The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1884-06-07
REPUBLICANS IN COUNCIL.

! were fixed upon II WIN the CLOSEST lcHsIoh
! il is a noteworthy fact that the attendance,
outside of the regular delegations and their
alternates, was much smaller THAN at the
convention four years ago. The fact Is no
doubt largely attributable to to tie moneta
stringency of the times, though alessening
confidence that the nomination Of the bo
DIV would be equivalent to an election may
also have had something to do with ii.
The convention, according to previous
appointment, met at IL o'clouk on Tuesday
and the first step in its proceedings was
perhaps the most notable one that occurred
during the entire session.
According to all precedent il was not on
" the function of the chairman OF the Ma
tional Committee to call the convention to
order, but to name the temporary chair
man, whose election always hitherto had
followed as matter of course. But when
Senator Sabin, rs Chairman of the National
Committee, called the convention to order
and presented the name of Powell Clayton
of Arkansas for temporary chairman he
WAS taken aback most decidedly by MIR
Henry Cabot Lodge of Massachusetts, rising
in his place and proposing the name OF
John Russell Lynch, colored delegate
from Mississippi, in lieu of that of Clayton !;
and no doubt the chagrin of Mr.. Sabin was
not lessened when the convention, by a
vote of 432 to 1897, adopted the motion of
Mr.. Lodge.
The explanation of this extraordinary
maneuvre runs in this way: Clayton had
come at the hea. of the Arkansas delega
ton, most of whom were negroes under his
influence, as a known Arthur man. The
National Committee had been captured by
Blaine, and their first movement in behalf
of their owner was to buy over the Arkan
sas delegation, and this appointment of
| Clayton rs ;the temporary chairman OF
convention was part of the consideration
1t was not somuch because purchase of Il
state dele cation had been made for Blaine.
That, rs republican conventions 90, was le.
ultimate business. But il was the pur-
chase of such rot as Clayton and then asking
the convention to endorse him, that consti.
tuted the outrage, and its prompt resent
ment was intended far more to give the
black eye to the National Committee and
show contempt for Clayton and his mar
ketable niggers than to hit Blaine
The first days work of the convention
substantially began and ended with this
first encounter between the factions.
The second days proceedings were al
most entirely routine. The committee on
credentials having the Virginia squabble
as the knottiest problem to deal with, was
not ready to report when the convention
met at noon and were given further time.
The committee on permanent organization
reported the name of John B. Henderson,
of Mo-, for President, with Il vice President
from each state and dozen of secretaries,
and their report being adopted without OPP
position, Mr.. Henderson was placed In the
chair, and made the usual speech. Then
there was rifle by Hawkins, of Tenn,
moving a resolution to pledge all the dele
gates in advance TO support the nominee.
The resolution, however, brought out such
vigorous speech in opposition from
George William Curtis, the head of the
Independents against whom 1t was di-
rected, and who were known to have openly
declared that they would do as they pleased
about supporting the nomination after 1t
was made, that Mr. Hawkins concluded to
withdraw ii.
On Thursday morning the committee on
credentials were finally ready to report
having agreed upon all the pending cases
of contested delegates, and their report was
unanimously adopted, the only notable fea
ture of which was it damitted the entire
Malone delegation from Virginia, kicking
out the regular republicans" of that state.
The committee on order of business next
reported, and then the committee on plat
10TH tnuut luti iNpoiti anu '''t'''o'''A"'y
summary of clap trap, ambiguity and false
pretenses was adopted without debate.
We shall publish it hereafter. Meantime,
il may be said, briefly, that ii laments the
death of President Garfield, pledges the
Republican party in favor of tariff for
protection ms well as revenue, recognizes
the importance of sheep husbandry," rec
ommends an international standard of the
relative value of gold and silver, favors the
national regulation of the railroads, and
the establishment of bureau of labor,
favors restriction upon the importation of
foreign labor, repeats the usual claptrap
ohout civil service reform, and reserving
the public lands for actual settlers suggests
restoration of the navy 10 its old time
strength, repeats the stereotyped anathema
against polygamy, and the usual fustian
about free ballot and an honest count"
At the evening session the states were
called i'm order TO name candidates for the
presidency, and as one after the other was