not disDensed with." Then everybody but the watchful sruards would the ever-nresent subiect of railroad nasses was un for discussion. In
- X IT
, roll over and go to sleep again. reply to a charge that all the republicans were the tools of the rail-
At the end of the eighty-six hours the call was raised because roads and carried passes, Howe arose and dramatically declred his.
everybody was worn out, and the opponents of the bill realized that independence and called upon every member holding a railroad pass
the bill would finally pass anyhow. The bill did pass, only to be to do as he was about to do, tear it to pieces. So saying Howe with
vetoed by Governor Boyd. That veto killed Boyd politically, and it a fine dramatic fervor tore into fragments a business card that he
came so near killing the democracy of Nebraska that it was an al- happened to have in his pocket. It was an hour or two before a lot
mighty long time showing any signs of life. of the members got onto the trick.
That session gave the state several reforms, chief among them The "farmer" -legislators were all elected on a platform of un-
bcing the Australian ballot. It also pertormecl the memorable feat aying hostility to the railroads. Before the session was over all but
of violating the constitution by practically issuing bonds to buy two or three of the "farmer" members were asking for and receiving
seed for the drouth suflerers of the state. It had its many amusing passes in blocks, this paved the way for a rich joke. About the
-X features, too. It was always amusing to note the suspicion thav time that the "farmer" members were beginning to ask for passes
the "farmers" had for anything proposed by the republicans, and still every member was the recipient of a pass from the Missouri Pacific.
Vore amusing to watch the way Howe of Nemaha and Watson of good between Lincoln and Omaha. They were received on a Friday
Otoe, both republicans, would pull the wool over their eyes. Shrader morning's mail, and the house adjourned at noon until the following
of Logan, whose ambition was cruelly thwarted when he failed to Monday. That afternoon a score of "farmer" members were at the
"V. land the speakership, was the floor leader. Every time a bill came Missouri Pacific depot, prepared to use those passes to Omaha. If
, up that he opposed he would intiniate that there was graft behind you have ever tried getting from Lincoln to Omaha, or from Omaha
Kit, and usually offered convincing proof by saying, "I know there is, to Lincoln, over the Missouri Pacific, you will be able to appreciate
because I have been approached." One day White of Cass, a demo- the chaste and saddened condition of those gentlemen after they had
crat, arose just after Shrader had made such a declaration and asked made the round trip on those "courtesies."
permission to ask Shrader a question. Shrader consented. Leveling Porter of Merrick was elected secretary of state in 1892, and
his leadpencil at Shrader, White asked: "What is there about 3011 while a resident of Lincoln was fined under a city ordinance for
that causes all these grafters to approach you?" Shrader slowly slaughtering hogs inside the city limits. He also overlooked the mat
sank into his seat, his face white as a sheet, probably from anger, ter of turning in some fees collected as secretary, the supreme court
and never said a word. He was never again heard to declare, that afterwards chiding him somewhat for the oversight. Senator Poyn ter
v5 he had been approached. of Boone was elected governor in 1898. Lieutenant-Governor Majors,
As aspeaker Marsh Elder was about the worst that ever hap- who presided during the senate deadlock mentioned above, was de-
pened, for he was a puppet in the hands of the skilled parliamen- feated for the governorship by Silas A. Holcomb in 1894. Senator
tarians among the republicans and democrats on the floor, but he Crounse was elected governor in 1892, defeating VanWVck, populist,
S was a never-failing source of delight to the galleries and a perpetual and Morton, democrat. The year that saw the election of Nebraska's
fountain of "copy" for the newspaper boys. He did, however, possess first anti-republican legislature also saw the election to congress of
. a fund of plain commonsense that often saved the situation, lruth a young democrat in the hirst district who afterwards became known
compels the statement, however, that about 97 per cent of the wise slightly further than the district boundaries. His name was Wil
and wittv savins attributed to Elder had their origin in the fertile liam J. Bryan. He was handed the nomination because he asked
brain of "Dick" Metcalfe, the legislative correspondent of the World- for it and no other democrat wanted it, the nomination being con-
n Herald. That session made "Met's" name familiar all over the state, sidered either a joke or a sacrifice.
for he handled the legislative news with a skill and an originality The first week of the 1891 session saw the state house filled
rv that attracted everybody's attention. with militiamen, called out by Thayer to protect himself from being
""- Amnnir V mncf pornpct rf th "farmpr" mpmhm wa on r from thrown out nf nffire He mJorht hrv marlp tVi KliifF vvo-rlr if flni-crnnr
(V) Saline. He possessed an active brain that worked faster than his Boyd had not had the foresight to make Victor Vifquain adjutant
longue, and his attempts at English were often ludicrous, but he had general. By sheer nerve Vifquain compelled the militia to recognize
the knack of getting to the heart of every bill and an investigation of and report to hirh. although he carried his office in his hat. When
the record will show that he was on the right side every time. Kruse recognition was given him he ordered the militia to quit. A day or
of Knox, who fought with Shrader for the honor of being floor leader, two later the executive chamber's temperature was below zero and
one day made the mistake of getting on the wrong side of Church Thayer was forced to capitulate.
Howe." Howe's verbal attack on Kruse was about the most bitter The session ended in a wild orgie. About the only things left
thing ever heard in the state house. It fairly shrivelled the gentle- in the house chamber were the chairs and the desks. Everything
man from Knox, and after that he was among the meekest of the portable disappeared wastebaskets, inkwells, stationery, books all
meek. went. For years afterwards a great deal of correspondence was done
It was during this session that Church Howe pulled off one of 011 state writing paper, state pens dipped in state ink being used,
his best theatrical stunts. Howe had an attack of rheumatism, and Nebraska will never again see another such legislative session,
for several days remained at his room in the Lincoln. When he re- and yet, for all of its sins of omission it was. worth while. It gave
appeared in the house chamber he walked on crutches and acted the Nebraska its first political reforms in its history, and it opened the
part of the rheumatic cripple to perfection. He was greeted voci- eyes of the people to many existing evils. It marked the beginning
ferously, and on his desk stood an immense bouquet of flowers of railroad regulation, it gave the state ballot reform, and it revealed
presented by a delegation of admiring constituents from Nemaha, in all its ghastly hideousness the corruption, the railroad domination
The writer has reason to believe that the delegation came to Lin- and the political chicanery that had ruled Nebraska from the day it
coin on a blanket pass, and that the bouquet was listed among was admitted to statehood. It leavened the whole political lump,
numerous bills that Howe afterwards gave his check for- A few The men in both the republican and the democratic parties today
days later the famous bill concerning the publication of liquor license who are known as progressives were tinctured with "populism"
applications came to a vote. Howe had promised "Met" to vote for more or less twenty years ago, and some of them were actively con
it because the World-Herald wanted it and the Bee opposed it. With nected with the people's independent party that succeeded the "Farm
his usual penchant for, carrying water Howe dodged the vote. But ers' Alliance." Today many of the public policies advocated by men
he was busy at something else when the roll call started and did not of all parties were ridiculed twenty years ago as mere "pop dreams"
notice it until the secretary approached near his name. Then Howe Nebraska owes a big debt to the earnest but unskilled men who
had immediate business outside the chamber, and. he rushed out with- made up the majority of the membership of the 1891 session, and still
out a limp, forgetting his rheumatism and leaving his crutches more to the thoughtful farmers, unskilled in political ways, who made
propped up against his desk, mute witnesses of his skill in theatricals, up the mighty movement that swept Nebraska in 1890 and later
Another of Howe's vaudeville stunts was pulled off one day when years. MAUPIN.
PARAGRAPHS APPERTAINING TO MEN AND MATTERS
Governor Aldrich, who was inaugurated last Thursday, has an considerations, and think only of the good of the state instead of work"
opportunity seldom afforded those who have been elected to the gov- ing always with an eye to the advancement of a political party's
ernorship of this state. He can not attribute his election either to his cause. A lot of men who differ from Governor Aldrich in politics,
own personal popularity or to the republican party. To all intents but who voted for him, most of them under protest, sincerely hope
and purposes he is the fortunate recipient of a non-partisan election, that he will measure up to his great opportunity. He has no more
for he owes his office to the fact that thousands of disgusted demo- sincere well wisher than this humble little newspaper,
crats and populists voted for him. He secured the nomination be-
cause other republicans perhaps better known and perhaps better There is a good deal of poppycock about this decision not to
politicians, were afraid to go after it, believing that Shallenberger have an "inaugural ball." It sounds well, and it salves the con
would be renominated and knowing that if he was no republican sciences of a lot of people who have an idea that an "inaugural ball"
could beat him. All that Governor Aldrich needs to do to make for in Nebraska means a dance. All the dancing done on such occasions
himself a name to be remembered in Nebraska history is to work wouldn't consign any one sole to perdition even if dancing were a
along the lines of non-partisanship, be influenced by no partisan venal sin. There will be a big rush, a display of gold and glitter,