The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-07-29
Letter from St. Cloud.
The County ConventiOn..'Don"
Delegates Elected..-The Mocc"sA""
Bolt.


Bolt.
Sr. CLOUD, July %, 1864.
10 the Editor of the Pioneer:
In pursuance to call, the Stearns County
Union Convention met at the Everett
school house this afternoon. Leander
Gorton was called to the Chair, and John
Owen was chosen Secretary. A commit.
tee on credentials, consisting of A. b.
Curry, W. B. Mitchell and ]. R. Weaver,
was appointed. While the committee
were engaged in examining credentials,
the chairman of the County Committee
0he Receiver of the o. 8. Land Office and
bitter Washburne man, appeared, de-
clared the organization "illegal and indie
cert, and in violent harangue interrupt
ed the proceedings which, until his coming,
had been conducted quietly and peaceably.
Although the Convention had not been Or
gained until some time after the hour
mentioned in the call, and then in the sup
position that this Chairman was still out
buying, or attempting to buy, delegates for
Washburne, yet he declared the organiza-
ton illegal and indecent" because he
had not called the Convention to order
This act of presumption was passed over
by the quietly-disposed portion Of the del
egates, the organization given up, and this
chairman permitted to call the Convention
to order to suit himself. Mr.. Gorton was
then again nominated as President, but
this chairman refused to allow vote to be
taken on account of some bubble he chose
to make. The point was again yielded,
end this chairman allowed to have his own
way, although his action was an outrage
on custom and common decency.
When he had finished, Mr.. Gorton was
again nominated, and it was only after
the most strenuous exertions of the friends
of fair play that the vote was put, when
Mr.. Gorton was for the second time elected
Chairman of the Convention. Mr.. Owen
was reelected Secretary, and the Com
mittee on Credentials continued by vote
of the entire Convention.
The Committee reported and the report
was adopted by vote of Is to s. The
Convention then proceeded to ballot fer
delegates to attend the District Conven-
ton, and it was at this point that the Reg
Ster of the land Office attempted to brow
beat the delegates present, ranting up and
down the house, charging fraud and
swindling on the majority, and finally
BoLTINs with what delegates he could con-
troll Before leaving he stole the creden
tials Of one of the delegates from the
country, but was compelled to hand them
over. Several of the few whom this Reg
lister, (himselt only substitute, having
procured the credentials of delegate who
was at the house, in order to control the
Convention) drew of, preferred remaining
with the regular Convention, but be actu
ally forced them to bolt.
The Convention concluded the ballot.
ing, choosing James B. Miller, Leander
Goroin and 0. S. Freeman as delegates to
both the District and Safe Conventions.
After appointing County Committee, the
Convention adjourned.
The boilers met in the other end of the
building; were called to order by the sane
Chairman of the County Committee, and
under the rule of the Register, elected as
Washburn delegates, II. O. Burbank, T. @.
Mcclure and 0. W. James.
The leaders in the boiling movement
had previously avowed their determine
ton to rule the Convention, or, failing in
this, to compel the friends of Mr.. DON
nelly to bolt, or bot themselves. They
were induced to the latter alternative.
When these men mplain that they
haze been swindled, "the general inquiry
Is as to who in this region was competent
to the undertaking of swindling the Land
Office and its co-workers.
At the st. Cloud caucus on Thursday
evening the Donnelly delegates were all
give in number elected by te of 4s
to AZ, Notwithstanding the Indian money
that had been freely used, as it was like
wise used this fternoon.
You can record Stearns county as fer
Dcnnelly, and against swindling of all
kinds T.
Manufacturing Dividends.