Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1882-09-28
TAKING TESTIMONY.
The Cold Facts OF the Lafayette County Affair as
Presented to the Committee on Credentials.

-
The Cold Facts Of the Lafayette County Affair as
Presented to the Committed on Credentials.
As facts alone are what the people
want in order to be able to draw their
own conclusions in regard to the fraud
dulent practices attempted by the in
struments of the ex-boss in Lafayette
county, the testimony of witnesses who
testified before the committee on creden-
tials at Monroe is given below. As will
be seen by a careful perusal it goes to
emphasize and prove the statements
heretofore made in regard TO this great
steal.
CHAS. B. HELM
OF Lafayette county being first duly
sworn on oath, deposes and SAYS that
he is and for one year last past has been
the chairman of the Republican central
committee of said county and that he has
resided in said county nearly his entire
lifetime and that for at least ten years
last past he has been entirely familiar
with the manner in which Republican
county conventions have transacted their
business. Deponent further SAYS that
as such chairman he, with the approval
of other members of the committee
caused to be published the following call
for county and assembly district con-
yentlons, at Darlington on the 18th day
of Sept. 1882, to elect assembly and
senatorial delegates to the congressional
convention to be held ut Monroe, Sept.
l4th. instant.
REPUBLICAN COUNTY CONVENTION.
A Republican county convention will
be held at the Court House, in the city
of Darlington, on
Tuesday, September I2U, 1882,
for the purpose of electing two sena-
torial delegates to represent the repub-
llcans OF this county in the congressional
convention to be held at Monroe, on
Thursday, the 14th day of September,
also a district convention for each of the
assembly districts in this county, to elect
each two delegates to represent said
districts at Monroe.
CThe remainder of thecall pertainedto
township representation
Deponent further says that after the
publication of the said notice, towit: on
the 30th day of August, 1882, deponent
received from John Rudd esq, the
chairman of the Republican central
committee of the western district in said
county, the notice which is annexed and
marked Exhibit AZ, with the request
from the said Rudd that the same be
published in the Lafayette County Re-
publican. CThis notice was the one
calling the assembly district convention
for 2 p. M, and the one used bv the
chairman, Rudd. in calling the conven-
ton to order-Ed.) That deponent and
the said Rudd, after comforting togeth-
er, in relation to the publication of said
notice concluded that insomuch as the
regular call for q county convention, al
ready published, included the assembly
district conventions as well as the county
convention that it would be unnecessary
to publish the separate call for the west
ern district convention. That the said
Rudd, however, left the said notice with
deponent who kept the same in his pos
session until Sept. 18th, 1882, when
deponent returned the same to said
Rudd. Deponent further SAYS that the
universal practice in the county of La
Fayette, where senatorial and assembly
district delegates have been chosen. to
either astate or congressional Republi-
can convention that but one set of dele
gates be chosen by the Republican eau
cuses in the towns to attend both the
county and assembly district conven-
tons for such purpose. That such dele
gates first meet in county convention
and elect the senatorial delegates to
which the county is entitled. after which
the same delegates divide themselves in
assembly district conventions and elect
the assembly district delegates. That
never within the knowledge of deponent
and as he Is informed and verify be-
lieves, never at any time since the or
g%anization of the Republican party in
said county has any other or different
plan been followed by the Republicans
IN said county for the election of sena-
torial and assembly district delegates to
any state or congressional convention
than as above stated.
Deponent further says that he was
present and called to order the Repub-
lican county convention which met at
the city of Darlington on Sept. 18th,
1882. That said convention was called
to order at y o'clock, M, which is the
usual time for calling such conventions
to order by %deponent and that deponent
was present throughout the delibera-
tions of said convention and the conven-
tons OF the two assembly districts in
said county which met Immediately
after the county convention had CON
cluded its business. That said county
convention elected as senatorial dele
gates from the county at large, Joseph
Blackstone and p. A. Orion. and that
the eastern assembly district elected as
its two delegates, William Hooper and
James Scott, and that the western as
sembly district convention elected as its
two delegates William Mates and Bon
son Spensely, all of said delegates to
represent said county IN the Monroe
convention, and that %deponent is of the
opinion the election of said six delegates
was in all respects regular and in entire
accord with the practices and prece-
dents in said county.
to, Sept. 18Th ST. 9 is82i c. B. HELM.
P. A. ORION, Notary Public.
JOSEPH BLACKSTONE.
MIR. Blackstone being first duly sworn
testified as follows. Thathe was a dele
gate to the county convention of LaFay-
cite county, also to the western assembly
district convention. Did not have any
notice of the meeting of the II o'clock
convention, and nothing was said to him
about it before it was held. Was n dele
gate from the town of White Oak
Springs. Mr.. Walton was also a dele
gate. Wit .ess was in the county CON
v%ention at time of adjournment. MIR.
cambridge made the motion. said he
was hungry.
n. o. pLMSTEAD
was sworn and testified, that he had
been a resident of Lafayette county for
twenty-five years. The call for the
senatorial and district conventions has
usually been by the county committee.
Did not remember of any exception.
Witness was in attendance at the county
convention and mingled with the dele
gates. Did not hear of any meeting of
the assembly convention between twelve
and two O'Clock until after he can e
from dinner.
MIR. ARMSTRONG
being sworn, testified as follows: | re-
side IN Gratiot, LAFAYETTE county.
| Have lived there f~nrtv-fva 90 h.