Omaha daily bee., 1906-07-22
POLITICS At STATE CAPITAL
Gossip Runs Fast and Furious In Waks Of
Lancaster Convention.
TALK ABOUT SENATOR AND GOVERNOR
Attitude Of Certain Prominent POIi-
ticisns Of Capital Surprises some
who Thought Thsy Knew
the Ropes.


(From a Stan Correspondent.)
LINCOLN, July 21.-Cspeciai.)-The pecu-
liar outcome Of the county convention held
here Wednesday has been the theme OF
more post mortem discussions In the hotel
corridors and on the street corners than
any similar occasion In many years. The
explanations and gossip on both sides are
varied as well as interesting. That con-
vention should be thoroughly under the
control Of the JournaliNews-Brown COM
bination TO the extent OF authorizing DIT.
winnett the privilege Of naming the dele
gates and instructing them for Brown for
senator. and later pledging the legislative
nominees 20 the candidate for senator who
should receive the state convention nom
ination, and then should not only vote
down an enforcement Of Sheldon for gov
ernor, but also accept the machine NOM
inees for county and legislative offices,
who the combine had virulentiy denounced
as railroad tools. presents contradictions
hard for people to reconcile.
The explanation offered by the machine
champions OF Ludden Is that some of their
friends went back on them and the con-
vention got away from their control but
that they quickly gathered the pieces to-
gether again and saved what they could
in this way nominating their friends for
Nut lebHldNuFe anu Stepping bnel0On IN
the face. On the other side there are we'll
defined rumors of a deal between the Brown
crowd and the railroad machine, by which
the state delegation. which the former
wanted, was traded off for the legislative
delegation, which the railroads insisted on
controlling.
Combine in Full Control.
''It is lust as plain as day." said man
who is not especially Identified with either
eide. to a group in front Of the Lndell last
night, that the Journal -News-B COM
bine could have named the whole ticket, II
they had wanted to- At any rate they
could have given Sheldon the same instruc-
tions that were given for Brown. and ought
to have done 50 after having made Shell
don's candidacy part of the issue and had
the benefit OF the support Of his friends"
You don't seem to understand it,
chimed in the Brown man. why should
we give Sheldon this delegation without
getting something in return for it7 We
knew what we were doing. II Sheldon
wants any votes out OF Lancaster county
for governor. he will have to put his CaRs
county delegation in for Brown and for
Winnett. He will have to be good now,
whether he wants to or not"
When DO you think winnett will name
the delegation?'' asked another member Of
the party.
mot until he gets good and ready" re.
piled he why should he put the dele
gates up now, to be solicited by other
candidates and subjected to all sorts Of
pressure? The list will be prepared and
handed in to the convention without let
ting any one who is not on the delegation
know sooner than necessary"
Change of Front.
That may all be very well' was the re-
sponse. Il suppose you can do It. but that
is just the thing that the Journal. which
Is now such champion Of Brown. was
denouncing not long ago. Don't you re-
member all those articles of Frank Harri-
sons exposing the wlckedness of vest
pocket delegations, carried around In secret
and delivered to the best bidder? / thought
he showed this game up pretty strong at
the time about substituting names at the
last minute and putting the votes in the
hands OF a self-constituted boss without
taking the people into his confidence at
all"
We'll. what do you expect in politics?''
interJected another man. The Brown fell
lows are playing thiP game to win. AS a
matter Of fact, Norris Brown was himself
authorized by the Buffalo county conven-
tion to name the delegates from that
county, but. you notice. he has not named
them yet. II Norris Brown can carry his
delegation around in his vest pocket up
TO the eve OF the state convention. guess
DR.. Winnett can do the same thing"
Judge Frost Excites Comment.
The prominence OF Judge Lincoln Frost
in the campaign for Norris Brown is ex-
citing no little adverse criticism. Frost Is
judge on the bench. but the supposed
dignity Of his position is not keeping him
from mixing into the ward politics. II is
charged that he was not really elected as
a delegate TO the county convention, but
was counted in by the chairman OF the
caucus reversing the vote OF the two low
men, which was 10 and 20. giving Frost
20 when he had really received only 10.
This posing OF Judge Frost as an anti.
railroad man makes me tired" declared
one OF the Burlington bosses. Everybody
knows that he owes his position on thI
bench to the people he IS now denounclnG
as railroad tools and pass hunters. Frost
is the particular beneficiary OF Bud Lind