Thomas County cat., 1890-05-08
BEFORE THE BATTLE.
THE DELEGATES NEARLY ALL
IN AND A THRONG OF
VISITORS.
HOW THE LAND LAYS AND THE
PROSPECT FOR SELECTING
A ACONGRESSMAN-THE
VISITING EDITORS.

| The day before the Dattle. opened
brightly overhead, and the early trains
brought in quite number of delegates
and visitors and by noon it seemed that
there were more people on the street than
could be comfortably accommodated, but
| imagine the committees surprise when
the noon train added to the number over
one hundred more. The afternoon and
evening trains came in crowded and by
bed time there were fully 800 strangers
in the city. The committee believes that
500 more will be here to-day, and if such
proves true, our city will be taxed beyond
what it is able to stand, in the way of
furnishing beds and bedding
Arrangements for food have been
amply made. and people will not starve
though they may have to sit on chair
and sleep. More extensive preparations
would have been made if visitors had
sent word and asked the committee on
general arrangements to secure accom-
modatlons for them. Those who failed
to do SO and come in to-day will no
doubt accept the situation without COM
plant. If found necessary, bedding will
be brought to-day from other cities, as
the committee is bound to have every
thing com olete.
The committees all did hard work yes
terday, and about everything is in readi-
ness for the convening of the honorable
body. During the afternoon the press
committee ha d the visiting brothers out
riding, and few hours was highly en-
joyed in this manner
The Opelt was thronged all day, but
the room occupied by Hon. E. j.. Turner
was kept closed as much as possible, and
only limited few were permitted to
speak to the honorable gentleman. Mr.
Hanback, was eagerly sought after by
friends, and while the canvass between
these two gentlemen promises to be
warm, they are apparently on the best of
terms.
The situation was freely discussed by
the delegates, and after all IS said, pro
and con, the hearer is just as much at
sea as he was before. MI. Turner seems
to have the lead on delegates to organize
the convention with, but strong efforts
to prevent this are being made, and may
be successful.
The career of Hon. E. j. Turner who
is candidate for denomination as con-
gresham has a record of which he may
be proud and one which has been faith |
full to the interests of his constituents |
He has accomplished as much as any
man could have done and more than
the majority of them His actions in
congress are familiar to every one in
the district and his friends are here to
see that he is placed in position Ito be-
came our congressman again.
He was first elected to congress in the
fail of 1886 and soon after taking his seat |
was placed upon the public land commit
tee holding second place. His work has
been more especially in the line of land
measures and championed the bill which
was passed cutting prices of double m in5
imum lands down to $1.25 per acre; also |
to allow men who are living on preemp- |
tions to change into homesteads to avoid |
preemption payment on proving up. He |
also worked hard for the passage of bills |
of like character.
This year he introduced bill for the
forfeiture of all railroad grants in exist
ance. This bill has passed the committee
was reported favorably and is now before
the house.
He is strong advocate of universal SER
vice pensions, free sugar with bounty and
the free coinage of silver
The opposing candidates are McLen-
nan, of Ellsworth County, at present a
member of the Kansas legislature; Webb
McNall, of Smith County, register of the
Kirwin land Office; Lewis Hanback,, of
Osborne County, and j. R. Hamilton, of
Norton County.
AT present Turner will have 80 undis-
puted delegates from Cheyenne. Deca
tur Graham, Rawlins, Trego, Ellis,
Thomas. Lincoln, Logan and Sheridan
counties. McLennan has delegates from
Ellsworth. Hamilton has 6 from Norton.
McNall has from Smith. Hanback, has
IA from Phillips and. Osborne. Contested
delegates number "a and are from Cove,
Jewell, Wallace. Rocks, Sherman, mitchell
Non Commital from Russell.
This will give Mt. Turner 80 delegates
an organization of convention snd the
Anti-Turners the some number with Rus
sell to decide. A strong effort is being
made to defeat a Turner organization.