The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1896-03-21
THE REpusLIcANs At wElsEa.
4 Harmonious Session Of the stats Committee
Trouble Was Expected But Did Not Come
Conventions and ApporiiOnment.

meeting Of the State Republican Com
mittee last Tuesday. The political at
mosphere had been perturbed with ru-
mOrs, murmurings and rumbles, and
everybody looked forward to a lively
time. But in that respect the meeting
was failure. Everything went off as
smoothly and harmoniously as we'll
regulated prayer meeting. The war
clubs had all been left at home or nice
ly padded. After the usual amount of
delay, the committee got together in
the Odd Fellows lodge room. A few
clrious spectators had gathered as.
also, a few Industrious representatives
of the press. Chairman Patrie ad.
vanced to THAN. GS stand and gently
patted the PEDESTAL with nice little
wooden gavel, and at once the State
Republican committee of the great
state of Idaho was come to order and
in session. The shifting of chairs and
scraping of Threats had scarcely ceased,
when Mr.. st. John of Blaine county,
moved that the committee do now go
into executive session. That was a
new wrinkle to the lay citizen. 1t was
generally supposed that the state COM
mittee was an executive body but st.
John had views of his own on that
subject, evidently. At any rate the
motion to go out of its legislative ca
pacity into its executive functions pre-
vailed and theigalleries were ordered
cleared. ShOup of Lemhi suggested
that it might be we'll to ascertain who
were and who were not committeeman
before locking the doors, but that did
MT strike anybody else as at all impor.
tant and no attention was paid to the
precautionary admOnition. When the
spectators had withdrawn, the doors
were bOlted and the wicket closed, but
as usual, the reporters had their X ray
apparatus with them and proceeded to
take snap shots of the secret session.
A motion to unseat Charley SWeeny
the KOOtenai member who had been
previously resigned was put and re.
marks ordered. Mr.. Sweeney alleged
that he was and for many years had
been a resident of the state; that he
never had the remotest idea of resign
ing the committee3hip; that he was
here present, in his own proper person,
and qualified in every respect to partic-
ipate in the deliberations. 1t was
shown on the other side that judge
Hoffman had heard that some one said
that Sweeney had left the state and
that the place that knew him was an
aching void; the executive committee
of the state committee being appraised
of this state Of affairs, had appointed a
successor according to the recommon.
datiOn of the KoOtenai county commit
tee. Sweeney intimated that anybody
who said he had left the state or thought
of resigning, had visiblY wandered
from the paths of veracity, and so the
vote was taken. Eleven voted agains:
unseating Sweeney and nine the other
way, ont of respect to the attitude as.
sumed by the state executive commit
tee. Charley Bassett voted against I'M
seating Sweeney, which secured him
hearty applause on the one hand and,
it is said, wholesome curtain lecture
on the other. But the business moved
smoothly and decOrOusly. The next prop.
osition was the introduction of a reso.
luton to endorse the action of Senators
Dubois, Mantle, Carter, Teller and Can.
non in voting against consideration of
the Dingley revenue bill with the free
coinage amendment. The discussion
on this subject was earnest but not in.
hammatOry, and the motion was finally
sat down upon, gently but firmly. The
position assumed by the opponents of
the resolution was that the state COM
mittee had nothing to do with cues
lions OF that character; that it was not
to express party sentiments:
that 1t was endeavoring to NEEDLE in
matters outside of and beyond its prov
lnce. Good sense in this case, as in
The matter Of unseating Sweeney, pre-
vailed, and the resolution to endorse
the silver senators was referred to the
state convention, where it doubtless
belongs. The matter of location of
conventions was then taken up and the 5
to elect delegates to the st. S
Louis national convention was award.
ID to POcatellO and the date fixed the !
9th Of May. The secret session now 5
'djournd and why it should have been q
ecret is the only secret connected with '
he matter. At 1880 the honorable body
e-conVened and went right to work to e
Wind up the business. The state nom. c
mating convention was awarded to !,
Boise City and the date fixed the 26th
I August. The apportionment as {
dopted is as follows: n
Ada 10, Bear Lake II, Bannock ID Q
bingham IL, Blaine IL, Boise 3, Cassia =
Canyon IA, Custer 5, ElmOre 6. Ere. y y
lOnt IA, Idaho II, KOOtenai IA, Latah II
?. Lemhi 8, Lincoln 5, Nez Perez ii. 81 u
MEDIA IL, 0wyhee Q, ShOshone ~ q
1ashingtOn 8. Total 249.