Omaha daily bee., 1903-04-13
state expected Of the legislature and did
not get we're these:

state expected OF the legislature ana dtd
not get we're these:
A bill or constitutional amendment 20
provide a safeguard for the public school
fund and a salutary means Of its invest
The enlargement of the supreme court 50
as to enable the stste to dispense Wiih
the supreme court commission.
Provisions fer allowing some fexibility
IN the hxing of the number and salaries OF
A constitutional amendn,ent compelling
railroads to furnish state officers, judges
Of the courts and members OF the legisla-
ture with free transportation over their
lines In Nebraska and making II an I'm
peachable offen7e for any OF these pub ic
servants to accept a railroad pass In tbs
or any other state.
A law abolishlng the fee system and sub
stituting fair salaries for all state officers
The repeal Of all dead-letter laws on the
statute books.
OF course the most persistent demand
that was made on this legislature was for
a revision in the revenue laws Of the state
that would insure an equitable method Of
taxation; that would place railroad prop
erty and property OF other corporations on
the same basis Of taxation as is the prop
erty Of smaller taxpayers; that would sub
ject all franchises to fair taxation and al
low none OF the large interstate concerns
that have to meet their revenue obligations
in other states to escape them in Nebraska.
New Revenue Law.
Friends OF the new revenue law maintain
that most, IL not all, these demands will
be met in that law. They insist that after
that law has been in operation a suficient
length OF time the state will be enabled
TO cancel its Illegal debt Of over $4,000, 900
and assert that as much as 5000, 900 Is al
ready in sight as a credit to balance against
this interest bearing debt. Governor
Mickey, who represents the radical friends
Of the new law, claims for It the power OF
producing a total assessed valuation OF
$500, 900, 900. state Auditor Weston, repre-
senting the conservative friendship Of the
law, places the aggregate assessment under
its operation at 100000 O00 II the law
accomplshes either 1t will be doing all
that was claimed for 1t, but 1t is only fair
to say that many students of affairs In
Nebraska hold that it will come far from
meeting either the governors or the aud
itor's expectations. Some even contend
that it does not guarantee any increase
over the present assessed valuation, $780,
900 000 for the reason that II falls to con-
tain those provisions that are necessary
in order to bring to time. the railroads and
other great corporate interests of the state
and establish conditions that will make II
throw the burden Of taxation upon the
| smaller class by shirking their own re-
sponsibilities.
Two VetOes Turned Down.
The legislature overrode the governor iu
| two cases, once when 1t passed over his
veto a bill providing for the publication
| OF 500 sets of statutes at a cost to the state
Of SO a set, and again when Il refused to
reconsider It's action in defeating all bills
for constitutional amendments and passing
bill for constitutional convention, thus
| ignoring a special message sent by the gov
ernor the last week of the session.
| Once during the progress of affairs g
| spirit Of inquisition seized the legislature
but the results we're disappointing. The
honse appointed separate committees to
| investigate the circumstances Of the so
called cigar box. in which ex-State Treas
urer Bartley was said to have deposited
certain private notes and securities for
state funds which he had defaulted; to
investigate the alleged illegality of the
pardon by which Ezra P. Savage released
| Bartloy from the penitentiary and to in
vestigate the oficial conduct of ex-state
| Treasurer Stuefer in the Burt county bond
| purchase and OF ex- State Treasurer Me.
serve in assuming the affairs of ONCE OF
the expiration OF Bartley's term. The sen.
| ate then prosecuted somewhat of an in.
vestigation into certain affairs connected
with purchases made for the legislator,
and state house by Secretary Of State
Marsh.
The result OF the BARLEY cigar box cas-,
was the taking OF a lot Of testimony and
! a report that there was no evidence OF
which could be based that the mysterious
receptacle was aught but a myth. Th'
committee to investigate the Bartley par
don, which was the house judiciary com
mittee, took no action whatever and mad'
no report whatever. The stuefer commit
| tee examined a number OF witnesses
brought out what was considered. by man!
as very substantial grounds for complaint
but reported a full and complete exonera
tion OF Stuefer, following which his bonC
premium of $1,000 was paid. The Marsl
episode resulted in the discounting OF GER
tain bills incurred by him and the passag
Of bill transferring from the secretary o
state the authority TO purchase and keel
legislative supplies to the State Board o
Public Lands and Buildings.
ON. the Constitution.
The legislature took a very difieren
course than was expected OF 1t in killing
all bills providing for the submission o
constitutional amendments to the people
The demand for such bills was so grea
that Governor Mickey intervened in behal
OF the people and urged the passage of a