Omaha daily bee., 1902-05-26
DEMOCRATS DECIDE ON DATES
Times for Holding Primaries and County
Nominating Conventions.
EFFORT TO HARMONIC THEIR SoUABBLES
Committee Appointed 20 Patch Up
Peace Between Members of the
County Commissioner who
Are Now at outs.

that at the primaries TO De neld June IL,
from ~ o'clock noon to Z o'clock, delegates
should be chosen to a county convention
to be June 21, at / p. M. this convention
to be made up OF three delegates-at-large
from each ward in Omaha and South Omaha
and three from each country precinct, with
one additional for every seventy-hve votes
or major fraction thereof cast for Judge
oldham for attorney general in 1900, the
same convention to select delegates also
to the state convention at Grand Island
June "a, the congressional convention, the
judicial convention, and to nominate a full
county ticket. OF the thirty-fve commit
teemen present or voting by proxy only
three voted against this arrangement.
other business Of the meeting was the
appointment by Chairman E.. e. Howell OF
John Reagan, Patrick Ford and Hobart
Williams as a committee to walt on the
democratic members of the Board Of County
Commissioner and ask them TO coagulate.
This action followed an attack on Commits
sioner Richard O'Keefe by Ford, whom
O'Keefe had declined to boost into the
office of county storekeeper, vice Thomas
O'Connor, whom Connolly doesn't like.
More Talk Than Business.
The business Of the meeting occupied Eve
minutes in its transaction. The talking oc-
cupied an hour and a half. 1t being neces-
sary for several democrats to tell what
they thought Of some other democrats, and
for stiIl other democrats to tell how GER
tain they feel that it is going to be an
almighty hard Job for the party to get
anybody TO run on its legislative ticket
this fall or even to get delegates to go to
Grand Island to attend the convention. The
name Of no candidate was heard, except
that OF G. J. Smyth, who has a notion he
would like to be governor. His came up
when viii McCoomb, first aide to County
Clerk Harry c. Miller, moved that Smyth
be allowed to name the delegates to the
state convention. Miller's former bosom
friend, but present declared enemy, Chair
man E. e. Howell, declined TO even con-
slider the motion and announced that IL
could not be passed with him in the chair.
1t died.
II calling the meeting to order Howell
thanked himself for the efficient work that
he and the rest of the committee had done
and said that he wouldn't be chairman
again even II somebody asked him to, which
he admitted hadn't happened.
squabbIe over Nature of Call.
The secretary read the call and ]. P.
Connolly moved that the primaries be June
10, which will be Thursday, and the county
convention June 21, which will be Saturday.
L. w. Herdman moved to amend by insert
ing the stipulation as to the business to
be done by the county convention, and Con-
molly accepted the amendment. l. ]. Patti,
secretary to the committee, opposed part
Of the motion, saying that 1t was unfair
to the candidates nominated, as 1t would
Subject them to troubles for six months
the length Of the campaign" He said 1t
would be an unheard-of arrangement here
and seemed to consider that the prospective
ticket couldn't stand public analysis for SO
long a time. Lee Herdman responded that
they are doing that way in Ohio. ]. j.
O'Connor said it would be necessary, under
this arrangement, to put clean men in the
field, and while 1t would be dificult, he
thought 1t might be done.
1t was at this juncture that McCoomb
asked: Have we a state candidate?" and
upon being informed that Smyth constd-
cred himself such, moved to allow him to
name the delegates to the state convention,
but let the rest of the Herdman motion
stand.
Howell fared instantly and said: II
have no fear of that motion carrying here,
but / warn you that 1t cannot with me in
the chair. I'll resign first" The matter
was dropped, the chair declining even to
entertain the motion.
Ed Galley said he favored the Herdman
plan, as the fewer the primaries the bet
ter. Every time you fellows In the city
have q primary and a squabble 1t costs
like thunder to fix it up" he explained.
Men Hard to Find.
]. ]. o'Connor met the Patti objection
to the early nominating by saying that 1t
is going to be harder to get men to run
than it is for them to get the nominations
in the convention. whenever it's held.
Somebody remarked that the other speak
ers were making no mention of the two
county commissioners to be elected.
Connolly, who was the only member Of
the present board at the meeting. arose to
say that the democrats could elect a mem
Der from the north district II they NOM
mated a man he had in mind, as "all HI
cannot beat him." and that they can elect
the other one from the country, no matter
who is put up.
The redoubtable Mr.. Ford then inter
jected his remarks about O'Keefe, alleg-
ing that the latter had always been known
as a crank, but an honest one, and that
he (the speaker) still believed him honest,
but that his first official act had been Ia
tie up with the republicans. He made also
the serious charge that 0'Keeffe insists on
knowing all about everything before 1t goes
through the board and that he was tired Of
him and believed Patti, who used to cssl
him 'the grand old man." Is also tired Of
him.
Connolly tried to squelch Ford by rising
to a point OF order, but the chairman likec
the way Ford was talking and instructed
him to go on.
1. J. Dunn spoke In advocacy OF the
Crawford system and J. J. o'Connol
against It, the latter taking the stand thai
under that system all Of the pie would q
to the city and the cry OF seetionalism b
raised.
Somebody reminded the chair that thu
HerdmAn motion was before the house ant
aSvote was taken, three voting nay.
John z. Reagan tried to start delibera
lions back to the commissioner and w. II
Herdman raised the point that Reagan wa
not a member OF the committee. ReagaI
was allowed to proceed and nnally made
motion that the chair appoint a eommittei
OF three to wait on the commissioner L
"see what's the matter and What can b
done" Patti seconded II and 1t carriei
without opposition.
"Mr. O'Keefie Is up against Il" remarke
1 ~, ,haHrr,an nth ununh dfrptfv and nnw