The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1916-04-13
EDITORIAL COMMENT

group of pro.Cummins followers
at Pierre insisted upon putting up
. hand picked delegation of their
own selecting. When it became
apparent that no compromise could
be made with this bunch the con-
ference was called.
Under the primary law it is i'm
possible to place an uninstructed
list of delegates on the primary
ballot and the only candidate for
president who is pushing his cam
didaoy in this state is Cummins.
While it is apparent that Hughes
is the popular candidate, his name
cannot be used in the primaries.
Under the circumstances therefore,
there seemed to be no objection to
listing the delegates under Cum
Minis name, as it is very apparent
that the impossibility of his getting
the nomination will be demonstra-
ted very early in the convention
proceedings, and the delegation
will then be at liberty to support
any other candidate that it may
see fit. The purpose therefore was
to get q list of delegates proposed
that would be representative of all
factions of the party.
The meeting was called to order
by Mr.. Burke who briefly stated
the purpose of the conference. Mr..
Burke has been charged with hav-
ing selfish motives, but he dispelled
all such notions by reiterating what
he said from the start, that be was
not a candidate and under no cir
cumstances would he accept place
on the delegation or a nomination
for national com mmltteeman. Com
mittees were appointed on reaolu
tions and on selection of list of
names to be proposed for delegates
and an adjournment taken until
three O'Clock.
During the intermission the
delegation committee got into com
munication with A. W. Ewert, Of
Pierre, manager of the Cummins
bureau, and he was informed that
the conference was ready to endorse
a compromise delegation, evenly
divided between the two factions of
the party, and in case of his refus-
al to accept such compromise 1t
meant fight and perhaps refer
ending of Che law.
The compromise plan was ac-
cepted by MIR. Ewert and list of
names was proposed by the com.
mittee, and the conference on reas-
sembling unanimously endorsed
them. The list is as fellows at
large: Senator Sterling, Gov.
Byrne, Ex.Gov. Herried and A. O
Ringsrud; first district :-Wm.
Hoese and Hans Demuth; second
district IS. Il. Elrod and Charles
Howard; third district I'll. G..
Stanley and S. e. Wilson.
The resolutions which we're una
nimously adopted, were largely de-
voted to the purpose of the confer
snce and the conditions which made
such conference necessary, A
resolution drawn by E. E. Wagner,
ex- United States Attorney, declar-
ing for modification of the pri-
mary law and restoring the conveL=
tion system Of making nominations
except in county affairs. is said to
have been proposed to some of the
members of the resolutions commit.
tee. but was not formally present.
ed to the committee. The con-
census of opinion was that such
resolution should be presented to
the regular state convention which
will be held in July, and was not
proper subject for consideration at
this informal conference.
A conference of this kind was
proposed last winter by Mr.. Burke
and had it been called then and the