New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-05-25
FIRST BATTLE AT CHICAGO.
ILLINOIS IN THE CONVENTION.

DELEGATES-THE GRANT ARGUMENTS FOI HE
GRANT DELEGAuoN-FACTs ABOUT THE RESULT
AT SPRINGFIELD.
rFRoM sTAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIDUNEI
CHICAGO, May 22.-Tho opinion is already eX-
pressed by pOtans here that the contest over the
Illinois delegation will be the first battle of the Ma
tOnal Convention, and the great and decisive one
Illinois will be reached on the roll-call before
either of the other great disputed States Newly ork
and Pennsylvania, and before either of the other
two States having contests seats, viz, Kansas
and Pennsylvania. These must necessarily be
settled before the permanent organization IS made,
and the decision will govern all three cases, the
question being the same in all. Perhaps it ought
to be added that the facts are not the same i'll all
these cases. In Illinois the contesting delegates
were selected in most instances by an over
whclming majority of their respective District
delegations, and in all instances by n majority /;
and in Pennsylvania by an overwhelming majority
of the Republican voters of the Districts. But
in Kansas the cOntesting delegation OF four was
elected by few of the delegates from two Con-
gressional Districts
., Illinois Ncw-Yorll and Pennsylvania seem linked
together, though the issue is not the same in all
If in the Illinois case the supporters OF n Ihird
Term carry the day, and thus induce Republican
National Convention to declare that State Con-
vcntion can. Ivy bare majority steal the seats oil
likely that the Convention will decide that State
Convention has no right to instruct a delegation
to vote as a unit If tho greater crime is approved
the lesser will hardly be condemned. If tho
Third-Tcrmcrs can secure majority in support
of the Illinois scat-stea that majority will hardly
be deferred, even by the prcccdents of former
National Conventions, from enforcing the unlt
rule in New-York and Pennsylvania. These
three States are likely therefore TO stand or fall
together, and with them the candidacy Of General
Grant for a third term. Certainly If the Illinois
delegation is broken, General Grant is a defeated
man.
The technical 'position of the Illinois case thus
becomes of the highest Importance, inasmuch as
the Springfield Convention proyes,f any proof were
needed that the Thirl-Tcrm leaders will stop at
nothing now to win. There are disadvantages
as well as advantages in the situation for the
opposition. Tho twenty delegates who will claim
their seats in the National Convention are the men
who were selected 10y the District delegations in
the Springfield Convention in the expectation that
their right to chos, delegates would be respected
1t is the custom in all such conventions for the
various delegations TO select these delegates at any
tmcIthey choose. some early and some. late, and ali
the Districts are usually ready to report when the
call is made. They would havo been ready in this
instance if the majority had allowed the call to be
Convention at ALL except in those cases where
dsfranchscd Districts made written protests
against the Conventions action, cmbodying tho
names of the delegates and altcrnat,s already
selected. Now these delegates will come to Chicago
with credentials from the delegations of their
Districts signed by the chairman and secretary and
perhaps by al majority of the members; and will
have no other official certificate Of their right 10 be
admitted. The talk of some of the Grant men
already dscoscs the grounds on (which these con-
testing delegates will probably lie met. II will shc
shown that the official credentials, derived from the
chairman and secretary of the Springfield Com
vention are hold by the Grant delegation. 1t will
be shown that the anti-ThirdTerm delegates have
no such certificates. and no certificates from any
State organization or Convention Of any kind. 1t
will DO claimed that the National Convention
cannot ego behind tho RETURNS; that il cannot
inquire into the validity OF acts done by regular
State Convention; that it must regard the
delegation elected by regular State Cnycntion.
and Inot contested rs n whole. the true dccga-
ton; that the National Convention cannot go into
local grievances cannot undertake 10 inquire into
the titles OF Congressional delegations, and will
not run the risk OF beng compelled 10 make 292
separate investigations; that 1t must deal with
States, and not with DISTRICTS
SO the Grant leaders will hc able TO throw M \
barIcadc Of technical OBJECTIONS to prevent any
inquiry at all into tho mattcr II they should lS
bcatcn here, they make still another stand on
the right of a State Convention 10 make up the
State delegation in any way 1t CHOOSES and can thus
repeat Senator Logan's course at Springfield with
perhaps equal success Here on another point itho
Thrd-Tcrm party would have another advantage.
They could show that both III Illinois and in Ncw-
York and other States, il has been the custom for
the districts to report their delegates to tho Con-
ycntion for its approval and they will doubtless
claim that the right to approve ncindrs the right
to reject. and the right to appoint in any other
way The fact that this approval has mover been
anything but form will not stand in the way of
the argument with them.
On tho other hand the opponents Of the Third
Term Will have tho advantage In the nature not
the technaiics, Of the Illinois case. 1t will be a
demand directly from the Republican masses for
just representation Of each Congressional District
Their issue will he that of free speech against gag
law, honest representation against fraudulent
popular rights against the tyranny
of political machines. Tho Illinois cOntcstimg !
will Llnqucstionably he in n somewhat |
awkard position because Of having no official |
standing before tho Convention through the |
regular organization Of the party in tho State |
Bnt the outrage committed upon them IS 50 fragrant |
that may Of the Blaine men express the hope and |
belief that it will Of itself turn the tide against
Gcnral Grant. They insist That for the friends |
Of candidate to bo ablo to carry his own State by
such means alono is disgraceful, and should DO |
enough to defeat him.
The anti-Grant men are still charging that the |
Cook County bolt was the result of II conspiracy, |
which Senator Logan and his follower, saw was |
necessary 10 save the State. The votes at Snring-
field throw light on tho charge. Tho vote on
admitting the whole antGant delegation from
Chicago of ninrty-two shove donly thity-cight
najoity against it. At this time the seats Of fifty
six OF these delegates were actually uncontcstcd.
At no time did the Grant delegation claim, before
tho Credentials Committee any moro tbnn fine |