The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1910-06-10
GRAY
Unanimously Nominated For
State Senator
By The Democrats OF The
l7.2SssJOint District
Held At MillefSburg On
Tuesday Afternoon
Knox County Delegation
Present ID Full Force
AMI. PLAYED A Prominent Part
In The Proceedings

After all, the Democratic senatorial
convention at Millersburg Tuesday af-
ternoon was a very harmonious affair
OF course there had to be some
fighting done to secure the ultimate
harmonious result, but the harmony
was obtained just the same, and ev-
erybody departed from the conven-
tion hall happy-or near happy.
The efforts of State Senator John
M. Thompson of Mt. Gilead and Co
lumbus, especially of Columbus, with
plenty of assistance from the last
named place, to control the conven-
ton and secure the nomination
of a candidate against the mani
fest and expressed sentiment of the
Democrats of Holmes county (whose
turn it was under the rule of rotation
to name the candidate) or secure the
the nomination for Thompson him
SELF signally failed through the
adroitness of the Knox county dele
cation
After an exceedingly hot fight in
the Holmes county convention some
two weeks ago over the endorsement
for the nomination for state senator,
Wells d. Gray of Glenmont won out
by clean majority established on
two votes by ballot.
In few days it was announced that
the right of the Gray delegates to sit
=. in the senatorial convention would be
contested, and it soon became known
that Thompson was back of the move
ment, and for apparent reasons.
Then Thompson attempted to get
busy in Knox county, but his several
visits here before and on convention
day last Saturday, were without avail
as delegation solidly against the m
terests represented by him was chos-
en-.
OF the 43 delegates from Knox coun.
ty, 81 went to Millersburg. There al
so went more than enough alternates
to make complete delegation. That
was the answer of Knox county Dem
oorats to Thompson.
When the Knox county delegates
arrived in Millersburg it was very ev-
ident that they were there to get re-
suits and they soon got busy. The
Knox delegates caucused the first
thing.
Knox County Caucus
The Knox county delegates went
Immediately to the court house where
they held a caucus in the probate
judges office. Judge c. e. Critch-
field was made chairman and Jas. A
Schaeffer secretary. They chose one
member on each of the usual four con-
vention committees.
Later on it was revealed that quite
an advantage would accrue by having
the committee on credentials made up
of two members from each county
and the Knox county delegates at
once determined to make fight just
as soon as the convention organized
for the appointment of two from each
county on each committee. The OBJ
iect of this movement can readily be
understood when it is stated that the
real fight for mastery in the situation
was to be before the committee on
credentials.
Convention Opens
1t was not long after one o'clock
the hour set for the opening OF the
convention, that Hon. Lewis B. Houck
chairman of the senatorial committee
called the convention to order and an
nounced the temporary organization
as being John NJ Thompson for chair
man and Chas. L. Bermont for secre
tary. When the senatorial committee
met to issue the call for the conven
ton the customary courtesy was ex
tended to the incumbent of the Office
of state senator of making him the
temporary chairman.
The Fight Begins
AS soon as Chairman Thompson hat
concluded a short speech, Columbus
Ewalt of Knox and delegates from
other counties were on their feet de
manding recognition. Ewalt was thu
most persistent and was recognized
He made motion for the appointment
of four committees-cre rule
and order of business, permanent OF