Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1903-03-03
Proposal 10 AnsDd ths Rsvsuus Bill Nav
Also STR Things Up
AIN IS 10 TAX RAILROAD FRANCHISES
Fusion Members CAuous IN Effort to &c:
Togstbsr on the Bill
CONFERENCE OF OMAHA DeLEsAUOS
Invite People 10 Give Their opfn-
ions BeERrdinE the Proposed
Changes in the city
Charter.

~ rom a Etdu CORES tlffrl cent
LINCOLN. March 2.-Jsperial Telegram
Unless a radical change Of mind comes
over 3 certain member Of The house be
fore morning the legislature win be asked
to institute a systematic Investigation into
1be BARLEY cigar box mystery. This mem
6er. whose name is withheld al ais re-
guest tonight prepared a resolution call
ing on the speaker Of The house 70 appoint
q COMMITTEES 20 institute This invests cation
! VIII introduce the resolution IN the
morning soon as that order OF business
Is reached. said he gentleman. Z an
led TO take this step after due considerH-
tl0n and consultation with others. Some
republicans have urged me not 10 do Il.
saying it would be a bad thing for the
party. but ] think it is right: ] think the
state ought 10 investigate this mystery
and 50 have determined TO present my
resolution"
The resolution may be changed 90 As TO
provide for probing into the Affairs Of
ex-StBte Treasurer Meserve also. Certain
Legislators have awakened 10 the fact that
/ The people are in earnest in demanding to
know these things. The spirit Of inquisi-
/ uveness has become 80 all pervadfng as to
make ats demands weIl-nigh irresistible.
Since BARLEY in a recent interview with a
correspondent OF The Bee defRntly told the
people Of Nebraska il was none Of their
d business what he Was doing. in
view Of the general impression that he is
living OF the proceeds Of the states
money. certain element o. the people have
/ become indignant and this indignation hnds
expression IN the determination to demand
! that The legislature pry into this deep
seated mystery. As has been admitted
I tremendous influences have been st work
I TO staH on any such action, but evidently
/ the VIII uf the people is stronger and more
7 potent than the selfish desires Of those who
I for obvious reasons have tried to prevent
this step. The resolution eonkemplates the
summoning Of Witnesses and the employ
ment Of every means that VIII facilitate
the most searching inquiry into these I'M
1 tssrlEu1 rafsszfz. r haS beea 1af ifnatea Char
il the resolution carries. for-nsr Governor
Savage win be asked TO return from the
! Pacific coast and reveal some Of his boasted
/ knowledge Of this mystic cigar box
Amendments for Revenue BtIl.
4 Spectacular demonstrations are promised
when the revenue bill ge5s back to the
house. Two vital amendments have been
4 determined on providing for the assessment
Of railroad franchises. When they are sub
mitted, they likely Will be, the fun viii
begin. The railroads win resist both
I
/ One Of these plans is 10 tax the Erpss
I earnings OF the railroads in addition to
tangible property, taking this as the fran
chlse, as the revenue bill proposes in the
case Of the telephone, telegraph and ex-
I press companies The other plan is to
] compel the State Board OF Equalization TO
4 combine the amounts Of the capital stock
1 the bonded and floating Indebtedness, call
( that The franchise value and tax it,
Representative Caldwell OF Clay county.
republican and member Of the standing
revenue committee Of the house has pro-
posed the former amendment and gave out
today that he would insist on its introduc-
ton He Is desirous that his committee
support this amendment, hut the committee
has not taken decisive stand on this as
yet. II is q notable fact that The con-
mittee, being somewhat hostile to the bill
since il WAS left out in the cold IN draw
ing W the measure win not feel any com
FUNCTIONS OF conscience in making changes
in The bill The COMMITTEES is expected 10
4 report Tuesday
As 70 the latter proposition 10 tax fran
chises II finds champions outside Of the
/ committee Representative Loomis, The
nominal fusionist leader said Of II TO-DAY.
This amendment, think. certainly viii
be introduced I cannot speak for auy
(
will come as near getting al the franchise
( yalue any can. AT best franchise can
not be accurately estimated in value. OF
course neither this nor any other plan for
assessing their franchises VIII be satisfac-
tory 10 The railroads"
Railroads viii Fight.
The railroads win o. course hght either
one or both Of these amendments with all
their power, which is equivalent TO saying
+ that the adoption u either or both amend
uents is 2 remote probability. The rail-
roads we're satisfied with the bill IN this
respect when fl left the hands Of the CON
r1ittee-it contained no provision FOR tax
ing franchises-End they DO not propose TO
see this work destroyed.
Il is the belief thai the sehsIBs Of which
M LOOMS speaks is 10 be launched as a
fusiuuist proposition, 10 give some fOunda-
tiun on which this little band In The legis-
Iature may stand iu their party's deter
minatiou o. manufacturing campaign ma
tsrial al the expense OF the republican
) majority For the laEt two weeks the
rwenty-eiEht members 81 the legislature
Who constitute The minority have been 30
severely pr0dded by their followers out in
the state tha- they are almost ready 10
turn in on auv sort Of foundation Prom
every quarter 'i esha AaH tuLAe hp-
psals 70 the fusluuIsLE TO get IN line and
fEht for fusionisHy fght for campaign
thunder 50 that when the next election
rolls round they may be able 70 tell the
dear people how they fought, blsd and
died" In The Twenty-eighth legislature for
their dear sEkes. DO somethinE" is the
shrek that comes down from Omaha and
Il ts echoed from one corner of The state
10 the other wherever fuEioniEm Is known.
As mas been pointed out by The Bee and
reiterated by the chief organ o. fusioniEm
the little hand in the Legislature Is with
I out a leader without an effective orEsulza-
rion. IL may BE- added and without any
purpose of securing the passage Of a good
reVsnue bail from any higher motive than
% serve parry interests a. ths nsxt slsoti0a-