The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1880-06-05
Last Nights Dispatches.
THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL
CONVENTION.

THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL
CONVENTION,
CHICAGO, june 4.-The proceedings o
the National Convention to-day have 70
the most part been rather uninterestirg
Debates have often dragged heavily ant
the interest has been relaxed. as indicated
by considerable confusion on the foo
among the delegates themselves and il
the body the body of the audience. Th'
exceptions have been the two or three
lively passages between Conger, Logai
and Raymond. Complicated parliamen
tary questions and points of order were
frequently before the Convention and were
disentangled with consumate skill and
patience by the Chair, whose rulings IL
in every case met with expressions of sat
isfactIon from the audience and ready
acquiescence from the delegates through
out the proceedings. and display sound
appreciation OF the varying phases OF the
merits OF the sdebate that the Chair was
several times constrained to declare that,
il the marks OF appropriation and disap.
pointment were not restrained. Business
would be so delayed that the galleries
would have to be cleared to allow a con.
tinuation of business The reference to
Grant brought out deafening cheers,
which were repeated. accom- panied by the
waving of hats, handkerchiefs end slapping
OF hands. which lasted for some moments,
but this handsome dem monstration was ex-
eeeded largely in a few moments.
Rixley. Chairman of the California dele~
cation, in reply TO question of Gen. Logan
said that bis delegation was instructed to
vots first. last and all the time for James
g. sBlaine. The name. had hardly been
pronounced when it seemed that almost
the entire audience In the galleries and on
tho hoore sprang to their feet and cheered
in the most vociferous manner. Hats
were flung Into the air again and again,
handkerchlefs we're waved in the widest
manner. This animated scene lasted full
three minutes. It was the first time
since the convention met when the name
of Blaine had been mentioned.
Mr.. Conger sopened the case and in a
twenty minutes speech traversed the pro-
position upon which the case of the con-
testants of found, and especially laid stress
on the district representatives of the state
OF Illinois. de maintained that the ma
Jorlty report was correct Ia principle, in
principle, in product and wise action and
concluded that SO far as he was concerned
he was willing TO submit the question to
the country and to the convention.
General Green B. Raum. rising in be-
bali OF the sitting members, began his
speech by assuring the committee that
his friends were asking merely for justice
and nothing more. They expected dis
passionate. fair minded and just treatment
from the convention. He declared that
precedeuts run to the contrary of that
rule, which was laid down by the majority
report and by Congsr. They wanted no
ex post facto rule applied here. They
wanted a precedent followed one that had
prevailed since 1856 in the Republican
party. The usages in Illinois had been
the same IN both political parties since the
memory of man, and all arguments to the
were not founded on fact. He
asked it any convention ever met in Hi
nois without a call being issued by the
State Central CommitteeP Did the dis
triers come together by their delegates
merely as suchP No such thing was ever
heard of. In 1860. when Lincoln was
presented for the sunrages Of the people
OF this country, he was nominated by the
State Convention aud by a resolution
The State Convention instructed the dele
gates to Chicago in 1860 10 vote for his
SO long as his nomination was
possible, and in 1874 a similar resolution
was adopted instructing the delegates to
vote for him as unit. He said Lincoln
had held to the state convention plan and
not TO the district convention. He gave
his experience as delegate 80 each OF the
succeeding state conventions up to the
present date, showing an unbroken line
of precedents IN support OF his side of the
question. He referred TO the threats of a
bolt. which be stated were made in Spring
field by the Farwell Hall delegates, but
that convention was in favor OF Ulysses s.
Graut, applause and cheers and the
delegation was instructed to vote as unit
for him, and they were wise in selecting
delegates who would carry out the will of
the great state OF Illinois. Why were all
these contests made in this Convention.
Because an attempt was making to invade
and overturn by revolutionary proceed
ings the will of the people. [Applause.
cheers and Kisses in about equal proper
tons. He warned the Convention
that the Republican party could not
stand much of a strain another four
years. He asked now that this conven-
ton do justice. He had yet to learn
something about politics if a few gem
tlemen should get together in a hotel in
some dark corner and make a contest
against a convention to be held, (Shouting
in the gallery, What about the the Pal
mer House?1 } He was not afraid to dis
cuss the question of the Palmer House
delegation. He declared that had not
Washburne been 10 the field Gen. Graut
would have had large majority in the
preliminaries of Cook county as he did in
TACT have 600 majority over BlaiOe and
500 over Washburne 10 the count (Cries
of never" ''never.'') He declared that
he was not in Springfield as delegate but
as u spectator and it was a surprise to him
that he was named as Chairman Of the
convention. Dir. Raum occupied half an
hour in his speech.
Elliott Anthony rising, said he proposed
to discuss the methods employed by the
state in selecting its delegates to the State
Convention. Mr.. Raum had declared
that the State Conventions had always
selected the delegates. In that assertion
Mr.. Raum stood before this convention as
q perverrer of history. He would meet
this issue squarely. He then reviewed
the ection of the State convention, begin
ming, as Raum had, at 1856. He asserted
most positively that in not a single case
had the delegates been selected except
through the Congressional district con
ventions, He uuoted resolution intro
I.ooJ bx he Hu1 Iob, q.