Omaha daily bee., 1897-01-01
PARCELING OUT THE PLACES
Popoorats Find the Division Of Spoils Full
of Perplexities,
SOFT MONEY DEMOCRATS ARE SUSPICIOUS
Fearful to Enter n Caucus In which
They May lie Wholly Swallowed
by the Powerful
populists.

LINCOLN, Dec l.-(Special) THE mo-
mentous question of to caucus or not to eau
Gus is just now agtating the minds OF the
various free silver democrat" candidates for
legislative positions. The populists are hot
for caucus, and an early one at that, Sat
urday night, IL possible, but the democrats
know they are in the minority and are shy
about going into an alleged fusion caucus.
The populists promise to tote fair, but there
il still a bad taste in the mouth of the av-
erage free silver democratic politician left
over from the populist state convention, from
which he emerged with one lone candidate
for state office ndorsed-Attorney General
elect Smyth. However, the populists say
there will be caucus held just as soon as
enough candidates are on the ground to war
rant. This bids fair to be soon, as they are
arriving on every train, and the corridors
of the Lincoln hotel are humming like an
aeolian harp with the murmurs of political
aspirants.
one candidate for chief clerk of the house,
Elias Baker, dropped out today, and a new
candidate for speaker, Ralph a. Clark OF
Richardson county, loomed up on the horl-
zon Mr. Clark was chairman of the free
silver democratic convention which nomi-
mated Judge Broadly for congress last fall.
1t is understood that he is not anxious to
go into a fusion caucus. Neither is Edison
Rich of Omaha. The latter is a democrat,
but he has, nevertheless, a strong following
among the republicans, and after COM
plimentary vote to their nominee the re-
publicans may cast their solid vote for him
for speaker. He is also regarded quite ia
vorably by some of the populists.
The name of w. L. Foster of Plainview,
Pierce county, was today launched for first
assistant clerk of the house. II. c. Rich
mond of Red Cloud returned to Lincoln to-
day and is rustling for support among all
kinds and conditions of politicians, except
republicans. There is bound to be consid-
erable friction between the populists and
democrats regarding the distribution of leg
islative places, and at the present writing
fusion caucus is very improbable. Yet
in the event of failure to fuse the popu-
lists have the advantage numerically and
will undoubtedly avail themselves of the
logic of the situation.
Another unavailing and Improbable meet
ing of the state canvassing board was held
today in the governors Office That IT wac
barren of results is attested by the fact that
the report of the board still remains un-
signed and with small prospect that II ever
will be. majority of the board including
Treasurer BARLEY and Secretary of state
Piper. desire to sign report hnding tha'
the amendments not having carried, there
was no election of supreme judges at the
Der last. This Is opposed by Governor Hol-
comb. He believes that the board should
| certify up to the legislature the fact that
the first constitutional amendment submit
ted, the one increasing the membership oi
the supreme bench, received S4, 900 votes for
with 5000 votes against, and allow the leg
| islature to make such disposition OF the
matter as the facts so certified by the can
vassng board warrant. Under Justice Max
| wells decision that majority of the votes
cast for members of the legislature would
carry constitutional amendment the pop
ulists believe that the first amendment car
ried. and that Kirkpatrick and Neville are
| elected. But in order to make this claim
good the vote for legislators would have tc
fall 10000 short of the total vote cast in the
state.
The representatives-elect to the twenty
fifth session who arrived in town today are
Luclen Stebbins, North Platte; o. Hull
| Alma; w. II. Taylor, Exeter; Il. NJ Webb
Galloway; w. G. Eastman, Kingston; E
Soderman, Bertrand; C. S. Zimmerman
York; NJ. C. Fernon. Roseland; c. c. Mar
shall Arlington; William Welch, OSceola
Samuel Bower, St. Paul; o. p. Billings. Nor
den. State Senator l.. NJ. Graham, Stockyille
of the Twenty-nintb district is on the
prDunl