ih
o
The Commoner
MAY, 1917
IS
being on th department, Mr. Sommer has dem
onstrated that he is qualilied in every way to fill
tho position.
UNION DEPOT
A plan haa. been formulated and considerable
work has been done in developing it to bring
about tho construction of a union depot in tho
city of Lincoln. The members of the council and
a number of tho substantial business men of the
city have endorsed tho plan as prepared by the
mayor, and the plan is now in process of de
velopment. It consists of two forms of peti
tions, which are in reality the securing of a ref
erendum vote directing in what manner to pro
ceed to secure a union station. One form of
petition request the removal of the Rock Is
land road to the west side of the city to bring
it into a union station if possible; but states
that if it is not possible to secure a union sta
tion the petitioners request that the Rock Island
road be given an opportunity to pass through
Lincoln west of Ninth street on condition that
it remove its present tracks between A and R
streets; that it turn over its right of way in
such territory to the city of Lincoln to be used,
exclusively for park purposes. This petition is
being circulated by the Avocation club of Lin
coln and upwards of 3,000 signers have already
been secured. The other form of petition Is being
signed by the business men of the city, who are
receivers and shippers of ireight. They urge tho
importance and the necessity to the city of Lin
coln of a union station and pledge their dupport
to the railroads that are willing to co-operate
in building a union station that all railroads en
tering Lincoln can use on an equality. This pe
tition is being signed by quite a number of the
largest retail merchants in tho city, and is being
circulated by Mr. Robert L. Newman, who is a
representative of the Traveling Men's organiza
tion. I believe that the signing of these two
forms of petitions respectively by a majority of
the citizens and business men of the city and
the proper presentation to the railroad officials
will securo the much needed union station for
the city of Lincoln.
' PUBLIC-COMFORT STATION
Provision was made in the city budget of
1916-17 for a public comfort station. After in
vestigation of the plans arid progress made 'in
other cities for public comfort stations and
making a survey of Lincoln and consulting nu
merous students of city problems, location was
selected for the construction. of a public comfort
station in the center of Thirteenth street. The
south line of the comfort station being 14 feet
north of the north side of O street where it
crosses Thirteenth street. Plans for construc
tion and an estimate of cost of the public com
fort station were approved by the council and
the city engineer instructed to construct the
public comfort station under the supervision of
the mayor. The work on the station was com
menced a short time ago and after the exca
vation had been made in the center of the street
tkirtyfour feet long, fourteen feet wide, and
ten feet deep, and tho material, including
plumbing, etc., had been arranged for, the city
was restrained by the court on a complaint from
property owners from continuing tho construc
tion, and the case is still pending before the
court. But It will soon be dissolved and the
work on the public comfort station, it is hoped
and believed, will be rushed to completion.
In submitting the above summary of work
done, it is only fsir to add tnat all ordinances,
resolutions, appropriations and 'plans requiring
the approval of the council have been adopted
in almost every instance with the1" unanimous
approval of the council, working in complete
harmony for the progress and development of
the city.
CHAS. W. BRYAN,
Mayor.
The above report was submitted by Mayor
Bryan to. and officially approved by the Lincoln
city council April 30th, 1917.
voters had a chanco to draft a willing and com-
on'f" one with tho same forward look
and with the zeal to accomplish what ho sots
In H ,M,r Bryan nt Int0 m seriously
handicapped by tho effect of the criticism that
had been vainly used to defeat him, that ho was
a hard man to get along with. Tho moment,
therefore, that he sought, as mayor, to secure
this or that reform in some department of tho
city, he naturally mot with the opposition of tho
heads thereof and for a tlmo troublo reigned.
But his good nature, his manifest desire to
serve the public interest and his 'refusal to ac
cept defeat when ho believed he was right tri
umphed, and ho was able to accomplish a great
many things that have already been listed and
which are distinctively for the benefit of tho
city. Particularly is this true of his develop
ment of the parks. Ho has laid the foundations
for a splendid system that will bo worth many
thousands of dollars to the Lincoln of tho fu
ture. Mr. Bryan is a progressive In thought
who finds It not impossible to be progressive in
action, and much of tho irritation that has fol
lowed him through his administration has boon
duo to tho fact that he did not hesit&to to stop
on the toes of privilege and conservatism, and
wnere lie erred it was because of tho irrepres-
BRYAN DESCRIBES YEOVJM AS BOLE AK
1UTJKRS OF RIGHT
From tho San Francisco Chronicle, May 11.
Tho passing years arc kind to tho oratory of
William J. Bryan. Tho bald spot behind bin
massive brow has extended to tho narrowing
of tho fringe of thinning locks, but the flow of
his phrases last night at Dreamland, whoro ho
lectured for tho Young Men's Christian Associ
ation, won the samo applause that It won lit the
ninetconth century.
Bryan spoke of tho work of thu Y. M. C. A.
In war. Ho dolivorod his mcsnac of support to
tho President by accelerated, production and
conservation of tho food supply, and thon he
embarkod on tho placid waters of hla larger
subject, which waH tho thn-o relationships of
humanity man's relation to government, so
ciety and to God.
The idoal of government he defined to bo "tho
right of tho people to what they want," ex
plaining that tho arbiter or what Is right for
the peoplo to want can be none other than tho
pcoplo themselves.
He said that the popular idea that tho Unltod
States was just now becoming a world power is
an erUMfccuid asserted that UiIh cnuntrv has
urtmnc
gin nine
sible enthiinlfiRm fnr ! favQ n,t .i lu v erciacipne greaiCBt ot world influence from
nn. TJnnnln MM, k T11 xt... """" its bOglnhlug.
' Man's relation to society ho defined In terms
of service, and said that thoso who had won the
RETIRING MESSAGE
The retiring message by Mayor Charles W.
Bryan to the city council contains a number ot
sound commendations. It is clear that the
commissioner In charge of the water and elec
tric light plant has more than his share of the
labor and responsibility of the city government.
To put the parks in charge of the mayor, in ad
dition to giving him the police department,
would be unfair in the present circumstances If
It were not for tho possibility of securing tho
services of an unpaid active park board to per
form virtually all of the work. Tho recom
mendation that the police be placed in the hands
of the mayor Is simply the cream of the city's
experience during the last four years. Tho
mayor can not be a real executive officer under
the present system unless tho principal law ex-
rewards of millions had been too busy collecting
to render service, while thoso who havo givon
the greatest service have been too busy to think
of collecting tho money reward.
Tho theological portion of Bryan's address
was characterized by homely Illustration. He
said ho was fond of radishes, but that ho did
not understand how tho "colors of the sunset
sky had been wrapped about the succulont white
flesh of the Juicy radish." Therefore, he crit
icised those who refused to accept God uuti
they could understand tho Infinite.
SAN QUBNTIN "BOYS" ADDRESSED
San Quentln, May 1,0. Bringing a message ot
cheer and good will and holding out tho hope of
just reward for honest offort, William Jennings
Bryan, former secretary ot state, spoke tor an
hour to the 2400-odd prisoners this morning.
ecuting arm of the city Is in some way put un- Bryan was given a noisy ovation whou ushered
der his control. C The message of the retiring into the dining-room by Warden James A. John
mayor will go a long way toward completing the stou and State Prison Directors Charles Sonn
verdict of the community upon the service given J tag and Henry Elckoff. As Bryan mounted the
by Mayor Bryan during the past two years. Ho platform the band played "America" and cvory
is one of the few mayors the city has ever had ! prisoner arose and remained standing until tho
who could see what the municipal government last note.
ought to be and had 'the courage to carry out Bryan was Introduced to the prisoners by
his ideals so far as he could with the machinery Warden Johnston in these few words: "It Is not
at his disposal. The record of things accom- only for his greatness that we admire him, but
for his goodness that we lovo him'
"Too little time and importance," said Bryan,
"is attached to the making of man and far too
much time and effort are given to making tho
creations of man for man's comfort and con
venience. Man Is divided Into three distinct
classes physical, mental and moral. Physical
V-'i development should not be neglected. Greater
still is tho development of the mind, but of su
premo importance is tho development of the
soul."
Throughout his speech Bryan referred to the
prisoners as "you boys." His speech was inter
larded with gems of dry wit which were keenly
appreciated by the prisoners.
plished under somewhat adverse circumstances
is impressive enough to hide the blunders. Mr.
Bryan deserves something more than the per
functory thanks of the city upon his retirement
from office. Nebraska State Journal. J
LETTER OF COMMENDATION
Lincoln, Neb. May 9, 1917.
Hon. Chas. W. Bryan.
Lincoln, Neb.
Dear Sir: -
As you have now retired from the city com
mission, I want as a private citizen to thank
you for your great services to tho city of Lin
coln. They were not appreciated, but that is
the history of all men when they donate their
-time to the public. Your work accomplished
upon Antelope Park between O and .T streets
is a monument to your foresight, taste and en
ergy, without which it would never havo been
accomplished.
Again thanking you.
THE MAYOR'S EXIT
After two years of excellent service as chief
executive of the city, Mayor Bryan steps down
and out. Two reasons actuated him in declining
to serve another two years. One was that his
private business was so urgent that, he could not
afford the sacrifice entailed by his public du
ties.. The other was. that in John E. Miller the
When campaigns are in progress, the brew
ers and distillers employ as one argument
asainst prohibition that it deprives tho farmer
of a profitable market for his field crops. Now
n at R is proposed to close the liquor factories
,. the food supply of the nation may ba
bo that tB oo iot y dfaU1IoM nay they
conserved, brewers ductlon tliat
use such a small Pt oi w j effecfc
their continued operation wouia n
of fact.
Three members of tho Nebraska senate voted
against the passage of the prohibition bill be
fore that body. They were all democrats. Six
teen other members, all but two of them demo
crats, devoted their energies for the better part
of the session to defeating the effort to securo
an effective law. These figures are quoted from
tho record to prove that Mr. Bryan was justified,
wh'en he made his campaign last fall In Ne
braska, in charging that tho democratic leader
had tied tho party to the corpse of the liquor
traffic.
Judging by the trcmendo;ui number of per
sons who have been stepping to tho front for
the purpose of informing tho rest of us specific
ally just how wo can best demonstrate our pat
riotism and how we can best win the war, th
mam who, during ths civil war, "knew mor
than old Grant" left a mighty large family C
descendants. .
't ii3
t.:i.