Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1884-04-26

VENING, APRIL 26, 1SS4
and the opening Of the convention there
arose another question Of vital impor-
tance. The secretary of the territorial
central committee, e. w. Caldwell, was
the proper person TO call tho convestion.
to order in the absence of the chairman.
Major Edwards, who had usurped the
rights and duties Of the secretary in sign.
ing the convention call, insisted that it
was his privilege to call the convention
to order. 1t was apparent enough that
il Major Edwards' claim prevailed be
would declare northern man or north
ern sympathizer the temporary chair
man of the convention and thus gain
control of the organization. Caldwell's
claim to tho position Of secretary OF the
committee was backed by the Official
transcript Of the proceedings of the com.
mittee meeting at which he was made
secretary. Edwards evidence con.
sisted Of the verbal statement
of George Walsh that Edwards was
the secretary Of the committee. 1t IVES
generally considered that Mr.. CaldwelI's
credentials we're satisfactory, yet Major
Edwards refused to yield and adhered
to his determination to call the conven.
tion to order. Promptly on the hour of
two o'clock both Caldwell and Edwards
sprang to the platform and began read
ing the call. Both finished at about the
same time and an instant later the south
had elected John n. King, of Chamber.
lain, as chairman and the north J. OBJ
Scobey, of Brookings, az chairman. So
the convention started in as a double
header, with two chairmen entertaining
and putting motions In concert. The
prospects for split and two conventions
were excellent. when the south proposed
to submit the question Of the right to
the temporary organization to the vote
OF the convention, all delegates except
ing those from contested counties to
vote. This proposition was finally &C.
ceded to and roll Of the counties was
called. Mr.. King received one hun.
dred and ten votes and Mr.. scobey
ninety-fve votes. MIR. Scobey
withdrew and the platform and the tenn.
porary organization were in possession
of the stalwart southerners. The various
committees were appointed and the con.
vention took recess pending the report
OF the committee on credentials. This
committee consisted of J. R. Gamble, of
Yankton. chairman; Messrs. Howell, of
Campbell, Dewey of Hughes, Hagar of
Dawson, Pettigrew of Minnehaha, Steele
of Kidder. Beardsieys of Cass, Yorker of
Walsh, Nickeus Of Stutsman, Harding OF
Lawrence. Palmer Of McCook, Drake OF
Of Brown, L. G. Tyler of Hand, Gilbert
OF Dickey, Thomson of Turner.
1t was late in the evening when tho
committed announced its readiness to re.
port, about six hours having been con.
sumed in considering the va.
rlous contests. The first county
reported was Grand Forks, the. most in-
portant contest before the convention,
and the Winship delegation was seated.
As soon as this was accomplished the
Walsh county delegation abandoned the
south aud went over to the Mckenzie
Blaine combination. A little later in
the proceedings Traill county suddenly
followed suit, transferring its eight votes
from the south to the combination aud
giving to Mckenzie and Blaine major.
lty OF the convention. From that time
all through the night the unequal battle
was contested inch by inch, the combi.
nation gaining every point by labored
effort. About an hour before the end of
the proceedings Colonel Plummer, of
Fargo. was chosen permanent chairman.
the temporary secretaries we're retained
aud thus the permanent organization
was effected and the convention pre-.
ceeded to ballot for delegates and alter.
mates to the Chicago convention.
Col. Jolly Of Clay, John Cam of Bea.
die, John A. Harding of Lawrence, and
N. E. Nelson, of Pembina, were placed
in nomination. The first ballot gave the
following result:
Nelson, l22; jolly, l2l; Cain, lO9; and
Harding, 80. Messrs. Nelson and Jolly
having received majority of the votes
cast, were duly elected delegates to the
national convention.
As alternates, Byron E. Pay of Brook.
ings, Robt. E. Wallace of Stutsman, R.
W. Welch Of Aurora, were placed in
nomination and received the following
votes:
Pay, 1873; Wallace, IFS, and Welch, 50
Messrs. Pay and Wallace receiving g
majority of the votes cast, were duly
elected.
The following resolution. presented
by George II. Hand, was adopted BY
unanimous vote:
WHEREAS, The territory of Dakota he.
| Oeen organized IOr more than twenty
three years. and,
WHEREAs, The territory has now NOR.
than three hundred and fifty Thousand
actual settlers within its borders, EN-
bracing an area of more than l5O, COX
square miles, and is possessed of all the
the resources necessary to form two
great states, therefore,
Resolrsd, That this convention, repre-
senting the republican party of Dakots
territory, reiterates its oft expressed de