506 



NEBRASKA. 



" We refer the selection and nomination of elec- 

 tors to be voted for to the People's Independent 

 Party State Central Committee of Nebraska, with 

 full power to carry into execution and effect any 

 agreement or adjustment that may be made by the 

 said executive committee of National Democratic 

 and People's parties ; and in the event that no ar- 

 rangement or adjustment shall be made by them 

 respecting said electors, the People's Independent 

 Party State Central Committee of Nebraska is 

 authorized and directed to select eight qualified 

 persons to be voted for as electors at said general 

 election in said State, at least four of whom shall be 

 members of the People's Independent Party." 



The following ticket was formed, the place of 

 Attorney-General being left vacant for the Demo- 

 cratic candidate : For Governor, Silas A. Holcomb ; 

 Lieutenant Governor, J. E. Harris; Secretary of 

 State, W. F. Porter; Auditor, J. F. Cornell: Treas- 

 urer, J. B. Meserve ; Superintendent, W. R. Jack- 

 son ; Commissioner, J. V. Wolfe; Judge (long term). 

 William Neville : Judge (short term), J. S. Kirk- 

 patrick ; University Regent, A. A. Munro. 



At the second Democratic convention, held at 

 Omaha, Sept 4, this ticket was adopted and com- 

 pleted by the addition of the name of C. J. Smythe 

 for Attorney-General. Thomas Rawlings was finally 

 the candidate for regent. 



A " Middle-of-the-road" convention met at Lin- 

 coln, Sept. 28, but made no nominations, only adopt- 

 ing the nomination of Bryan and Watson. 



The National Democratic Convention met at 

 Omaha. Oct. 1. The nominations and platform of 

 the Indianapolis convention were approved. A full 

 State and congressional and electoral ticket was 

 chosen. Following arc the nominations for State 

 officers : For Governor, R. S. Bibb ; Lieutenant 

 Governor, O. F. Biglin ; Auditor, Einil Hallen : 

 Treasurer, Frank McGibbons ; Secretary of State, 

 James Mattes; Attorney-General, 1\. S. Patrick; 

 Superintendent of Public Instruction, S. G. Glover; 

 Regent, Dr. J. S. Leas ; Judges of the Supreme 

 Court, Frank Irvine and W. H. Platte. 



The Free-silver Democrats petitioned the Supreme 

 Court for a mandamus to restrain the Secretary of 

 State from 'certifying the National Democratic 

 State ticket and national electors to the county 

 clerks of the State. The petition was denied, and 

 the ticket was placed upon the official ballot as 

 " Democrat," while the fusion ticket stood as 

 " Democrat and People's Independent." 



The Prohibitionists held their first convention at 

 Lincoln, Feb. 13. The currency resolution of their 

 platform declared : " We favor a money composed 

 of legal-tender Treasury notes based on the credit of 

 the nation, and the full, free, and unlimited coin- 

 age of gold and silver at a ratio of 16 to 1, in which 

 the bonded indebtedness of the country shall be 

 paid." 



Both sections of the party made nominations later 

 in the year. Joel Warner was the candidate of the 

 Prohibition party for Governor, and Richard A. 

 Hawley the nominee of the National party. 



The Socialist-Labor party nominated Charles 

 Sadilek for Governor. 



The result of the vote on presidential electors 

 was: .Democrat and People's Independent, 115,624; 

 Republican. 102,564; Democrat. 2,797; Prohibition, 

 1,196; National, 738; Socialist-Labor, 172. 



The vote for Governor stood: Holcomb, Demo- 

 crat and Populist, 116,415; MacColl, Republican, 

 94,723; Bibb, Gold-standard Democrat, 3.557; 

 Hawley, National, 930 ; Sadilek, Socialist-Labor, 

 578; Warner, Prohibition, 1,560. 



All the Democrat - Populist candidates were 

 elected. 



The total vote was 230,692, the largest ever cast 



in the State. The largest heretofore was 214,861, 

 in 1890. 



Of the 6 members of Congress, the Republicans 

 elected 2 and the Democrat-Populists 4. 



The Legislature of 1897 will stand on joint bal- 

 lot : Democrats, 7 ; Republicans, 39 ; Fusion, 57 ; 

 Independent, 30. 



Constitutional Amendments. Twelve pro- 

 posed amendments to the Constitution were submit- 

 ted to vote at the November election. They were : 



1. To increase the number of judges of the Su- 

 preme Court to 5. 



2. To provide that the Legislature, by a three- 

 fifths vote, may fix the salaries of the judges of the 

 Supreme and district courts, but the compensation 

 so established could not be changed oftener than 

 once in four years. The compensation fixed in the 

 Constitution is $2,500 a year. 



3. To provide that, under the same conditions, 

 the Legislature should fix the salaries of the officers 

 of the executive department, and that all fees for 

 their services should go into the State treasury. 



4. To strike out the words " for cities and in- 

 corporated towns " from the section reading : " The 

 judicial power of this State shall be vested in a Su- 

 preme Court, district courts, county courts, justices 

 of the peace, and in such other courts inferior to 

 the district courts as may be created by law for 

 cities and incorporated towns," and substitute the 

 words " in which two thirds of the members elected 

 to each house concur." 



5. Authorizing the Legislature by a two-third 

 vote to increase the number of the justices of the 

 Supreme Court or of judicial districts after 1897, 

 and not oftener than every four years thereafter. 



6. Authorizing the Legislature to provide by law 

 for the rendering of a verdict in civil trials by five 

 sixths of the jury, and also for the trial of such 

 cases by a smaller number of jurymen than twelve 

 in courts inferior to district courts. 



7. Adding to the list of executive State officers 

 three railroad commissioners, to be elected by the 

 people for three years. 



8. Authorizing the Legislature to create other 

 State executive offices by a three- fourths vote. Any 

 office thus established may be abolished by the 

 Legislature by a two-third vote. 



9. Authorizing the Board of Educational Lands 

 and Funds to sell the securities in which the educa- 

 tional funds are invested for the purpose of invest- 

 ing the proceeds in other securities authorized by 

 the Constitution that bear a higher rate of interest 

 than those that are sold ; and also authorizing them, 

 in case warrants on any fund in the treasury are not 

 paid for want of funds, to direct the State Treasurer 

 to pay such warrants out of the permanent school 

 funds of the State, and hold such warrants as an 

 investment of the said permanent school funds. 



10. Authorizing any metropolitan city and the 

 county in which it is located to merge the govern- 

 ment thereof, wholly or in part, by a vote of the 

 electors of the said city and county. This amend- 

 ment was intended to give relief to the people of 

 Omaha and Douglas County who are embarrassed 

 by the conflicting authority of the municipal and 

 county governments. 



11. 'To amend the section that reads " All votes 

 shall be by ballot," by adding the words " or such 

 other method as may be prescribed by law, pro- 

 vided the secrecy of voting be preserved," so that 

 voting machines may be used. 



12. Authorizing a city or county to exceed the 

 10-per-cent. limit of bonds that may be issued un- 

 der the present Constitution to aid public improve- 

 ments up to the limit of an additional 5 per 

 centum by a vote of three fourths of the electors 

 voting at such an election. 



