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About The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903 | View Entire Issue (March 1, 1902)
I 555: a VOL. XVIII, NO. VIII LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, SATURDAY, MARCH I, 100-2 ESTABLISHED IN 1SS6 EZRA SAVAGE, AS MAN AND GOVERNOR A Unique Figure In Politics and Place Is the Man From the Custer County Ranch Whom a Political Accident Placed in the Chief Executive Chair When the republicans in state con vention in 1900 were casting about for men who would stand as candidates for state otlices and lead what seemed to be a hopeless cause, Charles H. Dietrich of Hastings, a bluff, good-natured, non-professional man was hit upon for governor. His selection in dicated the mood of the convention for they were men close to the people who made up that entire ticket. Each of the nominees was called to the stage of the auditorium to show himself to those who had named him and to say what he chose. Most con spicuous of all was a tall, spare man with long, curling locks, a perfect ex ample of poise and self-confidence. His words were brief but expressive. Tired delegates, half asleep, aroused themselves and listened, and smiled -at the humor. The speaker said in part: "On behalf of the faithful few of Custer county I want to thank you for the honor you have conferred on one of them. You have made but one mis take and that was in not naming me for governor. I had a good speech prepared, and rehearsed it the other lay to Dietrich and he used part of it today, hut forgot the better por tions. I am with you in this fight to the finish. I have voted the republican ticket forty years and if I am permit ted to live that long will support re publican principles for another forty." This was the characteristic speech of Kzra P. Savage, candidate for lieuten ant governor. The unexpected hap pened, and the entire republican ticket was elected, together with a narrow majority in each house of the legisla ture. It became Mr. Savage's duty to preside over the deliberations of the upper house. This office he filled with painstaking care, and none there was who could take exception to his rul ings or his attitude on any proposi tion, regardless of where his personal interests and feelings lay. By a peculiar freak of fate, that none could foresee, Dietrich was ele vated from the governor's chair to a seat in the United States senate. It then devolved upon Savage to take the gubernatorial position, or resign. For live days there was doubt as to which would be the first to quit his position, Governor Dietrich or Lieuten ant Governor Savage. After due de liberation Savage finally consented, but with reluctance, to stay by his post and little more than a year from the date of his first nomination he left his farm in Custer county and moved Into the executive mansion of the state of Xebraska. Generous, frank, open-hearted and confiding, his troubles were soon to begin. He had been suddenly thrust from the private life that he had al ways known into a position, the cen ter of public gaze. The curious watched his every move, the envious sought to find fault with every action. This was something unknown to him. He began to squirm. He still squirms. The influences that had made Diet rich senator were the same that had supported unsuccessfully D. K. Thomp son. During the entire ninety days of conflict, not once was Savage's opinion consulted. He felt keenly the slight, and that was one of the reasons for his aversion to succeeding to the gov ernor's chair. "When he did finally con sent to remain by the ship, it was but natural that the powers that had counselled Dietrich should be given a secondary place. Savage was inde pendent, and his administration has been of that order. Amid the howlings and grumblings claims, and he stood firm, even though the complaints of those cut off from their raids on the state treasury rolled from Norfolk to Beatrice and back again. Affability, sympathy, sincerity and combativeiiess are the governor's chief characteristics. Where justice lies, in the governor's judgment, there he will be found. He is human, however, and occasionally his conclusions may be in fluenced by bias. Strong in the infall ibility of his own judgment, he will tolerate nothing like interference or "ff9s"3&3? r jfUffff""f""f""f""ff""fi IHKfiiSA &1B$ f""""""""""""""""! tBe$&?r::r?S"';'-. MRBk """"""""f""""""! C.OVKUXOIl KZKA PEKIX SAVAGK. of discontented appointees he com pelled certain officials in charge of state institutions to remove their fam ilies and keep them at their own ex pense. For years the custom had been to maintain them at the institutions at the expense of the state. The gov ernor stood firm, however, despite the bitterest of protests, and established a precedent that has saved many hundreds of dollars to the state, and one that will be hard for his successors to break down. Against the impor tunate objections of state oflicials and employes whose duties compelled them to do considerable traveling, lie de clined absolutely to approve their vouchers calling for certain sums for car fare when he knew that they traveled on free transportation. Gov ernor Savage was convinced that he was on the side of right, he knew that he was saving money to the tax pay ers of the state by cutting off unjust lu t.ition. One of the surest ways to get him to do a thing is to tell him that he must do just the contrary. An evidence of this was given in the ap pointment of J. K. Hays, state oil in spector, which was announced one Monday morning. The day before two daily state papers had published with out executive authority that the ap pointment of J. M. O'Xeal, Hays" com petitor, was an assured fact. Of this the governor said: "I thought this was. an attempt to force me to appoint O'Xeal. I won't be driven, so I just turned about and ap pointed Hays at once.'" The position of influence occupied by the man who makes suggestions to the governor cuts little figure with him. There have been men who have for years occupied positions of power in the republican party, yet their advice has been as unheeded as that of .ie lowliest. Justice, sympathy and pug naciousness, these are the qualities that usually move the governor In his actions. Only occasionally has he been accused of acting for political reasons. One of these momentous events was the pardoning of Joseph Hartley. It is said that Savage had the promise of the leaders of the iturlington. North western and 1'nlon Pacific politics that he should have their Influence for re nomination should he commute the de faulting ex-treasurer's sentence. The governor has never denied this assur ance, although usually prompt In re pudiating any suggestion of a political deal. Hut in addition to the politics of the situation there was the sym pathetic side, together with the fight ing spirit aroused by the resolution of last year's republican convention to the effect that "we demand the im mediate return of Uartley to the peni tentiary." Any inference that the governor has acted from political motives arouses him to the height of wrath. When he asked one day last week the reasons for the appearance of a certain criticis ing article, several leagues from the truth, he was told: "That's politics. The article may not be true but it is politics as it is played. If you are so sensitive over a little criticism like this, your heait will be broken before the convention by some of the charges that are being conjured up against you." "If this is politics." said the gov ernor, arising from his chair, and gest iculating emphatically with his right hand, "you may state that 1 am out of it. I want nothing to do with any thing so unfair and unjust. "May I say that you are out of the race, that you don't want the nomina tion again, just because a lot of envi ous critics see proper to say false and malicious things of you? That would be retreating in the face of theenemy." ".No sir. I'm not out of the race. I'll be found fighting in the front rank as long as I'm able to stay there. If I'm carried from the field beaten. I'll go back to my little farm without any deep regrets. I'll have the conscious ness of having fought to the best of my ability." Sensitive to the extreme, easily offended and just as readily aroused, a fighter who never avoids a conflict, and neither asks nor gives quarter; In dependent, self-reliant and headstrong, resenting intrusion from whatever source, regardless of persons; consci entious and honorable, unknown to diplomacy, and ignorant of the game of politics such Is Governor Savage, and these are the elements that hold him in the center of the stage by him self. About him there is no machine except of his own creation, and that weak and ludicrous In the eyes of acute politicians. "I have a little farm in Custer county, secured from the government. It is free from incumbrance and If the people can't justify my actions In office I can retire to :ny home and live In peace the remainder of my days conscious that I did my duty as I understood It," he said to me In con clusion of an interview- this week. C. K. MATSOX.
