also recommended that the people of Nebraska should assist in providing labor and honest opportunities for the freed negroes of the south,--a suggestion which raised a storm of clamorous remonstrance from some of the democratic newspapers. The republican territorial convention, held September 19, 1866, quietly dropped the name "Union" and resumed its old title. The democratic convention met two days later and adopted a platform written by J. Sterling Morton whose most conspicuous plank was one declaring that "negroes were not entitled to vote or hold office in Nebraska."

     The quarrel between President Johnson and the republican congress at Washington had now reached an acute stage and one that acted powerfully on the political situation in Nebraska. The democratic party had the republicans in the same box which the democrats had occupied in 1860. The democrats were united while the republicans were badly divided. It is already remarked that for the first four years of her organized existence Ne-

First Methodist Church Built in Nebraska at Nebraska City in 1855

braska was wholly democratic. Many democrats had joined the republican party in opposition to slavery and to put down secession. Conservative men of this class now began to balk at the radical program of republican leaders in congress and supported President Johnson. As a rule, the federal office holders and those who hoped to be federal office holders, during Johnson's administration, were on his side of the cotnroversy (sic). So there was a division in the republican party of Nebraska growing wider each day. The democrats rejoiced in a new hope. Their newspapers and orators burned with praises of the President. The Johnson republicans, meanwhile, found that they could not control their own party organization in Nebraska. This condition of affairs brought about the first case of "fusion politics" in our history. The democratic territorial convention and Johnson republican territorial convention met on the same day in the same building and arranged for a division of the offices. The democrats got three candidates: Morton for delegate to congress, Mur-

phy for territorial auditor, and Dellone for treasurer. The Johnson republicans were given A. S. Paddock for representative in congress and J. C. Jordan for territorial librarian. George Francis Train, who was very active in democratic politics in Nebraska at this time, was disappointed at this result and nominated himself as independent democratic candidate for congress. After a great deal of difficulty he was induced to withdraw. The republicans nominated John Taffe for delegate to congress and T. M. Marquett for representative. The republican papers of the day uniformly style the fusion opposition as the "copperhead party." The reply was to call the republicans the party of "taxation and niggerization," as J. Sterling Morton named them in the Nebraska City News. A vigorous campaign was made by both sides, Paddock and Morton especially, stumping all parts of the territory, but election day demonstrated the mass of the republicans refused to follow President Johnson. The majority for the republican ticket was near 800. The fourteenth amendment entire was in the platform, and thus had the endorsement of a majority of the voters.

Nebraska Wildcat Paper Currency