The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-10-07


being the regular Republican nominee for Congress
in the Second district the time has arrived when
should lay before the people a short but complete
statement o. my reasons for asking their support
claim to be the regular publican nominee for
three 1easons:-
|. That was nominated by the convention held
Wednesday June 49, 1870, in accordance with the
rules governiDg the Republican party.
II. That majority of the whole number of dele
gates voted for me, having received ~ votes out
of Gs.
ILL., That was renomiuated by the co 1vention
held Tuesday, September 49, 1870, in accordance
with the decision of the Executive Committee of the
State Central Committee receiving A votes out
of 6S.
AS soon as Mr. o'Nenl was defeated in the
nomination. the influence Of all the United
States Government departments within the city
(ReveDue, Post ONCE, Custom House, Mint, Ar
senal Navy Yard, etc, etc., brought to bear
upon the various ward executive committees to it,
duce them to send such representatives only to the
City Executive Committee as would favor Mr..
ONeill In this they succeeded, and to-day me-
joriiy OF the Republican City Executive Committee
hold Office under the United States and city govern
ments.
MIR oNein then appealed to the City Executive
Committee, protesting against my recognition as the
regular nominee 10y that body. His plan was to have
the whole matter referred to a subcommittee con-
ssting of the members of the City lmmittee who
represented The wards comprising the Second Con-
committee, the seats of Messrs Peak and Everly OF
the First and Twenty sixth wards, contested.
committee, consisting OF Messrs. H1hn Porter,
Mccullough, Hong, and Albright, was appointed, to
whom these contested seats were refereed. OF this
committee, MessIs. Porter and McCllough, repre-
sentng the Eighth and TeUth wards, were dele
gates for Mr. ONeill at the conven-
ton of June IS. Now what was the
consequence? Messrs Peak and EVERY
were thrown tut and Lutz and Mcbride (both
ONeill mem admitted, although it was positively
and distinctly shown that in the First ward Mr..
Peak received majority Of the votes cast and that
a friend of Mr. ONels seized the credentials OF the
Ward Executive Committee, and whilst destroying
them drew pistol and threatened to shoot the first
man who dared interfere. In McBrde'S case the
testimony showed that the Twenty-sXth Ward
Executive Committee consisted OF ffty-one men,
bers and that out of these 81 Mcbride received II
and EVERY 81 votes.
After the organization OF the City Committee, the
matter was referred to this subcommittee in ac-
cordance with the plan above mentioned. This
committee consisted of Messrs Lutz, Porter, Hill,
Mccullough, and Mcbride, three of whom are
Assistant Assessors of Internal Revenue, Mcbride
Porter, and Mccullough the latter two also dele
gates of Mr. ONells. Hill is Collector OF Delin-
quent Taxes and from Mr. ONeill's ward, the
Ninth, and Lutz Alderman of the First ward
When Mr.. O'Neill and myself appeared Def re this
committee, I protested against Its jurisdiction for
| the following reasons:-
| l. That Congressman was State ONCE, and
that the highest political authority in the State, to
! wit, the State Central Committee, was the only
| power that could decide contests 70. the nomina.
| ton for that Office
| H. That the City Committee was a local COM
mittee whose jurisdiction extended only to city and
| county officers.
| III. That the State of Pennsylvania was divided
into twenty-four Congressional districts and that,
with the exception Of the First, Second, Third,
| Y fbo lilo
| trctS were composed OF a combination of counties,
| consisting OF a combination OF counties of 8,
| of 4, of g. and OF S.
". That in the Fifth Congressional District, con-
ssting Of the Twenty-second, Twenty-thrd and
Twenty.ffth wards Of the city of Phiadel phia and
Bucks county, no provision in the rules was made
for the election OF delegates in the city wards so
long as they should be connected with Bucks county
in the formation of Congressional district. See
section II, rule 5.
V. That a dispute SHOULD arise in any of these
districts no one County Committee could decide but
| the whole matter IN dispute would have to be re-
! ferred to the State Central Committee.
VI. That if the State Central Committee had
| jurisdiction in one case, they had 1t in all.
| also, in the presence Of Mr. O'Neil and the COM
mttee, stated that would do anything to settle the
dispute harmoniously and quietly, as there were
already sufficient dissatisfaction and strife in the
ranks OF cur party, and offered the following propo-
sitions, to witt
l. To appear with Mr.. ONeill before the State Gen.
| tral Committee submit the facts, and abide by its
| decision.
II. TO refer the matter to committee OF six, Mr.
O'Nein to select three and myself three, none OF
whom should hold Office under either City,
| State, or General Government That the
committee should be sworn III our presence
then submit the evidence, and abide by
the decision OF a majority. If the committee
should be evenly divided, allow them to select a
| seventh whose decision should be fna and from
which there should be no appeal
III. To go before the people, hold a new delegate
election, have the inside officers sworn in pre-
| sence and then 60 into convention.
". To reconvene the convention, and if possible
mutually agree upon chairman OF the temporary
| organization and Committee on Credentials
| If not, to allow the City Executive Committee
to detail one of their number to effect a temporary
organization, and also to appoint the Committee on
| Credentials. That whoever should receive ma
iority OF the votes should be the recognized
nominee.
/ pledged myself that if under any of the above
propositions Mr. O'Nelll should be the favored one,
1 would support him with my whole strength and
induce my friends to do likewise.
Mr. ONeill rejected all OF the above propositions,
and would listen to nothing except the suo-commt-
tee of the City Executive Committee, consisting,
Ihave before shown of three Assistant Assessors OF
Revenue, two OF whom were his delegates, and the
remaining two directly in his interests.
] then requested the committee to postpone the
consideration OF the until the question Of urs-
diction could be laid before the State Central Com
mittee, which would convene at Altoona in few
DAYS; promising that if the State Committee should
overrule my plea of Jurisdiction, to submit to the
decision of the City Committee. Mr.. 0Neill and |
then lett the room and the committee, without no.