Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1882-10-05

Inls secret convention was e0mpoSe'
as follows:
Shullsburg's regular delegates
White Oak Springs, regular delegates ........
kendall,r ocular delegates .............,..+
In addition to these delegates who's,
seats were uncontested, were the Keve.
contesting delegates from New Dig
gings, seventh number, and the fraudu
lently elected school house delegate.
from Benton, seven in number. Con
eeding for argument the Reyes New
Diggings delegates We're regular, there
were only nineteen regular delegates il
the convention. The secretly selected
delegates from Benton must be counted
to show a quorum present at the secret
district convention at Darlington. The
fraud ii benton was a necessary ele.
ment in the second fraud at Darlington.
This secret district convention in Oar.
llngton spent no time unnecessarily. II
at once elected two assembly district
delegates to Monroe. Mr.. Bainbridge
and Mr.. Bright. One would naturally
suppose this completed its business,
but not so, and here appears the first
indication of the real character of the
scheme to defeat the will Of the people,
which was to put in contest enough OF
the delegates from Lafayette county,
thus depriving them of their right to
vote in the Monroe convention, at its
organization, to give the organization
to Mr.. Keyes' friends; thus giving them
the power, uniustly, to admit the Reyes
delegates. and nominate that gentle
man. Not content with electing two
delegates from the western Assembly
district, this secret district convention.
constituting in no fair view a majority
of the delegates from the district, pro-
posed to and in form did, without the
color of right, relieve the county con-
yention from the necessity of electing
one of its senatorial delegates, by elect
ing Mr.. Walton as one of such sena-
torial delegates.
1t will at once be observed, that the
two contestants from Lafayette county
would have only locked the Monroe
convention, and that a third contestant
was necessary togive Mr.. Reyes friends
the temporary organization, and the
power to nominate their man., right or
wrong.
This is the second step in the I'M
warranted scheme on the part of Mr..
Keyes' friends by foul means to nomin-
ate him at Monroe, when he had but
twenty out of forty-two votes in the
convention.
AT 2 O'Clock p. m, September 18th,
the county convention of Lafayette
county reassembled aud elected two
delegates at large from the county AS
senatorial delegates, Joseph Blackstone
and Z. o. Orion. The assembly dis
trict conventions then met at about half
past two O'Clock. Weneed say nothing
of the action of the eastern district con
convention. The western assembly DIS
trict was called to order by John Rudd,
Esq, chairman Of the district commit
tee. he reading the call above set forth.
The convention organized and elected
its two delegates to the Monroe onven
ton. There were present at this con-
vention full delegations from all the
towns, except that Shullsburg was I'M
represented, II delegate was absent
from each of the towns Of White Oak
Springs, and Kendall. This Buxton
Hall delegation from New Diggings
were present, and also the regular Ben
ton delegation. Theconvention elected
as delegates to Monroe, William Mates
and Bonsen Spensley.
The all important question arises here
which were the regular delegates to the
Monroe convention, those elected by the
county convention as senatorial dele
gates, and by the district convention
he'd at one-half past two o'clock, or
those fraudulently elected by the secret
district convention held between twelve
and one o'clock? We simply formulate
the following propositions, which must
be obvious to every fair-minded, can
did man.
First. The assumption of the pre-
tended district convention, held at 1920
of power to elect one of the senatorial
delegates from the county, was wholly
%unwarranted, even if it be admitted that
the convention itself was regular. No
such right was ever claimed to be vest
ed in the assembly district convention.
1t had no more authority for this act
than the people of one or more of the
towns had. The county convention had
met for the sole purpose of clecting the
senatorial delegates to which the county
was entitled, and no other jurisdiction
existed for their appointment, and the
credentials of Mr.. Walton. emanating,
as they did, from an assembly district
convention, were void on their face,
upon the familiar principle that the body
appointing him had no jurisdiction SC
to do.
Second. The appointment of district
delegates by the 1920 district conven-
ton, was irregular for the reason that
it was secretly and fraudulently done,
which is clearly established by the evil.
dence, and that whici is tainted Will
fraud, whether in the domain Of business.
social, religious or political transactions
is void and binding on no one; q
proposition which no one will ques.
ton unless he is prepared to adopt
the Tammany maxim, that 'allthings
are fair in politics"
Third. The convention of 1920 was
called 70 order by no competent author
ity, and in direct opposition to the no,
tice which Mr.. Horsley, who called it t.
order, had previously signed, fixing :
o'clock 2. m, as the hour for it'
meeting. 1t was moreover called to or
der when the credentials of all the Haz.
eltons delegates, and all the duly elected
keyes delegates. were in the hands 81
the committee on credentials, and couic
not be returned until the county con.
i v~ention r~eassembled. This fact wa,
known to Horslev, Bainbridge and Tia,
balance, when it was determined tc
hold the 1920 convention. They knew
that not one Of the Iiazelton delegates
could produce credentials until the CON.
mittee should nave made their report a
2 o'clock. Calling it t order at the
time ii was called, was a trick to which
Mr.. Horsley was a party, to help on
the candidacy OF Mr.. Keyes. Ii thi:
convention was acting entirely under
the notice issued by the county certra
committee. which specified no hour
then It was bound by the unifornn pre-
cedci,ts since The organization If He pqrti
IN the county, dbat the assembly DistrlcI
C%onueations SbaH not meet until III,
County Contention has transacted Il.
business.
Fourth. The District Convention G.
1920 did not compose a quorum Of ths
VI Alt A~>sctuuiN DiHtflCt, duu
according to the fundamental law Of al
deliberative bodies, could not bind it,
action. The credentials of the street
caucas. in New Diggings and Of the secret
school house caucas OF Benton were ne.
yer passed upon by any competent
| authority. The credentials If the Bux.
ton Hall delegates from New Digging,
and the regular delegates from Benton
were approved by the county CONVEX