The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-01-27
A POLITICAL ROW.
Tanner-Cullom Forces in a
Hand-tO-Hand Fight.
Bitter Row in a Republican
Illinois Convention.
A TOWNSHIP AFFAIR.
Both Factions Attempted to
Control the Meeting.
Three Candidates For Governor
Were Present.
A TOWNSHIP AFFAIR.

O4A4SJs Liz Jet4 81 ne 1AGpuOl1CcA
Township convention for Olney town
ship met at the court house here at 2
O'Clock Friday afternoon. The Tanner
Cullom factions for the first time found
themselves face to face. each deter
mined to organize the convention. Gov
ernor Tanner has depended upon his
heretofore fast friends and lieutenants
to guard his interests and found at the
eleventh hour that he was counting
without his host.
The convention shows that the eff
forts of his Heutenants, Secretary Ed
mission of the grain board at East st.
Louis, superintendent of the soldiers
and orphans home at Normal, and 9TH
ers were hurried to the rescue in vain.
But If the governors friends have not
saved the day in the country, they were
made to break even in OIney town
ship.
City Attorney Harry Ferriman. act
ing by authority of four of the seven
Olney township committeeman, raped
for order and Immediately climbed up
on the table and nominated James E.
Phillips for chairman, put the motion
and declared it carried. A bout the same
time James E. Wharf, chairman of the
county central committee, mounted the
same table and announced that the au-
thority of calling the convention to or
der was vested in him, and he proceed
ed to nominate J. P. Soliss chairman,
and he was also declared elected.
Pandemonium ensued, in which 200
voices shouted for the choice of their
respective factions. Everybody was on
his feet, the spectators stood on tables
and the backs of the seats to get a
view of the surging, swaying crowd in
the pit Canes were held high in the
air, or shaken over the heads of an
tagonists in menacing manner.
Ferriman was pushed from the table
to the floor only to mount the table
again. Chairman Soliss, who represent
ed the Cullom crowd, entertained and
put a motion which no one heard but
the mover, appointing % delegates and
committing the convention against in
structions for any candidate The mo-
ton was declared carried, and the
convention declared adjourned
The resolution is as follows:
Whereas, The Republican conyen-
| ton to be held in this county is set
| at a very early date, and there are
| candidates in the field for the various
| offices before the Republican state con-
vention, to be held at Peoria on the
| eighth day of May; therefore
| Resolved, That it is the sense of the
| Republicans of this township that the
| delegates to the Republican conven-
| ton, to be held at Olney, on Friday, the
| 26th, be, and are hereby, instructed to
vote against any and all Instructions
| that may be offered for any and all
| candidates."
| The opposition crowd called long and
| loud for order. the invincible Captain
] John COchenour, who has been a Dem
| Ocrat and Republican, alternately at
| least four times. and a dozen others en-
| deavoring to make speeches. The disor-
! der was heightened by a crowd of how
] lers, who, it was charged were paid
| for their services according to their ex-
| hibition of lung power. But one real
| fight occurred, Clyde, son of Deputy
| United States Marshal Arch Spring,
| striking an employee of Ferriman. The
| two were taken out by the sheriff, and
| little damage was done, except to the
| young mans optic, which swelled shut
| in a few moments. After wrangling for
an hour and a half, in a manner that
| would put an Indian war dance to
| shame, and in which all states and
agreements were broken. an agreement
| was finally effected, by which each fac
| ton selected IA delegates.
Judge Hanecy of Chicago, Judge
| Richard Yates of Jacksonville and
| Congressman Walter Reeves of Streat-
| or, candidates for governor, were all
| present and addressed the crowd after
| the settlement of the difficulty
| Never before have candidates for
| governor been known to attend a town
| ship convention. 1t is understood today
| that the outside townships will send
| delegates who will vote against in
| structions, which, If it is not victory
| for Tanner is decidedly a black eye fol
| Cullon. The Republican party has beer
| losing ground in this county for the
| past ten years, and it is now split as
| under and nothing can save it. Promi-
| nent Republicans state openly ON the
| streets that they will not support any
| part of the ticket The town is full Of
| prominent strangers. who looked upor
| the proceedings in amazement, and al
| agreed that they had never seen any
| thing like this convention.