Omaha daily bee., 1903-01-02
WATCH SENATORIAL FIGHTS
Men at National Capital Gratifsd at Recent
Turn in Wisconsin.
COULD Ill AFFORD TO SPARE SPooNtR
Next 60 that the Most Attention IL
Directed Toward Contests In Col
OradO and Idaho, with Teller
and shOup Central Figures.
(From a stan Correspondent.l

WASHINGTON, Jan. 1.-(special 1.-THE
federal administration is watching with
more thar usual interest the preliminary
In a number OF senatorial con-
tests which are soon to be decided by the
state legislatures in the western states.
For a while last summer It appeared
probable that the republicans of Wisconsin
might depose Senator John G. Spooner. No
man in the senate occupies a higher place
in the councils OF his party than the senior
senator from Wisconsin. He Is looked
upon as the ablest debater In the senate
today. He is a man Of great attachments
and upon any subject Of which he speaks
he is always ready to meet and combat the
best arguments OF his opponents. Mr..
s%pooner never took pains to post himself as
to the minor details of local politics and
consequently failed to make himself popu-
lar with the smaller men who so frequently
controlled legislative affairs. When it be-
came known that there was danger Of the
defeat Of Mr.. Spooner a protest went up
from every state in the union. Newspapers
which scarcely realized that such a state
as Wisconsin existed suddenly demon
strated that their editors had a deep inter-
est in the state. These protests may or
may not have had an effect upon the legis-
lators of Wisconsin, but those gentlemen
seemed to have changed front and now as
surances are made hat there will not be a
single vote in the republican caucus In OPP
position to the return of John c. Spooner.
Doubt About Colorado.
In Colorado a peculiar state OF affairs ex-
list. The lower house Of the legislature is
republican by a narrow margin. The sem
ate, however, is anti-republican. The gen.
awo1 haIiaH ia fhat ,,Non 4O4nt baIIot Tho ra-
publicans will have enough votes to wrest
the senatorship from their political oppo-
nents. Senator Teller, who was elected as
a republican when the state was admitted
in 1876, has served continuously since that
time except for the period during which he
held the Interior department portfolio in
the cabinet Of President Arthur. When the
silver senators left the republican conven-
tion at St. Louis in 1896 Senator Teller al
LIED himself with the sllverites and since
he has been classed as a pOpulist and a
democrat. He is one Of the biggest men in
his state and had he consulted his per-
sonal interest he would have declined a re-
election six years ago. Now his brother,
who is at the head Of the law firm, is Ill,
and the senator desires to return to Colo
RADIO to look after his affairs. It appears
therefore that there is no reason why he
should make an attempt to be reelected.
But a man who has been in political harness
for a quarter OF a century does not easily
leave Washington, even when in doing so he
betters his financial affairs.
1t was supposed that in the event of re-
publican success in the state elections ex-
Senator Wolcott would surely come back to
the senate as Mr.. Teller's successor. But
Mr.. Wolcott has made enemies in his own
| narfv and nnuy Nae ro,,nh nNDoalti01 Irropl
G. Goudy OF Denver is the leading candi-
date opposed to him.
Everyone who attended the republican
national Convention in St. Louis in 1896
remembers the dramatic exit of the dele
gates from the silver states. Utah, Colo
RADIO, Idaho and Montana we're represented
In that theatric scene. When the Idaho
men walked out of the hall headed by
Senator Dubois, his colleague, George l.
Shoup, member Of the national committee,
stepped down from the platform of Idaho
and announced that the state was still rep
resented and that the republican party in
Idaho had not entirely vanished.
Washington Wants Shoup.
Two years ago Idaho sent Fred Dubois
back to the senate as the successor OF
George L.. shoup. Last month Idaho elected
a republican legislature and next month
a republican will be chosen to succeed
Henry Heitfeldt, the populist colleague OF
Fred Dubois. There are half a dozen can
didates In the field already and they al
appear to think that they are entitled e
the honor. But there is no republican
in the state to compare with George L
Shoup In party loyalty. Born in Pennsyl-
vania he emigrated to the west before the
civil war. His experience would furnish &
magnificent basis for a historic novel" or
frontier life. He has been soldier, minel
and merchant, and he has done more thar
any ten men to build up his adopted state
=, AS senator for more than ten years h
/, has worked day and night for the interes'
, Of his people, and knowing him as well al
they do 1t is only natural that the repub.
. llcan leaders should be deeply Interested II
the contest in which he is so prominen
! a figure. George L. Shoup vas PRACTICAL!
the whole republican party in Idaho ii
: 1896. 1t was due to him more than to an!
other man that the organization was no
, entirely swamped In the campaign Of tina
year and but for his efforts there woult
!. have been no republican legislature in 1903
> Consequently every one in Washington 1
squeezing for him and 1t is the genera
9 belief here that he will win in spite o
the formidable opposition which has grow
up to his return to the senate since tn
election Of November.
MANY AFTER SENAT0RSHIT