, 1880-06-06

yious practice, it there had been any, in simila1
caSes within the state; -. .n ,ua ,,o..,
to the districts within the State, ignoring tha
State except SO far rs it related to the choice oc
The State Convention which sent to this Con-
vcntion the delegates who have been sitttn8
here upon this floor proceeded upon the other
theory. They did so BECAUSE that Was IN accord
ance with tie previous practice Of tho State.
They did so because thAt practice, and that idea,
w's strengthened BY the analogy when runs
through all this business Of electtng fFcsi-
dent: They knew that when Kansas was called
in the Electoral College 1t was not called for
ny ees na sav @ It aad
pride in knowing, that when Kansas had made
utterance there would be no doubt as to what
Following that kstia analogy. the State Committee
issued q call for a state Convention. That call
distinctly stated that the electors OF the several
named, shoaia n proceed eRppaoet 70 eeet delegates
to the State Convention, whose function,
%hen assemh!cd should pc the choce Of ten
Republican Convention. And the only thing
In it about districts was that tho COMMITTEES pro-
ceedcd to say that it advised the State CouTen-
don, Or recommended to it when it had assem-
blcd, that in choosing delegates it should choose
two from each one of the territorial subdivisions
There wns M recognition in fhe call whatever OF
the function or OF the power of Il Congressional
district to do anything whatever. within that
State Convention when SO assembled; nor Of any
of its members to do any thing except to partic}-
pate in the proceedings; but it was one body Of
men to be chosen for one particular purpose and
acting for the accomplishment of one cnd-T1Z.:
the nominating and electtng of ten men who
should represent the united voice Of the State Of
In response to that call, Mr. Chairman, every
county IN the State, think, sent delegates to
Topeka; who there assembled as State Con-
yention, and organized for one particular pur~
pose and acting for the accomplishment of one
end. to wit: nominate and name ten men who
should represent the united voice OF the state
that cali, Mr. Chairman, every county IN the
State. think, sent delegates to Topeka, who
ized in u regular way, and proceeded under tho
call to the election Of ten delegates upon
ticket, recognizing none OF the districts, and no
III the manner Of designating one as ct largo
and the other from district, but In fact ap-
9se atrSts se Sac; ssserdGcs 10 ses
portion to their population. that IS to say,
among those territorial subdivisions known and
recognized as Congressional districts.
And tue same Convention. in pursuance Of the
further mandate Of the State Committee, pro-
ceeded 70 and did choose Ave Electors, upon
whom will devolve the duty, and will be their
pleasure, to
CAST THE UNANIMOUS VOTE
Of the State Of Kansas, backed By at least 6a0M
majority, for the man who shall be nominated
hf5f to ARPaSssfs s5 sSe Slate OF Kansas had had
separate districts 1t had In itself constituted
the rst e
been assigned to it. TIE Ldg5latnre hHa
which these several members Of Con9rcss should
be chosen, and 80 all the State had met together,
nanx Is m q the p1
ton Of the idea that districts, as separated from
proceeding, had. anything to do with the election
Of delegates, and SO in fact, in an informal man
ner, the delegates from each Of the districts EoF
together and mnde an informal recommendation
ton general caucus, and recommended Delegates
to heSta1e Convention. and the State Convention
chose their own delegates to represent them In
Cincinnati.
When tho Convention assembled every dele-
gate took part IN the organization. The Eon-
aud that wls the only division. those In fnvor Of
one candidate having nominated a candidate
for presiding officer, and those in favor OF an
% their person., % and those those two persons were voted
for in the Convention. Tho prevailing party
then prodeeded to select tho ten delegates who
some Of them, participated in the election, md
some Of them simply declined to vote Prior,
however, to this naming Of the ten deIegates: Il q
Third District Of the State, q portion of the
delegates, should suy. got together md recom-
them, two candidntes IT, be placed upon the ticket
by the Convention. The Convention declined
to accede to that recommendation, and the per-
tile persons who were thus usrecomulcnded for cam
didates before the action Of the Conventton had
taken place, except rs to the Ih1rd Distr1cr III
which believe there was 3 subsequent assem-
hlage of the same persons, or substantially the
snme persons, who ratified the preceding action
by the choice Of two of the persons who are
here contesti1g.
Mr, Chairman, If the opinion prevail and de-
ter1ninc here that the call was directed to the
and not the der
now to call the. attention OF the
tS stat as
u anything but the maudate 9f the the
Congressional districts Of that state 81 &C, comPese %
of committee. having "l1cal haoltaton ana
name.'' and having function with referenca
to district matters. But these committees never
acted. NO delegates ever came together IN con,
yention in any one Of these districts summoned
by the authorities Of his district NO one ever
participated in the election Of delegate hers
except delegates who came together under the
call Of the State Committee, commanded to ap-
pear and represent the Republicans OF that state
and it seems TO me, Mr. Chairman, thati all fa1r-
ness. and In that regard for local rulo Wnlca
should govern in all delibcrutive bodies. and es-
peciaily in bodies which are removed from tho
people, especially In bodies which cannot be sup
posed to concern themselves with the details OF
local organization, that the call OF the Commit
REGARDED AS AN ORGANIC CoNAAHD,
as the law of the assemblage, and that any per-
son who acts outside Of that should be nothing
else than simply a member OF the body polite,
the general body Of the Statc,-and that there
fore those men who came In compliance with
this call and this demand came there as State
Convention, and that no mere members OF g
District Convention, within any possible view OF
that organization, are any more than any other
one Of the 100 600 voters OF tho State OF Kansas
who may have voluntarily assembled anywhero
for tho purpose Of electing delegates to this
place. [Applause-1 While 1 am on that want
to say this: that there ts no question but "hae
those persons who are here contesting are men
who are In every practical sense, IN every proper
sense, representative men Of heir rcspecuvo7
localities They are Just rs the oalanee OF Us.
no better and no worse than the 1O0uO hepuo-'
lican voters of the State OF Kansas; and. Y
they are entitled here, then l SUBMIT tnaa
il must be, not because they Assem- sem
bled as members Of State Con-'
vention, but because they come fogetneT
in their Individual capacity as residents OF their
several districts, without any call and *tthoue
any organic Inv, and without any authority for
their proceedings from that which must be ro.~
Rarded as the Republican body OF the State, ana
Droposed to themselves to choose members OF
their own mass-neettng, SO to speak, 70 comel
here and represent their district IN tni1k
Convention. Mr. Chairman, the first tbs
ory announced is the one upon which the State@
proceeded. We claim, as s;tid. In response tna
Ihe demand Of the State, that that State Con-:
yenrion acted within the purview OF the rule
which had previously been established, and tn1H
no other persons come here representing In any
sense any body called together by any Logan