Omaha daily bee., 1915-03-23
THOMPSON TAKES
HAND SEEKING TO
KILL ANNEXATION
Democratic State Chairman Butts
In at Lincoln and Tries to
Prevent Senate Agree.
ment.
DOUGLAS MEMBERS wRATHFUL
Richmond and Howell Give Voice
to Feelings Over the
Action.
TEST TO COME ON CONCURRENCE
tFrom staff Correspondent }

CFrom a STAFF Correspondent
LINCOLN, March 22.-(Special
Telegram. State Chairman w. II.
Thompson of the democratic state
committee got into trouble this aft
ernoon in the senate chamber soon
after adjournment of that body. His
action in coming here and opposing
the Omaha annexation bill today,
after il was understood that the Par
riott amendment giving the people
a chance to vote on the proposition
was satisfactory not only to himself
but to Charles Bryan, has made
many democrats decidedly angry and
many Of them are not backward is
SO expressing themselves. Probably
Representative Richmond of the
Douglas county delegation is as much
nettled as anybody by the activities
of the state chairman of his own
party.
Richmond scores Thompson.
He said this evening: IT think II Is
TO come here and take the stand he has
On matter which concerns us people in
Douglas county and which is not a po-
Etical issue. opposed the PARROT amSnd-
ment at the time it was talked of, but
Judge Breen and other friends of apnexa-
tion thought 1t was the only thing to do
In order to insure annexation, and as we
understood that both Chairman Thomp-
son and Charles Bryan approved the
amendment / did not care to make any
talk against it.
Now Mr.. Thompson comes here and
goes over to the senate and tries to have
the whole bill killed by opposing the
amendment, which is the same thing II
IS a subterfuge used by him to thwart
the wishes of the people of Omaha and a
large number living in the proposed ter
Titory to be annexed, and we do rot
like it.
Unfair MeddIinE.
1T Is no affair that he ras any right
20 meddle with. This legislation could
have gone through had he not interfered
and the people would havt been satisfied,
but he takes advantage of the fact trAt
he is chairman of the state committee
TO use his influence to defeat legislation
of a local matter and in which there is
no political issue at stake"
Senator Howell, like Representative
Richmond. is not at all good natured
over the action OF Chairman Thompson.
lie said iris evening that Thompson was
opposing the amendment for no other
reason than he btlieved II would Kill
the bill.
The test win come on the ability of the
Thompson steam roller TO flatten Doug
las county democrats who favor the an
nexation bill when the bill comes up in
tire senate for confirmation of the same
with the Parriott amendment
What Move Means.
Should It be stricken out, it means that
the democratic chairman can swing a
good whip successfully and that the bill
will go to conference which it is said
is just what he desires as re believes il
will get no further.
Chairman Thompson was accosted by
Representative Jerry Howard just as the
senate adjourned in the evening and the
irate member from South Omaha turned
loose on the chairman in a manner char
acteristic of tire South Omaha representa-
tive. He called him a d. lobbyist
and accused him of butting into a prop
Ostion which was none of his d
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