Rensselaer Republican, Volume 18, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 July 1886 — The Senatorial Convention [ARTICLE]

The Senatorial Convention

i The Senatorial convention at (1 < >od 1a n dlast Thursday,wa sw i 111 - out doubt, one of tin- most ing political contests ever held in the district. 'Three excellent mid sdeffirviTi'g "Tnen were seeking the nbmimitio’is; and the contest was made especially iuterfsting ■ from tile fact tlmt .one of the candidates was a man of most remarkable and deserved personal jjopularity, and another a man of most exceptional abilities and peculiar intellectual fitness for tire duties of the office for which lie was seeking the nomination. It was seen long before the convention, that the tsmS test lay between the two men above, alluded' to, and the fri«-n« Is of each were i>resent in large numbers at the convention, io watch the progress of the battle, and,say a good word for the man of their choice when the opportunity oilen-d. ■ But'.although-it was a sharply contested Battle, It was at the same time, an entirely elderly, good-natured and„iionor-

ab’.e one. The convention was called to order by M. F. Chilcote, chairman of the Jasper county central committee, and Col. D. E. Streight, of Benjo-h county made temporary chairman aud Dr. J. A. Hatch, of of Newton county, temporary secretary. The following committees ave+e- appointed. On Organization:— „ . I’. I'. Jot:n>on, of Ucatr.n county, J. F. Johnson of Newton county, B. R. Faris, of,Jasper county. On credentials:,—

Hon. W. W. Gilman and Z. F. Little, of Newton county. T. L. Merrick and J. W. Freeman, of Benton. S . . _ r _ Hon. E. P. Hammond and Dr. M. B. Alter, of Jasper. On Organization : - , ' D. Fraser and 11. U. Bugbee, of Ben- ■ - ; - i. ’ • - ■ --- James Sheets and J. M. Wasson, of Jasper. J, K. JUyers and D. M. Graves, of Newton county. The convention then adjourned till after dinner, and upon re-as-seinbling the committee on organization recommended Hon. W. W. Gillam for permanent chairman, Dr. J. A. Hatch for secretary, and T. L. Merrick and D. H. Guild for assistant secretaries. The committees on credentials reported that there, were 80 delegates’ present. The committee on order of business reported rules governing the proceeding of the convention. When nominations fivere called for, B. F. Johnson presented the name of W. H. Dague: Judge E. P. Hammond that of S. P. Thompson and Goo. G. Jenkins that of Chas. W. Hartley. The first ballot was then taken •with the following result: Thompson 36. Hartley,29. Dagye....... 15. The whole number of votes cast was 80, thus making 41necessary to a choice. The fact that Mr. Dague received less than half the votes of his county shows how completely county lives were ignored in the convention. v The second ballot resulted as follows: . Thompson .38. Hartley’3s. Dague,.... 7. Although this ballot came within three votes of nominating Thompson it nover-the-less produced a profound feeling of uu-easiness-amongmany of his friends. Of the 8 votes which had . forsaken Dague after the first ballot 6 had gone to H artley and only 2 to Thompson. If the remaining seven Dague men should divide in the way and as near as might be in the same proportions on the third . ballot, the result would have been a tie. That was not to be the result however, for when the votes of the third ballot were coufited they gave the following result: Thompson..... .41. Hartley .34. Dague 4. One vote was thrown out of this ballot for some irregularity. Beports are contradictory as to whom it was intended for, but the point is of no consequence, as Mr. Thompson had enough to nominate him, , without regard to the thrown out vote. The chairman declared Mr. Thompson the nominee of the convention and Mr. Dague in a very graceful manner moved that the nomination be made unanimous, which motion was carried without a dissenting vote. • ...