Imperial Valley press., 1910-09-03

Tne Republican county convention held in El Centro last Saturday was composed of only about half the allot- ed number of delegates, many pre- cincts having failed to elect delegates. But few voters in any precinct paid any attention to the matter of sending representatives to the conventions, and the delegates chosen represented terest in the details of politics and realize the importance of controlling the party machinery
 A contest for control of the conven- | tion developed between the Progress | ives, or Lincoln Roosevelt Repubh- cans, and the debris of the beaten and discredited flag end of the old Espee machine that takes it's orders from San Diego bosslets. The contest was waged on the street corners before | the convention assembled, and John M. Eshleman led the fight against | further domination of political affairs to make profession of peanut poli- | tics and to constitute themselves bosses of the party. It was the | purpose of the little bosses to so control the convention as to place the conduct of the campaign in the hands of the faction that furtively opposed Eshlemans nomination for Railroad Commissioner and schemed to place Conkling upon the county ticket, and they had it framed up to send to the state convention delegates unfriendly to Eshleman.
 That the would-be bosslets took their orders from the old Hardy ma chine at San Diego, which is a part of the Herrin machine, was proved clearly at the primary election in I'm perial. The orders came over in the form of sample ballot" marked by the Espee bosses. It was San Diego ballot marked over in red ink to fit Imperial County, and the crosses were placed against the names of the Her rim Mccarthy candidates for State offices, including Theodore Summer land for Railroad Commissioner One of the drudges of the machine, an election officer, was caught distribut- ing this sample ballot" at the polls in violation of the election law and desisted only when threatened with arrest. He also circulated the falst story that Eshleman was opposing Mansfield. And this drudge of the bosslets was one of the men picked out by them for delegate to the state convention
 The machine debris lost the first trick in the temporary organization of the convention. F. M. Burger, a declared insurgent, was placed in tte chair and Winthrop Pier was made secretary. The following committees were appointed:
 Committee on Credentials -J. A Morrison, of Calexico; F. M. Shumake of Holtville; w. c. Horan, of Picacho 1 Committee on Platform and Resolu- tions-W B. Gibson, of Fl Centro; Frank Birkhauser of Brawley; Victor Sterling, of Imperial Committee on Permanent Organiza- tion-J E. Snow, of Magnolia; w. R Vanderpoel, of Silsbee; l.. A. Potter Of CaleXico.
 After recess the temporary organi- zation was made permanent, and a set of resolutions, in which the delegates appeared to take no interest, was adopted without discussion. The ] platform approves the administration of President Taft, thanks Congress for taking steps toward government control of the Colorado, endorses all the republican nominees for local off ces and pledges support to the state ticket fayors such amendments to the Bridgford Act as may be found neces-