Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-03-04

or hobos There should be no place IN
the community FOR ablc-bodied men with
no honest means OF support and Omaha
streets should be swept clean. OF them.
l believe IN obedience TO law. 1t rs the
FIRST civic duty II is truism that Az
should obey the law. and especially Is this
true In democracy where the law IL not
made FOR the citizen. but where the Citi-
zen makes the law. A respect Tor ana
able assets community can have. A
disregard for law is liability no com
munity should want to assume.
on account of the present interest in
the subject ] desire 70 say that IN de-
claring in favor Of the obedience to and
the enforcement Of Law ! mean TO be un-
derstood to include the Sunday closing pro
vision Of the slocumh liquor law.
Personal Liberty and Reform.
1t is an organic principal Of our govern
ment that the individual lie entitled TO the
exercise Of the largest measure Of per
sonal liberty consistent with the main
tenance OF law, public order ,nd an honest
erty must not be outraged 10y using II as
a mask for undoinG the youth. / am op-
posed TO public resorts where those OF
tender years are thrown In contact with
absolute men and women
The Juvenile court and the noble men
and women who are interesting themselves
in the cause Of the children should receive
love OF humanity in their hearts
! believe in just taxation and in rigid
economy in the expenditure Of moneys
thus raised. The only dividend a stock
holder in municipal corporation can
draw is the benefits he receives from gov
eminent. and the money raised by assess
ment should be- SO tudiciously and honestly
expended that his contribution will be
willingly and not grudgingly paid.
] believe just compensation to the city
should he required for all grants TO private
persons or corporations for public property
OF rights and privileges in public property
believe the citizens OF Omaha have de-
veloped a civic pride that viii resent the
presumption Of any special interest or
combination OF special interests to own or
control the city government
In case Of 4 cor troversy between labor
and ca pital believe that each should be
treated with absolute impartiality and with
equal Justice and fearlessness by an eX-
eCutive.
Il should 70 without saving that the ad-
ministra ton should lend to the water
board all its power 10 the end that the
will Of the people may be carried out and
the water works plant may be acquired by
the city at the earliest possible date.
/ deem IL fundamental in a government
like ours that the people should have the
right to vote upon any question OF great
public Importance when II shall appear
that there is a general and popular desire
on their part so to do.
! believe the city owes II to its inha bi-
tants TO see that they receive all kinds
Of public service at the lowest cost com.
patible with the service rendered. That
this plain duty rests upon the city is
take it. not open to debate.
Next to water gas Is the most important
OF the public necessities. ] believe that q
per l.0ON cubic feet is the maximum price
the inhabitants of our city should be re.
CURED to pay for this commodity, and
do not believe the city would be lusttee
in entering into a longtime contract a.
! this price.
Gas so lghtens the burdens of house
keeping that it should be speedily brought
The last in the st. but first and para
mount in importance. ! believe in municipal
ownership Of the city government.
Breen Explains His Course.
The forepart Of City Attorney Breen
/ speech was devoted to an abstract discus
sion Of the problems OF municipal govern
| ment but it's feature was a recitation o
/ the tight over the SIS gas street lightinl
I contract in the council his attitude upoI
/ the questions involved and the direc
charge that tho majority members Of IN,
/ council bad refused to give him sufficien
assistance in his Office because he opposed
/ them IN the gas controversy and In grant
ing privileges TO railroads to use the streets
for switching tracks without requiring tn
tracks be free to the joint use Of all road
entering Omaha
In the gas tight Mr.. Breen said he hRt
advised against the making of contrsc
because he considered the price more thai
the franchise of the company permitted /
to charge the city and because ne though
the price eXorbitant and was later sus
l tanned by the district court, though tn
council majority dsregarded his opinion
He said ne assumed he was placed IN offio
10 stand between avarice and greed, tn
rights Of the people and corporate en-
/ croschment and that he proposed to do SC
Further that when office seeking entaile
deals for favoritsm with individuals 0
. corpora lions he was ready 10 quit. II
complimented Mayor Moores for standing
by him in his contentious over the manne
Of granting concessions to railroads Il
the jobbing districts