Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1880-05-06

L lie dGlllSSl III WIS IliHllCu W Tie CttliC
ity of the house, and the early probable
tiles were that a great many would bt
disappointed. The seats were all takeI
and the aisles well crowded before the
time for calling the Convention tC
order.
THE CONVENTION.
The stage was well filled with prOmi,
nent gentlemen of the party some time
before eleven o'clock, and while the
delegates were being seated the Bar
racks band in the gallery diScOUrSed
some excellent music. On the front
seat of the stage were Governor Foster
.IIOn. \. l.. Conger, Chairman of the
Central Committee; General Robinson
Chairman of the State Executive Com
mittee, and Congressman William Nc
Kinley.
Hon. \. L. Conger, Chairman of the
committee. called the Convention to or
der, and beforepresentingt the temporary
Chairman, made a few remarks i'll favor
of harmony and against making any
mistakes in the Convention. They
should do that which would best unite
all the elements of the party and insure
a Republican victory in October He con-
cluded by presenting Rev. b. W. Arnett,
of Columbus, who offered prayer.
Mr.. Conger next announced as tempo
aary Secretary of the Convention Mr..
John r. MallOy, of Fraqklin county, and
presented Hon. VIM. Mckinley as tenn
.porary Chairman of the Convention,
who spoke as follows:
Gentlemen OftHe Contention:
i make my grateful acknowledgements
#to the State Committee and this Conven-
zion for the honor of presiding Temporal
rily over the deliberations of this large
snd intelligent body of Representative
republicans, coming from every section
Of the State.
The duties with which you are charg-
ed are important and responsible ones,
having relation not only to the local
contest in our own State, but reaching
out and beyond into national politics,
and which may, and doubtless will, re-
suit in influencing, in some measure at
least, the great national contest which is
so near at hand.
In view of the peculiar condition of
public affairs in this country, never did
Republicans meet in State Convention
at more critical juncture than now,
and never did the Republicans of Ohio
have more important and delicate duty
to perform. As the work here may pro-
mote or retard Republicans success in
the next Presidential race, our actions
will be watched by Republicans every
where with the deepest concern.
I'VE are to nominate State ticket, an
nounce the principles and purposes of
oar party, in platform of resolutions,
and more than these, we are to choose
four delegates to voice our sentiments
in the Great National Convention to be
held in Chicago June next.
The whole work of the Convention
should be well and wisely done. The
most capable men of our party in the
State, true and tried Republicans, should
be appointed as delegates, who will sub
ordinate person preferences and pTeju-
diceS to the party and the public good
Happily for our State we have no
cliqueS or factions which control our de-
liberatiOnS OF stifle the voice of the peO-
pie, and in the work before us all can be
assured that whatever is done here and
now will be in obedience to the will OF
the people, who stand behind you, their
representatives, in this Convention.
This is no place for inharmOny or dis
Sensions, no forum for chickering's eT
domestic discord the highest and great
est good for the party and the country
should guide the judgment of every in
dividual delegate here assembled and de-
termine our concerted action. We have
In the Democratic party an enemy strong
and powerful enough, in the State and
Nation, to demand of every Republican
to be in line, working shoulder to ShOul.
der to secure Republican ascendency
The Democratic party mean to win the
next Presidency, by lawful means il
they can, but failing by such means
they intend to capture it, careless OF
methods, and Indifferent to the instru
mentalities employed.
They are determined upon attaining
power; if by the will of the people. well
and good; if not, then in opposition to
their will and in defiance thereof, if that
can be accomplished. If you have any
doubt of their purpose, permit me to re-
mind you that, in 1876, in the Presiden-
tial contest of that year, when beaten
fairly and honestly by a constitutional
majority, unwilling to acquisese in the
result, distinguished leader, himself a
candidate, sought to buy electors in the
States of Florida, Louisiana, and Ore
gon, sufficient i'll number to reverse the
result and defeat the will of the people
as constitutionally expressed.
In 1879 they attempted and almost sue
ceeded in stealing the State of Maine,
,hn Of n1a iol,f
with the popular will clearly and unmis-
takably against them, us expressed at
the polls, with a Republican Legislature
elected 10y an overwhelming majority,
with no preteXt of fraud or force or un-
due influence contributing to the result,
they sought to stamp out and annul the
will of the people by a system of frauds
and corrupt practices, hitherto unknown
in any Northern State. They wanted a
State, the people had adjudged it against
them, and larceny to their consciences
was no crime to possess it. This, it will
be noted, was not in the South, bat in
New England, amid the best of Ameri-
can civilization; and though it was un-
successful, thanks to the clear heads and
courageous hearts of the Republicans of
that heroic little State, yet it teaches a
practical lesson of the future methods to
be employed.
Again, this year, Minnesota, a Repub-
lican State, for years reliable as a part
of the Republican column, must fall
prey to Democratic greed. An addition
al State will be necessary to the cleo
tion of a Democratsc President, if the
election shall go to the House of Rep
resentatives, where every indication
points it will go, in the event the pOpu-
lar elections are against the Democrat
ic party. Washburn's seat must be va,
Gated to give them that State; he who
was elected in 1878 by majority OF
3,013. in district which never gave q
Democratic majority since its creation
and which only last year, in the State
elections, declared for the Republican
party by majority of nearly 5000. He
must be dispossessed of his seat, after :
service of nearly two years, and DOnnel
| lV- W no never ,yuS aIAataI InnSt b1Vf