The Wichita daily eagle., 1900-08-08
Will STEER AROUND
Barnes Endorsement Question
Thus Solved.
TWO CONTESTS ON HAND
Change of Program of Ratif-
cation Meeting,

Guthrie, o. T. Aug. 1T is considered
most unlikely that there viii be an in
dorsemept Of the territorial administra-
tion in temorrow's convention. Some, Of
the delegates already on the ground IA
vored an endorsement purely as matter
of party policy, believing that the omiS-
sion would be mistake, but the juig-
nent Of the leaders IS that the easiest
way to avoid a row is to steer around
the endorsement rock. The resolutions
VIII endorse the national administration,
the Philadelphia platform and Dennis
Flynn. Tom Ferguson Of Watonga has
been selected for the chairmanship Of
the territorial committee.
Two delegations arrived last night.
They hail from Woods and Woodward
counties, and the fact that each delega-
tion brings a local quarrel is the reason
II its early appearance. The hght in
Woodward county is occasloned by
contestng delegation headed by Ed Wig
gins, territorial committeeman for that
county, and the so-called regular delega-
ton is headed BY W T. Judklns, who IS
ch!;rman Of the county central commit
tee. Secretary George Brophy. who is
here 20 back Up the claims Of the reg
ulars," insists that the only pretense Of
feTed by the Virgins delegation for rec
ognition is that they were outcounted in
the county convention, whereupon the
disappointed ones proceeded 10 hold 4. rt-
tie convention Of their own and selected
a contesting delegation. The chief inter
est in the fight hinges upon the selection
Of the territorial committeeman, Wig
gins, who has held the position contfnu-
ously six years, desiring a further ten
Urs, and the other fellows being opposed
TO him.
The fight in Woods county Is entirely
upon the selection Of the territorial COM
rlitteeman, and it furnishes another in
stance Of the census enumerator's chick
ems coming homo TO roost The COM
nencement of the fight dates back to the
conYention which endorsed thecandidacy
of ". J. French, receiver Of the Alva
land Office, for national delegate The
very next day after the Enid convention,
which chose Mr.. French as one of the
national delegates. the list Of census emu
merator appointees was made public and
it was discovered that sixteen Of the
twenty-flve persons comprising the Woods
county delegation were census enumerat-
ors. Naturally this state Of affairs Gre
ated much talk and much soreness, which
eliminated IN an open fight against
French in the last county convention. It
is alleged that French sought to obtain
control Of the county organization and
tried TO shape his plans to seat Dick
Curd in the place occupied by Charley
Bickel as territorial committeeman. When
the two forces met at Augusta on the
day Ct the county convention each side
was apparently afraid OF the other, and
for that reason Eeither insisted upon the
naming Of the territorial committeeman.
leaving It a matter to be settled IN Guth-
Tie Bicl1el has been recognized for the
past six years as FIvnn's personal repre-
sentative in Woods county politics and
chiefly on that account ne has held the
position Of territorial committeeman. Mr..
French, who is seeking the place for his
man. Curd, is alleged TO represent the
rimes-Thompso n-Jenl1ins combination
The ratification meeting today was
somewhat disappointing to the originat-
ors OF the movement In the first place,
the anticipated crowd was not of the pro
portions expected and late last night J.
l2alnh Burton who was expected 10 en-
tertain the people with his eIoquence, tel
eeraphed that ne was too Ill to be pres
ent. It was then too late to call in any
other outside speaker, so the affair to-
night was on the love-feast order, with
speeches by local celebrities.