Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-18
JOHNSON COUNTY AW AkENED
Old and Often Worked "Favorite Son"
Dodge Net to Be Tolerated
HEREAFTER DELEGATES MUST Be FREE
when People of the County Meet To
Discuss Railroad Evasion Of Tax
alton They VIII Demand
New Deal in Politics.

TECUMSEH, Neb., Dec. 17.--CSpecal)-
When the people of johnson county hold
their meeting to condemn railroad tax
Sinking they will have something else
besides taxes and freight to talk about
IL they do their duty They will need to
make some resolutions about their future
political conduct. Johnson county is one
OF the best in the state, filled with the
very best and most intelligent class OF
people. Yet they have been fooled more
times on one gold brick than any county
in the state.
The railroads have maintained their hold
on johnson county by means of the ia
vorite SON dodge. There is in the county
an able lawyer and an accomplished gen
tlernan who is the paid attorney of the
Burlington. Whenever there is a conven-
ton to attend this attorney asks for the
delegation so that he may receive the
nomination. There being no other can
oldate from that county, the people easily
rail- into the scheme. This has been going
on so many years that the oldest repub-
1cans cannot remember the number. The
local candidate never gets anything, but
Is able to congratulate himself that he has
done his duty by his employers" The
johnson delegates go home with their eyes
open. but are caught mapping again the
next time
Program Upset This Year.
1t Is fair to say that this year there
was change in the program not originally
planned. In the contest for congress the
same favorite SON was at once dis
cussed There was some objection; an
other son had grown up. There was pros
| pect of q contest. The older candidate
Withdrew from the race on the under
standing that he was to have the delega-
| ton to the state convention. Nobody is
certain as to who this arrangement was
made with. 1t is clear that the real pub
| lie was not consulted. 1t is certain, how
| ever, that If the original plan had car
ried and the older favorite had headed
the delegation to Falls City, Lancaster
| county would have had the nominee for
| congress.
1t is known how the state convention
plan failed. The johnson people were
partly awake. They passed strong resolu-
| tions In their county convention condemn
Ing the free pass and kindred evils. and
/ at the state convention when they got
through holding out their votes for the
| local man they refused to be delivered
to railroad candidate although the Lin
| coin bosses had contracted that this should
| be done
| This year Old Man Ernst said a corpora
ton employe could not be state committee
| man from johnson. He had been fooled
INFO coming to the convention on a pass,
| and into voting for a corporation attorney
| Tor supreme judge, but he was awake now
and was going to have free man for COM
| miteeman. And he got one. Wright had
| about one vote when the selection was
| made.
Radical Change Is Demanded.
There is determination in johnson
county to change things. The republicans
see that the conventions have been oper-
ated by machinery They see that this
year by the operation of the ''shte" pro-
cess an unpopular candidate was nominated
for a county office, and was defeated, run
| ming near 1000 votes behind one of the
other candidates. They know that IL all
the republicans had taken part in the pri-
maries and had had an opportunity TO
actually express choice this would not
have happened. They see the same thing
happening in many other counties, 2nd they
are declaring that the next Drima ries will
be attended by large number of people
and that the next nominees from this
county will be compelled to pledge them.
I selves on all the important questions be-
fore they are nominated.
Hence, 1t is repeated when the johnson
county people meet to resolve on the rail-
road question, they will very properly
have many features on the subject TO dis.
| | cuss