Omaha daily bee., 1911-01-15
SEVERAL RECORD BREAKERS
Early Battles often Waged Long and
Bitter Before Conclusion.
FIRST HITCHCOCK CAMPAIGN
Most Protracted that of 1901 Which
Elected Willard and Dietrich.
TRIAL OF THE OREGON PLAN
Latest senatorial Fight About TO Gull
inmate nv Legislative Ballot
Iniouc ~ Ratification 81 d.
~cct Primary Nomination.


.~rcsd.t and i1 Joint session "Wednesday |
tho result will be announced and the
,h,icc of a successor TO Senator Burhet
proclaimed.
For the first time In the history OF the
stale the legislature Is simply to ratity |
the choice made by direct primary nonlh- |
alton and endorsed at the polls. the cleo
ton six years ago Of Senator Burkett ana
Of Senator Brown four years ago being
ratification Of convention nomination.
although at least twice previous to 100
the people had expressed a preference TOT
United states senator. as provided by the
law OF the state but this preference had
been ignored
The first senatorial battle in Nebraska
occurred i'm 1851 while the capital was stu
at Omaha The principal competitors were
Alvin saunders who had been territorial
governor for six years; Algernon $. Pad
dock territorial secretaryi General john
NJ. Thayer and Chaplain Thomas w. Tip
TON. The contest was short sharp and de-
csive. Thayer and Upton were chosen
They drew straws for their respective
terms Thayer securing the longer, or four
year term. and Upton the short, or two
year term.
At the end OF his term in 1869 Mr.. Upton
after a most exciting canvass His chief
competitor. David Butler, then governor,
came within two votes Of carrying the
caucus nomination Mr.. Upton, who died
about seven years ago. was one of the two
men whom Nebraska has honored by re-
election to the United states senate, Gen
eral Charles T. Henderson being the other
senator who served two terms in success
sion. Senator Paddock served two terms
In the United States senate from Nebraska
but they were not consecutive terms.
Third Contest Fierce.
In the third senatorial campaign in 1870
aud 1871, the fighting was fierce, vindic-
tive and desperate. General Thayer was a
candidate for reelection and the seat OF
war Omaha, whore Thayer then resided
His only competitor before the people was
A. s. Paddock. Thayer was supported by
General Grant and the stalwarts who held
office under MIN, while Paddock headed
the opposing faction After a desperate
battle in which the hackers Of both are
said to have spent huge sums Of money in
the Douglas county republican primaries,
Thayer came off victorious. lie carried
the primaries and elected his full republi-
can delegation from Douglas county, in
spite of a boilers ticket. supported by
many selfstyled Simon-pure republicans.
Regarding himself virtually elected, SEN
ator Thayer hurried on to Washington,
remaining al his desk until the Legislature
convened. In his absence a new candidate
was sprung, 10 the person of p. w Hitch
cock, who had kept discreetly i'm the back
ground while the canvass pending
before the people. Hitchcock had been a
radical republican at the outbreak of the
war and as such had been rewarded by the
party with the office OF United States
marshal and territorial delegate TO con
gress. After the assassination OF Lincoln
ne JohnsoniSed to keep his grip upon the
patronage. In 1866 he accepted the surveyor
gcncralship OF Iowa and Nebraska at the
hands OF President JOHNSON. and with
other officers. who had affiliated witr
democrats at that critical period, he wa
summarily deposed in 1859, after Grant be
came president. with a number oi IN
dependent" republicans and the solid demo
cratic force Hitchcock defeated Thayel
in pitched battle before the legislature
The fourth senatorial contest was Tough
IN 1875 when Tiptons second term eX
PRED Although the vacancy occurred
south OF the Platte river, Thayer and Pad
dock were again competitors BY this tim
tho Platte had been recognized as the stat
dividing line and It had become an &C
Cepted rule that both senators should no
come from the same side OF the river
Thayer had taken mp his residence In Lin
coin to avoid this obstruction during tn
preceding year. and Paddock had estab
lished himself sheep farm near Bea
trce. In the popular tongue this migration
was called the TRANSMISSION OF blood fror
Omaha to the South Platte" When tn
legislature convened the race appeared {
he between John NJ. Thayer and Elmer 5
lead Dundy at that time resided at FAN
city Richardson county removing a yea
or two later to Omaha In the start Pad
dock mustered but two lonely votes. wit
hut half dozen stray democrats TO kee
them company. j. " H. Patrick VIII
figured as the moneyed candidate wa
keeping his name before the legislator
with the loud and solid vote OF Churc
Howe. After two DAYS balotng ThayC
was on the point OF carrying away N
Prize when Judge Dundy, exssperated b
the alleged alliance between Thsycr an
Patrick, threw the votes OF his follower
to Paddock, who had also negotiated f
and secured the solid democratic support
Jay could Takes HnUd.
Tho MN, and up To that time the mo-
exciting campaign was fought i'm 1871. ia
could had personally taken hand in n
state campaign and the people had bee
reused TO high state of excitement
the effort to pack the legislature throuG
his influence and that Of federal official
hacked by an unlimitcd supply OF none
and patronage. In many, II not most
the counties. candidates for the legislatu
were pledged 20 oppose the reelection
A. ". Hitchcock. When the legislatu
met tho opposing factions confronted eaC
other ike hostile armies with lines
pgkcts from dcpots TO hotels keeping Il
managers Informed OF every movemen
Tue field which opposed Hitchcock W,
known as the "QuadrIlateEal compos,
of AIyIr Saunders. Clinton BriEgs Lorep;
Crounsc and Charles +. Mand 1rson, K
tho third day after the balloting began
snu-HitChcock caucus consolidated an 8
Iur,.s of the "quadraterar' upon Sau
drrs and the next da, the stampede ca
rr, over AN the anti-llitchcock rcpublica
Co saunders on the FIRST ballot
D