River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1904-07-07

such prima facie right to sit in such con-
vention, as shown by the certified re-
turns, although their right to sit was con-
tested; that such persons whose right
was so contested were thus given seat
in such convention under the uniform
practice and custom of the Republican
party, and according to such custom and
practice had and did exercise the right
to participate in the organization of such
| convention, and to vote upon all ques-
tons pertaining to such organization, ex-
cept the one question of their own right
20 sit as members or delegates in such
convention. That from about the year
1888 the same custom and usage contin-
| ued, as above set forth, with the modi-
| fication merely that the state central
committee has, for convenience, and in
order to expedite the business of the con-
vention, acted as committee on creden-
tials, but not possessing, and never until
| this year of our Lord assuming to pos
sess, any other or greater power than a
committee on credentials appointed by
the convention under the former practice.
Action Violated Party Law.
"That the action heretofore set forth of
the said state central committee, in as
Stunning the power to determine finally
and absolutely the right of delegates to
sit in the state convention, and in as
Stunning to execute such determination by
unseating delegates duly and regularly
certified as delegates to such convention
and seating in their places other persons
not SO certified as delegates to said con-
vention, was in violation of all custom,
usage and party law that had prevailed
for some fifty years in the Republican
party in Wisconsin, and was revolution
airy in character, and if submitted to
would have operated to deny to THERE
publican voters of many sections of the
state the right to representation in the
party of which they were members, and
to substitute the state central commit
tee, organized as above stated, in place
of the state convention.
"That having so arbitrarily and lille
gally made up a primary roll for said
convention, the said state central COM
mittee, organized as aforesaid, attempted
to carry it's unlawful determination into
effect and to enforce it's findings first by
the adoption of the following resolution
to wit:
Resolved, That each delegate deter
mined by this committee as entitled to
seat in the convention be provided with
a badge by the sergeant alarms, and
that delegates be required to present and
show such badge at the entrance of the
convention hall to the sergeant-at- arms,
or his assistant, in order to gain admis
sion. That no person be admitted to
that part Of the convention hall assigned
for delegates except those whose names
appear on the roll of delegates prepared
by this committee and who have such
badges to identify them as SUCH and that
the sergeant at arms be instructed to
carry this resolution into effect.
Delegates Shut Out w Force
"That said committee thereupon caused
all entrances but one to that part of the
+ gymnasium hall assigned to delegates to
be closed and barred, and caused the SER
geant- at-arms selected by it as herein
after stated, and who, under it's direc-
ton had called to his assistance a large
number of athletes, prison guards, dep
uty sheriffs and policemen to guard the
one entrance to that part of the conven-
ton hall assigned to delegates in such
manner as to make it absolutely impos-
sible for any persons to enter said hall
who was not provided with and who did
not openly display the badge required by
said resolution, and that the delegates
who had been regularly certified as such,
| and who had been so arbitrarily and IL
| legally attempted to be unseated, some
fifty in number, were forcibly excluded
from said convention hall by the said
sergeant farms, and were not allowed
to participate in the deliberations of the
pretended convention thereupon held in
said hall, or at any time to be heard in
their own behalf, and were not even fur
nished tickets of admission to any por-
ton of said building wherein said pre-
1sCPuOAAStldi Co1lNSuClOh WdS pClhS5
held.
Organization Was Arbitrary.
"That the said state central commit
tee, instead of recommending to the con-
vention, as is customary, the names of
persons who should act as the temporary
officers of the convention, and leaving it
to the convention to select such persons
so recommended, did, arbitrarily, illegal
ly and in violation of custom, select as
such temporary officers the following per-
sons: Temporary chairman, |. L. Len
root; temporary secretary, G. 0. Marsh;
sergeant at-arms, A. H. Kayser, and as
sumed to place said men in said offices
without in any way consulting the con-
vention or giving the convention any
voice in the matter.
"That at the hour of IL o'clock noon
on May Is, 1904, the persons to whom
the said state central committee had
given badges, not including any of those
whom it had thus arbitrarily and unlaw-
fully attempted to unseat, assembled in
the gymnasium at Madison, Wis, and
were called to order by the chairman of
the state central committee, who then,
as the first business of the pretended
convention thereuDon assumed to be held