Omaha daily bee., 1903-05-06
The winners.

Omaha's city election scored signal VIC
tory for Frank e. Moores. giving him title
to another term as mayor by a plurality Of
s43.
With the mayor. all the other candidates
upon the republican ticket, with the excep-
tion of three, were successful by substan-
tlal majorities.
TIE totals for mayor are: Moores, repub-
lican, 6,O4S; Howell, democrat, 4,54I; Moore.
socialist, 1.429, and Benson. independent.
5,10O.
The triumph of Mayor Moorcs and his
supporters was all the more significant be-
cause of the character of the opposition
overcome by the back FIRE OF holting re-
publicans who had organized behind Eras-
tus A. Benson as an independent candidate
making 1t a three-cornered fight.
| While the pretense Of the Bensonites was
that their fight was on Mayor Moores alone
the eefeat Of 9ena,,lls Hunter and Hrnnlng
would indicate thht they cut the fepub-
lican ticket on every candidate not OF their
own faction.
The surprise Of the election is the un-
expected weakness shown by Howell, the
| democratic candidate, and the strength OF
Benson. the independent candidate, in ex-
cess Of all estimates OF his run. Howell
seems to have fallen down completely
throughout the city. In democratic strong
holds even more than republican districts.
The Howell managers saw the handwriting
! on the wall early and shortly after o'clock
in the afternoon conceded his defeat and
| threw up their hands.
An attempt was made about the same
time to circulate story TO the effect that
Moores had also given up the night but this
was promptly contradicted and the Moores
strength rallied in the closing hours Of the
| voting.
At o'clock already the World Herald
the democratic organ. conceded the election
OF Moores while the Benson newspaper
pretended that its candidate still had n
chance. This chance, however, disappeared
as each successive precinct return was
made.
Statements of Committee ChRirmen.
Shortly after 10 o'clock Robert Cowell,
chairman Of the republican city committee.
gave out the following statement;
"The mayor is elected by at least 500
majority and we will have control OF the
council by as large a majority as we had
last year. with the possibility OF the cleo
tion OF all. There may be some close work
on some OF the other officers and the votes
will have TO be counted to decide. The
mayor won out against the severest odds
ever pitted against any man in a campaign
in Omaha. At the last moment all kinds
OF roorbacks were sprung in the shape Of
cards and circulars. I want to say TO the
, credit Of Edward Howell that he denounced
the infamous tactics resorted TO In the
Third ward. Some cards we're issued against
Harry Zimman and Mr.. Howell went to
the man who was circulating them. took
the cards out OF his hands and destroyed
them, at the same time denouncing the
course as being unfair campaigning As
, chairman l desire to thank every member
Of the committee and every ward and pre-
cinct worker for loyal and faithful sup
port"
At the Benson headquarters few persons
remained and the election OF Frank f.
Moores was conceded by all. Chairman
Hayward OF the Benson executive commit
tee said:
1--WE certainly made good campaign. II
Z was claimed that we would not poll more
a than 1000 votes, while we got nearly 5000
5 This is all have TO say"
Chairman Bullard OF the democratic
committee quit the game early and went
\ home about s o'clock. He was represented
at headquarters by Louis Piatti, who said
y while we have lost the mayoFalty. We
have elected a great part Of our ticket
and will have representation in the council
and nearly all of the executive otncers.
n Democrats Give Up EARLY.
e At the city democratic headquarters th'
r election was early given up to Moores anC
r the crowd of workers slipped gloomily ou
y onto the streets, only TO come back agaiE
T and again with the hope that later returns
e had changed the result BY o'clock lie,
8 Herdman and Ed. HOWELL hal left the heAS
!. quarters and could not be found abou
e town. At the Jacksonian club a genera
n quietneGs prevailed and little interest wal
r displayed sfter $50, when II was knowI
g that Moores had carried the town.
BensonItes Hope 90 Last.
At Benson headquarters, in the Merchant
= hotel, a sort of ominous quietude prevailet
= during the receipt OF the earliest returns
J. There would be a spaAmodie EFFORT toWar'
:, enthusiasm when some precinct rstuH
- showed a plurality for Benson, hui II wa
n very brief and seemed a forced effort, AM
the Benson boomers would relapse int