The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-06-21
THE WISCONSIN CONTEST.


notwithstanding the fact that the
Republican National Committee has
rendered decision in the Wisconsin
case there seems to be no doubt that
the case is going to give the Republic
can National Convention a great deal
of trouble. AS the convention meets
to-day a brief statement of the lead
| ing facts may be interesting.
The Republicans of Wisconsin are
divided into two factions, known as
the Half Breeds, led by Gov LaF'ol-
lette, and the Stalwarts led by Sena-
tor Spooner. These factions engaged
in bitter contest for delegates to the
resulted many contests. The contests
were so numerous that on the decision
of them depended the control of the
! convention.
The Half Breeds took the position
that the State Executive Committee
was empowered to decide the contests.
The Stalwarts held that that commit
tee had no such authority, that the
convention itself was the authority to
say who were the regularly elected
delegates. The Half Breeds had a
large majority Of the members Of the
State Executive Committee That
committee made two reports, one from
the majority and the other from the
minority faction, the report of the ma
jority faction deciding in favor of the
contention of the Half Breeds. The
majority report was adopted, and thus
the convention passed into the control
of the Half Breeds
The Stalwarts then bolted, and set
up convention of their own. Each
convention named delegates to the Ma
tional Republican Convention, presi-
Dental electors and also full state
tickets. The Half Breeds named Gov
LaFollette for Governor and the Stall
warts a man named Cook. 1t is to
be noted, however, that the men
named for presidential electors by the
Half Breeds are the same as those
named by the Stalwarts.
AS already noted the Republican
National Committee in passing upon
preliminary organization of the Ma
tional Convention decided in favor of
the Stalwart delegates. That has
not proved satisfactory to the Half
Breeds, and the matter will be present.
ed to the Committee on Credentials as
coon as that committee is appointed.
And it is the understanding that the
decision of that committee will not
be accepted by either faction, but that
the contest will be carried into the
convention. And the fight will not
stop there, whatever the action of the
convention may be. 1t will be carried
into the courts of Wisconsin.
1t seems that, Notwithstanding the
fact that the factions have named the
same men for presidential electors,
according to the laws of the state
these electors will have to say which
ticket they will run on. They can
not have their names placed on both
tickets. Therefore the courts will be
asked to decide which is the regular
Republican ticket. Therefore, it is
probable that the campaign will be
pretty well over before the Republican
electors of Wisconsin will know
whether their names are to appear on
the Stalwart ticket or the ticket of the
Half Breeds.
Owing to this bitter fight between
the Republican factions it is thought
the Democrats have a fair chance of
carrying the state. 1t is believed that
If the decision of the courts is in favor
of the Half Breeds many of the Stall
warts will not vote at all and, on the
other hand, if it is in favor of the
Stalwarts, many of the Half Breeds
will remain away from the polls. This
faction fight promises to be one of the
sensational features of the campaign.