Omaha daily bee., 1906-07-22
Qua LETTER IAG.
sheldon Asks some Questions.

ShetdOn ASKS some aueHtlonHs
To the Editor Of The Bee: viii you
permit me to address the republicans Of
Nebraska through your paper.
Shall the railroads or shall the people
control the next Legislature? Shall the
railroads, or shall the true blue republi.
cans nominate the republican state ticket?
These are the real issues sduarely before
the republicans of Nebraska
The potentates of the railroad machine
would like to elect railroad man for
United States senator. But they. want to
nominate a railroad man for governor.
They want to select a railroad ticket for
republicans to vote for. They want to
elect a legislature that will be controlled
by railroad influence.
Railroad legislation in Nebraska has jus
begun. Railroad legislation in congress
is closed for the present. The railroads
know it. For these reasons they will give
up the congressman. and they will give
up the United States senator, II they can
thereby dictate the nomination OF candi'
dates for the legislature and dictate the
nomination OF the governor and other state
officers. Therefore. while II is important
to instruct on the question OF United States
senator it is equally important to instruct
on the question of governor. Why DO
they want to control the legislature and
the governor? They fear justice The
railroads do not want to be compelled to
stand equal before the law. They want
to reduce their assessment and to do that
they are willing to impose upon other
property holders an iniquitous taxation
system. They oppose equitable taxation
Above everything else they oppose the
state exercising it's right to abolish un-
reasonable railroad rates, fares and
charges, and to establish In place of them
reasonable and just ones And that is why
they want a railroad legislature to pre-
vent the passage of suclf law and a rail
road governor to veto such law IL II
| should be passed.
What shall we republicans do? We mus
not put the railroads out of business, but
we must put them out of politics Lee
is not yield to temptation, but let us put
the principles Of the republican party ir
| force in Nebraska. Let us instruct oul
state delegations TO uphold the principles
OF the republican party and to vote fol
| candidates who are known to be free from
\ railroad influence. Let us when we nom
/ mate candidates for the legislature. pledg'
4 them to vote for a law that will abolish
/ the pernlcious pass system; for a law tina
will guarantee to the people OF this stat
/ reasonable railroad rates. fares. ant
charges, and for such other measures a
will be necessary to insure a square dea
| In Nebraska for everybody.
| The issue in Nebraska is not whether
! shall be nominated for governor, o
whether any particular person shall b
nominated for governor or for any othe
particular ONCE, but the issue Is, shall tn
principles Of the republican party be car
ried out? Let us stand up like men 70
these principles. 1t WIN be better to stan
for them and be defeated upholding ther
Z than TO be victorious without them. lie
us stand up as loyal republicans for Ne
braska. Equitable taxation. equality be
fore the law, reasonable railroad rates
fares and charges. justice Tor everybody
are accepted principles Of the republica
party. II is the supreme duty OF the r.
publicans Of Nebraska to carry out thes
! republican principles. The railroads hav
determined II shall not be done II the
can help it, orders have gone down tn
line 20 their trusted men all over thi
state to save the legislature for them an
to help them to dictate the nomination &
governor and the state ticket. VIII III
republicans OF this state permit the raj
road machine to prevent them from csl
rying out the principles Of the republlca
party? No. never!
GEORGE L. SHELDON.