The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1922-07-12
BY PAUL GREER.


able sim J. II. Edmisien concluded
ate. a discussion OF Nebraska poll
tics. "is TO vote the republican
ticket" As chairman OF the recently
formed progressive party he has no
such scruples against aiding the
democrats. In fact, most of the
candidates for the progressive NOM
ination on the state ticket are filed
also on the democratic ticket.
This is true of J. N. Norton. who
is running for governor on both
tickets. 1t is the cause OF bitter dis
sension among the progressivcs and
has led to the entry OF w. ]. Taylor,
farmer of Merna, as second
candidate for the progressive nom-
ination for governor. 1t also has
brought out Anson II. Bigelow. a
labor attorney of Omaha, as an op-
ponent of Judge Arthur G. Wray i'll
tlc SeIatolIdl race.
Branded AS Mugwumps.
Plot and counterplot. rumors and
accusations of all sorts, abound in
the progressive party camp. Ask
Mr.. Edmisten to name the entries
for the progressive nomination and
he will not mention Taylor or Blge-
low. Remind him of their omission
and he will fly into something very
like rage as he brands them as mug
wumpS.
On the other hand, there is Mr..
Taylor, who talks like this: Gentle
men. you who have filed in two
parties and have sworn that you
affiliate with both, stand up and be
counted What ticket will you vote
in the primary? Which platform
will you support? Which organiza-
ton will direct your campaign?
Which state. convention will you at
tend? Norton, if you win in both
primaries, in whose car will you
ride, Hitchcock's or Bigelow's?
Notice that Mr.. Taylor ignores
Judge Wray's candidacy. no doubt
assuming that he will withdraw If
you lose in the democratic primary
you have lost in the other"
Eliminated by Both Parties.
This latter reference is to the pro-
vision of the law by which if Norton
should lose the democratic nomna-
ton while winning the progressive
nomination by a smaller vote he
would be eliminated by both parties.
Chairman Ednisten declares that in
such case Mr.. Taylor himself would
not legally have the nomination. but
that the place on the ticket would be
filled by someone selected by the
progressive state committee.
Some claim that the progressive
party is designed to lead the radicals
into the democratic party. The fu-
sionists say that only by combining
tie conservative democratic strength
with the radical support can the re-
pubicans be defeated.
Few Votes.
As a matter of fact, there will be
few votes i'll the progressive party
primary next week. This is not to
say that the ghost Of Theodore
Roosevelt is not stalking in Nebraska
nor that there is not great deal OF
irritation at everything. 1t is simply
that most people of all classes are
sticking to their old political afhlia-
ticns. The quibbling among the
third party leaders has Killed interest
in it. The sniff of Wray from the
governorship to the senatorship race
eStranged many followers. There are
furthermore several men, some on
the democratic ticket and others on
the republican, whom the farmers
favor.
For another thing, the farmer vote
will be light because the primaries
come at time when they are busy
in the fields or threshing. Enough
rain to stop farm work would bring
out a larger proportion. However,
the interest of the farmers has not
yet been aroused The silence of the
country newspapers on men and is
sues is blamed for this by the poll
ticlans.
Splitting of Tickets.
The full effect of the farm vote will
not be felt until the fall election.
Even then it is hardly probable that
it will go to the. third party candi-
dates or to those who have fused
with the democrats. What may be
looked for is a splitting of tickets
in which voters of all parties will
play with deuces wild.
This spirit of independent voting is
found in the most unexpected places.
Just as an instance. there is George
Jackson OF Nelson. formerly speaker
OF the legislature and once demo-
cratic candidate for governor. He
confides to his friends that when
he. goes to the election booth this
fall he will vote for as many republi-
can candidates as he does democrats.
An organized factor in this split
voting is the Nonpartisan league.
Early in September the members Of
this farm organization will hold a
state convention at which they will
endorse candidates irrespective of on
what ticket they appear. Lynn ].
Frazier. who recently won the re-
publican nomination for senator in
North Dakota. will be brought into
the state to address meetings of
farmers and wage earners. Arthur
c. Townley, the founder of the
league. and Joseph Gilbert, editor OF
the Nebraska league paper, the New
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