The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1904-04-01
COUNTY CONVENTION

ana tcnlIey "ltNDDNt EIc-
ment Bolt and Have IL side
Show Of their Own.
Never before in the history Of
Grant county was there such a
scene at a county convention as
was enacted last Wednesday.
The nearest approach to it was
the first democratic convention
held in the county between the
Drake and antiDrake factions.
In fact the affair last Wednesday
was one Of the biggest shows that
has ever visited Mllbank and eX-
hibiting under two tents. 1t was
a disgrace to the party and to the
county A bitter fight had been
made all along the line by the
anti and Crawford element
against the repu blican organiz-
alton, and the results Of the con-
vention gave each side nearly
the same mum Der of votes, the
regulars, as shown later by the
voting in the convention being
right in their con tention that
they had a majority Of the dele
gates.
i Everybody realized that there
was likely to be ''something do
ing and the court house was
packed with spectators in addi-
tiOn to the delegates.
| Chairman of the Committee,
Thos. Fitch, called the convention
to order, and after reading the
call, Mr.. J. E. Truran was placed
in nomination by the regulars
and F. E Roberts by the antis or
Crawford men. The ballet re-
suited in giving 81 votes for Mr..
Truran and 81 for Mr.. Roberts,
and the former gentleman was
declared elected chairman of the
convention.
Mr.. G. S. Amsden was placed
in nomination for secretary by
the regulars and Walter Kerr by
the antis, the ballot resulting in
Mr.. Amsden S election by vote
of 81 to 4S, and Mr.. Amsden was
declared elected.
. Ii was then moved that the
chair appoint com mttee of five
on credentials, a committee of
five on resolutions and three on
l permanent organization. Mr..
: l.. II. Ben tley moved an amend
l ment or substitute that the COM
: mittee on creden tials be elected
Z by the cOnven ton. The vote on
the amendment was taken by
7 ballot and resulted in the Bent
5 ley substitute being lost in vote
: of 50 to So
, Mr.. Bentley moved that com
! mittee of five be elected on cle-
dentials with John @. Nelson as
y chairman. The chairman re,
fused to entertain the motion,
the question having already been
disposed of by the vote on the
q amendment Mr.. Bentley then
mounted a table and declared
:. that he and his friends would
= bolt the ventiOn, and proceed
| ded to nominate John O. Nelson
as chairman and putting the
!" question declared him elected.
! Mr.. Nelson had the good sense
: and manliness to refuse to serve
: in the boiling convention, and
: James Mcdowell was made
chairman and Walter Kerr sec.
!. retary. During all of this time
= from the moment the Bentley
. Rabbit faction declared their in-
ton to oolt, there was con-
: tipual uproar, the chairman vain
5 ly endeavoring to make Mr..
: Bentley take his seat, but the
5 latter proceeded, rafting off his
: program amid the catcalls and
e yells of his opponents. Rev.
/ Mr.. Lyman, who was present IN
!. the convention was invited for
. ward as a disinterested person
]. to give an explanation of the par
t liamentary situation as it stood,
e but Mr., ntley refused to yield
e him the floor, and proceeded
5 with the bolt, amid the uproar.
e During the meantime the chair
9 man of the conven tion had an
1 nounced his appointments for
com mittees as follows and de-
clared recess until they should
be ready to report:
Resolutions. D. Aldrich,
t VIM. Hall. John Erickson, Oie
2 Dingsor, Wm. Boxeth
) Permanent Organization W.
: w. Downie, Edgar Kelley, John
l O. Nelson.
, Credentials-W. B. Saunders,
Emil Johnson, Andrew Madison,
: Will Low THAN, John Gold.
: inst nraviOus to this when the