Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1880-02-25
HOW THE PENNSYLVANIA DELEGATION
WAS BROKEN FOR BLAINE IN 1875.

WAS BROKEN FOR BLAINE IN 1875.
IHarper's Weekly
A correspondent wishes to know
the action of the Cincinnati Convention
of 1876 in regard to the Pennsylvania
contest about instructions. 1t is an i'm
portant narrative, and should be remem-
bered. Upon the calling of the roll for
the second ballot, the vote of Pennsyl-
vania was announced as solid for Gen.
Hartranft. ThereupOn one of the dele
gates from the Sixth Congressional
District, composed Of the counties Of
Chester and Delaware, rose and stated
tn It the vote had been incorrectly an
nounced, as he and his colleague had re-
quested that their votes should be de-
clared as cast for Mr. Blaine Two
other delegates from Pennsylvania
made the same request The chairman
of the Convention ruled as upon a
question of the very highest privilege,
that ''it is the right Of any and of
every member equally to vote his SEN
timents in this Convention" An ap-
peal was taken from the decision of the
Chairman, who was sustained by the
Convention. Some alteration fol-
lowed, and a motion to reconsider was
entertained by the chair A Penn
sylvania delegate stated that the State
Convention unanimously instructed
the delegation to- vote for Hartranft,
and to vote as q unit under the direc-
tion of the majority. The delegation
itself upon reaching Cincinnati resolved
that its vote should be cast as unit
for Hartranft until twenty members
should ask for consultation. Two of
the Pennsylvania delegates, from Ches-
ter and Delaware counties, replied that
they represented district for which
they held credentials, and owed no al
legiance to the State Convention. TO
this it was answered that they were
the two who did so, and that they had
been adopted by the State Convention.
The Chair here interposed, and said
that the roll-call must continue, and all
corrections Of rulings be postponed un-
til it was concluded. When the roll
had been called, by a vote of 35l to
359 the decision of the Chair was re-
considered.
General debate was then opened
On the on side it was urged that a del
gate was honorably bound to obey in
structions, and Mr.. Giles w. Hotch-
kiss, of New York, held that the action
Of convention binds every member OF
u party. This was the argument for
reversing the decision. On the other
hand, it was alleged that the National
Convention is supreme body, and
that no State Convention could bind
its action. Mr.. Woodford, Of New
York, declared that it was the right of
every man to cast his own vote. Mr..
Hale, Of Maine, recalled the Chicago
Convention of 1868, when the Penn
sylvania delegation under instructions
presented q Pennsylvania for the
Vice Presidency. A delegate from
Pittsburgh pleaded "the great principal
of individual right to be represented in
that Convention" The Convention
Overwhelmingly sustained him, and
his vote was directed TO De cast as he
indicated by the Chairman Of the dele
CATION The debate closed with this
citation Of conclusive precedent, and
the decision of the chair was sustained
by vote of 385 TO 1853, and the four
Pennsylvania votes were counted for
Mr., Blaine.