The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1882-09-07
mHYHE nEOLTMEn.

srhe members of The Democratic con-
yentioB came here To nominate John
Martin for governor. The sentiment in
| his favor was we'll nigh unanimous. In
facs he was the hero of the occasion up
Ia the moment of his unexpected de
clination, as was plainly shown.by the
demonstrations la his favor every time
his name as meniinned throughout the
proceedings of The convcntion. Mr..
| Martin did not desire the nomin alton,
but had concluded, if the p'ltfor'a was
mAde to suit lim. 10 give way to the
! uni versal demand nf his Democratic
brethren aud accept They believed the
party could secure II larger vote with
Martin Ms the standard bearer than they
could with any body clSc. When he was
introduced 10 The convention, after hiR
Unanimous nom nation. and announc, d
his purpose to decline the profIered hon
or, the effect upon the body WAS almost
tragicai We have rarely seen such an
effect created upnn public audience.
The discussion over tbs platform had
been long and able, because there were
many able men in the convention, and af.
ter il had been adopted amid expressions
of devotion To the party and unity of eff
fort for the success of the ticket, the
hope of success had bego,ten good de-
gree of enthusiasm. Notwithstanding
the re had been wide differences on the
troublesome prohibition question, there
was. Lutte soreness when The minority
report was finally adopted, and every,
thing was in the most harmonious
shape. Judge of the effect
when Mr.. Martins announcement
of his determination TO return the
honor which had been placed upon him,
to the convention, fell from his lips. 1t
seemed a. though the enthusiasm created
by the harmony of the fifteen hours
work was all gone. and tho party was in
a terrible dilemma.
After the recess which followed MIR.
Martins action, IT WIS ascertained that
his course was due TO the changes the
convention had made in the minority
resolutions, which the committee had
worked upon nearly all the previous
night TO get in acceptable shape. There
was disposition ON the part of u large
number of the friends of the minority re
port to recall the platform and re-
store il tn its original shape,
but ofcourse Mr. Martin could not then,
even had this been done, accept the
nomination.
The changes which had been made in
the platform, and which decided Mr..
| Martins determination to decline the
nomination, were the striking out of the
eighth section which endorsed judicious
appropriations for the improvement OF
the national water ways, denounced the
reckless expenditure of the public mon
ey by the river and harbor bill passed
by the last congress and thanked the
president for vetoing il. The most i'm
poitanI change was the striking out nj
the following words in the sixteenth
81 ction:
We emphatically announce that We
do aud shall insist and demand of all
J public officers fair. honest and impair
tlal enforcement of every law of the
land, not for political purposes ar rea-
sons, nor tn crafty the elamOr and
maudlin sentimentaliiy of hYpocrites
demagOgues and shallow pretenders
but because patriotism, good citizenship
and self preservation demand IL, and the
safety and happiness of the people re
quire 1t
Other charges we're made which MIR
Martin considered Important, but the
last one above noted in favor Of enforc
7 ing every law, including the Temperance
. law. was the most potent in leading hin
. TO decline the nomination.
Whatever may be said of Mr.. Martini
action. there are not few who admin
/, him for declining to run on a platform
which his Judgment did not endorse, ant
q which he could not defend before tn,
a public lie has lost nothing in the de
gree Of respect which his friends havefo
l his manhood.