Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-01-30
Chairman Of Committee Pledged to
Hurry Up Case.
CAPITAL REMOVAL MAKES TALK
Lincoln Becoming Angry at Efforts tc
Belittle City.
ADVOCATES ARE MUCH DIVIDED
Lincoln Asserts Outsiders Are WHlIup
TO Agree 10 Any Change Because
they Have Everything
20 Gain.
(From a staff Correspondentl !

LINCOLN. Neb.. Jan. 29.-(special) The
first round in the fight between wet and
dry forces for the scat OF Henry Scheele OF
Seward county viii be fought Monday
night when the house committee on privi-
leges and elections begins to open the bal
lot. Wertman, the republican contestant,
will probably he represented by Attorney
Norval and Scheele by J. j. Thomas, The
committee has decided to meet whether the
attorneys are able to be present or not, az
the matter had already been postponed sew
eral times and the whole purpose OF the
contest may be defeated if the delay is pro-
longed The vets, who control the com
mittee, with six votes TO five, have been
dallying with the affair until threats to
take Il up on the floor OF the house were
made, and Chairman Lawrence OF Dodge f.
now pledged TO hurry the matter TO con
clusion.
Scheele is supposed to be holding the seat
on an actual tie vote, but was given five
extra votes by the election board OF the
district on the theory that there had been
a mistake in the work OF a precinct clerk.
wertman claims a vote which was thrown
out by the precinct judges, and asserts that
one vote Of Scheele's was plainly illegal be-
cause the name Of the voter had been
written on the back OF IT, II this conten-
ton is true the house will gain the vote OF
one dry republican and lose one member OF
the majority.
Removal of Capital Opposed,
Agitation in Lincoln for and against the
removal Of the capitol has been opened up
and 1t is being asserted that the measure
up for consideration I'm the house, which
was signed by twenty-seven members rep
resents the views and wishes of a small
group scarcely large enough to contain
all the signers. Seven reasons are given
by a Lincoln newspaper as reasons for
refusing to support the bill, as follows:
There is no demand for IT; the initiative
and referendum would give any ambitious
town a chance to start campaign and so
would take care Of the matter as well as
a bill; neither Grand Island or Kearney
are as accessible by railroad as Lincoln;
relocation would create a large bonded in
dehtedness; no benefit would accrue 60
anybody but property owners in the new
capital; Lincoln has no chance to compete
under the provisions OF this bill, and the
agitation will obscure more important mat
ters.
One legislator who signed the bill. Frank
Moore Of Red Willow, is quoted as hav-
ing changed his mind in regard to sup
porting IT,
The whole question of capital removal
is obscured. Lincoln asserts with some feel
ing that the outsiders are willing to agree
to submit to any modification Of the
scheme, because they have everything to
gain and nothing to lose The party which
is favoring the removal is so well divided
up among several different sections that
concerted action will be a difficult thing
to attain.
Lincoln is beginning TO feel a little re-
sentful against this Legislature which Is
considering capital removal, university re-
moval, orthopedic hospital removal and a
number Of other measures which tend to
diminish the importance of Lincoln as a
lawmaking and education metropolis.