Omaha daily bee., 1907-01-01
Provided fer Two Thirds Vote to
Nominate and They Protest.
MAJORITY RULE, OPEN BALLOT ACCEPTED
Railroad Element Fights On, bat Unable
to Make Further Hsadway.
SAUNDERS PRESIDENT PRO TEN OF SENATE
clyde Barnard Chosen Chief clerk OF
the House of Representatives by
AccIamntion-Evenin Pro-
ceedinEs Animated.
CFrOm a stan correspondentO

(trom Stan Correspondent)
LINCOLN, Dec. Sl.-(special Telcgram)-
The first skrmish in the legislative battle
Of 1907 resulted in a signal victory for the
square deal and telling defeat for the
railroad combine by the election of Dan NJ.
| Nettleton Of Clay county to be speaker OF
the house. Netteton won on the third
ballot in the house caucus, in whicI his
principal competitor was McMullen of
Gage, behind whom the railroad element
attempted TO take a stand. 1t was a Jolt
| from the shoulder that knocked the rail-
road bunch clear or its feet, and It took
some time before the fallen heroes were
able to climb "out of the snowbauk" AZ
McMullen facetiously termed It,
The skirmishing was started bright and
early in the morning, when a conference
was held attended by all the speakershp
| candidates, to discuss the caucus call. At
the conference, which was attended by ton
candidates, II was agreed that the caucus
paper should call for an open ballot. with
a two-thirds vote to nominate and fifty
| signatures to make effective. In this con-
! ference McMullen at once tipped his hand,
If any further disclosure were necessary
| to show that he was counting on the sup
port of the railroad combine. He strenu-
ously opposed the two-thirds rule and the
open ballot. but finally affixed his signature
to it along with all the others.
When word got abroad that these condl-
tions had been accepted the railroad lobby
lists on the outside protested fast and
furious. They sent word to their agents
and emissaries that this would never do;
that IT was unprecedented to require any
thing more than a majority in a speaker
ship caucus and that the right and privilege
of each member to vote in secret must be
protected.
Wilson Starts the Trouble.
Under orders from Frank Young the
Burlington lobbyist Representative Will
son. who halls from Young's district, set
out to foment an insurrection. He mounted
table in the lobby of the Lindell and
proclaimed loudly the right of the mem
bers of the house to enter into caucus on
their own terms and conditions, without
the aid and consent Of any candidate on
earth and he was Immediately seconded
by McMullen himself who explained that
while he had signed the original caucus
, paper, he had done under duress and
did not propose TO abide by 1t. Netteton.
Dodge and others followed insisting that
the caucus rules were meet and proper
and inviting the members to sign up. The
caucus paper got far thirty-six sig
natures and then hung fire while the coun-
ter call circulated by Wilson was deco
rated by about six signatures. The con-
tention waxed faster and more furious
while the corporation messengers, under
direction Of Burlington Lobbyists Dilworth
and Young and Union Pacific Lobbyist
Clancy were dispatched in all directions
to bring pressure upon members in behalf
: of McMullen.
To stop the tumult second conference
, of the candidates was brought into action
about O'Clock which was edited by an
other protracted debate. It was now plain
that it was McMullen on one side. with
, occasional assistance from Hill, and all
the others on the other side. The candi-
dates consented to reduce the number
= necessary to nominate from two-thirds. OF
' forty-six. TO majority, or thirty-six
while retaining the open ballot, although
3 over the objection of McMullen.
This is the way the situation stood when
! the supper bell rang When the crowd
5 gathered again In the Lndell lobby, an
E hour later, the oratory was renewed in the
5 form OF a running fire between speakers
standing upon the table and cross ques-
g TONERS on the floor. McMullen, Nettleton
Dodge, E. p. Brown and Harrison all
GRATED. Some one tried to pin McMuller
$1,000
as between an open and a secret ballot, but
he refused to tell.
Open Caucus, open Ballot.
Although no more signatures were added
TO the caucus call, the house members
gradually repaired TO the hall where they
n were to meet and organized by mutual con.
= sent with Secretary Of State JunIxin in the
= chair.
n Not only was the ballot open, but tbs
caucus was open as well, with the whole
y world invited to watch the proceedings a.
i spectators. No nominating speeches wal
t the rule and the balloting proceeded by roI
y call. The result Of the ballots was as fol
t lows, winding up with a motion to suspend
% the rules and make the selection Of Nettle
ton unanimous;
First Second Third
, Ballot, ballot. Ballot
armstrong s....'s..........
Brown ......................n