Omaha daily bee., 1897-02-06

Senate Not Going Ahead HurricdIy to
Unsenf Nynus

Unseat Evans.
LINCOLN, Feb. Especial telegram y
The senate majority is exercising no undue
haste in taking up the contest from Doug
las county. in which John Jeffcoat is striving
TO secure the chair occupied by Senator
j. H.. Evans of Omaha. Every pressure
has been brought by the house leaders to
bring the contest to final issue. but the
senate up to the present time has declined
to become absorbingly interested. The
committee on privileges and elections, COM
posed OF Senators bearing, McGann, Grothan,
Gondring and Steele has met but once.
Wednesday afternoon a brief session. last
ing but a few moments, was held in one
corner of the senate chamber after the SEN
ate had adjourned for the day. At that
brief session it was thought better to re-
turn the contest papers to the senate
without recommendation further than tina
the attorneys on both sides be given a
limited time to present their arguments
before all the members. Yesterday, how
ever, this program was changed and the
whole matter held in allegiance. This after
noon the members of the committee on
privileges and elections agreed to hold a
session at the Lindell hotel next Monday
evening, and at that meeting give the at
torneys an opportunity for presenting their
oral arguments.
The briefs of the attorneys for Senator
Evans and John Jeffcoat respectively were
distributed among the senator's late this
afternoon. The brief of attorneys who
appear for Senator Evans rests upon the
following paragraph: 1--WE are not asking
for any favors. We are not seeking to hold
a seat in this house upon mere technicali-
ties; but we are asking a fair and impartial
consideration of the testimony and the law,
without regard to political policy, and with
out prejudice for or against our cause.
We purpose to state the facts fairly and
honorably, according to the testimony, and
without seeking to distort them to show that
some things exist which do not exist, and
we challenge the contestants to show that
a single statement made by us in this argu-
ment is contrary to the evidence intro
duced."
On the other hand the attorneys for John
Jeffcoat make the following admission:
SIN order to sustain his contest the contest
ant (Jeffcoat} must show that illegal votes
were cast for the contestee (Eyans) I'M suffi-
cient number to change the result. The
face of the returns shows that Evans re-
ceived S39 votes more than Jeffcoat. If
the contestant can show that there were
$40 illegal votes cast for contestee then he
will be entitled to a favorable decision and
to sit as a member of the senate from
Douglas county" The whole case of the
contestant rests upon the alleged bribing of
foreign voters by the purchase of naturaliza-
ton papers. Jeffcoat's attorneys claim that
$50 foreign voters thus voted.
The fee for issuing naturalization first
papers, Is so cents. Jeffcoat's attorneys
claim that Albyn Frank, clerk of the dis
trict court, in Douglas county, was credited
with 1915 on his campaign assessment and
then they proceed with the assumption that
at so cents each $3.50 would purchase
naturalization papers for $50 voters.
Against this assumption the attorneys for