Omaha daily bee., 1915-03-13
The Political CaldrOn


WILL the Greater Omaha merger be put through
w with the emergency clause. making It effective
ahead OF the impending municipal election /?
And II II does go through in form Immediately
operative enlargtng the political arena, what
changes win It make in the political map by which
the candidates must guide themselves7
These are the new questions suddenly brought
home TO the city campaign statesists by legislative
developments at Lincoln. Whether the emergency
clause viii will rot stay the bin is purely
speculative. but there 20 believe that
VIII When the measure went through the senate II
dn not have enough votes on passage TO make IT an
emergency law but OF the opponents changed
their votes at the time inserting the explana-
ton into the journal that they did they be-
HeVed II merger was 10 come. II should expedited
to permit the voters OF the cities and towns
10 nave voice In choosing the municipal officers
elected this spring 10 administer their government for
the ensuing three years The reasons would
apply equally TO the procedure I'm the house-that is
TO say II on final roll call safe majority recorded
Tor consolidation, enough OF the on the other
side could he readily transferred TO prevent tho
elimination OF the emergency clause, give the am
oitious statesmen Of South Omaha Dundee Benson
ana Florence chance to throw their hats into In,
city commissionership ring ~ they want to.
revised political map. adding least 30 per
cent to the total vote, and bringing in groups of
voters who have before participated In our city
politics would necessarily inject several elements o
uncertainty into the situation It will be natural for
south omaha to demand one OF the seven elective
places In the city hallwhether II enforce that
demand depending upon its ability to present oandi
dates with qualifications that appeal to the voters
mere IN omaha Giving South Omaha a commissioner
SNIP however, would leave Omaha with only six
which number might stl be further diminished IL
some one from other annexed territory should sue
ced In capturing OF the places. Whatever com
binatons may be made for either primary or election
viii have to take into consideration the alignment Of
the new votes Judging from previous elections n
goes without saying that the sentiment in South
Omaha is predominantly wet in Dundee dry and in
Benson and Florence evenly divided but the
total vote OF South Omaha is twice that of all the
other suburbs As between different Omaha candi-
dates the suburban vote may easily be the deciding
weight in the balance.
II is limited that several chronic candidates are
holding back their announcements to file because of
fears that they may be adjudged insane one candi-
date already having been cited appear before the
insanity board.
Just what is it in the way qualifications or
promises that is wanted of the place hunters? One
candidate announces that IL he be elected will en-
force all OF the mandates the statute books feat
which has not been accomplished since Moses and
the prophets tried their hands at law making An
other vouchsafes the Information that he was born
in Omaha and lived here fifty years and therefore
he should be elected. Another man rectes the fact
that two years ago while serving in the state lesis-
lature he interested in a certain bill for Omaha
which should entte him TO be connected up with
the payroll. Safety first" is the slogan which stiu
another candidate has adopted for his campaign cards
being circulated.
The last day for registration for the April primary
viii be Friday. March Is. and the last day for filing
petitions will be the same date.