Omaha daily bee., 1907-02-11


In man who has failed to keen HIS word
you have not the same conhdepoe you had
when his word could not he discounted.
Does the same rule apply to political parties
OF does II not7 II good Tor a man to cor
rect and explain his mistakes, II misht be
good for political party 20 do the same.
Clay Center Sun: The county option bill is
too one-sided to be Just. II is a case Of
heads ! win, tails you lose II the county
votes no license the wishes Of the majority
are respected and there viii be no licenses
to sell intoxicating liquors issued IN the
county. IL the anti-licence people carry the
county, to be fair square and just, the
wishes OF the majority should be as much
respected as in the case of a majority vot-
Ing mo license" every city aud village be-
ing required TO Issue licenses under lawful
restrictions, but clause In the new bill
makes II obligatory upon the people after
they have carried the county and won to
! night II out again in the cities and villages,
tails you lose" II the anti-lIcense people
lose. they should take their medicine the
same as the license people do when they
lose That which is sauce for the goose
should be sauce for the gander. .te
Blair Courier: The railroads are doing
their best to defeat the terminal tar idea
PROMISED IN the luSN republican PLATFORM
They continue to harp on the oft repeated
lie that II will rob the counties through
which the roads run of a portion OF the
tax now paid and turn IL over to the cities
II this was all there was to It. simply
changing the place Of payment OF taxes
the roads would not fight the plan SO hard
But the facts Of the matter are not one
cent will be taken from the counties and
school districts through which the roads
run. but the company will have to pay
municipal taxes In addition to what they
pay now. For instance. the two lines rum
ming through Blair now pay just the same
taxes on a mile of track within the city
limits as a mile of track outside the city
limits. Other people who own property
In Blair pay more taxes on the dollar than
they pay on property outside of Blair be-
cause the city tax rate Is higher. In other
words the railroad company escapes city
taxes altogether and pay no more than II
Blair was of the map. The facts OF the
matter are the railroads. are now assessed
on but one mile of track In Blair whereas
they have one and one-fourth miles not
to mention several miles of side track.
That the railroads should pay q higher
rate on their property within city limits.
the same rate other property pays, Is alb
solutely just, but as It would mean more
taxes and not a different distribution OF
taxes the railroads are fighting the bill
hard. Does 1t seem strange that the Pilot
should be right with the railroads on this
question? 1t doesn't to us.
Columbus telegram The opinion prevails
that the present legislature will fail to
pass a state primary election law We
cannot understand how that opinion has
gained so many supporters because every
member OF the legislature stands either a.
rectly implicitly pledged in favor Of q
primary law. The Telegram has never re-
garded the state primary as vitality neces-
sary, and yet we have long believed that
well-balanced primary law would have
! many advantages over the present system
of making nominations for onice. We shall
hope that the Legislature may enact such
law, but we are frank to say that IL
| the state at large can be given no better
primary law than that which governs In
| Omaha, then It were better TO continue
| under the present system. We are opposed
| to primary law which viii enable a MEM
Der of one political party to. take part In
making nominations for another party.
| Under the Omaha primary law a democrat
can have just much voice as repub-
/ lican In making nominations for the re-
| publican party, and a republican can go
! 10 the poils ana dictate TO the democrats
| In the matter Of making nominations. That
looks wrong The only satisfactory lpri-o
mary law will be the one which will enable
the voters of each party to- make the nom-
nations for that party. ana, The Telegram
does not hesitate to ask the Platte county
| members OF the legislature, to oppose any
| primary bill which shall not specifically
provide that democrats and republicans
shall cast their ballots m separate ballot
boxes on primary day.