The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1906-08-23

changed to Shallenberger were not
sufficient to bring about Mr.. Shallen-
berger's nomination were it not for
several trades that were made by can
didates for minor Offices who succeed
ed in having Berge votes on their
delegation cast for Shallenberger in
return for support for themselves
from the Omaha delegation which was
in the field from the start to make
trades with uninstructed delegates in
return for support Of Shallenberger.
The war cry of the Omaha delegation
was "a Democrat for Democrats" 1t
is but justice, however, to say that
Mayor Dahlman of Omaha, who was
a Thompson man, favored Mr.. Berges
nomination and that Mr.. Berge had
fifteen or more ardent friends in the
Omaha delegation who would have
made him the nominee were it in
their power to do so.
Mr.. Newbranch in the Omaha
WOrld-Herald, says:
The effort to secure fusion after
Shallenberger's nomination had been
made was the hardest of all the hard
efforts that have had to be made
through all the years of fusion. The
populists were for Berge, and Berge
only They didn't care for any other
place on the ticket. They expected
the democrats to nominate him with
out any interference, whatever, on
their part. So there was no confer
ence committee, and the populists re-
manned idle, waiting for the democrats
to nominate their ticket with Berge
at the head of it. Had this been
done, the populists would have in
dorsed the democratic ticket in it's
entirety and gone home. When they
were informed of Berge's defeat they
were thunder-stricken first and mad
afterward. 1t was while they were
in the first state, and before they had
well reached the second, that Berge
came to them, white and weak with
the heat, hard work and his own dis
appointment. The scene that ensued
was highly dramatic and more really
touching and pathetic than anything
generally seen in a political conven-
ton. Mr.. Berge himself sank weak
and almost fainting in a chair. In an
instant the convention, as a single
man, was crowding to get near him,
and he was the center of a devoted
and frenzied throng. White-haired
men Wept and knelt at his feet, and
scores were reaching to touch his
hand. Delegates expostulated and
swore and some of them cried. They
declared they would nominate their
own ticket from top to bottom, and
let the democrats go their way. Then
the work began. Berge himself first
addressed the convention in a speech
that was masterpiece, pleading for
cool-headed action, pleading for the
principles of the reform movement
now SO near to victory, that would be
dashed to defeat by failure to in
dorse the democratic candidate, plead
ing for the nomination of his victor
ious opponent. But it seemed he had
set his face against a rock. There
hardly seemed a man in the conyen
ton willing to listen to his advice
When he refused their nomination
they were determined to nominate
someone else. But by this time the
old and experienced leaders of the
party had recovered their wits and
set to work. r. D Sutherland, L. A
Beltzer, General Barry, Uncle Jake
Wolfe and others finally brought the
convention, with Berge's assistance
round to the point where it was ready
to listen to reason, but this was moi
until after the first bunch Of demo
cratic emissaries had appeared anG
been emphatically turned down.