Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-08
HOWELL WINS EVERY POINT
Controls Meeting Of Democratic City Com
mittee Through Proxies
FAITHFUL HAVE LIVELY SECRET SESSION
Efforts of the AntIs TO DIsturb fhe
ApportiOnment Plan Adopted in
January Proves II
Failure.

The democratic city primaries will be
from ~ O'Clock noon to Z p. m. Thursday,
April 9, instead OF February II, as decided
at the meeting OF January 10. The con-
vention will be at 1880 p. m. Saturday.
April IL, a few hours after the repub-
licans are slated to make their nomina-
tion. instead OF February IA. The appor-
tionment will be one delegate for each
seventy-fve votes or fraction thereof cast
for Thompson for governor, making a total
Of lis. instead Of eighty-one as under the
old system.
This much was decided by the demo-
cratic city central committee at a meet
ing in the room of the Jacksonian club last
night. with twenty-three of the twenty
nine member Of the committee present or
represented by proxies. In all voting the
Howell faction showed up with fifteen and
the anti-Howell faction with eight votes,
after the preliminary skirmish. in which
the former succeeded in overruling the
chair and seating their own proxies.
Chairman w. o. Gilbert presided.
The meeting was not exactly a love feast.
The harmony prevailing was the same kind
Of harmony that keeps people wondering
how soon the patrol wagon will get a riot
call, and when the meeting was over the
anti-Howell men we're Just as willing az
ever to bet the clothes on their backs that
convention day will be a snowy time for
the coal candidate.
Executive Committee Session.
In the afternoon Chairman c. L. West OF
the executive committee called that com
mittee together ito clear himself Of any
49, - EI.-- a. A. IL N.Yr l.A- - IT..
wanted to know the committees pleasure.
Chairman Gilbert of the central commit
tee said that his first pleasure would be to
learn who the duece appointed Olrich
Jellen to take the place Of Stanley Let
ovsky, who had gone republican. He was
informed that the executive committee
had made the selection. His answer was a
demand to know II he himself didn't have
the appointing power, and Chairman West
conceded that he had. Accordingly, Mr..
| Jellen was escorted to the door and Mr..
Gilbert's selection, c. j. Smythe, was
seated as a member of the commit &c.
E. p. Smith moved that as the city CEN
trail committee was to meet in the evening
all matters be referred to II and l.. j.
Patti seconded the motion. j. ]. O'Conuor
offered as a substitute a motion that the
primary and convention dates be selected
by the executive committee, but this motion
died for lack Of second and the Smith
motion prevailed. Adjournment was taken
Immediately.
Fireworks in the Evening.
When Chairman Gilbert called the main
committee to order in the evening R. ].
Aitchison OF the Howell faction took one
frightened look at the newspaper men
present and moved that the business be
done under cover. Joe Rapp, who studies
law In the Herdman ONCE. seconded the
motion. ]. J. Mahoney OF the anti-Howell
crowd was for leaving the lights turned
on. He moved he committee proceed to
business, and added that he saw no reason
for keeping things dark. Joe Butler Sec
onded this motion.
Before attempting to take a ballot the
chair decided that It would be we'll q
ascertain who was entitled to vote, and
there then arrived a large, adult row over
the proxies.
Joe Butler protested against Will Herd.
mans being allowed a voice, as there hat
been found on the records no mention that
HerGman ever had been made a member
Of the committee, but withdrew his pro.
test upon being informed by the chail
that Herdman had been made such member
at a certain committee meeting. P. N
Tobin was challenged as a representative
Of the Fourth ward on the ground that h,
has been resident in the Eighth ward To-
a year and a half. w. T. Johnson wa
objected to by the same protestant. Butler
because now In the Eighth instead Of tn,
Sixth. ]. ]. O'Connor was objected to Al
a proxy for John +. Evans because Evan
hasn't been, ]. ]. Mahoney said, a residen
- A. Cavanfb ugord for fuyo voavo md iunt
even in the city now. Dan Cannon an,
w. H.. Chadwick both presented proxie
from D.. T. Murphy and there were other
protested on both sides.
Behind Closed Doors.
In the hopelessness of the tangle tE
chair put the motion for executive session
and it carried. The protest against Tobil
was then considered and the chair sus
: talned it. A vote was called and the chat
: was overruled. is to s. AS this test affecte
! all protests based on the grounds of non
: residence the rest were not considered an
the Howell faction secured the c~onteste
\ seats.
After that it was plain sailing. Wi
I Herdman introduced a resolution to tn
effect that the city central committee con
= cur in all acts Of the meeting of Januar
10 except as to dates of primaries and con
q . ventions, and changing these TO April
and IL. This left the Thompson vote ~
$ portionment standing and the anti-HUwe
= faction was Just ready to move an amend
y ment when West moved the previous ques
ton. This brought the final showing
e strength and the resolution was adopte'
i 10 to s.,
Sandwiched in with the motions and SCI
; onds were some of the warmest tete-a-tets
! In all history and TO transact fifteen mil
: utes' business the committee was closete
nearly two hours.
. KncIAM Is AMnTHER WnMnE