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Republican Governor and Democratic Legislature at Work
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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
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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 -
