Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1896-10-18
POP CONVENTION A LIVELY ONE.
Two Delegates Have n Fight. iHWbich
Chairs Are Used nv weapons.

First Ward. DANIEL J. CONNELL
The city convention Of the populst party
had hard time wrestling with the problem
OF fusion last night. The convention opened
in as tame a manner as one could desire and
during the several hours that were spent In
waiting for the report OF the committee APP
pointed to confer with similar committee
from the democratic convention nothing oc-
Cured TO mar the serenity OF the conven-
ton but the last hour OF its life was marked
by such stormy scenes that 1t must be re-
membered in local political history as one
OF the most disorderly that has been held in
| Omaha for several years.
Herman Cohen was chosen temporary
| chairman and A. G. Gale temporary secre-
tary. and the organization was later made
permanent. There were no contests reported
| by any of the ward delegations and the con
vertion settled down to business for awhile
| The following committee was then APP
pointed by the chair: ]. Harry Minds, j. II
Gallagher C. E. Fields, r. Cody II. l.. How
/ ard, j. w. Logan, James NJ Taylor and A
Miller. He also appointed the following
| committee on resolutions: f. Hirt, M. j.
| Mccarthy, Simeon Bloom DR.. Peabody, John
| Emblem. Charles Henning, George Wilton
L. f. McGinn and ]. J. Burr.
| The following we're selected as members OF
| the city central committee by the ward dele
| cations: First ward. f. Hirt, ID. Connell and
n. A. Fabrin: Second, p. L. Quinlan. 7.
| Bennett and II. A. Groves; Third, NJ. Mel
| son. Daniel Kenny and Il. Stoddard; Fourth,
Herman Cohen. C. L. Fields and G. L. Eu-
banks; Fifth. Thomas Hilton, Brice Viers
and Richard Cody; Sixth, c. W. Henning, III
| l.. Howard and Alfred Johnson; Seventh
j. w. Logan. J. NJ. Everingham and A. A.
Perry; Eighth, Walter BTeen, Seymour p.
Laing and l.. f. Maginn Ninth, j. ]. Burr
II. II. Davey and C. Il. Huber.
The city central committee took recess
and those who were not included in THE
gave their attention to a hot game OF
cards that was being played in the center
of the hall. The committee returned in q
half hour to announce that 1t had elected
| Herman Cohen chairman. NJ Nelson sec
rotary, and j. j. Burr, treasurer An eXecu-
tive committee Of one member from each
ward and a committee of three on head
quarters were named.
Then the convention. weary of the long
delay by the conference committee, grew i'm
patient. The convention decided to send
| three delegates to expedite conference mat
ters. Another tiresome wait followed.
| Finally the conference committee returned
Chairman Logan had some difficulty in get
ting an opportunity to speak When he
secured the floor he said that the demo
Gratis in the conference had been willing tC
concede to the popullsts representation In
| the council and in the school board for
| lUTet WhTuS. Inc dliSeH UNtl
the selection of these wards. The demo
Gratis had offered the Fourth the Sixth and
the Eighth wards to the populists, but their
offer had been declined. Some of the popu-
lists had voted with the democrats in the
| conference however. and the latter had
almost won out. So the conference com
| mlttee had resolved to report its inability
| to reach any agreement The report was
accepted and the committee discharged.
Mr. Mccarthy OF the Second came to the
| frnn IIa nj ha sts N nnIah had
! swallowed everything that the democrats
| had offered them for the past five years.
He moved that they no longer knuckle down
| to the democrats but proceed to nominate
a ticket of their own. The first part OF
the motion was eliminated because II
| wouldn't look well in print, and the motion
was then carried. Motions, seconds. amend
ments, points of order and attempts at
speeches came so thick and fast that the
| chairman could not keep tab on them.
| There wer nearly all kinds of noises. and
the clamor did not at all subside when
George f, Wittum OF the Seventh ward ad-
vanced to the front of the hall to deliver
an address. What part of the delegates
heard were fiery words about the great
need Tor fusion. The middle-of-the-road
populists Kissed and groaned and shufied
their feet over the bare floor.
Delegate Miller of the Ninth ward was
on his feet. He grew vehement in his de-
nunciation of the democrats, and said:
when we went into that conference we
were treated like dogs Yes we We're; we
were treated like dogs"
| Wittum's motion to endorse the work of
the democrats and then adjourn was put
amidst great confusion. 1t was lost by q
| vote OF rs to g.
The convention finally got down to work
and nominated the ticket printed above Six
| wards II ade selections of councilmen. These
nominations were confirmed by the con
| yention. councilman-at-large was also
nominated. During the voting half dozen
quarres arose. and some OF them would
| have led to free fights had IL not been for
| timely interference. The fercest quarrel
was the one between Delegates Miller and
Wittum. continued from their impassioned
appeals to the convention. After many hard
names had been called charges OF being in
luenced by Doodle had been made and de-
MED, the two delegates clnched together and
started to have 1t out there and then. In
less than minute there was a rough house.
Others jumped in Wittum picked up one
chair and Miller another. Both chairs were
thrown with considerable force, pretty nearly
at the same time, but both were lodged.
Then the men rushed toward each other
| and II looked as though there would be 2
battle royal, sure. hut other delegates cue
eeedlng In grabbing the combatants and
holding them apart In the meantime the
chairman. the secretary and most OF the
delegates had left their places.
The meeting adjourned at ten minutes be-
fore midnight, after deciding TO leave its
uncompleted work to its city central com
| mittee.