STATES & CITIES: Names in Nebraska

In California, one Milton K. Young is running for the Republican gubernatorial nomination against Governor Clement Calhoun Young. In Massachusetts, Walter I. Butler, onetime welterweight boxing champion of New England, is out for the Republican Senatorial nomination against Villiam Morgan Butler, onetime chairman of the Republican National Committee. But in no State is the confusion of similar or identical names on a primary ballot greater than in Nebraska where a reform law prohibits any distinguishing mark or address after a candidate’s name.

Nebraska’s primary occurs Aug. 12. Seeking the Republican nomination as State Auditor are C. A. Marsh and George W. Marsh, while Frank Marsh wants renomination as Secretary of State. Also out for the State auditorship on the same ballot are L. B. Johnson, Fred H. Johnson, Fred Johnson. Fred E. Ericson and Charles E. Ericson are Republican candi-dates for State Treasurer. John Curtis seeks to succeed John E. Curtiss as chair-man of the Railway Commission. In Omaha Robert Smith, to be renominated as clerk of the district court, must defeat Robert L. Smith.

Until last week what threatened to be the most baffling political choice for Nebraska voters was the candidacies of George W. Norris and George W. Norris for the Senatorial nomination. One Norris is the oldtime insurgent U. S. Senator. The other is a clerk in a chain grocery store at Broken Bow. Nebraska law required nominating petitions to be filed on or before July 3. Grocer Norris’ petition arrived July 5. Secretary of State Marsh accepted it on the ground that it was in the mails on July 3.

Quick to denounce the candidacy of Grocer Norris was Senator Norris. Said he: “It’s not in good faith. It’s done to deceive the voters and muddle the situation. I’m finished unless the other George W. Norris is kept off the ballot.” Senator Norris & friends loudly claimed that G. O. P. “standpatters” and the “Power Trust” were behind Grocer Norris. The Senator prepared to withdraw from the Republican primary and run as an independent.

Last week Chief Justice Goss of the Nebraska Supreme Court ruled Grocer Norris off the Republican ballot because his petition had not been legally filed July 3. Greatly relieved, Senator Norris, a 2-to-1 favorite, stayed in the party primary.

But even with the exclusion of Grocer Norris, the Republican senatorial contest remained freakish. Candidate of the Old Guard against Senator Norris was State Treasurer William M. Stebbins. Running also was Aaron Reed, 85, “sopping wet,” white-bearded Madison lawyer who denounced Senator Norris as “the Great Objector, the stumbling block in the way of efficient legislation.”