The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1880-04-29
THE DISPUTED COUNT.

Referring to the courteous article OF
the Champ6os IN IL issue Of the 18th
inst. in answer to . communication to
the Commonwealth, relative to the late
convention It Topeka, Colonel Jocelyn
makes the following points:
LIST. The can Of the Republican Ma
tional Central Committee contemplated
the election Of two delegates to Chicago
by esch Congressional district. and four
from each State ut large; thus compos-
ing the National Convention as the Ma
tional Congress is composed. The in
tention is clearly to get an expression
both of the preference Of fhe people at
large and also Of the leading men Of all
the States. 1t is unnecessary to point
out the wisdom of this course At crit
ical time like the present.
I'd. 1t is stated, ON good authority,
that in the State Central Committee it
was first proposed to elect three by
each district, which was lost, and q res
olution to elect two by each district
carried (; but that in the call the words
"from each district instead of "by each
district" were substituted.
Sd. This idea carried into effect in the
convention in the manner proposed by
the Blaine managers would have had
the result of suppressing all evidence Of
a strong preference for General Grant
in much the largest portion of the State
thus violating the spirit and defeating
the purpose of the national call. THIS
was both wrong in principle and bad in
policy, and was resisted accordingly.
4th. The caucus, at which the Cham
pion claims delegates from the Third
district were elected, was simply meet
ing OF Blaine delegates from which al
Others, if known, were rigidly exclud-
ed. Tha. others were there, however,
for purposes ofi'vormdtion is indicated
by the difference of the count which
bothers the Champion. To claim that
such secret caucus could elect, or even
properly nominate, delegates is simply
absurd.
9Th. On the contrary, proper notice
was given on our part for meeting in
convention Of all the delegates from the
Third Congressional district, in the
Senate Chamber. to elect two delegates
from that district to Chicago, as was
clearly stated to the full convention.
Then was the proper opportunity for
the Blaine men to have measured their
strength with ours if they believed
they had the majority. They declined
the challenge, and thus admitted their
want of strength.
9Th. For reasons already stated the
so-called test case, as recorded by the
Secretary, is not admitted to be decisive.
There was nothing in the proceedings
of the convention to indicate that the
lobby, occupying the chairs intended
for delegates and known to be voting,
would not, or did not answer to names
of delegates known to be absent.
9TH. Presidential electors should at
all times, and more especially at the
present time, be selected with the ut
most care, otherwise the entire vote of
a State may be changed and its pur-
pose thwarted at the caprice of an indi-
vidual. To force any electoral tici,et
upon convention and upon State
in :he manner adopted at Topeka is a
waaton outrage that cannot be too Sc
vcrely condemned. The party should
thank the Second aud Third districts
for their resistance to this if for no 9TH
err reason. That ticket will have to be
revised.
Finally. 1t is unnecessary to handy
words further in this business. The
evidence is all in, the record made I; the |
Ease will be made up and taken to Chi
cago for decision. That principle con-
tended for involves the future harmony
Of the party, and it is important that it
should be definitely settled.