The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-09-02
REPUBLICANS AT HARTFORD
THE PARTY WELL SELECT ITS STATE
 OFFICERS TO-DAY.

The Battle Between Cooke and Porter
 Must be Fought Out in Convention
 Litchfield and Windham Alone Have
 Chosen-New Haven County Has Three
 Candidates for Lieutenant Governor and
 One for State Treasurer-Everybody
 Sanguine-Rousing Mass Meeting Last
 Evening.
 The republican state convention will meet this morning at 10 o'clock in the Auditorium, Hartford The Hon. Sam uel Fessenden will preside over the de- Alterations of the assembly. State off, cers, including presidential electors, will be nominated to be voted for in November. Contrary to the usual GUS tom, which has been to decide upon these representatives of the party in caucus on the day before, the delegates have this year failed to do so, and this morning finds much uncertainty as to the head of the ticket Both Lieuten- ant Governor Cooke and John Addison Porter rested from their labors in the wee sma' hours this morning, confident of success. Though the lieutenant gov- ernor's adherents claim to have a walkover, the Porter element is ex- ceedingly hopeful and it is by no means whipped yet.
 That the division in Windham coun- ty had been seen several days ago made it no less disappointing to the Porter men yesterday, and even Mr. Porter's most loyal friends were forced to- ad- init that matters had taken serious turn,
 The confidential advisors of the Pom fret candidate claimed over 200 votes early this morning.
 The candidacy of Messrs. Dewell, Cowell and Pine of this county is play ing an important part in the delibera- tions of the convention. c. s. Mer- sick's friends are urging his claim for state treasurer, and 1t was even hinted in certain quarters that the office of lieutenant governor had been mention ed for MT. Porter This no one believ- ed, but all admitted that it might be SO Stranger things had happened. Another interesting feature of the pro- ceedings was the endorsement of Judge Cowell for lieutenant governor by Fair field county.
 The leading opinion early this morn ing. however, was that Cooke would be nominated by an easy majority As to the balance of the ticket there was much speculation.
 One of the Cooke managers, when questioned regarding the remainder of the ticket, said: It looks as though the ticket may be this:
 For governor--Lorrin A. Cooke.
 For lieutenant governor-James b. Dewell of New Haven.
 For secretary-Charles Phelps of Rockville.
 For treasurer-Geerge W. Hodge of Hartford
 For comptroller-B. P. Mead of New Canaan.
 This was his view of it, and, as to most of the places, it is probably cor rect
 The Windham county delegates met in the Allyn house at o'clock p. m. Frank Day of Brooklyn presided and D. A. Lyman acted as clerk Judge E. M. Warner of Putnam was recog- nized by the chair and moved that the Windham county delegates present to the convention the name of John Addi- son Porter of Pomfret as the republi- can candidate for governor. Judge Warner made an eloquent address in favor of MT. Porter, after which ex- Senator Millner of Plainville moved to vote for the candidate by ballot
 The result of the vote was 25 in favor and 20 opposed to the presentation of MT .Porters name to the convention. There was no effort to make the vote unanimous, and the next business of the caucus, which was to choose a del egate to bring the name before the convention this morning, was proceed ed with.
 The motion of General D. s. Boss of Windham that Charles E. Searles of Thompson be selected to make the nomination, was passed unanimously.
 The Porter adherents claimed early yesterday morning and until within a few minutes of the caucus that they would poll 40 of the AS votes The ballot, however demonstrated that their claims were unfounded. The re- suit of the Windham county caucus did not make the slightest difference in the total count of the Porter votes as told by his packers, and all the evening they were counting on seeing their man nominated this morning.
 The Cooke men said that the claims of their opponents as to totals were as unfounded as the statements that 40 of the Windham county delegates would cast their votes for MT. Porter
 Middlesex county caucus met at 6:30 in room IS of the Allyn house and se- lected Charles L. Griswold of Chester chairman and c. c. Redfield of Killing worth clerk.
 On motion of William l. Lewis the name of Charles E. Chapman of West brook was selected as the choice of Middlesex county for comptroller. John M. Douglass, jr., of Middletown placed in nomination John Addison Porters name to be presented to the conven- tion for governor.
 Several delegates spoke in eulogistic terms of MT. Porter, referring several times to the debt of gratitude that Middlesex county owed that gentle man for the services rendered tyyo