Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1910-10-28

ISMS5NNI at Granite was a big-barn-
GAA like building, frequently
used for church and school entertain
ments, and occasionally giving TEN.
porary home to some struggling the
atrical company. For the holding Of
the convention which was to name
the Governor of the Mountain State a
feeble attempt at decorating the vast
interior had been made by Conovers
State chairman.
There was the usual noise and
tramping of feet and clamoring of
brass bands, the customary rabble Of
uniformed campaign clubs with their
gaudy banners and pompous drum
majors about the hall and in 1t, for
an hour before the time that had been
set for the calling of the convention.
Here, there and everywhere circu-
lated busy lieutenants of Boss Con-
over. Their master, with little CO.
terie of chosen lieutenants moved
early into his headquarters In one of
the rooms at the rear of the stage,
where he sat like some wise old spider
in the heart of his Web sending out
his under-strappers
Conover felt calmly confident of the
result. Even had Standish been the
choice of a majority of the people in
all eight counties of the State 1t
would have availed him little for
through the routine tricks whereof the
Railroader was past master, his young
opponent was at the last able to con-
troll the votes Of but two counties
Matawan and Wills.
Standish's contesting delegates from
the other six counties sat sullen and
grim in the gallery. Fraudulent Con-
over delegates, who had usurped the
formers places by the various ruses
so successfully put into action at the
caucuses, held the credentials and
occupied the seats belonging by rights
to the Leaguers on the floor of the
Convention Hall. There the Machine
delegates smilingly sat awaiting the
moment when they should name their
Boss as candidate for Governor.
From the seats of the usurpers there
went up merry howl of derision as
Standish's two little blocks of dele
gates from Matawan and Wills
marched in and took their places well
down in front where they formed a
pitifully small oasis among the Con-
over delegates from Bowden, Carney,
Haldane, Jericho, Sparta and Pomp-
ton counties.
There was no cheering by the Stan
dish delegates on the floor of the con.
vention. Nine out of ten knew that it
was practically hopeless fight into
which they were about to plunge.
Karl Ansel, with an inscrutable
grin on his long, leathery face, might
have sat for picture of typical
poker player, as he slipped into his
place at the head of the Wills County
delegation.
Standish was nowhere in sight. Fol.
lowing the ordinary laws of campaign
etiquette. he did not show himself be-
fore the delegates in advance of the
nomination; but, like Conover, sat in
temporary headquarters behind the
stage. About him were little knot
of Civic Leaguers. One and all they
were Jobs comforters, for they knew
1t would take miracle now to snatch
the nomination from the Railroader's
grip.
Promptly at twelve O'Clock Shevlin,
In his newly acquired capacity of
State Chairman, called the convention
to order. He had judiciously dis.
shouters where they would do the
most good. They cheered when he
named the secretaries and assistant
secretaries who would act until the
permanent organization had been ef