Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-06-18

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lively Hitchcock failed to bring about the
caucus, and stood chance of election without the
assistance of the democrats 1t known that
combination sixteen democrats had been formed to
vote for him the moment he mustered the necessary
republican votes but the time came and passed and
the democrats did not deliver.
Htchcock's desperation took and startling
before the first joint ballot cast His private
secretary, the notorious Dick Adams, secured num-
Der of letters and kilograms from Burlington clerk
named Flanagan, purporting to from President
Perkins. These letters authorized Briggs and
Saunders to draw the B. & NJ treasury for all the
money necessary to conduct their campaign Hitch
expected by these letters to demosh all oppos-
ton but the legislature promptly ordered an invest-
cation and exposed the villainy The letters proved
be rank forgeres for which $500 had been paid the
forger. reaction set In and before Hitchcock could
recover Alvin Saunders triumphantly elected on
the fourth day, receiving lightweight votes. The
election pronounced by The Bee "A triumph of the
right" occasioned great rejoicing throughout the
state. In Omaha illuminations fireworks and sere-
nadng bands gave to the general feeling of relief
which was felt over the downfall of the corrupt
dynasty.
Union Pacific Bridge Tolls.
No battle ever fought for the producers attracted
such widespread attention and support that waged
by The Bee against the exorbtant tolls extracted by
the Union Pacific at the gateway of Omaha over the
Missouri river bridge.
The bridge was a veritable gold mine for the old
Ira W 1,20 o..
Ten dollars charged for carloads and 80 cents for
every passenger In 1878 the bridge was earning
So 500 per day $1,277 500 per annum, thus yield
ing annual dividends Of nearly 100 cents the dol
lar The rates were double those of any bridge over
the Missouri and Mississippi rivers 1t operated as
an embargo not only on the commerce Of Omaha, but
was onerous tax on every bushel of grain, every
barrel of flour and head of stock exported from
Nebraska. The bridge monopoly became an important
issue in Nebraska.
In the fall of 1878 at the republican state conven-
tion of that year resolutions introduced by Mr.
Rosewater denouncing the robbery and pledging the
party to every to bring about reduction
of what declared to be unlawful. unjust and OPP
pressive tolls" The fibustering tactics the railroad
attorneys STAYED off vote until large number of
the delegates bad left for home, and defeated them
by a resolution to adjourn.
In October of the same year a mass convention
held in Omaha IN response to call signed by
forty leading citizens, headed by Herman Kountze
and W. A. Paxton. The purpose set forth in the
call follows:
'In view of the pernicious influence of corporate
capital in the various political conventions and deem
ing the interests of the city county and state
to all political considerations have decided
TO support an independent legislative ticket"
Judge G. w. Doane presided and made the princi-
pal speech, followed by E. Rosewater and w j. Con-
nell. The convention endorsed several of the demo-
cratic nominees and completed the ticket with indie
pendent republicans. The democrats elected by
overwhelming majority.
The county campaign but preliminary
skrmish in the great anti-monopoy then spread
ing throughout the country but it demonstrated that
1900 volunteers had enlisted in Omaha ten days
notice.
AS the members of the legislature were
definitely known. the railroads began the usual dis
tribution of brides in the form of The rail-
road committees of both houses packed In the
interest of the monopoes, but active and vgilant
minority succeeded in bringing the question squarey
before the senate and placing the members record
although their resolution failed.
Gu the LIST of January. 1880. the railroad COM
pany announced with great flourish. reduction OF
80 per in bridge tolls. but turned out to be
sop thrown to the city. merely reduced the rate
on local passenger traffic from so TO rs cents The
steady growth of the antmonopoy principles through
out state eliminating In the election OF Senator
Van Wyck in 1881, a warning which the corpora
tons needed by reduction Of excessive tolls all round