Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-07-30
The Exact Facts Concerning the
Proposed Contest From
Wood County.

committee for the then ensuing two
| years and consisting of five members.
as follows: John F. Cole, chairman:
! Geo. H. Smith. F. J. Wood. L. NJ
| Alexander and Z. S. WOOdWOrth. The
undersigned are majority of that
committee. As such they called. up
on full and regular notice published,
a Republican County Convention for
! Wood county to be held at the court
| house in the city Of Grand Rapids on
| the 22nd inst, for the purpose of
electing delegates to the Republican
! State and Congressional conventions.
| respectively, now about to be held.
| The county convention SO called was
held at the time and place appointed,
and elected Wood COunty'S quota of
! delegates to the State convention.
| headed by J. W. Cochran, Esq, and
| also her quota of delegates to the Con-
greSSiOnal convention. headed by Hon.
| Geo. r. Gardner. This convention
was composed of full delegations from
Il of the whole - cities. towns and
| villages of the county: was an eXCep-
| tiOnally full convention in view Of
the purposes for which it was called,
and was made up of many Of the best
representative republicans of the
county. 1t having been given out
that the seats of the delegates so
chosen, in the conventions to which
they were so respectively accredited,
are to be contested by persons claim
ing the right to represent Wood
county therein by virtue of an cleo
tiOn by another convention, adver-
tiSed to be held in MarShtield on the
29th inst, we deem it our duty to
make and publish a statement of the
whole facts out of which the said
contests for seats in said conventions,
if they shall be made, will have
arisen; and this statement is accord
ingly made and published
The said convention of the 22nd
inst. was called by the undersigned
under the following circumstances:
We had been made aware of and
shared in a strong and widely enter
tanned sentiment among republicans
of Wood county that. for reasons then
existing. it was desirable that their
county convention this year should
be held early. and their wishes upon
matter of unusual party concern,
then understood to await action by
the party in the state at large, be
made known as early as practicable.
We accordingly (by one Of our num-
ber) addressed Chairman Cole upon
the subject by letter, proposing that
an early convention be called. This
was few days before the assembling
Of the Republican National cOnven-
tiOn at st. Louis. Mr.. Cole replied in
substance that he thought there
should be no hurry; that he wanted to
attend the st. Louis convention and
there would be ample time after his
return. To this we answered in effect
that we favored an early convention:
that the call could be issued before
his departure. and the necessary
thirty day notice could be running
during his absence at st. Louis as
we'll as if he were at home. To this
he rejOined that the Congressional
convention had not then been OtfiCi-
ally called, and in substance that our
committee must await that. Follow
ing this, and before further commune
cation by mail could reach him at his
home, Mr.. Cole departed for st. Louis.
Mr.. Cole was we'll understood to be
not in sympathy with the sentiment
referred to which demanded an early
convention. His objection that our
committee could not act until the call
published was not regarded as sincere.
because the time and place at which
that convention was to be held.
though not officially published, were
| fixed and known to US: and because,
| if this were not the case, the call for
the county convention could easily be
| so framed (aS was done in this case,
and as we are advised had been fire.
IQuently done as to authorize the
! election of a delegation to cast the
proper vote of the county in the Con-
| greSSiOnal convention as thereafter
called. We are convinced that Mr..
| Coles purpose in thus attempting to
Oyer-rule the express wishes of the
majority of the committee, and his
Summarily leaving the state, was to
accomplish by indirectiOn what he
well knew he could not do directly at
a meeting of the cOmmittee-preVen
| the republicans of the county from
| holding an early convention. Under
these circumstances, and in the per-
| fOrmance of what we believed and
still believe to be plain duty. we
made and published the call for the
convention of the 22nd inst. and
which was held on that day as already
explained. Before issuing this call
one of our number, Mr.. Wood, asked
| the fourth member of the committee.
! Mr.. Smith. to unite with us in it.
He declined to do so, giving as his
reason therefor the fact that he had
previously expressed a preference for
| MaTShtield as the place at which to
hold the convention, and did not. un-
! der the circumstances. wish to agree
to another place of meeting without
the consent of MIR. Cole. Later, Mr..
Cole returned from st. Louis and
| learned of the action the majority
had taken. He thereupOn issued and
published the call for a convention to
be held at Marshteld on the 29th
| inst, signing the same as chairman.
but acting cOnfeSSedly without the
authority of the committee. and
without the concurrence or approval
of any member of the committee
other than himself. Mr.. Smith, who
had declined to act with the under
signed for the reasons before given.
was not even invited to join in Mr..
Coles call. On the contrary. Mr..
Cole assumed. as chairman. full and
complete authority to say when and
where the republicans of Wood county
shall be permitted TO hold their con-
ventiOn and give voice to their wishes,
notwithstanding the fact that no
other member of the Central commit
tee agreed with him. and after ma
iOrity of such committee. acting in
the utmost good faith and upon notice
to all its members. as before stated,
had made and published the commit
pfipia1 Tho pnnvpnt ion