The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1896-05-22
ST. JOE CONVENTION.
a FIGHT FROM THE START
BY FACTIONS.
Filley In Easy Control-The Opening Of the
Convention Delayed BY q Bitter Dispute
~ to the Control OF the Hall-Thousands
Kept In q jam for Three Hours.

night last night Major Warner and
C%hauncey /. Filley had a long confer
ence over the plans for the Republican
State convention to-day. Each talked
in q friendly way, and it was hoped
that a compromise could be reached.
Later each consulted with his friends
and at l o'clock it was declared that
the deal was OFF. Filley wa willing
to make the slate himself, Niedring-
haus, Boutwell, and Warner, or Bit
finger in place of Boutwell, but Kerens
he would not agree to. He was backed
by a delegation from st. Louis bitterly
opposed to Kerens. Warner and Bit
finger refused to drop Kerens after
having gone into a fight with hlm.
Consequently this morning neither side
expected anything but a fight.
When the delegates prepared to go
to the hall this morning, it was found
that Major Bittinger and the Total ex-
ecutive committee had taken upon
themselves to issue all tickets of adj
mission. This added to the hard feel
ings, especially on the part of the
Filleyites, who charged that the local
committee was prepared to admit the
kerens men and refuse admission to
the st. Louis Filleyites; in fact, that
Bittinger was going okeep out every
one he did not want admitted. a
squad of police stood outside the con-
vention hail to keep the crowd back.
At 9 o'clock there were 500 people in
front of the building.
Fillev hastily called a meeting of
the State committee for $3.50 o'clock.
He had 800 tickets circulating among
his friends, and the delegates and the
opposition had as many more. Then
ne sent John Armstrong, the SER
geant-at-arms chosen by the State
committee, to take possession of the
hall. Lester M. Crawford, the pro-
prietor of the opera house, refused to
give him the keys, saying that he
would give them to no one except
Bittinger.
Shortly before II o'clock Bittinger
went before the State committee. The
members We're angry and Zeigenheim
OF st. Louis charged the local commit
tee with u%nfairness and with giving
tickets to it's friends instead of dele
gates. Bittinger replied: "You don't
know what you are talking about"
He said the committee had tickets for
the State committee and would gladly
give them to the committeeman when
the committee was ready for them.
he then gave the members from the
different districts each a proportionate
share Of the tickets. He plainly
charged that the local Filley men had
printed ane distributed thousands of
tickets to the Filley workers, the sole
purpose being to pack the convention.
The committee remained in session
offor Piffin ror laff fo~o 11-- g. .=
Chairman Filley of the state com
mittee, 3. F. Russell, Albert Griffin,
the temporary secretary, and Con-
gresham Bartholdt, the temporary
chairman selected by the state com
mittee, were admitted to the hall at
1918 o'clock through a side door.
began to arrange tables. The police
utes later the front door was opened
admit delegates. The Kerens tickets
were white and those of the central
committee blue. The central COM
mittee's order to its sergeant-at-arms
was to admit, first, only those who
had badges prepared by Bittinger's
committee, but distributed by the
state committee. Nathan Frank and
Kerens sent a bunch of fifty tickets to
their supporters outside.
Everybody with a delegates badge
or a ticket was admitted. Most of the
delegates had been standing for thr ee
hours in the jam against the theater
doors.
THE CONVENTION oPENED AT LAST.
1t was LOS o'clock before the crowd
was seated and Chairman Filley of the
State committee rose to call the meet
ing to order. His friends cheered
wildly for a minute or more.
The Finley delegates from St. Louis
were seated as regulars in the body Of
the hall. The Kerens delegates, who
had tickets, got seats in the gallery.
Filley urged the Republicans to
work for Organization. He said that
Mckinley would be nominated in June
and elected in November; that Mis-
souri, would elect a Republican COVER
nor, a Republican legislature and a
Republican electoral vote.
Filley then introduced Congressman
Richard Bartholdt, the temporary
chairman, who counseled harmony Of
action.
George A. Neal of Kansas City
offered sr%esolution providing that all
resolutions should be SEN to the COM
mittee on resolutions. It was carried
and the convention proceeded to Sc
lect committees by districts.
A dispute over the eleventh district
brought out a Keren heller who wa
supported by the chair, but Kissed out
by the delegates.
The votes by which Nathan Frank
was silenced and Chairman Bartholdt
%snskained In his rulings and the sub.