Omaha daily bee., 1905-12-23
0DELL MEETS DEFEAT
New York Lsader Fails to Control the
County Organization.
CONTEST LASTS FAR INTO THE NIGHT
Herbert Parsons Finally Elected Chairman
BY AcclamStiOn.
wAOSwoaTH WILL BE ELECTED SPEAKER
Long Island Nan Has Over Three Fourths
Of Votes Pledged
yADSwosTH WILL Be ELECTED SPEAKER
CONFERENCE HELD IN HOTEL CADILLAC
Meeting Called by Mcrritts sup
porters Discusses situation aud
Decides to Leave Matter 10
the Assembly.

NEW YORK, Dec. 2.-Iourlng a contest
which continued from o'clock last nigh:
until near O'Clock this morning, marked
at times by bitter recrimina tions but con-
cluding with mutual pledges of support,
the control Of the New York county repub-
| lican committee was wrested from the ad-
herents of former Governor B. Il. Odell
by the faction headed by Herbert Par
sons In reorganizing for the coming year
the committee elected Herbert Parsons 20
the presidency, in succession to William
IIalpin, and chose other officers named by
Parsons friends The officers elected are:
| Chairman, Herbert Parsons; first vico
| president Senator Alfred r. Page: secoud
vice president, Julius G. Kramer OF the
! Fourth assembly district, secretary,
Thomas II. Whittle OF the Thirty-hfth dis
! trict; treasurer. George Blagden;
| geant-at-arms. Edmund Bodine.
The election of Mr.. Parsons was secured
| ut 2:35 o'clock this morning. It was made
| by acclamltion and was received with
wild enthusiasm. Mr.. Halpin Immediately
congratulated Mr.. Parsons. and in brief
| speech promised his hearty support Mr..
Parsons replied. thanking the committee
| for his election. Mr.. Page was chosen
| first vice president after lively fight, in
which he defeated Samuel Strasborger by
vote Of $50 to 40. Mr.. Strasborger voted
| TO make the election unanimous and THU
was done. The other officers were chosen
| unanimously by acclamatIon.
Oden Plays for Delay.
Tactics OF delay were adopted by the
| Odell faction as soon as the committee
| met and these continued for several hours
| 1t is said the motive for delay was to
| await the result OF the speakership ngh.
| Mr. Parsons and has friends did not pro
| pose to wait and announced their inten-
| tion of organizing a committee IL 1t took
| all night. The first tcst vote came Just
| before midnight on IA motion TO adjourn
| the election of a president until January
4. The Parsons men won by vote OF Sea
| to 2S a motion, made by Mr. Par
sons, to adjourn for thirty minutes TO
hear the contested election case In the
Thirteenth district. was carried. Toe con-
tostant Michael II. Blake, was an odeli
man. and his friends in the committee
moved to postpone consideration OF the
| contest, but were defeated Shortly after
! / o'clock the committee reconvened and
received a majority and minority report Of
the committee contested seats Tie
Parsons men Immediately moved that the
report he tabled. Voting on the motion
lasted for an hour and resulted In a victor.
! for the Parsons faction, the vote standing
322 to PSI. This matter disposed Of nomi-
nations We're In order and promptly fol-
lowed.
Conference at Hotel Cadillac.
The conference adjourned just before =
O'Clock this afternoon without any definite
action having boon taken. Assemblyman
Phillips, who called the conference, said
that mono Of tho candidates for tho spoaker-
! ship was endorsed and that no compromise
candidate was suggested. Tho entire ses-
| sion was devoted TO discussion of tho
matter In a general way and the consensus
of opinion as expressed was that the u,en,
bers of the assembly themselves should ne
permitted o'select a speaker. EIe said an
other conference may he held before the re-
publican caucus meets.
Mr.. Phillips said ,hat no test vote Ind
been taken AZ the conference and that there
had been no discussion of candidates Tho
meeting adjourned subject to further cal,
by Mr.. Phillips. There were thirty-seven
assemblymen present. he said. and that was
larger number than he had expected after
Mr.. Wadsworth had sent out his statement
to the effect that the meeting would be OF
no consequence.
r. A. Merritt, jr, tho candidate for the
speakcrship who has the support Of for
mer Governor Odel was present at tho con
ference. Afterward he said there had been
a pretty frank exchange OF opinion and
that the prevailing sentiment was ono Of
dissatisfaction with the situation that haA
developed.
Assemblyman Hooker. who Is supporting
wadsworth. was at the Cadillac today but
I refused to join the conference. He said:
More than half the men in the confer
ence are for Wadsworth and they came
here merely TO sec what is going on. wads-
worth has eighty-six Of the III republican
assemblymen.
Governor Odell declined 10 mako any
comment on tho conference at the Cadillac.
Governor Higgins Pleased.
ALBANY. n. Y Dec. Ex-Governor Hig-
gins left Albany tonight to spend Christ
mas with his family at Olean. lie did not
attempt to conceal the fact that the out
come OF the last weeks political conflict
was satisfactory TO him.
II regard the contest as practically
over" said the governor, providing al
ways Of course. that the assembly must
first act for themselves. But In view OF
the positive pledges which have been given
for the support Of Mr., wadsworth regard
that matter as settled"
The governor admitted that he had per-
sonal advices as TO tho outcome OF the con-
ference of the assemblymon held today In
New York City. | had adjourned. he said,
after free discussion, but without action
There might or might not be another such
conference before the final caucus which
would mako the republican nomination for
speaker Of the assembly He said he hoped
for unanimous action IN the republican
caucus OF assemhiymen
The governor said that former Lieutenant
Governor Timothy L. Woodruff called upon
him this afternoon, with William Barnes.
f., republican state committeeman from
Albany, and that Nj Woodruff had re-
newed his expressions Of good will and
approval Of Mr.. Wadsworth's candidacy,