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
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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
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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
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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
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Sons Lincoln
