Omaha daily bee., 1889-02-22
HOWE AND MAJORS AT OUTS.
Motive Of the Latter's Recent In
sulting Joke.
A GLANCE BEHIND THE SCENES.
The Professional Granger Statesman
Perching on the Edge OF n Slum-
bering Voicano-Legisla-
tive Gossip.
The Scheme Miscarried.

Jhe Scnenc hlsCdTT1tu'
LINCOLN, Neb., Feb Ell Special TO THF
BEE The swell dinner given for Senator
Mandcrson by Senator Church Howe is the
center Of a swirl of GOSSIP some of ii Joking,
and not all of IL without bitterness. The
favored guests are not saying word, but
the outs are grumbling. In the langu age Of
the day, they-some of them-are "kickin gn
because they were not invited to the spread
What right they had TO expect an invitation n
to n gcntleman's dinner table does not ap-
pear It is clear case Of sour grapes, and
the dsgruntlcd fellows have gone out of
their way to insult Neuraska's United States
senator.
The prime mover in the remarkable propo.
sition to give Senator Henderson mush
and milk supper was Representative Tom
Majors, who circulated a subscription paper
for that purpose In the house Majors
traded upon his connection with the farmers.
In his capacity of professional granger he
has become secretary OF a combination OF
farmers that meets every night or two to dis
Cuss measures before the house, He thought
mush and milk would appeal to their under
standing, and appealed to class feeling to
help pay his grudge against Church Howe.
He went so far as TO invade Howe's own
lures of five senator's, Linn, Hurd
Connell, Taggart and Jewett. The
wits of these gentlemen must have been
wool gathering, and 1t is charitable to accept
their explanation that they signed from force
of habit. Dozens of petitions are in circula-
tion and the solons sign them on the brief
statement of the person presenting them.
OF course everybody knows that there is
no love lost between Howe and Majors, and
every fellow thinks he sees in that anlmosity
the full motive of Majors insulting joke.
But there are some things behind the scenes
that are mighty intercstin'." Howe has
long had an idea that Majors played traitor
in the congressional campaign of two years
ago and he has not been close mouthed ABOUT
it. Whether or not there is any truth in the
alleged deal of Majors with McShane, there
is an interesting state of affairs at the Nc
Cook land Office that gives rise TO gossip and
suspicion
The register of the office is Sterling p.
Hart, a cousin of Majors, and he was trans
planted from another district. Hart's chief
clerk is "little Johnnie Majors" brother of
Tom, and "a republican John Majors is
candidate for the rcgistership, and gossip has
it that if successful Hart is to be his chief
clerk, although democrat. Tom Majors is
managing this little family affair, and his
wrath has stopped over all sides because he
could not get the ear of Senator Manderson
while here. The numerous courses of Howc's
dinner kept the distinguished guest secluded
until train time Major takes it as sly
scheme of Howes to thwart him in his advo-
cacy of his brothers. appointment. His
proposition for a mush and milk sociable was
intended to gather all the pique and jealousy
afoat to be hurled on Howe as a crusher.
But the scheme has miscarried. As soon
rs the signers realized that they were in
suting Senator Henderson, there was a
wish to have their names taken from the
subscription paper. The animus of Majors
is now understood, and many of his col
leagues are rghteously indignant at having
been drawn into such a booriSh, compromiS-
ing act And the knowledge that they have
been made the tools of Majors spleen in Il
petty personal political Squabble, has left
lot OF great big sore spots that may break out
In unexpected moments and make discharge
upon poor Majors 1t is beginning to dawn
upon the farmers of the house that he is
using them as a catspaw, and the votes of
the past two days indicate a break in his
combination.
The talk that Church Howe's dinner party
was for the purpose OF parcelng out federal
patronage is absurd on the face of it, Among
the party were two democrats, Senator Pax
ton and preventative Gushing, of Omaha,
and that sort of thing would hardly be done
before gentlemen of their faith. Howe pro-
fesses to have been prompted by gratitude
for Senator Henderson because the latter
was about the only prominent republican who
took the stump in the congressional fight two
years ago. Howe is a politician, however,
from top to toe. He seized the opportunity
to compliment the representatives of all the
warning cliques and factions in both houses.
A glance at the list of guests will show a
cOmminglng of strange elements, and it IS
evident that Mr.. Howe's hospitality was
personal affair and not star chamber tri-
bunal The gentleman from Nemaha con-
templates giving another banquet in the near
future, at which the whole senate will be
his guests.