Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-20
LIVELY TIME OVER CHARTER
Democrats Have an InninE Before
House Committee.

From a Staff correspondent
LINCOLN, Feb. B-CSpecisl Telegram. -
Wanted-An Interpretation Of rome rule.
Address communications to the Douglas
county delegation in the legislature or TO
the mayor Of Omaha.
The question was threshed out before the
house committee on cities and towns last
/, night by Mayor Dahlman, members Of the
Douglas county delegation and others. The
question was not settled. because the mayor
gave one definition. Senator Ransom gave
another and Charles Z. Tanning wanted to
quote Mr.. Bryan's answer to the question
as q final solution. but he was stopped by
friends of the presidential candidate. who
insisted that Mr.. Bryan should not be
dragged into the fight. Bryan had been
appealed to. however, because Colonel Fan
ming. to help the mayor out. said:
Mayor Dahlman, what did Mr.. Bryan
say when you asked him what he under
stood by home ruler
Don't bring him in here" Gu that
out, and a few other such remarks greeted
the question.
As a matter of fact. however. Mr.. Bryan
! answered the question this way, SO Colonel
Tanning told friends: Il believe home rule
is taking the appointment of a police board
away from the governor and giving It to
the mayor"
The exhibition OF the Omaha democrats
before the committee was one of the great
est harmony sights ever witnessed In
Lincoln. Senator Ransom insisted that he
told the people countless times that he ia
vored an elective police board. and just as
insistant Mayor Dahlman claimed the sem
ator had not, but that he Dahlman) had
told them he favored a mayor appointed
board.
Not once during the campaign was It
even mentioned that the police board was
to be elected" said the mayor
Not once during the campaign was It
ever said that the police board should be
appointed" shouted Ransom.
Following are a few choice remarks of
the democratic statesmen:
Senate Ransom. speaking of the charter
revision committee OF Omaha: They made
a mistake in thinking they were elected in
stead OF this delegation"
Platform q Farce.
Senator Ransom. telling OF the writing Of
The democratic platform: II know all about
that home rule plank OF Edgar Towards.
The platform had already been written and
they were Just simply playing a farce for
our benefit"
ANoAAoOhi ENOI One-nalT OF the
Commercial club ever goes to the polls To
vote"
Councilman Bridges: mo man in the
Second ward has asked that the board be
elected"
Louis J. TePoel: Edgar Howard offered
a plank TO the platform OF the
democratic convention providing for an
elective police board and it was rejected"
Tom Flynn: Il was chairman Of the
county and l made the cam
paign that elected Senator Ransom. 1 never
had any one to tell me he favored an cleo
tive board
Mayor Dahlman: Ten member OF the
delegation agreed to an appointive board
and now the charter goes through the SEN
ate providing for an elective board"
Previous to the grand mixup of the demo-
cratic patriots over the slogan, Let the
people rule" Andrew Rosewater, city enRi-
neer. pointed out the evil effects that
would result from giving to the council
the right to appoint the help in the office
OF the city engineer and he recited what
had occurred when this was the law,
II. B. Zimman. representing the charter
revision committee, spoke for this com
mittee. but was stopped before he finished
making the suggestions offered by his
committee.
Victor Rosewater talked briefly, saying
the mayors plan of selecting the police
board seemed to be the better, but he
favored permitting the present board To
serve cut its time before the mayor should
make appointments. He favored a bill
making more specific the qualifications Of
officers to be elected. The charter pend
Ing provides no qualifications for the
eeonciimen other than that they live in
the wards they represent. He favored pro-
hihiting a member OF the police board being
a candidate for any other office during
the time he has been chosen a police com
missioner. He called attention to the fact
that the question was wholly one of home
rule and that II the police board is to be
elected why not the Park board and other
aprointive officers.
Senator Howell talked briefly. most OF