Omaha daily bee., 1908-08-16
Democratic Amenities in the Third District

FREMONT. Neb.. AUG. 15.-(special)
Judge Edgar Howard's days are full
Of work and his nights are full Of worry.
Uncle Jim Latta is going after the dem
ocratic nomination for congress from the
Third Nebraska district in a fashion
tina is making the editorial jurist or
judicial editor. whichever is the right way
to put Il, from Columbus, Fremont and
other places in the district sit up and
take notice. Uncle Jim's latest move is
to invest a quarter in a short-term sub
scription to the Commoner and send 1t
to a prospective supporter, along with a
mild suggestion that a vote for himself,
as well as for the Peerless, would not be
amiss or unappreoiatej. OF course the
Commoner knows of Uncle Jim's activity
along this line, and on the reciprocal
basis that has always marked the Bryan
ties, can not fail to respond by doing
Uncle Jim a good turn when the occa-
sion arises. Just how to counteract this
insidious method of campaign attack
has not as yet occurred to Editor-Judge
Howard. He knows that Uncle Jim lie ut
the work, for the accompanying letter
and the postcard receipt from the Com
moner office are conclusive proof of the
move, but just what he can do isn't clear
to Howard.
II might be that the Nebraska corrupt
practices act would cover the case we're
IL not for one thing. The law says any
thing of value" will constitute a bride.
This would make 1t incumbent on Judge
Howard to show that a three-months'
subscription to the Commoner is a thing
of value. OF course Uncle Jim is sup
posed to cough up a two-blt piece for
each of the subscriptions he offers, but
80 - a A. ~ 49,
not to the voter he is seeking to influ-
ence The money, then, can not be re-
garded in the light of a bribe to the voter.
The latter only gets the Commoner. Now.
If 1t can be established that this is a thing
of value, then Uncle Jim is clearly within
the purview Of the Nebraska law, and
Editor Howard has 1t on him.
Another evidence Of the deep thought Of
Uncle Jim is found in the fact that the
letterhead he uses doesn't say a word
about his banking enterprises. He modestly
lists himself as a farmer and stock raiser,
and keeps the banking business in the back
ground. 1t isn't a good year for the banker
on the democratic ticket, you know.
But this isn't all that is worrying Judge
Howard in his campaign. The deal by which
the Fremont Herald passed out Of his con-
troll has left him without an organ in the
capital of Dodge county, and he is now
sending out a little four~page paper OF his
own, headed Fair Play" in which he un-
dertakes to meet the attacks made on him
by the Herald, which was so lately his own
personal property. In Fair Play Judge
Howard accuses Dan Stephens, chairman Of
the Third district democratic committee, of
using all his influence and of calling in the
additional influence OF Ross Hammond, r.
b. Schneider, the Union Pacific railroad
and others of potency, to aid the Latta
candidacy. The Latta check book, says the
Judge, is the most eloquent thing now APP
parent in the campaign. The most distress
ing feature, probably, OF the whole situation
is the position in which the Peerless One at
Lincoln finds himself, torn 'twixt love and
duty, as 'twere. Edgar Howard is his close
friend, and when Howard appealed to
Bryan to call Stephens off and cease to
interfere in behalf of Latta, Stephens was
straightway summoned to Fairview and
there gave a promise not to monkey with
either end of the primary campaign In the
Third. This was distinctly in interest OF
Howard, so the judge asserts. But now
comes Uncle Jim, with his two-bits-a-throw
proposition, and the steady dropping Of the
quarters into the till at the Commoner
office makes a noise like ready money, so
that 1t browns the voice of friendship, and
the promise Stephens made and broke is
forgotten.
Judge Howard promises to print another
issue Of Fair Play and it is an odds-on
bet the second number will be warmer thar
the first.