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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 8, 1911)
D TTTK OMATTA RrXHAY BEE: J A START . 1011. Republican Governor and Democratic Legislature at Work "v (J 4 ... - V P I "I i h 1 (V. v It '.. i HEMtr C. RICHTLOKV CHtt-LH CLCf1 OF HOtJJiC cJOHTV" iXCXLLL . SPEAH CSaZiia c' Senate HESTER H. ALDRICH, of David City, on Thursday last succeeded Ashton C. Shallenberger as governor of Nebraska. The new chief magistrate of the state Is a republican, at lawyer by profession, with some pretensions to farming. The retiring governor is a democrat, whose business is banking, though he raises blooded stock With a good deal of success. Mr. Shallenberger has his home la Harlan county, which borders on the Kansas line, while Aldrlch comes from a Platte river county that corners on Lancaster, wherein the capital EBBS Edger. JtfJiflne at'Iaztiaster County - county; and possibly Peter Mortensen of Ord, Valley county, for railroad commissioner. At the election Mr. Mortensen received approxi mately 70,000 votes for member of the state railroad commission to fill the vacancy caused by the death of the late W. H. Cowgill. Governor Shallenberger appointed to fill this vacancy his private secretary, Colonel W. J. Furse, and the legislature has refused to canvass the vote for Mortensen and declare him elected. This will necessitate a fight In court for the office. Auditor of State Silas R. Barton succeeds himself, as does Land Commissioner Cowles and Railroad JJ Cor. CluesterHJUdpjdi Lincoln, an old soldier as well carries an empty sleeve. as a preacher. HA city Is located. Both the Incoming and outgoing governors have 'Commissioner Clarke. Secretary Wait has been for sev mixed In politics to a greater or less degree for a eral yea h deputy secretary of state, and of course good many years. Governor Aldrlch has served In ,a l home in the office. Messrs. George and Crabtree the state senate, and Mr. Shallenberger was twice maT lgo be considered trained men for their posi elected to congress by the democrats. Both men are tions, the one having been for several years engaged orators of some note in their respective parties, and ln banking and having been a county treasurer, while their services have been ln demand on the stump in past campaigns; bo it follows the people of the state are well acquainted with their personalities. Neither man Is ln the wealthy class, yet each is counted as being comfortably well off. Each has a family, now grown up, but neither one Is yet a grandfather. Mrs. Aldrlch, like Mrs. Shallenberger, whom she succeeds as mistress of the executive mansion pro vided by the state, is a woman of plain tastes and home-loving character. It was in deference to her wishes that Govnor Aldrich let it be understood the customary inaugural ball would be dispensed with as a feature of his Inauguration. That she will worthily discharge the duties of her position as the wife of the governor Is considered a matter of course by her neighbors ln David City and by those others who have the privilege of knowing her. The family Li affiliated with the Methodist church. Each Had Paramount Issue Governor Aldrlch, like Governor Shallenberger, was elected largely on one laaue. Shallenberger made his campaign almost exclusively on the demand for a law that would guarantee the deposits in banks, and the statute parsed in response to his urging has Just been sustained by the supreme court of the United States. Governor Aldrlch made his fight mainly as an advocate of a county option law, with the result that party lines were obliterated, so far as the governorship was concerned, in the state elec tion. With the republican governor, every candidate of that party for a state office was successful. In spite of this, the legislature is democratic In both branches, although In the state senate the prevailing party has but one majority. In the house the democrats have a more comfortable margin. So It came about that democracy's day of triumph was Tuesday, when that party organized the senate and house. The Inauguration of the republican gov ernor occurred two days later, and Friday morning the other heads of the arious offices of the state took possession. The republican governor has with him all the state bnards. and the heuds of all state Institutions, although he went outside his own party (or some of his appointees. Three New Men in Office The new state officers, aside from governor, are Walter A. George, state treasurer, of Broken Bow in Custer county; Addison Wait, secretary of state, of Syracuse. Otoe county; Grant Martin, attorney gen eral, of Freincnt, Dodge county; J. W. Crabtree, sup erintendent of public instruction, of Peru, Nemaha the other has been identified with educational affaiM for most of his active life. Governor and Legislature May Agree One of the propositions on which the chief mag istrate and perhaps a majority of the legislature hope to agree is county option. Tet the outcome is not a certainty by any means; and it was noticed that the temporary speaker, discussing "important matters that have not been settled by other legislatures," did not mention county option. As Mr. Gerdes is a leader among the democrats, and was considered a strong possibility for speaker, his omission caused some comment. In the consultations among democratic members of the house, preliminary to organization, the mem bers in favor of county option secured from the ma jority an agreement to give a county option bill the right-of-way whenever the "drys" got ready to-push it; to leave It exclusively in the hands of its friends for amendment, and generally to let the anti-llquor group have full possession of the bill. At one stage of the negotiations It looked very promising for a combination of "dry" democrats and republicans to organize the two houses. The psycho logical elements were at hand, only needing a compe tent hand to gather them up and make them work; but the chance passed. It will always stand to the credit of the republicans that, with rare exceptions, the temptation did not carry them away. They very generally agreed the democrats should have the fruits of their legislative victory and be allowed to do the best they can. Organization is "Wet" Both branches are organized "wet" on the face of the returns as made up when the caucus choices were put in the various positions; but there is evident among the "drys" a feeling cf satisfaction that is causing some nervousness among the more pronounced anti-county option men. Some of the democratic representatives pledged against a county option measure of any character talk as If they believe the republican "wets' will be agreeable to taking up the task of blocking the game of the county optionUts. Besides the county option bill, the Initiative and referecJuni and reapportionment of legislative dis tricts are very Important matters to be settled by the present legislature. Both parties are committed to theso proposed measures. The Initiative and referen dum seems fairly sure of be!ng engrafted on the stat utes of Nebraska; but reapportionment on a plan that will be satisfactory to all sections of the state prom isee to be difficult. The legislators from the newer and J La- more rapidly growing sections are keen to have It pushed. While the senators and representatives from the counties now enjoying heavy representation, com pared to population, are not Baying much in opposi tion to this proposed reapportionment bill, they are studying very seriously possible combinations. Politicians Watch Maneuvers When the new legislature is being organized and new state of fleets Installed, a great many people are drawn to the capital who have no particular business There, except possibly to gain political knowledge and enjoy the excitement of the "Jockeying for position." The commencement of the thirty-second session of the Nebraska legislature was no exception. John C. Byrnes of Columbus, democratic state chairman, was on hand for consultation and advice; and so was "Bill" Husenetter, republican state chairman. "I'm a farmer, not a politician," said Husenetter, showing his horny hands and looking the picture of the agriculturist resting up in the closed season. Lett 6 SM -Sraihrs Skiles.Volpp and loihJ tfvs. fr a u'eSeitej - Sec. Wtf.Sudth. Js&'t J Q. PlulJ&hroJid. However, "Bill" hag mixed In politics a time or two, and is now studying up on oil, with a view to making the Standard and other octopuses give up a fair amount of coin to fatten the state treasury. He Is ihe new sta'.e oil inspector. Officers of House and Senate John Kuhl, the speaxer of tne bouse. Is a quiet, genial man on the sunny side of 30, and seems to possess the qualities needed to hold the scales level when the stress of combat is on. Henry Richmond, who won out for chief clerk of the house, Is a newspaper man with winning ways. He missed the office at the last session by an eye lash, but had it cinched from th ,4inpotI this time. W. H. Smith, re-elected secretary of the senate. Is also a newspaper man, publishing a democratic paper it Swarc and J. G. P. Hlldebrand. one of his as sistants, was formerly ln the business. When it came to mixing gospel medicine, the Mor mon elder, James Huff, proved his capacity by secur ing the senate pulpit for the session. He is Just re linquishing the chaplaincy of the state penitentiary, to which he was appointed by Governor Shallenberger. An attempt was made to break the slate on Huff, but it failed by one vote. It may be mentioned, as somr thiu;; of a coincidence, that his predecessor at 'he pen itentiary, Rev. P. C. Johnson of Tecuniseh, is now a member of the house. Johnson Is a retired preacher, and could be used any hour of the day as a correct presentment of Uncle Sam, without any sort of rnaki up. The house chaplain Is Rev. Jeremiah Mickel of Education a National Asset p ROGRES3 in the education of the people today was declared to be of greater economic value to the country than the conservation of resources by President Edmund J. James of the University of Illinois. Prof. James was addressing the twenty-fifth annual meeting of the American Economic association at St. Louis, and said: "We are coming to see more and more that the wealth of a nation lies liot in its fir!ls, its forests, and its mines, but in the developed capacities of its people. And we are coming to recognize more and more clearly that such capacities cannot be discovered and trained to their fullest extent except by a systematic, carefully considered, comprehensive national puryose incorporated in a definite policy. "Compared with the possibilities for the develop ment of national wealth which lie in the increased knowledge and skill of the community, the saving effected by a ko-valled conservation of natural re sources becomes a mere bagatelle." He insisted we may and shall find a substitute for roal as a means of converting the energy of the sun into means of heating, lighting, and driving machinery, long before our coal will be exhausted, if we will give our atten tion to the developments of science. "We shall find means of restoring or proletilcg the fertility of our soils, consistent with larger crops than we have ever dreamed of reaping, if we glve'wur strength and energy and thought to the development of those branches of science whose subject of investigation- lies in these fields. "In this respect the United States has had great progress, but we are far from having reached the goal. We have brought home the facilities and op portunities of good schools iu the field of elementary and secondary education to a large part of our popu lation, but this development has been spotty. No otb-r civilized country can show so large a number of children absolutely beyond the reach of what may be by any stretch of courtesy called a good elementary school, as we have In the black regions of the south, or in the mountain regions of our Appalachian ter ritory. "As to the second part of our comprehensive sy tin of national education namely, the opportunities for the discovery of the many forms of talent and ability ln the children, we are in many respects be hind some of the other advanced nations. "When It comes to the third point, that of offering facilities for the training of these abilities during and after the school life of the child, so that tHey may be utilized in the industries, we have thus far done practically nothinir." Grief for Patronage Dispensers Senator John E. Reagan and "Ed" McArdle are tha two Douglas county men whose troubles are ready made The) are on the committees on employes of the sen.ite and house, respectively. And more than, one or two cf the local unterrifled have let it ha known they very much desire to hold a door or keep a temm ttfp room in order. "So many of the aspirants will perforce be comH pelled ta seek a position selling automobile whips or something like that, it is a relie! to be free of the dis agreeable task of telling them so," remarked Sena., tor Tanner. knows something of the grief ahead of Reagan am' McArdle. Committee 'usignments are now the main con sideration wltt -tUe Douglas county members of tha two houses. It has been made pretty clear by tha anti-Douglas bunch in control of these assignments that senators and representatives from Omaha ara not considered the very best timber for use ln build ing the temperance committees, or those having toj do with corporation .measures. And yet, from a per verseness Inherent In human nature, perhaps, varioua of the Douglas county legislators desire to be on thesa committees particularly. They take the modest posi tion that as Omaha Is commercial headquarters for the state, and as corporations of one kind or an other are quite numerous here, senators and repre sentatives from this neck of the woods should hava an inside chance to scan and prune the corporation measures, if any pruning should be necessary. They will possibly be givn minority representation, witli all real work carried to the floor. Lobbyists Sing Low ieveral gentiemeu heretoioie classed among lob byists for oue interest or another, are already prac ticing up on a bong which had its origin ln Wash ington: Nothin' to do but listen, Nothin' to do but wait And patiently hear with attentive ear What the statesmen have to state, Nothin' to do but watch 'em .As they gather in strength once more To lead the way and have their say, As they've done so oft before. They might also sing "It Was Not Like This in tha Old Days," for lobbying of the old order has passed out. Smiling and agreeable gentlemen who appear to have a good ual of time on their hands are still to be noticed about the hotels, and occasionally ln the corridors of the capitol or outside the bar of tha house. They are exceedingly modest, especially If in terested in the affairs of large corporations, and de pend on severely quiet work among personal acquain tances for whatever results they achieve. They would deny being lobbyists, if asked, and probably an ap propriate name for this new group would be "watch ers" or "listeners." There Is a species of lobbyist, aevertheless, that will not be put down. Both men and women are in this second class, and they buzz the tired and tried statecmen wherever they can be found, singly and in committee. Coucty option will be the theme of a good many, initiative and referendum of others, and still more will express a deep Interest in varioua measures of sociological or humanitarian character. Then the friends of the different state institutions and boards will also have to be heard, so tha! he will be a clever member who can get entirely clear of the whispered advice or plea of those who want some thing for themselves or want something done in the lawmaking 11a -