Weekly journal-miner., 1910-08-24
From Wednesdays Daily)

when the 'steam roller was put Tn motion, last Saturday, at the Re- publican Convention, and backed up for repairs, it was like the sound of a gentle sephyr as compared with the roar of the Crock crusher" which was heard yesterday at the Demo- cratic convention, when the machine was placed in operation.
 It did its work well. Not a cog slipped and into the hopper went many political hopes which came out crushed almost beyond recognition. Among the fragments were recognized the political remains of Hon. J. F. | Wilson, Hon. Geo. D. Morris, Hon. M. G. Burns and Hon. H. T. Andrews, all of whom in the past have been sturdy and valiant workers on the machine, but unfortunately were pushed into the hopper.
 The apparatus had been given a !! preliminary test the evening before, to ascertain if it were in working order. Two caueuses were held-one | in the Lawler block and the other in the office of Assistant District At I torney O'Sullivan. At that time the friends of Judge J. J. Hawkins en- deavored to arrange matters amicably ! to the end that he might be se- lected as the chairman of the Con- l. vention, but the Judge was crowded 1. into the hopper, and despite his bulk, : the "erusher" handled him success i fully, without injuring a single part ! of its powerful mechanism. As ne dropped into the big msw, Henry F. ; Ashurst, it is said, stretched forth a hand to save him, but the effort , was sadly too late. It is said that some of the victims may revive, and as soon as their strength is regain ed, endeavor to gain possession of the much-eoveted Crock crusher," for it is considered a valuable, even though dangerous, asset of the Dem- Oeratic party.
 Opening Proceedings.
 The Convention was called to or der in the Elks theater by J. H. Robinson, chairman of the County Central Committee, with George D. | Morris as secretary.
 Chairman Robinson invited Demo- cratic National Committeeman Selim Nicholson to take a seat on the platform, and J. P. Dillon and A. A. Johns were appointed a committee to escort him to the platform.
 Nominations for temporary chair man being declared in order, P. W. O'Sullivan nominated Henry F. Ash urst, seconded by Ben F. Rybon of McCabe. James O'Brien of McCabe moved that the nominations close, and Ashurst was unanimously elect ed temporary chairman. J. I. Gard ner and James O'Brien were appoint ed a committee to escort Asnurst to the platform, and they performed that urbane duty with glowing pride.
 MT. Ashurst, upon taking posses sion of the stage, thanked his fellow patriots with the courtly grace of a Chesterfield for the honor conferred upon him, and never confessed that he was surprised at the sudden dls- tinction thrust upon him. Immedi- ately he broke forth into a disser- tation upon the doctrines and du- ties of the Democratic party and his eloquence fairly shook the rafters. Among the glittering phrases he used were: "Under the direct primary, no longer will the Senatorship be on the bargain counter.
 ''The Democratic party is coming back to power to regenerate the na- tion. Under its rule, brains and in tegrity, instead of wealth, will be the measure of esteem."
 At proper intervals the speaker was deservedly applauded, for his re- marks were both pungent and py- rotechnic and his rhetoric as polished 1 and scintillating as a gem.
 Nominations for secretary were then in order, and William Stephens was nominated by J. H. Robinson, and elected. c. O. Case was unani- mously chosen as assistant secretary
 Appointment of Committees
 Thus far the proceedings had been ominously harmonious, with not al rift in the lute, but the harmony proved to be of the cat-and-canary variety. The feline had been purring up to this time, but now she un- sheathed her claws when J. E. Rus sell moved that the chair appoint a committee of eleven on Credentials. Judge Hawkins declared that such a