Omaha daily bee., 1898-07-28
FUSION GOES IN LANCASTER
Elements Of POpocratio Party Agree on the
Division Of the Unattainable.
THREE CONVENTIONS WITH ONE IDEA
Gatherings of the Delegates rnnsnc
such business ms the Conference
Committees Permit or the state
House Gang Suggests.

county met IN this city today, agreed upon
a county ticket and selected delegates to
the state and congressional conventions.
The business Of the three conventions was
handled by the usual conference commit
tees, the ordinary delegates having little
part in the actual work. The committee on
conference agreed upon a division of Of
fees, which would give the silver repub-
licans one candidate for representative, the
democrats two representatives and a county
commissioner, the populists two senator's,
two representatives and county attorney.
This report was agreed to by the various
conventions.
The democratic convention, which met at
Bohanan's hall at 10 o'clock in the fore
noon, organized and opened business by
adopting a resolution endorsing James Man
ahan as its candidate for congress in the
First district, and authorizing him to select
the delegates to the congressional conven-
ton. The delegates to the state conven-
ton go uninstructed. The convention
adopted resolutions reafirming the princi-
pies of the Chicago platform, endorsed the
state administration and denounced past
republican officials, advocated the rotation in
office OF county officials, and endorsed the
national administrator in its conduct of
the war. The convention then nominated
w. G. Phipps and l.. M. Wente as repre-
sentatives, and William Schroeder as county
commissioner, this being the democratic
share of the spoils as apportioned by the
conference committees. The convention was
composed Of about 200 delegates, or only
one-half the number named under the call.
the people from the country precincts TAX
ing very little interest in the convention.
The nomination of Schroeder for commits
sioner was a decided victory over the J. H..
Harley faction, who wanted the ex-postmas-
ter to receive the nomination. All of Har-
ley's former deputies took part in the con-
V%ention, but the Schroeder faction was too
strong for them.
Here's the Big Crowd.
The silver republicans met in convention
at A. D. U. W. hall and out of $50 delegates
specified under the call Just thirty
three were present, most of the
country precincts being without rep
resentation. G. L. Laws, one of the secre-
taries of the Board of transportation, called
the little gathering to order, and L. G..
Chaplin was elected chairman. The an
nouncement was made that there were no
contests and the reading of the list of dele
gates was omitted. One of the delegates
remarked in an audible tone that sit
wouldn't take long to read the list and there
were not enough present to stir up a re-
spectacle contest" In fact there were just
the right number present to allow one dele
gate to each township in the county, one for
each city ward and a chairman and secre-
tary extra for the convention.
G.. l.. Laws was made chairman of the
committee on conference and this commit
tee took ten minutes to agree with the COM
mittees from the other crowds. The con-
vention then nominated E. Sissler as its can
didate for representative and endorsed the
candidates named by the other conventions.
The populists met at Conservatory of
Music hall with about 200 of the 425 dele
gates present. j. w. Chambers of Nemaha
precinct was elected chairman. After a con-
siderable wrangle over the matter, a com
mittee of five was named to confer with the
committees of the other conventions. a res
olutions committee was also named, being
headed by Jay Burrows, A. e. Sheldon and
Commissioner Wolfe. The report of the
conference committee was adopted without
serious opposition, although there was con-
siderable uneasiness exhibited by the par
tisans of A. H. Weir, j. V. Wolfe and J. w.
Berge, each of whom was afraid some ad-
vantage would be taken by the others.
Row Over Pass Resolution.
The lively part of the convention came
when the committee on resolutions made its
report. After endorsing the state admins
%tration, recommending the adjustment OF
all banks of issue" and declaring anew fol
free coinage at the ratio of 16 to /, a reso-
luton was presented, being in the hand
writing of Jay Burrows, as follows:
Resolved, That we demand the enactment
of a law making 1t a penal ofense undel
severe penalties for any railroad corporation
to issue free transportation to any person
or for INV perSOn To accent the same: anC
we demand a reduction of passenger rate!
10 an amount equal to that saved by thu
abolition of free passes. We also favor tn
passage of n law furnishing all transporta'
ton actually needed by public officials IL
the transaction of public business.
This resolution was met by a storm o.
protest, and an attempt was made to how
1t down. Speeches were made declaring
that 1t was casting a slur at the presen
state officials, and counter speeches were
made in which 1t was declared that thu
populists now in Office had accepted passes
contrary to their professed principles, ant
that they ought to be censured. The con
test over the resolution lasted about al
hour, during which time there was mucl
confusion. Finally an amendment wal
adopted striking out the part relating t.
the saving from the abolition of passes
and instead declaring for a 2-cent rate o
passenger ldIts II part IiONl ulib iol iiN'
transportation of public officials, which wa
understood to have been inserted on tn
solicitation OF Land Commissioner Wolfe
and which was agreed to by him as
member OF the committee, was also stricken
out. One delegate, in making a speech oil
the question, said that it would do no goo
to the passage OF a 2-cent far
law. such measures had been proposed ii
the last legislature, but they all died il
the committees. the populist members pre-
ferring to spend the time in passing bill
TO prevent the adulteration OF vinegar am
other fool measures At this point an EN-
ploye from the state auditors office shoute'
dow from the gallery that a 2-cent rat
bill would be unconstitutional.
After order had been restored the con
vention nominated j. J. Stein and T. II
Tibbles as senator's, A. Il. Sheldon and j. ii
Curyea as representatives, and left the can
didate for county attorney to be named b.
the central committee.
j. w. Berge was empowered to selec
the delegation to the congressional conven
ton. The delegation TO the state conven
tion was selected, but goes without instruc
tions, which indicates a drawn battle be
tween the Weir and Wolfe forces.
State House Gang i'm Evidence.
One noticeable thing about the conven