Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-08-24
Struggle for the Dem
OCratic GubernatOriaI
Nomination
SHOWING INTEREST
johnson and thinner
man Head Contest
ing Factions.

Columbus, O., Aug. 24.-The close
contest between Mayor Tom L. John.
son, of Cleveland, and John L. Zim-
norman. of Springfield, for the guber-
Material nomination has caused more
interest in the Democratic state con-
ventiOn here than for many years.
While both claim majority of the
600 delegates the result depends up
on the settlement of contests involving
143 delegates. These contests are eX-
pected to prevent two congressional
districts at Cincinnatiand one at Cleve-
land from participating in the Selec-
tiOn of members of the committees
so that the committee on credentials
may have only eighteen members vot-
ing on the first contest that is passed
upon.
Depends on a Question of Order,
With the custom Of taking the con-
tests up in alphabetical order that Of
Cuyahoga county would come first, and
it would likely be decided in favor of
Johnson. so that there would be nine
liza. Hamilton and other counties. The
contest is so close that all sorts of
rules are agitated. even that of conSid-
ering contests in the numerical order
of the congressional districts, which
would give the Zimmerman men the
votes of the First and Second districts
at the start. While the Zimmerman
men here and at Springfield are in con
ference over the contested delegations
the Johnson men are busy everywhere.
Threats OF Throwing Out Delegations.
Besides the six contested counties
there are threats Of throwing out the
Erie. Clark and Defiance delegations
for irregularities. While the home del
egation of one candidate has con-
test the home delegation of the other
IS charged with irregularity.
The fight this week comes when the
delegates meet by congressional dis
tricts tomorrow afternoon, and the ses-
sion of the committee on credentials
tomorrow night is awaited with more
anxiety than any preliminary meeting
in the history of Ohio conventions. The
preliminary contests extend to all
parts of the organization of the con-
vention. Johnson says he could not
make the race on a Zimmerman plat
form. and Zimmerman says he could
not run on a johnson platform; 50 both
are seeking majority of the commit
tee on resolutions. while the control of
the new state central committee that
holds over for the presidential year is
secondary only to that Of the commit
tee on credentials.
There is n close watch on the com
mittee on rules and order of business
as johnson wants reimbursement made
for United States senator before the
state ticket is named, while thinner
man wants the senatorial Endorsement
to come after state nominations il
such Endorsement is made at all. If
the Johnson men control the conven-
ton the temporary organization will be
made permanent, but If the thinner
man men win on Tuesday there will
be another organization on Wednes-
day.
Zimmerman Confident.
Springfield. o., Aug. 24.-'I am very
confident of being nominated for gov
ernor by the Democratic state conven-
tion," said John l.. Zimmerman after
he had received returns from the twen-
ty-one counties which selected dele
gates Saturday. ''It looks as If the peo-
pie are going to force me to be their
candidate 1 figured on having 400
delegates. including the five l will get
from Gurnesey county Monday"
1t only takes 346 to nominate. so
Zimmerman's friends are feeling in
high spirits over the result. OF the
200 selected yesterday zimmerman has
sixty-five and Johnson sixty-two, with
a contesting delegation of seventy
three from Cuyahoga county, where
Johnson lives. Zimmerman's friends
say that he will control the majority
of the districts, the committee on cred
entail, and the organization. thinner
man said he would rather see John w.
Bookwalter indorsed for United States
senator than any other man. This
means they now understand each 9th
er.