The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-02-02
W00LEDGEIS
ATTACKED BY
J. E. CAMPBELL
Mandan Man. Named at Val
ley City Custer Meeting,
Issues a Statement
SAYS MAJORITY ACTED
Asserts Minot Man Was Dust.
ed us State Chairman by
Clear Majority
SAYS MAJORITY ACTED

Mandan, y. d., Feb 2.--Gaius S.
WoolcdCe Of Minot was ouSted by a
clear ajority Of the Democratic
state committee at the Valley City
conference called by Henry Holt,
sccretary--24 Of the 4G committee
men Of the state being present--it is
declared by J. f.. Campbell. elected
chairman to succeed Mr.. Woolcdgc,
in statement issued TO North Da-
kota Democrats today. Mr.. Camp
bells statement follows:
Mandan, North Dakota.
January 30, 1924.
To North Dakota Democrats:
AS the newly elected Chairman of
the Democratic State Central Com
mittec deem it my duty to set forth
for your information the following
facts touching upon recent action Of
the State Committee:
A meeting Of the State Comm. ttee
was held at Valley City January
25th. This meeting was called by
Secretary Henry Holt on demand of
It large number Of committeeman who
felt that they were entitled to have
Il meeting to consider plans for the
coming Presidential Primary Eioc-
ton. This meeting was attended by
twenty-four members, a clear ma
jority Of the forty-siX committeeman
elected in July, 1922, in spite of the
strenuous efforts of Mr.. Wooledge to
prevent the meeting being held. More
committeeman were present at the
Valley City meeting than were pres
cnt at Bismarck when Mr.. Woolcdge
was elected Chairman in September,
1929. At the Valley City meeting n
resolution was unanimously adopted
by rising vote deposing Mr.. Wool
edge as Chairman on account OF his
persistent refusal to allow the Com
mittee to meet. The whole twenty
four committeeman also refused to
accept the resignation rendered by
Secretary Henry Holt and passed a
resolution commencing his stand in
calling the meeting.
Ex-Chairman Wooledge is now
making a frantic appeal to Democrats
to come to Minot to bolster up his
local club meeting to be held there
on February 7tn. This local Minot
club was apparently organized and
dc signed to promote the candidacy
of II. II. Perry for National Commit
teeman. At one of its first meet
ings Il motion was carried to make
this endorsement for Perry. The
motion was made by man who ac-
lively opposed the candidacy of J. +
I. UConnor for governor in 1920, as
we'll as his candidacy for the United
States Senate in 1929, and who has
been openly known as an avowed
supporter OF NonPartisan League
candidates in the last three cam
paigns. EX-Chairman Wooledge
supported this motion and voted foI
the endorsement. He is now ranting
against endorsements being made by
Il majority of the State Committed
representing more than half the
counties of the State. Apparently he
thinks that he, through his local
club, has divine right to pick can
ddates for the whole State. Nay
more, the State Committee had no
right to meet unless he said so, and
the place of meeting must have the
proper local color, that is, the meet
ing must be held under the auspices
of the Wooledge- Perry club at Minot
And now he eXpounds the sanctity
of the Primary Election Law which
he by his vote in his local club six
weeks ago attempted to nullify. be-
lieve every real Democrat in the
State will resent such high-harded
procedure in the interest of any
candidate.
Ex-Chairman Wooledge, Mr.. Perry
and Mr.. Duis have been busy writ.
ing Democrats about the necessity
of harmony. When Wooledge and
Perry met at Minot over a year age
and picked in secret conference ar
executive committee" what kind OF
harmony were they seeking for the
Democratic party? When Wooledge
>last month in his local Minot club
voted to endorse H. II. Perry fol
National Committeeman, thus at
tempting to force the State Commit
tee, if it ever had a meeting, to fol
low his examples, what kind of har.
mony was he seeking for the Demo
cratic party? When he refused tc
call meeting of the State Commit.
tee and after it was called at Valley
City, issued his famous "Verboten'
proclamation, forbidding any one
from attending a meeting where he
was not present, what sort OF har.
mony was he working for? do not
lay claim to any unusual intelligence
but do insist that these various
acts clearly show that the only kind
of harmony these men are working
for is the kind that will allow them
to control the Federal patronage if
we elect a Democratic president. As
Democrat who has supported Dem
ocrats for almost half century,
ann not willing to accept that plan
of harmony.
will not insult your intelligence
as Ex- Chairman Wooledge has done
by advising you that you must not
attend any meeting where ! am not
present. In the performance of du-
ties as Chairman I do not plan to
{ use the "Verboten" code in my deal
ings with Democrats. think any
Democrat has right to attend any
meeting he wishes at any place. Per-
sonally shall not attend the Minot
meeting, first, because | do not think
any local meeting anywhere has the
right to attempt to force candidates
upon the whole State. The act OF
the Ex-C Chairman in voting for the
endorsement Of Perry long before
the State COMMITTEES could meet
followed by his refusal to call the