Omaha daily bee., 1896-02-10
LINING Up FOR PRIMARIES
Politicians and Candidates Getting Ready
for the Spring Elections.
MAYOR ClEAvER HAS SOME OPPOSITION
Other Aspirnnts for the First Place
on the Ticket and Some I'm
certainty as to just what
the Move Is.

The local political kettle is beginning to
simmer with good deal Of vlgor and the
various candidates and their friends are nu-
Terous and active.
Although the city election this spring Is
enc Of 10 more than an ordinary interest.
| there arc so many statesmen out of Jobs and
anxious TO serve their fellow citizens in any
Kind Of an Office that the contest promises 10
be many SIDED and exciting The election
VIII occur on Monday, March 2. The rcpub-
licau and democratic caucuses will be held
on Saturday night in the usual places, al
though no official cai hes yet been issued,
and the conventions Will meet, the repub-
lican on Wednesday and the democratic on
| Thursday Of next week.
The offices 10 be filed are those of the
mayor, city attorney treasurer, auditor, mar
shal and we 'ghmaster -Four members Of the
! council will also be elected, one alderman
at-largc and one from the First Second and
! Fifth wards. The candidates Of both parties
are very numerous, but are more plentiful
In the republican ranks Tor the reason that
| the noinihation is almost sure to be followed
| by success at the polls, The chief contest
as a matter Of course, VIII be made for the
mayors Office, although the salary is only
| $1,000 year. rhe friends Of Mayor Cleaver
| believe that one good term deserves another,
and are earnest and enthusiastic in his be-
! half and look forward to his denomination
! without much opposition. He will not how
| ever, by any means be the only candidate in
| the field, for there are already several promi-
nent and strong men mentioned as candidates
| for the place. Among them are Thomas
Mecalf, Judge George Carson. II. III. Van
| Brunt and Julian c. Mitchell, ticket agent
| for the Northwestern Railway company. All
| OF them are clean, strong men, and IL they
enter the field with the determination Of
winning the nomination IL will remove the
possibility of walkaway for any candidate.
The gravest difficulty in the way of predicting
the action OF the convention is the utter
impossb,l!ty of ascertaining just how the
'machine' Is going to work. The machine"
is not very great in numbers, statesman
ship or financial responsibility. but it has
been a very potent agency in the past and
must be considered in the coming contest.
Its silence has been sphynX-l,ke If not wise,
and if there is any candidate who knows
how it stands Re has refrained from making
the fact known. Ordinarily there would be
no opposition to reelection Of DR.. Cleaver
and while it cannot be said that there is
any opposition, yet the five CT six gentlemen
who constitute the machine" have neither
affirmed nor denied that Cleaver Is to be
the man. This silence has already caused a
little chatting among the candidates, and has
almost led to determination to conduct at
least one campaign without consulting that
august sanhedrm.
The friends of Dr. Cleaver point to the
fact that he has given the city as clean and
fair administration could be reason
ably expected and they will resent most
vigorously any attempt to drop him. The
machine has selected City Attorney Hazel
ton for third term and If it should conclude
not to permit Mayor Cleaver to have
second term, there will likely be serious
reaction that would weaken the ticket. This
declaration was practically made last even
ing by a gentleman active in politics. and
prominent in business circles, when he said:
"If any person can show a single thing In
Mayor Cleaver's record, official or personal
that should not enttle him to the hearty
support of his party, let them point it out.
II he is dropped at this stage of the game
1t will be hard to make a great many of us
believe that there has not been treachery
somewhere and that treache:y will be sternly
rebuked. / believe that Cleaver has justly |
earned the denomination, and that he is en-
titled to this recognition at the hands Of the |
republican party of Council Bluffs. l be- |
lieve that he will get it, but l want to see
him get it in such wholesoued and hearty |
manner that it will come to him as a COM
piment and a genuine endorsement"
For treasurer there is practically no oppo- |
sition to the denomination of ]. A. Gorham |
and as little doubt of his reelection. The |
auditors office, now being filled temporarily |
Dy henry stevenson, since tHe resignation |
of George Gould will unquestionably be
filled for the next two years by Mr.. Steven
son, who will have no opposition in the con-
venton Mr. HaZelton will have some oppo-
sition for a third term, but whether 1t will
count for anything is matter OF consider
able doubt, for he has given the city a
clean and able administration of his office.
His opponents in the convention will be o.
ID. Wheeler and s. b. Snyder. Ed Canning.
the present marshal, will have no opposi-
tion.
The aldermanic fight promises to be
little more varied. For alderman-at-large
Chris Straub is most prominently mel-
tened. In the First ward Lew Hammer
and Andrew Bell are the only names heard
IN discussions. In the Second ward Harvey
Pace and o. w. Graham will make good
latured fight in the convention, while in
he Fifth ward the contest will be between
Alderman Brewick for reelection and w.
\. Highsmith.
The democratic kettle is also singing
title, but very low. Only two candidates
or mayor are mentioned. Victor Jennings | s
Who was beaten by Ceaver two years ago. | !
Will try conclusions again with the repub-
lean nominee IL the convention will let /
lin. but the name of William Moore has c
een brought out with great emphasis within
he last twenty-four hours. Mr. Jennings q
viii no doubt encounter some obstacles in j
he convention, for Mr.. Moore is one OF the a
leanest and abest men in the city as well c
|
For city treasurer Benedict Haag is a
aned and will enter the contest with /
ierman following For city attorney there t
re several candidates, but the contest v
Gems to have narrowed down to friendly O
ght between ]. ]. Stewart and G. A. I
Iolmes Both have held the office and each v
iade good record. and this will make o
difficult for the party to choose between v
hem. S
Democratic candidates for aldermen are b
hQG do | III
ne public declaration that he wants II. That a
IAN is W. ii. Bradley, the Upper Broad c
ay grocer. b
In the First ward Henry Rishton will o.
y to succeed himself, and in the Second Ii
arney Grahl will endeavor to accomplish Il
he same thing. Il
Old 'Deestrick school" s.
When the company was first organized for h
living an entertainment under the auspices d
the Woman's Christian Association hos y
ital and st. Johns English Lutheran church, is