Omaha daily bee., 1903-01-06
Written Plsdges to Support Lancaster Man
Secured Early in the Day.
DOUGLAS COUNTY MAKES THE NUMBER
Intellectual Effort Made to Revive the Old
D, E Thompson Fight.
SENATE CAUCUS is PURELY FORMAL
Orgsnisation of That Body settled
Upon and Committee Chairman
ships Settled for the
Most Part.
CFrom a san Correspondertl

LINCOLN, Jan. 5.-(Special Telegram.l-s
The short but sharp contest for speaker
| OF the house Of the twenty. eighth session
| came to an end tonight by the choice OF
John II. Mockett, jr., of Lancaster by the
republican house caucus The caucus
which was open, was simply ratification
meeting to record by roll call the agree
! ment reached in the afternoon.
| DR.. Hathorn presided and Dr. Barto
| served as secretary. Mr. Mockett responded
! briefly with words OF thanks and COM
| mendation for his opponents. The other
| house officers agreed to are:
Clerk-Johp Wall Of Valley.
| Assistant Clerks--C. H. Barnard OF Paw
nee, second assistant, John Licken OF
Hamilton third assistant, Charles o.
French Of Nemaha; fourth assistant, J. l..
Mayer of Stanton.
| Sergeant -Arms-A. e. willse Of From
| tier.
Chaplain-Rev George Scott OF Gage
Doorkeeper-John Wallace OF Douglas.
Postmaster-F. A. Warner OF York
Temporary Speaker - DR.. Wilson of
Pawnee.
/ 1t was voted to leave the remainder OF
the officers to the decision OF the speaker.
II felt sure all along" said Mr. Mockett,
| that my candidacy would be successful
because l was convinced that knew where
my strength was to come from and could
depend upon It, knew that many mem
bers reported against me were really for
me and would help me at the proper time.
| While grateful TO my friends, / have no
! enemies to punish. l will try to do my
very best to meet every requirement OF the
position and discharge the duties with
credit to myself"
The new speaker, John H. Mockett, jr..
has been in Nebraska for thirty years, hav-
Lac a.
parents to this state from Wisconsin, where
he was born. He is a graduate of the
University of Nebraska and has for years
been in the insurance business with hls
father here in Lincoln. He served In the
city council and also In the legislature of
1901 as chairman of the house COMMITTEES
on revenue and taxation. He was an
active supporter OF d. e. Thompson for
United States senator in the memorable
deadlock in that body.
DOuEIas Settles speaLersbip.
Mockett's nomination for the speaker
ship on the first ballot was assured late in
the afternoon, when IL became known that
more than a majority OF the republican
members had signed a pledge to support
him. This paper had been started early
in the day, to become binding after II con-
tanned the requisite number OF signatures.
Douglas county delegation, about p m,
agreed to join the Mockett forces and at
tached their names to the document,
The day had been a busy one for the
workers around all the speakership head
quarters, and for a while Il looked very
much like a renewal of the old senatorial
contest, with the bell wethers OF both the
old antis and the friends of d. e. Thomp-
son much in evidence. Anything to head
Mockett of" seemed to be the watchword
and the chief inspiration and desire to get
even because he had been one OF the
staunchest supporters OF D. z. Thompson.
At one time the opposition even tried to
make capital against him in certain quar-
tiers by whispering that he was a Rose
water man, as IL that would drive votes
away from him All these devices, how
ever, failed to accomplish tangible results.
for Mockett stock kept on the up grade.
Has Familiar Look.
The opposing lines certainly had a IA
miliar appearance. On the Mockett skir-
mish line were Paul Clark. ]. H. Ager,
Lee Spratlen, Ed Bignell. w. G. Morlan,
Alexander Laverty and smaller fry enough
to constitute a small operating division for
: the Burlington all by themselves. Against
them were to be found the two Hansons
Orlando Tent, ex-COngressman Hainer, NJ
F. Stanley, Judge Paul Jessen and a number
of other well known politicians who had
been identified with previous anti move
ments. Not all OF these we're active
, participants in the contest but they we're
. lending their moral support to their pre-
ferred candidates II is noteworthy, too,
, that while here and there some bitter de-
, nunciations were indulged the good humor
of the contest was generally shared by all
and the result leaves fewer sore spots than
would have been expected.
It 10 understood that the principal house
! committee chairmanship had to be bar
tered as trading capital and Douglas men
expect to head four or fYe committees
That insures the judiciary committee 10
Nelson, cities to Gilbert. militia to Ten
, Eyck. railroads or miscellaneous corpora
tions to Morsman and possibly a nth com
? mittee for another member. When the com
! mittee list is finally given out It will be
map OF the military maneuvers In the
I speakership battleship.
= Program for Legislative Opening.
o The twenty-eighth session Of the Ne
Draska legislature convenes tomorrow Not
- in years has the body found itself domi-
mated by such overwhelming majorities In
e both houses. As a rule the parties have
been much more evenly divided and the
necessity Of coveted party action much
n more pressing. The principal lneonyen-
t. ience Of the unwieldy majorities at the out
= set at least arises from the distribution OF
committee chairmanshlps. In the senate
4 there are forty-one committees, which or
r dinarily has given two chairmanships 10
each member Of the dominant party, but
. this year, with twenty-nine republican
h. senators, eleven OF twelve will have TO
= go with only one Craftsmanship. In the
N house the same situation Is presented as
forty-four committees will have TO ae-
a commodate seventy-six members, or. in
= other words nearly half will have Ia
X content themselves with minor positions
instead OF committee headships. The same