The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-01-07
CONTEST FOR SPEAKER
MEMBERS HOLDING OUT FOR IMPOR-
TANT COMMITTEE POSITIONS.
MIR. Adams Seems to Be in the Lead
Attitude of the Marion County
Delegation.

This is the week of the converting of the
Indiana General Assembly, which begins
its work on Thursday morning. at 10 O'Clock,
when it will be called to order.
The party caucuses will occur
Wednesday night. according to the pres
ent expectations. The movement to have
the Republican House caucus changed TO
Tuesday night has not been heard of for
twenty-four hours and it is not believed
that anything will come of it. Its only
reason was that the contest for the speaker
ship and the other offices might be so pro-
tracted that there would not be time to
finish the nominations before a very late
hour and would make some members slow
about getting into their places on Thurs
day morning. The fear of such a thing
was not apparent last night about the Den
ison House, where there are twenty-five
or thirty of the members already arrived.
There was a great deal of talk about
combinations and stubborn fighting, but no
firm foundation could be discovered for the
assumption that more than two or three
ballots would be required to nominate the
Speaker. and when that is done geography
helps on the minor nominations. 1t re-
quires forty-two votes to nominate the
Speaker A nomination on the first ballot
Is IlOI luOuSut piOOdOiS NY liC iAoJOiily
of those present last night, some will
vote in compliment for the candidate Of
their district, or perhaps of their particuf
lar friend, without expectation that the
member they vote for has the slimmest
chance of election. Some complaints were
heard yesterday from such supporters.
They acclaimed against standing out for
a member who is really only working for
committee honors, with the result that even
if he is not nominated for Speaker he is
a beneficiary, while members equally able
and ambitious are shut out of any benefits
of the contest This is the mental pressure
that makes the support of the chairman
ship hunters rather lukewarm in spots
The appearance yesterday of delegation
from Washington, the home Of Josiah G.
Allen, caused things to assume a lively turn
for while and Allen was the recipient of
quite a boom. There were in the party j.
c. Billheimer, member of the State CEN
trail committee in 1892; c. G.. Sefrit, editor
of the Washington Gazette; NJ: S. Hast
Slimp Henry Altman and Robert Russell.
Col A. M. Hardy, member-elect of Con-
gress from the Second district, is expected
for Allen. Allen one of those who
showed ability in the last House.. and is one
culiarity of the present House is that there
are few members who have ever served in
it before. The Democratic majorities have
been SO heavy since that party learned
how to gerrymander the State that few
Republicans could creep in, and when the
upheaval came there were few in the VIC
tory who had ever before been members
of the body to which they were elected. This
state Of things has led most of the former
members to become candidates for Speaker
on the ground of their experience There
are very few members of the coming ses-
sion who have been three times elected to
the House.
F. d. Merritt has a number of friends
here working in his interest, among them
being Judge Drake. He has his district
practically solid for him, being in this re-
spect in the same situation as Fred Hollo-
way, of Evansville; The Second district is
split up between Allen and Willoughby, but
the friends of the former say that Will
loughby is not in their way. Willoughby
of the men who is making first-class inn
preston is ]. F. Statesman, of Peru. His
champion is Robert F. Loyeland. ex-mem-
is of value in the fight. Mr.. Statesman
also has the support Of c. b. Lands and
the working Republicans of the Eleventh
be solid for Thomas Moore. of Cireencastle
and some of the, members Of that district
will vote for Adams. Mr.. Stakebake ar
rived yesterday and expects a delegation of
friends to arrive to-day to help in his con, con,
for him, and Adams is again reported to
be the beneficiary of the votes that will
not go to HIM m m Mr. Mewh nc expset fro to
this section of the State. Mr.. Cardwill and
Mr. Moore were not about the hotel yes
terday, but are expected to-day.
The situation in Marion county had a
great interest for every arriving member.
The friends of Mr.. Adams say that their
candidate will receive the support of Van
Arsder Vonnegut. Boardman, McGregor
and Blakely. This leaves only two other
members in the county and district, and
these are the candidates themselves. Mr..
Leedy's friends claim that Adams will not
receive the solid delegation outside Of
Leedy,. but when pressed to name those who
going to vote for Leedy they say they
are not ready to do yet. There was
no question about the hotel last night that
Mr.. Adams is the favorite in the contest
and some of the members said that they
thought he sure to lead the caucus on
the first ballot with at least thirty-five
votes. This would be seven short of nom
nation and would be lead that would be
hard to overcome on the second ballot. The
other candidates were free to acknowi-
edge, rule, that Mr.. Adams has the
lead, but they said that it would be over
come before the caucus. The arrivals to-
day will be anxious subjects of confer
ence with the supporters of all the can
didates. The talk of combination did not
seem to have any more apparent founda-
ton than is ordinary in time of conven-
ton or party caucus. There was rather
evidence of disintegration on the part of
some of the supporters of the place hunt
ers, owing to a desire not to be entirely out
of range when honors are to be conferred
by the successful candidate.