Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-05-27
DAILY POSI.lNTElLIGENCER.


that more jobs have been Perpetrated,
more cussedness succeeded and more
violence has been done to the desires OF
the people by proxy representation 'nan
by any other single factor in the constit
ution of party conventions. A man VINO
oees into Convention with a number
Of proxies ia from the outset formula
hle. He 10 vastly more 30 than vonio
he the same number OF men, Tor ~hiie
IL miehl be difficult to sway them a.
unit in a given direction, or to unite
them in favor of or against a candidate
or measure, only the will Of one mSn who
holds the proxies need be consulted, or
his personal interests appealed TO.
MANY a good candidate, the choice OF
the people, has by means OF proxies
lodged in unscrupulous hands been
slaughtered, and supplanted by an ofien-
sive nominee.
The late Convention at Dayton was
proxy Convention. Az reported 10y a
local journal the only report We have
al hand-there were out of 20 votes %
proxies. Several members OF the Con-
ysuticn we're pot elected delegates, bat
secured admission solely by procuring
proxies from counties IN which they had
neither residence nor even extensive ac
quaintance. Quite number were
Federal office holders. Among them, and
as an illustration of the representation,
wsnote that Pacific county was repre-
sented by Secretary OWNS, kitsap
county by Special Agent Cavanaeh,
neither OF whom were elected by the
people Of those or any other counties.
Oar delegate, Mr.. Hill, CARRIED in his
pocket eight proxies. Mr.. Hopkins OF
Whateom county, bad five, Mr.. Mason,
of Clarke county, 4; Mr.. Barlox took
two from Cowlitz county, Mr.. Bradsha "
two from San Juan, etc. etc. We are
not in this, criticisinR the gentlemen
who thus added TO their votes b. carry
ing proxies into the Convention. So
long as the rule is that such representa-
ton shall be admitted. they had a per
feet right 10 do 80. Even this is also
true Of those gentlemen, Federal OH.
GERS and others who, not being elected
az delegates, went outside the coun-
ties wherein they resided and secured
proxies. We specify this Convention
and these instances because Of two
things. First, because it Is notorious
that the Convention failed to do a. the
people Of Washington Territory desired
and as the members Of the Convention
well knew was the wish of tbs people,
TO wit: send outspoken, avsved, ear
nest Supporters OF James q. Blaine as
the Republican Presidential nominee,
and second, because the National Re
publican Convention four years ago SET
an example we'll worthy of imitation
and took the correct ground upon the
subject.
No proxies will be allowed in the
Convention next week at Chicago. -Four
years ago the usage was established by
the rulings of the Chairman, rs follows:
The name of one OF the delegates from
West Virginia being called. that dele
gate did not answer TO his name. There.
upon the name of his alternate borne
on the roll was called and the alternate
did not answer to his name. The Chair
ruled that no other person except that
delegate or the alternate could lawfully
answer to either of those names in the
Convention. subsequently this ruling
was modified as follows: When dele
gate fails to respond, the name Of the
alternate borne upon the rell opposite
that deleaateIshau then be called, II
that alternate does not respond, the
names of the other alternates selected
for the same representation by the
same authority will be called In their
order, as. for instance, II a delegate at.
large fails TO respond aud the alternate
whose name Is on the roll opposite that
delegate st-large fails to respond, the
Chair will direct the other three alter.
nates-at-large 10 be called in their or.
der. and there stop. IL, on the othe,
hand, the failure TO respond be that OF
distant district, the Chair will direct
the name Of the other alternate from
that district (,he first one failing to re-
spond) to be called and there stop. A,
che time the above ruling was an
nounoed, Mr.. Conkling inquired, The
other alternate from the same dissrict2
to which the President responded,
"Frsm the same district and from that
only" thus excluding the right of even
an alternate to represent a delegate in
another district.
IL 10 probably impracticable, In a Ter.
ritory 30 large and so indifferently pro
vided rs yet with transportation 'facili.
ties as this, for all delegates
elected TO the Territorial Conven.
ton TO attend IN person; but
great improvement upon the
methods obtaining heretofore can q,
least be made, TO wit, the establish
ment OF the rule. FIRST, that no person
not elected as a delegate shall be en-
titled TO seat in the Convention. and
second, that no ele ,ted delegate shall be
entitled ts vote the prs ~ OF delegate
from any other county OF distric. save
the one In which he himself has been
elected. This would require each
county to send at least one delegate in
person 10 the Convention. and would
moreover keep out therefrom many
ambitious persons, whose desire to rep
resent the dear people in conventions
OF the party Is altogether greater thar
that OF said people TO send them there
IL would serve to give TO our eonven,
tons fuller attendance, ensende,
acquaintance aud cosdiahty among
members of the party from all sections
Of the Territory. leave the small FRY and
pestiferous politicians cut in the cold