Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-21
FOR MOORES AND HOME RULE
First Ward Republicans Cheer Themselves
Hcase Over the Mayor,
MAYOR GIVES ACCOUNT OF STEWARDSHIP
Frankly Announces His CandidacI
and Meets the sIanderous Charges
of His Opponents in open,
Manly Way.

Mayor Moores and home rule were the
most accentuated features Of one OF the
biggest republican meetings Of the cam
paign last night. Under the auspices Of
the First Ward Republican club Mayor
Moores, Park Commissioner Cornish and a
number of others spoke to more than $50
men in National hall at Thirteenth and
William streets. II was distinctively a
Moores meeting, and the applause for him
and his administration was unstinted at all
points. when the mayor, who was the
first speaker, stepped forward he was
greeted by a period Of handclapping and
cheering that lasted FIVE minutes. At in
tervals while he talked he was interrupted
by loud applause and each mention OF him
by the succeeding speakers did not fail to
make the crowd become enthusiastic.
After the principal speakers had finished
President Bandhauer called upon a number
Of others, candidates and citizens, to speak.
and the following responded: Fred Brun-
ing, candidate for tax commissioner from
the Second ward; Peter NJ. Back. l. S.
Hascall and Charles Hanley, candidates
for the council from the First; G. b. Ablan,
a Syrian from the Second ward; J. Fred
Benin, president of the Second Ware Re-
publican club, and w. b. Christie, presi-
dent of the Fifth Ward Republican club.
Mayor Moores spoke first. In part, he
said:
l come to you TO give you an account of
my stewardship for the past three years
and to announce to you that l am can
didate for renominatioL- for q third term.
am your servant. 1t is no more than
right that l should come before you to
tell you what l have done and to put my
subject to your suffrage. Three years ago
the principal issue OF the campaign was
the municipal ownership Of the water
works. Now 1t seems to be 'Moores or anti
Moores' - "machipe or antt-machine.
three years ago and later there were
be %ss T6ere we're P eese
to be well defined rumors" to that effect
ana a special grand jury wrestled with
the question for a month. All l wish to
say now is that no indictment was found
against me- There was ra sed also the
cry that my administration was too liberal
deal. Presently they got 1t. The supreme
court decided that the board Of fire and
police commissioners should be appointed
by the governor. Such was done and the
governor board has been IN authority for
nearly eight months, and ask you II you
when my board was in power? Cries ol
The city has run along and even more
The present board allowed a pool room to
open-a thing that never was allowed dur.
ing the former boards administration, and
form of gambling.
Opposition Works at Lincoln.
The opposition to me has not seen fit tc
meet me on local, common GROUNDS, bul
has attempted to encompass my defeat
through The Legislature; First they tried
hibiting third terms for mayors and couh.
cilmen In Omaha, nothing beng said about
city comptrollers or other city officers
Mayors who had proved satisfactory m
otner large cities in the country are
serving their fourth and fifth terms. We
had a congressman who was elected five
times and served as many terms and II
was declared that the longer ne served the
better able he became to serve his con
stItuents.
Then my opponents in the republican
party tried the scheme of putting OF the
election to May. Well, that is all right
1 am satisfied, 1 am making new friends
tion of far enough will nave everyons
In the city on my side.
Another plan that was worked through
the city central committee was the adop.
ton OF the rule compelling candidates toI
the council to submit their names ON the
primary ballots under either the Moores
or anti-Moores' delegations. This is mos
unfair to the councilmanic candidates. but
think l can worry along under 1t al
right.
DisgracefuI Ripper Bill.
As a last resort the new primary elec,
lion, bill has been passed, which max
IL incumbent upon the voter when he Is
challenged to disclose whether or not ht
voted tor the candidates of the party un.
der which he is registered at the last elec
ton This will destroy the secrecy OF the
ballot and great number of citizens viii
be deprived of the right to take part In
the primaries. The bill is unconstitut!ona
and extremely vicious and will react upor
tested in the courts / am satisfied it viii
be found In contradiction 10 our constitu
ton.
been
Wherever money was involved ! have used
the greatest care and exercised the veto
power as wisely as | knew how, refusing
10 be dictated to by railroads, corpora tions
or individuals. / have tried always TO act
in the interests of the taxpayers. Nobody
owns me and l am free TO do what | think
is right and l have done so, and will.
Railroads in Omaha are not taxed iT
proportion to business property and private
and believe that the railroads shuuld be
compelled to pay in proportion to what
they have. Although efforts 10 get a Law
that will make this taxation possible have
failed. and the railroads are resisting il
the courts an independent attempt, still
cannot help but declare that the time Is
coming when the railroads will pay theiI
fair share Of taxes.
About Municipal Ownership.
Among the charges that have beer
launched upon me Is one that although
elected upon a municipal waterwOrk.
plant. 1t was utterly impossible 20 do thi,
with the old valuation OF city pre- perty, az
the issuance OF bonds TO buy the water
plant would have made the total bond Is.
sue more than 10 per cent or the assessed
Vauati ton, as is named by the charter as tn
limit. Now that the total valuation has
been made on full worth and fixed at abou
SlZ9.OOO, 900, increases in the bonds Is pos
slble but the legislature has provided fol
the requirement of the uant, and II the
law hoids water the waterworks will be
come city property sooner or later
Regarding municipal ownership, / wan
to say thar as always | am in favor of it
l think IL to the advantage OF the citizens
TO own the gas, electric light, telephon,
and street railway concerns and all pubic
utilities, but at the present time the jol
occupy our attention, The absorption o
the other public utilities most properly
wall come later.
Argues for Home Rule.
Park Commissioner Cornish devoted mos
of his speech to arguments for home rule
He declared that he was for Mayor Moore
because the mayor favored home rule AM
equal taxation. In part he said: "A hom
rule bill for Omaha has just been killed il
/ the legislature. The farmers and busines
men from all over the state seem to thin
/ that the people Of Omaha don't learn fror
experience what they want, and in a fe,
] days assume to learn exactly what /
| needed Therefore they kill the bill an
/ deny us the right 10 make rules and law
/ for ourselves in purely local matters.
| believe that the law passed by the legisla
| ture compelling the city to acquire IN
I e. ,-,rlys ~ rur,bos, ,,pa.-