Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1905-03-30
The Strange Act OfMr. C0rtelyou.

in congress from the state,
nine hundred and ninety Of them
would reply that Joseph Weeks Bah
cock is; not only in his own district,
where his election hung in the bal
ance several days last fall, until the
canvass was made, in fact, but all
over the state. We presume that he
is regarded as much less representa-
tive as the Republican party In Wis
consin than any other member of
congress.
Mr.. Babcock could not be elected
a delegate to the national conven-
tion last summer; at least not by the
Republican state convention. AL
though he had been elected by ma
jority of over 5000 in 10 he squeezed
in by less than 300 last fall, and but
for the bargain and sale of the Peck
state committee he would have been
buried; and there was a general hope
throughout the state that he would
be.
Mr.. Babcock was one of the fore
most supporters of the bolt from the
state convention last May, and par
ticipated in the opera house conven-
ton. He turned up later at Chicago,
where the national committee had
e, ha no I'm Ialn
ton, and turn out the regularly elect.
ed delegates. The committee was
fixed before the convention assem-
blsd President Roosevelt knows
thAt it was, sand Chairman Cortelyou
knows it. Everybody knows it.
In the election last fall, after Mr.
Babcock had done what he could
during the campaign To defeat the
regular Republican ticket, the tic ct
was elected by fifty thousand major
ity.
Mark A. Hanna, chairman Of the
national committee, had died, and
Henry &. Payne, vice chairman,
served as chairman until the meet
ing of the national convention, when
Mr.. Cortelyou was elected chairman,
he being the choice of President
Roosevelt for the position. Before
the fall election, Postmaster Gtner-
al Payne, member of the committee
from this state, died, aud the place
was left vacant. 1t was not believed
to be good politics to fill t during the
campaign or until the quarrel in the
state should be at least temporarily
settled by the defeat either of the
regular ticket or Of the ticket Of the
boiling faction. This decision was re
garded ns good enough politics at
the time, by the regular Republicans.
They did not care much whether IA
committeeman was appointed or not
course, that the winners in the con-
test then would have the next ma
tional committeeman. SO the APP
pointment WAS not made when the
vacancy occurred.
The election came and the regular
ticket was elected, the ticket of the
boilers receiving but about dozen
thousand votes. The junior United
States senator was retired, and the
governor of the state was elected to
succeed him. These things were
pretty strong evidence as TO the po-
litical sentiment of the state; stroug
enough, it would seem, to sa y
President Roosevelt aud the chair
man of the national committee.
Mr.. Quarles, having been repudi-
ated by majority of his own party
in the state, the president appointed
him to the federal bench. He had al
ready appointed A. l., Sanborn, boit-
er and lobbyist. a factional politi-
clan and not a great lawyer, 70 II
similar position In the western dis
trict. Later he reappointed Mr.. But
.erfield district attorney month be-
fore his term of office expired. All of
these men are stalwarts, and none of
them would hav, been appointed
otherwise. AT d they are appointed
in state that has just administered
n singing defeat to the stalwart
crowd.
On Tuesday, Chairman Cortelyou
Joseph Weeks Babcock a
member of the national committee
from this state. Babcock was one Of
the fraudulent delegates to the ma
tional committee, fought the state
ticket through the campaign, and
was himself reelected 10y less than
800 majority in one of the strongest
Republican districts in the state,
district that gave President Roose-
welt more than 10000 majority.
Naturally one is led 70 wonder
" hat the president and his postmas-
ter general have OH their minds, and
what are their intentions regarding
the Republican party in this state
1t will he n lame excuse for the APP
)ointment of Bahcock To say that