Page:History of Goodhue County, Minnesota.djvu/157

HISTORY OF GOODHUE COUNTY 111 •candidate. There was a tie vote, both men claimed the right to the chair and both assumed to preside. One of them sat upon one side of the table and the other one sat upon the other side. When a motion was submitted — and any number of motions were made — both men w r ould 'put the question.' Party feeling ran high, and extended outside of the hall in which the board held its sessions. A fight was expected and 'Deacon' DeKay, w T ho was deputy sheriff at the time, was directed by his superior officer to 'take up a position' in the supervisors' room and preserve order at all hazards, even if it took the last man and the last dollar in the baliwick. He obeyed orders, and for two or three days maintained a position between the two chairmen ; but the fight didn 't ' come off. ' The troubled waters were finally quieted by the giving way of J. G. Brown, of Wanamingo, who came over to the support of Mr. Chandler, making a rousing speech in explanation of his action. A record of those turbulous days, w r ith the motions, explanations, etc., covers several pages of the journal and makes rather humorous reading." Of these same days, another writer, who was present at this meeting says: "The facts, briefly, are these: At the first meet- ing of the county board in July, referred to, S. P. Chandler was chosen chairman and acted as such, without any sign of opposi- tion from any one. The annual meeting of the board was fixed by law on the second Monday in September, and the board adjourned to meet at that time. The board so met, and it was the understanding of the entire board that at this annual meeting a new r election of officers should take place. Accordingly the board proceeded to the election of a chairman, and I. C. Stearns was elected by nearly, if not quite, a two-thirds majority. He took the chair without any opposition, and a large amount of business was transacted at that forenoon session. During the adjournment of two hours for the afternoon session the matter was taken up in town, and it was the opinion of the lawyers that the new election of officers was illegal, and that the officers elected at the first meeting held over for the ensuing year. S. P. Chandler was advised by them to again assume the chair and claim his right as chairman. So at the commencement of the afternoon session both officers called the meeting to order simul- taneously and both put motions as they were made and seconded. This, however, continued but a short time, for as the voice of the new chairman was stronger and the board paid attention to him rather than to the other, the old chairman subsided, and said he appointed the other to act for him until the matter was settled. The board then proceeded to discuss the question at length. The house w T as crowded with the talent of Red Wing and the excitement was at a high pitch; for it was understood