Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 3.djvu/231

 and upon which he had brought honor by his superb leadership in the Senate in the defense of President Grant when be was viciously assailed by a faction of Republican Senators. But when the movement of the people became strong in the determination to call Senator Harlan back into public life by tendering him the position of chief Executive, the political managers of a quarter of a century, fearing the influence of the great statesman in that office, sent forth the decree that he must not be nominated. When the first ballot came the vote stood as follows: F. M. Drake, three hundred and sixty-six; James Harlan, two hundred and forty-eight; with the remainder of the votes divided between Matt Parrott, W. M. McFarland, J. B. Harsh, E. S. Ormsby and J. L. Kamrer. On the third ballot the vote for Harlan had reached three hundred and eighty-four, when the opposition rallied and threw its strength as far as possible for General Francis M. Drake and gave him the nomination on the sixth ballot with eight hundred and sixty-four votes. The other nominations were: for Lieutenant-Governor, Matt Parrott; Supreme Judge, Josiah Given; Railway Commissioner, George W. Perkins. The resolutions were devoted exclusively to National affairs.

The Democratic party held its Convention at Marshalltown on the 8th of August and nominated the following candidates: Governor, W. I. Babb; Lieutenant-Governor, S. L. Bestow; Supreme Judge, T. G. Harper; Superintendent Public Instruction, L. B. Pearshall; Railway Commissioner, George Perkins. The resolutions denounced the mulct law and favored local option and a non-partisan Board of Control for State institutions.

The election resulted in the choice of the Republican candidates by an average plurality of about 65,000 for all of the Republican candidates except General Drake, whose plurality was 59,286, majority 16,083.

The General Assembly convened at Des Moines on the 13th of January, 1896. H. W. Byers was chosen Speaker