Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-08-13

UNO InJeIlS6nJ LDlIllOnS dS 20 Inc
merits of the controversy: there was
in fact but one opinion. The Marsh
field representatives knew. as every
body who was. uniformed upon the
subject. and eSsaCially the members
Of the State Cene ral committee, knew,
that but one decision could be right
fully reached. namely: that the dele
gates chosen by the Grand Rapids
convention be seated. Members of
the State Central committee heSitated
to make a decision: urged a cOmprO-
mise: urged that the two delegations
should consent to share equally the
right to seats in the convention. All
such compromises were declined by
US. We knew. and we insisted before
the committee and to all Of the many
others who approached Us and asked
us to consent to a compromise. that
we were clearly right: that the Marsh
field convention was so manifeStly
without authority Or merit of any
kind that we could not and would not
listen to any compromise with it.
Representatives of the SCOtield inter-
est came to us at different times and
offered to guarantee that we should
be seated unCOnditiOnally. if we
would promise to support SCOtield.
These offers we emphatically declined.
We do not charge, because we do not
know. that these propositions were
made with the knowledge of any
member Of the State Central commit
tee. But 1t became very apparent,
and there is in OLr minds no doubt
about its truth, that all members of
that committee knew and felt that we
.irr1Nt fI1l lDIO
Wood county. entitled as such to cast
its full vote, and that it was their
duty to seat us Internationally, but
that those Of them tch0 lcelp supporters Of
.ScCfcld felt IN some 2rdy 50 chained to his
chariot that they c0uld not or ac0uld not
rOte to seat as unless hcy could be
G$sHed that are 1lcoutd support him.
They constituted majority of that
could not obtain. The MarShfeld
.delegation'1 were known to be for
SCOtield. Their convention was
everybody knew. Some of them
talked" Baensch at times. and La
Toilette at others, according to their
surroundings at the particular time,
and with view to help themselves to
oCCllN III lIIC OOAI hOiIOlOlIs L lCN bS-
ceiyed nobody. ScOtield's brand was
on them long before. and they could
not hide it, even temporarily. ScO-
field men on the committee
recognized it, but were not quite
equal to the task Of deciding that
hcy had right to represent the
county. 1t is altogether likely that
if they had presented themselves be-
farn hn = hp
of anybody but ScOtield, and with no
better claim of right to seats in the
convention than they in fact made.
they would not only have been eX-
PEELED from the cOmmittee-rOOm, but
would have been logged out Of town.
AS it was, the majority concluded
to force q COMPROMISED They joined in
majority report which declared that
neither Of the county conventions re-
ferred to were legal, and therefore
that neither Of the delegations from
this county were entitled to seats in
the convention. They assigned no
reason for SO deciding. They were
utterly unable to assign any reason
why the Grand Rapids convention
was not a legal convention. But,
(Said the cOmmittee,) Wood county is
entitled to representation in the con-
yentiOn, and we therefore recon-
mend that both delegations be seated,
the members of either to have and
cast ORe-bdlf rOte each. Declaring that
the county was entitled to representa-
tiOn, they proceeded to recommend
that which amounted to a denial Of
representation. 1t would have been
the same in effect to declare that
both delegations be denied seats. To
seat the MarShtield delegates, as aCuS
dOne lrdS to gre ScQfcld three and d
half votes which they knew he had
no right to receive. To half seat the
regular delegates, as was done, was to
authorize three and a half votes that.
in view of the treatment received at
the hands Of ScOtield'S managers,
would under no circumstances go to
him, So there was to be a Stand-Off:
the voice of Wood county Republic
cans to be Silenced, in order that the
county might be represented" by the
gracious favor of the majority of the
State Central committee. 1t is
pleasure to be able to state, in this
connection. that four members of the
committee declared that the Grand
Rapids convention was legal, and our
right to seats undOubted. When a
final result was reached, (the COnyen-
tiOn having on the 9th adopted the
majority report, it was our purpose
to decline to accept the half repre-
SentatiOn rendered us, and we so
announced. But members of the
State Central committee and dele
gates to the convention who had
IabOred and Striyen to secure what be-
lOnged to us and failed. insisted that
it was our duty under the CirCum-
stances, to enter the convention and
cast the One-half vote given in place
of the full vote unjuStly denied us, in
order to neutrdliZe and render harm
less the One-half representation given
without right to the MarShtield dele
gates" Whether this proposition
was sound or UnSOund, we yielded to
it and acted accordingly, influenced
thereto, we presume, by a sense Of
gratitude towards and respect for
those gentlemen of the committee
and the convention who so ably and
earnestly labOred to have our cOntrO-
versy determined upon its merits.
As you already know, and as was ex-
pected by Us after the decision of the
majority Of the Central committee
became known. the State convention
nominated Mr.. SCOtield for governor.
\ power sufficiently strong to dOmi-
nate tWO-thirdS or more Of a State
Central committee, made up. usually,
of men possessing at least ordinary
intelligence and integrity of charac-
ter. and influence them deliberately
to perpetrate upon the voters of a
II InE-