Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-30
FIGURING ON A SENATOR
Fusonists Are Fighting Already Over the
Hayward successorship.
NOT WILLING TO WAIT ACTUAL VACANCY
Friends of Ambitious Democrats and
PoDuIists Engaged in boosting
Fnvoritcs and Running
Down Opponents.

LINCOLN, Nov Especial )-The re-
newal of alarming reports from the bedside
of Senator Hayward although his physicians
still hold out hopes for his recovery, has set
the fusion politicians here more actively at
work figuring on his successor, should the
appointment fall to Governor Poynter. Not
content with fighting over state house pat
ronage they seem rapidly splitting into
factions over who is to wear the shoes of the
senator not yet dead
When Senator Hayward's serious Illness
was first chronicled the natural impulse was
to announce the reappointment of ex-senator
Allen as the inevitable consequence of
vacancy. 1t was urged that Allen had repre-
sented the state in the senate for six years
as the choice of the parties allied together
in the fusion agreement and the ordinary
precedent would entitle him to preference
for another term. 1t was pointed out that
he was the only candidate of the party at the
last state election and was practically nomi-
mated by the fusion conventions. All the
fusion candidates for the legislature had
made their canvass on pledges to vote for
Allen for senator and no one questions that
he would have been elected had the fusion
lists had majority of that body in joint ses-
sion.
OppOsitiOn to Allen.
Against Senator Allen II Is urged that one
term of six years at $4,000 year ought to
be enough for the ordinary reformer. After
his exit from the senate he had sought and
accepted an appointment to a vacancy on the
district bench and If that was not giving him
full measure for his party services, his nomi-
nation and reelection as district judge at
the election this month have fixed him for
four more years with 81 500 year out of the
public treasury. These who want to see Allen
serve out his time as district judge say
that he has in reality entered into con-
tract with the people of his district to serve
out his term and that to resign before en-
tering the new term would be too much in
the nature of reputation.
AS might have been expected the chief
opposition to the appointment of ex-senator
Allen comes from the democratic ring of
the fusion circus whose performers insist
that it is high time for the democrats to
get something out of the fusion bargain
higher up in the scale than penitentiary war
denships or deputy oil inspectorships. 1t is
the same old cry that the populists are hog
ging the trough and that democratic self
sacrifice for Bryans sake is ceasing to be-
come virtue. Three out of four of the
fusion congressman from Nebraska are pop
uists; six out of eight of the elective state
house officials are populists; the head of
the ticket, with the one exception of two
years ago, has been conceded to the popu-
lists ever since the fusion policy was
adopted six years ago. If the populists are
to have everything the democrats fail to see
any incentive for themselves to remain in
line
Demand IL for Hitchcock.
The most bitter contention is over the de-
mand on the part OF the Omaha machine to
fost G. NJ. Hitchcock into the senatorial
seat. Delegations have been coming and 60
ing for a week past between the capital and
the metropolis. Heated conferences have
been held at Lincoln and at Omaha and the
wires are being kept warm. 1t is currently
reported here that the pressure on the gov
ernor has been intensified within the last
few days and Bryan himself imDortuned to
take a hand in Hitchcock's behalf.
The claim set up for Hitchcock is that he
made the unsuccessful race for congress a
year ago well knowing the hopeless task be-
fore him. His friends think it would be
huge feather to have him sit as a democrat
in the United States senate where his father
had held down seat by the votes of demo-
Gratis and republican boilers. In fact the
crowd do not seek the appoint
ment as a favor, but they demand it as a
right and they are threatening Governor
Poynter with all sorts of dire vengeance in
case he does not stand and deliver.
The movement to boost Hitchcock is most
opposed by friends of Allen who
openly charge him with having defeated the
re election of their favorite year ago by
tying up with Webster in Douglas county
and trading off the fusion candidates for the
legislature for votes for himself for congress.
In proof they cite the fact that although
there We're a number OF vulnerable candi-
dates on the republican ticket not a single
word was said in the World Herald during
the entire campaign exposing their rotten
ness while 1t was notorious that Hitch
cock was cheek by jow all the time with
the Webstertes whom he favored at every
turn. If Hitchcock, furthermore, should be-
come senator and continue to train with the
holdups foisted on the governor in
the way OF appointments allotted to Doug
las county they see that the party would be-
come scandalized and the word reform"
become more OF a reproach than it is now.
They add that Hitchcock is not big enough
for the job and would simply rattle around
in Aliens seat.
incidentally, anyone of the present fu-
sion members of congress would welcome a
promotion to the other end Of the capitol
and each has his hackers here putting Ia
good words for him with the governor. The
real fact however, is that Governor Poynter
does not wish to be compelled 10 fill the
United States senatorship by appointment,
because he sees that whatever he does is
sure to embroil him with one or the other
faction. He would doubtless be glad to get
out of it by naming Bryan, but senatorship
for Bryan is out of the question as long as
he cherishes presidential aspirations.
Poynter Himself Possibility.
Still others of Poynter's close friends are
urging him, should he be forced to make
the decision, to brush aside all the contend
ing candidates and take up a new man who
will strengthen the populsts and put them
in position to demand both the senatorships
and at the same time offend neither of the
factions.
Way in the background is a group of wise
acres whispering into the ear of Governor