The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-07-17
"LITTLE BOB'S'' men
RIDE ROUGHSHOD
OYER The STALWA ARTS
Gov. La Toilette, Triumphantly Nominated, Makes the
Speech of His Life Senator Spooner Must Stand on
the Radical Platform to Win Conventions Approval
The Whole Slate Put Through. - -
end him back to Washington next win

SCiiu Hill UGCh ~ w dShluSlOd HSAt
| ter ... ~ .s. -. F.. .-.... r. ...s
The stalwart majority, assisted by
small fraction of the La Toilette follow
| ing DESTROYS of unequivocally indorsing
the. senator, begged, pleaded, threatened
| and swore in vain. 81
What is good enough for the. republic
| can masses of Wisconsin is good enough
for John C.. Spooner," said the La Fol-
lette enthusiasts. Our senator ought not
| to- be ashamed or unwilling to stand on
our platform. We admire him, we re-
! spect him, we wish to continue him in
the senate, but no man is greater than
! the people, and If Spooner will not ac-
cept the party mandate he must accept
! the consequences ~ =. .-,t@g -s1s ~ ~
1t was wonderful how we'll the half
breeds held together. The pleading OF
l.. J. Walrich, of Shawano, "a La Toilette
man, favoring unconditional Endorsement
| Of Spooner and the earnest talk of the
veteran General Winkler of Milwaukee,
served scarcely to- change more than
| thirty votes.
| -" Two Reports.
| The convention did nothing yesterday
| afternoon The resolutions committee,
unable to agree, caused an adjournment
| of the convention till 8 o'clock in the
| evening. Then the Committee offered ma
jority and minority reports. The minor
| ity reports were confined to amending
LHS majority report as the -ldtCeT TSldLSQ
| to Spooner and primary elections. The
Spooner minority was composed of Gem
eral A. c. Winkler of Milwaukee, M j.
| Williams of Fond du Lac, and M. j. Wall
rich of Shawano. The other eight mem-
bers of the committee, headed by Chair
man H. w. Chynoweth of Madison, stood
| for the incorporating and aggressive
platform which, the convention finally
| adopted. 60" n. ~
The committee had spent hours trying
to agree upon satisfactory compromise,
but the minority and majority were as far
! apart at the time of adjournment as at
the beginning of the session.
! At one time the, La Toilette men offered
unconditional Indoors ment; Of Spoener in
| return for pledge from the stalwarts
| that they would support a primary cleo;
tion plank. The stalwarts replied that
/ this would be to trade a principle for a
i man and refused the offer.
Half Breeds Wild With joy.
SO the fight went into the convention.
4 AS Secretary q. A. Edmunds read the ma
! joritysreport the La Toilette ranattcsa
i roared and stamped with delight when
they learned the humiliating conditions
imposed upon spooner, when they heard
the warm praise of La Toilette yelled
! with glee when the 'tpernicious activity
of federal officials in state politics was
condemned, and cheered wildly when the
| pEludfy Sl0CIlou SySIcIl anu luS ISlUIIud-
tion of the tax laws were emphatically
indorsed. The Spooner portion of the
platform had to be read again to satisfy
the La Toilette men. The extremists
among them fairly licked their chops in
satisfaction as these words fell on their
ears: .|.'. - ~.
eve again express our regret for his
(Spooners) announced determination not
to serve the state another term in the
| senate, and should he now find it pos
Il sible to reconsider this decision and ex-
press his willingness to stand as can
didate in harmony with the. sentiment and
in support of the platform principles here
adopted by Wisconsin republicans In state
convention and for the election of the leg
islators favorable to their enactment into
law his decision would meet the general
approval Of republicans everywhere"
,s..a-.ss A Marked Man.
AS expected, spooner is not ordered to
| subscribe to the platform, but he is SO
strongly invited to do so that failure to
accept the invitation will make him a
marked man for the La Toilette follow
! ing. The triumphal half-breeds did give
Spooner this grain of comfort however,
that what they merely ask of him they
haughtily demand Of all candidates for
his position should be not be a candidate
to succeed himself. 49,
Three Hours of Debate.
After Mr. Wal1rich read the minority
report Internationally supporting Spooner
he made an appeal which began three
!, hours Of heated and impassioned debate
l and great confusion. Wallrich was fol-
lowed by John Brennan, of Portage, who
, declared that he was La Toilette man.
3 but that principles were greater than
man; that the only logical course before
: the convention was to adopt the majority
report. Brennan spoke with intense feel
ing which famed the ardor Of the half
breeds.
: He had hardly taken his seat before
Senator Riordan arose and declared In the
midst of boots and misses and bowls that
l Brennan had always consistently voted
the democratic ticket. Riordan was final
! ly driven to his seat by convention that
? would not listen to him. There were
some bitter and some earnest and dread
fully boresome speeches, but at last a
3 vote was reached and the convention
3 having to choose between La Toilette and
o Spooner, chose La Toilette. Then the
:. platform was adopted by viva voee vote.
To .clinch it after much turmoil, mis-
understanding and confusion, the tired,
: sweaty convention, sweltering in a YER
: liable hotbed of an auditorium, reconsid-
: cred and by an eve and no vote of 76S to
. 279 put Wisconsin republicans clearly on
record
at was. too bad we had to do that to
g SpoOner, said one La toilette delegate
g to another.
= Never mind" said the other, 81 never
q yet saw where soooner could even touch
4 La Toilette.
q Great Triumph for La Toilette.
It was a great moment for the governor
this morning when he stepped before q
convention, so magnihcently and com
pletely won, to accept the nomination fol
e governor on a platform that Is thoroughly
the creation of his mind. The repub-
lican party Of wisconsin for good or Ill
has been completely reconstructed and
le reorganized and revoIutionized, and Rob,
or ert M. La Toilette lis the man who has
8 done 1t all. What the republican party
u. in this state is to-day. he has made 1t
e. He has beaten the old machine and hi
Of has a machine that is better than tn,
as other ever was.
r Now for the fight for the control of TIKI
e. legislature The stalwarts, notwith
"a standing the platform, purpose TO figh
to- to the death In the legislative districts
is II La Toilette wins the sweeping primar.
e election law will be enacted. in Wiscon
to sin and for some years to come the stal