Omaha daily bee., 1911-01-18
SCHEELE VOTE VITAL MATTER
Contest Over his seat May Determine
County Option Fight.
COMMITTEE STANDS SIX TO FIBE
Privileges and Elections Bady VIII
First Pass on Disputed Case
from seward County-Op-
Zionist Going Alone.
From a staff Correspondent

LINCOLN. Jan. 17.-tSpecial)--In the con-
test over the seat in the house OF repre-
sontatives for Seward county. now held by
Henry scheele, the local organization Of
the Anti-Saloon league viii take an active
part. The Anti-Saloon leagues attorney.
Thomas Darnan. is preparing a case for
Wertman. the republican contestant, and
II Wertman's lawyer. Attorney Norval,
/ fails 10 appear at the hearing set for
Thursday afternoon at I O'Clock. Darnall
will try 10 enter the hearing on behalf Of
the contestant.
The league is Interested because, as ]. F.
Carson, assistant state superintendent. said
today THE fate of county option depends
to a very great extent upon the result of
this contest We believe that Wertmau.
the republican, and a county optionist was
really the successful candidate and we are
prepared to prove it,"
ScheeIe's vote vital.
The loss Of scheeles vote to the vets and
the gain OF Wertman to the dry forces
v ould very probably give county option a
majority Of one or two votes in the house.
This fact has been clearly seen by the vets
all along and accounts for the efforts said
to have been made by the vets under the
leadership Of Fuller OF Seward the same
county to pack the committee on privi-
leges and elections. The slate prepared by
the vets in the committee on committees,
which they were compelled by the nine drys
70 break up, had the committee on privi-
leges and elections entirely a wet affair.
As 1t stands now there are seven demo-
Gratis, one of whom is dry. and four dry
republicans. Lawrence Is chairman and the
other democrats are Leidigh, Norton,
Brecht, Regain, Grossman and Grueber.
Merton is dry and would for that reason
probably stand with the republicans The
republicans are Stebbins. Gustafson Ellis
and II. G. Taylor. The vote will probably
be six to five on a straight wet and dry
division.
Trying to Bind Members.
The Anti-Saloon league, which recently
underwent reorganization in the state
office when the books of State Supeerein-
tendent Poulson were audited and District
Superintendent J. +. Carson OF Hastings
was brought to Lincoln as assistant state
superintendent with especial charge of the
finances, Is prepared to hold the members
who promised county option as the league
sees 1t to their promises, although any eff
fective county option legislation will re-
ceive the Leagues sanction and support
Superintendent Poulson himself has been
active among the Legislators although he
has failed to call upon the governor,
which fact has caused some comment I'm
the governors office. The Poulson meas
ure will be. submitted to the members of
the county option committee. of which SEN
ator Oils is chairman, which was ap-
pointed last night at the conference Of all
the county option men of both parties and
houses If the committee draws up a
measure which seems to the league OIL
Gals to be an ineffective law they will
oppose it. They have already takeen occa
sion to warn some legislators by letter OF
inaneuvers which they thought originated
/ from the brewery forces
/ The activity of the anti-saloon workers
! is causing some resentment among the
legislators, and the stron gfeeling against
Poulson himself which has been in evil
dence in Lincoln for some time " being
used against county option