Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1883-08-30
HAMILTON DEMOCRACY
Captured En- Masse by John Nc
Lean.
Funeral Emblems AdOrn the Doors
OF the News Journal and the
Late Senator PendletOn.
o. s.. Journal, goth inst.

o. S.Journal, goth inst.
The headlines of the Enquirer yester
day were but family Indicative of the
sweeping victory which that paper won
in the Hamilton county convention
They are as follows:
Democracy Erect.-A Brilliant but
Hard Days Work 10y the Convention :
Foundation Laid for Victory More Solid
than Granite.-The Superstructure will
be Com pleted in October, And There
will be nothing i'll it but Sound Timber
Political Hacks, Demagoguos and
Bummers Partake Unwillingly of Lit
tie Lunch, Consisting of Choice Cuts of
! Cold Shoulder.-While Severe on Them.
| it was Necessary for Party GOod.-One
Look at the Ticket Secures 1T Your
Vote, To Say Nothing of Making You a
| DemocI attic Worker.-Slates Smashed
and Capitalists See Their Mercenary
Schemes Knocked Higher Than the Key
of g."
And the News journal, the organ of
pure and undefiled Democracy, which
Was supposed to take its politics straight
without a grimace, alIudes to the con-
vention as follows:
There was q convention held at the
Highland bouse yesterday which pur-
ported to be a Democratic gathering, an
assembling of representative Democrats
for the purpose of nominating party
ticket to be voted for next October.
Nine o'clock was the hour fixed for call
ing the convention TO order. Last night
thousands of honest Democrats ear
nestly expressed the wish that the hour
mentioned had never Ventured near the
Highland house. The proceedings,
which follow in detail, are not calcula-
ted to tighten the hearts of true Demo-
cratic readers this morning, if the gen.
eral drift of opinion as expressed last
night Can be regarded as significant. The
vital point in the proceedings Of the
gathering, and in which every Democrat
is interested, came to the surface at the
very beginning of the session, and gave
rise to a piece Of dIShon0rable work
that brought the blush of shame to eve
ry reputable and thinking man IN the
hall. The question was whether men
legally elected as delegates to represent
thoroughly Democratic constituency
should be permitted to have voice in
the proceedings of the convention, or
whether they should be fOrcibly and dis
honestly dispossessed of their rights.
This issue was fairly and squarely
raised in the convention yesterday, and
it was decided by the majority Of body
of men who called themselves Demo-
Gratis, that lawfully elected representa-
tives were not entitled to lend their aid
and Judgment in shaping she course of
the good ship Democracy. This state
ment on its face appears to be prepOs
ferrous, but the action of the convention
in the matter was absolutely dishonest
and dishonorable. The foundation of
the party, the rights of free speech and
free vote, were disregarded, and decen
cy thrown to the dogs.
The villainous scheme, which was
born of the mind of Denocracy's worst
enemies, was concocted, as all know, to
further the selfish designs and crafty
the personal hatred of one man, and
his name is John r. Mclean. In the
accomplishment of his scheme he not
only degraded himself, but stained the
fair eScutcheon of his party with the
foul blot of corruption. He purchased
with promises and more potent consid-
erations the, absolute control of the
Democratic convention. Before the
meeting of the executive committee he
had liked" his ticket and fixed" the
agencies through which he carried out
his designs. The most important of
these was the committee On credentials,
and this was firmly anchored and armed
with five reliable(?) men, with l.. G. Ber
nard at the helm. The primary elections
occurred, and the McLeanites met with
defeat, the majority of the legally elect
ed delegates being men who were un-
pledged. The McLeanites openly boast
ed that no man opposed, either actively
or passively, to the Mclean interest
would be allowed to have voice in the
convention, and the result proves that
the boasts were not Idle words. Every
elected delegation opposed to the Nc
Lean interest was contested. The COM
mittee on credentials met in saloon
late Friday night and heard the Con-
tests, but reserved all decisions, and re-
fused to make any Statement as to
their number 1t is understood that
about one-haA re city precincts were
thus put in the hands of this committee.
In many cases The contestees did not
knew that their rights were being ques
toned, and of course had no hearing.
Tne committee reperted-that is, Mr..
Mclean published list of his delegates
and the committee rendered copy of
this to the convention as its report. By
this means almost 200 legally elected
delegates were raled out, and when the
question came before the convention
almost One-half of those voting were
acting as judges and jury on their own
cases. This is the way in which the
Democratic party has been nisused to
crafty selfish mind.
The proceedings of the convention, if
such it can be called-better should it
he branded "McLean'S wake
disgraceful in the extreme and insulting
to the party. The ticket nominated is,
with sew exceptions, the slate ticket
that had been fixed some days ago, and
pledged to carry out certain policy and
becOve the servient tools of an unscru-
pulons man. Disorder reigned supreme
from the first stroke Of the chairman'S
gavel until the last delegate was carried
away.
THE Kentucky Legislature will be
composed of thirty-three Democrats and
five Republican in the Senate, eighty-six
Democrats, eleven Republicans and two
Independents, whatever they are in
Eentuckv in the HOnSe which gives the