Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 October 1902 — “ 'TWAS JUST AS EASY." [ARTICLE]

“ 'TWAS JUST AS EASY."

Republican County Chairman Nommated For Clerk On First Ballot. The “reassembled” republican county convention met here Tuesday to nominate a candidate for county clerk, or, as we suppose the Jasper county machine will now oall it, “clerk of the circuit court,” and everything went off as slick as grease, C. G. Warner, the chairman, being nominated on the first ballot. True, there were other aspirants, but they “cut no ice.” Everything had been fixed up to a nicety and the other fellows had nothing to do but look cheerful. The candidates were Charles C. Warner of Rensselaer, E. E. Pierson of Union tp., and W. R. Lee of McCoysburg. Only one ballot was necessary to show Pierson and Lee “where they were at.” Warner received 103 votes; Pierson 83; and Lee 16. Pierson, it will be remembered, defeated Warner for the nomination for clerk four years ago, and it is said by many republicans that the latter could not get the nomination at a regular county convention. This year Warner, as county chairman, had all the machinery in his hands, and it was now or never so far as getting this coveted nomination was concerned. Of course, the ringsters make the claim that there is, no doubt, an error in the act of the legislature in fixing the time for the beginning of the term of the various county officers, which extends the present term of our present clerk until after the election in 1904. This, they say, would make it necessary to elect this fall. We doubt if there is one of the leaders of the party here that really believes the law is bad, but here was a chance to give Warner a cinch on the nomination two years hence, for, if nominated now and the law is held good, then this election would ampunt to nothing, but it would give him a pretty sure shot for the nomination again in 1904. Here was the meat in the kernel, and the ringsters took advantage of it.

The present nomination amounts to nothing except as a leiu on the nomination in 1904. The whole thing was cut and dried before it was decided to recall the convention, and the plans worked to a nicety. The loading down of the ticket, however, with still another Rensselaer candidate has caused several of the more sensible members of the party to tremble with fear. It is a well known fact that the little cotere here proposes to gobble up everything in sight, and the addition of another SISOO office is not likely to change this opinion in the least. We presume the “nominee” will be “elected” by a rousing “majority,” as the democrats have no ax to grind and will stand by the statute, which says, in effect, that no clerk is to be elected here this fall. In 1904 we will have a candidate in the field in opposition to Mr. Warner, if the scheme works and he is again nominated for this office.