© 2006–2017
All Rights Reserved
William G. Thomas
Copyright Statement
Mr. Bryan will speak at the following places in Douglas county:
Elkhorn, Thursday, November 1, 1 p.m.
South Omaha, Bauer's hall, Thursday night.
Valley, Friday afternoon, 1 o'clock.
Exposition hall, Friday, 8 p.m.
In the person of James E. Boyd the voters of the Second congressional district have a candidate of which they can truly be proud. A successful business man whose fortune has been built by his own hands in the most legitimate way, Mr. Boyd may be said to be an ideal representative of the people.
Mr. Boyd is well known among us. He has held several offices of public trust—from county clerk to governor of the state—and in every position in which the public will has placed him he has acquitted himself with credit. Mr. Boyd has always been a free man. No corporation has ever owned him, nor ever will, and in public life, even when his course did not agree with the ideas of the World-Herald, this paper yet gave him credit for all honesty and sincerity. In congress Mr. Boyd would not be a nonentity. He would represent the district, not as a mere procurer of jobs for his adherents, but as an alert and intelligent congressman, taking some part in the proceedings besides answering to the roll call.
We believe that Mr. Boyd will be elected, for several reasons, principal among which is the fact that the solid business men realize that he is by far the fittest candidate now before the people.
The Bee tries to influence the public mind because George W. Holdrege, general manager of the Burlington & Missouri railroad, is interested in defeating populism. That argument fools nobody. Every honest man in Nebraska recognizes the right of Mr. Holdrege to defend the property in his charge against whatever evil forces would destroy its value.
Populism is a blight on business.
For that reason it would injure the railroads in this state.
Mr. Holdrege knows this. Every railroad man knows this. Populism in control of this state would depreciate the railroad property of this state millions of dollars in the eastern market. Mr. Holdrege would not deserve to hold his position one hour if he were indifferent to the rights of those whose property is in his keeping. When the hot winds came up from Kansas last summer and withered Nebraska corn, they also withered the value of Nebraska railroad property in the eastern market. Every eastern holder of this Nebraska railroad property stood day to day before the bulletin boards and watched with anxiety the progress of the devastation of Nebraska crops, because the destruction of these crops was a serious damage to their property. Today they are watching the progress of the Nebraska election.
Populism is the hot wind of fanaticism that withers industrial enterprise and burns up value.
Thirty thousand people of moderate means, in New England, own the Burlington railroad in this state. The moment that populism seizes the reins of this state government every one of these 30,000 people loses 10 to 20 per cent of the market value of his property.
And who gets this 10 or 20 per cent which is lost to the eastern man? Does any Nebraskan get it? Does any laboring man get a dollar of it? Does any Nebraska farmer get a dollar of it? No. The Nebraska farmer suffers also in the depression of his property. The Nebraska laborer also suffers, because there is that much less money to be paid out for Nebraska labor in the operation of these railroads. Everybody suffers and nobody is benefited when property shrinks in value and industry is paralyzed.
If Mr. Holdrege would stand idly by and see these 30,000 eastern stockholders injured in the value of their property, without any good to Nebraska, every manly man in this state would despise him for such a cause. He would be a betrayer of his trust, just as Mr. Rosewater is a betrayer of his trust, when he uses the Bee, which Omaha business men have built up by their patronage, to strike them in the face and threaten them with a boycott, in order that he personally may dominate this city and state and satisfy his Shylock's revenge.
When Shylock saw Antonio in the court he said: "I hate him; for he is a Christian." So Rosewater hates Tom Majors. He hates him with the Shylock kind of hate, which is stronger than the love of money. He has a black list in his private drawer in the Bee office, and Tom Majors is on that list. There are hundreds of other public men of this state whose names are written there and who, as opportunity presents itself, will feel the cold steel of this Shylock's revenge piercing their reputation and humiliating them before the public.
For this revenge he uses the name of Holdrege and the property which he represents to influence the public mind.
Are the voters of Nebraska so lost to honor that they will use the sacred right of franchise which the constitution has given them to strike these eastern stockholders, who have no votes in this state and are defenseless, in order that Mr. Rosewater may be set up as a political bully over this state? What do the people of Nebraska expect the railroad managers to do when this railroad property is being used year after year as a political lever to fasten the petty tyranny of Mr. Rosewater upon this people, and to put into public office aboard of nondescripts and irresponsible fanatics, who have no other recommendation than that they are crying "down with the railroads!"
Do the people expect these railroad representatives and these business men of Nebraska, whose property is under the same ban of populism, to lie down on their backs and be bound hand and foot?
As for the Newberry bill, it must stand or fall upon its merits as law.
If it is just, it will stand.
If it is unjust, it will fall.
It is in the hands of the court.
Holcomb cannot enforce it.
Majors cannot destroy or defeat it.
The same is true of the suit now pending on the ex-state treasurer's bonds. Neither Holcomb or Majors cut any figure in that matter, and now the people know it.
All this talk in the Bee about Holcomb, and Majors affecting these matters is the appeal of a demagogue to ignorance and prejudice and is an insult to the intelligence of the people. It is on the same line of the talk about Majors being nominated by the railroads. Everybody knows that the Union Pacific and the Elkhorn and the Missouri Pacific were for Jack MacColl two years ago, and that Mr. Holdrege and the Burlington & Missouri railroad were for Crounse against Majors. Rosewater then was truckling in and out of the Burlington headquarters consulting Mr. Holdrege in the interest of Governor Crounse. What brazen impudence is manifested by Mr. Rosewater when he shouts that Majors was nominated by the railroads of this state were for Jack MacColl in the last state convention, and that two years ago Mr. Holdrege did all in his power to defeat the nomination of Majors, who was defeated, and whose friends at that time were loud in their denunciation because he was defeated. Railroads differ in politics; they have always differed in conventions, and they have a right to differ. And their employes [sic] have a right, just as the employes [sic] of the packing house, and of the smelters, and of the breweries, and of all the manufacturing and industrial interests of Nebraska have a right, and just as the farmers of Nebraska have a right to defend their own wages by the ballot, when their interests are being used a prlitical [sic] lever to foist the dictation of such men as Rosewater, and to put into office such men as Holcomb, "the petty chattel mortgage and usury taker of Custer county. Majors is gaining 1,000 votes a day now. He will come to Omaha with 1,500 plurality, and Omaha will ad 500 to that. Holcomb's personal campaign has been flat. He is already defeated and the flag of populism will not wave over the Nebraska state capital for the next two years.
What did it take to build Omaha?
It took muscle, money and mind.
Who furnished the muscle?
The laboring men of Omaha.
Who furnished the money?
The eastern capitalists.
Who furnished the mind?
The business men of Omaha; such men as Bill Paxton, Fotlieb Strotz, Guy C. Barton, John Brady, Fred Krug, Herman Kountze, John A. McShane, Frank Murphy, John A. Creighton, W. V. Morse, Fred Metz and thousands of others, builders, contractors, manufacturers and promoters of Omaha industry.
In order to continue the building of this city and to protect the value of what is already built, what is necessary?
A continuation of these three forces, muscle, money and mind. So long as these three forces work in harmony the city will grow, property will hold its value, industry will thrive and labor will get employment. When these three forces begin to distrust each other and pull apart, the growth of the city will stop values will go down and labor will be unemployed.
What would be the effect on Omaha if either of these three forces should withdraw?
If the labor of Omaha should withdraw other labor would rush in to take its place. If these men should withdraw other business men would come to take their places. But if the eastern capital now invested in Omaha should withdraw, or refuse to enter into any further business relations than those already contracted, business stagnation would result and the would community would suffer.
Who would suffer the most?
Labor would suffer most. Eastern capital would lose a part of its interest; these business men would lose a part [of the] value of their property, but later would lose its all. It would lose its job.
What is the difference between Holcomb and his followers, and Bill Paxton and his followers in this matter!
Holcomb destroys the union between these three forces, muscle, money and mind. Bill Paxton cements the union and makes it strong. Bill Paxton harnesses them in one team, makes them pull together, and the laborer gets the work. Holcomb pulls them apart and throws the laborer out of employment. When Bill Paxton organizes an industrial enterprise that will give labor work, Holcomb rushes in and creates distrust. At the sight of Holcomb capital withdraws and the worker must then lay down his tools. Paxton is a guarantee that capital will be fairly treated. The issue in this fight is between Paxton and Holcomb. Holcomb represents populism and stagnation. Paxton represents industrial activity and better times. Holcomb is a sign of bad credit, Paxton is a guarantee of good credit. Holcomb hangs a cloud over the poor man's home, Paxton sends sun shine into the home by giving employment to the one who must protect the home.
What does Holcomb do for the laboring man?
He gives advice.
Paxton gives him a job.
Holcomb wants an office.
Paxton wants to do business.
© 2006–2017
All Rights Reserved
William G. Thomas
Copyright Statement