Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1880-08-26
For the Gallipolis Journal.


Mr.. EDIToR:-I have read the pro-
ceedings of the. Eleventh Congressional
Convention held at Portsmouth, Aug.
Portsmouth Blade. The Tribune gives
a fair and truthful report-not quite full
however. The Blade draws largely
upon its Imagination for many OF its
statements. -
Both papers forget to mention that
while Capt. Jones was trying to get his
as he supp0sed-all important paper
before the Convention, the Chairman
asked him two questions lst, If he con-
sidered himself member of this Con-
ventIon? I'd, If he proposed to take his
place in the Convention with his county
delegates and become part of and act
with the Convention? To the first
question he gave an equivocal answer.
To the second he promptly answered
no.
Thereupon the chair decided him out
of order, an outsider, and refused TO
hear him further. In this connection let
me say that il Capt. H. c. Jones and the
other delegates of Vinton CO. had taken
their places In the Convention, as chair
man Of that Convention l would have
ruled in favor Of Capt. Jones, and he
should have had patient hearing; l
would have ruled in favor of the read
ing of his paper, or at least allowed it
to be referred to some committee.
But when Capt. Jones declared that he,
nor any OF the Vinton county delegates,
would serve on committees or in any
way take any part in the Convention, he
became At once an outsider and his
sense of prOpriety ought to have kept
him silent. They made q mistake In
staying outside of the Convention.
" "'Tis true, tits pity. pity tits, tits true"
One word with regard to the Ports
mouth Blade. Its extreme position, its
unfair. statements, its weak arguments,
with its bad English, its slangy and
blackguard language-at once stamps
its editor as man unworthy Of notice;
and makes the impression upon all In
telligent readers, that his brain does not
weigh more than half ton ayoirdu-
poise.
Mr.. Editor, 1 perceive that many of
our people do not quite understand all
about this trouble, what 1t means, and
why it was not avoided.
Let me attempt a short and imper-
feet explanation. The situation at the
Portsmouth Convention was simply this.
A minority undertook to rule majority.
They failed (as they usually dO.) True,
they did not dictate the nomination, but
they did declare that the majority
should not nominate the man OF their
choice. They abandoned Judge Har-
per-they abandoned Capt. Bright (by
the way an excellent many and their
war cry was-anybody to beat Neal
and let the Neal men name the man.
Mr.. Beman "a Neal Delegate) was urged
to become candidate. TO delegate
Stone they proposed E. A. Stone, hop
ing thereby to break the Neal phalanx.
But the Neal delegates simply an
swered-We must represent our con-
stituents. We could do nothing more,
nothing less. We did right and time
will vindicate us.
Mr.. Neal's support was obtained in
a Legitimate way-in the usual way;
not the work of politicians, but of the
people. And that too without making
war-either himself, or by his friends
upon any other candidate for the same
position. AS the people are sovereign,
they had right to send such delegates
to. the convention as would do their
bidding; and those delegates had no
right to misrepresent their constituents.
And moreno cOterie Of politicians
not even minority of the people,
possess the right to dictate to q major
ity, what it shall or shall not do.
When minority fails TO submit to,
and abide by the will of a majority,
then comes anarchy and ruin, and
end to party discipline and party organ
izatiOn. When we fail to recognize this
great principle (faOt)-the corner stone
Of Republican g0vernment-that ma
jOrities shall rule--then will yon see an
end to free government. Then war
with all Its terrible consequences be-
comes inevitable.
AS 1t Is with States, with the Nation,
so 1t is with parties. The majority
must rule; the minority must submit,
gracefully If it ean-but submit it
must.
Now, it is q fact that most of the
delegates (as they style them
'elves) finding they could not rule,
saw fit to stay out of the convention;
Why l cannot tell. Perhaps this will |
always remain mystery.
1t was Il great mistake, rs many of !
hem must now see; and contrary to
he advice of that true and cOol-headed
nan. Capt. Bright, of Hooking county.
The course they pursued was as un-
nstifiable as it was unprecedented.
We feel sure that most of them regret
t. We are sorry that SO much demo-
ratio thunder has been manufactured
~ Republicans. ~ ai,tt,ti
But we will forgive and forget. We
'annot become democrats, nor will we
urn the good old 1lth District over to
Wells A. Hutchins and thereby add two
rotes to a Confederate Congress. mol
Vol!
We will let bygones be bygones, and
trike hands for the success of the
rand Republican party, not only In
he State, in, the Nation, but In the
Eleventh Congressional District Of
)hio. w. w. MILLS. NJ, d..
Chairman of the Convention,