Omaha daily bee., 1907-04-02

WANAlutAhs AnNNAu
not be returned Correspondents are az
vtsed 20 limit their letters TO 800 words
Or 3the they viii ?, subject to 6si1E cut ny
the editor. Publication Of views OK
correspondents must not be taken 10
commit The Bee TO their endorsement
HARRINGTON, Neb., April Ito the
Editor Of The Bee: have read and heard
much OF the authorship OF our juvenile
court law. The writer was chairman OF
the committee appointed by the state con-
ference OF charities and corrections and
had the bill in charge from its introduce
ton till It became a law on March s, 1905.
confess that have been stunned that
any person in this state should claim the
authorship OF that law. The bill which
was introduced IN the legislature Of 1903
was copied verbatim ct literatim ct pune
tum, from the statutes OF Illinois at the
instance of a lot OF grafters who were
traficting In children, for what there was
in IT, and the bill was amended till its
father would not have known 1t. On the
ADVICE of the attorney general the gov
ernor vetoed It on alleged constitutional
grounds. In 1896 the same original bill
was introduced az my request by Senator
Mockett. section being added, at my own
suggestion, to meet the constitutional
scruples OF his exceilency Now, the
stenographer who copied the Illinois law
did his work with the faithfulness Of
Hebrew scribe. He even copied the black
letter catch words at the beginning OF
each section (Which are no part Of the
statute). While the bill was pending some
good friends OF the measure from Omaha
Cthey have never claimed its authorship
proposed certain amendments. did not
and do not deem these amendments neces-
sary, but, as Omaha was more interested
than all the state beside, yielded and
am glad that did so. With the excep-
ton OF these slight amendments and the
sixth section. 10 which 1 have already re-
ferred, the law 10 Chinese copy of the
law OF Illinois on the same subject. That
law was the first Juvenile court law ever
enacted on the planet. It's author was
Harvey B. Hurd, professor in the law col
lege OF the Northwestern university. II
any person wishes to verify these state
ments let him or her consult the Illinois
statutes in the state library at Lincoln
and compare the Illinois law with ours,
paying particular attention to catch words,
without these statements from the writer
he or she would come to the conclusion
that it was the work of a verbal copyist
or a case of unconscious absorption. Yours
for truth, WILBUR F. BRYANT.
Reminiscence of Nebraska AsegisIntOrs.
NIOBRARA, Neb., April Ito the Ed
tor OF The Bee; have never watched the
progress OF a legislature more intently than
/ the one about to adjourn. But how many,
many years It has taken for the republican
| party of Nebraska to follow the will of
| its constituency!
| Looking backward, remember the first
| meeting l had with the late Edward Rose
/ water II was in the memorable Hitchcock
| senatorial fight Just thirty years ago. 1
was a mere cub, having gone down to do
my mite for the return of Hitchcock II
was to help pay debt in which Senators
Hitchcock and Paddock had joined in caus-
! ing the removal of the United States land
office from Dakota to Niobrara Several
legislators and myself boarded with Major
and Mrs. Brad D. Slaughter, Brad having
began his first service as chief clerk Of the
house and both factions Of the republican
legislature were represented about that hos
! pitable board. The issues in those days Of
1890 republican majority were very in
! tense on railroad matters. One OF our
boarders was the late Perry Selden OF
| Washington county. who was a strong
! Crounse follower, and he denounced the
| pass as a bride IN early day as that.
A young man named White. who was treas
| urer OF Burt county and a very ardent
| friend Of Mr. Rosewater, took to me be-
cause OF my own pronounced views of in
dependence, and introduced me TO The
/ Bees founder. explained TO him that 1
admired the men in general that he was
training with and especially the cause he so
| strenuously advocated. and he was most
generous in excusng my position under the
Nh
ing in those days was very pronounced. It
was not long for me TO settle down into
my own ideas Of politics. and having re-
lleved myself OF further obligations to SEN
ator Hitchcock. naturally drifted into the
! anti-monopoly wing Of the party. The Mo
| brara Pioneer under my ownership was the
first journal In northern Nebraska TO cham
| pion the cause Of the late Senator Van
| wyck It led to a heated warfare from
the 'stalwarts" who combined to smirch
me in every possible way. I had some
pretty heavy loads to carry In the name
OF reform, must confess, but I did my
best 10 keep my own record reasonably
decent, and routed the "stalWarts'' on sew
eral occasions. For eight years Knox
county had the disti9ction Of going down
TO state and congressional conventions with
double-header delegations. and many
hilA1luB oANAAE SohAA " tpAA u hhSos
battles
These battles were not so much for meT
as principles, and today the stamp OF thos'
early day struggles Is a part OF our poll
tics. Knox county has been 900 OF eco eithel
way-fusion or republcan-and today II
its official makeup It is mixed. with a ma
jority OF county supervisors fusionists. Il
is dificult to figure what the next yea
may bring. though surely the republican
party has done It's best. Notwithstanding
the fact that our own representative failet
TO remember party pledges
Thus II is that the republican conscienc
has. after thirty years OF hard work b!
The Bee with only one republican governo
IN all those years who came anywhere nea
being his own man, been truly aroused 4
duty. 7 do not wonder that the last rec
orded words OF Mr.. RoseWater, IN whicl
he referred TO Governor Sheldon as belni
made OF oak and hiekory-yes OF iron
wood" was 50 prophetic. Rather slow
growing timber. but how II survives.
The legislature has been very liberal q
I its support OF the demands made by IN
people. Il want his record" was Mr.. Rose
waters favorite slogan. This legislator
pretty nearly gave IT. Those who hav