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About Will Maupin's weekly. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1911-1912 | View Entire Issue (April 5, 1912)
OPEN LETTER TO THE NEWSPAPER FRATERNITY I .K-r . "St Ail ,''. Will M. Maupin and Seven of the Many Reasons why he wants to be nominated and elected Railway Commissioner of Nebraska. "Just two weeks intervene between this date and the date upon which the nominees of the political parties for state office will be named. I seize this occasion to say a few words to my brothers and sisters of the news paper profession in Nebraska. I am a candidate on my own motion for the democratic nomination tor railway commissioner. There are a dozen reasonshy I can not make an active personal and advertising cam paign for the nomination. One reason is, being a newspaper man I haven't the money. The other reasons, all good in themselves, are hardly worth mentioning after the first one has been given. I could, possibly, have some boilerplate manufactured showing my face and containing what few facts about . myself that I would care to make public, and send them around to you, express prepaid, but that wouldn't help you any. The boilerplate manu facturers would get all -the money I had, and you would get nothing. If I appropriated an equal amount of money and prorated it among you, it wouldn't amount to enough to be worth while as payment for your advertising space. Hence, I am just going to take you into my confidence and rely upon that fraternal feeling, trusting that it will impel you to give my candidacy favor able mention. I have known most of you person ally" for years. I served the Nebraska Press Association as president for one . ' 1 . T t i 3 a 1 of service to you in every way I could. It may be a bit presumptuous, but 1 believe you know me well enough to believe that I have the ability to make a pretty good railway commissioner. I came to Nebraska in 1886, and with the exception of eight months spent in exile in Iowa during the hard times when it was necessary for a lot of us to absent ourselves from the state in order to eat, I've been here ever since, and every day of it I have been in the newspaper business. True, I served as deputy labor commissioner for two years, but I ran a newspaper just the same and didn't neglect, my public duties to do it, either. "Whether or not my services as deputy labor com missioner were satisfactory I leave to you and to the general public. "What ever your verdict on that score, I at least imitated tne organist m tne mining camp. I rather pride myself on my knowledge of Nebraska, her people and her problems. I have made them a study for many years. I want to dd a man's part in advertising her re sources and in helping her people solve the problems confronting them. There may be those who aspire to - - t '. . ' V public office who ask you to believe that they are actuated by wholly un selfish purposes; that they want to serve the people, and that the emolu ments of the office appeal not to them. Perhaps I am a bit different from most men, although I opine not. But I am different from those aspiring candi dates who ask you to believe that they are wholly unselfish. "Were I a rich man, or even a man with a fixed income' that came regardless of my own efforts, I might be willing to serve the people steadily - without re numeration. But I am not. While at all times willing and ready to serve the public to the limit of my time without interfering too muchwith my earning power, I can not give all my time to the state without remuneration. I want to be railway commissioner be cause it is an office of importance; because it pays a good salary; because the term is six years; because I need the money, and because I believe I can give the people the kind of service they deserve and should have. I promise, if nominated and elected, to give to the people the best services within my power. I have no axes to grind. My course will be marked by absolute fairness, without abating one jot nor tittle in my demands that the interests of the whole people be con served. Of course I believe in fight ing to -the last ditch to maintain the 2-cent passenger fare law. Of course I favor the physical valuation law and extending it to cover every public service corporation. Of course I be lieve that rates should be so fixed upon the basis of physical valuation as to permit of a reasonable dividend. Of course I favor equal rights to all. Of course I am opposed to discrimi nation. Of course I favor a . proper classification of comomdities so as to present discrimination by wrongful classification in shipping. Of course I favor a "blue sky law." I favor a lot tf other things that are funda mentally democratic, such as tariff for revenue only, currency reform, en forcement of the criminal clause of the anti-trust laws, the initiative and referendum, direct election of senators by the people, tax reform. I am also opposed to the so-called Aldrich plan of reserve associations. But if elected railway commissioner I will be so busy earning my salary that I will have to leave such matters largely in the hands of the statesmen. I would appreciate more than I can tell the assistance you may see fit to give me in securing the nomination I seek. Some day it may be my good fortune to have the opportunity to reciprocate and I hope itwill. If that time comes, you need but to call on me. If you will help me I pledge 1,1 "'XI iwk. l- -1.- V. ' ,Z'fi- - - ' Vi rU -.a : j jrou my word that no official act of mine will ever cause you to regret it. Fraternally yours, WILL M. MAUPIN. THE "HOUN DAWG" SONG. It may be that the words of the now famous Ozark- "houn' dawg" song were written by a school boy in Indiana; it may be, that they are of German or Latin extraction; it may be that they were penned by a tar-heel in the 'hills of North Carolina, or by . a farmer in "Old Missouri" but, the tune of the "houn' dawg" song which will be used with so much effect in the campaign for Mr. Clark after the Baltimore convention, was written by Charles (U. S. A.) Roth, the composer of "My Dream of the U. S. A.," which has become almost a national air. The Roth score for the Ozark "houn' " song has been officially adopted as the Clark campaign song by Speaker Clark's manager, Senator Fred T. DuBois. When Charles Roth, heard the words of the "houn' " song following the state convention at Jop lin, Missouri, he went to work to com pose a tune that would fit the words. The day after the Joplin convention he wandered isto the Clark headquar ters humming the catchy air and when Senator DuBois reached the Clark of fices, Roth, with a quartet, was sing ing this song. It caught Senator Du Bois' musical ear immediately and the senator joined in. Presently young Bennett Clark strolled in and the quartet became a sextet. Now the Ozark "houn' " song opens arid closes the day 's work at Clark headquarters. Senator DuBois has developed a contra-tenor which has made him the envy of all others in the headquarters. So great has been the demand for copies of the Ozark "houn' " song that Clark's managers have been compelled to get out several editions. SAY J. ABBOTT. 'When the democrats of Lancaster county looked about for a candidate for county attorney they very natural ly set eyes upon Ray J. Abbott, a member of the law firm of Price & Abbott. This was due to the fact that they saw in Mr. Abbott just the right kind -of material for an able and successful county attorney. And the county attorneyship of a county like Lancaster demands much more than the average legal ability. It de mands the services of a man who is tireless, who. is well versed in law, who is capable pf coping with difficult situations, , and who can not be swerved from the line of duty. All these qualities i Mr. Abbott admitted ly possesses. As a lawyer his stand ing at the bar is beyond question and his record is one of gratifying success. He -read law in the office of his father, , the late Judge Abbott, at Crete. Judge Abbott was one of the pioneer attorneys of Nebraska and was long one of the big men of the bar. Under such tutelage the son re ceived a splendid-education in the law, together with that mental discipline so necessary in- successful practice. Mr. Abbott removed to Lincoln soon after his admission to the bar, and soon won his way to the front rank. His record is sufficient warranty for the statement that he would give to Lancaster county just the service the county should have. Mr. Abbott has no opposition for the democratic nomination, but it is well that democrats should acquaint themselves with his character and his ability to the end that when the cam paign opens up they may be able to point with pride to their candidate for county, atorney and work enthus iastically for his election. Mr. Ab bott, if nominated and elected, will give to the office his entire time and the fullest measure of his ability. THE HOUSEHOLD ART. Painting and paperhanging is a modern art, appealing peculiarly to the lovers of home life. It requires something more than skill to carry it out in its perfection it requires an artist in love with his work and con stantly studying to seeure the best effects in colors and combinations. To this art C. P. Sherrill devotes his en tire attention, with the result is that his work is attracting the favorable com ment and commendation of lovers of the artistic. Mr. Sherrill, whose place of business is at 1139 M street, gives his personal supervision to all the work entrusted to him, and there is nothing in the line of painting and paperhanging he does not do in the most approved style. He employs only skilled workers who, like him, are in love with their work. Mr. Sherrill filled the contract for the the decora tions in the new Chapin building at Fourteenth and O streets, and is pre pared to take any contract in that line, be it large or small. At his store he has a wonderfully complete stock of wallpaper, paints, oils, glass, etc., artistically arranged for your inspec tion. You will - make ' no mistake by consulting with Mr. Sherrill about any work you may have in his line. Both phones at store and residence. Store at 1139 M residence at 3110 Kleckner Court. . THE CITY STREETS. If the present condition of the city's streets are due to the inability of the street commissioner to employ the proper amount of help, it is an indict ment of the council or the charter. If due to the street commissioner, which we do not believe, then a change is needed. The streets are certainly in a deplorable condition. Arid the system of cleaning, such as it is, ought to be changed. It is the custom to start the dust swirling sweepers early in the evening, often before the stores are closed, and always before the streets begin to present a deserted appear ance. The result is disagreeable, un LIBERTY FLOUR From Selected Nebraska Wheat Best Wheat in the World Best by the Oven's Test FLOUR "J H.O.BARBELR &S0N3 H. O. Barber & healthy and damaging to merchandise. N, O and P streets should be the last ones swept at night, thus giving the people a chance to escape the swirling ; clouds of dirt and worse. Of course, the street commissioner is working under serious handicaps, but that should not prevent him from do ing the work he is able to do with some regard for the convenience of the merchants and the general public. HAGUE OF MINDEN. Lewis W. Hague of Minden is one of the republican candidates for the nomination for lieutenant governor. We've known Mr. Hague ever since the Mindenites snuck over to Lowell and swiped the county seat. We've played baseball together, swore at the same umpires, and rejoiced over the same victories and mourned over the toe defeats. He is a lawyer of abil ity, a four-square republican, one of the oldest residents of central Ne braska and well qualified for the po sition to which he aspires. Although he has been a working republican ever since we first knew him and that seems like a hundred years ago so far as we recall this is the first time he ever took a notion to be a candidate for office. ' ' THIS FROM THE OLD HOME. The following, copied from a Ne braska exchange, concerns a former Oregon school boy, and one of the Sentinel's typos, who removed to Ne braska some years ago, and has been more or less mixed up in matters po litical, social and religious in that state ever since : ' "Will M. Maupin, of Lincoln, an nounces that he is a candidate for railroad , commissioner, and in doing so comes K nearer telling the truth about it than most candidates do. He says that he js a candidate of his own volition ; that he has not been urged by his friends ; that the salary of $3,000 a year looks good to him; that he is making no personal sacri fice in going after the job; he claims , to have no exceptional qualifications for the office, . only a ; modicum of common sense, and the firm convie I tion that any man should expect to work hard and give his undivided ef fort to earn $250, a month. His an nouncement will strike the average voter as being nearer the truth than the usual grandstand-proclamation of those seeking an office." We ain't no scratchei- 'but, if he was over in the good, old land, of the "Missouri 'banana" and wanted to be railroad commissioner, secretary of state, or what not, darned if we wouldn't give him a boos V and we are of the opinion there are many down this way that would follow suit. . The Sentinel sincerely hopes that Will will get there by a handsome majority. He is every way deserving and thorough ly competent for the job. Oregon, Mo., Sentinel, Rep. WE STILL INSIST. Will Maupin insists that "it is tough to be poor and try to win a state of fice under our present primary law." Yet this primary law is held up as the means of getting rid of the bosses. Omaha Examiner. A Nebraska Product Worthy of Nebraska Sons Lincoln