Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1908-10-31
ELMER THOMAS BUSY
Sends Ont Secret Circular Attacking
Governor Sheldon.
ASKS VOTES FOR sHALLENBERGER
Agent of Anti-saloon League Takes
Fusion Candidate.
LATEST EFFORT AT DECEPTION
Falsehood and Misrepresentation to
Get Votes for Democrats.
GOVERNOR CALLED A wEAKLING
Exploded Lies Renewed aud Ones
Told to Deceive Good Citizens
Into Deserving the Repub-
ucan Party.
LATEST EFFORT AT DECEPTION
Falsehood and Misrepresentation tt
Get Votes for Democrats.
GOVERNOR CALLED A wEAKL1NG

EaAltI T. ANpHldHt AiAN A~pNbi"S NSNA4Ns
ngent of the National Anti-saloon league,
has put the capsheaf on the stack of de-
ception piled up in the interest of Ashton
c. Shallenberger tho duplex double acting
candidate for governor on the democratic
and populist ticket. IL must be remembered
that Elmer b. Thomas is a populst before
he is anything else, and that he Is COM
mitted by his party to prohibition, as well
as by his paid connection with the Anti
Saloon league.
The mails that went out of Omaha last
night carried under seal circulars in the
guise OF a personal letter from Thomas to
voters of the state who can be reached
through the Ant-Saloon leagues mailing
list. In these secret circulars it is charged
that Governor Sheldon is a "weakling''
and a traitor to the cause OF good govern
ment. over his own signature Thomas sets
forth that Governor Sheldon was elected
as a result of a secret understanding or
compact with the brewers of Omaha. after
he had made public professions to the con-
trary. Then. Thomas charges further,
Governor Sheldon permitted Victor Rose
water and Tom Dennison to dictate the
names of three members of the Omaha
Board OF Fire and Police Commissioners
and by his conduct ever since has proven
himself unworthy of trust and has gener-
ally betrayed the cause of good govern
ment
Vote for shaIlenberEer.
Thomas concludes his circular of decep-
ton and falsehood by urging that votes
be not cast for Governor Sheldon. He is
foxy, for he does not ask that the recipient
OF the appeal vote for Shallenberger-only
that he does not vote for Sheldon. This
leaves him the choice of voting for Shall
lenberger, or not at all. which is half a
vote for Shallenberger.
The malls yesterday in Omaha were
flooded with appeals from Gilbert NJ Hitch
cock that voters support him because "a
vote for Hitchcock is a vote against Cam
non." The Ant-saloon league is conduct
ing the campaign against Cannon of Ill
nois, and Samuel Zane Batten of Lincoln
the head Of the league for Nebraska, has
sent all over the First district circular
asking voters to vote against Congressman
Pollard, who has declined to pledge him
self to vote against Cannon for speaker in
event of reelection.
These circulars show the animus OF the
fight being made In the stale just at pres
ent ana the insincerty of the men who are
making it. Shallenberger has written to
the Personal Liberty league OF Douglas
county. not only answering the questions
sent to him to the satisfaction Of the lead
ers Of the fight against prohibition, but
adding a letter of his own. explicitly prom
isng to veto county option bill or any
bill that looks like county option. But
Elmer e. Thomas is a populist, and is will
ms that the prohibition voters through
out the state should be deceived into voting
for shallenberger IN spite Of his written
pledge.
Shallenberger is running for office on
two tickets already; this attempt to get
him on a third ticket and run him a
prohibitiorist by grace of Elmer e. Thomas
ought to expose his duplicity completely
TO the voters. Thousands OF the secret
circulars have been sent out and other
thousands will follow. Republican voters
are being besieged by the democrats to
forsake their party for the benefit of a
party whose candidates are one thing in
one part Of the state and another in an
other.
False Attack ON sheldon,
The timely exposition of this latest fraud
ought to render It useless. The attack on
Governor Sheldon is unwarranted. The
old lie about his secret compact with the
brewers OF Omaha two years ago was ex-
plodcd long ago. 1t was made by Edgar
Howard Of Columbus, Fremont. Papinior
and other places, who has been repeatedly
challenged to produce his proof of the as
scrtions he has made, but who has only
offered his unsupported word evidence
The allegation that Governor Sheldon
was dictated 10 by anyone in making hi'
selection OF members of the Omaha Board
Of Fire and Police Commissioners is equally
false and absurd. The present board has
made record for good government thai
is satisfactory TO the citizens, but not 4
Elmer r. Thomas. Its members are Chris
tian gentlemen, Of high business and pro
fessonal standing, and TO allege that they
are under ulterior Influence OF any kind Il
silly. Omaha is orderly and we'll governed
and It Is unfair and false 10 set the chic
city OF the state up as a bugaboo tC
frighten people into voting for a man who
has pledged himself in one county to sigl