Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-07-10
The T0tcn Caucus.
Especial to the Globe. I


here at the Republican town caucus, which
was called for 10 a. m. TO elect five delegates
to the county convention to be held this after.
noon. At the appointed hour the court room
was packed with tremendous crowd, who, as
the door was opened, surged in. Foremost
among the lot I noticed Gilman" and
Brother-in-law Benedict. who, it seems, have
come up here to run this town caucus, as they
deem it vital necessity for their salvation this
afternoon. / also noticed II. L. Gordon of
Minneapolis very numerous in the caucus. He
had Gilman by the arm at intervals and
seemed to be the legal adviser of that gentle.
men and his friends. Heeven obtruded his adj
vice upon your reporter, endeavoring to in
struct him as to the formation of his report.
AS the crowd filed in there was plainly
noticeable sentiment that the Kindred men
were in the majority. Each member of that
faction wore a face wreathed in suiles,
while the Gilman men had the somber face of
their chief. At 10 a. M, L. G. Worthington,
chairman of The Republican town committee,
called the caucus to order and asked for the
nomination of a chairman. 8. B Fuller and
j. FL. Rhodes were instantly named. Worth
ingtOn, who is Gilman man, put the motion
on Rhodes, who is ditto, but received a
laundering No On the negative which de-
men were only small minority. To hesitate
is to be lost, and the fact of his hesitation
took from Worthington all claim he could
possibly lay to honesty in his ruling. Finally,
being called upon to decide, he did so as fol-
lows:
IF you are going to make me decide, sup
pose / dc eide in favor of Rhodes"
At that moment an appeal from the ruling
OF the chair was called for and a scene of the
widest tumult arose. The Republican mem
bers of the caucuss of both factions began
getting like wild Comanche Indians
and amid the general confusion
which followed, Rhodes attempted
WOrthington of the appeal from his ruling,
and quiet was not restored until Sheriff Steele
was called in, when he demanded order and
called for the house to divide, showing the
different factions by themselves.
at this point brOther-in-law, Benedict,
tried to get his work In by denouncing the
action as irregular. He was quickly subdued
the crowd who cried ''Put him out He has
no business here" and other like expressions,
after which the assistant collector from Ben
ton county faded away.
The division called for by the sheriff re-
suited in clear five-sixths for the anti Gilman
wing, and they were then allowed to elect
their chairman, S. B. Fuller, and a sec.
tellers were appointed by the chair. George
I. Barr, H. B. Tuttle and A. G. Stene were ap-
pointed as such tellers.
Prior to this, however, the Gilman men
were called upon to leave the hall by Worth
ington, but as Gilman and II. L. Gordon, of
Minneapolis, told them not to 60 they went
not. AS soon as the tellers had assumed their
places the chair ordered them to receive none
but the ballots of the Republican voters of
Little Falls. stating that none others would be
received. At this juncture Gilman men were
repeatedly warned by the advice of Gilman,
BrOther-in-law Benedict and Gordon, of the
Minneapolis pine land ring, to refrain from
participating. Notwithstanding, however,
several challenges from men of that side
were received during the voting, which
was made by ballot on the entire
five delegates and were reported by the
chairman, who called the name aloud and
had the case disposed of before proceeding.
The result was ninety-one votes cast for the
following Kindred delegates: G. B. Buchanan,
Jonathan Taylor, j. c. Flynn, N. Richardson,
o. L. Clyde.
The opposition, or Gilman ticker, received
thirteen votes. The usual routine was gone
through with and adjournment followed.
And now comes the funny business of the
other faction. Before Rhodes left the hall
motion was made amid the yells for division
of the housefor recess of one hour land though
1iiO "Oihiu Ndo maui " lug ny tuc nus ut
declared the caucus adjourned.
Soon after the caucus, under Fuller, ad.
journed, Rhodes entered the room followed by
Gilman, brother-in-law Benedict, Gordon ct al
and about sixty graders from the railroad
work. He called them to order an asked for
the election of secretary. E. G. Hill
was elected but refused to act
as he was in the other caucus.
L. g. Worthington was then chosen. On
motion the following list were elected by &C.
clamation: L. G. Worthington, J. II. Rhodes.
NJ. Porter, j. T. Stilwell. E. g. Hill
Powers of substitution were then granted.
Here H. L. Gordon, of Minneapolis, who
claims to be here acting in the interest of the
Republican state committee, got in his work
by causing motion to be made to count the
votes, but as it was so palpable that they we're
most of them from the grade, and as the tel
lers acknowledged themselves unacquainted
with the larger part of them it was dispensed
with. Then they adjourned. The secretary
of this latter gathering admitted to your re-
porter that the men, who in the main CON-
posed the crowd he was with were from the
grade.