Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1892-08-12

Any one can make as many predictions
as he has ballots.
"BOW TO THE WILL OF THE Ma
JORITY."
The TRIBUNE assumes that good re-
publican papers and loyal republicans
generally will complain as little as posi-
BILE after a convention-will at least
make personal disappointment secondary
to party fealty-and criticism from any
source on the action OF the state central
committee in deciding the Walsh county
contest is wrongfully placed. For two
days the committee wrestled with that
contest and the attorneys and contest
ants on both sides went to the bottom
of the whole business. By a vote of 21
to II the committee decided in favor of
what was known as the Burke delega-
ton. One of the strongest anti-Burke
members Of the committee in casting his
vote said that while he was uncom-
prom islngly against MI. Burke, and did
not favor his nomination, that should not
sway his judgment in the mat
ter in question. He had lis
tened to all the testimony and was
clearly of the opinion that the Allin del
egation had not made out a case.
The central committee of Walsh
county attempted to act as a committee
on credentials, without having pre-
viously advertised such contemplated
action in the official call. In fact no no.
tice whatever of such acton was given
until one hour after the time advertised
n the call for the converting of the con-
vention, when MI. Harvey, chairman,
raped for order and told the delegates
of the committees action-which action
was taken, not on a previous date but
O. that very day about noon. Mr.. Nc
Hugh, leader of the Burke forces, oh.
jected on the ground that such action
was without precedent in Walsh county,
and had not been advertised in the call
for the county convention. He moved,
and in 90 doing took occasion to say that
only the uncontested delegates should
vote on the motion-a motion that showed
MI. M Hugh's faith in the majority of
that body-that Mr.. Hauser be made
temporary chairman. Mr.. Harvey,
chairman of the county committee, re-
fused to recognize this and Ntzhugh,,
himself, put the motion, which carried
unanimous-so admitted by testimony
of Allin witnesses-with the exception
of one vote. The Allin men remained
in the hall for a short time, but finally
retired to the grand jury room in the
court house, where the central committee
made up a list of delegates and, after the
regular convention was over, came into
the court room again and held a v
tion-at which, according to the admis-
sion of numerous witnesses on the Allin
side there were not to exceed between
thirty and forty present.
1t was also an admitted fact that at
the committee meeting held to take the
action that was taken in relation to the
matter of acting as a committee on Gre
dentials, but eight of the fifteen members
we're present-several of these by
proxy only and five or six themselves
either Allin delegates or contesting' for
seats as delegates in the county conven-
ton.
That was the tribunal that was to sit
"impartially' on contests.
The official call named 10 o'clock as the
hour of meeting, but it was about Q
some saying 2:15-before the chairman
trapped for order"
The truth is the Allin men had no case.
1t was a bitter fight in the county and
they we're worsted. Many Of their lead
ers 80 acknowledged the day prior to the
holding Of the county convention, which
was the day prior to the discovery of the
"happy thought which prompted the
committee to decide upon acting as a
credential committee.
Never wa a contest case more con-
scientiously decided by q committee
than wa the Walsh county case at Fargo,
and to have gone over the whole ground
again in open convention would have
taken two or three days and
resulted in exactly the same verdict.
Besides, everybody knows-everybody
who has attended political conventions
that the demand for open convention
work on contest cases is always asked
tor by the minority for the sole purpose
of misunderstanding and delay-princi-
pally for delay, so that if possible new
combines may be made whereby the
minority of one moment may be the ma
jority in the next bout which event
the demand for fair play and anti-gag rule
suddenly shifts from the one side to the