Daily Kennebec journal., 1908-10-02
JAS. n. VAHEY OF WATERFOWL
Wins Out on Massachusetts, Guberna-
toriaL Nomination.

RostOn Oct with scarcely jar
in the harmony Of it's proceedings the
Democratic state convention today
elected q state ticket for November
election, chose 16 Presidential electors
and adopted a set of resolutions. the
main planks of which advocated tariff.
labor and state administration reforms.
The state ticket nominated was as fol-
lows:
Governor-James H. Vahey of Wat
ertown.
Lieut.. governor-Charles ]. Barton
of Melrose.
Secretary of state-James F.. Ayl-.
ward of Cambridge.
Treasurer and receiver general-Er-
win H. Kennedy of Pittsfield.
Auditor-Simeon Viger of Lawrence.
Attorney general-John A. Thayer
of Worcester.
Presidential electors s-at-large-Rich-
ard Olney Of Boston and James E.
Cotter of Hyde Park.
The district electors were as fol-
lows:
At large-Richard Olney. Boston,
and James f. Cotter, Hyde Park.
BY districts-First, Luke j. Nina
han, Pittsfeld; second, Thomas O'Con
nell, Northampton; third. John O'Gara,
Spencer; fourth. Charles j. Babbitt,
Fitchburg; fifth, Humphrey O'Sulli-
van, Lowell; sixth, William Stopford.
Beverly; seventh, Dennis H. Tirrell,
Chelsea: eighth, Warren S. Morse,
Medford: ninth, Ferdinand Strauss,
Boston: tenth, William G. Shea, Quin-
cy: eleventh. Josiah Quincy, Boston;
twelfth, jeremiah j. Comber, Milford;
thirteenth. John w. Coughlin. Fall
River; fourteenth, Charles F. Davis,
Plymouth.
Senator Vahey had as an opponent
the well-known labor leader E. Gerry
Brown Of Brockton. who polled a large
vote as candidate for lieutenant gov
ernor in 1905 and 1906. The senti-
ment of the convention, however. as
shown by rising vote was so strongly
in favor of Senator Vahey that Mr..
Brown who was a delegate leaped on
the platform and asked that the nomi-
nation of his opponent be made unani
nous This was done by acclamation.
A few minutes later Candidate Valley
appeared in the hall and accepted the
nomination with a fervent plea for
united action by the party followers.
peared in the selection of candidate
for lieutenant governor. but this dis
appeared almost Immediately and was
apparently without effect. 1t appear
ed that at the gathering of the dele
gates last night, the name OF John
Golden of Fall River, president of the
United Textile Workers of America,
was doomed for second place on the
a. =
to the use of his name until after the
defeat of Mr.. Brown in the convent
or when he announced that under no
circumstances would he accept the
nomination. feeling that it would not
be right for one labor man to accept
q position on the ticket after the de-
feat of another in spite of the recon-
mendation by the state branch of the
American Federation of Labor.
The convention machinery ran with
unusual smoothness throughout the
guidance of state Chairman James w.
Synad of Pittsfeld, Temporary Chair
man David 1 Walsh of Fitchburg and
Permanent Chairman Andrew ]. Pet
ers of Boston.
There was noticeable absence of the
old-time party leaders. especially those
who participated in the two conven-
tions which were held under such tu-
multous conditions at Springfield a
year ago. What few of these leaders
| were present took no part whatever in
today's proceedings.
The delegates were given a chance,
somewhat unusual in conventions in
this state, of selecting without dicta-
ton, their district candidates for Pres
| idential electors. recess being taken
| in the midst of the proceedings to per-
nit IA district caucuses to be held. The
| selections We're subsequently ratified by
| the convention as whole.
| There was considerable enthusiasm
| throughout the four hours in which the
| convention was in session, especially
| at the mention of Mr.. Bryan's name
| which was always the signal for cheers
and applause
| Senator Vahey, the candidate for
| governor, has served two years in the
state Senate, where he has represent
ed what was formerly strong Repub-
lican district. He has been especially
active in the cause of labor at the
| state House. particularly in champion
| irg the so-called anti-iniunction bill,
as we'll as a bill abolishing the death
penalty. He was the leading counsel
| for Charles J. Tucker, when the lat
ter was tried and convicted Of the
murder of the late Mabel Page.