The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1902-07-24
THE STATE CONVENTION,

CldluuCQ 0AlSUcO I'LL uGl Uuc FCdu-
Gus and convention system should
be given to the people in the state
of Wisconsin, and he "showed
them" just how bad convention
could be conducted, so that in the
future they might know that the
things he had maintained could
be done, were at least a possibil.
ity. The Madison convention
might just as wellnever have been
held, and the delegates would
have saved their time and money
if under the vogue Of the old con-
vention system they could have
sent their proxies to the Goven-
or. Friends and political eni-
mics alike had to come under the
axe, that the aslate" arranged
before the delegates began to
assemble, might be successfully
carried through. There was but
one break in the pre-arranged
program, and that was the action
of the stalwarts who used sstheir
balance of power" to nominate
John J. Kempf, of Milwaukee, to
the position of state treasurer.
To do this the 279 votes that had
been given to Mr.. L. n. Clausen,
of this city, and few votes that
went to other candidates, were
switched for Kempf, which gave
him sufficient number to defeat
Mr.. John G.. End, who had been
slated for the position. So COM
plete was the Master hand of the
convention that the unqualified
endorsement which the delegates
would have given to Senator
John G. Spooner, had they been
left to their own Judgment, was
denied, and the nomination of
Superintendent Harvey for
another term, was also turned
down. From position on the
ground we believe that the un-
qualified and hearty endorse
ment of Spooner, and the renom-
ination of Mr.. Harvey, who more
than any other person, has adj
vanced the public school system
of Wisconsin, were things the
delegates wanted, but did not
dare to do. There also seemed
to be a feeling that the stalwarts,
who presented a nice minority,
should be given a place on the
ticket, but the dictator of the &C.
casion said no, and ellis Will Was
Done"
The platform on which the re-
publican party stands pledged,
is one that has some very objec-
tionable features for many of the
republicans of the state. The
endorsement of Senator Spoon
er, with string attachment, is
hardly what could have been ex-
pected from a fair minded con-
vention, and had it been a flair
minded" affair such a thing ne
yer could have occurred.
There is no objection that can
be offered to the ticket as it
stands, and the only trouble is
the manner in which it was ssrail-
roaded" through the convention.
The gentlemen on the ticket are
all good, clean men, and while
they were selected without much
regard to locality--two of them
coming from the city of Milwau-
kee, and two more from the Sc
venth Congressional district,
while the great New North of the
state is practically ignored, ex-
cept for the selection of John w.
Thomas, of Chippewa county,
for the smallest position on the
ticket, that of railroad commits
sioner, still they are all right
and ought to be entirely accept
able to the voters of the 1epu bill
can party of the state.
The party stands pledged to
tax reform, and in this particu-
lar at least the platform contains
a 1.i,o rri1, a. op6 cfrO,1Sr oloTco thor