The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1908-06-25
Splendid Ticket Selected
Biennial Convention of Somerset
Republicans.

O1eaI interest S0OWn. n LlSt OF NOml-
nees to Call for Approval Of Entire
Party.
The unusual interest in the Repub-
lican Convention of the present year
was evidenced in various ways, one
of which was the disposition of del
egates as well as the candidates and
their friends to be on hand early, the
arrivals on Monday, the day previous
to the convention, breaking all re-
cords in this respect. Monday after
noon and evening was busy time for
all concerned and the aspirants for
official honors and the measures to be
endorsed by the platform were alike
given most thorough discussion, the
hotel Hobbies and corridors being filled
with prominent citizens from all
parts of the county until late hour.
Few could be found who were willing
to risk their regulations as prophets
by predicting what the action of the
convention would be. The multipli-
city of candidates for many of the
officers and the unusually even bal
ancing of forces between most of
them made it impossible for even the
veterans of many preceding conven-
lions to pick the winners.
The delegates assembled at Grange
Hall at ten O'Clock on Tuesday morn
ing and, as was developed later by
the report of the committee on
credentials, no town or plantation
failed to be represented by every
delegate to which it was entitled.
The convention was called to order
by DR.. L. A. Dascombe, and prayer
was offered by the Rev. DR.. Fred A.
Leitch, pastor of the Centenary
Methodist Church of Skowhegan,
Leslie E. Jacobs of Skowhegan, sec
rotary of the County Committee,
then read the call. DR.. Dascombe
then announced, on behalf of the
County Committee, that George W.
Cover, ESQ.,, of Skowhegan would
serve as temporary chairman and
that E. E. McNeelie of Skowhegan,
l.. O, Haskell of Pittsfield and Harry
c. Prince of Madison would be the
temporary secretaries. This organi-
cation was subsequently made per-
manent by vote of the convention.
In taking the chairsMr. Cover gave
fifteen minute address in which he
reviewed the record of the Repub-
lican party in the various affairs of
government, including also the two
prominent issues of temperance and
taxation, comparing its achievements
with the performances of its Demo
cratic opponents, greatly 10 the dis
advantage of the latter.
AT the close of Mr.. Covers address
the county committee having been
constituted a committee on creden-
tials, it was voted that the chair APP
point a committee on resolutions,
and by this vote DR.. f. j. Taylor of
Scion and Hon. Geo. T. Tibbitts of
Fairfield were charged with the re-
sponsibility of drafting a set of reso-
buttons for the consideration of the
convention.
At this point, Hon. Augustine Sim
mons of Arson called the attention
of the convention to the fact that
there was present in the hall, gen
tleman who was a delegate to the
first Republican convention ever held
in Somerset county, Mr.. Joseph At
kinson of North Arson. The chair
man at once invited Mr.. Atkinson to
the platform and that gentleman
addressed the convention by brief
remarks. He told of the formation of
the party, the members of which
were first called independents" and
of the first convention, held in the
town hall, on Water street in this
place, in 1856. Mr.. Atkinson told of
voting for the first candidate of the
party, John c. Fremont and declared
that, having voted for every presiden-
tial candidate of the Republican
party since that date, he hoped to
live to cast his ballot for Taft and
Sherman at the election in Novem-
Der.
THE NOMINATIoNs.
The preliminary work of the con-
vention having been disposed of, the
chairman announced that nomina-