HE second National Convention of the Socialist Party of America met at Brand's Hall, Clark and Erie Streets, Chicago, on Sunday, May 10, 1908, at 12:30 P. M. Morris Hillquit, of New York, was elected temporary chairman and Frederick Heath, of Wisconsin, temporary secretary. The Convention elected a Committee on Credentials and took a recess until 3:00 o'clock. On reassembling it was found that the Committee on Credentials was not ready with its report and the Convention proceeded to a consideration of the report of the Committee on Rules, which had been previously appointed by the National Committee. This report called for the election of a considerable number of committees to consider different questions connected with the growth of the Socialist movement. warm debate ensued as to whether some of these committees should not be dispensed with. The rules, as finally adopted, provided for the election of committees on Platform, Resolutions, Constitution, Women and Their Relation to the Socialist Party, Auditing, Ways and Means, Farmers' Program, Relations of Foreign Speaking Organizations, Trade Unions and Government by Commission. The report of the Committee on Credentials showed that no very serious contests had been brought before the Convention. A Nebraska Socialist protested against the seating of Victor Berger and Carl D. Thompson, of Wisconsin, and of John M. Work, of Iowa, on the grounds that they had violated the Constitution by interfering with the Nebraska organization. The committee advised the seating of these delegates and this portion of the report was adopted almost unanimously. Similar action was taken in the case of Delegates McDevitt, of California, and Goebel, of New Jersey, against whom protests were made. The cases of Nebraska and Washington were postponed for further consideration, but were later decided in favor of the delegates whose names appear in the list. The most important contest had to do with the Washington delegation. This was considered by the National Executive Committee at a special night session and its report was fully discussed at a session of the Convention at which Ray Hutchinson, representing the contestants, was allowed the floor and the Washington delegation was heard in reply. The conclusion reached by most of the delegates was that the Washington organization had for several years been weakened by internal dissension but that the trouble was nearly over and that only harm could be done by any interference in the affairs. of the state on the part of the National Organization. List of Delegates. The delegates who took part in the Convention were as follows: Alabama: Thos. W. Freeman, F. X. Waldhorst. Arkansas: Dan Hogan, E. W. Perrin, Wm. Penrose, J. Sam Jones, Wells Le Fevre, W. R. Snow. Arizona: Jos. D. Cannon, J. M. Morrison. California: W. S. Bradford, Wm. McDevitt, F. I. Wheat, G. W. Woodbey, H. C. Tuck, Josephine R. Cole, Mary F. Merrill, J. B. Osborne, Cloudsley Johns, Harry M. McKee, Kasper Bauer, Bertha W. Starkweather. Colorado: T. L. Buie, L. E. Floaten, Mila Tupper Maynard, Guy E. Miller. Connecticut: William Scheildge, Alfred W. Smith. Delaware: Frank Hauch. Florida: A. J. Pettigrew. Georgia: Max Wilke. Idaho: Ernest Untermann, E. L. Rigg, John Chenoweth. Illinois: John Collins, J. O. Bentall, B. Berlyn, Jas. H. Brower, G. T. Fraenkel, Gertrude B. Hunt, S. A. Knopfnagel, A. M. Lewis, Thos. J. Morgan, Charles H. Kerr, May Wood Simons, Seymour Stedman, E. E. Carr, A. M. Simons. Indiana: F. W. Strickland, S. M. Reynolds, Robin Dunbar, Otto Kunath. Iowa: Edw. J. Rohrer, Margret M. Brown, John M. Work, W. C. Hills, John E. Shank. Kansas: B. F. Wilson, J. E. Snyder, Erwin S. McAllister, Grace D. Brewer, Ludwig E. Katterfeld. Kentucky: Frank E. Seeds. Louisiana: Alex Hymes. Maine: Willis E. Pelsey. Maryland: H. Claude Lewis, Wm. A. Toole. Massachusetts: James F. Carey, C. C. Hitchcock, Antoinette Konikow. Dan White. Eliot White, Patrick Mahoney, Squire E. Putney, Harriet D'Orsey, George G. Cutting, Alva E. Fenton. Michigan: Guy H. Lockwood, Mrs. Etta Menton, Tom Hittunen, A. M. Stirton. Minnesota: L. D. Rose, Thos. J. Peach, M. Kaplan, J. G. Maattala, Elias Thorsett, Ester Nieminen, Jas. S. Ingalls, Guy Williams, Jules J. Anderson, John Macke. Missouri: William L. Garver, G. A. Hoehn, Wm. M. Brandt, Landers G. Pope, E. T. Behrens, P. H. Callery, Caleb Lipscomb. Montana: Jas. D. Graham, Ida Crouch Hazlett, Florence Westleder, Geo. Ambrose, John Price, Arthur P. Harvey, John Powers. Nebraska: G. C. Porter. Nevada: Grant Miller. New Hampshire: William H. Wilkins, Louis Arnstein. New Jersey: G. H. Goebel, H. R. Kearnes, W. B. Killingeck, Fred Krafft, G. H. Stroebel, J. M. Reilly. New Mexico: W. P. Metcalf. New York: U. Solomon, Jos. Wanhope, Morris Hillquit, Algernon Lee, Thos. J. Lewis, Henry L. Slobodin, Fred Paulitsch, Sol Fieldman, Robert Hunter, Ben Hanford, Julius Gerber, C. L. Furman, C. H. Vander Porten, Mark Peiser, John Spargo, W. E. Cole, Gustave Strebel, W. Fuhrman, August Klenke. North Carolina: .J. J. Quantz. North Dakota: F. S. Lampman, H. S. Anderson. Ohio: Marguerite Prevey, Isaac Cowan, Robert Bandlow, Fred Vautrin, Ellis O. Jones, E. J. Zeigler, E. L. Rodgers, Max Hayes, Thos. Devine. Oklahoma: John Hagel, O. F. Branstetter, C. C. Ross, G W. Davis, Winnie E. Branstetter, L. S. Edwards, C. H. Dome, Carrie C. Block, W. B. Reynolds, C. B. Boylan, J. G. Wills, F. P. O'Hare. Oregon: F. C. Varner, R. R. Ryan, C. W. Barzee, Mrs. Mollie Crabtree, B. F. Ramp. Pennsylvania: William Adams, Sam Clark, Joseph E. Cohen, George N. Cohen, Edwin W. Davis, Con F: Foley, James H. Maurer, Edward Moore, Robert B. Ringler, John W. Slayton, Fred L. Schwartz, Daniel Kissam Young, Louis Goagiou. Rhode Island: Fred Hurst. South Dakota: E. Francis Atwood, Freeman Knowles. Tennesse: Dr. Jos. E. Voss. Texas: Alice McFadin, H. L. A. Holman, W. J. Bell, Laura B Payne, Stanley J. Clark, M. A. Smith, W. W. Buchanan, J. C. Rhodes, J. C. Thompson. Utah: G. Syphers, Robert Leggett. |