Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-06-27

over the signatures Of william j. Davidson.
Lysle /. Abbott and Norma S. Poulson.
Immediately upon adjournment OF the
trustees and the headquarters committee
the superintendent. disregarding his last
promise resumed operations under his own
plan.
At the meeting OF the headquarters com.
mttee on February 4 a committee OF fifteen
lawyers favorable to county option was
appointed to draft a bill which when com
pleted and adopted by the headquarters
committee was to be the official county
option bill OF the league. Disregarding
this action OF the committee. the superin-
tendent had printed and distributed over
the state a synopsis by paragraph OF his
own bill. Realizing the embarrassment Of
his position by reason OF this action OF
the superintendent the chairman OF the
committee OF lawyers resigned without com
plotting the preparation Of bill.
"Mystery" In Finances.
AZ the meeting OF the headquarters com
mittee the district superintendents reported
from time 20 time, their reports consisting
OF a simple recital of meetings held in
churches and large sums OF money collected.
The members of the committee were never
able to learn the details Of these collec-
lions nor the manner in which the money
was expended The expenditure was solely
under the direction OF the superintendent
and the committee was neither consulted
nor advised with respect to the details
thereof
The report OF the treasurer to the trus-
tees on March was prepared by the SUI
perintendent. and the treasurer in present
: ing 1t stated he had no personal knowl-
e - ~.
the superintendent.
Before deciding to take the radical step
OF resignation we sought a remedy for
these conditions within the league. We
found that our superintendent was
creature OF the national superintendent,
Pearly A. Baker. OF Ohio. No charges
against the state superintendent can be
considered by the Judicial machinery of
the league without the consent Of the ma
tioDal superintendent II this consent is
given the tribunal to hear the charges is
composed OF three elements, one OF which
IN the national superintendent another the
national headquarters committee and the
third the state headquarters committee. An
appeal lies from the decision of this court
60 the national board of trustees. The ma
ytlonal organization sent us our superin-
tehdent By the above machinery It de-
cides whether he shall stay.
IS ''The Nebraska County Option league,
now organizing in each county of the state,
"a obeying the directions of the York con-
vention.
Allegation of Ineffieiency.
Our personal preference would have
been 20 retire quietly from all connection
with the Nebraska Anti-Saloon league In
view OF the foregoing facts, but we be-
ieve our duties to the temperance people
Of this state requires us to inform them
that In our judgment, no campaign worthy
of the name is being made by the Ne
braska Anti-Saloon league to elect legis-
lature favorable to county option. We APP
peal TO the temperance people in every
county to Join the Nebraska County Option
9eague and assist II by securing the filing
for nomination of acceptable candidates
pledged TO county option, in all parties, at
the coming primaries.
I'VE believe that the espousal Of county
option by prominent public men in Ne
braska calls for an effective organization
within all political parties which will fur
dsh the machinery, without which the
battle cannot be won Yours respectfully,
REV. SAMUEL Z. BATTEN.
REV. B F. FELLMAN,
"T. w. wIMBERLY,
~. L. MBRIEN.
- e. WILLIAM r. PATRICK.
y C"LYsLE I. ABBOTT"