Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-05-28
SECRETARY THOMAS AND PREsI-
DENT JACKSON OF THE STATE
ASSOCIATION WERE CONFRONT.
ED WITH CHARGES
EXONERATED IN
EXECUTIVE SESSION
ADMINISTRATION SUPPORTERS
CLAIM AFFAIR WILL ACT As A
BOOMERANG ON SOME OF THE
cANDIDATEs--sEssIoN WORK.
From Wednesdays Daily.

From Wednesdays Daily.
Charges of bad faith made against
President Burt T. Jackson OF Cedar
Rapids and Secretary Ira B. Thomas
Of Des Moines threw the Retail Mer-
chants convention in an uproar this
morning. The attack on these officials
fell fiat and the political capital
sought to be gained thereby. the adj
ministration supporters claims, may
act as boomerang on some of the
candidates for state offices. Follow
| ing some routine business this morn
I ing the convention went Immediately
into executive session to investigate
the charges.
Larimer Is Chairman.
Fl. G. Larimer of Charlton, was
made chairman Of the session and
Frank A. Martin. Of Davenport was
made secretary The session was held
in secret and was of a turbulent ma
! ture keeping the chairman busy u.s.
ing his gavel to restore order out OF
chaos during the discussion that was
caused by the reading of the charge.
1t is generally supposed that the
1Icause of the charges may be traced to
Ipolitics among some of the candidates
for offices in the association.
/ AlIege Bad Faith.
In the charge brought before the
convention President Jackson and
Secretary Thomas are alleged to have
/ acted In bad faith with the jobbers
Of the state in favor of Chicago job
bers who sometime ago made a re-.
duction of "a cents on sugar. This
reduction could not be met by the
state jobbers and was made the foun-
} dation of the charges preferred
J against the officers.
Read Private Letters.
During the hearing of the care
many private letters of Secretary
Thomas were read treating on the
many demonstrations among the dele
surprise. The letters were produced
from the private files Of Secretary
Thomas without his knowledge AMI
struck as thunder clap upon the con-
, vention. The matter was finally set
, tied by motion generating the Off.
GERS of the charges as follows:
Are indicated.
j "Moved as no positive evidence 9th.
r er than private correspondence has
. been offered to substantiate the
/ charges preferred, President Burt T
, Jackson and Secretary Ira b. Thomas
be exonerated from the charges pre-
7 ferred"
!, This was carried unanimously by
!. the convention after which congratula
q tions were showered upon the two Off
;. GERS thus vindicated.
H. G. Larimer, who was placed In
Y the chair during the executive session
= at the convention this morning, Is 9
= clothing merchant of Charlton, and
= president Of the Retail Clothiers' asso
! citation Of Iowa. He is also presi
dent OF the Iowa State Federation o
Mercantile association, comprising
l. eight OF the leading Mercantile asso
s Citations of the state.
= Afternoon Session.
The afternoon session began at
! o'clock. after the delegates returns
from their lunch, which was some
, what delayed because of the Ions
+ winded session of the morning, whic
did not adjourn until 1890.
i. The chief work of the conventio
at this session will be the election Q
# president and secretary. There wi
also be members chosen for the exc,
= utive committee for the state associs
tion.
:. Down to Two.
In the race for president the cand
n dates have narrowed down to two, q
though many dark horses may b
b. sprung upon the convention before
is over. John Mulqueen of Counc
& Bluffs is in the field. and is making
good canvass of the delegates, with
lr bright prospect at present of landin
the plum He is at present vice pre-
n ident of the association and has
large delegation from Council Bluff
Ia with him, who are working for the
favorite son.
b. Nat Stafford of Dubuque Is also
the race for president and many su
I'D porters rally around his standar
Stafford cards are to be seen mixr
er with the Mulqueen cards among IL
hundreds of delegates Stafford h,
N also a delegation from Dubuque WI
s 4. y. - - n ~.