Robert Smith Gives
Radio Talk
<G r.tjnord from page 1) (Continued from page 1)
pr ' lems as they arise; the ability to plan for the doing
of the necesaai^ thing and the courage to carry the plan
into effect
I have already made public announcement of my sup
l rt for election to the City Commission of Roy N. Towl,
Juhn Hopkins, Arthur Westergard, W. W. Carmichael and
Harry Trustin.
I am supporting Arthur Westergard because he re
fused to vote to remove Roy Towl from the head of the
Police Department when he, Towl, was vigorously prose
cuting the investigation of the Lapidus murder. He was
out-voted, and Towl was removed. I am supporting Wes
tergard for the further reason that he had the courage to
testify on behalf of the United States in the liquor con
spiracy case, which involved many of the leaders of the
old Third Ward machine, thus proving conclusively that
they had nothing on him. If they had, he would not have
dared to testify against them.
I am supporting Roy N. Towl because of his honesty,
independence and devotion to the public service.
I am supporting W. W. Carmichael because of his
splendid record as a member of the Board of Education,
his out-standing ability as a business man. We need just
such men on our City Commission.
I am supporting Harry Trustin because of his fine
War record, his ability as a civil engineer, his generous
use of his time in helpful civic activities and his kindly
attitude toward common folks.
But it is of John Hopkins and the Police Department
that I wish to speak tonight. There is but one real issue
in this campaign, and that is, “Who shall control the Po
lice Department?” Other considerations will be injected
into this campaign, such as economy, lower taxes, new
bridge at Famam Street, etc., all brought forward as a
smoke screen to divert our attention while the ‘Old Guard’,
under the puppet leadership of respectability in political
pin-feathers, proceeds to give us a new deal out of the
same old deck.
I always like to have information about the person I
am asked to vote for, and so I will make a brief statement
to you about John Hopkins. He is forty-seven years of
age, active, strong, vigorous. About fifteen years ago, he
married a refined, cultured woman, who was then engaged
in Juvenile Court work. They have five children, three
of them attending school. In 1913, John Hopkins was ad
mitted to the practice of law. He represented Douglas
t ounly in the Nebraska Legislature of 1917. He served
with credit in the World War. His record as City Com
missioner is without stain. He has served as Fire Com
missioner, head of the Department of Finance, Acting
Mayor and is now Police Commissioner.
As Police Commissioner,sJohn Hopkins has provoked
the bitu-r enmity and opposition of those who in the past
have profited by protected and commercialized vice. Un
der Hopkins there is no longer in Omaha protected and
commercialized vice. Yes, crime and vice exist in Omaha,
we sorrowfully admit, but such places as the Friars Club
no longer flourish. Many of the machine’s most trusted
lieutenants of the Police Department have been demoted
and the morale of the machine most thoroughly broken.
Much remains yet to be done in order that the Omaha Po
lice Department be put on an efficient basis. John Hop
kins has made a good start; and the men under him are
beginning to realize that they may enforce the law as to
everyone alike, and that they will not be demoted because
they* have arrested a friend of some ward politician, who
had* been guaranteed immunity hy “the Boss.” Yes, John
Hopkins has made a good start, and with the support and
■operation of such men as W. W. Carmichael, Roy N.
Tow!, Harry Trustin, Arthur Westergard and others of
the same type, Omaha can have as good and as efficiently
managed a Police Department as any City in America;
and every honest officer will rejoice that he is free to do
his duty.
The men on the force are hoping that the old outside
control may never come back, but they are afraid that it
will. It is up to the voters on Tuesday to see that the bane
ful infuence which has controlled police administration in
the past is not returned to pow'er.
And now in closing, let me say that if my friend Harry
Lapidus, who was foully murdered about a year ago be
cause of his opposition to gang rule, could speak to ^ou
tonight, he would say, “Beware of what may happen just
before an election." In time past, hoodlums were brought
into our City, who perpetuated hold-ups and burglaries in
a spectacular manner. Our Court House was burned and
an :r.nocent negro brutally murdered in order to discredit
the administration of Ed R Smith and Dean Ringer. Any
thing may happen just before an election. Some men who
are opposing Hopkins, Towl and Westergard will not stop
at anything to discredit and destroy them. Anonymous
letters are being now circulated, carrying stories about
John Hopkins and others, which are utterly false, their
authors too cowardly to come out in the open.
A whispering campaign is being carried on by char
acter assassins in an attempt to prejudice decent people
against Hopkins and those who stand with him in attempt
ing to give us a clean police administration. We should
recall that it was Hopkins who stood with Westergard
and Towl, and voted against removing Towl as head of the
Police Department in the midst of the Harry Lapidus mur
der investigation.
If we are to retain the ground that we have gained,
we must reward Towl, Westergard and Hopkins for the
courageous stand they have taken by rallying to their sup
port in this election. Failure to elect these men by decisive
majority would be a distinct triumph for the enemies of
good Government
Heads Organization
• •
SAM E. KLAVER
President of the Douglas County Voters’ League,
a hard worker in many civic affairs. A fearless fighter
for right and justice. He knows no color, creed or race.
He can’t be fooled but once by the same party.
Tuesday, April 4,1933
Tuesday, April 4th, is history making day in Omaha.
Again the old Dennison machine is destined to die and
with it goes the little new disguised Dennison-Baldrige
machine.
It had to take the hideous murder of Harry Lapidus
to bring gangdom rule in Omaha to an end. It is the com
mon saying that on April 4th, once for always, our city
government will return to the people where it rightfully
belongs.
Political Organizations
The Douglas County Voter’s League with Mr. Samuel
E. Klaver as president and C. C. Galloway vice-president,
is the only political organization in this city campaign that
functions the year around, that is on the job every day in
the year in the interest of equal opportunities to all and
special privileges to none.
It was this organization with the fine cooperation of
Judge Rhoades that placed Miss Gertrude Lucas in the
Court of Domestic Relationships, a position which she
holds today. It was this organization with the fine coop
eration of Governor C. W. Bryan and Commissioner Mc
Hughes, Jr. that placed the first three girls in the history
of Douglas County in the Douglas County Election Com
missioner’s office. It was this organization through the
fine cooperation of Mr. Robert Smith that placed Miss
Estelle Newland in the office of the Clerk of the District
Court.
It was a committee from the organization that inter
viewed the following candidates: W. W. Carmichael, John
Hopkins, Harry Trustin, Blaine Young, Richard W. Jep
sen, Roy N. Towl and Arthur A. Westergard, in the inter
est of fair play in the line of the pro-rata of our employ
ment in our city administration. We are indeed happy to
say to you that if the above gentlemen are elected for city
commissioners we will have their full cooperation in se
curing for our Colored youth their full pro-rata, not only
in the city’s affairs, but in all publicly owned corpora
tions that we are forced to support by right of franchise,
an equal opportunity for our boys and grils.
I challenge anyone to name any office seeker that we
have recommended to the voters of Douglas County with
the exception of one occasion namely, O’Connor, the
Register of Deeds, that has failed to cooperate with us
fully in carrying out our program of equal opportunities
to all and special privileges to none. *
If you are interested in opening up new avenues of
employment for the boys and girls that you are sending
to school, it becomes your full duty to give the Douglas
County Voters League’s candidates your earnest con
eration on Tuesday, April 4,1933 and stand by and watch
for results.
Strange to say, but an undisputed fact, the Douglas
County Voters’ League is the only political organization;
active in this city campaign, that does not accept cash con-j
tributions from any candidate. This is the only organiza
tion that works the year round. It is your watch dog. It
co-operates with the Omaha Guide Working Men Com
missioners. The Douglas County Voters League is your
servant. You should vote the Douglas County Voters
League City Campaign slate straight. You will only be
giving yourself and your children a chance as full pledged
citizens in reality as well as in name. On Tuesday, April
4, look for, ask for, and get yourself and your neighbor a
little red campaign slate before you go into the voting
booth. It is your slate.
WHY WOMEN SHOULD VOTE
A Woman’s most important duty to her nation has al
ways been the raising and educating of her family. It is
this love for the family that should influence the vote of
every woman when she goes to the poll to cast her ballot,
at the coming election.
Most women do not have the time to study the quali
fications of the various candidates because of their home
duties. To further the interests of good clean govern
ment the Douglas County Voters League has examined
| the past reords of the individual candidates and can truth
fully say that, if the men they have recommended are
elected to the City Commission, we will have a govern
ment representative of the people.
Every woman wants her children to be brought up in
a city free from corruption, vice and “gang rule”, and
therefore every woman must vote with care.
Please give these candidates your serious, careful
and capable consideration. Above all things vote!
^ Htu-\£r*\
Read What Others Say
OMAHA’S OPPORTUNITY
For more than thirty years Omaha’s commercial and
industrial growth has been at a stand still. Owing to a
very serious condition of affairs.
Protected commercialized vice on the part of our city
officials under the influence of a hidden power have im
peded Omaha’s growth. •
This power has been expressed and threatened with
destruction. It is up to the citizens of Omaha to destroy
once and for always this great monster commercialized
vice. When once it has been done, Omaha’s growth and
prosperity is assured.
With such men in office as Roy N. Towl, W. W. Car
michael, John Hopkins, Harry Trustin, Richard W. Jep
sen, Blaine Young, this evil will be destroyed. The high
ways of success will be open, Omaha will-be recognized as
a safe place to live and a city of inviting opportunities for
business investments.
Every citizen of Omaha, both men and women, should
get behind this ticket and help clear the highway for busi
ness, success and prosperity.
GEORGE W. HIBBLER
POUR REASONS WHY WOMEN SHOULD VOTE
Blanche Smith
Women should vote because it is a patriotic duty that
each woman should perform.
Women with their high moral judgment, participat
ing in politics will raise the standard of the City Govern
ment This will also promote the filing for office of men
of efficient and good business ability.
Women voting for this type of men will develop a city
government that will protect the women and especially
the youth of today.
Women should investigate the candidates from a broad
minded and unselfish stand point and select those best
adapted for the office and those that will render the best
service to the citizens of Omaha.
The Douglas County Voters League, an organization
established in 1924 has selected the following candidates:
Roy N. Towl, Blaine Young, W. W. Carmichael, John
Hopkins, Harry Trustin, Richard Jepsen, and Arthur
Westergard, believing them to be the most efficient candi
dates for the various offices in the City Council.
GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DUE
After all, it takes a man with a Christian heart and a
sense of duty to his community to denounce the Hopkins
Storz affair.
No citizen of Omaha can deny the fact that Richard
L. Metcalfe is the only Christian Mayor Omaha has had
for 40 years. Not only is he a Christian man, but he also
has the courage of his convictions. PROOF OF THE
PUDDING IS THE EATING. One of his own sons
walked into his office and said, “Father a slot machine
company has offered me $3,000 if I get your permission to
let them bring their machines into Omaha” and father
answered his son, by not opening his mouth, but picking up
, the telephone and calling the legal department and order
• ed a resolution to be drawn up against the bringing of
slot machines into Omaha. Later it was tried from an
other angle, with a more attractive figure and it failed
again.
The Mayor’s bad company may cause him to loose his
chance for re-election, but the least Omaha citizens can
say, for four and half years we have had a man with a
Christian heart in the Mayor’s office. We believe he is
trying to be re-elected independent of entanglements, so
he will be free from any outside influence.
About three years ago some one made a complaint to
the Mayor’s office about the displeasure they received
from the Inspector of Weights and Measures, Mr. W. S.
Metcalfe in an effort in getting by him in disobeying the
city ordinance, thinking at that time the Mayor was a tool
of the Dennison Machine. The Mayor listened attentively
to his complaint and the following month the Mayor or
dered W. S. Metcalfe, the Inspector’s salary to be raised
$25.00 per month for a demonstration of honesty in the
capacity he had served the city.
Dr. G. B. Lennox.
Westergard Cleared
of Misleading
Statement
Omaha, Nebraska,
March 30, 1933
After 6 weeks of intense investiga
tion, and holding conference with ev
ery one that we conld get any infor
mation from, on the past Westergard
affair, with the firm aijn to withdraw
our support from Mr. Westergard, if
we found him guilty^ nd not willing
to apologize.
We, the members of the Exeeutve
Committee of the South Omaha Col
ored Non Partisan Club, held a con
ference at 5219 So. 29th St., on March
22nd, 1933, with all the parties con
cerned present.
After hearing all the statements,
facts and evidence produced, from all
the parties, we wish to state that Mr.
Arthur A. Wester gard, has been
wrongfully accused of insulting one of
our women.
We have also found upon investig»_
tion, that there was a pocket book mis
placed, by a woman who was present*
we find a man present who was desir
ous to play a joke on one of the guests
present. We have also found that
someone questioned two of the girls
who waited table, before the man who
played the joke was informed that the
loss of the pocket book had been an
nounced.
Therefore, We, the Executive Com
mittee, are recommending for the Col
ord Population of Omaha, to exoner
ate, Mr. Arthur A. Westergard, from
the charges that have been verbally
made upon him.
Signed By
Edward Wright, President
Lovetta Busch, Vice Pres.
Lillian Wright, Sec. Asst.
Mrs. A. V. Jones, Treas.
STATEMENT BY PAUL E. HAZE
CAPTAIN SOUTH OMAHA
POLICE DEPARTMENT
Concerning Westergard Affair
Made to Mr. C. C. Galloway in the
presence of a witness, on Sunday
March 26. 1933.
Statement As Follows:
Q. Mr. Paul Haze, were you at the
Prettiest Mile Club, on New Year’s
Nil'ht. January 1, 1930.
A. I was.
Q. Please tell me the facts as best
you can remember about a Pocket
Book Affair, and what was said by all
concerned to the girl accused of steal
ing the Pocket Book, and who said it.
A. Mr. Galloway, it has been a long'
time, d>ut I’ll give it to you as I re
member it. One of the guests an
announced the loss of a Pocket Book
I don’t remember the name iust now
and will call my wife and get the
ladies name. If my memory serves
me correctly, a lady said that she had
lost her pxketbook. My attention
was called to it by somebody. I walked
up to the table and used precaution as
to what I said to the girl. I told her
that I was a police officer, but was not
acting in that capacity now, but a
pocket book has been lost, and if any
of you can assist us in locating it, it
will be very much appreciated. I used
the same precaution as I use when I
have been called in on jobs where ther^
were maids or janitors working, and
some one would lose something! and
after it was all over it was found that
the parties had been wrongfully ac
cused, but a little time was spent in
the inquiry of two or three girls about
the pocket book.
Q. Mr. Haze was Arthur Wester
gard at any time near around when
you were talking to the girls about the
loss of the pocket book ? If so, did he
say anything to the girls?
A. No, Mr. Galloway, I am posi
tive that Art was not in that part of
the room at that time, and did not
say anything to the girls, (just a min
ute) I remember that the Lady’s hus
band said to one of the girls, this is
Mr. Westergard’s party, and I am his
guest and my wife has lost a pocket
book (I can’t remember the name, but
if you have a phone I will call my wife
and get the name, and see if he can
remember making any remarks. I am
sure he is the one who called the name
of Mr. Westergard. I am sure Art
was not the^i-e, and the fact that the
pocket book had not showed up at that
time is evidence that George yras not
there. Where is the phone? I, Mr. C.
C. Galloway showed Mr. Haze the
phone, and he called his wife and got
the name of the Husband of the lady
who lost the pocket book, Mr. James
Ross, 2743 No. 45th Ave. (Tel. GL
3427). Mr. Haze called Mr. Ross In
my presence and asked him these
questions.
I want you to tell Mr’ Galloway just
what was said to the girl when talking
about your wife’s pocketbook. Didn’t
you say this is Mr. Westergard’s party
I am his guest and my wife lost
her pocket book.
Mr. Ross’ answer: That has been a.
long time ago, but something of that
kind was said by me.
Mr. Paul Haze said, Mr, Galloway'
will call tomorrow and I would appre
ciate you giving him all the facts, that;
you can remember in trying to clear
up this iAndent, and a!l that happened'
at the club, that New Year's Ere.
Mr. Galloway is a good friend of mine,
and I will appreciate all that you give
him concerning it.
Q. Mr. Haze do you remember the
girl making this remark when Mr.
Ross said .this is Mr. WestergardV
Party, “I can’t help who you are, My
father’s name is State Montgomery,
and he is able to pay for what was in
the pocketbook if I had taken the
pocketbook, but I did not get it.
A. I can’t say now, that has been
a long time ago, and I don't remember
everything said during that time, how
ever Art had gone to the orchestra and
had them stop playing and announced
the loss of a pocket book and if any
one had it, to please return it to Mrs.
Ross. In a few minutes George Wes
tei\^rd, Art’s brother returned back
to the room and said he had picked up
the pocket book through a joke, just
to have a little fun, and at that time
he returned the pocket book back to
Mr. and Mrs. Ross. And that is about
in substance as to what happened as
near as my memory serves me now.
Q. Paul are you positive that Ar
thur Westergard at no time was near
where you questioned the girl during
the time the pocket book was lost and
returned.
A. Oh, yes, I am positive Art did
not know what was said to either girl,
I was the first to speak to the girls
and was still there when George m
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