8

Willful Lying About Omaha in an Ohio Paper.

Editor of the World-Herald: Please find enclosed the following copy which has been taken from a Dayton O., paper headed "High License in Omaha." Do you really think that Omaha is as bad as pictured by the Dayton O., scribe?

"The foulest center of Nebraska is the great city of Omaha. It is foul, chief of all, because of its saloons. Its saloons are among the most gorgeous of the nation, and they are among the worst. There are 270 saloons and each pays a high license fee of $1,000. The city, for $270,000 allows 270 men to criminalize and ruin, soul and body, her people. No city in the nation has so bad a record as Omaha. The license being so high, the den keepers do all within their power to increase their trade, and thus transform men into bad husbands, wicked fathers, and disobedient sons. Every twelfth person of the city is arrested as a criminal during the year. What a shameful record! What a voice of condemnation for high license!"

Now, I do not mind the Ohio people's not like our "gorgeous" saloons and the number we have. We can stand that and have our beer, after all, without remorse. We can even drink to the health of other people who cannot afford to have such "gorgeous" establishments. Nevertheless, the "gorgeousness" of our saloons is at present a little on the wane. But we do not like to speak aloud on this question. Let people continue to believe that we have the most resplendent rum shops in the world. It stimulates the pride we take in our town, although we may be, as Mrs. Ella W. Peattie says, a little provincial. If we can not recognize home talent in the arts, let us be proud that the world knows that we have the most "gorgeous" wine rooms.

However, I take exception to the man's horrified exclamation that no other city on earth has as bad a reputation as Omaha, and that every twelfth person of the city is arrested as a "criminal" during the year. Evidently he is misinformed. Or probably he is mean enough to avoid willfully the truth. Chief Sigwart's "buggy" could not stand the strain if we really were of such a lively disposition.

And then he says that we are bad husbands, wicked fathers, etc. Now, Mr. Editor, I am an old resident of Omaha. I do not claim to be less sinful than other men. I even admit that in many directions I am "awfully bad" compared with the saints. But when it comes to the point of being called a "bad husband" and a "wicked father" then I revolt. At least until that scamp of a scribe has received information from the only competent authority to judge, namely, my wife.

I protest. You know, Mr. Editor, as a rule we have not a great many "bad husbands" and "wicked fathers" in Omaha. We are quite good fellows, aren't we? Please to assist me a little or have someone else give me a hand to soak in this Ohio man down into the water somewhere. I am too excited to continue. Yours very truly

H. ANDREWS.