River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1904-06-23
Of the Republican
State Convention
of Wisconsin
Held at the City of Mad
iSOn, May Is and
10, 1904.
fluctuations from Stenographic Re-
ports Made by Official Reporters.l

The Wisconsin state Republican con-
vention held at the university gymnasium
was called to order by Gen. George IL.
Bryant, May IS, 1904, at IL N. This
convention was controlled by high-handed
and revolutionary means adopted by the
so-called La Toilette faction Of the Re
publican party, although an earnest effort
was made by representatives Of the real
majority-the anti-La Toilette Republic
ans-to secure justice and fair play, sew
eral hours being devoted to this effort
after which Delegate Jeffris of Rock an
nounced that as it was apparent that all
efforts to hold in the gymnasium the law
fully called convention of the Republican
party where a lawfully elected majority
of delegates could be heard, the legally
elected delegates to the convention would
withdraw from all further participation
in the proceedings in the gymnasium, and
would assemble at o'clock that evening
(May 49, at the Fuller Opera house, that
being the nearest convenient place, for
the purpose Of organizing and holding
legal Republican state convention, pursu-
ant to the call Of the chairman and secre-
tary of the Republican state central COM
mittee
A lawfully elected majority was I'M
able to transact at the gymnasium the
business for which it had been chosen,
and it was within it's legal rights to ad-
journ to another hall. Some of the de-
tails of that event will be of interest and
is of Importance to many voters who have
not familiarized themselves with the
facts; and it is for this purpose that this
statement is published by the Republican
state central committee.
After a prayer by the Rev. e. G. Up
dixie, longtime friend of Gov: La Fol-
lette, and who has since denounced the
conduct of the La Toilette faction i'll the
gymnasium as unfair, Gen. Bryant an
nounced:
"The State Central Committee has
passed upon the credentials of this con-
vention. The secretary will read the roll
as they present them"
Mr.. NJ. G. Jeffris-"Mr. Chairman: l
desire to protest against the reading of
the roll until there is a Temporary organ
izatiOn of this convention"
Mr. Bryant-"Make a motion to dis
pense with the reading of the roll'
Mr.. NJ. G. Jeffris-"We do not want to
dispense with it. The order is to appoint
Il temporary chairman"
General Bryant-"The gentleman will
be in order. The secretary will read the
roll"
Mr.. NJ. G. -Jeffris-'I have the protest
here, and wish to record it,
The secretary hereupon read the roll.
Then Gen. Bryant announced that he
had been directed by the state central
committee to call to preside over the con-
yention temporarily the Hon. Irvine L.
I.enroot; also as secretary, Edwin D.
Marsh and as sergeant-at-arms, G.. %
hayser. The convention had no par
tlcipation in this matter, Mr.. Lenroot i'm,
mediately proceeding to deliver his ad-
dress. At the close Mr.. NJ. B. Rosen.
berry of the 10th district, on behalf of
the minority of the state central COM
mittee, submitted a minority report as
follows:
Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen of the
Convention-On behalf of this small. bur
nevertheless respectable minority of the
State Central Committee beg leave to
submit here for your consideration the
following minority report
I'VE, the undersigned, a minority of
the Republican State Central Committee.
dissenting from the report of the Repub.
Hcan State Central Committee, sitting as
a committee upon credentials in the
preparation of temporary roll for the
State Convention, regularly called, to be
held in the city OF Madison, in the State
of Wisconsin, on the 18th day of May,
1904 respectfully dissenting from the re.
nit the following as our report:
I'VE are of the opinion that the duty
of the Committee in making I'D the
temporary roll for the State Convention
is limited to placing upon said roll all
delegates who have been certified by the
Chairman and Secretary of the respec-
tive County committees, as provided for
by the call of the State Central Com
mittee, to be the delegates who were
chosen to represent the several wards,
districts and counties in said convention.
THAT where there are two sets Of dele
gates, each having credentials signed by
the Chairman and Secretary of their re-
spectiye County committees on the same
day, so that it is impracticable to deter
mine by an inspection Of the credentials
alone what delegations are prima facie
entitled to seats, neither sets of dele
gates should be placed upon said roll.
THAT the Committee in the exercise of
its functions as a committee upon Gre
dentials to hear contests has no power
except TO ascertain the facts and report
the same, with its conclusions thereon,
TO the convention for its action.
''That the action of the Committee as
set out in its report, whereby it attempts
to determine contests and deprive duly