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
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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.
