The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-09-09
ARE NOMINATED UNANIMOUSLY
Strong Platform Adopted and the Party Places Itself
on Record as Favorng Reforms De-
manded by the People.

: Lucia de >Lamermoor" IN a manner
that brought out the beauties Of that
magnificent composition seldom
equaled. The audience showed It's
appreciation by prolonged applause.
Chairman Irwin announced that the
committee on credentials had prepar-
ed its report and asked the pleasure
OF the convention, saying the commit
tee had found all of the delegates reg
ularly accredited and that there were
no contests. On motion the report
was adopted.
J Lively Debate Precipitated.
The committee on permanent or.
ganization and order of business,
through it's chairman, B. F. White, and
secretary, Stephen Carpenter, now
submitted its report. 1t recommend
ed that the Honorable w. F. Meyer.
of Carbon, be made permanent chair
man and that the temporary secretary
and assistant be continued perma-
i rently. AS the order of business II
4 reported as follows:
Report of the committee on creden-
tials, report of the committee on pla.-
form and resolutions and nominations
in the order following:
Member of congress.
| Governor.
Lieutenant governor.
Chief justice of the supreme court.
| Clerk of the supreme court.
| Secretary of state.
Attorney general.
| Auditor of state.
| Treasurer of state.
| Superintendent of public instruction.
| Three presidential electors.
Selection of state committee.
| A motion to adopt the report was
indirectly the cause of some lively
and highly interesting debate between
George NJ. Bourquin, of Silver Bow,
and Thomas H. Carter, of Lewis and
Clarke.
Before the motion could be put M.
Bourquin called attention to the fact
that the report failed to provide for
the election of chairman of the
state committee. He then moved that
it be amended so as to provide for the
selection of the chairman by the con-
vention.
This was opposed by Mr.. Carter.
who made an extended speech in
which he held that the committee
should be entrusted with the duty of
selecting the man who was to be its |
official head. Custom, he said, was
opposed to the motion of the gentle
man from Silver Bow, and cited the
action of the national committee. That |
body had not permitted the convention
which created it to say who should
be its chairman, but had elected a
man of its own choosing.
Mr.. BourquTn took the floor again !!
and in an impassioned speech ap-
pealed to the delegates to sustain
him. He declared that only by the
convention selecting the chairman
could the possibility of the erection
of a machine" be overcome. BY
leaving it to the committee a few
men would have the power to say who
should direct the campaign. s'We all
know" he continued, 'that as soon
as convention adjourns the majority
of the members of the committee leave
for their homes and only few are
left behind to perfect an organiza-
ton. We also know that there are
always gentlemen present with a i
dozen or more proxies and they are
the dictators. Let us be fair and
elect the chairman, SO that he may be
said to be representative of the en-
tire party, instead of few individ-
uals"
Amendment 10 Defeated.
When the discussion ended the ;
chair put the motion to amend.