The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1916-05-26
ELDER is MADE NATIONAL
DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEEMAN
Many Prominent Names Among Dele
gates to St. Louis Conventions;
Lively Word Battles End
In Harmony
NJ. j. KERR RAN SECOND
in THE MAIN EVENT

The Democratic state convention
opened at Pocatello, Thursday, May
1S, in McNicholas & Wright hall and
things began to happen right away.
One wing known as the Nugent fac
tion proposed that A. G. Hindman, Of
Boise, be made temporary chairman.
M. J. Kerr, of Fremont county was
nominated and won by close vote.
Mr.. Kerr is big sheep man and q
thoro Democrat. His speech made q
resounding hit with the convention,
emphasizing as it did the highly re-
sponsible position of Democratic
leaders in these times of stress. After
some committee appointing and fur
ther talking it was decided to ad-
journ till Friday morning to give the
credentials committee time to COM
plete their task.
The Unit Rule Makes Trouble
While the Elder forces were mar
shalling for the tussle, Bert Miller,
brought up the accusation that four
out of 18 members of the county CEN
trail committee in Fremont had got
together and dictated the unit rule,
so that the people were not generally
represented. Robert Tschudy, Of
Bannock county, took a hand at this
point and strongly seconded Mr.. Mil
ler's views. He was supported by
Chairman Peck, who also stated that
Mr.. Fisher had no proper authority
to represent Bannock Democrats, be-
cause he had merely gathered q
couple of handfulls of proxies. Fish
er came back and the dispute went
merrily on.
National Delegates Easily Picked
The credentials committee reported
satisfactorily to the convention and
selection Of delegates to the St.
Louis convention followed. There
arose no difficulty in this, excepting
the fact that 19 delegates were chos-
en- to carry instructed votes to that
convention, when the organization
provided for only 16. Each delegate
will be principal without alternate
and with half vote.
Delegates at Large
Governor Alexander, former Gov
enor Hawley, former Senator Perky
and Mr.. Pence were made delegates
at-large.
Big Battle Next
George Weeks opened the contest
for national committeeman by max
ing a good talk in favor of Elder.
He said few flattering things about
Pocatello which did not fail to have
their natural effect. The supporters
of other nominees then brought up
their attack upon the unit rule sys-
tenn and there came several mighty
clashes between tn Democratic fac
tions. Somebody moved that the
unit rule be abrogated. Mr.. Nugent
quickly plastered the motion with an
amendment that it be tabled, and the
amendment carried. And soon there
after Robert II. Elder was elected
national committeeman, with Kerr
second, Bowen third, James fourth
and Ensign fifth.
The convention results are:
Democratic national committeeman
Robert H. Elder, Kootenai county;
delegates to Democratic national con-
vention at st. Louis: Governor Alex
ander, former Governor James H.
Hawley, former United States Sena-
tor K. /. Perky; Democratic state
chairman, ]. T. Pence; M. J. Kerr,
chairman of the concluding Demo-
cratic state convention; Beacher
Hitchcock, Bonner county; w. A.
Coughanor, Canyon county; j. b.
Hit, Cassia county; j. M. Clark, Lin
coin county; d. G. briggs, Teton
county; Abner G. Kearns, Shoshone
county; David Lowry, Lewis county;
J. w. Tanner, Twin Falls county;
David l.. Evans, Oneida county;
Arthur w. Holden, Bonneville county
Clay Vance, Custer county; B. O.
Clark, Gem county; Fred w. Rothas,
Bannock county; Teresa M. Graham,
of Couer d'Alene.