River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1904-06-23

|
went into that convention today men
took the floor and they appealed TO the
delegates upon these cases of contested
delegations that the convention hear the
facts, and the convention declined to hear
the facts.
''You will remember, those of you who
were there today, that the gentleman
who represented the State Central Com
mittee arose and said: Z can assure
this convention that we gave everybody
hearing. Yes, they did, they gave
everybody hearing--but what did 1t
that State Central Committee to get
hearing got the same kind of a hearing
we got today. (Applause.)
Ihey say, and | call your attention to
the fact, that while the Ashland case was
under discussion, the gentlemen repre-
sentlng the State Central Committee
said, we called those people, we gave
them chance to be heard, we discussed
the matter and we decided it impartially,
and at that, the convention, under the
DOMINATION Of single man said: That IS
suaclent. You will remember that not
one single fact did he state about what
took place in Ashland, and if you don't
know it outside, if you have not heard it
through somebody else, you would not be
one whit the wiser after you heard the
defense Of the State Central Committee
than you were before the case arose. lie
d
tell you for instance in Ashland County
convention was called where there was
clear majority anti-La Toilette and
that that majority elected set of dele
gates, went on and elected county
ticket and fulfilled the duties of county
convention. He did not tell you that
three hours later, after the convention had
adjourned, and the other people had sep
farated, the La Toilette delegates went
back there and elected the set of dele
gates that were seated in the convention.
Yes, we gave these gentlemen fair
hearing: They had a fair hearing, but
they didn't tell the convention what they
developed in that hearing, and the con-
vention didn't ask what was developed,
but blindly voted to seat that delegation
regardless of how they happened to be
elected. Is that Republicanism? (Cries
of mono LIS it justice? (Cries of no,
no.O Would you try man before a jury
and deprive him of his yellow dog on
such statement as that without any
evidence? (Cries of mo, no.O
1t is contrary to law. 1t is contrary
to morals. 1t is contrary to the tradi-
lions OF the party; contrary to Repub-
licanism and contrary to all Of the insti-
tutions of our great country. And that
delegation down there absolutely and
blindly voted for that proposition.
$50 with Grant county. Why, they
gave Grant county fair hearing
They listened to them; yes, but did they
tell you that in Grant county there were
81 ant La Toilette delegates in conven-
ton of SO men? No, they didn't tell you
that fact Had they to I you that fact
and had they told you that the La Fol-
lette. delegates were elected by a man
simply rising and shaking a piece of pa
per, and the chairman nodding his head,
and that piece Of paper contained list
OF delegates, and they called that con-
yention--"
CA voice-"That is st. Croix county.'O
Mr.. Jetfris-"St. Croix county. Did
they tell you any of the facts on which
they turned down Oconto? Why, for the
life of me / can't conceive-I have in
quired into the case Of Oconto county
and L can't find out yet what even their
pretense was, say nothing about q fact
to base it on. They had absolutely moth
ing, and yet Oconto had a fair hearing
before this State Central Committee.
A voice-"The + eason they turned
down Oconto was they didn't want Judge
Classon on the floor of the convention"
Mr. Jeffris-"I really think that is the
best reason they offer on that delegation
yet. Then did they give you any Of
the facts about Dodge county? No.
Did they give you any of the facts
about the Second ward of Milwaukee
county? Yes, but what were they? The
gentlemen stood up there and said they
thought they had proved that at least
30 voters had been allowed to vote upon
Irregular aff1davits. Mind you, there
wasn't any proof before the committee
that those 30 men, voted for the dele
gates that were elected; and mind you,
that that delegation in the Second ward
of Milwaukee had majority Of It's.
Throw out your 80, if you please, call it
so; call it rs; call 1t ITO irregulars, and
still they were legally and lawfully elect
ed to that convention.
Nov, gentlemen, as was stated last
night, it came to us-we said last night
that we had heard it was the purpose of
the State Central Commute to turn
down-or turn out just enough delegates
to give them safe majority, and they
did it. We said last night: Does it seem
conceivably possible that 500 men can
be gathered in the state of Wisconsin
who will follow the dictates of anybody,
l don't care how much of a hypnotist he
may be-who would follow his dictates
to the extent of declaring against their
consciences and declaring against the
fact; declaring against the traditions Of
the party; that they would follow him
blindly? We didn't believe that it was
possible, but what an appeal to the fair
ness of those men-and ] submit from
all over that hall came this afternoon
plea after plea for fair treatment, but it
didn't stir single soul. Not a man in
that entire delegation was willing to get
up and say: Here | am in this conven-
ton as La Toilette delegate, but / am
also here as an American citizen and as
a Republican, and | won't stand for this
thing Not a man arose and took that
position. / say, ladies and gentlemen, LET
anybody come into this convention to-
night and try to force down the threats
of the six or seven hundred men chat
hear an injustice and wrong and you
would find them jumping up here all
over this house to resent it. Great APP
plause.)
"We are up to a peculiar set of cir
cumstances. 1t is only by reason of the
greatest aggravation that we would be
justified, from a political standpoint, in
holding another convention; but there is
justification. When an attempt is
made to rob you of your legitimate repre-
sentation, and when that attempt is de-
liberately carried into effect, then it is
time for us to say: we are either citi-
zens or we are towards, and we took
the chance in saying: we are citizens
and no cowards.' (Cries of good, good,
and great applause.)
"Oh, they say, you bolted the conven-
tom but if a man kicks me once | am
not going to associate with him very
long. (Cries of good, good.) | don't
care whether | am called a regular or
a 'bolter' | don't care what the name
is, but care about the fact, and when
he robs me of my rights, / am going to
resent it; and the 600 men represented
here tonight are going to resent it.
(Great applause.)
81 want to say to you that this is and
will be the convention of the Repub-
J;ao1 s,arfv nf Wisconsin (Graaf on