Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1882-06-22
.N YEDIUs.
STEVENS COUNT CONTENTION.

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STEVENS COUNT CONTENTION.
Editor of Norris Tribune.
SIR: In your report OF the proceedings
of the Stevens county republican conven-
vention you misrepresent me und reiterate
the charge of unfairness made by the
Kindred convention, respectfully ask
permission to reply through your columns:
Y GU misrepresent me in regard to the very
disgraceful scene which occurred in the
attempt to organize by saying that "both
Messrs. Comstock and Stone grabbed for
the chair" The facts are rs follows: !
suspected no such cowardly assault and
had just raised up from the chair to adj
dress the convention aud stood at the right
side of it with one foot on it, when the cry
came from your crowd "get the chair"
'sieze the chair, ""secure the chair" In.
simultaneously your would be chairman did
as instructed, and barely succeeded in
catching one of the bottom rounds as it
was being taken from me, and held 1t UNI
til the sheriff and marshal took possession
of it.
In the remainder of this article wish
to be understood as addressing, not the
editor of the Tribl ne, but the Kindred
faction of the convention, and will answer
your repeated charge of unfairness with
theirs.
GENTLEMEN: You condemn me By reso
luton, passed no doubt by unanimous
vote, for my unreasonable, biased and
unfair ruli gs." In replying to the above
charges l shall try to use decent and re-
spectful language, and If make any false
statements pl, use correct me.
As chairman of the county committee l
s,,, ,s.t lint 81 \,
| willing when The facts are known to let
the public decide whether my rulings were
unreasonable, biased and unfair, or ether
WISE To make the matter plain ii will be
necessary to go somewhat into details.
First: ruled out the village of Morris,
Donnelly, Darnen, Scott and Swan Lake.
as not having right to vote on the tempo
rary organization, for the reason that there
had been two cauCuses i'll some, and IN 9th
ers the caucuses had split and elected two
delegations. thought it out OF place for
tue chair to decide between them. In the
following towns ruled out the so called
Kindred delegates, viz: Horton, Han
cock and Rendsville, and will give you my
reasons for so doing. Horton was enti-
tied to one delegate. The caucus was
regularly called by the chairman OF the
town committee, and the notices (three OF
them) posted in the usual places; the eau
hus was held in accordance with the call,
a delegate was elected without any oppo'
sition. From the above facts and state
ments made to me by the most reputable
republicans, and further, that one OF your
own most respectable men, on the Satur-
day night proceeding the convention rec
ognized but one caucus and one delegate
in the town, decided as did. In Han
cock the caucus was regularly called, the
village was canvassed by both parties, and
by getting in boys eighteen and nineteen
| years old you succeeded, right or wrong,
in getting one delegate out OF the three.
If any other caucus was held there 1t was
secret and clandestine, unknown TO the
better citizens and business men OF the
village; and further, it was unknown and
unclaimed ty the gentleman above re
ferred to as late as last Saturday night
In Rendsvile caucus was called and
held in due form, at which there were
twenty.siX voters. On the two ballots
they stood nineteen to seven and twenty
to six in favor of Nelson. The result, al
though you had worked the town thor
oughly and had lackey there who ut
tempted to stuff the ballot box, and failing
in that, tried to influence the secretary to
make out the credentials differently from
|
ing also in this he succeeded in running OF
the chairman before he signed the creden-
tails But enough of Rendsville, for al
though you insisted on your bogus dele
CATION from that town voting in the regu
lar convention, as soon rs you got where
you did not need them you ignored them
entirely. The above are the facts with
reference to the towns where the bogus
!. delegations were ruled out, to the best o1
my knowledge and belief. l think the
above statements if true will sustain me
in my rulings. If they are not correc
please inform me. But am further sus
tanned by one of your ablest lieutenants
7 one who was supposed to know ali you
5 plans and family secrets. The gentleman
, was discussing, on Saturday evening last
the questson of the temporary organiza
ton of the convention. and decided tina
the chairman of the county COMMITTEES
would be obliged to throw out all towns
which had centesting delegations. Ii THU
position is correct, and l think it is, wht
but the chairman is to decide what towns
3 are contested? He also gave the names O.
e the following towns as those only which
81 lin his opinion) could take part in effect
ing the organization, viz; Moore, Hodg
7 es, Morris township, Horton, Synnss, Pep
D perton, Donnelly (Which was that evening
: holding its caucus) Eldorado, Stevens, Han
: cock, Framness and Rendsville. By leayin!
out Donneliy where there was split ant
u two delegations, you will perceive tina
e his ruling aoas exactly the same as mine
Butone of two things ;either this manthougl
;, a prominent leader among you, was KEEP
: in the dark as to your programme, or els
he, swith the rest of you, found out Of
y Sunday morning that the above town
: (which he stated the chair could recogniz
:, and no other) would not pan out Kin
L dred organization, and such being tn
IS prospect something must be done and tina
e quickly. Let us see what was done
y Three of the towns which were put dow
. as having no contests were at once prov
ded with centesting delegates, In Rends
n vile you secured the man who had beef
chairman of the regular caucus preyiousl
n held, and democrat who boosted of hav
ing got 81 90 and six cigars for his worl
and vote at the previous caucus. AT Han
r cock you did still better, for there you 60
e two extra delegations, thus giving yo'
3 seven delegates when the village was en-
:. titled to only three, and up to the day o
: the convention you all conceded two o
a them to Nelson Now gentlemen do thes
e acts smell of fraud or do they not?
Could VIC have beaten you at your owl
game had we been disposed to stoop s.
! low? We could very easily have obtaine
t a delegation from Hodges, and have beel
: justified in doing SO, for there was frau
there on your part without doubt. w
might have got couple of extra delega
tons from Hancock, providing only tina
e you had not used NJ all the material tina
K could he used in that capacity; the sam
from Pepperton, but we were not in tina
j, kind of business
Now as to the proceeding OF the conven
: ton. You insisted that these bogus
e trumped up delegations should vote. .
4 else the regular ones be thrown out wit
them. The chair was SO unreasonable
) biased and unfair" that he could not agre
/ with you, and this was the sum OF hi
r SHINING. Let US see where the charge 0
unfairness will fit best You brought DO
. gus delegations to the convention, an
: they were ruled out. You took them t
!, your own convention and rule
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