The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1896-10-07
The Congressional Conference
ENDS AS IT BEGAN, IN AFARCE.
Hicks and Kooser Both Claim to be the Nom
inee Of the Party.-Ricks and Thropp
File Nomination Papers.

The question as to whether the Repub-
licans of this, the Twentieth Congress
ional District, shall have the name of a
regularly nominated candidate on their
ticket TO be voted at the November cleo
ton will be decided by Judge McPher-
son, of the Dauphin County Court. Thurs
day. Tuesday of last week was the last
day on which certificates of nomination
could be legally filed in the office of the
Secretary of the Commonwealth. Short
ly before midnight of that day Josiah ID.
Hicks, of Altoona, and +. J. Kooser, of
Somerset, each filed with the Secretary of
the Commonwealth a certificate setting
forth that he had been regularly nomina-
ted as the Republican candidate for Con-
gress from this district. Mr.. Hicks
promptly filed objections to Mr.. Kooser's
certificate, and Mr.. Kooser. with an equal
degree of promptness, filed objections to
Nh. Hicks certificate. The Dauphin
County Court fixed Thursday of this
week as the time for hearing the objec-
tions in both cases.
Tuesday of this week was the last day
on which nomination papers could he le-
gally filed with the Secretary of the
Commonwealth.
While claiming to be the legal nominee
and confident that the Court will so de-
eide, but, in order to make assurance
doubly sure, Mr.. Hicks quietly dropped
an anchor 10 windward," and Tuesday
morning filed nomination papers. Mr..
Thropp also filed nomination papers
Tuesday. Should the Court decide either
Mr.. Hicks or Mr.. Kooser to be legally
nominated the nomination papers of both
Mr.. Hicks and Mr.. Thropp will be with
drawn. Should the Court decide that
neither Mr.. Hicks nor Mr.. Kooser was
regularly nominated, the names of both
Mr.. Hicks and Mr.. Thropp will be placed
on the ticket under the head of by
Nomination Papers," unless one of the
two should withdraw their nomination
papers prior to the date fixed by law for
the Secretary of the Commonwealth TO
certify names of candidates to the Sheriff
and County Commissioners, in order that
the latter may have the tickets printed.
This, in brief, is the beautifully mixed
situation as it exists to-day. Who is re-
sponsible for it and what brought it
about?
The conference opened i'm farce at
Bedford some six weeks ago, when Mr..
Kooser appeared with three conferees
from Somerset, Mr.. Evans with the same
number from Cambria, Mr.. Thropp with
the same number from Bedford and Mr..
Hicks with the same number from Blair
and three additional ones from Bedford.
claiming that he was the duly nominated
candidate of the latter county. From
Bedford an adjournment was had to Ty-
rome, at which place a number of days
were fruitlessly spent in trying TO organ
ize the conference. Evans and Thropp
were willing to organize providing the
Thropp conferees were admitted to the
conference. Kooser aud Hicks would
only agree to an organization which
would admit the Hicks oonferees from
Bedford county.
From Tyrone the Evans -Thropp con-
went into conference. The Hicks-KOoser
conferees-three for Hicks from Bed
ford and Blair each-organized at Tyrone,
where they evolved that wonderful rule
in mathematics that in conference OF
nine conferees it takes seven to make a
majority. Kooser's three oonierees voted
for Kooser; Hicks six voted for Hicks.
for days strange To relate no nomination
was made.
At length, growing weary of this sort
of diverting amusement, the four candi-
dates mutually agreed TO submit to State
Chairman Elkin's decision the question
Is TO who was rightfully entitled TO the
conferees from Bedford county. Argu-
ment was made before the State Chair
man at Huntington, who. with a keen
would have put Solomon of old to the
blush, gravely decided that the six Bed
ford county conferees should be admitted
t. the deliberations of the conference
| with one half vote each-Il votes fol
| Hicks and Il votes for Thropp.
The conference thus composed of fifteer
members. six of whom had but one-hal
a vote each. met in Johnstown on Sept
| 2lst, and held three or more sese i0ns disi
| ly up until and including Tuesday o
last week, the last day on which a certi
| fieate of nomination could be legally
filed. The last train that could be taker
at Johnstown in order 10 reach Harris
burg before midnight leaves that station
at eli p. IN. Shortly after the Tuesday
| afternoon session Of the conference was
called to order, Mr.. Haderman, one o
| the Hicks conferees from Bedford county
introduced resolution 20 the effect tina
| either State Treasurer Haywood or Au
ditor General Mylin be added TO the con
| ference rs conferee, with authority q
east four votes, one for each county, anS
that the conference adjourn to meet a
Harrisburg at II O'Clock p. IN. Chairman
Knepper ruled the resolution or motion
out of order. Anappeal was taken from
his decision. lie declined to put the mo
ton on the appeal. on the refusal of th'
chairman TO put the motion, Mr.. Ear
ogle, one of Mr.. Evans eonferees anc
one of the Secretaries of the conference
put it the roll was called and the appea
was sustained by majority of the con
ference. the Hicks and Evans conferee
voting in the affirmative. The resolution
was then adopted and the Hicks an'
Evans eonferees started for the train, j
being but a few minutes till it was due
The Kooser and Thropp conferees re
| mafned in the room aud took one ballot
resulting. Eooser votes, Thropp l
votes. Chairman Knepper declare,
| Kooser nominated and gave him certi
ficate to that effect, which he filed will
the State Department before twelv'
o'clock that night. The Hicks an'
Evans eonferees, with q votes, proceed
ed to Harrisburg, where, as per their res
olution, they went into conference will
State Treasurer Haywood as q conferee
The first ballot resulted in the nomina
ton Of Hicks, he receiving = votes. tn
Evans eonferees voted 70 make the nom
ination unanimous.
Just what the ultimate outcome OF thi
most farcical of all farGiGsal political con
ferenocs, in which all aritsmetical am
parliamentary rules were set at defiance
no one can at present tell. The probabil
tiles are that Mr.. Hicks will be declares
the legal nominee and that his name vii
be placed regularly upon the Republican
ticket, but this is not at all certain an
the Court may decide that no legal nom
ination has been made, in which even
there will he two candidates by nomina
ton papers-Hicks aud Thropp. @