Omaha daily bee., 1903-06-08
BARNES Fur SUPREME JUDGE
Republicans Around State House Say Nor
folk Man Has Certainty.
NO SOUTH PLATTE CANDIDATE IS LIKELY
Action of Lancaster County COnven-
tiOn I'm InstructinE for North
Platte Candidate il UnPrece-
dented and Remarkable.
(From a Stan Correspondent.)

LINCOLN June 7.-(Special TelegramO
ALI the politicians around the state house
look upon IL as a certainty that the repub-
'lican nomination for supreme Judge Will
go to Judge ]. B. Barnes Of Norfolk with
out contest. The action of the Lancaster
county convention last week, instructng
the delegation from this county to the
state convention for Judge Barnes is sup
posed to have settled the whole thing.
Although IL seems to have created
scarcely a ripple of excitement on the
political sea, this resolution Is really en-
tirely unprecedented and truly remarkable
when all the circumstances are taken into
consideration. Judge Barnes is one of the
present supreme court commissioners. He
was a candidate for appointment on the
commission when 1t was originally named
and was a candidate for the nomination
for supreme judge two years age, when
he was beaten out by Judge Sedgwick
and thcn transferred to the place on tho
commission, made vacant by the promotion
of Judge Sedgwick. In the convention of
two years ago Lancaster county was
neither for Sedgwick nor Barnes, but
stayed by Judge S. p. Davidson of Tecum-
sch until the band wagon was in sight.
The fact that Lancaster county, which
typihes the South Platte county, should
come out the first thing for a North
Platte candidate is accepted as notice that
no South Platte competitors will enter the
race. In fact it will have a determining
influence to keep them out OF the race.
Aside. from Davidson and Barnes, two
years ago the only other prominent aspir-
ant was Judge w. w. Keysor of Omaha,
who has since given up his place on the
district bench and removed from the. state.
Judge Letton of Fairbury had covetous
eyes on the supreme judgeship a little
while ago, but his friends dissuaded him
from shying his castor on the proposition
that he was not properly located geo
graphically to get in. Unless, therefore
some disturbing factor appears the republI-
can convention, far the head Of the
ticket is concerned is likely to be one
man show. The two places of regents are
always minor considerations TO be dis
tributed with view to Strengthening the
ticket.
Fusien Candidate Settled.
The Identity of the fusion candidate for
supreme Judge is equally we'll known even
at this early day. 1t may be that there
will be no fusion in the sense that we
have had fusion in Nebraska for the past
five years. but Chief Justice Sullivan,
when renominated by both democrats and
populists, will be the fusion candidate Just
the same. Both democratic and popuEst
state committees have been called to meet
In Lincoln Tuesday. June 20. TO arrange
| for the nominating conventions of their re-
spective parties. Discussing the matter.
the Independent, which is the official popu-
list paper, declares that II is incumbent
upon the populists to meet In convention
and nominate Judge Sullivan and Regents
| Won Forell and REMOVER But" it adds,
"there is no need of two-ring-convention
| to do this No need Of an all-night session
| getting together. If the democrats when
they meet in convention. feel that the
/ populist nominees are the proper ones they
can indorse the populist ticket"
|. This would indicate that the populists
contemplate holding their convention sep
erately and ahead of the democratic con-
vention just to have the satisfaction of
making the nominations first and putting
1 the democrats in the attitude of endorsing
the populist candidates. Inasmuch as the
democrats are looking for the substance
instead Of the shadow, and can by this
means have the head of the ticket con-
! ceded to them so easily II would not be
surprising II they should fall in with the
| idea. The weak point in the scheme, as
! pointed out by one of the state house re-
| publicans, is that after the populists have
named Judge Sullivan the democrats could
get together and put up a straight demo-
cratic ticket, leaving the populists holding
| the sack. The prospects appear to be SC
good for republican success that II will
not make much difference whether the
| populists and democrats trot tandem or
in double harness or get hitched each to
their own vehicles.