Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-06-09
DAHLMAN DOWNS INSURGENTS
Mayor Faces Indignation Meeting and
Answers Categorical Questions.
FIRST WARD INDIGNATION CooLS OFF
Effort 10 Put the City's Executive on
the Pan Results In Rout for All
His Opponents save Pete
EIsnsser.

with the oldest case OF dyspepsia springs !
that distressing novel assertion that all the
great are dead to prove 1t he will tell how
Mayor Jim Dahlman put the blocks to the
First Ward Democratic club in rear room
at Tenth and Hickory streets Omaha, on
! the evening of June s. 1906.
! The majority of the fifty members present
came intending to make his honor very
! sorry he had ever thought of filling a city
! hall job with republican. They adjourned
| convinced that next to Bryan, Jim Dahlman
/ is the greatest living democrat and to
tackle keg of beer. President r. f. Will
/ liams who in opening said he believed the
democrats were few and far between VINO
approved the mayors course during the
/ few weeks he has been in office, dismissed
I his flock with soothing words and apollo
! gies all around. In the words of Dave
| Rowden. "Of all the sidestepplng ever done
by Bob Fitzsimmons, Jack O'Brien or any
of the champeens. you fellows are the best
! that ever got out of the way" Those who
proposed to touch a match to his honor
and then devour him fell over the benches
to say they didn't mean t.
Mayor Exterminates Hts Foe.
Mayor Dahlman did it all by a speech.
This speech was in reply to a list of type
written questions propounded by the gem
! tlemen who were indignant and who
| wished to make him feel bad But IL the
| mayor had any shadows of melanCholia
lowering over him they didn't show. He
went after the outraged persons much as
large healthy cat pursues a family of
plump, enticing mice. and when he had fin
ished he seemed to have exterminated the
mice, with the possible exceptions OF Pete
/ Elsasser and one Conroy,
The meeting opened with the muffied
roll of drums and the 'unmistakable indi-
cations OF trouble when President Williams
addressed the club and told it that many
democrats of the First had insisted upon
denouncing the acts of Mayor Dahlman
in choosing republicans for some of the
Offices Mr.. Williams said that one oo-
casion no less than twenty indictments
had swarmed to his house and raised
much fuss in demanding special indigna-
tion meeting, that he was compelled to in
vite them all in doors to prevent losing
caste with his neighbors. All sorts of in
fammatory resolutions had been placed in
his hands to be introduced, he said, but he
had stood out against such a revolt and
compromised on a set of questions to be
asked the mayor.
DahlmaD Appears During Debate.
c. G. Cunningham, John Power Dave
Rowden and others sought TO stave off
!,
fight to do 1t, in the midst of parlia-
RI tEaentary- tsngie of gigantic proportions and
much suppressed excitement when Mayor
Dahlman, himself, walked in the door
His reception was rather cold. The de-
bate proceeded and catching the drift of
it, the mayor said he had come down ex
pressly to answer questions and would be
delighted to have them shot in his direc-
ton Whether or not to propose the ques-
tions was left to a committee composed Of
Dan Cqnnell, C, G. Cunningham and one
, Conroy.
While they were examining the interro-
I cations in rear room former Sheriff
) Power was called upon for speech. lie
| replied by denying that he had done any
Z thing to prevent Tom Flynn being ap-
, pointed street commissioner. He said false
e reports had been circula ted about him re-
I garding allegiance to Bryan and he de-
clared to heaven that there was not bet
ter Bryan man in the United States than
2 he.
Connell and Conroy of the committee
= reported in favor of propounding the ques-
r tions but Cunningham presented a minority
! report on the grounds that it amounted
: to a personal affront and could not be re-
garded by the mayor except an open
Z insult.
) |
n Followed more wrangling, which was
: solved by the mayor demanding to hear
e the questions and saying he was not afraid
to answer them or questions from any dem
ocratic club on earth. He prefaced reading
the questions by speech
Three or four months ago I started out
, | TO carry this city for the democrats. When
] started hundreds of my party told me
had no chance at all. One of the first
! meetings / attended was with this club
In this very room. ! told you that when
the campaign was over we would have q
the campaign and | was made responsible
n for it. Right here sits a councilman IRE
a feTTlnE to Elsasser) who said a number OF
times that II the ticket elected It was
1im Dahlman who elected it, | defy yoU
q to deny 1t, Every man on the ticket said Il
J. NY friends Travelled as far as 7O0 mile.
. to come to Omaha to spend their time
: and money in my behalf. stood by every
e man on our ticket and worked to have hin
n elected as well as myself, Every one OF
. you knows battled for IT, And tonight
20 stood in the democratic ranks fought foi
offices or principles? II is for principles
e that | fought, but you must have the
e have met here tonight TO critcise me, al
" I take IT, You are going TO take me tc
task for appointing republicans
# Good Government His stand.
e Every speech | maoe 7 declared our hgh
i people will receive this II the city counci
does it's duty, as / believe It will Wher
i we have done that we will have done muCi
II more than a few jobs can bring to a few
!. men. Whether II means the loss OF all th'
" influence and friends | have, I will no
II stray one inch from the path | think Il
right. / want to serve notice YOU nov
that. as true you have been 10 me in tn
/ campaign, Ii you must part from me be
u | cause of differences over the filling Of few
places. you must go, because Il is I whit
u. is to be held responsible for my administra
- I ton.
If you think you can lead me ever $,
little from what l think is rlght, thi
meeting has been called in vain. II
-. made pledges 10 be elected mayor 0
| Omaha they are just sacred to me a
s. any pledge that Is written in the plat
Of form. IL you will break one pledge, yol
"A | will break another. 1 have outlined m!
~ policy and I will follow IL as long as tn
" Almighty permits me, regardless Of any
% thing any man or set Of men thinks
\ ! ought to do. The mantle Of responsibility
Is on my shoulders and not on yours. II 4
70 easy to crtticise on the street corners
but you viii find Il very different whel
Is you are in the position Of trust.
Id Replies 10 the Questions.
I'd Tnc mayor then turned his attention 4
D. the questions and proceeded to burn then
I'd up. after assuring President Williams tina
or only small proportion OF the club mem