Omaha daily bee., 1914-07-27
Nebraska
TART ANSWER BY STEVENS
Candidate Refuses to Be Bulldozed
by Home Campus Committee.
RESENTs IMPUDENT THREAT
Deprecates Attempt TO Get chief
Justice 20 Commit Himself in
Advance-says University
VIII BE Moved.

BEAVER CITY. Neb.. July 8-(spe-
cial)--John Stevens OF this city a repub-
lican candidate for the republican nomi-
nation Of governor, received the sterotyped
circular letter from the University Home
Campus extension committee. asking his
attitude toward university removal, and
the following is a copy of his reply mailed
to the committee at Lincoln today:
BEAVER CITY, Neb., July 26 l9l4-
University Home Campus Extension Com
mdttee, Lincoln, Neo' Gentiemer: q,
24th wherein you demand a specific state
ment of my attitude on university To-
cation, and in spite OF the fear and trem-
ing the same l take my pen in hand TO
indite my humble reply.
s, ~. bivbsov0ding m nans Inat nT ,nr gSu
committee, and frankly call yourselves
the Exploiters Bulldozing committee, as
your, letter carries the Implied threa,
the recipient fails to line up promptly on
your side of the question you are prepared
to shunt him into oblivion without any
tedious ceremonieS
University Now on wheels.
This question ought to have passed to
a speaceable settlement without any
heated controversy, and would doubtless
have done so but for your ill-advisel
activity, which has caused the respectiye
gerency heretofore wanting. have
noticed the effect that your letter has had
upon other candidates. and l am pleased
with the large number who have VFtSrcd
your impudence; however. 1t is a pltiful
sight to behold the servile few who have
been brought to their knees by your
beg leave to inform you that the uni
versity is already on wheels. headed
toward the state farm and l prpose 10
put my shoulder TO one of those wheels
and push with all my misguided strength:
1 am only one Of large number OF
benefited citizens OF the state, who are
convinced that the university as at pres
ent located has been and now is. largely
dominated by certain intrests In Lincoln,
and that Lincoln has been, and now Is
interests of the university being thereby
subordnated to those of Ldncolns
saloons. l expect TO assist in redeeming
the university from the the blight OF
Lincoln's saloons, and the only way in
which this can be accomplished is by
removal Of the university
Refuse to Control Saloons.
do not charge that Lincoln is any
worse than any other saloon town, put
nevertheless 1t is a saloon town, and as
such as far worse than II ought to be.
and far worse than II would have been
II it had discarded the saloons at the
proper time. The people of Lincoln them
selves settled the question Of university
removal at the m Inicipal election follow
ing the passage of the removal act. BY
deciding to retain the saloons 1t for
feited all claims to the retention OF the
university. OF course, Lincoln had
right to retain the saloons, as they are
strictly its own affair; but please bear
in mind the fact that university Is tne
pie of the state have perfect right
to pack it up and move It away when
ever they may choose to do so.
Furthermore. when the people OF the
state suggested that the city of Lam
coin should hold these glaring evidences
of its culture back a reasonable distance
from the university 1t insolently refused
to do so and persisted IN planting and
maintaining them almost at the very por-
tails OF the greatest educational instftu-
tion of the state This act alone was
equivalent to handing the university its
hat and cane.
Attempt to Commit Supreme Court.
I believe that the voters of the state
who have the welfare Of the university
at heart are thoroughly awake on this
subject, but II not l promise to do my
share in the task OF arousing them; You
honorable committee has not considered
TO designate the particular form OF
destruction, which 1t proposes 10 mete
out to refractory candidate, but let 1t
be what it may, I have incurred the di-
rect doom imaginable, and shall ask no
quarter. 1t Is rather unfortunate for
your committee. however, that it was
not willing to content itself with tactics
that would appear more modest ana less
militant 1t has even demanded OF tne
he commit himself in advance upon this
question, which in the form of litigation
is quite liable to come before him for
determination. This is not only a gross
improperly, but is so rank that 1t act
ually transcends the remotest bound of
common decency, 1t is certainly to be
hoped that the rank and file of the So
called extentionsts do not approve of
such extreme and questionable measures.
And now farewell. You go to herald
my pitable condition far and wide among
anflnantial hanGhnRn |
YEARLY on in my helpless ignorance.
Nevertheless, mark this predictions: The
time is fast approaching, when the boys
and girls of Nebraska Will be able to
reach our university without walking
past the mouth of a dive. Fer respec-
lively, JOHN STEVENS.
News Notes of Fairbury.