Jasper County Democrat, Volume 15, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 August 1912 — JOHN O. BOWERS NOMINATED [ARTICLE]

JOHN O. BOWERS NOMINATED

By Progressives for Congress—J. G. Brown, Senator, Rev. Martin, Representative. The. Progressive conventions held in Rensselaer Wednesday were well attended and for both enthusiasm and attendance compared well with any previous conventions of any party ever held in this district. The trains from both south and north brought in large numbers *of delegates and fans, and all the conventions were well attended and enthusiastic. , The senatorial and representative conventions were held in the Theater shortly before noon, and as it had become apparent that the theater was of in-

suffiieient capacity to hold the crowd )for the congressional convention in the afternoon, it was announced that the latter would be held in the opera house, * ■ At the senatorial and representative convention John Brown, o? Monon, the present republican representative, was nominated, and Rev. A. L. Martin, of Monticeilo, a Christian preacher, was nominated for representative. Mr. Brown, it had been expected by the stand-patters, " would be their nominee for representative again but he informed them a few days ago that he had gone over to the Bull Moosers and would not permit his name to go before the eQand-pat representative convention.- . ' Both nominations were by acclimation. Dr. H. J. Kannal was chairman and J. H Chapman secretary of the conventions. The congressional convention w T hich met after dinner in the opera house was largely attended and enthusiasm ran riot. Horace G. Stilwell of Anderson, vice-state chairman of the Bull Moosers, and an able man, made a fine speech from the B. M. standpoint and his remarks were frequently interrupted by vigorous applause. Mr. Stilwell urged the nomination of a county ticket in every county in the district and gave very logical reasons why such tickets should be put up. He made a number of mighty good 'hits against the old party organization, among which was this: The republican party for a number of years, he said, had been composed of robbers and rpbbees. Most of the robbees bad now left it and organized the Progressive party. And, he said, when the robbers find tii&L', the victims have all left their party they, too,-will leave and come over to the new party, and it was incumbent on the latter to see to it that everything was securel> clamped down w T hen they came so that there would be nothing lying around loose fQ» them to steal. That is, that the new party entrench itself by right principles and rules of action so firmly that the pirates, as he called them, would not be able to overthrow their principles and plunder the people of the new party as they had plundered the old. Stilwell is a good talker and he made a rattling good speech, from the Progressive standpoint, of course. „

While the committees were getting ready to report Hon. Jesse E. Wilson, of Hammond, was called on and made a little talk, and asked the indulgence of the audience while he read his “confession of faith,” \as he called it, a copy of which he had mailed to the county chairmen of Lake and Jasper. Mr. Wilson had evidently given thfe considerable thought and the “confession” was a very able document in which he set® out his views and gave his reasons for leaving the old party organization. Some little friendly strife resulted over" the adoption of the report of the committee on permanent organization and business, wherein it was recommended that the full voting strength of a county be cast | regardless of the number of delegates present. Mr. Hapgocd of Tipuecarioe urged that the party start out right by permitting only the voting strength present to vote. After considerable discussion, however, the proposition to limit the vote to the actual delegates present was voted down. The committee recommended that the temporary officers be the officers of the convention, M. B. Beard, of Wolcott, chairman, and C. E. Newton, of Monticeilo, secretary.

On call for nomination, Lake county, by Hon. Jesse E. Wilson, presented the name of John O. Bowers of Gary, former referee in bankruptcy for this district, which was seconded by White county, and Ithere being no other nomination Bowers was nominated by acclimation. It had been generally understood that Mr. Wilson himself would be the nominee, but the big Bull Moosers, who were on the .ground Tuesday night, had evidently canvassed the situation and it was apparent; that an agreement! had been reached ai! around whereby Bowers was to be the nominee. „ After the nomination Mr. Bowers was called on and went on the stage and thanked the conven-

tion for the nomination and said he should make an active campaign for election.