Omaha daily bee., 1917-01-05
Nebraska
HOWELL GRILLED
FOR OPENING ROAST
Douglas County Senators Hotly
Deny They Are Under Cor
poration Influence.
RECORD is NOT ExPUNGED


{ Lincoln, Jan. 4.-(Cpecial.)-"lf
the charges made by Senator Howell
upon the floor OF this senate on Tues
day are true myself and my three col
leagues from Douglas county should
be driven from this floor III disgrace
and our right places would be in the
penitentiary and it is up to the attor-
ney general of this state Immediately
to prefer charges against us and throw
us out. We await the action of this
body"
These were the closing remarks ot
Senator John F. Moriarty of Douglas
county in the senate this morning
when soon after that body convened
he arose to question of special priv
ilege and answered the attack made by
Senator Howell, also of Douglas
county, made in explanation ofShls
vote against Senator John Mattes<ot
Otoe county as the caucus nominee OF
the democratic majority for president
pro tenn of the senate.
All senator's concerned in the con-
troversy are democrats, but Howell,
with three other democratic members
of the senate, Beal of Custer and Saw
yer and Oberlies of Lancaster, had re-
fused to be bound by the caucus ac-
ton on president pro tenn and How
ell had scored his four colleagues un-
mercifully as tools of Tom Dennison
of Omaha and of the public service
corporations.
... Moriarty Defends Self.
Senator Moriarty did not mince his
words. He hoped that the words of
Howell, made in the heat of caucus
fight, would be withdrawn by him
after mature deliberation, but since
they had not been he desired to say
something in defense of himself and
his colleagues.
Before the ink was dry with which
| signed an oath before God that |
owed my election to no illegal infu-
cnce l., with my colleagues, was
charged with contemplate relations
with corporations and with disrepu
table rings. If this was true. | stand
guilty of perjury. cannot let it
stand" said Senator Moriarty.
II owe my election to no corpora
ton or influence. | am not acquainted
with the officers of any of the pub
lie corporations mentioned nor do
they know me-" continued the senator.
Il do not know Tom Dennison and
| do not know that he knows me.
Certainly | never crossed the thres-
hold of the Budweiser saloon and |
never spent cent in the campaign
other than what | donated to the
democratic county committee" ~
Long Life in Omaha.
Il have lived in Omaha all my life
and was born in what is called the,
Third ward, but that does not sig
nifty that am tool of the gang"
or that my life has been allied with
it. Senator Howell has no right to
max; these charges against myself
or against my colleagues, everyone of
them who are honorable men and he
knows it.
Senator Bennett also took occasion
to deny that he owed anything to the
Interests" as charged by Howell, and
said that he did not know the men
with whom it was charged he was
tied up.
Senator DOC" Tanner was sarcas-
tic. 81 do not know as | have any
right as bold buccaneer or ship
scuttler' to stand in this presence and
speak" said he, "but do want to
say that the charges made by Senator
Howell are false. l know Tom Den
nison. Having been in the newspa-
per business for many years in Doug
las county | have naturally come in
contact with the man, as he has some
times been found working with the
democratic committee as well as with
the republican committee and have
come in contact with him many times.
However, that does not signify that
| am tied up with the gang. l am
not
No Strings on Tanner. 49,
mo man or set of men, corpora
ton or set of corporations has any
strings on me. AS past master in
the art of dealing with the corpora
tions Senator Howell is familiar. He
has served them and with them and
he knows all about it. He calls us
buccaneers and ship scuttlers.' The
charges are made by man who has
been ringmaster for the same 'buc-
cancers and ship scuttlers' for twen-
ty-hve years. He knows the ropes
and how to pull them"
Senator Strehlow simply said that
he desired to brand the remarks of
Howell as uncalled for and untrue.
Record Still Stands.
No one made motion to expunge
the remarks of Howell, which were
in the nature of an explanation of his
vote against Mates for president pro
TEN, and the senate went about its
usual business and after transacting
, a few minor matters adjourned to | As
to get ready for the Inauguration cere-
monies by the joint assembly in the
house chamber.
Near Beer to Be Made.