Omaha daily bee., 1903-04-05
SHALL OMAHA RULE OMAHA?
What Corporation Domination Of Municipal
Government Will Mean.
CORPORATIONS VS., PEOPLE IS THE ISSUE
Address of Edward ROsewater Befors
the sixth ward Republican Club
Relating to the Coming
City Primaries.

City Primaries.
Following is the full text Of Edward
Rosewater's address to the republicans OF
the sixth ward, delivered at Lnn's hall on
last Thursday evening:
"Mr. Chairman. Fellow Citizens and Fell
low Republicans: / am impelled to appear
before you by a sense Of imperative duty
as an American citizen, as citizen Of
Omaha and as a republican. AS an Ameri-
can citizen / feel that the contest forced
upon us in this campaign by a faction Of
the republican party that styles itself anti
machine" involves the most sacred rights
of American citizenship An organization
that is pledged to profound secrecy and
transacts its business behind closed doors
is un-American and un-republican. The
methods pursued by the dark lantern fac
zion cannot fail to embitter neighbor against
neighbor and friend against friend They
intensity and promote factional hostility
and endanger republican success, not merely
at the coming election, but in the
contests the party will be compelled to
wage in the state and national campaigns.
AS a citizen Of Omaha feel that we are
confronted by grave issues that involve
not only its future growth and prosperity,
but the right Of self-government, the right
of the citizenship Of Omaha to elect its
own public servants, who will represent
us and do their sworn duty, instead Of men
who willingly barter the birthright OF every
Omaha citizen to corporations who want to
domineer and dominate. (Applause.)
This morning when | got to my ONCE
found an envelope on my door which is a
sort Of keynote for what they call the
underground or dark lantern campaign. It
reads as follows:
"As John N. Westberg was hurrying down
the street with his big dog he pulled out
with It piece Of paper which fell to the
sidewalk unnoticed by him. John passed
on and a bystander picked up the paper
the first stanza of which reads as follows:
Gopher Khan.
Opening ODE Tune-(Auld Lang syne.)
Let old acquaintance be forgot,
For have join'd the Gopher Khan.
I've drop'd my franchise and my rights.
Let blindness have fun sway.
I've ceased to be citizen,
And like the Jack-ass bray.
CHORUS.
And like the jack-ass bray,
Yes, like the jack-ass bray.
And like tn jack-ass bray
Is Omaha seIf-GovernedR
'T am entirely in the dark as to the
suggestive. As citizens we owe q duty not
only to ourselves. but to posterity, to pre-
serve the free institutions bequeathed to
us by the founders of the republic Are
we governing ourselves? Shall we sur
render the right Of self-government? That
is question that we must decide for our
selves We can only decide 1t by looking
backward and looking forward as well.
When came here the town had less than
1000 population. At that time, OF course,
we did not have railroads, and we did not
have corporate interference with our local
government. But as the city grew those
influences manifested themselves more and
more from year to year, until as a matter
of fact we have ceased to be a self gov
erned community. We welcomed the rail-
roads to this city. We opened our gates
and made them donations Of millions worth
OF property. We mortgaged the city and
county for hundreds Of thousands Of dollars
We voted 100000 for the Union depot
grounds and $250,000 toward the erection Of
the Union Pacific bridge. Adding interest
TO principal. we have taxed ourselves al
ready over 81, ,00O, 900. But in spite Of these
: donations the policy pursued by the Union
Pacific kept this city back and allowed
Kansas City to pass us In the race. For
more than fifteen years they charged 50
cents for every man, woman and child and
$40 for every carload OF merchandise that
crossed the Missouri over their bridge. Our
complaints were unheeded and our gen.
erosity was not appreciated. We wanted
to construct viaducts across the railread
tracks, for the protection and aecommo-
-dation OF the public and the railroads as
we'll. They resisted every effort made by
us 70 force them to comply with the pro-
vision OF the city charter that requires
railroads to pay the cost OF viaducts that
cross their tracks. We had to battle for
our rights for years until they were finally
recognized and afirmed by the supreme
court OF the United States. For years the
railroads that center In Omaha have been
steadily enlarging their terminal facilities
They have acquired their most valuable
right OF way privileges through our streets
and alleys and enlarged their depot grounds
by condemnation and purchase. But while
the railroad property in Omaha has enor-
mously increased in volume and value rail
road taxes in Omaha have steadily de-
creased.
Railroad Tax Striking.
"Ten years ago. before the Union PaoinC
and Burlington passenger depots had beer
constructed. before tho trafho Of omahS
had reached its present proportions, th'
railroads paid at least 100 per cent NOR
city taxes than they do today, BY tamper
ing with out legislatures they have man
aged TO insert into our charter provisions
vicious. unjust and inequitable. While al
other classes OF property in Omaha ar
now assessed at their full cash value thu
property Of the railroads in Omaha is as
sessed at only about l per cent OF IL
actual value The Union Pacific bridge
which. according 20 one OF the managers O
the railroads. earns 1000 every day In tn
year, contributes a fraction over $45 to
wards the expense OF maintaining city gov
ernment in Omaha There are men In thi
room that own small cottages who pa
more taxes than are paid for that bridge
There are men In Omaha whose taxes ar
delinquent because these railroads hav
not contributed their share Of public taxes
tApplause) With all their fair treatment
with all the generosity We have exhibite
toward them they have not only resists
kavsry effort our citizens have made I
.ompel them TO share equally with othe
NprOperty owners the expenses OF muaie
ipal government. but they ALTO persist I
rOhhfne us ~ oFr hirfkriRhf Aunarfca