The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1876-09-07
WHO WAS RIGHT.

At the Republican Convention, held two,
years ago, in this district, there was Cen
trail Committee Of seven appointed. They
organized by electing ID. l.. Palmer chair
man, and ID. L. Anthony, secretary.
At the next meeting of the Comm ittee
the chairman was absent, and Mr.. Huycke
was chosen chairman pro TEN.
Upon the adjournment of that particular
meeting OF the Committee, Mr.. Huyck
ceased to be chairman pro TEN. He was
then simply member of the Committee.
At the next and only other meeting of the
committee held before the assembling OF the
convention at Abilene, both the chairman,
Mr.. Palmer, and Mr.. Huycke were absent,
and Mr.. Corbett was chosen chairman pro
TEN. At this meeting Mr.. Palmer and Mr..
Huycke were represented by proxy or by
letters.
When the convention assembled at
Abilene in accordance with the
call OF the committee, the chairman, Mr..
Palmer, was absent. There was no officer
of tina: committee present, except the Sec
rotary, ID. Il. Anthony.
In accord, therefore, with custom and all
parliamentary law, the Secretary was the
one authorized to call the Convention to
order, call the roll and act until tempo
rary chairman was chosen by the Conven-
ton.
Mr.. Huycke was te!egraphed TO come by
the first train to Abilene. The purpose of
his coming was kept secret. No one but the
parties in the confidence of Guthrie knew
why he was sent for.
No one questioned the right Of the Sec
rotary to call the convention to order, or
even suspected that his right would be
questioned, until the convention assembled.
The conspiracy then at once developed. 1t
was evident that the Guthrie party had
predetermined to effect an organization OF
the convention by secret ballot instead OF
rirG roce vote. 1t was openly claimed
by them that in this secret ballot
they could command the votes of
a number of delegates sufficiepG TO con-
troll the election OF a temporary chairman.
The Secretary, promptly at the hour, called
the convention 10 order, and was proceeding
with his duties, when Mr.. HuycFe came up
on the stand and assumed TO act. We sub
nit, in all candor, that there can be no
question as TO the absolute right of the
Secretary to act in calling the convention to
order. we also submit that vote by bal
lot under the circumstances would have
been not only farce, but fraud
After the withdrawal Of the Guthrie del
egates, the Secretary called the roll, and
iifty-four delegates whose seats were not
disputed answered 10 their names. There
were one hundred and two delegates in the
convention.
On the nomination of Colonel Phillips
Tor Congress, si1ty-eight members Of the
convention attached their autographs to
the document nominating him.
OF these sixty-eight delegates, sIxrY-roUR
held their seats uitI.om contest
Two-thirds of all the members of the
convention have therefore nominated Col.
William A. Phillips for Congress.
THE TINES is of the opinion that every
fair man must admit that the proceedings
were regular in every particular, and that
an undisputed large majority of the conyen
tion have nominated Phillips, and that
the will of the Republican party
has been honestly and fairly expressed by
the convention.
The Secretary OF the committee simply
did his duty. The essence of this whole
question was to get at the will of the MAORI
ty OF the convention. The written auto
graphs of sixty-eight out of the one hun
dred and two delegates in the convention is
proof which admits Of no argument.