The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1904-05-19
Republican State Convention


A great crowd came to attend the
republican state convention, SO great
that more than double force of bar
tenders had to be ON at nearly all the
saloons, and at the bars of the leading
hotels the bartenders were Quadrupled.
Two old pops were standing in front
of the Lindell hotel looking at the
crowd for anything anywhere if there
the republicans always get such a
crowd?" "That is a simple matter"
said the other "You could get a big
crowd for anything anywhere If there
was free transportation. Nearly all
of these men came on passes and
many of them have their hotel bills
paid besides"
One Of the crowd Of republicans
tackled the editor of The Independent
and asked What do you think of
that crowd of mullet heads? Pretty
respectable looking body, amt they?"
'They are not mullet heads" he re-
piled. Glad to see that you have
come to your senses at last. ! suppose
that we will see no more about the
mullet heads in The Independent here
after" said the republican. The edi-
tor took another look at the crowd
and then said, speaking slowly, NO,
these are not mullct heads. The null
let heads are at home planting corn.
These are the men who hold the Off
ces and ride on passes. There are
some of the sharpest intellects in the
state among them"
That republican was disguised with
the answer, turned on his heel and
went away.
When it came to the convention,
Burkett was Immediately nominated
for senator and Mickey for governor
by reclamation. The railroad domina-
ton reached a point at this cOnven-
ton that astonished even the old-tim-
ers in the republican party. Wherever
three delegates we're caught talking
together, it would be found that two Of
them were bitter opponents OF Mickey
Yet when the convention was called
to order, Mickey was nominated with
out a dissenting vote. The Douglas
delegation had 81 members. 1t was
frequently and publicly announced
that of the 81, n would not vote for
Mickey. One of them Told a member
of the populist state committee that II
the populists would put up good cam
didate, they would guarantee that
Douglas county would give. the pop
ulist candidate 5000 majority. Yet
this delegation went into the conven-
ton and cast its solid vote for the
nomination of Mickey. The members
of the Douglas delegation were elected
in one of the hottest contests ever
experienced in Omaha, where the fight
was against Tom Dennison, Rosewa-
ter and the police board appointed by
Mickey-it was really a fight against
Mickey. Yet that delegation came to
Lincoln and cast it's vote for Mickey.
Why? Go and ask John N. Baldwin.
Last week the Lincoln News said:
"If the republican state convention,
which meets in this city Wednesday,
does not by resolution instruct its
representatives in the executives de-
partment of the state government to
assess the railroads upon the basis OF
the market value of their stocks and
OOQQS. Luc uOOlu VI ShS POI y 80 VIZ
state election will be sounded"
The convention did nothing OF the
sort, but instead adopted as miserable
a makeshift as any party ever dis
graced itself with. Here it is:
"In response to public necessity
and the party's pledge, the legislature
has enacted a new revenue law. 1t
was framed to distribute the public
burden with exact and even Justice.
We pledge the party to correction
of such inequalities as may be dis
closed and to the assessment OF all
property, corporate and private, at its
full value according to law, SO that all
property shall have its equal share
of taxation. We favor the raising only
of such revenue as Ii needed to meet
current EXPENSES OF the state govern