Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1888-10-04
TOO MANY GOVERNORS.
A western Convention where Every
seat Held n Delegate.

Dakota, writes Fred Ii. Carruth in the
New York Tribune. The territory
was not. of course. n state, but that
didn't hinder tho politicians from hold.
ing state convention once in awhile
and putting in nomination full state
ticket SO in case congress should admit
the territory the officers would be all
ready to take their seats and begin
drawing their pay.
At this convention ONE trouble was
experienced in effccti ng an organization,
rs there were eleven candidates for
chairman, but ID was finally accom-
plished by embracing an opportunity
when eight of them had gone to take
drink with one of the candidates for
secretary of state. and combining on
one and electing him. Other routine
work took up the day. and it was not
till evening that the nomn alton OF
state officers was begun.
General White. the chairman, called
the convention to order by pounding
on the desk with slung-shot co vered
with fine stamped leather, and poured
out glass of water and took drink
of it. The fine sense of humor pos
sessed by the audience was SO touched
by this that it (thc audience) broke in
TO an applause which lasted nearly five
minutes the chairman meanwhile smil-
ing and looking at the water still re-
| ms N In tho ula with hat
perplexed air, when order was finally
restored by General White appointing
an investigation committee 10 see what
the liquid was. Nominations for gov
ernor were called for. and Colonel Joe
Rey nolds presented the name of Sena.
tor A. II. Ransome, Major Hill that of
Governor George Bird. Judge Dean
Decker that of Hon. Jap Powers.
Lieutenant Judliins that of Colonel
Mixter. Commodore Harvey that of
Judge Upton, and Senator Peoples
that of Major Poindexter. Several
others were casually mentioned with
out having speeches made in their be-
half.
1t was runored on the convention
floor that there were a few other cam
didates coming outside on the run.
There was n great uproar all the
way through and when it partially
subsidized it was found that Dr. Dave
Skinner. of Staryhorse county. had got
the sheet-iron drum of the stove just
about word out by pounding on it with
an old pump-handle. A cand date for
judge of the supreme court, while
applauding the name Of Colonel Mix
ter, slipped up and fell on his back. in
juring himself so that he had to be re-
moved from the hall and carried TO the
bar-room of his hotel on door. Gov
ernor Whitney. one of the oldest men
in the convention. and extremely digni-
fled, also got into u personal alterca-
ton near the middle of the hall with q
man from Custer county. who was II
candidate for state treasurer, and
before they could be separated the
governor had his coat torn Off and
watch chain broken. The old gentle.
man would. however, have reduced
the number of prospective stat
treasurers if they had let him alone,
as lie had the man from Custer down,
and was yelling wildly and jumping
on him with both feet when pulled of.
VIC Smith, of Sentinel Butte, had
just announced that the convention
seemed unable TO agree on its candid
ate for governor. he had the names of
three new candidates which lie would
take pleasure in presenting. when Gen.
eral Climber. who had come TO the
territory from Missouri in 1862 got
the flour and said:
"Mr. Chairman: Allow me to say n
word. If we go on this way we shall
have more governors than we know
what to do with. Instead of one chief
executive we shall have crowd reach
ing from Jim river to Shutdown. Gem
tlemen, when the stranger from the
wornout east comes among us and
looks at our state house. which we ex-
pect to erect, and sees the feet of men
sticking out of the windows, and asks
in inquiring tones: Who are the m
gilderhukes with the feetP' we shall
have to answer him: state govern
ors.
when the hardy settler on our
broad and fertile prairies rises from
his bed after night of sweet and
dewy repose. and. drawing aside the
window curtain, looks out across the
gray landscape toward where the sun.
in his splendor, is coming up out of
the golden Orient, his astonished gaze
will be met by four long. gray streaks
hurrying through the morning light on
the dead run! Governors, gentlemen,
rushing to the capital to take the oath
of office!
Governors will jostle us on the
streets; we shall throw a stone at a
hen and kill governor; special trains
will jump off the track and take q
short cut for the capital to let dele