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

| RcRu1dIS I1du q uudyVlAtJs
"That in pursuance OF the foregoing
call there were elected to said Republican
state convention 1865 delegates; that of
| this number there were 1856 delegates SO
| selected by the several assembly districts
| and counties of the state who were regu-
larly and duly certified to the said state
central committee by the chairman and
secretary of the respective county com
mittees as required by said call, or whose
right to sit in said convention was not
contested, and nine delegates so elected
| who were not certified by both the chair
man and secretary of the county commit
tee as required by said call, whose right
| to sit was contested.
"That in the selection of said delegates
| there was no contest within the party
upon national issues or candidates.
"That for several years last past there
have been within the Republican party
| of the state of Wisconsin two well de-
| fined factions, one known as the La Fol-
| lette faction and the other as the anti
La Toilette faction.
"That for several months prior to the
| issuing of such call, and continuously
thereafter, a spirited contest was carried
on throughout said state of Wisconsin
| between said La Toilette and anti-L
| Toilette factions for the election OF dele
| gates to said state convention, particu-
larly on the question as to whether Rob-
| ert NJ. La Toilette should be renominated
! for governor of the state for third
| term.
"That of the 1856 delegates so chosen
and certified as required by the call as
above stated, 523 were chosen for the La
Toilette faction, and 533 for the anti-La
Toilette faction. That of the 533 dele
| gates so chosen for the anti-La Toilette
| faction, the La Toilette faction instituted
contests as to the right of fifty eight to
seats as delegates in said convention,
such contests being in the following coun-
ties and districts, and involving respec-
lively the following number of delegates
Ashland county, twelve delegates; Dodge
county, First district, nine delegates ;
Second district, ten delegates; Oconto
county, eleven delegates; First district
of Grant county, eleven delegates, and
the Second ward in the city of Milwau-
| kee county, five delegates; and that in
addition to said fifty eight delegates SO
contested who were duly accredited as
such delegates in pursuance of such call,
said La Toilette faction made contest
as to nine delegates elected from the
First district of the county of Eau Claire
whose credentials were irregular in form
and whose right to sit in said convention
was in dispute between said factions.
THAT of the 523 delegates chosen on
| the face of the certificates for the La
Toilette faction, or not contested, the
anti-La Toilette faction contested the
right of thirteen to sit as delegates in
said convention, being the delegates from
st. Croix county.
Contests Filed Secretly.
"That said contests made by the La
Toilette faction upon the right of the
anti-La Toilette delegates to seats in the
convention were filed with the Repub-
! lican state central committee at a time
unknown to any of the delegates whose
right to a seat in said convention was
being contested, and that no person con-
cerned in said contest had any notice
| thereof, or was given any notice by the
! Republican state central committee, or by
any member thereof, prior to the 18th
day of May, 1904, when said state CEN
trail committee convened for the purpose,
among other things, of preparing a pri-
mary roll for said convention and the
| hearing of contests. That on said 18th
day of May, and without notice to the
contestants of the anti-La Toilette fac
| ton, the said state central committee I'M
lawful assumed the power to hear, try,
| and determine said contests, instead of
merely acting as the committee on Gre
dentials, according to law and to the
custom and usage of said Republican
party in said state of Wisconsin.
THAT of the fifty eight duly accred-
tied anti-La Toilette delegates whose
right to sit in said convention was con-
tested by the La Toilette faction, the
said state central committee arbitrarily
and unlawfully by its vote assumed to
unseat forty nine delegates, and unlaw-
! fully and arbitrarily assumed to seat in
their places forty -four persons, contest
ants, favorable to the La Toilette fac
| ton, and said state central committee
arbitrarily and unlawfully assumed to
unseat five delegates duly accredited to
said state convention from the Second
ward of the city of Milwaukee any and
all representation in the said state con-
vention.
Acted Contrary to Proof.
''That of the thirteen delegates chosen
and certified from st. Croix county, Wis
eonsin, whose right to sit in said conven-
ton was contested, as above stated, by
the said anti-La Toilette faction, the
said state central committee, contrary
to the plain and convincing proof pro-
duced before it, assumed to divide said
delegation and allow six and one-haIf