indeed. Just
about as reasonable as was Mr.. Hitch
cocks assertion that he knew nothing
about the personality of the candidates.
Perhaps MIR. Hitchcock had never heard
Of the uprising of the South Omaha tax
payers against boodlerism in the man
agement of their public schools. Per-
HhDb he Ddu utNtI utdIu VI Jht luulCI-
ment Of the man chosen by the demo-
Gratis to head their city ticket. But he
did hear about the pretended attempt
to annex South Omaha to an alleged
corrupt Omaha machine. He had never
heard, of course, about the rottenest
machine in all Nebraska that was over
| thrown by South Omaha republicans at
their primaries when they ~repudiated
Mayor Kelly and turned down Kellyism.
For a man of his calibre 1t was easy to
close his eyes upon the fostering cancer
that had been gnawing at the vitals of
South Omaha and was trying to con
tinue its deadly grip, but it was reason
| able to believe that the corrupt Omaha
machine was linked in with the reform
| element of South Omaha that was seek
ing to purge South Omaha. Was it not
also Just as reasonable to assume that
| Omaha republicans are anxious to bring
| about the annexation Of South Omaha
as a partisan measure in the face of the
fact that South Omaha is a democratic
| stronghold, with from 600 to 900 ma
jority?
A still more rank exhibition of polit-
ical demagogy was the speech of Con-
stantine j. Smyth, who likes to pose as
a great reformer. According to the
World Herald, Mr.. Smyth devoted much
time to making plain to hearers the con-
sequences which would arise from the
enforcement of the corrupt machine,
which he declared would rule South
| Omaha with a high hand If 1t ever
gained q foothold there. Continuing,
Smyth is reported to have said:
This so-called machine is we'll under
stood by limos. everyone. 1t is the curse
of Omaha, and is backed by the most in
famous men and the most corrupt infu-
ences available. AS 1t now is and has been
the curse of omaha for several years, 80
also will it be the curse Of South Omaha
II you let 1t have control here.
Continuing, Mr.. Smyth bitterly ar
raigned the late grand jury and paid his
compliments to the judge who was re-
sponsible for it, and who, he declared,
was the worst ever on the bench, add
ing:
l have heard many say that they re-
garded an indictment by that grand jury
as a compliment rather than a condemna-
ton. This jury, with an anxious public
Witnessing the commission Of crime on all
sides and hoping for justice from the jury,
simply turned a deaf ear to the gambling,
and Jury bribing and other crimes known
to be TRANSPORTING, and came to South Omaha
l. AAVWS IN atn AAA
campaign for mayor.
The curse of Omaha consists in just
such arrant demagogues n sham re-
formers as G. J.. Smyth. Who are the
infamous men he had in view and what
! positive knowledge has he of corruption
in the city government of Omaha? Has
the city treasury been looted by any
body connected with the present city
government? Have any public funds in
the city treasury been farmed out for
private gain? Does he know of any city
officer who has defrauded the city or
levied blackmail upon anybOdyT Does
he know of any city officer who has ac-
cepted bribes from anybody? If so,
why has he not placed the facts in the
hands of the democratic county attorney
and insisted upon the prosecution Of the
Offenders? If Smyth has been shocked
by the alleged corruption of the Omaha
city government, why has his conscience
never beer disturbed over the notorious
and admitted organized band of hood
lers and blackmailers that has preyed
upon the taxpayers Of South Omaha and
held up almost every interest dependent
upon municipal favor or subject to po-
lice supervision In South Omaha?
II anything, more ~despicable than this
srrant partisan demagogy is Smyth's
arraignment Of the grand jury and
Judge Baker. The grand jury was con.
vened in November and adjourned in
January. Could Smyth pretend that the
indictments found against members OF
the South Omaha school board were
aimed at the candidate for mayor whom
the democrats nominated in March
Was the South Omaha Taxpayers
league, at whose instance the lndict.
ments We're brought, in collision with
the Omaha machinel Did not smyth
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