Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-01-07
DEADLOCK IN FONTANELLES
Benson Leads in Balloting for Mayor, but
n j, kuch Short o. Majority.
SIXTEEN EFFORTS TO SELECT CANDIDATE
Efforts Of the Bensonites to stampede
the Organization FAN and Indicn-
tons Bear Out Predictions of
split in the Club.

Hours of ballotlng, caucussing, consulta-
ton and conference last night left the
board Of governors of the Fontanelle club
still divided as to who should have the en-
dorsement of the club for the republican
nomination for mayor. When the last of
sixteen ballots was taken it showed a result
the same as the frst-Benson, Is; Saunders
10; Broatch, 16
In the executive committee OF nine the
vote had been: Benson, 4; Broatch, 3;
Saunders, g
Neither of these votes is decisive, and the
powers that be in the club will spend
another week in setting up the pins and
fixing things, and on next Saturday night
smother effort will be made to name a can
didate for the club.
The Bensonites went into the conference
last night well organized and determined.
They stuck by their candidate from start
10 finish with no show of weakening and
professed to feel confident at the time ad-
journment was taken that victory would
ultimately be theirs. The fambuoyant an
nouncement in the Daily News on Friday
evening OF the candidacy of Mr.. Benson
had not the desired effect of stampedlng
the Fontanelle braves to his support, while
the deadlock seemed to indicate that his
carefully nurtured plans had not sufficiently
matured. Within a fortnight Mr.. Benson
had refused TO answer certain leading ques-
tons, saying he was not a candidate. and
did not know that he would be before the
people. When he did come out he would
announce his platform.
How They Line Up.
Tom Blackburn, Harry Bronze and Harry
Burnett have been the chief engineers OF
the Benson boom, but have met with much
opposition in the Fontanelle councils. In
deed, some of the members of the inner
circle have been heard to say that they
would be everlastingly jumped up and
down II they were going to let Blackburn
Bronze and Burnett run things as they had
been trying. r. Beecher Howell is num-
bered in this list, and has pinned his faitf
to Captain Broatch. with whom he pur,
poses to sink or swim. The Broatch mer
have been battling a hopeless fight fol
some time past They have realized the ap
parent impossibiity of Broatch being abl'
to land the endorsement, and have sough
TO break the Benson strength in favor o.
some other candidate.
Many OF The members, realizing how dis
tasteful Benson is to a large number o.
the republican voters of the city, on &C
count of his bolt of the city convention
three years ago, and his effort TO secure
the once OF mayor as an Independent can
didate, have demurred at the proposition t,
endorse him. These have also felt tina
Broatch would be very Objectionable to
large number of republican voters, and 81
have put their faith in Saunders. Will
Saunders is not popular in the inner cir
Gle of the club, he developed much strength
in the larger body that must finally pas
the work of the nine wise men VIII
pretend to do the thinking for the Fon
tsneles.
Indications of a Split.
1t was predicted last week the effort L
endorse a candidate for mayor would lea,
to a split in the club, and the development
seem to Justify that prediction No reaso
exists to believe that Benson will abide b.
the decision of the club any more than h
did by the decision of the republican cit
convention Friends of Broatch assert tina
he will bolt the Fontanelle decision II h
makes 1t pretty certain that the fight be
tween the three will be carried to the pr
maries and that the factions into whic
the organization seems to be dividing wi
have 1t out there.
Much friction was engendered at tn
meeting last night. Telephone calls an
messengers were sent after absentees, an
every effort was made to muster up enoug
Vots to make one or the other of the car
didates. but without success. Those VIII