Omaha daily bee., 1906-08-01
MICKEY PLAYS TO GALLERIES
Charges De Had seen Lsttsr Saying omGhs
Merchants FIXED" Assessor.
UNABLE TO MAKE GOOD ON ASSERTION
Letter, when Finally Produced, Con-
tains No such ChsrEe-Merchnnts
Asked 60 Appear Before the
Board on Tuesday.
prom a star corr..pond.ntO

LINCOLN, July a.--(Special)-A spec
tacular performance was given today at the
session Of the State Board Of Equalization
when Governor Mickey was forced to back
down from a public assertion that he had
seen letter written to a Lincoln man by
an Omaha merchant saying that the county
assessor in Omaha had been "nxed' by the
Omaha jobbers
The other members OF the cast were At
torney II. II. Baldrige Of Omaha, who rep
resented County Assessor Reed and the
4 Sglas county board, and J. f. Miller
head - well known retail establishment
In this city. with other members Of the
state board and a bunch Of newspaper re-
porters as spectators.
Governor Mickey has said positively and
distinctly eleven times in succession TO the
State Board OF Equalization: Il stand for
the square deal. I'm honest and want to do
my duty We, sir, and he had repeatedly
made the assertion that he had seen a letter
received by a Lincoln merchant e lm an
Omaha business man stating in effect that
Assessor Reed had been "1xed," and the
Lincoln merchants should "hx" their as
SCISSOR instead OF trying to boost the Omaha
assessment
Forced to Say who Had the Letter.
Forced to say who had the letter. Gov
ernor Mickey said the letter was written
by J. f. Baum to j. F. Miller, who had
rhown Il to him.
other members Of the board who have
served with the governor for a considerable
length Of time suggested sending for Mr..
Miller to bring UP the letter, not doubling,
- course, that the governor was telling
the truth.
miller Makes Denial.
Just before Mr.. Miller reached the gov
ernor's ONCE II. II. Baldrige appeared and
Governor Mickey repeated his charge. Mr..
RnldriEe took n turn with Miller when the
hitter came before the board.
Did you receive a letter from Omaha
that Assessor Reed had been hxed?" asked
Baldrige.
NO sir. I did not" answered the gov
ernor's bondsmnn.
did YOU show Governor Mickey letter
from Omaha saying Assessor Reed had been
1xad?"
mo. sir" answered Mr.. Miller II got a
letter from Omaha saying the merchants OF
Lincoln should not protest the assessment
NJ the Omaha merchants, but It did not
intimate that the Omaha merchants had
'Hxed' their assessor It said II I remem-
her correctly that the Lincoln merchants
should look after their own assessment. but
hectsd on Mr.. Reed. I wanted TO show the
letter to the governor but I could not find
Il when the governor called upon me.
'hink I showed the governor my answer.
The letter also said the railroads are not
fassessed high enough"
Nov then, Governor Mickey" exclaimed
M Baldridge with some heat, you have
made a statement here in front Of these
rNwsrarer men that Mr.. Reed our county
assessor, has been fixed by the mer-
chants Of Omaha to keep down their as
sossment Mr.. Miller tells you and this
board that the letter he received did not
have made n serious charge against an
honest oficial. a charge that no man would
want 10 stand against him. Now is your
chance to correct your statement. VIII you
tell this board and these newspaper men
you were mistaken"
Governor Mickey DOdEeS.
"I will do my duty" replied the governor
1T is our duty to look into the assessment
OF every county and I intend to do my
duty. / am for tho square deal. yes, sir.
"Thcn why don't ou admit you were mis-
taken In your charge against Assessor ReeC
n you are for the square deal?' chimed IL
Secretary OF State Galusha.
But instead of doing so Governor
Mickey turned to Mr.. Miller and said:
Have you any evidence that Omaht
merchandise is not assessed high enough ?
None that I can give this board,
answered the Lincoln merchant 81 have