The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1876-09-07
Congressional Convention and Row.

Almost everybody, ere this, is familiar with
the story of the Congressional Convention at Abb
ilene, last week. Most of those who speak of it,
concede that both sides were to blame. We shall
take the opposite view, and say that but one
side wasNto blame. If the other side, knowing
their rights, saw proper to maintain them, in
stead of giving way to a faction who came to
rule or ruin, are censurable for so doing, then
perhaps both sides were to blame. 1t is but nee
essary to go back to the beginning, and trace the
business straight through, to show that there
was deliberate, premeditated design to defeat
Col. Phillips, by foul means, if peaceable could
not do it. When the Convention was called, the
first disturbance began. The enemies of Phillips
were exasperated because the Convention was
not to be held before his Congressional duties
would permit him to return home to look ont for
his own interests; and disturbance was created
over this, that threatened, for a time, to result
in two calls and two Conventions. When the
primaries were held, the result showed that
Phillips had decided majority of the delegates
Then we heard of planning to get up other pri-
maries upon some pretended flaw, to elect dele
gates opposed to Phillips, or at least to make a
contest in the Convention, by which Phillips del
egatee would DO prevented from voting on pre-
liminary organization. Bat still more disrepu-
table practices were resorted to. Weak dele
gates, or those of supposed easy virtue, were
carefully selected, and by appointment on ''im-
portant business were interviewed by gentle
men opposed to Phillips, and proffered stipu-
lated sum if they would agree to vote for an OPP
position candidate. There is good reason to be-
lieve that more than one delegate was thus
\ Al Il, h. ak.l
The rub with those men was, that if vote by
ballot could be had, they could sell out without
being detected; but if the vote was rira roee, it
would not work. A delegate from this County
was offered 800 for his vote; and one from the
West had an offer on the very morning of the
Convention. A delegate from Atchson, not I'M
known in this County was the principal purchas-
ing agent.
Thr question of voting by ballot was the pre-
cipitating canse of the row. The Chairman of
the Congressional Executive Committee was ab-
sent, and according to all parliamentary and 9TH
or usage, it would be the duty of the Secretary
to call the Convention to order. This would be
d. r. Anthony, . leading Phillips man. The
evening before the meeting of the Convention,
the anti-Phillips, leaders telegraphed to Huyck,
q member of the Committee, who had acted as
Chairman pro ten. on a special occasion, to come
and take charge of the Convention. He did
come and when the hour arrived to call the Con-
vention to order, he usurped the place of Chair
man, and undertook to manage the temporary
organization. D. R:>Anthony would not yield
his right, and so the uproar became disgraceful
in the extreme. The forlorn hope of the oppo-
nents to Phillips lay in securing vote by ballot,
and allowing anbOdy to vote who wanted to.
Atchison County led off in the confusion, second
ed by Brown and Nemaha. Here let us jog the
memory Of those who attended the Hiawatha |
Judicial Convention, by recalling the fact that |
those very same Counties banded together TO |
override and crush out the party opposed to their
pet candidate for Judge. 1t was precisely the |
same game, but on much large scale
Amid indiscribable confusion, this man Huyck
undertook to call the roll, while Rip Van Win
kle, of Atchson County, held the hat to collect
the ballots. Doniphan County, the first on the
list, was called, but not delegate went forw ard.
But this made no difference; about twenty tick
cts went in for the six Doniphsn County Dele
gates Anthony snatched the roll from the
hands of Huyck; but another was handed up to
him, and again he commenced with Doniphan
NounNS' ASou no reply from OOntpnan, out
again shower of tickets went into the hat.
This was repeated three or four times, Huyck
never getting beyond DOniphan County; but by
this time, the hat was getting pretty nearly full
Of tickets. At this juncture, a rush was made,
the hat seized and trampled upon the floor. and
he tickets scattered. Without counting the
tickets, Huyck declared Judge Wilson elected
temporary Chairman. During this roll-can an
Atchison man was seen three times to put in
tickets in answer to Doniphan County; and an-
'ther Atchison man, not delegate nor an alter
late, was seen chucking in tickets.
By this time, a row was imminent, and the peace
'fRcers of Dickinson County very properly inter-
cred, and ejected sll persons except the officers
rom the platform. This has been denounced us
N outrage. But because men are elected dele
,ates to q Convention, it is no reason why they
re privileged to create q mob. They come un-
Ter the jurisdiction of the County where they
re carrying on their rowdyism. 1t was necessa-
y to eject Van Wrinkle from the stand twice be-
ore he would stay of. The anti-Phillips dele
'ates, finding they were not to be permitted TO
airy the day by mob force, withdrew to another .
Dom, and held little Convention of their own. i