Omaha daily bee., 1903-04-24
LEST I'VE FORGET

clause in the charter by which the rail
on the actual value of their terminals
In Omaha. and in the face of his nOtori-
GUS subserviency to the franchised cor
porations both in the legislature and
council. In order to refresh the mem
ory of Judge Doane and other admirers
Of Edward Z. Howell it may not be out
of place for us to reproduce the follow
ing editorial comment on the per-
formances of Howell in the state senate,
that appeared in The Bee, April o, 1897,
under the caption Of "a Political Trick
Horse" as follows
Senator Howell's performances on the
bill TO enlarge the powers of the State
Board Of Transportation are in accord
with his record in the Omaha council and
in the Legislature. He has proved himself
not merely an adrolt political trimmer,
but also consummate trickster.
When the bill in question was before the
senate on its final passage a call Of the
house was ordered and the doors we're
closed Howell, who plays double on nearly
every important question, made a roaring
protest against the manner in which the
bill was being forced through. He had
cast his vote for the bill, evidently presum-
Ing that 1t would fail to get the necessary
majority, but threatened to change his vote
from yes" TO mo- when the call disclosed
the possibility of it's passage. When the
roll call showed that the bill would not
pass he still had himself recorded in lis
favor. Later. when the vote by which the
bill was defeated was reconsidered, Howell
lodged the vote, which was the same as If
he had cast his vote against the bill. Man
| ifestly Howell had made a bargain with
the railroad lobby to beat the bill, but
| wanted to play his populisti associates and
constituents for suckers.
That is a fair measure of the man who
is all things to all men, but can never be
depended on to go the straight road II he
can cover his tracks by travelling over a
crooked road.
AS to Howells performances in the
council we need only refer to the only
religiously truthful paper in Omaha, the
World-Herald. which in its issue of
April 26, 1894. INDUCES in this comment
on the distribution of places on the COM
mittees when Howell was president of
the city council:
| A dozen republicans could not have done
better in. providing for republicans than
Mr.. Howell did on the committees. Out of
! hfty-three places on the committees How
! ell gave, twenty-five to the democrats, in
cluding Hascall, and to the republicans
twenty-eight. Could a republican have
| done better?
| Out of seventeen committees the demo-
| Gratis were given control of seven, while
the republicans control ten. There are
| three committees on which no one but re-
publicans were appointed. Could repub-
licans beat that? He gave the democrats s
control Of the judiciary finance, police,
sidewalks and bridges, printing, paving,
curbing, guttering. Waducts and railways.
1t is not material that he was compelled
to do this much for the democrats. He
did 1t. Even republican could not have
improved on that.
/ The important committee of claims he
made up by the appointment OF Saunders
(Billee), Wheeler and BecheI. Could a re-
publican have put in more republicans on
that committee when there were only three
positions to FILL He made Chris Specht
chairman Of public property and bridges,
appointed Bruner (Charles). another re-
publican. to assist Speeht and gave one
lone democrat, Burkley, . place beside
! this distinguished number OF statesmen.
That's pretty near as good as a republican
could have done. Grades and grading was
made OF three republicans and two demo-
Gratis, Streets, alleys and boulevards com
prises two republicans and one democrat
Fire and water has three republicans Gas
and electric light has two republicans and
one democrat. Sewerage has two repub-
lioans and one democrat. Telegraph and
telephone poles has two republicans and
one democrat
These are merely samples to convince
everyone that there was no necessity fol
republican assistance in making up tha
list Of council committees. A republican
could not have done better than Mr.. How
ell did in giving three such eminent states
men as Back, Edwards and Specht cortro
Of the important committee on grades ant
grading. A republican could not have don,
any better than Mr.. Howell did in givinl
such eminent and spotless statesmen Al
Specht and Bruner control of both publi
properties and buildings and ire and water
The World Herald concludes:
We concede that in one respect a repub
} lican might have done better than Mr.
, Howell He might have turned dow
every one Of the democrats who made How
ellis election possible. But here th
World Herald has an excuse Mr.. Howell
: is ambitious. He has a political future a
Z broad and extensive in his own mind a
! It is narrow and contracted In the politica
. index Of the present. II would have bee
folly for him to have done more for tn
e G. o. P. and its leaders than he has al
. ready done OF tried to do. and having don
: the best his circumstances would allow
Mr.. Howell should be excused. He ha
done we'll. acted nobly-a republican eoul
: do no more.
e 1t is needless TO say that with Howe
as president of the council the appoin
J. ment OF the committees was not a que
I tion OF republicanism or democracy, bI
s simply Of satisfying the privileged co
J. porations who made up his list for hin
e When Howell was in the state senat
| his nFincinaI aim and Obiact WAS tO lpi