The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-05-08
Warm Time in Meeting of Woodmen
at st. Paul Yesterday.
Harry A. Monroe OF st. Paul Is Slated
for Head Camp Director.
It Is Said the Rules of the Order Were
Violated in Voting.
from THURSDAYS Daily.

in Mankato, both in and out of the Mod
ern Woodmen order, Benjamin D. Smith
was yesterday defeated at the state
camp for recommendation to the position
of head camp director. His successful
opponent was Harry A. Monroe of st.
Paul. The head camp will meet in Indi-
head camp director for a number of
years
The Pioneer Press account of the cleo
ton is as follows:
The selection of candidate to be pre-
scented to the head camp for the position
of head director was part of the bust
ness which was before the state camp of
Modern Woodmen of America yesterday
afternoon when that body assembled in
the council chamber of Minnehaha camp
on West Ninth street. The election proved
exciting in the extreme and when the
vote was counted it was fouad that Mr.
Monroe defeated Mr.. Smith 62 to 81 Mr..
Smiths supporters claimed irregularities,
however, and the vote was protested. The
fight was waged on the question of the
l'step-rate" plan of insurance. Mr.. Mon
roe was against the plan while Mr.. Smith,
being a member of the administration
which is advocating the ''step-rate' plan
ho
ciple that he was an administration can
didate.
Mr.. Monroe was presiding when the
election for candidate for director was
reached, but he resigned the chair to E.
| w. Stark of Harris, explaining that as
he was interested personally in the vote
he did not feel that he should preside.
T. NJ. Currier of Mankato nominated
Mr. Smith and made long speech in his
behalf. He said that he knew that Mr..
Smith was against the ''step-rate" plan,
and was in favor of some equitable plan
of assessment He declared that new
man as head director would not have
the prestige at indianapolis that Mr.
Smith would have and that # he were
not elected Minnesota would get no di-
rector.
Elijah Barton of Minneapolis spoke for
Smith and said that too much politics
had been played in the campaign to Sc
nd 20, md
that prejudice had been worked upon in
obtaining pledges. He declared that Mr..
Smith was in favor of readjustment be-
cause he believed it was right.
The argument against Mr.. Smith was
chiefly that he had not declared himself
against the ':step-rate' plan. The point
was that it would not be well to elect
him on platform which was not his
own, but that of his friends.
Mr.. Monroe was nominated by ]. c.
Richardson of Thief River Falls. He was
seconded by C. L. Todd of Slayton
An informal vote was taken, and the
result was 62 for Monroe and 81 for
Smith. As soon as this result was an
nounced the adherents of Mr.. Smith be-
gan to call ''fair play" Mr.. Smith him
self rose and declared that the state
consul and the state clerk had voted,
which was against the rules. Several
delegates spoke in the same strain, but
| Mr. Stark decided that they could vote
| under rulingof Head Consul Northcott
! Mr. Stark then called for the formal
ballot and took it by yea and nay vote.
The formal ballot vas declared to be in
favor of Mr.. Monroe. Mr. Barton then
peal, and later in the meeting he present
ed a formal protest against the indorse-
ment of Mr. Monroe. He said that a for
, NAL vote had been declared when it had
not been taken; that the state consul and
4, the state clerk had voted regardless of
the bylaws, and that two men from the
Eight district had voted for Mr.. Monroe
although they had instructions to vote
for Mr.. Smith. Chairman Monroe ord
cred the protest filed.
C. l.. Swenson of Albert Lea got the
, Endorsement for head banker without OPP
position, and DR.. Lowe of Slayton was in
dorsed for head physician for this dis
+, trict.
The report of the committee on resolu-
, tions opposed the ''step-rate" plan of in
surance; disapproved the expenditure of
$4,000 in appointing and hiring lecturers
to present and explain this plan; favored
the adoption at indianapolis next month
of an equitable readjustment plan; ia.
vored the majority rule plan; favored ac-
ton to advance forestry; and favored the
revision and restriction of the deputy
system by the head camp.
State officers were elected as follows:
State consul, d. d. Divine, Waseca;
state clerk, F. A. Noble, Duluth; adviser,
E. j. Williams, Bemidji; banker, III. B..
Gress, Northfed; escort, N. B. Carlson,
Wilmar; Waterman, Edgar Small, New
Ulm; sentinel, j. E. Kromschraeder, ST.
Paul; physician, DIR. Larsen, Herman;