Omaha daily bee., 1918-10-06

Comparison Of Spanish "FM'
Excitement Here and Abroad
Over in Chicago for two days this week, al
though the people there were greatly excited
over the influenza epidemic, they did not seem
quite so panicky as / found Omaha be on my
return. True, the Great Lakes naval training
station and the Camp Grant cantonment had
been quarantined. and there was a noticeable
absence of uniforms on the streets ordinarily
so much in evidence Visitors who had come
long distances to see relatives in training were
deeply disappointed in not being able to have
their expectations met but the theaters and
movies were going and the schools we're run
ming and the several conventions and downtown
meetings in progress were uninterrupted. he
newspapers. however, were full of flu stories
and free advice what to do to keep from getting
the FLU" or to keep others from getting 1t from
those who already had it, but if anyone was
working in "hu" masks they must have kept
themselves in out-of-way places. The most re-
assuring bit of information was the assertion by
one of the recognized medical authorities that
not per cent of the cases prove fatal.
Those who heard Henry L. West when he
spoke at the Omaha Chamber of Commerce last
spring on the work of the National Security
league and the need of reinforcing the demand
for thorough-going war legislation will grasp
the same vein of earnestness running through
hi. new book, which is entitled Federal Power
Its Growth and Necessity" In this volume
Mr.. West, who used to be Washington news
paper man, as also one of the commissioners
for the District of Columbia, corresponding for
the City of Washington to what city commits
sio1ier is for Omaha, goes historically into the
growth OF centralized power in this country and
the exercise by the federal government OF more
and more authority formerly supposed to belong
to the states alone He shows that the doctrine
of states rights has become not only obsolete,
but cannot possibly be revivihed. He drives
home his conclusion that I'VE must honestly
recognize the fact that the states have been elm
mated as national factors and that we have es-
tablished a federal government with supreme
functions" and that our next task and business
is to make that centralized government elastic
and keep the federal power under control OF the
people free from the perils of autocracy.
Such an interesting chapter Of forgotten his
tory has been dug up by Al Sorenson that
take the liberty of appropriating it with this
due credit for Bee readers:
In looking over my library the other day
/ ran across booklet entitled Inns and Outs;
or the True Inwardness of Political Reform"
1t was published i'll 1877, and the author was
Willis Sweet who for "a brief period was an
i
married the daughter of Rev. Mr.. Copeland,
Unitarian minister, and soon after moved to
Idaho, where few years later he was elected
congressman. His political observations in
Nebraska had taught him how to turn trick
or two in Idaho. His booklet is dedicated
ito the ward politician, self-appointed Office
seeker, defamer of character, and to all who
owe success to pledges made and ruthlessly
broken" In his preface Mr.. Sweet says:
The word reform has been used as subject
for more orations, sermons and editorials
than any other word or topic in the English
language. Church reform, social reform,
dress reform, temperance reform and polltl-
cal reform are the great reforms Of today.
There is certain degree of earnestress on
the part of few interested in each of these
reform movements; but combine all the sim
certify and demagogism embarked in all the
various movements and then place demagog-
ism between sincerity and the searcher after
truth, and Sincerity would be hidden out OF
sight The battle which has been raging be-
tween the ms and Outs since political history
began has ever been fought under the reform
banner. and the close observer must conclude
that political reform in this century is the
most stupendous fraud of the age. This little
book is simply condensed history Of great
political reform movement in Aksarben," etc.
The reader will observe that Mr.. Sweet
was probably the first person to spell the
name of Nebraska backward. He also dis
guises Omaha as Ahomo. 1t will be remetn-
bered that when the now famous order of the
Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben was organized the
promoters offered prize for the most appro-
pirate name. Ak-Sar-Ben was chosen from
large number of names presented. Did the
winner of the prize ever read "Ins and Outs"
or was it coincidence that the said wnnere
thought of the name and believed it to be en-
tirely originate 1t was Solomon who said
there is nothing new under the sun. But
there is an exception to every rule, and Solo
mon is a back number, anyway, and some OF
his sayings are ditto. The world do move"
as Brother Jasper declared.
"Ins and Outs" is semi-comic yet truth
full story of the famous Hitchcock-Saunders
senatorial campaign resulting in the defeat
of P. W. Hitchcock for a second term. The
principal characters in that political drama
are thnly concealed under fictitious names,
Hickox; Saunders as Sanderson; Briggs as
Triggs; DR.. Miller as Dr.. Pipifax; Datus c.
Brooks as Potatus Baggs, editor of the CO.
for alias Republican; Theron Nye as Nigh;
G. w. E. Dorsey as Alphabet Dorsen; Ashby
as Ashbert; Governor Butler as Governor
Butterfly; Silas A. CARRIER as Garter; c. E.
Yost as ]. o. East; 7. M. Marquette as Mar
quis; Kountze as Kounse; c. E. Perkins as
E. Kirpens; Major Paddock as Major Dock
pad; Billy Irving as Girvin, and Edward Rose
water as Rosebud, editor Of The Wasp. Much
space is devoted to Rosebud, who, with his
peppery paper, cut big chunk of ice in that
memorable red hot campaign.
For further information it may be added that
Mr. Sweet was afterwards appointed to fed
eral judgshp in Porto Rico, but died nearly ten
years ago.
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