Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-11-01
Remarkable Story Of the Rapid
Rise Of Art Mullen to His
Present Position Of Pull
and Power in
Politics. r.. b,
@E
Continued from Page One.) E

republican governor succeeded Shall
lenberger, and republican attorney
general was duly elected, there was
no "beehng" for Mullen. He is the
true srortsman-politician who makes
the most of every situation. He had
grown too big for O'Neill and it
would not do for him to waste him
self on its narrow legal field. He
transplanted himself to Omaha and
struck out boldly for the big business
of the big lawyer, the big corporation
retainers as we'll as the contingent
political pots. In the interval, how
ever, he had not let go Of his hold on
the public treasury altogether. Be-
fore the exit of Governor Shallenber-
ger he had induced him to commence
custer proceedings against Chief OF
Police Donahue OF Omaha There
was nothing to the fake charges and
they fizzled in the end, but they
served to make some fat fees for
Mullen's friends and Mullen himself
secured his own retention as prose-
cutor as alone familiar with the case
and pulled down for himself a good
wad OF money OUT Of the state treas
ury as hangover from his little
while in the attorney generals Office.
How Mullen Spanked" Bryan.
Boss Mullen's next appearance in
the spotlight was at the famous
Grand Island convention, where he
helped the Dahlmanites and liquor
bunch to spank Bryan and humiliate
the former democratic presidential
standard bearer by rejecting the plat
form plank he was urging. Mullen
had more to do with this deal than
most outsiders are aware Of, and he
has always regarded it as a great
feather in his cap and as clearing the
path for his later political advance
ment.
Feeling his oats now, Mullen
jumped into the national game, as
the leader in charge Of the Champ
Clark forces contending for the Ne
braska delegation in the 1912 prima-
ries. Here Mullen did lot Of clever
work and on the presidential prefer
ence vote Clark led both Harmon and
Wilson. But, alas, he could not hold
Bryan, who had been elected dele
gate-at-large and who distrusted
Clark as much on account Of the
Mullen leadership out here as for his
Tammany alliances In New York. The
defeat OF Champ Clark at Baltimore
put Mullen temporarily in the dis
rard and raised Bryan again as an
,stacle in his pathway. Had Clark
been nominated and elected, Arthur
Mullen would have been the big
boss four years ago and no Bryan
or Bryanite would have approached
anywhere near the political pie coun-
ter.
Mullen's Pull With Morehead.
The salve for this sad disappoint-
snent was, however, not entirely want
ing, for the democrats had succeeded
in electing. their goyernotBand, Mullen
al once succeeded ii making Cover
nor Morehead believe il was due to
y him that he occupied the executive
office and that he must adopt Mullen
as his political adviser as had Cover
nor Shallenberger before him. Mullen
now wanted no little state appointive
Job for HIMSELF. he was too big for
that But, OF course, he had q few
friends to be taken care Of and would
have a few others irons in the fire
with which the governor could help
him from time to time.
His first demand was for the APP
poiitment Of one of his pals, Andrew
M. Morrissey, who had once a law
single out In Chadfon, to be private
secretary, and this requisition was
honored. Let it be remembered that
the private secretary" is the near
est man to the governor, always at
his side and In most strategic posi-
ton to influence him. From this time
on Morrissey and Mullen engaged in
team work, "Art and Andy" and
Governor Morehead came across
whenever they pulled the string
Teamwork Of "Art and Andy"
The success of the Mullen. methods
can best be illustrated by what it has
accomplished for his friend Norris
scy Finding that two years service
as private secretary had left him de-
cidedly rusty in his law, Morrissey,
with Mullen's help, secured for him
self an appointment as deputy attor-
ney general, though at lower sal
ary The private secretaryship paid
$4,000, as against $1,000 for the
deputyship But here fate again fav-
ored, for before ten days had expir-
ed, Chief Justice Hollenbeck suddenly
died leaving $4,000 judgeship va
cancy to be filled by the governor.
Such an opportunity must not be lost
nor must the jump be made too crude
ly. Here is where Mullcn's dizziness
came into play. Governor Morehead
was prevailed on to offer the place
first to former Chief Justice John J. |
Sullivan, who Mullen knew would
not accept, and then after making
this offer for gallery consumption, he
turned about and invested with the
-obe OF chief justice his former private
secretary, the now $500 deputy at
torney general, who had not even
made pretense of practicing law for
ever two years. Such was Mullen's |
cover and pull.
Neat Judicial Double Shuttle.
To 60 back little, the creation OF |
board of control to take charge OF
Nebraska's state institutions gave
julien another chance for some other
inc Italian political handiwork. The
s~ required that one OF the three
ascs be given to the minority party
id Governor Moreheads first selec-
.ons were blocked in the state senate,
lich mad the power OF confirmation.
] the meantime the seven judges of
ID district court here in Omaha,
here Mullen uas NOW pra rtir;nu i,,v