Omaha daily bee., 1916-02-06
HERE'S A NEW ONE
OUT FOR PRESIDENT
In NEBRASKA LISTS
William Grant Webster of Chicago
Carries His Own Petition to
Put Name on Primary
Ballot.
OTHER POLITICAL ACTIVITIES
National Committeeman Becomes
Anxious Lest Preferred Candi-
dates for Convention Dele
gates Lose Out.
HIS SLATE IDEA ONCE REJECTED

Another candidate for president
is to enter the Nebraska field-at
least that is the present expectation
seeking the republican endorse
ment at the primaries.
who is he?" shouts the chorus.
His name is Webster!
No, you have guessed wrong. He
is not our own John Lee Webster, of
beaming countenance and effulgent
garb, but he is William Grant Web
ster, a Chicago lawyer, who is throw
ing his hat into the ring without
waiting for any spontaneous popu-
lar uproaring.
For further Information let ii be
known that William Grant Webster
has already had his name filed on
the official ballot as a republican
candidate for president in the state
of Minnesota, where the conditions
for entry are harder than it is in Ne
braska. requiring 500 signatures to
his petition, instead of a paltry twen-
ty-five called for by our law.
Having gotten into the game in Mime
%ta, William Grant Webster has come
ITO Nebraska. and. going on the theory
that nothing can be so well done as when
done by oneself, has been posting him
self on the form of the filing petition ana
the number of autographs that must
adorn it. He called at the office OF Elec-
tion Commissioner Moorhead and was re-
ferred to County Clerk Dewey. and in
the county clerks office was made wise
20 the fact that presidentiS, primary pc
titions 60 to the secretary of state at
Lincoln,
To those with whom he talked Mr.
Webster gave the appearance of a man
who was thoroughly in earnest about lis
candidacy. 1t is said that he once tried
to nominate himself for United States
senator in Illinois and that he studied
law in his youth In the office of Robert
T. Lincoln.
Wants TO Fix slate.
And now National Committeeman Ifow-
ell seems TO be disturbed for Fear nts
preferred candidates for convention dese,
gates may have trouble ihu getting their
petitions. and intirnates that he may un-
dertake TO carry out the plan which he
put up to the state committee, but which
got not even a second there, namely. u
bunch the names in combination petit
tion. In a prepared statement given out
yesterday .ne says
while / have not determined what
course to take In. the premises, yet
would be pleased to hear from candidates
thrOuRhout the state who ara fufaraSfad
in the idea, with view possibly to or
gsnizing a committee to perform a duty
which the state central committee has
N0ot seen fit to undertake"
"A member of the Hall committee COM
menting ON this. who was at the Lin
coin meeting. declared "The state, COM
niittee turned ibis scheme down because
.eleverly eoncocted to force factional
fight. which ought to be avoided, but
which Howell seems bound to promote.
What he wants is to fix up a delegate
slate of his own crowd to carry himself
atong, regardless OF the disturbing ef-
feet on the party. Ne republican of
sufficient caliber and good standing to
be a delegate will have any trouble get
ting his petition. and 1t certainly is not
the business of the state committee to
frame up a convention delegate slate for
itself or for anyone else"
Another district delegation petition
has been put in circulation here. This
one for John T. Yates. the sovereign
clerk OF the woodmen of the World.
1t Is said Howard H. Baidrige. who
was the republican candidate for con-
,gress four years ago. Is Considering
standing as delegate.