The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-01-19


Ilteaigencer's pTeaictlon that there woali
ee no formal caucus of the faslonists in
the legislature on the senatorial question
before the FIRST Joint ballot is taken was
fulfilled. Tonight an informal conference
was held at ne house OF representa- lives,
whiah was attended by seventy faisianisg
legislators. No candidates were mention
ed and nothing approaching a snow Of
strength was made. After appointing
committee OF five % 3rafT a call for
nominating caucus Tor "Wednesday nlsht
ana providing that she same SHAH not %
binding ualess the can receives the sigma
tures or seventy-tlve fasl0nlsgs. the meet-
Ing adjourned
The action Of the meeting in adopting the
rule making Il necessary 70 secure seven
tv-ffve signatures 70 the call before {; Is
operative effeetUaEy Glsposes 90 the prapo-
sition for 3 caucus for some time - come.
II IS conceded by every one thar II viii
he tnposS' Die 20 obtain seventy-Tye names
70 the call Waen "Wednesday nlsht ar
rives there VIII be no caucus aud The hal-
lots that viii De taken prior 10 resular
nominating caucus viii have bat little sig
nifcsnce
At present the midGe-of-the-roade
control the situation They combined To-
night with the Squire nea .n forcing The
seventy-ave rule on the meeting thus
blocking efrectaalIy al attempts 10 set
the fusion.sts together IN a caucns. The
action of which al would % morally bound
TO support.
Soloa r Williams was chosen chairman
OF the caucus and J. NJ. Geraghty 81 spo-
kane secretary. on molten OF Day OF
Pierce representatives OF the press were
excluded. and for the remainder OF tho
meeting the newspaper reporters wera
Obliged 20 stand outside 81 the building In
the cold and damp ani listen through tho
broken windows AZ whst was being said
and done Early In the proceedings senator
Rinehart rose 20 say that he had been one
Of a large unnhcr OF persons who had en-
tered into compact at Elensearg the
terms Of which had NOT set been fulfilled.
AS he was evtdentaEy alsudlng 70 the sem
atorship. Chairman Williams cut him OF
az being out Of order and the Old man rut
on his hat and eft the hall.
A motion by a. member for the forma-
tlon of committee 20 draft = call and
rules for a caucus caussi some debate.
in which Warner OF SnohomSh advised
that nothing definite be done until the
representatives Of the dominant faction"
were present Tie evidently referred 10
the Populisis who we're not an present
senator Piummsr Of Spokane replied ana
In a speech fun OF Significance declared
that there were no factions. ard that all
were enrolled ss loving brothers in one
organization ffe said that at Eilenshnrg
he entered into no conaact relative 10
ter of ciectiug q senator and said ne op-
posed the formation or cliques inside any
faction This was biz for the middle-of-
the-roaders. who arc eviaentally not OF the
same mind on the senatorship as senator
plummer.
After considerable roundabout discus
sion OF the matter. Senator Easterday's
motion calling for the appointment OF a
committee OF nye which should draft call
for nominating caucus was adopted. On
motion Of Senator Houghton. a Turner
man. the date for holding the caucus was
fixed AZ Wednesday night.
Warner OF Snohomish wanted the rule
adopted making Il necessary to secure the
names OF fifty seven 10 call caucus OF
the fusion forces. forty-f0ur 30 nominate
Miller OF Thurston amended the motion TO
make II read seventy-fve signatures neces-
sary for the call Plummer opposed the
amendment and declared he knew person
ally OF seventeen popuiists VINO would
never sign a caucus call
The amendment carried. and IN this form
the resolution was adopted subsequently
Piummer attempted 10 get recensidsra-
ton OF the vote fixing the necessary num-
ber az seventy-fivs but failed. the opposi-
ton mastering AZ 70 =,
Fasterday. Crow. Scott. Merri4eld and
Day were appointed n committee 70 draw
up the call. which they did. Thirty names
were affixed and the committee viii rus
Wednesday night II Is most unlikely that
they win obtain tha necessary signatures.
and deadlock lasting a least week and
perhaps Throughout. the session can be
looked for.
According 20 the constitution the legis-
iature will tomorrow a. u o'clock noon
cast the first ballot for United States
senator 20 succeed Senator Squire. The
ballot viii be taken IN each house sepa-
rateiv The result VIII be builetined by
the Post-InteIllFencer Immediately after
the ballot is taken. The ramors and
Rpesses as 70 the strength of the various
candidates that have been current Tor the
past ten days viii be reduced 20 something
near the facts t0mofroT.
From all Indications tonight u can ne
safety predicted shat George Turner vii
have larger following thar any of the
other canadates His Popuiist strength
however. Will not be apparent on The ini-
4gmi ballot There viii be fifteen. maybe
twenty. candidates. iuciading ths follow
ing;
soulrs Senator Range