Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-03-27

convention of the Third Congressional
District Republicans. to-day. TO choose
tWo delegates 10 the national conven-
tion at ST. Louis. was one of the most
remarkable political conventions, in
one respect. that was ever held in the
State
There has never been anything TO
equal the malignant feeling and It's
manifestations tnaJ prevailed among
tine delegates 10 The convention, and
especially those representing hanaWha
county.
The factional fight among Kanawha
Republicans. which has been going on
for some time. eliminated to-day in the
shedding of blood on the floor OF the
convention The first skirmish was in
the selection OF a temporary chairman.
When b. r. Hood. who was defeated
Yesterday for the secretaryship OF the
State League of Republican Clubs, was
named for the position, the Dana fac
tion again attempted to defeat him, but
in this they failed The fight caused
tremendous confusion and disorder,
but quiet was at length restored.
The next row occurred when the COM
mittee on credentials reported in favor
of denying the alternate delegates,
from Wyoming county. seats. IL was
the real OratOriCal battle of the cOnven-
tiOn when such men as Edgar p. Ruck-
er, of Mcdowell; John B. Floyd, Of
Kanawha; c. w Dillon, Of Fayette; C.
p. Dorr, Of Webster, and others, meas
ured swords in the arena Of debate. Of
course the expulsion Of regularly ap-
pointed alternates
WAS UNPRECEDENTED
but a vigorous fight was made, never
theless. to expel them in the interest Of
Kanawha's candidate for delegate to
ST. Louis. The convention finally de-
cided to admit them. Kanawha county
presented only one candidate. The Wis
ting party leaders, from other parts Of
the State. among whom were w. NJ.
o. Dawson. chairman Of the State COM
mittee; C. B. Hart and G. w. Atkinson,
of Wheeling, and others, seeing the
condition of affairs in Kanawha, and
fearing the contest between Dana and
Silman would lead TO serious results
for the party. persuaded the Kanawha
men to amicably settle their differences
by presenting only Dana, of Kanawha,
for delegate from the Third District,
and TO let the State convention. which
meets in Clarksburg, appoint Silman
as a delegate-at-large OF course they
had no authority to promise anything
on the part of the State convention,
but the Silman men agreed to the ar
rangement. Dana was. therefore. the
only candidate that Kanawha present
ed.
T. F. Houston, of Mcdowell; John
Crawford, of Fayette; J. p Miller. of
Upshur, and Thomas Cooper. of Mercer,
were the other candidates placed in
nomination. When the roll of counties
was called Kanawha was not ready to
vote. The ballOting proceeded down to
the end Of the list of counties. The
votes recorded. without Kanawha. were
about equally divided among Dana,
Houston and Crawford. with a few scat
tering votes for Miller and Cooper. The
vote of Kanawha was awaited, but the
/ delegation was engaged in a row and
were unable to poll the vote Bill Dave
Goshorn went among them to do some
missionary work for Dana L. E. Nc
Whorter ordered him out and attempted
to forcbly eject him. when
GOSHORN STRUCK MWHORTER
and they went at each other in vigorous
fashion to batter each others faces
Others were drawn into the fracas and
pitched battle ensued. which was wit
messed by the delegates standing upon
seats and tables. The chairman rap
ped and yelled for order, but no atten-
tion was paid to him. The three SER
geants-at-arms were pOwerless Final
ly the city police were called in and they
succeeded in stopping the bloody fight
in the Kanawha delegation. Mercer
county. which had cast seventeen votes
for Dana, changed to Crawford. This
defeated Kanawhas candidate and a
motion was made to declare Houston
and Crawford elected by acclamation
but order could not be sufficiently re-
stored TO put the vote. At this juncture
Bill Dave GoshOrn, with
LACERATED AND BLEEDING FACE
and neck made his way TO the clerks
desk. accompanied by ODE Petty. of the
Silman faction, and cast % votes for
Dana, % for Crawford and % for
Houston. This was not Kanawha's
full vote for the two candidates. 1t
should have been ia, but they were so
excited that they did
NOT KNOW THE DIFFERENCE.
The President attempted to declare
Crawford and Houston elected. but the
Dana men disputed the count and a
pugilistic encounter over the Presi-
dents table was only prevented by the
timely interference of disinterested
friends.
Peter Silman. of Kanawha. and Wal
ter Ballard, Of Monroe. were chosen
alternates. The platform adopted was
silent on the leading issues. The dele
gates chosen favor Mckinley. tariff and
the gold standard
The breach in the ranks of Kanawha
Republicans is now beyond all hone
of reparatiOn. II will now be war be-
tween the two factions and war to the
knife. As the delegates were leaving
the hall, Col. Dana. of Kanawha. and
Col. J. W. NJ. Appleton. of Monroe.
got into an alteration. Appleton had
worked against Dana and Dana de-
nOunced him for it, He told Col An
pletOn he wanted him never to nre-
sumo to speak 10 him as long as he
should live. The convention was a dis
grace TO Kanawha county and to the
state.