Omaha daily bee., 1903-05-25
aASCALL IS STILL HOPEFUL
Plans to Put Gsrrymsnder Scheme Through
Old Council Today,
BURKLEY AND MOUNT TO RETURN TO CITY
Corporations and Democratic Poli-
tieisns Aid Hascan with view 90
bringing on Complications
for New Administration.

Councilman Hascall and his corporation
allies in the old city council have not yet
given up hope Of putting through their
gerrymander scheme by which four OF
them expect to retain their official seats
for three years longer. Since Judge Dick
inson vacated the order restraining the
passage Of the gerrymander ordinance the
wires have been kept hot with messages
urging Mount and Burkley to return to
the city to attend a special meeting of the
council. 1t was impossible to get the two
absent members here in time for a meeting
Saturday, but Burkley arrived in Omaha
Saturday night and Mount is expected To
come in from his sheep ranch today. The
plan of the Hascallltes is, therefore, to hold
a special meeting of the old council this
morning, adopt a resolution redistricting
the city and then take chances on having
their action held valid by the democratic
city attorney. who is said to be in with the
play.
Inasmuch as all ordinances must be ap-
proved by the mayor or passed over his
veto before they become effective. the
corporation councilmen. under the leader
ship Of Hascall, have been forced to the
method Of adding the proposed new wards
by non-concurrent resolution. They expect
City Attorney-eiect Wright to give an
opinion that this method is legal. and then
they will have the thing in shape to make
trouble even II their position is finally held
untenable by the courts.
The fact that Police Commissioners
Wright and Spratlen and W. II. Herdman
and other democrats have been Lending
their best efforts to Hascall's scheme is
taken as evidence of a desire on the part
Of the democrats to bring about a COM
plication that with give them an opportunity
to force from the mayor and the new
councilmen certain concessions in the way
of appoinuve places and council COM
mittees.
Says "FrOm" Means "After.'
Mr.. Wright has given it out as his opin-
ion that the city officials elected on May 8
do not, under the terms of the amended
city charter, take ONCE until after mid
night Monday, for the reason that the law
says they shall hold their offices for three
years from the third Monday succeeding
their election" Mr.. Wright construes the
word from" to mean after"
However, the right of the new council to
take once today is clearly established by
section IS Of the charter, which was not
amended or repealed by the charter bill
passed last winter This section says: ION
the third Monday following the election the
counclmen shall assemble and organize
| the council" In the face of this section
| of the charter 1t is impossible for council
men elected on May to accept Mr..
Wright's construction OF the word from"
and refrain from effectins their organiza-
! ton until after midnight.
! Nevertheless. IL is said to be HascalTs
| purpose to call a special meeting of the
defunct council for today, regardless of the
fact that the new council clearly goes into
office at this time. The success of his
| scheme to bring on a serious complication
will depend on the position taken by some
of the members OF the old council who are
| not included in the number the redstrct-
ing plan contemplates continuing in ONCE,
notably Burkley, Mount and Lobeck Mr..
Lobeck has already announced that he
will not vote for the gerrymsnder measure,
but Burkley and Mount have not committed
| themselves on the subject. All the influence
of the railroads. the franchised corpora
tions and the democratic politicians. how
ever, has been thrown to the assistance OF
Hascalls scheme.