The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1874-07-17
THE INDEPENDENT con
YEN,rION LAST SAT
URDAY.
Lyon County 40 he Ina lIe Fifth
Of August Convention.


of August Convention.
With thirty-four other citizens
we found ourself at the court house
last Saturday at 1 o'clock p. IN. for
the purpose of reforming The
meeting was afterwards increased
to double that number. Wepublish
the proceedings in full in another
column, together with the resolu-
tons adopted. The convention
and resolutions are important, as
showing the "drift" of things. 1t
is now certain that an element,
mostly among our farmers, has
fully decided to get themselves out
of the Republican party and to join
the new party. The chairman, Mr..
frey, stated, in substance, that the
object of the meeting was to dis
cuss the proposition as to whether
the members of the convention
would out with the Republican or
with the Independent parties this
fall. While the committee on reso-
lutions was out speeches were called
for. Governor Eskridge aud Mr..
Maxson advocated the policy of act
ing with the Republican party.
The Governors speech was some
what lengthy and was q very cred
table presentation of his side of the
case. That of Mr.. Maxson was
briefer and to the point. The no.
torious Sam Wood of Chase county
was present by accident. He did
not know there was convention
inlthe court house, of cOurse.(?) He
probably would have gone away
had he known il. He accidently
stumbled right Into it. He made
a little speech and said some funny
things for the boys to laugh at.
He is a full blOoded Reformer. He
spoke and voted with the meeting,
and part of the time acted as its
chairman. Here the committee
on resolutions came in with their
report. Let us state that Mr.. Cow
en-, of Fremont, made the motion
for this committee, and by the
plainest parliamentary rules, and
by common courtesy, should have
been its chairman. But the chair
appointed Mr.. Hanna, of Franklin
/ ennntU "a abaiunan nf fha o0n
mittee, so that our Lyon county Re-
formers are under great obligations
to Mr.. Wood, of Chase county, and
Mr.. Hanna, of Franklin county, for
their valuable assistance as ac-
cOuchers at the birth of the new
party. Had it not been n Reform
convention there might have been
suspicious of 'put up job" in this
matter. We don't know whether
Hanna had his pockets full of reso-
lutions suitable for the occasion or
not. Had it been a Republican
convention there might have been
little row at an attempt to make
man from Attawa chairman Of q
committee of Lyon county conven-
ton. But we suppose it was all
right. At least the Reformers did
not object, and we certainly have
no right to. But as we said, the
report of the committee here came
in. The resolutions were just such
as any ordinary convention would
be likely to adopt until they came
down to the 9Th one, which
read something like this:
Resolved, That the best interests
of the country can be subserved,
and the best men elected to fill the
various offices by acting independ-
ent Of The Republican party.
Here is where the trouble COM
menced. A motion was made to
adopt which was seconded. Mr..
w. v. Phillips moved that the res
olution be stricken out of the re-
port, which motion the chair very
enormously decided out of order.
Mr.. Z. p. Bruner moved to amend
by striking out all in relation to the
Republican party and inserting af-
ter the words acting, Regardless OF
any party" This was encountered
by another amendment to add after
"Republican," the words cor
Democratic party" Here a gener-
al misunderstanding arose as to the
questions and their effect, and
about twenty speeches were made
by gentlemen who thought they
could "clear the thing up in just
half minute" and who all CON-
menced by the agreeable announce
ment that they ibid not want to
consume the time of the conven-
tion." The moro the talk the deep.
or the muddle and finally they got
Strengthened by going to voting.
Mr.. Burners amendment was evil
IDENTIFY the popular one. Mr.. VIM.
Jay and others took that ground
very clearly and very forcibly. II
was adopted. Then the question
came on the original resolution,
when Mr.. frey took the floor and
made a strong and denunciatory
speech against the Republican party
and in favor of declaring for the
new party. 1t was getting late, and
good many had left. This speech
rallied The new party men, and
Notwithstanding the resolution had
been adopted, "regardless of party"
the 7th resolution for organization
and Identification with the new
party by deciding to elect delegates
to all of their conventions, was
adopted.
And so the new party was born
in Lyon county. We judge, from
present indications, it will meet
with a good deal of favor, mostly
with our farmers. We very much
doubt the wisdom of this course.
In the last Presidential election this
county gave over 1000 Republican
majority. At least 5000 of that ma
jority came from the country. We
believe the farmers could control
the Republican party of this coun-
ty. They always have done so.
In our judgment they can reform
abuses much better by using the
Republican party than by forming
q new one.
We shall watch the outcome of
this whole matter with much inter-