Omaha daily bee., 1902-09-30
CONTEST IS ALL FOR HONOR
TIVE ASpirants for Nomination to the
Vacant State senatorship.
POSITION CARRIES ONLY THE TITLE
No Meeting of the Legislature, Bar
ring Special Session, Until After
the Present Term of
once Expires.

Chairman George s.. Wright issued a call
yesterday afternoon for a meeting of the
republican county central committee for
Wednesday afternoon at 4 o'clock, at which
time the committee will be called upon to
place in nomination a candidate for state
senator to fill the vacancy caused by the
resignation OF Hon. A. s. Hazelton on as
Stunning the duties Of postmaster at Council
Bluffs.
Whether the call for the election Of a
state senator from this district will be in
cluded in the governors proclamation for
the general election, or whether the gov
ernor will issue a call for a special cleo
ton to MI this vacancy to be held the same
day as the general election next November,
is not known here. In either event It is
presumed that the names OF the candidates
will be inserted on the regular ballot, as
would have been the case had they been
nominated by their party conventions.
Mr.. Hazelton endered his resignation as
senator to Governor Cummins last July on
assuming the position of postmaster, and
the same was accepted by the governor.
The Nineteenth senatorial district, which
MIR. Hazelton represented in the upper
house of the state legislature. comprises
the county of Pottawattamie alone. Here
tofore for many years 1t has been the GUS
tom of the republican party in this county
to give the county precincts the two rep
resentatives, and the city Of Council Bluffs
the senator. 1t is believed that the county
central committee will adhere to this pre-
cedent.
simply SparrinE for Position.
Although the election to the position Of
state senator In this county to fill the
vacancy caused by Mr.. Hazelton's r~esigna-
tion will be but a mere empty honor, two
avowed candidates for the nomination are
In the field. They are Colonel c. G. Saun-
ders, formerly county attorney, and w. s..
Baird, member Of the board OF trustees Of
the free public library. Both are members
OF the bar Of this city. Election to the
office, which in this county is assured, will
be Of no practical benefit as the state legis-
lature will not meet until January, 1904,
unless an exigency should arise to demand
the calling Of a special session next year.
Senator Hazelton's term expires in jan
uary, 1904, and in the regular course OF
events his successor would be nominated
and elected at the general election in No
vember, 1903. Consequently the term OF
whoever will be elected to I'LL the vacancy
will expire at the same time, although 1t
is presumed that the man elected to Mr..
E1azelton's unexpired term will be the log
ical nominee again in the fall Of 1903.
There was some question as to how the
vacancy should be filled. but at a meeting
OF representative republicans yesterday at
ternoon In County Chairman Wright's Of
fee it was decided that the right way was
with the county central committee. the
county convention having authorized It to
fill any vacancies that might occur in the
ticket.
Up to date the democrats have not sug-
gested any candidate, although II was
stated yesterday by some OF his friends
that Brooks Reed. former chairman Of the
democratic county central committee,
might be prevailed upon to accept the nom
ination II rendered him by the committee.