The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1910-05-26
Local Republican Leaders
Forced to Switch Delegated
Convention in Order to
Control Meeting.
The Convention Called to Meet at
Bonnie Terre Last Saturday Re
veals Bitterness Existing Be-
tween Local Republican
Factions.
BONNIE TERRE, Mo-, MAY ~.

"A panic for a while at the Republic
can Convention which met here last
Saturday under the GILL of County
Chairman II. ID. Evans, to fix up n
slate to be voted for at the primary
election and to elbow others out of
the race who might have a longing
to sit at the pie counter and put in
claim ut the primary for nomina-
ton on the ticket. A week before
the convention was to meet the Re-
publicans of Flat River, Esther and
East Elvins held a mass meeting to
select delegates to the county con-
vention called by Chairman Evans.
1t appears that the Insurgents, who
designate as "bosses" the local
leaders who have so long fixed up
the party tickets, were in control of
the Flat River meeting and selected
"A delegation that was not in sym
pathy with former boss methods ,
with Heber Nations, editor of The
Voice Of the People, as one of the
delegation and its recognized spokes-
man.
II was rumored that Pennington
and other big precincts contem-
plated similar action. This set the
puisant leaders to thinking, and II
is reported that Committeeman
James j. Croke, whom they have
slated for the big slice Of pie labeled
Collector, hurried to St. Francois
township and advised the "regu-
lars" that it was not necessary to
elect delegates-that ALL Republic
cans could participate In the con-
vention. This move was expected
To bring to Bonnie Terre-which 1t
did-the automobile crowd and to
leave the clod-hoppers at home, and
TO give the old party leaders n cinch
on the leading strings.
When the convention assembled
it appeared that Flat River had sent
the only delegation that was accred-
tied in accordance with the call of
the county chairman, and, if the
call were strictly construed, no one
else present was entitled 20 partici.
pate in the proceedings. Excited
and hurried consultations among
the old leaders delayed the opening
of the meeting for some time, and
when the house was finally called to
order, the Flat River delegation,
through its spokesman. young Ma
tions, insisted on knowing whether
the county chairman would hold a
delegate convention pursuant to his
call, or whether the bosses were
afraid of such n convention and
would therefore compel him to
change it to n mass meeting" or
words to that effect. This hot shot
seemed to hit the bulls eye, and
Chairman Evans, hemmed and
hawed and hesitated, but Flat River,
seeing signs of a big roller move
ment, insisted on an answer In a
way that would not be put off. So
the chairman, in order to take the
control of the meeting out OF the
hands Of the Insurgents, ruled that
it would be mass meeting.
This was Knockout No. l for the
Insurgents, but they were full OF
fight and stuck to their guns and
made the proceedings pretty lurid.
Young Nations appeared rather to
enjoy scrap and showed metal that
marked him as thoroughbred poll
tician. My word for it, that young
fellow Is going to make trouble yet
for the local bosses. During the
proceedings the venerable John
Marshall, who held the Bonnie
Terre post-Ofiice until he "feathered
his nest" pretty well, thought he'd
squelch young Nations and his in
surgents by shouting in key of up
per G: II want to ask Mr.. Nations
whether he is publishing regular
Republican paper?" This was like
throwing stone into IA hornets
nest. Have you ever engaged in
that exhilarating pastime? If so
you know the result. No sooner
had the last word of the inquiry
passed Mr.. Marshall's lips, than
the athletic form of young Nations
lowered up and he retorted that "the
inquiry gave him an opportunity to
discuss Republican newspapers in
the county and to say some things
that would certainly prove interest.
ing to the meeting" At this re.
mark Harry Denman of The Farm.
ington News seemed to shrink down
in his chair as II he'd rather not
make himself too conspicuous.
Young Nations proceeded to say
that he supposed the inquiry was
inspired because of n series of arti-
i 4 4