Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1922-04-10
Wrav Withdraws
to Let Norton
Run for Office
Third Party Candidate for
Governor Will Switch to
Senatorial Race-Edmis.
ten Hints at Plans.

Lincoln, April 9.-(Special Tele-
gram. )-J. II. Edmisten, state chair
man of TIE third party central COM
mittee. tonight made public letter
from Arthur G.. Wray at York in
which Wray withdraws as the third
party candidate for governor and an
nounces that he will become the third
party candidate for United States
senator.
At the same time. Edmisten made
public a letter written by him TO
Wray asking the latter to Withdraw
as candidate for governor and be-
come candidate for United States
senator in order to grease the polti-
cal track for ]. n. Norton, president
OF the Nebraska Farm Bureau fed
Grafton, who Edmisten stated would
file as democratic candidate for gov
ernor tomorrow and also would be
placed OH the third party ticket for
governor.
Norton Admits Candidacy.
Norton arrived in Lincoln tonight
and called at the third party head
quarters, where he tacitly admitted
he intended to become fusion cam
didate for governor and endeavor to
do his best to carry water on both
shoulders and support the demo-
cratic as well as the third party plat
forms. He preferred to make his
announcement later and at that time
promises to explain why he put his
personal ambitions above the con-
structive work entrusted to him by
the Farm bureau. when he was
elected to the presidency this win
ter.
Edmistcn. In his letter to Wray,
never mentioned the name of R. 3.
Howell but made it plain that his
urging Wray to file as candidate
for United States senator was to
make doubly sure that either Howell
or Wray should become candidate
against avowed candidates in repub-
lican and democratic ranks to whom
the third party is opposed. Edmis-
tens reasoning on the political out
come of this coup d'etat is outlined
in the following paragraph taken
from his letter to Wray:
Edmisten's Plan.
Suppose that Jefferis and Hitch
cock are nominated and also sup
nose that YOU are a candidate of the
progressive party for United States
senator. what would be the situation?
Both republican and democratic
party candidates would Be residents
of Omaha, both would be wet, both
would be conservatives, both would
be men who fought woman suffrage
and both would be men out of har-
mony with the farmer movement.
But as to yourself, you would rep
resent all of the state outside OF
Omaha, you would be dry, you would
be progressive, you would be one
who had always defended suffrage
and you would be man who thor
cughly understands the farmer move
;nent."
Edmisten admitted that Norton
would file first as a democrat, be-
cause under the law, third party
candidate for state Office must get
one-half OF the men who signed the
third party pact to sign his nomina-
ton petition and circulation of Nor
toms third party gubernatorial petit
ton will take time.
Third Party Confident.
"However, | know Norton will file
as third party candidate" Edmis-
ten said.
Wray in his letter stated that he
withdrew with the understanding
that Norton would become the third
party candidate for governor.
In the event the democrats put op-
position in the field against Norton
and the opponent defeats Norton it
means that Norton to get the third
party nomination must get more
votes in the third party primaries
than he did in the democratic pri-
,naries. That is the law interpreted
by D. L. Amsberry. secretary of
state. In event Norton has no op-
position in either democratic or third
party primaries. he will become the
nominee of the party giving him the
highest vote. Edmisten stated that
il Norton received the highest vote
in the democratic primaries the third
party central committee would en-
dorse him.