Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 3.djvu/72

 practically certain that the Republicans would have a large majority in the Legislature to be chosen, the only contest that could arise would be before the joint Republican caucus which would select the candidate who should be elected by the General Assembly to be chosen at the October election. This transferred the fight to the Republican party. So warm was the contest that the supporters of the three candidates, in many of the Senatorial and Representative districts, made strenuous efforts to secure the nomination of candidates who, if elected, would vote for their choice for Senator. These contests were waged with intense vigor and in many cases much bitterness. As the campaign progressed almost the entire interest centered in the choice of members of the Legislature. Most of the Republican papers made their choice for Senator known and gave him warm support.

The chief competitor of Senator Harlan was William B. Allison of Dubuque, who had two years before been defeated by Senator Wright, in the Republican Legislative caucus. James F. Wilson, of Fairfield, a former well-known member of Congress from the First District, was also candidate.

As the time for election of members of the Legislature approached so warm had the contest become that several Republican candidates were defeated in Republican districts, owing to the defection of voters who would not help to elect a candidate committed to the support of one of the candidates for United States Senator.

Senator Harlan had the active and earnest support of the Burlington Hawkeye, Sioux City Journal, Des Moines Republican and other of the leading daily papers of the State and of a majority of the Republican weeklies. He was also warmly supported by a large majority of the Federal officers and old time Republican leaders of the State. Mr. Allison on the other hand was supported by the State Register, the Dubuque Times and a large number of the most influential weeklies and generally by the