Omaha daily bee., 1907-03-05
REVERSING THE COMMERCIAL cum

Z IfiSetNANI lNNR OH DN tue lcklSNAuEts AHa
Tribune has called attention to the demands
made upon the Fremont club for special
favors and the board Of directors will need
be careful not to show too much favoritism
to the corporations under the stimulus Of
certain Of its members II II be not repri-
manded by the membership when the mem
bership has an opportunity to speak.
Norfolk News: The Omaha Commercial
club has turned a somersault on the 2
cent passenger fare law i'm Nebraska. Be
fore the measure was assured, the Omaha
Commercial-club. through its properly au-
thorized executive committee, passed reso-
lutions against the proposed bill. The
club allo we'd the matter to stand until after
the law had been passed and become as
sured. Then the resolution was rescinded
and another resolution was passed en-
dorsing the measure which Governor Shell
don is about to sign, Omaha views the
2-cent fare matter from perfectly selfish
viewpoint.
Uehiing Times: The executive committee
of the Commercial club OF Omaha took
upon itself to speak for the people Of that
city against the 2-cent passenger rate.
What influence caused supposedly sane
men to assume the right to speak for the
city Of Omaha Is hard to tell The gentle
a hard jar when the Omaha people spoke.
The club has once or twice before assumed
they were the whole thing. and those pool
players in the upper story Of the club room
were awakened 20 the fact that Omaha
was It, and they were nit
Tekamah Herald: The executive committee
OF the Omaha Commercial club received
jolt last Saturday from the membership
that made them sit up and take notice"
The executive committee went on record
by published resolution that they were op-
posed to the 2-cent passenger rate bill that
was then pending in the legislature. The
membership would not stand for the mis-
representation and called a special session
and turned the executive committee down
| by a vote of over 90 to 1. Editor Rose
water of The Bee and Editor Hitchcock OF
the WOrld-H are to be commended for
the hot stun that they handed the sixteen
fellows who dares to place the membership
of thousand in a false light. other clubs
have just reasons to do likewise. Executive
committees are servants of the member
ship. and should ascertain and represent
the sentiment of the majority or be rele-
gated TO the rear.
Grand Island Independent: The Omaha
| Commercial club not only did the right
thing, but also a good thing for the COM
mercial interests of Omaha when 1t enl-
phatically set aside the dictum of a small
executive committee in pronouncing Omaha
| TO be opposed to the 2-cent fare rate. The
executive committee, without consulting
| the wishes of the members in the matter,
had adopted q resolution declaring 1t the
| sense of the club. or at least letting that
impression go ont. that the 2-cent fare leg
islation was inimical to the best interests
,DF no md no 81 a II had in other
words, permitted itself to be used as a
| catspaw for the railroad managers, and
while the matter Of correcting the false re-
| port as to the sense of the club may have
| been a little severe upon the executive COM
| mittee. It could scarcely be avoided and
will probably prove a wholesome precedent
for the future work Of the club.
Lincoln News: Omaha has so long been
| out of Joint with the rest of the state that
| it is a pleasing surprise to note the man
ner in which the Commercial club there
repudiated the action of it's executive com
| mittee, which recently issued pronuncia-
| mento against 2-cent fare legislation in
| Nebraska II 1t had no other effect on
| Omaha to lose the United States senator
ship, II seems to have caused an awaken
ing among the population there to the
knowledge that their town can expect small
consideration in political way so long as
It stands out in opposition to things that
are intended to promote the welfare Of
| Nebraska. BY continuing to manifest a
| decent sympathy with the interests of the
whole state Omaha can do itself more
| good than it will ever be able TO accom-
plsh by standing out for special favors
| from the railroads which discriminate
against every other community in Ne
braska. The special favors are certain to
be abolished. and the Missouri river town
haS helped itself by muzzling the executive
committee.
Hastings Tribune: The Omaha CONNER
cial club did the right thing by repudiating
| the action of the committee which placed
the club on record as being against the
2-cent railway fare and terminal taxation.
II was the only just and proper thing for
the club to do! Victor Rosewater made a
good point in favor of the 2-cent passenger
rate when he said that he started out
against a fiat rate including all branch lines
and small roads for fear that it would not
stand the tests of the courts. But now the
| railroads have put themselves in po-
! sition where they can not get out of carry
ing passengers at cents a mile on every
| mile of railroad In Nebraska. They have
decided on 2-cent per mile interchange
able mileage book and when they offer to
| carry a man for 2 cents providing he buys
a mileage book they can not say that II is
conhscatory to compel them to carry a
man sitting in the same seat for another
2 cents BY repudiating the action of a
committee the Omaha Commercial club has
INDICATED itself, and It has shown to the
state that It is not an organized body of
railroad boosters, However, it would have
come with more grace had the Commercial
club acted before the legislature fixed
things
Hastings Republican,; The Omaha Com
mercial club has reversed itself. A few
days ago few of the members of the
executive committee OF that organization
thought II would be a pretty clever move
to get together and pass resolution con
demning the 2-cent fare bill before the leg
islature without the aid or consent Of tbs
balance of the club members. This actor
stirred up the hottest political row evei
known in the history of that organiza ton
Saturday the members OF the club turned
out enmasse and not only roasted the
fellows who presumed to carry the opinions
of the balance Of the club members I'm theil
vest pockets, lat repHdiated their action
and almost unanimously endorsed the 2
! I'm ,..an he al N.,r aff In