Omaha daily bee., 1899-10-21
FUSIONISTS MAY ENJOIN LAW
They Are Alarmed Over Their Damaging
Showing in Registration,
TO APPEAL TO COURT IN NAME or LABOR
Must Cover Up Their Tracks In Thi,
Way to Avoid Open Attack on
Law Signed by Popuiist
Governor.

Alarmed by the figures of the first day
of registration, which show the unmistakable
tread toward the republican party, the local
fusion managers are said to be planning a
coup to prevent repetition Of the damaging
exhibit. They realize that should the Sec
ond days registration produce figures of
political preferences even half way approx
mating those of the first day, they would
have TO throw up their hands and admit
that the Jig is UP.
The fusionists are, therefore. according to
good authority, having papers prepared to
be presented before some judge, whose senti-
ment is to be felt in advance, asking an
injunction against all the registration Off
GERS restraining them from propounding the
question, as required under the new law,
with what political party do you wish to
affliate?"
In order to cover UP their tracks the
fusion engineers are said to be arranging to
have the petition presented in the name of
organized labor and to have the request
based on the ground that recording the poll
itics of the voter interferes with the secrecy
of the ballot and subjects the voter to
penalties that might attach to the dspeas
ing of his employer,
To AIiegc Observation-Disclosures.
Workingmen who are to be used for this
purpose are to represent that If they are
| required to give their politics to registrars
or refuse to state them they will incur the
i'll will Of those upon whom they are de-
pendent for their bread. They are also to
represent that the law invades their con-
stitutional right to a free and untrammeled
ballot, and the judge before whom the in
junction is to be brought is expected to
jump at the bait to curry favor with work
ingmen and make political capital in his own
| campaign.
| The fusionists know that such action on
their part will be taken as an admission Of
the apprehension that they are getting the
worst Of the new law. They also know
that the new law was signed by the present
populist governor, but they will overlook
all of that rather than have it go out in
advance Of the election that three repub-
| licans are registered as such to every one
who gives any other political preference. I'm
less they can head that off they realize Shat
they are already beaten. II present plans
are carried out the proposed injunction
suit is to be brought before the next day
of registration, which is Friday, October 27.
Opinions on the Registrations.
| Republicans both in and out of headquar
ters were much elated over the magnificent
| results shown and the ardent promise of re-
publican success given in the first days reg
| istration, and, with the time-honored dull
ness of perception that has ever character
1 lied them. the leaders of the fusion elements
pre- sssi to see nothing -st.ley hgas es Lat.
is not eminently satisfactory to them.
What the different committees think of the
result, or what they say they think, is man
ifested below:
NJ. H. Collins, chairman of the republican
county central committee am satisfied
with the result 1t demonstrates that the
republicans are active and enthusiastic and
endorse the prevailing republican prosper
ity.
f. f. Morearty, secretary of the peoples
independent county committee-lts all a
put-up job. The city administration exerted
itself TO get all of its voters out to register
on the first day and there won't be many
more republicans to register. Besides there
is many a man in the employ OF the corpora
tons who does not deem it advisable to put
himself down publicly as anything else
than a republican.
w. w. Combs, democratic county commit
tee-The big republican registration does
not signify anything at all other than that
they made a special effort to get as much
of their vote registered the first day pos
sible. The fusion committees have made no
effort but will be heard from later.
John G. Arthur silver republican county
committee-I very well satisfied. It
is true the silver republicans did not make
any great showing on the first day, but
they have not done any work, as they pro-
pose to do later. There are some men reg
istered as republicans who are going to vote
with the silver republicans. At least they
have done SO before. and tell me they are
going to do so again. For prudential rea-
sons they would rather relinquish the right
to participate in our primaries than to be
put down as anything but republicans. |
saw one OF these on the register in my pre-
cnct last night and have reason to believe
that there are many such. l don't believe
it would injure any man TO be outspoken
about it, but for some reason there are a
good many who have been afiliating with
us who always seemed to desire that no one
should see them going into or coming away
from our primaries.