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


fOrded an opportunity for the unanimous
candidate OF Omaha democracy. Ed =.
Sn. Ch. to appear IN the title role Of the
burlesque, III | Were King" If ! were
mayor Of Omaha. exclaimed the embat-
tied Jacksonian. | would stand pat on
these Principles. yea. and | wouI plant
my soles ON this platform:
stand UP for Omaha, first. last and
all the time, to the end that in 1910 our
population may be 100000"
This is strictly original. as vote
getter. Anybody and everybody stand
up for Omaha. II don't cost anything.
But. why stop at the 2pOO0 mark ::
Why not shout for a Qusrtcr of mil.
lion or three hundred thousand; 1t don't
cost any more. Why not hitch your
wagon to the stars and shout for half a
million! Confidentially speaking above
a whisper. would it not have been more
to the point for the Jacksonian candi-
date TO tell us how much he has done
TO make Omaha city Of 10000 or
10000.
II | were mayor. shouts Mr.. Smith. |
would favor fair and just assessment
Of all property, reduction Of the tax
levy, rigid economy i'm municipal expen-
ditures, the abolition Of sinccures and
a full days service for n full days pay.
On these points Mr.. Smith did not eX-
pect anybody in Omaha to disagree with
him. On these cardinal principles there
was not a dissenting voice IN the whole
Iacksonian audience, but there was n
mental reservation among most OF the
audience that as mayor OF Omaha Ed
Smith would be as liberal in the dis
tribution OF snecures and soft Jobs as
the late democratic Board of County
Commissioners, that left trail of graft
and corruption behind 1t that would
reach from the court house to the Mis-
souri, river and clear across the Union
Pacific bridge to Council Bluffs.
If | were mayor, exclaims the Jack.
sonian standard bearer, I would raise
the police department to a higher state
OF efficiency
That would depend somewhat on the
police commission. don't it. In other
words, the men with the club.
II am allowed three year lease ia
the northwest corner of the city hall, ex-
claims the would-be mayor, / would
beautify the city, make the public parks
attractive, but would not spend n dollar
for the benefit OF those who travel I'm
chaises, but for those who walk, by --
blazes. That scheme catches the eve OF
every tOLer who rests on Jefferson
Square i'm the middle OF the day and
spends his nights in the basement OF
the police station. Boulevards for car
rlages and automobiles, never! And
the band played sugar Bob"
Pulling the rope of the Liberty bell"
from Independence hail. fgurativcly
speaking, the would-be mayor made this
solemn declaration: The greatest degree
of personal liberty, consistent with the
laws of the state and the ordinances of
the city. will be maintained during my
reign over the people Of Omaha, and
pledge my fortune, my life and my sa-
cred honor to these undying principles
Confdentially speaking between us this
is not to lie construed as prohibiting
the freedom OF little game for the
drinks in the back parlors Of the Jack
sonian club, and IL will not interfere
with little game Of crap in the Third
ward II the keepers OF the Midway and
Johnny Wright deliver the goods on cleo
ton day. AS might have been expected,
this brought down the house with three
cheers and a tiger for the mayor who
would be, If he could.