Omaha daily bee., 1896-02-13
KEEPING THEM GUESSING
Political Combinations Growinr More Nu-
merous Every Day.
MUCH OPPOSITION T0 THE MACHINE
Nothing Against the individual Menu
bcrs of the Ring but Citizens
Are Tired of the Old
Methods.
MUCH OPPOSITION To THE MACHINE

There is going to be an election in Council
Bluffs on March 2. The calls have been
Issued for the primaries and the dates fixed
for the holding of the conventions and
further than that one man is in as good
position as another to guess as to what the
probable outcome Of the conventions will be.
Under ordinary circumstances talk is con-
| sidered cheap and there Is any amount of
| ante-ccnvention gossip that would indicate
something Of the sentiment of the men who
make and unmake statesmen, but this year
1t is different. Every politician and every
man with an interest in municipal affairs is
| anxious enough to talk over the situation,
but no one has anything like a definite idea
of what will be done in the nominating con-
ventions. Plenty of men have been men
tiored as candidates for the various offices,
but no one is willing to offer guess as to
| the chances of the candidates until some
! thing tangible is offered.
And that something tangible is a hint
| from the select coterie of individuals who
have been given credit for fixing UP the pro
| gram for performance by the convention.
| No one pretends any more to deny that this
select circle yclept 1.-The ring for want
of better term, has been pernicously act
| i've in times past in the direction of the
| affairs of the republican party in this city.
| Every member Of the ring is good fellow
| and enterprisng enough to get some profit
| and a good deal of satisfaction out of the
| bossng of the municipal machine, but there
| has recently developed very considerable
opposition to the accustomed plan Of follow
| ing the dictates of the select circle.
| There is no personal opposition to the men
| who run the machine, but there is a vgor
GUS kick coming from the rank and file of
| the party who have grown weary of carrying
| out plans, in the formation of VIII 'ch they
have no part and in the success Of which
they reap no share of the fame or profit
| The first tangible result Of this feeling has
| developed within the last few days in the
| form of an opposition sentiment that will
| have ticket in each ward at the primaries
opposed to the delegates who will be put up
| by the ring.
AS TO THE OPPOSITION.
| But there is peculiar feature CT the oppo-
stion. 1t is a Of fighting in the dark
| The combine has as yet refused to show its
hand and there is but little intimaton and
| that little only in a general way, to
whom the ring candidates will be. A num-
| Der of men have been named for mayor, and
| the merits of different candidates discussed
but no expression has teen secured from the
| men who are popularity credited with having
| the naming of the men who will be nomi-
mated Under these conditions the opposition
| to the ring will make the fight largely on
| general principles and will trust to their
strength in the convention to defeat the
| choice Of the ring when that choice is made
known. Mayor Cleaver will have consid-
erable following in the convention,
and II. II. Van Brunt, Judge
George Carson, Julian Mitchell and
| w. ]. Jamison will have some delegates
| and there is a prospect that COMPROMISE
may be affected and some man selected VINO
| is free from ring tain and acceptable to the
| rank and file Of the party and the voters OF
| the ety. regardless Of politics. Mayor Cleaver
and Judge Carson are avowed candidates for
the nomination Mr.. Mitchell and Mr.. Van
| Brunt have both been urged to make the
! fight for the nomination and will have
| friends at the primaries and at the conven-
| ton, whether they take any active part
in the ante-convention figuring or not
The following communication, from we'll
| known republican, indicates that the ring
is working hard on program and may make
| an announcement In time for the proper
| guidance OF its followers before the day OF
| tho primaries
AS TO THE BEST MAN.
| COUNCIL BLUFFS, Feb. Ito the Ed
| itor of The Bee: In this mornings Nom
| pareil / notice an article in which a writer
wants to know whom the Nonpareli tnInkt mn /,
| is the best man for mayor, and Whom IL
| thinks ia most likely to get the domination
The Ncnpareil in answer has this to say
don't ont mind telling you who it Is. The Non Non
pareil is in favor of electing the man VINO
| will secure the largest nuHlpeI VI Soles ~
| the nominating convention. we 90 ,not
| name him. but leave that p,easurable duty
| where 1t properly belongs-to the party IN
| convention assembled. When 1t names MN
| whoever he may be, the Nonpareil VIII pe
| found enthusiastically supporting MN. he
| is the only candidate the Nonpareil has. and
| he will be elected" .
| This in indeed great answer, ~hen IL Is
| taken into consideration that list has al
| ready been prepared at the Nonpareil oiic ,
| as To- who are to be the delegates to the
| convention Delegates have been named for
| every precinct in the city, and 1t now only
| remains to have these delegates put throuSn
| nj the caucuses. 1t wou seem strange that
| private caucuses should be held at the Non.
| pareil editorial rooms and elsewhere aimost
| every night and the Nonpareil should not
| know anything about who Its delegates are
| supposed to favor for mayor.
| / have been a subscriber to the NonpaTel
| for the last six years, but the Nonpareli ls
| rot free to discuss the political questions, az
| il used to be. 1t Is as you perhaps tuliy
| know, now under the thumb of our repup-
| iican ringleaders, who are at present fuily
! engaged in working 10 secure tne
leee"' the reasons @ ie The Nonparel is saw
| ing wood and does not give Its
| INQUIRER the desired answer The machine
| republicans of this city may get the Non
parel delegates elected at the coming con-
vention, and may gain the nomination of
| their man. but 1t remains to be seen u me
voters at the election. will approve OF the
| way they are doing T. ,,,c.N
L .taNt NJ III NJ