Omaha daily bee., 1906-08-01
CHARLES A. TOWNE In CITY
Tammany Congressman with Varied Career
Declines to Discuss Hearst.
OTHER POLITICS IN HOTEL CORRIDORS
r. b. WindhAm Thinks Pollard Has
II and Edgar Howard Says
Platte County IL Not
for BeFRe.

Congressman Charles A. Towne OF New
York, candidate for vice president on the
Bryan ticket in 1900, was an Omaha visitor
for a short while Tuesday morning taking
breakfast at the Paxton hotel. Mr.. Towne
left at S:B o'clock for Glenwood, Ia.
where he spoke Tuesday afternoon. Mr..
Towne declined to be interviewed on poll
tics. lie is a Tammany man and he re-
fused to say what Tammany would do in
the Hearst gubernatorial campaign.
Charles A. Towne has had a varied career
in politics. He FIRST came into prominence
as a Minnesota congressman from the
Duluth district, which the inimitable ].
Adam Bede now represents, Duluth being
hts old home. He was a republican then
and remained such until the campaign of
1886, when he. with John Lind and other
Minnesota republicans. switched over. first
calling themselves silver republicans. Find
ing no permanent shelter as silver repub-
licans" they became democrats And Towne
lost his seat in congress. He ran for IL
as a democrat. but Page Morris, now fed
eral judge in Duluth beat him. Townes
friends declared he had committed political
suicide and he is said to have formed a
high opinion later OF their judgment. He
was tine acknowledged leader for the next
vacancy in the United States senate until
he changed his politics and here is where
one OF those strange freaks OF political
affairs comes in.
He committed political suicide: he for
. ielted all that fortune permanently held
for him in the North Star state and yet
he was the next man sent from Minnesota
to the United States senate. He succeeded
Cushmau X. Davis in the winter OF 1901.
bu, his tenn was of brief duration.
Davis, VINO had two more years to serve,
a.
cgat was governor until January S. 1901,
when nc was succeeded by Samuel r. Van
SAINT who had been elected IN November.
when the legislafu convened January 3,
81 became Liuds duty, or at least right, to
name a successor to Davis Lird. though
al rhat time not on the friendHrst personal
terms with Ouluth's sIlver-tcngued orator,
bowed to the win Of his party and named
Towne Towne served until March T. when
Moses f. Clapp, elected by the republican
legislature after an interesting contest,
took HIS seat.
His running for vice president in 1900 Is
BIZ az political history that helped along
the crnzy-duut record.
Towne then plunged into the oil business
at Beaumont. Tex Then no went 20 New
York, giving the impression he was through
with politics and Tumors foated out over
the country that he had amassed a fortune
and was a pluto. But II wasn't long an
the familiar voice and the familiar name
OF Charley Towne" were waited with
their magic charm from one end OF tn,
political arena TO the other and Tammany
put him in congress.
I'VE think the action OF Nemaha count,
indicates the nomination OF Congressman
Pollard" said Representative Windham o
Cass county, moor leader OF the house n
the last legislature. 'Of course. there Il
some talk OF Lancaster county waverinI
&C the last in its support OF him, but hi
friends scarcely look for a reputation o
It's pledge by Lancaster.
Senator Sheldon. We think. has a goo
chance for the nomination for governor
We think a little better chance than any o
his opponents Personally ! believe Shell
don IL a strong man aud would not onll
uaAka = dimeult man 70 beat but . 900