The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1903-01-12
new SORT0F CAUCUS
----------
NOacommitted Members Col Together
aud held Lengthy Conference.
RESULT NOT GWEN OUT
Believed That They Discussed Can.
didate 0iber Titan lhe Two NOw Up.
CLAIMS OF NEFF AND SlHLuTGR
Are as They We're and There 'SAO Change
ia the situation as to hem.
SUNDAY WAS NOT ADULL DAY ATAUSTlN
Contest Waaed In Lively Way But Men
Who VIII Cast the Deciding Votes
Still an Unknown Quantity.

Austin, Texas. January ll--Thc campaign
for speaker VI the next house between MIR.
Men and Judge Schluter has not been
dull affair by any means, No new methods
have been adopted and no sensations or
surprises sprung. Caucuses have been held.
statements given out. heart TO heart talks
have been made and confidential button
hole confabs carried on. To-day, however,
there was a brand new feature introduced
In the canvass and It is predicted tnat the
new feature will form part Of all politi'
cal contests hereafter heid
This new trick was an enthusiastic caucus
OF ''non-commlttals. Those composing
the caucus have never BEEN for either can
dldate aud while the reason given out for
holding 1t Was TO discuss the merits Of the
men, still when the Caucus adjourned they
were right where they started-for neither
man.
10 say that the caucus OF non-committals
was held to talk over the respective merits
of Judge schluter and Mr.. Men sounds
sensible looks lair, reads well and appears
to be wise, If 1t is true, but there lsswhere
the dipthong comes in. If IL Is true that
these uncommltted representatives wanted
to agree on one of the candidates, why
didn't they do it, They do not need any
more time to study the character and dc
liberate over their fitness for the speaker
! ship. Both have been In public life for
years Their views on most OF the Inn
portapt questions before the people are
down on the records of the Tweuty-siXth
and Twentyrseycnth legislatures. Many OF
them have been personally associated with
the two men IN Austin for nearly week.
They have had ample time.
Suspicion exists In the minds Of some,
which became stronger as the day went
into night and as the night goes on, that
another candidate waa talked about at the
meeting Of the non-coiSialttaIs CHS even
ing and the only connection In which
Mcssrs Men aud sehluter were discussed
was how IN dlspope Of them as candidates
for tho spcnkorship and give the new Rich
mond a walkover next Tuesday.
dozen new representatives arrived TO
day, yhich swolls the crowd to larger pro
portions Tho now arrivals src about like
the crowd alrendy on hand, as between tho
two candidates, SO the question Of ratic
and proportions Is still mnintniued-orc
vote for Men and one vote for Schutcr
This. however Is not the way the can
didates themselves figure It, According tc
their statements they are both ahead ant
both sure 10 win
J The speakcrship contest continues TO grow
more interesting as the time for the legisla
+ ture to convene approaches, Both Neff ant
4 Scbluter are claiming a signal victory. Ac
1 cordiug to the statements given out by then
/. tonight Neff claims sixty three members on
of the 102 who are here and schuter claim
sixty-one Nem says he is confident
! twenty-on out Of thirty-one members yet t
g arrive and Schluter claims seven accession
/, tomorrow, and that Is the situation. In
: Neff men are confident and the Schluter fol
l. lowers are equally sanguine The memher
. arc taxing an active interest in the contes
and something may happen tomorrow whlc
viii relieve the situation.
Mr.. Nef tonight authorized the foilowin
> interview: everything is still satisfa'
= tory TO me and | will win the race by
good majority. regret to see that the OF
=, nosltion still claims Misunderstanding. In Il
dov's paper the opposition says, We hav
8 had number Of accessions from the Ne
ranks today This statement does Eros
Injustice not only TO those who make II bt
N the membership OF the house. None {
4 nv pledged supporters have In any way II
n dicoted that they have changed their mind
.e The members Of the house are FAIR. truthtu
honest men. whose known integrity an
character challenges such Inspirations
willful declarations OF the opposition th'
r., the members clandestlnely slide from OIL
: side to the other, is mere moonshlne. a.
stlu making an open night backed by Il
members OF the house who VIII elect N
," There are now 100 members here. sixty-thr'
of whom are active working, confident Ne
mon About seven of the remaining mer
hers are undecided and the others are su
1T norttua Mr.. schluter There are thirty-oI
a. more TO arrive and have the promise
S. twenty.one of these"
ls- At the scluter headquarters Messrs. Lo'
's- and Onion, his campaign managers autno
X. ized the following Mr.. schluter now nj
ay sixty.ore votes and we have assurances tn
re- there will be seven accessions In bum
- tomorrow. which VIII make his election &C
tain beyond peradyenture. Mr. Men has
IN. ana can not receive more than sixty Vot'
We have made three accessions certain
- from his ranks today and believe that
~ win ret at least twice as many tomorrow
These conclusions were reached tong
- after lengthy caucuses held by botn cam
In dates. IL is believed that the remainder
=" ~, -, hora will reach here tomorrow.