Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-11-06
DOWNTOWN OMAHA
ABLAZE WITH TALK
No Matter Where You Turn
Voice of Political Orator
Greets You.
PEOPLE TO DO THE VOTING
BY A. R. GROH.


shouting. '.,.
The campaign of 1916 practically
came to a close in Omaha and else.
where last night. -
The republicans and the democrats
the "drys" and the "wets," have pre-
sented their several causes to the
people with eloquence and vocifer-
business.
The people will now retire to their
homes and offices and shops and give
the matter deliberate consideration.
And on next Tuesday they will go to
the polls and cast their ballots, exer-
else their franchises. In plain words,
they will vote.
A great night was last night. Beau
tifully balmy and calm was the wealth
!, er. And the crowds flocked to the
4 bright lights of down town. The ora
( torical artillery started early and
lasted late. From the big Bryan
meeting the street crowds ranged
down to little groups where impromp-
tu debates were staged.
Debates Wax Warm.
All, friends, if harsh words could
kill, our population would be sadly
depleted today. In this home and
fireside daily we would never, never
print the epithets which usually-re-
spectacle citizens called each. other
in the heat of political debate last
night.
A tall, thin, gray-haired man was
speaking from an automobile at Four
tenth and Farnam streets, when
short, fat man demanded to know
I how much he paid in taxes. The
t. t. 9Th. man told the heckler he
was bum, and the s. f. man invited
him to step down from the automo-
bile and call him that, whereupon the
t. t. 9Th. man laughed, ha-ha-ha, just
like that, and directed his words, as
soon as he could be heard, to the
other side of the automobile. 81 want
to speak to men, not hoodlums like |
these folks on the other side" he
said, with dignity.
All Ends Well.
The same thing happened in other
forms at other street meetings. And
ret it be recorded to the credit and
observation-disclosures of us Omaha and
- Nebraska and United States >people
that the trouble always ended up in
good-natTedness.
The only kind of shooting was
shooting off" of mouths. The only
kind of daggers used were the daggers
that they looked" at each other. The
only poison gas used was verbal gas.
At one meeting two men in the 'front.'
line trenches, after shooting at each
other for ten minutes, finally got so
well acquainted that they shook hands
and each agreed that the other was
a good fellow, except for his politics.
The Salvation, Army marched out
bravely and took its position on Dead
Man Hill at Sixteenth and Douglas.
Enlightened by the oratorical artil-
lery from meeting half block away,
they burst into salvation song, ac-
companied by their band.
Trucks and wagons with big canvas
signs on them paraded slowly through
the CfoWded streets.
All Sorts of Signs.
A wet" advertisement on one truck
said, Papa: If they have prohibition
in Nebraska will you have to buy my
books like they do in Kansas.
(Signed Walter" And along came
dry" advertisement saying, Booze
for papa or shoes for Walter?"
Over in the Auditorium was "wet"
assemblage. The Christian Endeav-
'orers were singing in the Brandeis
theater. All the other theaters had
Shows.
And the ancient moon rode coldlv
in the clear sky and seemed to look
down in amusement upon the ephe-
neral struggles of puny man on this
November evening in the year that
men call 1916.
But, many are the hearts that are
anxious today waiting for the votes
to be counted. Not a few faithful
democrats are pinning their hopes to
the immortal words of that staunch
patriot, that towering statesman,
Louis J. Patti, who, in a recent ad-
dress to the democratic workers of III
Douglas county, laid down the prin-
ciples and aspirations of democracy
IN these noble words, which shall 90
ringing down the ages: 1--WE will have
over 200 offices in Douglas county
TO give out if we win, and we will
distribute them to those workers that
swing the most votes into line"
Oh, friends, that little word, "if"l