Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1902-08-31
Appoints Election Boards and Win Prepare
the Official Ballots.
URlEY FIGHTS TO THE LAST DITCH
he Has Vic Walker and Ralph Breckenridge
a. Assistants.
FAIR PLAY AND LEGAL RIGHTS WIN OUT
County Committee Votes to Give No
Congregational Candidate an Unfair
Advantage over His Sew
eral Opponents.

The republican county committee, at a
meeting held in Washington hall yesterday
afternoon, decided to perform the duties
assigned to 1t by the laws OF the state by
taking charge of the primary election to
be held in this county September 20. The
surrender OF its rights and powers to Mr..
Mercer's congressional committee, which
had been made by majority acting under
misapprehension of the law one week
before, was rescinded.
AS result OF yesterdays action Of the
county committee, Mr.. Mercer's manager
is no longer in a position to enforce the
rules" he set forth in his call for con-
gressional primaries, under which every
| candidate for congress was to pay him an
assessment OF $50 in addition to the fec
Of 81 for each delegate filed.
Neither is Mr.. Blackburn to be allowed
to name the Official boards of the primaries,
to prepare the Official ballots or to re-
ceive the returns and certify the result
to the convention. all Of which he arro-
gated to himself in his rules for the re-
nomination of Dave Mercer" Instead, the
county committee, whose membership is
fairly representative of all Of the candi-
dates for congress, is to conduct the pri.
maries according to custom and law, and
without any favor to u particular candi-
date.
Goss Makes Explanation.
Chairman Goss, upon calling the meeting
| to order yesterday afternoon, made a state
ment to the effect that he had not re-
fused to issue a call for the sneclal ses-
! sion, but had been out Of the city at the
time the movement for another meeting
was carried through by a majority Of the
members Secretary Messick called the roll,
and it was found that fifty-nin OF the
sixty-one members were present, the same
attendance that was had at the meeting
of the week before.
w. F. Gurley was the first man recog-
nized by the chairman, although several
called for recognition at once. Mr.. Gurley
read a list of polling places, tho same "a
| designated In the call issued by Chair
man Goss Friday afternoon, and moved that
| 1t be adopted as the official list. w. J.
Connell suggested that the Gurley mo-
| tion was premature, as matters of greater
importance should come up for considera-
tion by the committee before the polling
places should be selected, He moved to
lay Mr.. Gurley's motion on the table, and
then came the first test vote OF the meet
| ing, which showed the Mercer following
to be in the minority. the Connell motion
prevailing by a vote of 80 to 2s.
Proposes Fair Play.
Mr. Olson OF the Seventh ward said that
he presumed the purpose Of the meeting was
| to provide for primaries at which all candi-
dates would be assured fair play, and he
moved that a committee be appointed to
select primary election boards and report its
work to the whole committee for approval
at once. Mr.. Kierstead Of the Fifth ward
offered an amendment providing that the
judges and clerks for the primaries be Sc
lected In the usual way, by calling the roll
and having the committeeman from each
ward in Omaha and South Omaha naming
the officers for their respective wards. the
committee members in country precincts to
act as election boards. Mr.. Olson accepted
the amendment and the motion prevailed.
The committeeman from South Omaha then
started movement to change the call so as
to provide for the holding of the primary
election In that city at only one polling
place instead OF at a place in each Of the
six wards. II. @. Murphy said this was the
unanimous wish OF the South Omaha mem-
bers and was in accordance with the custom
that had always been adhered to in his city.
GurIey, breckenridge and walker.
Mr.. Gurley, r. W. Breckenridge. v. B.
Walker and other MercerItes spoke at length
South Omaha members to select their own
polling place. Mr.. Breckenridge making the
statement that the republicans Of South
Omaha ought to submit to the rules Of out
siders for the reason "that they never
elected any republicans in South Omaha, but
had TO depend on the votes OF Omaha TO
elect the republican ticket"
Mr. Kierstead was prompt TO correct Mr..
Breckenridge by reminding him Of the fact
that South Omaha republicans elected their
city ticket at the last election and we're now
enjoying a hrst-class republican administra.
tlon. Mr.. Murphy made a strong plea for
home rule for his city and moved that the
call provide for but one polling place. MT.
Breckenridge moved to lay the Murphy mo-
tion on the table. but his motion failed 10
carry and Mr.. Murphy's proposition went
through.
Judges and Clerks Selected.
The following judges and clerks for the
5 primaries were then named by the ward
committeeman and approved by the whole
committee;
> First ward-F. w. Coleman. T. A. Jen-
Second Ward-Edward Richie. b. c. Benin.
judges; collis Hopper, clerk
Third Ward-Robert Alton, II. Q. Van
Avery, judges; Fred Watson, clerk.
Fourth Ward-W. b., Whitehorn, r. J..
Norton, Judges; J. W. Cooper clerk
NJ. Ward, judges; b. w. Christie, clerk.
, Sixth Ward-Thomas Johnson. Joseph
Seventh Ward-H. Z. Peterson, ]. b.
, , Starr, Judges William Redgwiek, clerk.
stevens shsh Judges; 5. + Middieton. elsTEa Sha'
q Ninth Ward C. p. Butts. August
Schroeder, judges; Thomas p. Wilson.
' clerk.
South omaha-Bd copenharve, John r.
Schultz. judges; Floyd Mckay. clerk
' A. 10 Judicial Delegates.