The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-06-17

Now, however, the people of Nebraska
are really feeling the force of the law
and 1t Is proving unpopular. The rail-
roads, against whom it was primarily
passed, are tanning the flame of revul-
sion by insisting that every phase of the
law be enforced. They hope in this way
to make public opinion so rampantly
against the statute, that when the next
legislature meets its repeal Will follow
with the passage Of a milder and more
isfactory act.
So far as the present enforcement in
Omaha is concerned for this year the
responsibility has already been shifted
twice. The state of Nebraska handed
down the question concerning the Wood
men to the board of equalization and
that organization in turn passed 1t to
the county board of commissioners of
Douglas county, in which Omaha is To-
Gated. The commissioners have not yet
acted on the matter, for the simple rea-
son that the banks, the postOf1ce and
the general run of business men in the
Nebraska metropolis are after them
good and hard, to in some way exempt
the Woodmen until formal relief is
granted them through the legislature
! next year. In short Omaha has taken
up the fight for the order and is de-
termined to keep its headquarters with
out having it loaded down with an OBJ
noxious tax upon its emergency fund
amounting to $4,000 year and in
creaSing annually.
]. z. Fitzgerald. sovereign manager,
and secretary Of the executive board of
/ the Woodmen lodge, is in the city to-
/ day. This board viii determine what
4 viii finally be done. Mr.. Fftzgerald was
/ asked to explain the situation so that
! Topeka business men might understand
/ exactly what confrOnts them and what
/ the chances are of getting the home
I here. Beside the above he said:
i think that Omaha viii keep the
+ home. The business people there are
up in arms and lighting hard to ar
4 range matters SO that we will be re-
I lieVed of that tax, which was only
4 rider on bill passed against the rail-
/ roads. The next legislature I think will
/ be so Influenced by public opinion that
! the act viii be repealed. Until that
/ time 1 look for no action Of the part of
! our board to move. The only real and
I definite decision to leave Omaha will
+ arise in case the next legislature abso-
/ lutely and point blank refuses to take
that statute off the Nebraska law
books IF it is insisted at Lincoln that
( we pay on our emergency fund we will
! most certainly leave Nebraska and go
] to some other city. But first we will
1 try to get relief A decision won't come
+ in month or so as I have found peo-
+ pie IN Topeka thinking. but it will fol-
+ low the action of the next Nebraska
1 legislature The matter may in some
! way be tided over until then but we
/ don't have it done that way. We are
not tax shirkerS. We are willing to nav
+
/ and If Nebraska does not think enough
/ of US to exempt that we Will 90 some
! where else where we will receive this
/ exemption.
/ Three cities have already made an
phcat1on for the home, Topeka, Cleve-
/ land, o. and Kansas City, No The
/ latter town is my home The invitations
I OF these places are on file at Omaha
/ So far as saying which one stands the
/ best chances, I would be unable to talk
about at all, because there IS nothing
/ to talk about There are various matters
/ to be taken into consideration and if
we should decide to move, the towns
would be visited and their advantages
/ considered. I like the enthusiasm in
/ Woodmen like you"
The executive board which will have
the determination of the location Of the
/ home in the event it is moved is a 8 fol
/ lows: Root. Neb-, Fraser. Tex. SheD-
pard, Tex. Yates. Neb.. Semiwen Miss
/ Jewell. Neb.. Bradshaw. Ark. Maxey, l.
T., Fitzgerald, Mo, Erwin, Wis. Farm
er, Ill, Lewis, n. G., Rawson, o., Pat
I terson, Tenn.
J. G. Kuhn, supreme clerk of the
{ Woodnen Circle is also in the city. This
j order is the wonans auxiliary, and
! owns an $4,000 building in Omaha. In
case the WoOdmen moved. this order
viii follow and probably to the same
/ town.
The initiation at the Auditorium on
Friday night was great success. More
than I 600 people attended. one hundred
members were initiated The Seymour
Guards put on the work and exempliaed
it.
Tonight an open meeting will be held
at Representative hall at which Joseph
cullen Root the founder Of the order,