Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-04
TUCClNG AT A SENATORSHIP
Tension Increasing in Scramble for the
Impending Hayward Vacancy.
sDELIGHTS ON CoNTtNDNG CLAIMANTS
Upstnrt Demands of Young Mr.. Hitch
cock strike the Populist Politl-
clans Altogether on the
Wrong side.

Wrong side.
LINCOLN, Dec. 3.-(special)-As the
days 90 by the tension over the impending
senatorial vacancy is growing more and more
intense at the state house. The situation
is unlike anything that has ever happened
in this state and veteran politicians of all
parties predict serious split in the fusion
ranks as almost inevitable.
Whatever action Governor Poynter may
take the close friends of former Senator
Allen still adhere to the opinion that he
will be called on to resume his seat at the
national capital. Nobody else, they say,
among the fusion leaders is as we'll qualified
to represent the opposition to the party in
power, and no new man could get even a
hearing on the floor of the senate BY
reason of his continuous six years service
Allen would get recognition on the COM
mittees and be able to participate in the
debates that are OF great moment, while
new man would occupy a back seat and at
best could only find a place at the tail
end of the most insignificant committees.
HitchcocI<'s FIimsy Claim.
The talk about sending young Mr.. Hitch
cock to Washington in place of Allen would
simply make us all ridiculous" exclaimed an
old stager who stands close to the throne.
Hitchcock has no legislative experience
whatever. He has not even served term
in the city council or on a school board. He
would be no better than a schoolboy and
would be mere pigmy among the intel
lectual giants of the nation. Besides that
he is entitled to no consideration upon
the part OF our people. He has been well
paid for all he has done for the cause. His
paper was on the verge of collapse when he
took up Bryan, or rather when Bryan took
him up and helped to keep him on his feet
for little while. He has no convictions Of
his own and nobody knows where he will
stand. Just before Bryan bought block of
stock in his paper he was harloting with
the goldbugs and tried to make his sheet
as near republican as he dared. Only five
years ago he tried to sell out Holcomb and
the whole ticket by leasing his editorial
page to the republicans. After Holcomb had
been elected he showed a disposition to join
in the plot to have him counted out and
after Holcomb had been in office many
months he could not squeeze a friendly word
into his paper edgewise. We cannot forget
either that he made a deal with Webster
last year by which he sold out Allen in
Douglas county in the hope that he could
get himself elected to congress"
Aliens Block of stock.
You may never have heard Of it," said
another populist who talks loud in favor of
Allen, but it is true that Allen helped
Hitchcock when he was in the hole just as
much Bryan did Although he is a poor
nan he bought S. 900 of stock in the World
Herald in order to help carry the concern
through, and he has done great deal more
hat l am not disposed to talk about. My
objection to Hitchcocks candidacy at this
time is that it will disrupt our party and
disgrace us all by sending tenderfoot to
Washington instead of a veteran"
An ardent admirer of the Omaha editor
alks differently, however, OF Hitchcock's
.andidacy. He says: 1T has been the am
oition of his life to occupy seat in the
senate, just as his father did once before
lim. He does not want the position for
my length OF time, but he believes that it
would give him prestige and enable him to
larry Douglas county and the district and
AXE the place of Dave Mercer next time"
What Hitchcock. Senior. Did.
THAT is all right" exclaimed ano her
)opocrat who was standing by when this
conversation took place. But suppose he
,reaks us all up in Douglas county by his
,andidacy and loses us the rest OF the state ? /
You know everything he does, or fails to |
10, in the senate will be charged up TO the |,
usionsts and as he cannot do much for |
anybody and is sure to make blunders at
very turn we will pay a high price to
,ratify the ambition of man who would
ust as quickly turn over and be a republican
+ it would be to his advantage as he would
o fight the battles Of the people. In this re-
pect he would not be any different from the
IL
unanimous vote of the democrats and within
orty- eight hours of his election turn d
raitor and called himself a stalwart re-
publican. I remember distinctly the speech
lis friend E. II. Rogers from Fremont made
N the floor of the house Immediately ter
Id man Hitchcock was declared elec ell
enator. This is a glorious victory sail :
e; "a the election of P. w. Hitchcock we
end a rebuke to Ulysses S. Grant Well,
he rebuke did not amount to much, for no
ooner did Phneas w get to Washington
han he made a bargain with Grant for The
Nebraska patronage and the democrats and
he independents who elected him were out
n the cold kicking themselves for being
aiken in by political acrobat"
From parties close TO the executive office
is learned that this factional feud is by
o means confined to the capitol Governor
'oynter is being bombarded by mail with
ppeals for and against the various sena-
orial aspirants and the bombardment
romises TO grow more furious and unb ar
Bile as the days go by. Not only are the
ctive politicians being importuned to ex-
ress their preferences and objections, but
he editors of all of the sham reform press
re being solicited and may be expected to
pen up their columns and take a hand In
he scrimmage.
Governor Poynter in the meantime is saw
lg wood and his secretary is diligently en-
aged in placing the recommendations, ap-
locations. remonstrances and endorsements