The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1909-10-07
THREE coRnERED FIGHT
The Political Conference Friday Did
Not Result Much Toward the
Goal of Harmony.

AAAOAAy
Friday was presumed t be har-
mony day in Mitchell. when the pro-
gressive republicans assembled here
in answer to the call which had been
sent out from Huron by the commit
tee appointed at that time.
There was a good representation
OF the leaders of the progressive fac
ton present, some of the Richards
faction, and but very few, if any of
the staiwarts. Consequently it was
easy sailing for the progressives, eX-
cept for the short time in which the
Richard supporters occupied the at
tentlon CT the conference when they
tried to restore Aldrichism to the
resolutions, as they had been outlin-
ed at Huron.
When Mr.. Basford had read the
resolutions, upon which much work
mad been spent the night before. the
hrst disturbance arose when Webb,
OF DeadWood, sought to secure the
adoption of his resolution. The sense
OF the resolution was to place the
name of Senator Aldrich in connec-
ton with that of Speaker Cannon,
and make both an issue in the cam
palgn. The resolution further de-
manded that Senators Gamble and
Crawford align themselves with Sen
ator Cummins, of Iowa, Senator La
toilette OF Wisconsin, and other sem
ators OF the northwest who were all
the way opposed to the Aldrich meth
cd OF tariff revision, and the reso-
luton insisted that our senators
should not participate in any Aldrich
movement hereafter. Mr.. Webb said
he was at a loss to know why AL
drlchism had ceased to become an is
sue in South Dakota now when two
weeks ago at the Huron meeting the
Rhode Island senator was very much
In evidence as a menace to republi-
can policies of this state.
Hutchinson, of Huron, grew very
warm in his endorsement of the Webb
resolution, II insisted that the other
resolutions did not mean anything at
all, and he believed that the progress
slVes should make themselves heard.
He regarded the resolutions as being
IN the nature of a sugar coated pill
and wondered what the committee
meant by presenting anything SO
weak.
Glass, of Watertown, had his say
about the Aldrich omission and pour
ed out some vitiolic utterances as APP
piled to the Rhode Island statesman.
1t was evident that Glass was not in
good standing, and he received little
recognition on what he had to offer.
The Richards faction insisted that
the resolutions as presented by the
committee relieved Martin and Burke
OF the postotfice appointments and
the reference to Speaker Cannon en-
~barrassed them sufficiently, but that
Gamble and Crawford had been left
high and dry without touching on the
federal appointments which come un-
der their control, and the elimination
of Aldrich from the resolutions left
the two senators without anything of
an embarrassing nature. in fact rather
endorsed their action in voting so
often with Aldrich, which the Huron
convention so thoroughly condemned.
Attorney General Clark spoke with
much earnestness, IN favor. Of the re-
solutions in the strong hope that they
would be the means of producing
harmony in the party. It is believed
that Mr.. Clark is sincere in his eff
forts to produce harmony in the
ranks of the party, and he has re-
ceived more or less criticism in the
past six months from the leaders of
the ~progressives because OF his efforts
to bring 1t about.
The resolution presented by Webb
was finally voted down. and the
committees resolutions we're adopt
ed. The same committee was con-
tinued for the future to provide for
any contingency that might arise
which would need immediate action.
One resolution was left out of the
document presented by the committee
and 1t was to this effect: We favor
the enactment into law by the legis.
lature a civil service rule to apply
to the state government positions.
This was adopted and becomes a
part of the platform.
The Richards faction was recoR-
nized to the extent that a recommen-
dalton was made in the resolutions
deferring the selection of the post
matters to the party patrons for ap-
pointment.
The following are the resolutions:
The republicans assembled in open
conference at Mitchell, South Dako-
ia, October LIST, 1909, hereby pub
lish and declare the purpose of the
meeting and the principles sought to
be sustained.
This meeting is called for the pur-
pose of uniting the factions of our
party and 'reconciling differences
within the party so far as may be
possible, without surrender of these
fundamental principles that have
been enunciated by the Republican
state platforms of 1906 and 1908. We
here reatfirm these principles and APP
prove the wisdom manifested by the
members of the legislature in re-
deeming those platform pledges and
- ~ n I - - H. 49, - Aa. ~.