Omaha daily bee., 1903-04-05
The Corporations or the People

traoted struggle in the courts unless you
pay an exorbitant price for the plant. After
the Howell Gilbert bill was passed atten-
tion was called to some glaring defects In
the bill. There was ample time. at least
twenty to thirty days, for the introduction
OF a supplementary bill to cure these de-
fects. but no bill was introduced, because
1T was so ordered
Public Lighting Plant.
"Now, although great big chunk Of meat
has been thrown to the dog, 1 make bold
to predict that the municipal ownership
dog won't stay choked. He will not be
content with one chunk, but will reach cut
for another. He will grab the smallest
chunk first and that is the electric light.
(voices: That's so.D
'If We are to pay four, Eve or six mill
lions for the water works plant It ought
not to trouble us to vote half a million
more for an electric lighting plant. l had
a talk with City Electrician Schurig this
evening. He said that inasmuch as we own
large tract Of ground near Nicholas
street and do not need to buy a site for the
electric light plant and have, moreover,
railroad trackage adjacent to those city
lots, It would cost no more than $3.50, 900 to
put up an electric light plant and equip
It frst class in every respect with a capac-
ity of 1900 electric arc lamps superior to
those now in use. We now have less than
500 lamps. II we expend another $250, 900
for extensions and machinery we will have
plant ample for public and private con-
sumption for twenty-five years to come.
A half million dollars will give us a large
fireproof structure equipped with the best
IL R1 ad.aNf
system. don't want to be understood that
favor any course that would rob the ex-
listing electric light company. Let them
keep on furnishing light at reasonable
rates to the public. We will not molest
them, but we can make our own light for
the city of Omaha and supply the public,
II II is found most advantageous, or We
will purchase their plant II they will sell
1t for what II is worth and get out Of
the way and give us a chance to have city
government without corrupt interference.
In my judgment, the time has come to
call a halt upon the manager Of that COM
pany and the managers Of all other COM
panies and ask them to let the city con-
duct its own municipal government on
business principles and not on Doodle prin-
ciples.
Dark Lantern sOIicitude.
''Those gentlemen with dark lanterns
claim to be wrought up very much over ex-
| travagance and wastefulness in the city
hall. The amusing thing is that they stop
| up their ears and refuse to hear anything
about rottenness in the court house. Why?
| Because most of the crooks in the court
house belong to their khan. They have not
| for example, discovered any rottenness in
the grading of roads and building Of
| bridges. They have not heard Of the waste
of county funds on supernumeraries, who
| have nothing to do except tramp around
| town and talk politics. Probably they
never heard Of the fact that one of the
| bridges built by the county ring connects
with no road on either end. feel that the
time has come for discussing these things
| In public and II any Of the keep-it-dark
disciples want to meet me in public discus
sion l am ready at all times and in all
hours to accommodate them. (Applause.)
People or COrpOrntiOnsf
"This 10 the issue that confronts US. Are
we to have a government by the people and
for the people or a government by the cor
porations, for the corporations and against
the people? That is the real issue. The
true issue is as have presented it here to
you tonight. Unless the citizens Of Omaha
rally and stand up for the principles oi
self government we shall soon be reduced
to the abject condition OF the city Of Lin.
| coin. You remember that when the legis-
lature met the people of Lincoln were Just
as much In arms against inequitable taxa
tion OF railroads as the people Of Omaha
They were all united and their members oi
the legislature all stood for equitable taxa
ton when the session opened and publicly
declared themselves In favor of Legislation
that would compel the railroads to pay
their Just proportion of municipal taxes
But one single wink, one snap of the
fingers by the Burlington Doodle distributor
at the state capital. brought these people
to their knees. They at once abandoned
the principle they had been advocating anC
lay down and helped the railroads to ride
rough shod over the state of Nebraska ant
their own city in particular. What a dis
graceful and humiliating spectacle! d.
you want to have that kind OF government
In Omaha? (Voices: No, no.) Are we t