Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-15
STILL BUILDING UP MACHINE
Governors Kitchen Cabinet Still
Searching for Jobs for Henchmen.
MR.. BRYAN WILL MAKE SPEECH
Leader from Fairview Will Address
Joint Session Wednesday.
BANK BILL STILL WAITING
Judge Albert Back in Lincoln Trying
to Revise His Work So that IL
VIII he Satisfactory 60
the Governor.
sgR'
(From a staff Correspondent.)

the Governor.
= 41
| CFrom n staff Correspondent)
! LINCOLN, Feb. IA Special -Nebraska's
first democratic Legislature has spent thirty
days and $4,000 doing nothing for the
| state. Though IL has used up half OF the
time allotted TO It by the constitution, the
Legislature has yet to know itself' for In
the words OF Grant Martin in his address
before the Young Mems Republican club:
| when the legislature knows itself it will
not spend two weeks Of its legislative time
and $4,000 of the peoples money in feeble
attempt to stgmatize a coordinate branch
OF the government"
In addition to its pin-head attack on the
supreme court the first half OF this legisla-
tive session has been devoted almost ex-
clusively to an attempt to build up a demo-
cratic machine by legislation. on the other
hand the best that can be said OF this
legislature is that to date II has passed
two bills only, even IL they were appropria-
tion bills for the benefit of themselves.
Governor shalenbergers kitchen cabinet
is busy going through the records finding
republican officers or employees who can
by legislation be replaced by democrats. A
| careful investigation today shows they
have shared every place save one, and in
asmuch as they are hot on the trail OF this
one, they no doubt will find 1t before the
end OF the week.
Insofar as the house is concerned It has
run away with itself and no one is I'm
control. One member politely told the house
to go to, and it went evidently, for moth.
ing happened. Another member threw out
the Short and ugly word" at another and so
far as heard from the house has raised
no objection. Speaker Pool is still per-
mitted to preside and the standing COM
mittees selected by a standing committee
are still permitted to work, but some of
the best material in the house was left
off Of the important standing committees
by Mr.. Bryan's interference with custom
and the state derives no benefit from their
knowledge and experience.
Bryan 10 Make speech. .
But the present week should be a red
letter one for the legislators. For on the
seventeenth the joint session will be held
and Mr.. Bryan is expected to make a
speech. He may even announce to his walt
ing and anxious legislators where he stands
on county option. 1t was intended that this
question should be out OF the way before
the return of the Peerless One, but IL Is
still a live issue.
So Mr.. Bryan's speech is a real live ques-
tlon for discussion. and it is looked for
ward to with the greatest of interest. There
are some who even say he will not have
time to talk to the members.
The one real big issue OF the campaign
upon which the democratic candidates
staked their all, the guaranty of bank de-
posits, is still the one real big issue. The
do aig inA NI..,
bill which would be constitutional, and so
the peoples money was drawn on for $500
to pay Judge l. L. Albert to do their work
The judge did all right and went back
home. Now he is back In Lincoln again
and that subcommittee which was supposed
to be doing the work is going after him
tooth and toenail. The subcommittee and
overnor Shallenberger yesterday insisted
that before Judge Albert could lay legal
claim to that $500 1t would be UP to him to
draft section of the bill relating to the
formation of the banking board and giving
authority to its members which would suit
all parties. So the state may still save
that $500, for that Job is an impossibility
unless the governor whips a few of the
house members into line with his big old
party whip And he knows how to use IL,
too.
Wilson ana VOlpp Happy.
In the meantime there are bright and
happy days for Wilson of Polk and for
Volpp of Dodge. These two drafted bills to
guarantee bank deposits. They introduced
them, but the committee on banking in the
senate and house thought they could do
the work better, so Mr.. Wilson and Mr..
Volpp were politely asked to take a back
seat and see the committee get up the bin
In four or five minutes. Days have passed
since then. The bill was drawn and the an
nPuncement made It was ready for intro
dnction 1t was published in The Bee.
When the members saw 1t they were up in
arms. Wilson and Volpp smiled and began
to gather up bombs. The subcommittee got
scared. Its members became dissatisfied
with their own work. Governor shaIlen-
berger insisted that the bill was all right
II 1t gave him all the authority on tho
banking board, Then Bryans friends
wanted that bill rushed through before the
Peerless One got back, so he would not b.s
responsible for H. Some OF the friends of
the bill wanted IT rushed through because
they feared Bryan's interference. And the
legislature Is getting disgusted with the
subcommittee for Its ''monkeydoodle" busi-
ness. The committee is at outs with Judge
Albert, and Judge Albert is sorry he ever
accepted that $500 contract.
SO, while the democrats are badly split
up over their platform pledges, which lead
Ing republicans denounced during the cam
psign, the republicans may in the end fix
It so that pledge viii be kept. One re-
publican member has drawn a bill 10
guaranty bank deposits, ara unless that
subcommittee introduces it's bill very
shortly tiIis member will INTRODUCES his II
is short bill. II does not seek to dis
arrange all of the banking laws. but merely
provides for the guaranty/Of deposits as
the democrats promised the people.
1t is possible. though OF course not prob
able. that the democrats will spend the
remainder OF the session and that other
$4,000 discussing Sunday base ball and a
few bills which have peculiar earmarks
and the repeal of the terminal tax law.
This law was enacted oyer the protests
q every railroad in Nebraska, after years