Omaha daily bee., 1903-01-05
HOUSE NOT SO SWIFT
Takes More Time Than Senate to Settle on
the Matter of Organization.
SPEAKERSHIP FIELD is A LARGE ONE
No Concentration of Sentiment on Any One
Man is to Be Noted.
EFFORT TO REVIVE TWo-YEAR-oLD FIGHT
Cards Which Are Intended to Damn MOokstt
with Its Praise.
SOME SUGGESTION OF A. DARK HORSE
Indications thnt Mockett VIII Lead Rt
the start, with Thompson a close
secOnd-Several Ballots
Probable.
FORT TO REVIVE Two-YEAR-oLD FIGHT
Cards Which Are Intended to Damn Mookstt
with Its Praise.
SOME SUGGESTION OF A. DARK poR;
(From a STAR Correenondentl

CAUCUS Jnat ID TO settle tho SpoAkerShlp
fight the contest is still being waged, with
the field full of candidates. The day has
been full of rumors, none Of which, how
ever. have materialized into any definite
action. binding any number OF members to
a particular candidate.
The rush line tactics pursued by the
senatorial end OF The field, which carried
Harrison to Hall over the goal OF president
pro TEN, have produced n sort Of reaction.
Harrison Is recognized as a port OF legatee
of the s~o-called antis of the last legisla-
ture and his scoring has been followed up
by an effort on the part OF the same ele-
ment to resurrect the old issue Of D. Z.
Thompson as a factor in the speakership
contest against Mockett. who was one OF
the lieutenants OF the Lancaster county
candidate for United States senator two
years ago. Early in the evening cards were
distributed throughout the hotel lobby pur-
porting to be a plea for Mockett, but In
reality designed to cut under him. The
reading matter on the card is from the
pen that produced the screeds against d.
e. Thompson during the session of 1901
and were aptly referred to as an extra
edition OF the historic Daily Capital"
published at that time by the s~c-called
antis.
Sentiment is general that this effort to
revive a buried issue is likely TO over
reach itself and react against the can
didacy OF w. T.. Thompson, in whose be-
half its authors appear to be working.
w. T. Thompson himself, It is only fair to
say. disclaims any knowledge or coun-
tenance of these campaign cards,
Suggestion of Dark Horse.
So far as the lineup between the speaker
ship candidates is concerned. 1t cannot be
accurately described, because about half OF
the members OF the house are yet to put
In their appearance. The impression is
that Mockett will lead in point Of strength.
with w. r. Thompson a close second. and
that the nnlsh will not be seen until the
caucus proceeds to ballot tomorrow night.
The hope Of the other candidates is that
neither OF the leaders will be able to muster
the necessary number Of votes, and that
their followers will be compelled to choose
among them.
There is some suggestion of a possible
emergency which may bring out a new man
altogether, but at the same time there is
a general aversion to dark horses on &C
count OF unsatisfactory experiences with
dark horses on former occasions.
While the agreement upon Harrison by
the senator's has caused a renewal Of the
talk about a compact that was to make
AAONhNNN eAAAAb M"N so
tinue to deny the existence Of such q COM
pact. Rouse OF Hall. who was expected to
be a formidable candidate for speaker. has
unquestionable suffered from the premature
action Of the senator's, but has tried to
combat the argumen against giving the
presiding officers OF both houses to one
and the same county by recalling the legis-
lature OF 1899, when Lancaster county cap
tured both the presidency of the senate and
the speakership Of the house.
Deiesdenior Of Cass and Sears OF Burt
each have numerous delegations Of their
friends here assisting in the promotion Of
their campaigns.
The death OF Representative Musick OF
Nuckolls and the serious illness OF Repre-
sentative Atwood Of Seward will reduce
the number participating in the caucus.
even IL all the rest are at hand. and make
the vote necessary to nominate thirty
eight instead OF th~irty-nine.
senator's to Caucus.
Notwithstanding the fact that the senate
organization is practically decided on. Q
senate caucus will be held to make II a
formal matter and agree upon the minor
offices. Senator o'Neill was by mistake
represented in these dispatches to have
been present at the conference OF HART
son followers yesterday, when In fact he
was not there, and naturally does not want
his friends TO labor under the impression
that he gave up the fight and went over
20 Harrison without their knowledge or
assent. He has, however, acquiesced in
the result and expresses himself today as
satisfied with II.
Among the onlookers here are state
Chairman Lindsay. Congressman ELECT Hin
shaw and Mccarthy and United States Mar
.koV Matthews bnf fhay all fDafaf fhav ara
here as spectators only.
Message f. Ready.
Governor savage's message is practically
completed and will be ready by tomorrow
for transmission to the legislature. al
though II will not be delivered before
Wednesday. II is understood that the mes
sage is a quite lengthy document, going
into considerable details for all the various
departments of the state government and
full OF recommendations on various sub
jects Of public importance. It lie expected
to be in, the governors characteristic
style, with forcible language that calls a
spade a spade.
F~usiOniSts Are Lonesome.
In the melee the fusionists seem to have
been almost entirely overlooked. The few
already here indicate a disposition TO vote
for George L. Loomis OF Dodge for speaker.
Just to show a friendly disposition. The
four fusion votes in the senate have not
yet found a lodging place.
Dedicate New PythiRn Hall.
ASHLAND. Neb., Jan. 4-(speciaI)-
Shelters new hall, which was completed
last week, was dedicated last night for the
use OF Star lodge. No. 9. Knights Of Pyth-
las. Frank J. Kelley. grand chancellor OF
Nebraska, ofieiated in the ceremonies OF
1 dedication, after which the members re-
paired to Tire Selma hotel. where a ban
quet was held. plates being laid for sew
enty. omcers for 1908 were Installed BY
Grand Chancellor Kelley as follows: c.
G n. MaNa. V. C r ID Pine. y