Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1880-06-04

and suggests congressional modification
OF existing treaties to remedy the evil;
commends Hayes administrations, ar
raigns the democratic party, and holds it
to be the duty Of representatives to har-
monte the whole country. ~
| AT the expiration of half an hohr 6he
chair called the convention to order. It
being now one o'clock he Immediately
introduced Hon. o. M. Conger, chairman
OF the committee on credentials, and on
behalf of the committee apologized for
the delay in deciding the cases before
them. He represented the difficulties
under which they labored. They had
been almost continuously and laborious-
ly in session for over two days. The CON-
mittee had considered the cases with can
dor and fairness and without dispute ex-
cept upon the merits of the various ques-
tions. The committee report roll of
members. In the Louisiana con-
test they recommend the ad-
mission of the Yarmouth delegation,
and the exclusion Of the Beattie delega-
tion. In the convention of the state of
Louisiana they find i'm that the bolt was
without cause. They recommend the
fourth congressional district of Alabama.
|
advise that Smith and Warne, who were
duly elected by the district convention,
should be admitted in place of Arthur
Brigal and r. A. Mosely, jr, of the sew
enth Alabama district. In the Illinois
case, the committee recommend the
following changes: In the ninth
congressional district the contestants
are admitted in place of the
sitting members. In the sccSa ,.c;sn con-
gresslonal district, west side, Chicago,
remains unchanged. The districts in in
which changes are made in Illinois are
the first, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, ninth,
tenth, thirteenth and seventeenth. The
committee report in favor of retaining
the four delegates at large from Illinois.
In Kansas four district delegates are re-
ported in place OF the sitting members.
In the Pennsylvania ninth and nine
teenth districts the sitting members are
recommended HI entitled to hold their
seats. In Virginia the sitting members
are entitled to their seats i'll contested
cases. The-committee rehearses the call
of the national committee as basis for
their action on all contested states. Ap-
plause greeted the paragraph where al
lusion is made to the congressional dis
trict representation and refer to pre-
vious calls to sustain their position, and
to show the Justice of their decision.
The calls Of 1856, 1860 '64 and all others
down to the present day are the same
in this respect rs the call this year and
all were adopted with purpose to re-
move doubt and make the district repre-.
sentation principle one that could not be
controverted or disputed. The com
mittee also say that state conventions
too have in almost every case decided
that congressional districts should have
representation at the national conven.
ton. AS they have elected them, the
rights of representatives so elected have
ever been regarded sacred, and should
not now be invaded for the first time ii
the history of the party by this conven
ton. The committee declares the pur
pose of the convention is to select can
didate most likely to be elected and til,
nearer we get to the true feeling of til,
people.
Wiser and safer will be that selection
If state conventions may select delegate
to the national convention who do no
represent the feeling of the people. Thel
those state conventions might as well Sc
lect delegate from a senate district il
the state. This over riding of the will o
the people cannot be too severely cen
sured.
In the Utah case the committee favor
retaining the sitting members as being
i Mr.. Conger said Mr.. Clayton, 0
report of the committee OF
credentials. This report differs from til,
majority on the application of the prin
Iainln nf llSkriaf nfo{i Az
plause and cheers.] They declare ths
majority offer an &c past tacto rul,
to be applied in this conven
tion and one which vii
work great injustice and subjec
the convention to the criticism of charg
ing delegates for the purpose of affect
ing the nomination. They find there i
a vacancy in the Alabama delegation, il
n district in which the majority repor
rapier was applied, and is entitled to
] seat; they find Warner and, Smith no
entitled to seats from the Michigan dis
trict, and that Brigham and Mosele,
are.
In the Illinois case the minority fine
that sweeping and positive charges o
fraud, &c. have been made by the side il
favor which the majority report is made
and that there was no basis whatever 70
such charges. No evidence of fraud wa
produced, but on the contrary there is
weight of evidence on the other side t.
show that there was grea
amount of fraud on the side Of til
contestants. This was freely admitte
by the friends of the contestants before til
committee. They first took up the Coo
county primary election convention, an
make the point that the Grant chairma
Of that committee Just before leaving
that is when the alleged bolt occurred
had adjourned the convention. Thi
point had not previously been made b
the friends of the Palmer House delega
| ton. The committee justif:
the bolt chiefly on thi
ground. They allude to til
, action of the state convention in il
, structing the delegates to vote for Gran
| and claims that the state conventio
, was competentto so instruct. The argu
]; ment is strong for such right in til
e convention rs against the district IL
t structions. The Utah case is discusse
l more briefly, but the conclusion
{ reached in favor of the contestants. Th
West Virginia case is considered wit
c like result. The reports are differentl
|, signed; some of the minority do nc
Il sign the reports on each case.
$ Their conclusions are that the reg,
larly elected and sitting member
g should retain their seats and that I'll
: others should not.
@ Conger then presented the correcte
i roll of members.
s Cessna, of Pennsylvania, moved til,
= the majority report be divided into fl,
Is general divisions and that the CONVEX
ton now consider Alabama.
t. Conger said that the committee hi