Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1912-04-08
.IheBctsLetuBelx
wooster On the Consultation.

Wooster ON the Consultation.
SILVER CREEK. Neb.. April ITO tn.
Editor OF The Bee: The constitution Of
Nebraska provides that . majority Of all
the votes cast at the election at which
a constitutional amendment Is submitted
shall be necessary to the adoption OF
such amendment. II also provides that
proposed amendments shall be published
for three months before the election in
every county in the state and that when
more than one amendment is to be sub
mitted they shall be so submitted as to
enable the voter to vote on each amend
ment separately. Wise provisions all Of
them.
In practice II was found that amend
ments very seldom carried and hence
constitution thinkers. who conceived them
selves to be far wiser than the people at
large, conceived the idea and got 1t into
law, Of permitting proposed amendments
to be made party measures and voted for
In the circle, to the end that, In effect,
the constitution might be amended by
party conventions and primaries rather
than by the intelligent. honest votes OF
the people. To illustrate: A state con-
vention declares In favor OF certain
amendment: later a howl goes up that
members OF the legislature must submit
the amendment In order to redeem the
party pledge" still later at another
convention. or a primary election, the
amendment Is endorsed, voted for in the
circle at the following general election
and, presto. the constitution Is amended,
not by votes for the amendment, but by
votes for the party In pursuance OF
manipulation by the bosses.
Any man who will stand for such
rotten deal ought to be ashamed to call
himself an American citizen. At the com
ing primary election on the 18th Of this
month every good citizen should vote
against every one Of the five amendments
then 70 be submitted. no matter whether
he approves Of them or not. Let them be
showed under on the 18th, every one OF
than. and then at the election next fail
each one of them will stand. or fall. on
its own merits as Il should do.
-. CHARLES WOOSTER.
-
sharp words for Improvers.
OMAHA, April ito the Editor OF ihe
Bee: Considerable mention has been maoe
of the activity OF Improvement clubs IN
regard 10 the candidates for commission
ers. and that a meeting was TO be held
at which fourteen candidates were TO be
endorsed. This activity on the part Of
these citizens would be quite commend
able II they were not actuated purely
and solely from personal reasons.
The undersigned Is not a candidate of
the Citizens union or candidate In any
other sense, but desires to call the at
tentIon Of the business men OF Omaha
TO the selfish motives Of these so-called
lmprovers.
You will remember within the last
month efforts to make the principal
streets Of the city from the depot TO
the city better lighted. and eve.s one
OF these clubs protested against this plan,
for the reason that they wanted arc
lights TO shine over some weeds. jack
rabbits, wolves and canyons In their re-
spectlve wards.
Take the New Port Belvedrie club
which seems TO be the prime mover IN
this latest plan, the fire map OF the
city shows that In this entire district
covering about one and one-half square
miles there are but about fifty or sixty
houses, In the entire district there prob
ably Is not over half mile OF sidewalk
aside from Thirtieth street; the streets
have never been graded and Il has some
canyons that rival In grandeur and depth
the Grand canyon Of Arizona, and over
some OF these canyons shine brilliantly
down arc lamps that should be down on
Farnam or Tenth street.
The best improvement districts OF every
city are the districts In which no I'M
provement club exists. These improve
ment clubs are gotten up solely for the
purpose Of public graft. and securing
from the city everything possible that
they can obtain free. Their only object
Is to secure free water. free gas, free
grading and free lights. Some Of the
officers Of these clubs have never been
known TO cut the weeds on the property
| that they own and there are many BUSH
ness properties on Farnan street that
pay more taxes In one year than all Of
the Improvement clubs Of Omaha put to-
gether.
why should the business men Of streets
In the heart Of the city be compelled to
furnish free grading. free sewers and
free lights to districts that are but
thinly populated. when our city Is the
laughing stock Of the entire country IN
this connection. and n well known to be
the poorest lighted city Of its size In
the United States. Many cities Of from
1olooo to 5000 people In the states Of
Nebraska and Iowa put Omaha to blush
for shame on account OF Its poorly lighted
streets. especially In the business dis
triet. and the business men Of Omaha
should realize this that In the impending
election no candidate win be put for
ward by these clubs except such as
1 will promise them free Injuries In OK
change for their votes. Z. Z. LYNDON.
The DancinE ouestfon.
OMAHA, April 6-ro the Editor Of
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