stand this. The commission has the pow
er to say whether a rate is just or unjust.
A rate once accepted by the commission
can not be altered without the commis
sion's consent. Are we correct thus far?
Taking it for granted that we are, we
again continue: Two telephone 'com
panies agree to a free interchange of ser
vice, thus benefitting the people. This
free interchange, while benefitting the
public damages a few individuals who
have invested their money in a public ser
vice corporation, well knowing the risks
of such an investment. Are we to under
stand that the railway commission is go
ing to protect the few investors at the ex
pense of the general public? We want to
get this thing straight in our minds be
fore we comment.
Mr. Holff, late of Council Bluffs, but
now of Fort Madison, is a genius nipped
in the bud. Mr. Itolff was engaged to
wed an estimable young woman of Coun
cil Bluffs, and agreed to furnish the
trousseau. Like Samson of old he sought
to make good. It will be remembered
that Samson promised his thirty wedding
guests to give each of them a change of
raiment if they guessed a riddle he pro
pounded. They secured the answer,
whereupon Samson went out and killed
thirty of their comrades and brought
back their clothes, which same he pre
sented to his guests. Mr. Rolff weiit
about it much the same way. He burg
larized the home of a young lady about
to be wed and swiped her wedding gar
ments. There he took to to his own
fiance. The young lady was rejoiced and
showed the finery to all her friends. After
the wedding the papers described her
pretty gowns, and in time the loser saw
the description. Investigation followed
and IJolff was arrested. His misdirected
genius not only lost him his liberty, but it
lost him his wife. Incidentally the yo-iiig
wife lost her treasured trosseau.
There was a little wedding anniversary
in Lincoln last Monday evening that Will
Maupin's Weekly hopes to have repeated
annually for a great many years to come.
On that evening Mr. and Mrs. It. II.
Mockett celebrated their golden wedding.
There are a lot of Mocketts in this imme
diate vicinity, and Lincoln and Lancaster
county profit daily in very many ways by
reason of this fact. Fifty years is quite
a long span of time, measured by human
life, and those privileged to live as one,
happily and contentedly through all
those years, are entitled to more than
mere congratulations. And especially is
this true when, as in this particular in
stance, the man and wife have con
tributed so much to the sum total of hu
man happiness. To Mr. and Mrs. II. II.
Mockett this newspaper extends its
hearty congratulations and its earnest
wishes for many repetitions of the anni
versary date.
Lincoln, is a young man whose qualifica
tions for the office are admitted. If elect
ed, as he should be, he will not become a
victim of the delusion that he owns the
water and light plants, or that he is one
chosen to be ruler of the people who have
to do business with him. A change in the
management of the water department is
greatly to be desired at this time, and Mr.
Murray has shown evidences of being
just the sort of a man to put in charge
when the change is made. AVe often boast
of our water service, when as a matter
of fact it is wretchedly inadequate in
many parts of the city. People are com
pelled to pay for service they do not get,
others who want the service and are will
ing to pay for it can not get it, and every
body is given to understand that they
must submit to any and all annoyances
that may be put upon them by a depart
ment head who seems to have grasped the
idea that he owns the system. And if you"
think you are getting "cheap water"1 as
compared with some other cites, just keep
track of the amount of water you really
consume and compare it with the quar
terly bills rendered. A vote for Mr. Mur
ray is a vote for the radical reforms need
ed in the Lincoln, water department.
"SENATOR" SORENSEN IS MUCH "PEEVED"
J. E. Murray, the democratic candi
date for water and light commissioner in
Maupin's Weekly doesn't like the oc
casional shots fired at the Holy City of
Lincoln by The Examiner. - If the Lin
coln knockers would shut up their con
tinual yawping about the alleged short
comings of the metropolis of this great,
growing, glorious commonwealth of
corn, hogs, cattle, sheep, alfalfa, and
statesmen. The Examiner would cheer
fully let Lincoln rest in the graveyard
atmosphere which envelopes it. Lincoln
has never a good word for this city. It
is continually sticking its nasal pro
tuberance into our affairs with no other
motive than to antagonize the state
against its best and largest city. At
every session of the legislature the Lin
coln conspirators out of pure cussedness
originate and promote legislation
against Omaha and its most important
interests. "Anything to hurt Omaha,"
is the shibboleth of the Lincoln conspira
tors. At every session of the legislature
the Lincolnites pvit in overtime in en
deavoring to convince the members that
the Douglas county delegation is an
arrogant combination having only in
view of domination of the state, and in
promoting this false charge they fre
quently succeeded in making impression
able members believe that it is gospel
truth. If Lincoln would attend strictly
to its own business it would grow some
in population as well as in the estima
tion of the intelligent and fair-minded
people of the state. Omaha Examiner.
Tut, tut, Senator! Will Maupin's
Weekly greatly enjoys the "shots" fired
at Lincoln by the Senator. Blank shots,
to be sure; but enjoyable nevertheless,
lint this paper defies Senator Sorensen
to find in the files thereof a single "slam"
at Omaha. On the contrary Will Mau
pin's Weekly loves to boost for Omaha
on every possible occasion, and has never
been guilty of a "knock." The Senator
and a fewr of his kind have so often de
clared that Lincoln continually con
spires against Omaha that they actually
believe it. Nothing could be further
from the truth.
After carefully persuing the Senator's
blithesome remarks quoted above, one
must certainly be impressed with the
idea that Lincoln ought to be forever
boosting for a city that liberally sup
ports such a newspaper as gives place
therto. Lincoln rather likes what ' the
Senator calls its "graveyard at
mosphere." . In that atmosphere Lin
coln spent more money per capita in
building operations during the past two
years than Omaha ; it has fewer empty
store rooms per capita than Omaha; it
has fewer empty houses per capita; it has
more miles of paved street per capita;
it owns it waterworks system and its
own lighting system ; it pays 15 cents per
thousand gallons for wTater as against
35 cents paid by Omaha, and is not com
pelled by court decision to pay $6,000,
000 for a water works plant worth less
than half the money. Really and truly,
Lincoln is so busy attending to her rapid
ly growing affairs that she has no time
to "knock" on Omaha, even if she so de
sired, and she has never had any such de
sire. Surely the Senator is peeved about
something. Somebody has given him a
bum steer. Lincoln "knocking" on Om
aha? Bless your dear soul, senator,
Lincoln hasn't got the time to spare for
any such thing as that. She is growing
so fast it takes all her spare time to con
struct new clothes. Come down some
day and get acquainted with real Lin
coln people the people who are making
Lincoln, not the people from Lincoln
who visit Omaha for the "inspiration"
denied them at home. On the square,
Senator, you'll find us a fairly decent lot
and most of us sober. And nearly
every one of us seize every possible oc
casion to give Omaha a boost, for if Om
aha prospers so does Lincoln and Ne
braska. And if you can not spare the time to
make us a personal visit, Senator, for
your own sake take time to consult a
specialist and have him amputate that
exaggerated case of ingrowing grouch
against Lincoln. It is rapidly ruining
an otherwise pleasant disposition.
If those Mexicans really want to make
big war, we opine Uncle Sam can furnish
the foodstuffs, for a consideration.
No, this spring is not "late." It has just
failed of being too early, that's all. It has
been just right, and couldn't have been
better if made to order.