The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1888-05-25
band wagon, which ever way it took.

vote IN his pocket, was conferred with
and denied that any such deal had
been consummated. He for one was
against ii, and in favor of standing by
llansbrough and Hubbard. This was
different, again, and the positive state
ments of "Cal." that everything was
fixed had to be qualified. A little fur
ther figuring developed that several
central Dakota counties were not
bound to any combination, and it was
the work of but a very short
time to set the wheels in motion
which resultediG theso-called division
combination, which did the business of
the convention with such neatness,
thoronghness and dispatch. Mime
haha county fell in line with wonder
full promptness, and with her usual
modesty took position near the head
of the procession just the same as
though she had never contemplated
anything else. But that was all right
We have scriptural precedent for Civ
ing the prodigal son more veal than
falls to the share of the other members
of the family who never faltered in
their allegiance to the old homestead
while the one sheep that is lost and
found again always gets more consid-
GRAFTON than the other ninety and nine
which knew enough to keep in out of
the wet in the first place.
~
The details of the work of the con.
yention are already we'll known. The
LaMoure contingent made a feeble at.
tempt to embarrass the situation by
supporting a south Dakota man for
temporary chairman as against the
choice of the majority in caucus, but
when the roll call showed 32O votes for
the latter-Judge Bennett, of Clark
as against % for Col. Price. there was
a suspicion that this attempt was more
or less of failure. And the joke of it
Was that in footing up the vote cool
lG0 was left off the majority total by
an error of the clerk, but no one
thought it worth while to call atten-
ton to the omission.
#x*
l want to say right here for the ben
elit OF Col. Price, and to explain the
unnatural position in which he found
himself, that he labored under two mis-
apprehensions. The first was that be-
cause the south Dakota caucus ex-
pressed a preference for him for the
position, it bound Itself to stick by
him regardless; and the other, that his
personal grievance against Judge Ben
nett and few others, warranted him
in allowing a. disgruntled and thor
oughly outgeneraled aud hopeless mi
norlty to use his name ss a football.
But no one appreciates this more thor
oughly than the colonel himself, and
it he had made twice as bad break,
the eloquent and timely speech which
he gave to the convention during the
interim when the credentials were be-
ing canvassed, more than redeemed
his record. In spite of the fact that
he followed the gifted Plummer, Col.
Price held the attention OF the i'm
mense gathering throughout one of his
characteristic talks, elnbellished as he
only can decorate with language.
~;
That Judge Bennett made fine pre-
siding officer goes without saying, and
in his short speech he warmed the re-
publicans up to the work before them
in great shape. There is one criticism
on his remarks, however. and that was
his omission, probably accidentally, to
mention Gresham in enumerating the
various presidential possibilities. Ev-
cry man in the hall noticed it, and our
own Silsby interjected: whats the
matter with Gresham 2" but he failed
to catch the ear OF the speaker, who
had passed on to another line of re-
mark.
Xxx
But the omission was more than
made up when Hon. John IL. King
took his place as permanent chairman
at the opening of the evening session.
lie made magnificent speech, ringing
with patriotism and devotion to the
best interests of the two Dakotas in
every line, and, SAID he, "while detract-
ing nothing from the luster of the
brilliant stars which have been placed
high UP on the roll by my predecessor
in the chair, would add to the list
the name of Walter q. Gresham
whereat shout after shout went up,
riyalling if not indeed SURPRISING in
enthusiasm the demonstration pro-
voked by mention of Blaine.
~
Mr.. King also paid high tribute to
the work of delegate Clifford at Wash
lngton, ana this, TOO, struck Il reSpon-
sive chord in the hearts Of his hearers
as evidenced by the applause that fol-
lowed.
Xxx
AS presiding officer, Mr.. King
added to his reputation as having no
superior, and scarcely an equal in the
west. Always cool, ever courteous, he
possesses the happy faculty of grant
ing both sides every favor possible, and
yet never losing sight of the friends
whose choice he was for the position.