Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-20
ONLY TWO CANDIDATES
BURKETT AND BRYAN OPPOSED
FOR NEBRASKA SENAToRSHIP.
Political Interest Conferred in the Fight
for Control of the Legislature
Other Aspirants May Appear.
pecial Correspondence q The Evening Star.

SpeClal Correspondence q Inc Evening Star.
OMAHA, Neb., October II. 1904.
A seat in the United States Senate is at
stake in the election of legislature in Ne
braska this year. The very fact that a
United States senstorship turns on the
election coupled with certain other anoma-
lous factors. makes the complexion of the
coming legislature appear still to be doubt
full.
The contest, so far as 1t has as yet devel-
oped, Is on the surface between Elmer ].
Burkett, the present republican representa-
tive from the first district, and William Jen-
nings Bryan, democracy's former leader.
The place to be vacated is that now held by
Senator Charles H. Dietrich who, however
announced more than six months ago that
he would not be candidate for reelection.
Conceded to South Platte Region.
The place held by Senator Dietrich is in
the unwritten law denominated the South
Platte" senatorship and conceded to the
country south Of the Platte For awhile it
looked as If there might be a brisk compe-
tition on the republican side, the natural
expectation being THAI. D. E. Thompson, the
United States minister to Brazil who had
twice tried for senatorial honors, would en-
ter the arena again i@fie, too, announced
his decision early not to be candidate and,
as result, the republican state convention
was prevailed on almost without dissent to
pass a resolution of Endorsement for Mr..
Burkett. Whether this action was to be
considered a nomination or merely an in
oCrsement has heen settled within the past
week in the makeup of the official ballot
on which the name of Mr.. Burkett appears
as the republican nominee for United States
senator as well as the republican nominee
Tor Congress in the first district.
Submission to Popular Vote.
1t should be explained that the constitu-
ton of Nebraska provides for the submits
sion of names of candidates for United
States senator to a popular vote of prefer
ence. The only previous example on rec
ord where nomination was made in con-
vention for United States senator in this
state is to be found in the democratic con-
Vention of 1894, when Mr.. Bryan was the
nominee. Mr.. Bryan at that time received
a very fiattering vote at the polls, but lost
the legislature, so that his campaign ended
in merely a complimentary vote for him,
while the certificate of election went to his
republican competitor, John NJ Thurston.
This year Col. Bryan, who has been persist
entity advocating the election of United
States senators by direct vote of the people,
has permitted the republicans to make a
nomination, but for himself has preferred
to have no nomination made by his own
party in order to avoid the difficulties he
met with ten years age
Other Candidates Possible.
The eIectIon OF republican legislature
is not however, taken to mean necessarily
an assurance of Representative Burkett's
promotion, as several South Platte states
men are said to be waiting for a chance
to project themselves should the republican
majority be close enough to enable small
number of members to control the situa-
ton.
On the other side, neither is a fusion
legislature taken to mean the sure election
of Mr.. Bryan as he has opposition within
his own party by those democrats who
opposed him for the presidency, and within
the popust party by those populists who
think Bryan betrayed them in choosing to
support Parker rather than Watson. Mr..
Tibbles, who is the Nebra6ka running mate
with Watson on the populist national tick
ct, in letter which has been intercepted
and used for campaign material, has gone
so far as to advise his followers to exert
themselves to get as many men into the
legislature possible who will never vote
for senator for any man who supported
Parker" A fusion legislature therefore
would produce without question vigorous
fight between the populists and the demo-
Gratis as to which should carry off the
senatorial prize.
Attacks Of the Fusionists.
incidentally the control of the legislature
has overShadowed all other features of the
campaign. The fusion organs and orators
are trying their best to make political cap
ital out of new revenue law enacted by
the last republican legislature under which
taxes have been increased in many counties.
They are also raising the issue against the
so-called elevator trust by which indie
pendent elevators have been shut ont of
sites on railroad rights of way, against the
free pass evil and against excessive freight
rates on farm products. The republicans
appear to be little on the defensive, and
although the last legislature was over
whelmingly republican in both houses, so
many members were elected by narrow ma
1oritfes that 1t is not impossible for the
fusiOnists to regain the ascendencY