Omaha daily bee., 1909-03-02
AFFAIRS At SOUTH OMAHA
Mass Meeting This Evening Under
Auspices of Union Labor.
TO STRENGTHEN ORGANIZATIONS
Movement 10 Not Dee 60 Any Griev-
Rnces, but to Desire to More
Thoroughly Unite ToiIers
of city.

of city.
A general public mass meeting Of the
South Omaha labor organizations has been
called to meet this evening at Barton's
hall. at Twentieth and q streets. The
object Of the meeting is to unity the sent-
ment in favor of a stronger labor organ
ization OF the city. The invitations are
made general and the session is open to
all, whether members or not. Emmet
Flood. a national organizer. will be pres
ent. II is proposed 90 hold six or eight
public meetings in various parts Of the
city.
The leaders disclaim any grievances with
employers OF any branch of labor repre-
scented and say that the meeting has no
bearing on the local affairs OF the city
OF South Omaha. A rumor reached the
leaders that the police were to be sent
to the hall tonight. but this is without
foundation. No police will be at the meet
ing unless requested by the heads OF the
organization.
Emmett Flood was IN South Omaha dur
ing December. 1903, and after an absence
he has returned to renew his efforts to
organize the trades unions into a closer
body Of workers.
Three Arrests ON Suspicion.
Sunday in South Omaha passed without
an event TO mar the normal quiet. At
1906 Sunday morning Officers Todd and
Morton arrested P. Mcmahon. John Dow
and John Berry. These men were charged
with being suspicious characters. They
have been in the city Jail before on numer-
Gus occasions. Berry will be remembered as
the man who recently sued the city for
SIS. 900 for alleged prosecutions by the police
: afficara Tho pn1ira say those mon uvara
seen at several places when Sundays riot
was in progress.
Jerry Howard ConsultS Friends.
Jerry Howard and a small number Of
citizens held a meeting at the mayors
office yesterday at . p. m. Not more than
twenty men were present. The object was
consultation as to the best means of knock
ing out the Tanner bill of amendments Of
the charter pending before the state legisla-
ture. These men were particularly opposed
to the sections of the bill regulating the
office Of tax commissioner. The best means
of proceeding at Lincoln were discussed.
Two New Policemen.
The South Omaha Board of Fire and
Police Commissioners met at ( p. m. yes
terday and elected two officers to the South
Omaha police force. They were j. f. Mar
vel and Carl Anderson. This, with the re-
cent election Of NJ. A. Gillen, makes the
largest police force the city has had during
normal conditions. The condition of the
police funds will not permit any further
additions before the new law shall have be-
come effective.
Address by DR.. StOokey.
DR.. Stephen W.. Stookey of Bellevue col
lege spoke yesterday morning at the Pres
byterian church on the prospects of that
college now that the university idea was be-
ing advanced. He said within three months
It would be known whether the scheme for
a great university OF technical learning
could be established in Omaha or not. He
argued the advantages of location, of the
needs and the opportunity of such an %institu-
ton and quoted the words of a new bulle-
tin which II to be- issued by the board of
trustees In the near future. In the mean
time DR.. Stookey put in a plea for the
current expenses OF Bellevue college. So
far this year the college has paid each
months indebtedness as 1t arose. 1t will
require about 5000 to $1,000 to bring the
college through the year free from debt.
This is a better outlook than ever before.
So far the people Of the state OF Nebraska
have contributed only $500 to the support
Of Bellevue college.
Lesson of Sundays Riot.
DR.. r. L. Wheeler preached a sermon
last night on the lesson of last Sundays
riot. The reverend doctor felt the disgrace
of the outbreak keenly, saying, "All this
happened In the city / have been so proud
Of, the city I have boosted Of, as being a
model for it's kind. I doubt much If We
can live down the shame of that awful
day. Surely it will not be while l live.
Paul said: When they stoned Thy SER
want, Stephen, / was standing by consent
ing unto his death Paul never forgot the
humiliation of that hour. His was the sin
Of i~naction. the complacent attitude of a
spectator. Are we Of the men who consent
to this kind of brutality and stand by?
We can free our souls of this shame only
, by taking up our cross and planting It
along the highways where 1t shall direct
against this seething evil of riot ever pres
4 ent in the cities OF all lands. Unless We
8 educate our sons against such crimes they
are sure to be repeated. l firmly believe
: that the cause OF the trouble lay in the
bad citizenship of some Of our good citi-
Gems" Had twenty solid and reasoning
men attended the mass meeting, where in
flammatory speeches and resolutions were
s promulgated. they could have thwarted the
/ outbreak by reasonable arguments for
. peacable action. The fault is not in South
e Omaha's police force. What could sixteen
men accomplish against the hundreds en-
r gagged in that violence? The center shot
e OF that mass meeting was its subtle attack
e on the Board of File and Police Commits
n sioners, contained in the groundless reso-
d luton criticizing the board. The present
board has insisted on the maintainance OF
d law and order. Last Sunday was a living
turbulent example of home rule the much
~ .A-.4 r,v,AH A..g--l 49, -
N that this class OF citizens want. The whole