flfoorton's
Xlutbcnttc, Complete
(Copyrighted 1WG. All rlRhls reserved,) fly courtesy of Kdiiors and Publishers ol Morton's History, the Publishers Newspaper Union of Lin
coln, Nebraska, is permitted Its reproduction In paper ol their Insue
CHAPTER VII CONTINUED (25)
Tho new governor had taken tho
oath of office December 23, 18H I, In
tho city of Washington, before J ml go
John A. Cnmpboll, associate. Justice
of tho Supremo Court of the United
States. Ho resided at Mt. Vernon,
St Francis county, Arkansas, and his
appointment was duo to tho lnfluonco
of Senator Sebastian of that state.
Tho Helena (Arkansas) Star In no
ttciug his appointment admitted that
ho was "not endowed with shining
talont," and tho governor's Nebraska
contemporaries still living are not
heard to dlBsent from tho admission.
Ho won doubtlCBB a fair Hamplo of
tho ovorplus of tho mass of aspirants
?or placo with which southern dis
pensers of patronago must havo been
infested, and for whom, In the emer
gency, Buch long-dlBtanco provision
must bo made. Since Secretary Cum
ing, a quasi-resident, was hlmsolf an
aBplrant for tho olllce In question, wo
may presume that his sympathetic
roforenco In Introducing his success
ful rival to tho legislature to tho
cnrnotbaireor's "long and
tollBomo
j . li i ...... t, I.. Tnliinclrn WflU
hhiu rn.nrr.nl v nnl.Wintmit. to IirOtierly i
ner o m the Hut W of his office. HI
whort career gave evidence of this, no
leas than tho Implied admission of
his friends when they said lie "meant
well."
Governor Izard was not Inclined to
miss a chance to distinguish himself
as a maker of state papers, so ho
gavo himself tho benefit of the doubt
whether a second message was called
for, and delivered one to tho two
houses February 27. Ho had discov
ered lils lack or discretion and souse
of propriety In his address of tho 20th
by saying that "In tho discharge or
my official duties as your chief ex
ecutive I shall endeavor to carry out
tho wishes of the national adminis
tration." In his mcssago to tho all
but sovereign legislature ho betrayed
his ignoranco of tho limitations of
tho province of tho oxceutlvo by ex
pressing regret that ho was not "suf
ficiently familiar with tho progress
already mado to lndlcato a course of
policy for tho government of your
future action." He recommended in
tho messago tho adoption of the code
of Iowa for temporary purposes, "as
n largo portion of our citizens at pres
ent aro from that state, and aro moro
or less familiar with Its system" ; that
provision bo mado for all local offi
cers to bo elected by tho people; that
tho Interest of sottlors on lands they
had occupied, not yet survoyod under
tho act of Congress of July 22, 1854,
bo troated aB taxablo property; and
ho followed Acting Governor Cuming
in wlsoly urging gonoral Instead of
special legislation as far as possible.
Thcso first legislators wero true to
their typo in that practical politics
was their first care, and houso fllo
No. 1, offered January 18, by Robort
on of Burt county, was a joint reso
lution as follows:
"Resolved, That wo herewith en
dorso tho principles onunclated In tho
bill organizing tho territories of Kan
sas and Nebraska; that wo rejolco
that tho geographical lino between tho
northern and soutborn states has boon
erased, leaving the peoplo of ovory
state and territory freo to control
their domestic institutions; and that
we commend tho firm and patriotic
courso of tho men, without distinction
of party, who havo aided in establish
ing tho sound constitutional principles
o( tho compromlso of 1850, and
"Resolved, furthermore, that wo
pledge ourselves to opposo any unfair
discriminations, such as thoqo of tho
late Missouri compromise, but to pro
tect and defend tho rights of tho
states and tho union of states, and to
advance and perpotuato tho doctrlno
of popular sovereignty."
On tho 23d of January Mr. Rogers
of Douglas county offered In tho coun
cil a moro concise resolution of a like
purport, but especially thanking Doug
las and Richardson for maintaining
tho principles of popular sovereignty;
hut this gavo way to tho nouso reso
lution. On tho 30th Mr. Bradford of
Pierco county, from the select com
mittco to which tho houso resolutions,
had boon referred, mado a minority
report condemning in strong language
tho repeal of tho Missouri compromiso
M.l hllV - U u. . ....... (.. ... F.W
mw tlin nnta r r t in in- tin Inn a In ni-n.
curing it, and opposing tho passago of
the resolutions. On tho 24th of Jan
uary they had passed tho houso on
motion of Mr. Poppleton, by a vote j a flimsy, pointless harnnguo In favor
of 21 to 4, tho four nays bolng DavlBjof that placo, osserting that it was
ol Douglas, uompion nnu vnompson
of Cass, and Purplo of Burt. On tho
1st of February, on motion of Mr.
Rogers, thoy passed tho council by a
voto of 9 to 4, tho nays being Bonnet,
Bradford, and Cowlos of Plorco, and
Mitchell of Washington.
Tho momentous contest of tho ses
sion wns opened by tho introduction
ol' bills Tor tho location of tho soat of
government ono in tho council, Jnn
nary 24, by Richardson of Douglas
county; and ono In tho houso on the
25th of tho samo month by Latham
of Cass county. A motion by Nuck
olls of Cass to Insort tho words
"PlattRmouth, Cass county" in tho
council bill wns carried by a voto of
7 to , Bonnet, Bradford, and Cowles
cf Plorco, Brown of Forney, Nuckolls
of Cass, Mitchell of Washington, hnd
Sharp of Richardson voting aye all
of tho South Platto oxcopt Mitchell.
All tho nays wero from tho North
Platto section. On the 25th a motion
by Clark of Dodgo county to Insort
tho name of Bellevuo was lost, 4 to 9.
Richardson, tho general of tho Omaha
Mistoq cf
forces, then began dilatory tactics and
procured a roforenco of tho bill to the
commit too on public buildings by a
voto of 8 to H. On the 29th, on mo
tion of Richardson, tho houso bill,
which hnd passed that body on the
2Gth, was taken tip, and, after Mitchell
had moved to Insert Plattsmouth,
Richardson procured its reference to
tho committco of tho whole as a sub
stitute by a voto of 7 to 0, and then
secured postponement for two days.
In tho meantime Mitchell had seen a
sign. Tho next day Richardson moved
to reconsider tho postponement for
two days, and Mitchell voting with
him for tho first time, tho motion was
carried by 7 to C. Mitchell withdrew
his amendment to insert Plattsmotith
In place of Omaha City, and then
moved to amend so aH to locato the
capital about two and one-half miles
north of Omaha; then Richardson gave
notlco that on somo future day he
would introduco a resolution making
Mitchell "sole commissioner to locate
tho rapltol buildings" and Mitchell
withdrew Ills last amendment. Rich-
ardBon's task was now easy, and, in
spite of Bonnet's dilatory motions, tho
. ... V" Ui l'.'.1'1 . ,,n(l ?.nn0S.? 1
9.',on ,or ". with
mucnuu aiKieo.
On the 25th of January Mr. Latham
of Cass county introduced houso bill
No. 8, to locnte tho seat of govern
ment, which passed Its second read
ing. This bill left blanks for tho in
sertion of tho town and county, and
Kompton's motion to Insert. Platts
mouth, Cass county, was lost 12 to
13. Wood's motion to Insert Brown
vlllo also failed, by a vote of 8 to 17.
Mr. Poppleton, general of the Omaha
forces In the house, was not ready for
battle, but his motion to refer tho bill
to a select committee of three was
laid on tho table., Forced to fight, be
moved tho insertion or Omaha: and.
after various motions to postpone, tho
Houso adjourned until tho afternoon.
A voto on Poppleton's motion resulted
12 to 13 ngalnst Omaha. All the ayes
wore from tho North Platto and all
but one Smith of Washington vot
ing nay wore of tho South Platte.
Washington county, being a contest
ant for tlio capital was naturally
against Omaha; but it will bo remem
bered that tho committco on privi
leges and elections hnd taken care of
Arnold In his contest with Benjamin
Winchester.
Latham now mado another trial for
Plattsmouth, losing by a tlo voto. The
samo membors who had just voted
against Omaha now voted for Platts
mouth, and thoso who had voted for
Omaha, with tho speaker added, voted
against Plattsmouth. This was Platts
mouth's last chance. It was a dis
tressing case of "so near and yet so
far" in both houses. Mr. Poppleton
now renewed his motion for Omaha,
which was carried by 14 to 11; and
on tho 26th tho bill passed by the
samo vote. Latham and Kempton of
Cass had voted to place tho capital
beyond tho river of which J. Sterling
Morton, as late as 18G0, in his con
test for tho annexation of tho South
Platto section to Kansas, truly said,
"It is almost impossible (and thus far
has boon perfectly so) to either ford,
ferry, or bridge this stream." Tho
I nucstion, why did thoso gentlemen
from Cass not only voto against their
own town and section, and so readily.
but also to lsolato them from tho seat
of government and tho business me
tropolis which Omnha wns mado by
tneir votes, forces upon us Its only
consistent answer.
Tho only contemporary comment on
this Important transaction put in print
which, so far as Is known, has been
preserved, Is naturally of sufflcient in
terest to bo Introduced here. Tho Pal
ladium of January 31 said:
"Tho question had boon brought up
in tho council, a bill locating the cap
ital at Plattsmouth had boon intro
duced and passed tho second reading,
and there was ovory prospect that It
would pass tho council and become a
law. Tho samo question camo up In
the house, add upon tho motion to in
sert Plattsmouth 12 were for and 13
against It. Tho second voto resulted
In a tie, and nccordlng to the rules of
tho house, lost. At this stage or tho
proceedings tho Cass county delegates
wneeieil into the Omaha ranks, and
I11 Insert Omaha in placo of
nnt.niuMiiii,
"On tho motion to insert Platts
mouth Mr. Latham, tho bell-wether of
that shameless delegation, led off In
win most coniroi, mo moat widely
known, and moro likely to have tho
groat Pacific railway run through It
than any other placo. Thero was tho
contor of population, tho focus of In
tolllgonco. Tho question to Insort
Omaha being up nil tho great reasons
why tho capltnl should he located at
Plattsmouth vnnished Into thin air,
and Omnha wns the placo for tho cap
ital nar oxcollonco. 'Llko priest, like
people.' If tho peoplo aro like or
nnywhoro near It tho representatives
which thoy havo sent to tho legisla
ture, thoy don't desorvo tho capital.
"Wo respect tho peoplo of Omaha
for voting for their own pot place.
But what interest havo tho peoplo of
Cass county in locating tho capital at
Omnha City? What good ran. it do
thorn? We say that tho representa
tives of Cnss county nro either traitors
to thoir constituents, or the people of
that placo aro too hesottcd In lgno
ranco' to comprehend their own inter-
osts. We say tho ronresentntives did
not do all thoy might do to carry tho
voto for thoir flrst, choice. placo,' hut
i
IKlebrasha
abandoned it without a struggle. No
reslstanco was offered which would
do credit to a school boy firteen years
old."
When Latham deserted his own
county for Omaha Mr. Decker of Ne
braska City charged him with having
sold himself, and Smith of Washing
ton said that the most disgraceful
bribery and corruption had been prac
ticed. Poppleton said that tho census
returns showed that a majority of tho
peoplo wero north of the Platto, whllo
Decker said, "Everyone knows that
the south has the largest number of
votes, and will ndmit, if they are hon
est men, that tho capital ought to bo
given to them."
In tho council Nuckolls and Bonnet
had charged Sharp with the derelic
tion which had thrown tho victory to
Omnha, and even Mitchell had tho
hardihood to join in their assault.
Thero Is llttlo risk in saying that
Sharp had ut the outset sold himself
to the Omaha interests, but his hon
esty wns of too unstable a character
to stay bought, and beroro ho ro
ccived his price tho Omaha managers
became suspicious and repudiated
their bargain with him. Sharp there
Tore lost Ills own soul nor gained tho
smallest, part of the world.
Our sole chronicler of these unto
ward events had taken on no western
elasticity, and his exotic, puritanic
temperament precluded him from tho
consolation of reflecting that, after all,
everything is fair in a western capital
war, and what bad boon done was pre
destined by circumstances. I n tho
next Issue after the tragedy, February
7, the Palladium rends more llko spe
cial selections from the Imprecations
of the Hebrew prophets than rt west
ern frontier newspaper. It gives moro
than a column editorial denunciation
of Cuming as arch-corruptlonlst and
arch-traitor to his "plain duty." Fur
thermore, "All the political renegades
from every state are by brotherly af
fection collected around the governor.
O. D. Richardson of .Michigan. Good
will of New York, Folsom, ditto, et
al., are by his aid foisted upon tho
people as Nebraska men, and aro con
stituted lawmakers In Nebraska, whllo
small brained knaves of large preten
sions aro put into the house of repre
sentatives for tho same reasons and
In the samo way." Turning on tho
renegades from Cass he says, "They
are looked upon as having sold tho
Interests of their constituents and
having put the price into their own
pockets. The voto of these unprin
cipled tools turned the scale against
tho interest of Plattsmouth against
tho interest of tho whole region of
country on both shies of the Platte
river, and offectunlly crushed the
hopes cherished that that placo might
be favored with the location of the
capital." And then becoming specific:
"Wo repeat: Mr. Singleton (of
Richardson county) wns offored a do
nation of Omaha City scrip, imagi
natively and nominally valued at
$4,000, and we repeat that the Inten
tion of tho donors was to corrupt Mr.
Singleton and secure his voto ngalnst
the wishes of his constituents and the
dictates of his own conscience. Wo
add, after Mr. Singleton had shown
this scrip and refused to voto for
Omaha City ho was called from his
seat in tho houso of representatives
to the room of the acting governor,
by Mr. Smith, tho prlvato secretary,
and that he then and there by request
gavo up to tho donors tho Intended
bribe. All that we havo written we
stand ready to prove, now, tomorrow,
or at any time."
From a superficial view, at least,
tho Palladium was right, and Platts
mouth, or some other South Platte
town, lost the capital through tho
sheer recreancy of her own represen
tatives. For It is fair to presume that,
with a persistent voto in the house
for Bellevuo or Plattsmouth, Mitchell,
in tho council, could havo been held
away from Omaha by tho samo means
at least by which he was gained. But
perhaps deeper insight would conclude
that, considering tho susceptibility of
members to the persuasive means
which Omnha possessed far In excess
of any other aspirant Tor tho capital,
and had no scruples In using It. wns
inevitable from the first that sho
would gain a majority. For example,
If Mitchell hnd stood firm against
Omaha, our friend of the Palladium
hns charged Sharp with sufficient per
fidy in securing the presidency of the
council to havo yielded to Omaha's
resulting necessity. For tlio reason
given above wo quote again from tho
Palladium:
Wo aro called upon by duty nnd
by conscience, to announce in our col
umns, that the plans of the acting
governor, T. B. Cuming, havo suc
ceeded, and that they havo succeeded
by tho aid of that samo corruption
which conceived them, brought them
forth, and had tho impudence to advo
cato them. Men havo been bought
four thousand dollars was offered to
John M. Singleton of Richardson coun
ty If ho would voto for tho capital he
lug located at Omaha City; and It was
offored him by tho prlvato secretary
or acting Governor Cuming And
thank God we have ono honest man
In the legislature he refused tho
bribe, but not until ho had exposed
tho scrip of tho Omnha City company
for $1,000, But the capital has been
located located against tho wish of
tho great, majority of the people lo
cated for tho pecuniary and porsonal
benefit of Tom Cuming and his brother
bribers-located at a placo without
anv natural ndvnntages. and ono to
tally -barren of anything, savo Yfhlsky
"shops and drunken politicians,
. no
A suit asking for 10 million dollars
actual damages and 30 million dollnrs
tentative damages has been com
menced In the United States circuit
court by the Pennsylvania Sugar Re
fining company against tho American
Refining company. Tho action grows
out of the failure of Adolph Segal in
Philadelphia, whose bankruptcy, In
volving millions, was ono of tho finan
cial sensations of last year, coupled,
as it was, with the sulcldo of Frank S.
Hippie, president of a Philadelphia
tmst company. The complaint alleges
that the defendants consp?nd to pre
vent the plaintiff corporation from en
gaging in tho refining of sugar and ac
tually did succeed in preventing it from
operating its plant. Because of this,
it is set up, the plaintiff suffered an
actual monetary loss of 10 million dol
lars. The federal statutes permit tho
plaintiff to sue for treble damages.
fir
Tho postoffico department does not
intend to draw the color lino in tho
matter of whlto nnd negro railway
mall clerks working togethor on tho
samo runs. Although an Intimation
has been given that white clerks in1
tho Middle West aro preparing to re
quest tho department to effect a
chango so as to put the negroea on
runs which will not bring them in
proximity to tho whites, it is stated
that no such discrimination could or
would bo mado. Tho particular ob
jection of the whito clerks is that tho
negro and white clerks are obliged to
eat and sleep in tho same car. At
coitaln terminals there nro provided
dormitories In public buildings whore
the clerks may stay if they see fit to
do so, but these aro open to the negro
clerks as well as tho whites, and the
department does not see wherein It
has any province in tho matter.
Hints from Boiso as to startling land
fraud disclosures at Lewiston, Idaho,
tend to confirm reports from authen
tic sources that the government has)
for a year considered tho land frauds
In Idaho more gigantic than in either
Oregon, Montana or Washington and
that it is tho intention of the govern
ment to sift them to tho bottom
bringing guilty ones to trial and then
bring re-entrance proceedings, after
conviction, tosccure re-possession .of
tho lands fraudulently secured from
tho United States. Tills latter step
will mean great financial loss and per
haps absolute ruin to private individ
uals and banking institutions which
are or have been, it Is asserted, direct
ly or indirectly connected with the
handling or ownership of lauds said
to havo been fraudulently acquired. It
Is known that tho few indictments se
cured at Moscow at tho last two terms
of court are but a beginning. There
are, it Is said, other indictments to fol
low, which are to bring into tho pale
of tho law men high in all walks of
life and whoso names so far have not
been oven suggested. It Is asserted
that ovidenco has been secured which
when presented in court will prove as
tonishing to the general public.
Ct
Mrs. Russell Snge, through her coun
sel, Henry W. DeForest, has author
ized tho following statement in rela
tion to tho Sage foundation, a bill In
corporating which has been introduc
ed in tho legislature: "I havo set
aside $10,000,000 for the endowment of
this foundation. Its object Is tho im
provement of social and living condl
tfcms in the United States. It will bo
within the scope of such a foundation
to investlgato and study tho 'causes
of adverse social conditions, includ
ing ignorance, poverty and vice; to
suggest how theso conditions can bo
remedied or ameliorated, and to put
in operation any appropriate means to
that end. While having its headquar
ters in Now York clly, whero Mr. Sago
and I havo lived, and whero social
problems aro most pressing and com
plicated, partly by reason of Its extent
and partly becauso it is tho port of en
try for about 1,000,000 Immigrants a
year, the foundation will be national
in its scopo and in its activities. I
havo sought to select as my trustoos
men and women who aro familiar with
social problems and who can bring to
their solution not only zeal and inter
est, but experience and judgment." Tho
trustees named by Mrs. Sago to carry
on tho work are: Robort W. DoForest,
Cleveland H. Dodge, Daniel C. Gillman,
John M. Glenn, Miss Helen Gould, Mrs.
William B. Rico and MIbh Louisa L.
Schuyler, all of whom have had wide
oxperlenco in philanthropic works.
cr
Tho best men have, one1 principal
word in their .vocabulary, the wor,d
"ought." ' . .
Mrs. Newwed I baked this pie my
lolf. Won't you have a piece?
Mr. Newwed No; my inaurauco pol
tcy ran out today, and I won't renew
It until tomorrow.
The Most Extraordinary of Million
airesses. "In the matter of spending money
on fine raiment, perhaps Miss Guila
Morosini, daughter of G. P. Morosini,
banker and former partner of Jay
Gould, is admittedly the jrr-.r extrava
gant of millionairesses," says Anna
Steese Richardson in Woman's Horn
Companion. "She confesses that she
3pends two hundred thousand dollar
i year on clothes a year, and her Inter
est in life is divided between her horses
and the gowns that match her turn
outs. Miss Morosoni's gowns nre gen
erally the sensation of' the annual
Horse Show at Madison Square Gar
5en, and a daily study for sightseer
ilong New York's million-dollar speed
way. Every gown and hat she dons
Is built to harmonize with either ve
hicle or harness. To harmonize with
one pigskin set of harness she wears a
princess frock of tan-colorod chiffon.
For another pigskin harness, with blue
latin rosettes and gold mountings, on
ihestnut horses, she wears a pale blue
'ough silk trimmed with Irish laco.
Recently she decided that she wished
.o wear royal blue, so she sent to Lon-
!on for matching harness to be usd
vhen she drives with her famous three
tbreast team. The royal-blue harnes
of finest kidskin dyed to match th
iroadcloth of her gown. Her basket
veave vehicle has wheels of ox-blood
ed. and when seated in this vehicle,
rliss Morosini wears .on onion-red
thiffon satin. For each of these
ihe has matching hats and shoes,
nany of the latter dyed to order, but
vith every harness she uses lines of
rhite English web, and sho wears only
vhlte suede gloves in elbow length."
"Mrs. Vanderbilt engaged 'The Wild
Rose' company, playing at the Knlck
irbocker Theatre, in New York, to glv
t single performance on her lawn on
in August night. For this single Item
of the entertainment she gave the
management her check for seventeen
lundrd dollars," writes Anna Steese
tichardson in Woman's Home Cora
tanion. "For tho production she had
rected a tempoary theatre, which gave
mploymont to a small army of oar
lentors for a full week, and enoush
lectricians to wire a small Western
:ity. The rough board (walls were
lldden by white and gold bunting,
Iraped with gilt wicker baskets filled
vlth real roses, and the llorist's bill
done was said to be eight thousand
lollnrs, and tho caterer's bill even
noro. The driveway lending to the
louse from the street was converted In
o a Midway, conducted without
iharge to guests by fakirs from
Joney Island.
"The first guests arrived shortly bo
bro eleven o'clock; tho Ftago perform
ino began at midnight: tho cotillion
ollowod on tho heels of light opera,
md just as the first cool white streak
if dawn crept over the ocean, the
uests and the player folks rose from
hoir supper tables. During tho intor
al forty-fivo thousand dollars had
icon expended in entertaining a bund
ed guests or more, and one thousand
.rtlsans and players had been given
(mploymont. Forty-fivo thousand dol
iirs for forty-five hours of pleasure
nd Newport did not think It so re
writable, either."
Historic Days,
Mrs. Auchterbody Woel, Sandla,
ron was a fine dry day we had last
nonth.
Sandy Deed, aye, it just put 'me im
mind o' one wo had when I was. a. bit
laddie, but It was, if onythlng, fully
irier, Punch.
"Thoro .are lots of men able to go,
' jrn women." "Yes, and they're all
bachelors." Houston Post.