Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-16
NEBRASEAS FUSION LEADER
Political Analysis Of the Strength Of the
New POpOcratic Judge.
LoNG-HANGt VIEW OF THE CAMPAIGN
Nolcomb's strength Pronounced n
Great Factor In bringing About
the Fusion yictors-His
Political Career.

The Washington correspondent OF the
New York Evening Post, In letter to that
paper, reviews the recent campaign in Ne
braska as followsi
An element in the triumph OF the fusion
lists OF Nebraska this year which has been
ignored in most OF the political analysts is
the strength CT the fusion nominee for Judge
of the supreme court, silas A. Holcomb
Fusion In that state was born with his can
didacy for governor in 1894 and it has had
its most remarkable victories under his
leadership He has always been able to
poll the entire popullst vote and the cam
paign Of 1896 showed that he was more
powerful In Nebraska than is Bryan him
self. Although opposition OF a strenuous
sort has always appeared in convention 1t
seems to have cut little figure at the ballot
box. AS he rose conspicuous out OF the
democratic wrecks of 1894, the only nom
republican governor elected in any north
ern state except California, so he rises con-
spicuous this year among the Byranite
wrecks
Contrary to the custom in most states the
district judgeship in Nebraska is a stepping
stone to higher political things Senator
Allen was a district Judge when elected to
the senate, and returned to the same bench
after his term expired, taking the place
of his democratic partner who resigned his
seat on the bench to enter congress. Both
candidates for congress in the Sixth dis
trict this year were judges Of the district
court, and many other examples OF the
rule may be shown. Back in 1891 among
the district judges elected was Mr.. Hol
comb! His home was at Broken Bow, in the
central part of the state, in a thinly set
tied region where the farmers are very
poor. He was nominated as a populist and
endorsed by the democrats The republican
candidate thought to curry favors with the
farmers by promising that he would order
no mortgage foreclosures IL elected Hol-
comb refused to make such pledge, and
he was cut by the farmers, but was sup
ported by the business men of the dis
trict, who are chiefly republican. Here was
republican standing on reputation plat
form, while the popullst promised to en-
force the laws. This independence almost
cost Holcomb his election, for his majority
was small, but 1t paved the way for his
future political successes. His career on
the district bench was most satisfactory to
the people. He lis not an educated man, but
was honest and expeditions in his work and
won the approval of the bar.
Political History.
Two years later he was nominated by the
popuist state convention for Judge OF the
supreme court, a position to which he has
just been elected. The democrats refused to
endorse him, but he made very good run
being defeated only 1000 votes. The next
year saw closer contest The republican
state convention nominated for governor a
man who had secured entrance into congress
on a forged document and who belonged to
the worst political element in the state. The
populists nominated Judge Holcomb for gov
ernor. Next the democrats met in con-
vention which was the stormiest ever held
In tho history of the state. Some of Bryans
most intimate political friends protested
against the endorsement of Holcomb, and 1t
was agreed before the evening session upon
which the nomination was to be made that
Bryan would place in nomination Matt Mil
ler5 straight democrat. But when the time
came Bryan placed Holcomb in nomination
There were strenuous protests from sound
money as well as silver democrats against
this action. but Bryan's speech carried the
convention and Holcomb was nominated No
one knows how Bryan came to change his
mind in regard to this matter. Holcomb
and all his friends had expected Bryan to
nominate Miller and the surprise was great
1t was shrewd move on Bryans part, for
it gave him the populist support which made
the fusion arrangement permanent and sue
ceesfu
A series of bolts followed the nominations.
Mr.. Rosewater, editor of The Omaha Bee,
and member of the national republican COM
mittee, resigned from the committee and
supported Holcomb. The sound money dele
gates to the democratic state convention
withdrew and nominated p S. Sturdevant,
Leading democratic papers of the interior OF
the state renounced Holcomb while several
republican papers bolted Majors, the repub-
icsn nominee. An attempt was made to
bring the business interests in line for Ma
Iors, but the attempt was only partial sue
cess. The result was the election of Hol-
.omb by 5000 votes, republican legislature
and the remainder of the republican state
ticket.
HoIcOmb as Governor.
During Holcomb's first term he was in
volved in Omaha fights and the democrats
declared that he was under the sway OF
Roeewater OF The Bee. The World Herald
was ready to attack his candidacy for gov
,rnor in 1896, when the whole vista was