The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-05-12
MILITIA TO GUARD
STATE CONVENTION
Wisconsin Soldiers Are Prepar.
ed for Serious Riot at
Madison.
Special TO The Globe.

Special 20 The Globe
MADISON, Wis, May 1.-THE spec
tacle of military rule at a state po-
liticaI convention is promised by the
situation in the Republican factional
fight in Wisconsin and arrangements
that have been made to have the gov
ernors guard of Madison in readiness
to assist in preserving order in the
convention a week from today.
The gubernatoriaI caucuses in the
state are almost over. The situation
now is practically determined. Gov.
La Toilette will have at least fifty
more delegates than will be necessary
to control the organization and will be
nominated on the first ballot
There viii be approximately 100
votes in contest, two sets of delegates
having been elected in Ashland, Dodge,
Eau Claire and Oconto counties
According to the procedure in this
state the central committee decides
the contests for seats. This commit
tee stands nineteen to four in favor of
the La Toilette or the regular Repub-
licans, and will probably decide a ma
jority Of the contests in the governors
favor.
The stalwarts, composed of the op-
position to Gov. La Follette's third
term campaign, give it out that they
viii walk out of the convention if La
FOllette's state central committee decides
the contests uniformly in favor of the
administration faction. They announce
that they will hold their own conven-
stalwart delegates. They will chose
delegates at large to the national con-
vention, nominate officers, formulate a
platform and name presidential elect
ors.
To get their state nominees and
presidential electors on the regular
Republican ticket in Wisconsin they
will bring an action in the courts of
this state. John NJ Olin, one of the
most prominent attorneys in Wiscon-
sin, has been retained by the stalwart
leaders.
The governor will do nothing to pre-
vent the opposition from walking out
of the regular convention. At this
point in the convention programme
violence seems scarcely to be avoided.
Capt. John P. Joachim and Lieut.. J.
w. O'Connell and c. M OConnelI. the
commissioned officers of Company G,
of the Wisconsin national guard, sta
toned at Madison, and called the Gov
ernors Guard, have received instruc-
tions to have their men assembled and
in readiness to respond to riot call
at the university gymnasium May 18.
the time and place of the convention.
If one faction is defeated for con-
troll its delegates may not peaceably
bolt, but create a rough house" re-
manning to fight and yell in order to
make an orderly procedure by the ma
Jority impossible, or perhaps trying to
physically carry opposing delegates
out of the hall.
TO date the governor has ATS un-
contested delegates, Judge Baensch
has 313, and S. A. Cook has 100, a total
for the combined opposition in undis-
puted delegates of 413. There are 125
delegates still to be determined in can
cuses and 81 in contest, being III un-
determined delegates Of the LOGS that
will constitute the voting strength of
the convention.
The opposition claims 400 delegates
or 45 short of controlling strength.
While the La Toilette supporters saw
that they have $40 pledged delegates
elected to date.