The Omaha guide., 1933-04-01
tContinued from page ~

Of the necessary thing and the courage to carry the plan
into effect
Ihave already made public announcement of my sup
port for election to the City Commission of Roy N. FOWL,
John Hopkins, Arthur Westergard, W.. W. Carmichael and
Harry Trustin.
| am supporting Arthur Westergard because he re
fused to vote to remove Roy Tow1 from the head Of the
Police Department when he, FOWL, was vigorously prose-
cutting the investigation of the Lapidus murder. H was
out-voted, and FOWL was removed. | am supporting Wes-
tergard for the further reason that he had the courage to
testify on behalf Of the United States in the liquor con-
spiracy case, which involved many of the leaders of the
old Third Ward machine, thus proving conclusively that
they had nothing on him. If they had, he would not have
dared TO testify against them.
/ am supporting Roy n. FOWL because of his honesty,
independence and devotion to the public service.
am supporting w. w. Carmichael because of his
splendid record as a member Of the Board Of Education,
his outstanding ability as a business man. We need just
such men on our City Commission.
| am supporting Harry Trustin because of his fine
War record, his ability as a civil engineer, his generous
use of his time in helpful civic activities and his kindly
attitude toward common folks.
But it is Of John Hopkins and the Police Department
that | wish to speak tonight. There is but one real issue
in this campaign. and that is, "Who shall control the Po-
lice Department." Other considerations will be injected
into this campaign, such as economy, lower taxes, new
bridge at Farnam Street, etc, all brought forward as a
smoke screen to divert our attention while the Old Guard,
under the puppet leadership OF responsibility IN political
pin-feathers, proceeds TO give US a new deal out OF the
same old deck.
/ always like to have information about the person
am asked to vote for, and so | will make a brief statementl
TO you about John Hopkins. He is forty-seven years OF
age, active, strong, vigorous. About fifteen years ago, he
married a refined, cultured woman, who was then engaged
in Juvenile Court work. They have five children, three
Of them attending school; In 1913, John Hopkins was ad-
mitted to the practice Of law. He represented Douglas
County in the Nebraska Legislature OF 1917. He served
with credit in the World War. His record as City Com
missioner is without stain. He has served as Fire Com
missioner, head Of the Department Of Finance, Acting
Mayor and is now Police Commissioner.
As Police Commissioner John Hopkins has provoked
the bitter enmity and opposition of those who IN the past
have p%rofited by protected and commerclallzed vice. I'm
der Hopkins there is no longer in Omaha protected and
commercialized vice. Yes, crime and vice exist In Omaha,
we sorrowfully admit, but such places as the Friars Club
no longer flourish. Many of the machines most trusted
lieutenantS Of the Police Department have been denoted
and the morale of the machine most thoroughly broken.
Much remains yet to be done in order that the Omaha Po-
lice Department be put on an efficient basis. John Hop
kins has made a good start; and the men under him are
beginning to realize that they may enforce the law as to
everyone alike, and that they will not be denoted because
they have arrested a friend Of some ward politician, who
had been guaranteed immunity by "the Boss" Yes, John
Hopkins has made a good start, and with the support and
cooperation Of such men as w. W. Carmichael, Roy NJ
FOWL, Harry Trustin, Arthur Westergard and others OF
the same type, Omaha can have as good and as efficiently
managed a Police Department as any City in America;
and every honest officer will rejoice that he is free to do
his duty.
The men on the force are hoping that the old outside
control may never come back, but they are afraid that it
will. II is up TO the voters on Tuesday to see that the bane-
full influence which has controlled police administration in
the past is not returned to power.
And now in closing, let me say that if my friend Harry
Lapidus, who was foully murdered about a year ago be-
cause of his opposition to gang rule, could speak to you
tonight, he would say, Beware of what may happen just
before an election" In time past, hoodlums were brought
into our City, who perpetuated hold-ups and ~burglaries in
a snarfaculqr manner Our Court House was burned and
an innocent negro brutally murdered in order to discredit
the administration of Ed P. Smith and Dean Ringer. Any
thing may happen just before an election. Some men who
are opposing Hopkins, Towl and Westergard will not stop
at anything to discredit and destroy them. Anonymous
letters are being now circulated, carrying stories about
John Hopkins and others, which are utterly false, their
authors too cowardly to come out in the open.
A whispering campaign is being carried on by char