Omaha daily bee., 1914-12-08
05e GSeesA
eLsAS2s8oaHf
Taxation without Representation. -

"raHatiOn without Representation"
WATERLOO. Neb.. Dec ITO the
Editor Of The Bee I have read with a
good deal OF interest the very lucid and
comprehensive account IN your Sunday
Bee OF the annual meeting Of the Doug
las County Agricultural society held at
the court house last Saturday. Being
present I can say that with one or tW4
exceptions the account is substantially
correct. ] want to say. however, that a.
r. Agee was not trying TO speak from
the top OF the desk. but, taking the place
| OF President Witte at the latter's re-
quest he did stem the turbulent waters
and in measure at least brought order
out OF chaos.
IL was oiW lawyer friend, Olmsted Of
Florence. who moved to reconsider and
who replied TO Benson booster. who
vocfferously advised all Benson SYM
pathizers to vote against the resolution
(which shall speak of later and sounded
Keynote when he said In substance that
u the gathering was a Benson Meeting
the mans advice was good. but II a meet
ing to further the agricultural interests
OF Douglas county the advisement was M
timed and out of place. Gus Harte from
the body Of the room and James Walsh
from the front managed the Omaha sub
urb's end of the fight most admirably
must say in order to be fair but dis
astrousiy for the country.
The resolution to provide the country pre-
cincts should be the unit in making up
the board OF directors. was based on the
principle as old the hills, that every
precinct should have representation he
cause all are taxed to maintain the county
fair ihe resolution was not intended 10
be unfair to any locality and. as under
stand the situation. would not have dis
Irahehlsed any precinct save the two
OHahahs' and am sure they are big
enough and broad enough to admit tho
contention OF the country that the agri-
cultural society Is primarily a child of
the country and the farmers would only
be coming into their own II allowed "a
manage its affairs and guide its dest,n,es
The spectacle of these farmers OF the
farmers loading meeting as this ono
was (over) loaded is not calculated IN re-
store confidence between the CITY ana
the country, and il is another demonstra.
ton of the effort, SO patent to all who
have watched the trend OF events for
years. that the great love for the farmer
ana the farmers interests Is at least not
very deeply rooted-there Is shalIou,
ground somewhere or the stones have
made the soil barren The admission that
money was paid for certificates OF men
favorable to Benson, II this spokesman ia
correctly quoted, is enough OF itself TO
forever damn such methods in the con-
duct of anything I'm which the people are
SO vitality interested as I'm our agricul-
tural and related societies.
Let me diverge in closing. Douglas
county is at least thirty miles long east
and west, but so far as representation
In Its political unity, It's boundaries ston
at the corporation lines of Omaha, South |
Omaha and the nearby suburban towns
The country has absolutely no representa-
tion nor voice in the legislature the county |
board to say nothing of congress or cor !
related bodies of representative citizens.
Some of our legislators-elect are saving |
things about which they think there IL |
need for reforms and 1t is well; but let |
me call their attention at this time 10 |
the rghts-not SO much the needs. but
rights-of our country precincts. .'Taxa- !
ton without representation is tyranny. {"
JAMES II. RIGGS.