Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-16

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The quadrilateral, made up OF Alvin ssuh-
ders. Clinton Briggs, Lorenzo Crounse and
Charles r. Manderson. was impregnable. On
the third day after the balloting had COM
menced an init Hitchcock caucus consoli-
dated all OF the forces upon Saunders and
the next day a stampede carried over all the
Hitchcock supporters TO Saunders on the
FIRST ballot, leaving only a Few democrats in
the opposing column.
General van wyck's victory.
The sixth senatorial conflict, which re-
suited in the election OF Charles II. Van
wyck, took place in 1851. In this contest.
as In the previous campaign, the force OF
public sentiment was with the field whtch
opposed the reelection Of Senator Paddock.
The d~ificulty OF uniting the field on any
one candidate came near stranding every
body in It. 1t was only on the fifth day
after the balloting had begun and after a
stampede had nearly brought on Paddock's
reelection that an anti-Paddock caucus
held admist the most Intense excitement
centered upon Van Wyck and elected him
thirty minutes later on the seventeenth bal
lot.
In the senatorial contest OF 1883 the
seventeenth ballot was again the tails
UldU LUuL ~ lhV oNNth ~
teen days were consumed In b~allotlng and
ten days elapsed before the necessary
number could be secured to hold a caucus.
Alvin Saunders was a candidate for re-elec-
ton, but the republican vote was divided
between him and John C. Gown. Charles +.
Henderson, Joseph II. Millard and John M.
Thayer. Willard was looked upon as the
candidate who had the financial strength
behind him. but he was unable to secure
the votes necessary to his election. Charles
F. Henderson. who from the start to the
day previous to the end OF the race only
mustered eight votes. was finally given the
caucus nomination over John c. Gown. his
highest competitor. and elected by the
unanimous republican vote. J. Sterling
Morton received the bulk Of the democratic
vote.
Downfall of senate a Wyck.
In 1887 came another holly contested sem
atorial fight. Charles H. Van Wyck asking
for reelection. He had taken advantage for
the first time OF the provision in the con-
stitution allowing him to submit his name
for an expression Of popular preference and
was unQuestionably the choice OF a majority
OF the people. Tn opposition. however.
had centered Its efforts in procuring legis-
lative nominations for men who could be de-
.pcnuCu upOu ~ luWull VIC populhl VIII. hC
organization Of the house was effected by
the Van wyck forces through the election
Of N. v. Harlan as speaker. In the formal
ballots the votes for senator were divided
between Van Wyck. Paddock and a few
others. After a few days balloting the re-
publicans were centered on Paddock by
means Of a caucus and he was elected for
a second term. four Of the original Van Wyck
men standing out to the end and voting
for their first choice. The democrats d.
vided their votes between George L. Miller
and John A. McShane.
The election Of a senator In 1889 could
hardly be called a contest. Senator Man.
derson was reelected without opposition in
the republican ranks on the first ballot and
the Joint session was necessary only to an
nounce the result. The democrats again
complimented John A. McShane.
The Triangular Campaign Of 1903.
The senatorial election Of 1898 was the
most protracted Of all. The legislature was
divided between the republicans, popu-
lists and democrats in such a
way that no one of them had the
necessary majority to elect. The power to
make the senator lay with the democrats.
who, by throwing to the republicans or
Dopulists, were able to decide the politics
OF the successful man. 1t took the demo-
Gratis = long time to decide which course to
pursue. In the interval the balloting con,
tinued from day to day with the populists
voting in succession for John H. Powers.
their defeated candidate for governor. W.
L. Greene. now congressman from the Sixth
district, and William v. Allen, then a Judge
on the district bench. The republican.
tried to break the deadlock by swinging
from pQddnck m Thrratnp opd hooL o1ots
from Thurston to Paddock. but in vain.
Finally upon the eighteenth ballot the demo,
Gratis. who had been holding out, swung in
with the populists and gave seventy votes
and the election to William v. Allen, who,
In his speech acknowledging the honor, said
he had come to Lincoln a week before with
no thought Of being considered among the
senatorial aspirants.
The last senatorial contest four years age
was devoid Of excitement, the prize being
rendered to John M. Thurston by a written
agreement signed by all the republicans OF
the legislature before the session was unde,
way. In this instance again the privilege
allowed by the constitution Of submitting q
name to the people for an expression OF
popular preference had been availed Of b,
the democrats, who had nominated William
J. Bryan, and by the prohibitionists, whc
uou uouliHteu SuaTleS r.. bentley, but the
legislature had gone overwhelmingly re,
publican.
Present Senatorial Outlook.
The present contest promises to be a.
exciting and from present appearances al
protracted as any one Of those that hav,
gone before 1t. There is a large field, with
one or two men in the lead, and the principa
skirmishing revolving about the question O
caucus or no caucus. The narrow margin
OF the republican majority, while ~insurins
the election Of a republican senator, make.
1t more difficult to gauge accurately tn,
chances Of the respective candidates. O,
the hrst few ballots the complimentar!
votes will prevent an accurate survey O
the field. but the fight is sure to marrow
down within a few days to a struggle be
tween the aggressive candidates, with tn
ever present possibility of a successful darl
horse.
DiphtheriU tampc Ont.
BRADY. Neb.. Jan. 15.-(Special. )-Th,
diphtheria reported north Of here non