New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-04-11
The Arkansas Split.


Extraordinary Action OF . Minority Of the
| Republican state Central Committee
| Three members Attempt to Control Mine
| Two Delegates for the Philadelphia Con-
! vention.
Private adyces from Governor Hadley and
other leading Arkansas Republicans furnish
/ the particulars of the attempts now being
made by a handful of antiAdministratlon
| Republicans to disorganize the party in that
State.
The Republican State Central Committee
is composed of nine members, to wit: Hon.
b. F. Rice, chairman; James l.. Hodges,
George w. McDiarmid, W. W. Wiltshire, w.
ii. Rogers, Daniel Divelbiss, George ;. Scott,
Governor o. A. Hadley, and John McC
In the Third Congressional District OF that
State there was some dissatisfaction among
the Republicans and two conventions were
held in 1870. One of the conventions NOM
mated Judge E. J. Searle and the other NOM
mated Judge Thomas Boles.
shortly after these conventions Hon. IL.
F. Rice, as chairman of the Republican State
Committee, called the same together. After
transacting some business of financial
character, one of the friends of Judge Thos.
Boles offered resolution declaring Boles the
regular candidate of the Republican party OF
the Third Congressional District OF Arkansas.
A portion of the cOmmttee-Scott, Wiltshire,
Hadey, and McClure--insisted that the State
Central Committee had no jurisdiction over
such a question unless the candidates them
selves had submitted the same to the COM
mittee for determination. The other five
members took different view, and by a vote
of five to four of the Republican State Cen
trail Committee, Judge Thomas Boles was
declared the candidate of the Republican
party for the Third Congressional District of
Arkansas. The other four members of the
committee joined in protest against the
action OF the majority, alleging that inasmuch
as neither Boles or Searle had made an APP
plicatiOn to the committee to settle the diff
ferences in that district, that in their opinion
the committee had exceeded its powers.
After this action of the ma jority and the
protest of the minority, the friends of Judge
Boles and Judge Searle got together, and
such arrangements were made as resulted in
the withdrawal of Judge Searle from the con-
test. AT the earnest solicitation of Governor
Clayton and others OF Judge Searle's friends,
he (Searle) was induced to stump the district
in favor of Judge Boles, who is now the menu
Der from that district.
A short time since Senator Rice, as chair
man of the State Central Committee, called
the same to meet at the city of Little Rock
on the 9th of April, where he now is, to fix
the time for holding convention to nominate
uclSSdtcS " lIc Ndtioldl SouN w Uc
holden at Philadelphia, in June next. Pur-
suant to that call the committee met, and
Senator Rice informed the members of the
committee that the four members who pro-
tested against the action we have alluded to
could not participate in the deliberations of
the committee, and that he then and there
declared their seats vacant.
The committee having assembled at pri-
vate room in one Of Senator Rice's houses, a
member made motion that the committee
adjourn to meet at another designated place.
The motion prevailed by vote of six in its
favor to three against it. The six members
then retired to the place designated, and
Senator Rice and his two members remained.
After the six members had left, Senator Rice
and his two members proceeded to fill the
four vacancies which he had created by his
own ipse dirit.
This done, according to their theory, a
quorum OF the committee was created and
present. Where three members of conf
mittee get the power to do such things is not
stated. The other six members have deter
mined, so we are advised, to call conven-
ton, as they clearly have the right and power
to do. The result of all this is, that two
delegations will in all probability be sent to
the Philadelphia Convention. Which of the
two will be admitted, and whether this nil
nOrity of malcOntents can be sustained in
initiating discOrd and confusion into the party
of which they claim to be members, are ques-
tons yet to be settled Chronicle.