Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-10-01

IN MEMoRIAM.


Ed A. Fry In Wonderland Magazine.
Die when 1 may, l want II said Of me
by those who know me best, that always
piuckeo ulstie ana pianIeu nVw 81
Abraham lincoln.
In the death of Edward Rosewater Me-
braska lost its greatest citizen. Greatest
because he espoused the cause OF the peo-
pie amidst the most corrupt times In the
history OF our country, when the fangs OF
greedy capital were closing in on con-
stitutional rights, and passed through all
with a character untarnished.
We rant about our present day corrup-
ton and harmful combinations. There IL
no censor to say we cannot. When Ed
ward Rosewater placed the first stings in
The Bee he was heralded. as an anarchist
When he could not be phased from his
rising position incendiariss attempted de-
strucuon. When things refused TO burn
he was billed. When the billy would not
kill he was prosecuted. Then Il was that
he went beyond The Bee and his own city
and rafsed his voice in the midst OF the
common people-among the Bohemians
and Germans in their mother tongues and
the Americans in ours
He was not eloquent, not magnetic, not
humorous. But he was persistent and
said things He told me on one occasion,
In referring to an eloquent spell-binder,
"eloquence without fact is pleasant to
hear, but the people should be given fig
ures and not entertained with fancies."
When he was refused a word of warning
to the republican state convention that
Endorsed the prohibition amendment, his
home delegation, led by the late Paul
Vandervoort, attempted to withdraw from
the convention because Church Howe, as
chairman. though an ehemy, ruled that he
should be heard. 1 always had a warmer
place in my heart for Church Howe after
that, and 1 have always believedA too,
that Mr.. Rosewater appreciated this al
ways after 1 shall never forget that
scene. Mr.. Rosewater stood with his del
egation facing the chairman. and when
Vandervoort led his adherents as far as
the door, John NJ. Thurston mounted a
chair and in his most commanding sonor-
ity called them back Mr. Rosewater re-
buked them by likening them to as many
school boys and proceeded to make his
plea against binding the party to sub
mission to an interested convention, but
without success. His joint debates with
the great prohibition leaders succeeded be-
fore the people.
Probably one OF his greatest strokes of
impulsiveness was when Church Howe was
nominated for congress by the aid of the
late Senator Van Wyck against Rosewater' 3
wish. and which eliminated in Howe's de-
feat by the election of McShane. 1t jeopar-
dized Van Wycks second campaign.
Silas w. Niles, now of the Newark, N. j.,
News. was day editor of The Bee in 1885,
and told me the story. When Otoe county
cast its vote that nominated Howe. Rose
water wired one of his Characteristic edi-
torials to The Bee for that afternoon edi-
ton. in which he threw a bomb into Van
Wyck's ambitions that exploded. The Bee
had been using up columns of space in the
defense of Van Wyck during his entire
term, as well as organizing for his second,
end now in one telegraphed editorial he had
turned the rudder the other way.
There was no mistaking the genuineness
Of the editorial" said Niles land the only
thing for me to do was to print it,"
The next evening the old Bee office on
lower Farnam was in storm.
Mrs. Van Wyck always accompanied her
husband on his political tours and was
herself an ideal politician.
II had just gone out of my room into
the hallway on my way down stairs for
home" said Miles, when 1 heard chorus
In Mr.. Rosewater's room. He was busy at
his desk, immovable. Senator Van Wyck
would talk to him excitedly and at the
close of every period would turn to his
wife with the ejaculation. Why did he do
1t, Kate2 Why did he do it?''
General Van Wyck mended his own
fences. however. and found 1t convenient
to keep out of the congressional campaign,
and McShane was elected through the hard
fight made by Mr.. Rosewater
In following this Introduction, have
without aiming to cast personal reflections
derogatory to others beyond the facts that
led to a short season of estrangement, re-
lated instances of my close relations with
him. A former state Official told me after
the first Mickey campaign. in which OPP
posed him. that "Rosewater would never
forgive you" I feel that he appreciated
my honesty Of purpose IL not endorsing my
judgment, for was among the first to be
called in consultation in the late campaign.
1t is sad to think that he died alone, but
1t is pleasant to know that he died in har-
ness. He built his monuments in The Rec
and it's substantial home while he lived
and trained his two sons to perpetuate
them.
Edward Rosewater was a success through
heroic struggle.