Omaha daily bee., 1903-02-24
WEAVER UPSETS The PLANS
Indicates He Favors Ignoring Silver Is rt
in Coming Campaign.
SHAPING BOOM FOR WILLIAM R. HEARST
state Board of Control objects TO
Changing Route of Railroad
Through GIenwOOd Insti-
tutc Grounds.

owner, freshly introduced to politics in
the cast. is to be launched before the
public on the occasion of the Jefferson day
banquet OF the free silver democracy OF
Iowa in Des Moines on the evening OF
| April 2. Preceding the banquet where 9OC
select democrats are to be seated at 81 50
per plate, there is to be a conference In
| which will be outlined the campaign pro-
gram for the democratic party Of Iowa this
year, and preparations made for such or
ganization as will assure to the kansas
City platform democrats" as they choose
to call themselves, the undisputed control
Of thu party in this state this year and
next.
1t was not originally planned by those
who arranged for this banquet that It
should go any further than to give direction
te state politics, but events are shaping
themselves so that something more is re-
garded as inevitable. The banquet was
planned to get the free silver men to-
gether and to get them to acting in con-
| cert and for some definite thing. A few
weeks ago a banquet was given at Waterloo
where Ex-Governor Boies was the central
attraction, and Judge A. Van wagenen of
Sioux City delivered himself of a care
fully prepared address advocating govern
ment ownership of railroads and taking
radical ground many subjects. He
avoided reference to the coinage question.
! His address was taken to be a preparation
| for his candidacy for governor this year,
and as an indication that he would be put
forward by the "reorganizers" of the dem
oeratic party. majority of those Who
we're at the Waterloo Jackson day banquet
have acted with the party right along, but
| are known to favor the dropping Of Bryan
and free silver. And so the Jefferson day
| banquet was arranged especially to offset
this movement and to get the free silver
ties together for a fight to control the next
state convention for platform and ticket
and party organization.
To make the jefferson day banquet a sue
| cess w. ]. Bryan was invited to be chief
speaker without restriction as to the time
he will be allowed TO take. This was suf-
fcient to indicate the purposes of the con.
ference and banquet; but there was added
! the fact that next to Bryan the chief
speaker was to be General James B. Wea-
yer. At once 1t was regarded as certain
that the meeting was to crystalline senti-
ment for Weaver for governor, that around
him the free silver forces might rally to
the defeat of the reorganizers. This pro-
gram is unchanged so far as the promoters
of the banquet are concerned.
Weaver Upsets Plans.
But General, Weaver. who is in the south
boring for ok has disarranged affairs by
writing back his disapproval with Judge
Van Wagenen for candidate for governor
on platform virtually ignoring free silver.
He desires that the banquet be broadened
and that the reorganizers be invited to Join
with them at the feast. 1t therefore be-
nil afn hat he
Of the reorganizers and the free silverites
are working in harmony and that the state
campaign will be a compromise with a con-
| servative man for candidate.
AS part OF this program there appeared
on the scene last week Mr. Charles f. Rus
sell, publisher of Hearsts Chicago paper
a former Iowan and we'll known among
the older democrats of the state. He spent
a week in the state making careful in
quiry as to the situation and when he went
away announced he would return and at
tend the Jefferson day banquet. II became
known that his real mission here was to
induce all factions of the democratic party
to get together for a state campaign this
year and make the fight on issues related
to the tariff trUsts, foreign policy and op-
position to Roosevelt; and incidentally to
bring to the attention OF the democrats
the candidacy of William r. Hearst for
president next year. II the feeling is right
some action will be taken looking to hav-
ing Iowa democracy enlisted for Hearst.
The action will be taken with the full
knowledge and consent of the free silver
men. They will make it plain that while
they are not ready to turn against Bryan
or to turn down the platform he prepared,
| they recognize his unavailability for fur
thar leadRTshin ahQOIuta
sity for turning to new issues.
Boone and Northwestern Work.
Contracts have been let the past week
for the building Of a portion OF the Boone
& Northwestern railroad This portion con-
tracted for is an extension OF the line from
Frazier to Boone, eight miles, and from
Gowrie to Rockwell City, eighteen miles.
At the same time surveyors are at work
on the route south from Boone. 1t is
expected the line will pass through i'm
portant coal fields in Polk and Jasper
counties and by a new terminal gain en-
trance into Des Moines. The company is
headed by Hamilton Brown of Boone
Insist on Oid Route.
Members of the State Executive council
and OF the State Board of Control have re-
turned from GlenwOod, where they held
a meeting to consult with superintendent
| Powell Of the State Institution for the
! Feeble Minded and with the OFFICIALS of
! the Burlington railroad. As the result
| OF their conferences an agreement was
reached that in accordance with the sug-
! gestion of the members Of the Board of
! Control, the location for the new depot
of the railroad is to be moved some dis
! tance further west. II was too near the
state grounds and he board felt that to
leave IL there would be to make II dis
/ agreeable for the institution. II was also
! decided that the carriage way from the
main road to the feeble minded institu-
/ tion shall remain planned last winter
by the Executive council The railroad
people desired to make a short cut for
the road and avoid so much road building
/ but the council decided It should be built
as originally planned and in accordance
with the agreement made between the state
and the company
Repeat Institution Cantata.
Superintendent Fitzgerald OF the State
Industrial School for Girls will have re-
peated at the school on Thursday evening
of this week the cantata THE Queens
, Messenger" which was given to a select
audience Of state officials and others early
this morning. The former presentation was
1 given on the stOrmiest night OF the winter