The Van Buren press., 1876-09-26
The Third District.
ALMA. Sent. 18th. 1876.


Rock, on the 18th inst, makes il neces
sary that should give the facts and fig
ures which prompted the action of the
representatives of the seven counties
which instructed their delegates to vote
for Col. j. e. Cravens for Congress in the
Sd Congressional district of Arkansas.
| will state that | and, | believe the
delegates generally from our section,
were painfully susceptible Of the very
grave responsibilities which were involv-
ed in separating with the rest of the con-
ventlon, and am certain, further, that
no consideration short Of permitting our
respective constituents treated with ut
ter disregard and contempt, would have
actuated us to have retired from the
rest of the convention, and refused fur
ther cooperation, for he who says we
bolted, falsifies the fact as we positively
refused to organize permanently, unless
they would agree upon basis Of repre-
sentation in the counties, which would
give the counties we represented a fair
and equal vote, according to our and
their respective strength, as polled either
for the constitution in 1874, or for gov
ernor in the election on the 4th of Sep.
tenn Der. The latter vote being insiated
on by It's, because it was eminently more
just, and we were not boilers for the fur
ther reason that we represent nearly
900 more democratic votes; rs shown
by the official vote filed in the Secretary
ofState' S office, than We're polled by all
the counties. which instructed for both
Gen. Newton ana Jnndge stuart. In 9th
or words, the counties which instructed
for Cravens, cast, at the recent election
for governor for the democratic candi-
date over 800 votes, and those instruc-
ting for Newton and Stuart combined,
east less than 5000 votes and yet, in
the convention which temporarily orga-
nized on the 18th inst, the latter coun-
ties refused positively, repeatedly and
detiantly to allow us the majority, more
than 10 votes in the counties, while
they claimed and persistently voted 13
votes.
But this is not all. They refused to
allow the regular delegates from Polk
county to take their seats in the convcn-
ton, because, as we suppose, it required
Just that vote, with what Gen. Newton
had, to nominate him, after Judge Stu
art should withdraw, which was to be ex-
pectcd, Of course, Stuart being the weak
est man before the convention, and Gen.
Newton issued an order himself to the
people of Polk, and took with him a
clerk, who could also harrangue the peo,
pie, and went to all the preents, spoke
to the people, got himself recommended
as I'd choice, and his clerk sent is dele
gate direct from the primary meetings
without any county committee acting in
the premises, thus presenting the new
and quite strange political phenomc
na--of congressional convention com.
posed of delegates in part, sent from
election precincts, instead Of counties
and have election precincts called to-
gether in the interest, and at the sugges
ton Of one of the candidates for Con
gress, after he, the said candidate, had ap
piled to one or more Of the eXecutiv,
committee OF the county, and the com
mltteeman refused to call another con
vention, stating as a reason, that the
f former convention was fair and sufti
! cient. Now, Mr.. Editor, if we are tC
sanction such monstrous doctrine as that
man entirely outside of our county
$ whether he may live in Little Rock o.
: elsewhere, who may wish to push him
!, self forward for position, has the righ
:. to put himself at the head Of the demo
!, cratic party Of the county, and call TIL,
u party together in his interest, and ask
l. new deal, to the end he may be sclecte,
a ! a ttnr "a MI Mt Ia,
!. has been called and done its duty to th
satisfaction of all in the county,
> am very much deceived in the stuff on
democrats are made of. And, Mr.. Edit
tor, | know it is said that we should hav
compromised on some one else, or som
other basis of representation. But yo,
II arrived in time to witness the fact tha
l. although we frequently asked them t,
l. present us something we could accept il
justice to our people, They finally pro
posed to adopt as basis of representa-
ton the vote cast in the congressional
race of 1874, and that we calmly and re
spectiully received the proposition, an,
took the pains to repair to the Secretar,
of States office for information. AM
soon discovered that to accept that basi
gave us less votes by one, and them thre
more, because it was ascertained that il
that election democrats had to choose be
tween voting for a republican nominee
and an Independent democrat and yer,
II many in this end Of the district reiuset
9 to vote at all, while in the lower coun
:, ties they generally turned out, whicl
u fact was not denied by any one of them
g not even the mover himself, who intro
II duced the proposition. And when w
= showed the facts clearly and unmistala
bly, that we had Il majority of the vote
o Of the district in the counties we repre-
+ sented, and called upon them to accept i
:. orglve reason for rejecting it, only tw,
or three had the hardihood to answer
IL and they both assigned as their reason
d for not accepting our proposition, that
D would elect Cravens. And, after tryin.
:. in various ways to see il they would d,
something like the fair thing, and find
. ing they would not, and that no matte
= what the question we proposed they cas-
y that same IL votes against us on all oc
+ casions; and knowing that there was
,. combination to defeat the wishes Of ;
majority of the democratic voters Of tn,
district by fraud and trickery, we resol
: we'd to retire into the Senate chamber
i. i