The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1872-02-07
THE RUNNERS MASS MEETING
AND THE ASSOCIATED PRESS.

$1,000 ~ A0S
AND THE ASSOCIATED PRESS.
The whole object Of the bumE1ers'
mass meeting was to impress the coun-
try with the idea that they represented
the forty odd thousand Republicans
who in this State voted for the boilers
ticket in 1870. If they actually repre-
sented these voters, nothing was easier
than to assemble a Delegate Convention
but as the attempt to do this would
have but conspicuOusly snd fatally
betrayed their weakness, they had to
make as imposing an exhibition as pos
sible without it. The mass meeting
was the chosen 1t would be
easy to galhe a crowd at the capital
DUNG the session of the Legislature and
il the associated Press could then be got
to color its report Alright the desired
impression might ba produced upon
the general public mind. The task to
be done was by any and every available
appliance to bring together as servicable
and as large a body of men as possible.
and to hare the matter extensively re-
ported as large as possible.
The reported roll of the "mass con-
NcIltiOl buO" ouC HutittIcu uth "Ci-
ty-eight names, accredited to forty-one
counties, out Of the One hundred and
fourteen counties Of the Stare. Allow
ing for inaccuracies not more than for
ty-fiye counties were in any shape re-
! presented i'll the attendance. From the
counties o! Adair, Atcl,ison, Audrain,
Barry, Barton, Bollingcr. Boone. But
Ter, Caldwell, Callaway, Cape Gira-
deau, Carter, Clark, Christian, Craw-
ford. Dadc, Dallas. DeKalb, Dent Doug
las, Dnnklin. Greene. Harrison, Henry,
Hickory, Holt, Howard, jasper, Knox,
Laclede, Lafayette, Lawrence, Lewis,
Lincoln, Linn, Macon. Madison, Marics,
Marion, Mcdonald, Mercer, Mississip-
pi. montgomery, Morgan, New Madrid,
Newton, Oregon, Ozark. Usage, Penis
colt. Perry. Pike, Polk, Pulaski. Put
nam. Randolph, Ray. Rcynolds, Ripley,
st. Francois, Ste. Gcncricve, Saline,
Scott, shannon, Stone, Taney. Texas,
Vernon, Warren. Washington, WAYNE,
Webster and Worth. no representatives,
arc reported. The list gives thirty
names 10 Johnson coantv, eleven to st.
Louis, eleven TO Franklin, ten TO Cole.
&c, &c At the least, \ third Of the
names are those of men long recognized
a. Democrats in their counties. Others
arc Democrats who voted for liberal
Republican local Nominees in 70, this
constituting their sole title to that de-
signaiion. When the facts as 10 these
enrolled men became better known, we
D"licvc about two-ra'rds Of them will
prove IL have voted the Democratic
ticket up to Novcinb, r, 1870.
This is the sort OF asscmhlsGc that has
assumed to speak for more Than forty
thousand Republicans Of Missouri, and
by their authority to call for a Nation
al mass convention TO nominate 4 Pres
idcntial candidate IL opposition to tho
Republican psrty.
But i'll the worn Of having this AFFAIR."
hcraldcd to the country az they wished
through tic Associated Press. the man
I~pu,aiurs have succeeded TO their hearts
content. The Associated Press hes no
regular reporter at Jefferson City, hut
a special arrangement was exiemporis-
ed Tor the occasion. Through that ar
rangcment We fUd 1.-THE mass ooI.ver-
ton" set forth - "onc Of the largest
ever assembled in this State When
il is remembered that our Stste COR
yeutioms usually represent MI the orc
hundred and fourteen counties. and hy
ciyht or ninc hIuirel Delegates, Tic
filsity of thus describing ! body OF les.
than one hundred and thirty members,
from not more than !orty-tiye counties,
is some what striking. Again, the re-
port saws: The convention is not only
large in point OF members, but contains
n majority of the icadcrs Of the liberal
Republics an party of Missouri. Appsr-
pptI, IL 10 rp,.v..sIl NJ .b,yt tl,n e.,,n
meu who figured IL ;E5 boiling lt,j,un-
lican Convention that nominated Brown
for Govenor." This is M utter nd
gross Misrepresentation. We have not
now before us the roll Of the boilers
convention, but we doubt if II half doz-
Ell names of it can be found on the ros-
ter of this mass meeting. Citizens who
actively participated in the former. and
looked upon the latter, were unable 10
detect anvthiug that could properly
suggest the statement telearaphcd over
the country bv the Associated Press.
These instances but illustrate the pal
pablo one -sideducs. of the report, which
is throughout n iuisoiHc piece of cater
ing TO the wishe, Of a few dcmagogues
who represent nobody but themselves
and for that reason dured not call n
popular delegate convention.
The Associated Press is iaid to re-
port facts, and especially III matters
political sliould try to serve the truth
o. facts, and not lend itself 10 4 party
NJ oh less 10 the f%ct1icst Of petty
ia" ,lJ-.7!inc dpon false %pro,cnses
-, III his AZ. ,tHc3 The country will
o . come 10 understand the true na-
turc oi tic affair SO obsequiously rose
colorcd By the Associated Press report
crs, and neithe! it o they will reap
substantial benefit from their mu-
tual cnterprisc.-Mo. Democrat.