Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-05-19
DEMOS COME IN
Open AGAINST
new CODE BILL
Democratic Editors Endorse
Scheme to Deprive People
From Seeing Law Being
Put Into Effect.
by a Staff Correspondent

Lincoln, May 1S.-(Special. il
there was any question that the at,
tempt to invoke the referendum OH
the code bill was not purely demo-
cratic scheme, that question was re-
moved yesterday when the meeting
of editors of the State Democratic
Editorial association. held at the
Lindell hotel in this city, came out
squarelyA for >the program already
prepared and put in force by Pro-
moter Fred Ayres to invoke the ref
erendum on the law and make. inef-
fective the pledge of the republican
state platform upon which the gov
ernor. state officers and the men,
bers of the legislature were elected.
The editors endorsed UNANIMOUSLY
the scheme to deprive the people of
the. state from the opportunity to
see the law put in effect. being I'M
willing to give the law "a square
deal. This was done in the face of
the fact that two former democratic
governors. Morehead and Neville.
had urged the legislature under their
administration to enact into law
some similar proposition which
would give the state a real business
program.
Failed to Fulfill Pledges.
Democratic legislatures were so
badly split up on the liquor and wo-
man suffrage questions that they
did not find time to carry out the
business ideas of their leaders. Re-
publicans in convention assembled
a year ago came out squarely for a
business plank along the lines urged
by two democratic governors who
had not influence enough with their
own party to pat into law the bust
ness principles which these COVER
nors. after personal experience with
the crude methods of business used
by the state, discovered that a new
business deal all around was badly
needed. The republican convention
endorsed in a plank in the platform
a new business proposition. Upon
that plank the nominees of the re-
publican party went before the peo-
pie and were elected. A republican
governor. carrying out the wishes
of that convention, endorsed by the
people at the polls, had drawn I'D
bill embodying the principles of that
plank, and a republican legislature.
true to its promise, enacted that
flank into law.
Try to Blindfold People.
Now we see the spectacle OF a
few would-be democratic leaders.
contrary to the recommendation of
their last two democratic governors,
seeking to- invoke the referendum
upon that law. They tell the people
that there is no politics in the propo-
sition, because few republicans
have signed the referendum petit
ions, yet democratic organiza-
ton has put into circulation the ref
erendum petitions. and now demo-
cratic editorial association unani-
mously endorses the plan and puts
the force of it's organization behind
the promotion committee.
This committee makes its plea that
the people do not understand the
new code law. No statement they
have made has come nearer the
truth. Thanks to couple of DEM
ocratic papers in Omaha and Lin
coin the people of the state have
been led to believe that the new
code law is a dangerous proposition.
Thanks to these two papers whose
editors are wise enough to know
that if the law is ever put into eff
feet it will mean good by to demo-
cratic hopes for political prestige in
this state for many years to come,
the people are misinformed regard
ing the real intent of the new law.
Yet in the face of their own