Omaha daily bee., 1902-09-29
WILL THOMPSON ACCEPT?
His Decision aI to Taking Brazilian Post
Awaited with Interest,
WHY HE is OBSERVED so CLOSELY NOW
Three Senatorial Fights Involved in
the Present PropOsitiOn-Re-
counts Some UnwrItten
History.
tFrom a star correspondentO

LlNCOLN, sept. SS.--(SpeClal).-lne ap-
pointment of d. E. Thompson to represent
the United States as minister plenipoten-
tiary and envoy to Brazil is naturally the
chief topic of discussion in political cir
ces here at the state capital. MIR. Thomp-
son has pursued in this the reticence char
acteristic of all his public and private
affairs, and so far as anyone can learn is
still thinking 1t over" undecided whether
he will accept the proffered position
Among his friends here the feeling is one
of apprehension that he will accept, while
| among those who have always been un-
| friendly toward him the hope has begot the
conviction that he will accept
Every one recognizes that an appoint
ment to first-class mission, second only to
! that OF ambassador, and with salary of
$4,000 per year, which is more than twice
that OF United States senator and greater
than that of the cabinet officers and mem
bers Of the supreme court, carries distinc-
| tion greater than has been enjoyed by any
Nebraska appointee except possibly j.
Sterling Morton when he was made a mem
Der Of President Clevelands official house
hold. To refuse to accept after the ap-
| pointment has been made would be to sac
| rifce immediate prestige for a possibility
| of future preferment. 1t would, moreover,
place our Nebraska senators and others,
who have been urging the appointment in
a decidedly embarrassing position, although
II might relieve them of further recognition
of the obligation they admit they owe to
Mr.. Thompson 1t is known that both the
senators have been urging Mr.. Thompson
to signify his acceptance, and would much
prefer to have him accept, even though a
declination might leave them in better
position to secure political favors for other
political friends.
Enemies LOudest Urging to Accept.
The strange part Of Mr.. Thompsons pre-
dicament, for such II may be called, is
brought out by the talk OF an old politician
last night, who has been on the inside of
| state politics for several years past.
THE very people who have fought Mr..
Thompson hardest from the very begin
ming OF his political aspirations are the
ones who would be most pleased to have
him betake himself into political exile in
Brazil" says this old timer. "Just look
back at the succession OF events since the
campaign OF 1898, in which Mr.. Thompson
made his debut as a candidate for United
States senator When 1t was found that
the legislature OF 1899 mad gone republican
and Mr. Thompson announced himself In
the race, all the machinery OF the Union
Pacific Elkhorn combination, under direc-
tion OF r. B. Schneider, was brought into
play to head him OF and make good the
agreement to send Judge Hayward to the
senate as a reward for making the race for
governor. When Brad Slaughter ventured
to write letters on behalf Of Thompson on
state committee stationery he was called
down and practically deposed from the
position OF vice chairman on the plea that
the state committee and it's officers must
keep aloof from the senatorial contest No
sooner had Slaughter been deposed, how
ever, than Schneider, although chairman
of the committee, jumped in as Hayward's g
campaign manager and turned the whole
committee into a Hayward campaign or
ganization.
''The details of the Hayward fight need
not be recounted beyond this; that it wit
messed the beginning Of the bitter personal
warfare on Mr.. Thompson, which was re-
peated in the second contest two years ago.
When Thompson came before the legisIa-
ture again his opponents had an additional
weapon in the charge that he had endeav-
ored to circumvent the caucus nomination
of Hayward in 1899 by negotiating
an agreement with the fusionists
by which. in consideration OF their
support, he was TO bind himself to
act with the democrats in congress on GER
tain specific subjects. The whole founda-
tion of the campaign against Thompson
before the legislature of 1901 rested on this
argument, that he had forfeited his repub-
licanism and had no claim whatever upon
the republicans. The insurgents. who had
pulled out OF the republican caucus. ex-
Z cused themselves on the plea that Thomp-
son was not a republican and that they
were under no obligations to go into a
caucus in which Thompsons name was 10
be considered. The more rabid antI-Thomp-
l sonites, including National Committeeman
| Schneider. went so far as to say not only
that Thompson had no right to ask repub-
) lican0 to vote for him for the United States
senate, but he had no claim whatever for
recognition of any kind from the republican
4 party.
e Want to Get Rid of Thompson.
''The strange part OF the sequel is that
happen to know the president was urged by
! Schneider. as well az a number of othel
prominent anti-Thompson leaders, to ap
point Mr.. Thompson to some diplomatic DO.
sition. Give him anything that will take hin
: out Of the state is the way these endorse.
ments ran. Thompson is a disturbing factor
The only way TO eliminate him is to senC
him as far from the state as possible Tht
, original plan was to secure for him appoint.
!, ment as minister TO Mexico, and his nam,
! was pIeeeuleu 10 iItbluenl MChllleY, an(
> again to President Roosevelt with that OBJ
: tect in view. There being no vacancy il
Mexico nor any prospect OF a vacany tn,
!, recommendation OF Mr.. Thompson was Ief
for any high diplomatic position that Nigh
be opened in due course. The transferi
; following the resignation OF Ambassado
White from Berlin gave the opportunity
n and It seems the president acted withou
again consulting either Mr.. Thompson o
the Nebraska senators, who had practicalll
given up all hope Of landing their man"
While this covers the history Of the ap
- pointment in a nutshell, II does not ex
}: plain why Mr.. Thompson has to think tn
Y matter over now. Not counting on an,
j. Official honor coming his way. he has beel
h pushing various business enterprises 10
e point where to abandon them OF 10 turl
IS them over to subordinates would be takiul
Il great business risks. He had been givin
much personal attention to his insuranc
e company and has always kept an eye on hi
j. railroad eating house contract More thai
Ir that, however, he has Just put a goodly sur
a OF money into a newspaper plant and mad
); all preparations for launching the comm
n week an evening daily, advertised as ID +