The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1870-06-30
XlGIi District Republican Con-
gressi0nal Convention.
PACKARD RENOMINATED.
NOMINATION FOR CIRCUIT JUDGE
AND PROSECUTORS.
A Higii Old Time at the
Senatorial &C INVENTION OF
81. Joseph and Mar-
shall Counties.
a General Row Among the
Faithful.

| TIE CONGRESSIONAL CONVENTION.
The great agony which has been dis
turbing the quiet of the Republican par
ty of this congressional district was
brought to a focus yesterday, ac Wanna
tab, where assembled their convention
to nominate candidate for congress.
The unpopularity of Gen. Packard, as
politica! leader had caused no little dis
satisfaction in all parts Of the district;
and if he had come before the conven-
ton on his merits as congrcssiOnalrep-
reScntative Of the party, without the
very great advantage of having served
but one term, and being by common
usage and custom entitled to two, I'M
less for good cause shown, he would GER
tainly have been defeated. We heard
delegates from all parts of the district
express themselves, some in favor of
and others against him; and nine tenths
of his supporters urged his renomina-
ton solely on the ground that he was
by custom entitled to it. and that he
had done nothing very bad. His oppo-
nents were not slow in giving their rea-
sons why he should not bercnominated,
some of which were, that he had not
sufficient ability to make q respectable
| representative of the district and that
he had proven false to nearly all the
pledges he had ever made to his
friends
The three candidates Packard VOL
colt and Cathcart-wcrc all in attend
ance. At an early hour the delegations
began to arrive, those from the county
of Laporte outnumbering all the other
counties in the district Considerable
interest was manifested By the different
delegations as to how Laportc would
vote. Those in attendance from that
county assembled on the open prairie,
on two sides of a ditch-the Packard
men, including twelve or fifteen Eff.
teenth amendments, on the east, and
the Cathcart men On the west side. The
count showed about twO-thirds of the
delegation to be for Packard. When
the vote was announced, Catheart arose
and declined to be candidate. and de-
MED that he had at any time sought the
nomination. This was received with
cheers by the Packard men, who could
plainly see in that fact a healing of all
their woes; and one enthusiastic dele
gate moved that the entire vote of the
county be cast for Packard; but this
motion brought out such laundering
Foes from all parts of the assemblage
that the mover was glad to withdraw It.
The anti Packard men informed their
enemies that if their candidate did with
draw, their vote should never be cast
for Packard-never and it wasn't.
At II o'clock temporary organiza-
tion was effected by the appointment of
f. p Hammond, Of Rensselaer,, Chair
man; and N. Y. Brewer, Of the Misha-
waka Enterprise, Secretary. The usual
committees-on permanent organization,
on credentials, and on resolutions-were
appointed, with orders to report at the
meeting Of the convention in the after
noon.
| During the recess a great amount Of
figuring was done, until it was demon
strated to a certainty that Packard
would be nominated on the first ballot.
when his opponents became almost to-
tally demorallzed, as they plainly fore
saw that their wishes would receive no
consideration whatever by the couven-
ton which was soon to reasonable
| The convention rcassembled at 1:30.
and on the call of the temporary chair
man to come to order, the widest con
fusion of which it is possible toimagine,
ensuc1. 1t seemed that each particu-
lar delegate deemed it his boundcn du-
ty to make all the noise possible, regard
less ofany particular end to be gained
By so doing. Partial order having been
secured, the committee on permanent
organization reported for permanent Of
fieers as follows: President-Judge
G. III. Test, of White county; Sccrcta-
ries-N. Y Brewer, of St Joseph Co.
aud Frank Belcll, Of Lake county.
The committee on credentials read an
extensive list Of names which but few
could hear, and they seemed to care very
little about it.
The irreprcssiblc Morg Weir, Of
laporte, moved the adoption of rcso-
luton pledging each delegate of the
convention to support the nominee.
This was received with hooting and vel
ling, and in the general confusiona del
egate, name unknown, offered an
amendment, to the effect that the die
tates of conscience are paramount to
party discipline. and that when party
put in nomination a man whom they can
not conscientiously support, they are alb
solved from all responsibility Of such
nomination. The amendment was Kissed
groarcd at, and finally voted down.
The committee on resolutions reported
in substance, that they have faith in
the present national and state admins
trations; that they " cordialIy" endorse
the course purscd by Hon Jasper Pack.
ard [cheers, groans and hissesl; recon-
| 10 !. -, e