Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-08-08
STEAM ROLLER? CERTAINLY NOT

It was announced in advance that
there would be no steam roller at the
Moosevelt or Roosebolt convention
this week. News accounts Of the ILL
nois state boiling convention
Saturday show that this an
nouncement was correct. There
win not be any need of steam
roller inside, for those who gain ad-
mittance will have to give proof that
they will stand hitched and take what
they get without murmur. The steps
taken by the Bull Moose leaders Sat
urday In preventing opposition to the
third state ticket plans in the state
convention indicate that the plan In
operation is to have a strong arm
crew outside the doors do the work
instead Of a steam roller inside. The
following dispatches dealing with
Saturdays state convention in Illinois
are Illuminating:
Before the delegates entered the
hall they were required to renew their
pledge to support a third ticket.
Practically all who were not willing to
do 20 refrained from attempting to
take seats. While many of the down
state delegates were opposed to a
third ticket, they indicated their IN
tention to support it.
TIE pledge signed by all the dele
gates read:
eve. the undersigned, hereby sub
scribe to the calls for the national
and state progressive party conven-
tions and pledge ourselves to support
IN the election next November the can
didates of the progressive party IN
atate and nation and the platform
adopted by the party in state and ma
tional convention assembled"
The issue in Illinois, it Will be re-
membered. was whether new third
ticket should be named in the state
n imposition to the ticket headed by
nanaen nominated at the primary
MANY of the county conventions sent
delegates to Chicago instructed to OPP
nae the third ticket. In this matter,
Of course, the people ruled with re-
varsa English) and, regardless OF the
sentiment in their home communities,
these delegates we're compelled to sign
q ,nledge supporting the third ticket,
demanded by Roosevelt, or cool their
baaIs outside the convention hall. One
delerate evidently got past the huskies
an the doors, because the news &C
IN the recommendation Of the ere
dantials committee, the convention
threw out John F. Conrad of Will
county, q delegate who refused to
sign the pledge, and David NOR
rison was seated in the place OF tne
ousted delegate.
There would have been more work
FOR the strong arm workers at the
door and the credentials committee IN
side. but the state committee was on
the lob before the convention opened
as indicated in the following para
graph:
The Williamson county delegation,
which was thrown out by the state
committee on Friday because its mem
hers had not signed the pledge, did
not nut in an appearance before the
credentials committee.
If would be interesting to know just
how much reliance the members OF
the Williamson county delegation
placed in the statement OF the Moose
leaders that there was no steam roller
In the Roosebolt convention.
In anoher paragraph Of the news
dispatches there is evidence that the
convention had it in for the doctors,
for we read:
Dr. Thomas A. Russell, a delegate
from the twentieth ward OF Chicago.
was elected bodily from the hall when
he made objection to the report Of
the rules committee.
Dr. John Doyle of Springfield was
forcibly elected from the convention
hall after creating disturbance on
the speakers platform. Attempts on
the pass os his friends to quiet him