The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-06-07
PLATFORM OF PRINCIPLES
ADOPTED.
The Unit Rule Not Accepted.
SPEECHES NOMINATING VARIOUS
CANDIDATES.

CHICAGO, June 5.-The convention was call
ca TO order at 1! 40, at which time delegates
generally were III the seats, and there was an
immense audience in the galleries and on the
rear OF the floor. Prayer was offered by Rev.
John X. Baxter.
THE KANSAS CASES.
The Chair stated the question to be on the
report OF the committee on credentials in the
case of Kansas.
Mr.. Conger briefly explained and sustained
the majority report.
The convention agreed to limit the dehata
on Kansas to 40 minutes
Mr.. Plumb OF Kansas replied on'behalf of
the sitting members, and susteined the mi
nority report
Mr.. Conkling, coming in while Mr.. Plumh
was speaking, stopped to salute him, and was
greeted with applause from Grant sympathiz.
erS.
MIR. Houk of Tennessee said he did not
know winch side OF the pending question he
was on, and asked to be allowed to speak two
minutes in order to ascertain his own posi.
ton. Uaughter) r.
The Chair said the gentleman must be on
one side or the other to entitle him to occupy
any OF the time allowed to this debate. IRE
Mr.. Houk was allowed to proceed, and. in
conclusion, said he would sustain the majority
report because there was no minority report.
but he did not want to be understood thereby
as condemnlng the action of congressional dis
trictS in Kansas
Mr. Bateman of Ohio said he did not want
to see the tactics of Tammany Hall established
and maintained in a Republican organization
10 override the true sentiment of the people
themselves, as Iammany. in New York city
override the solid Republican majority north
OF Harlem bridge. Therefore he was for the
majority report. 'o
Inc question was then taken by call of
states and the majority report in the Kansas
case was sustained The vote was: Yeas 146,
nays lo4. 1t was noticeable that New York
cast only y votes in the affirmative. The ma
Jority report, which was adopted, admits fonr
Grant men from Kansas.
The committee on credentials held that thew
We're entitled to seats under the principle Of
district representation. The failure of the
New York Grant men to vote is understood to
be caused by the desire to have the majority
report sustained, while their votes for II Womb
De inconsistent with their vote in the Illinois
cases.
WEST VIRGINIA CASES.
The next case taken up was the contest in
the third district of West Virginia, where the
committee recommended the retention of SIT
ting members who are Blaine men.
Mr. Conger explained and supported the ma
iority report.
Mr.. Clayton of Arkansas moved to substi-
!ute the minority report for that of the ma
admission of the contestants.)
Mr. baum OF Illinois insisted that the West
Virginia case stood precisely on all-fours with
the Illinois and Kansas cases, and, as the con-
testants from Illinois and Kansas had been adj
mltted, those from West Virginia should also
be.
Mr.. Conger stated that the committee were
nearly equally divided in this case, and rather
ntlmated that he was not himself clear in
opinion as to the true merits of the case (The
contestants in the case are Sherman men,
After considerable cross-iring between differ
ent delegates to the facts of purely local inter
ests, Mr.. Goldman (Mass.) urged that the prin-
clple OF district representation required. the
seatlng OF the contestants in the West Virginia
case in accordance with the minority report.
He could not understand how the committee i
who reported in favor of the Is contestants in
Illinois could have voted against the contes-
tantS from Kansas,
Mr.. Hagans of West Virginia, sustained the
majority report, urging that these contestants
Jailed to prove before the committee that thew
secured the votes of majority of the delegates
to the state convention.
Mr.. Raymond of California said that which
ever way the convention should vote in this
case, that vote would sustain the principle of
district representation. Each side here claims
to be district representatives, and the only con
troverted question was as to whether the sit
ting or contesting delegates were the legally
chosen representatives of the districts invoiv.
ed.
The vote was then taken by call of states
upon substituting the minority for the majority
report, and resulted in Alt yeas and $50 NAYS.
SO the motion to substitute the minority report
was agreed to- and then the convention voted
viva voce to seat the contestants The Grant
Sherman and Edmunds men appeared to COM
bine OF this affirmative vote.
THE UTAH CASE
The next case of contest considered was that
OF Utah, and debate upon it was ordered limit
ed to 80 minutes. The majority report retains
the sitting delegates who, tie majority of the
committee say, were appointed according to
the almost universal usage of Utah by the
Central Republican Committee, while the con-
testants were chosen by an unauthorized and
irregular body.
Mr.. Raymond of California sustained the
majority report, and stated that the central |
committee met together without any authority |
and elected the contestants. The committee |
on credentials was almost unanimous in favor
of the sitting delegates.
MIR. Goldman of Massachusetts, favored the |
contestants.
Mr.. Pixley of California followed for the
majority report, but could not be heard by the |
reporters
Mr.. Mcbride, one of the Utah contestants. |
having got leave to be heard in his own case, |
appealed for recognition as representative of |
the Tive Republicans" of Utah. He argued |
that he had been chosen by convention rep |
resentlng u OF the 20 counties in the territory,
the other eight counties only polling about six !
votes in opposition to Mormonism
A colored delegate from Mississippi desired |
to know whether the contestants or the sitting
members represented the Brigham Young |
Mornons?
Mr.. Houk of Tennessee tried to be heard, |
but as the time of debate had expired he was |
interrupted by loud calls of Question" which |
irritated him SO that he became greatly ex- |
eitod and persisted in what appeared to be
denunciation of those who were interrupting /
him, until storm of misses drowned his utter
ances.
The roll of States was then called on the
motion to substitute the minority for the ma
jority report, and thus seat the Utah contest
ants, resulting yeas 42S, nays 49, So the mi
voted so yeas, 10 nays. The convention then
admitted the Utah delegates.
THE REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON RULES.
which was taken up. recommends that when
the vote of State is cast it cannot be changed |
except in case of numerical error, and that 10
minutes be allowed for the presentation of each
for President.
Mr.. Garfield of Ohio, rising was greeted
with great applause.Fz He inquired of Mr..
Sharpe of New York, who made the minority |
report from the committee on rules and orders,
how much time he desired for the discussion
of said report.
Mr.. Sharpe replied that he did not design to
detain the convention unnecessarily, but he
could tell better what his course would be af-
ter Mr.. Garfield had stated his own motion.
MIR. Garfield then moved the adoption of the
majority report, and hoped any proposed
amendments would be presented before the
debate should begin.
Both the majority and minority reports were
read.
The chair stated the question to be on the
motion of Mr.. Garfield to adopt the majority
report.
Mr.. Sharpe criticised the proposed amend
nent to the eighth rule, and moved to strike |
t out, that amendment being:
But if exception is taken by any delegate to the
correctness of such announcement by the chairman |
If his delegation, the president of the convention
hall direct the roll of members of such delegation
o be called, and the result recorded in accordance
With the vote individually gwen
He reminded the chairman of the committee |
IN rules that the convention had been in ses-
ion three and a half days, and had had no
rouble from the abseOe of that part of the |
'ule, which he regarded as entirely unneces-
ary. He was not here to seek further delay.
The battle line was formed, each side was
eady, and the people were waiting for the
7erdict (Applause.) They all felt that what
,ver was to be obtained on the sk1rmish line