Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1884-08-23

IlJS. uOt q ln
ountv convention, OF even by inc ocie
,atcs from the fourth district but pro-
to hold a proxy from a contest
NO delegate, attempted to speak
70 this Mr.. Mercer objected, and
Nofford made the point of order that
he chair should only recognize upon
he floor such persons as held creaeh,
from the regularly authorized
county conventions. This lead 10
.lisgraceful wrangle, participated III oy
gentlemen occupying a similar
oosition to that of Mr.. Payne. Finally
The chair decided that it could not be
tho Judge of credentials, but would
recognize anybody who had the
'sshadow of a right to the floor" An
scene of disorder followed. Mr..
Wallace's friends withdrew the name
of Judge Cowan, seconded inc
nomination of MI. McGrew, and ne
was elected temporary chairman.
Nj. Payne moved that tho chair ap-
point a committee of five on creden-
tails. / from Lafayette, 3 from johnson
and l each from the first and tiifo
Districts of Jackson county.
MI. Southern moved as a substitute
that the chair appoint a committee ON
credentials to consist off from Lafay-
cite, 2 from johnson and 4 from the
~uncontested delegates OF jackson
county.
This was bitterly opposed by tho
contestants from the second and fourth
districts of jackson county land by La
fayette and Johnson counties, the po-
sition being taken that the jackson
county delegates whose seats were con-
tested should neither vote mol be repre-
sented numerically on the committee u
credentials, or IN any way participate
in the organization of the convention.
The chair sustained this view. Great
confusion ensucd, and the previous
question having been moved the CHAIR
without any order from the house, at
tempted to take the vote by calling a
roll from which tho delegates from
the second and fourth districts OF
Jackson county were omitted. The
other two districts of Jackson county
refused to vote, and there was no quo
rum. Worse confusion followed, and,
at last, after a futile session, tho COLI
vention, at about six O'Clock, p. M, ad-
journed.
In order to be connected in our COM
mcnts VIC will here Discus the action
taken up to this point. In what we
have to say we no not desire to reflect
upon anyone, we question the motives
none; no doubt all thought they
were in the right-at any rate We shall
not enter into a war of personal crimi-
| nation, or ever recrimination. We
simply express II honest convictions
upon a serious public question.
refusing to seat in the temporary
organization all the delegates elected to
the congressional convention by the
| county convention of Jackson county
we think that the democracy of Jack
son county was outraged and tAatparlia.
mentary law was trampled under foot.
The power to send delegates to the
| congressional convention was in the
county conventions. The usage of the
party places it there. Tile call of the
county committee placed it there,
The county convention was a very
large, orderly and representative
body. No other conventions were
called or authorized to send delegates
to the congressional convention.
1t alone could furnish credentials. Al
to Its delegates the maxim talsms in un'
falsus in omnibus (false in one, false II
ally must apply, for all were elected b!
the same means and by the same body
II the delegates from tho second dis
trict we're not entitled to their seat
neither were those from the first ant
third. Beside, there is not a word il
the rules (printed above) requiring tn
selection of delegates to the congress
ional convention by the delegates i
the county convention from the repre-
sentative districts. The fourth of til
congressional committees rules says
"the candidates for congress receivin
the highest number of votes in any req
resentative district shall be entitled I
the vote Of the delegates Of such distrit
in the congressional c~onucntion." We
and good, BUTT NOWHERE SAYS THATTH
DISTRICT DELEGATES SHALL SELECT TIL
DELEGATES TO CAST THE VOTE. w
are told that the contestants from tn
fourth district were not elected b
the delegates of that district, but fU
that we are nothing; according to on
view the delegates elected by the rcgu
lar county convention of Jackson coul
ty were entitled to their seats in til
congressional convention.
). Granting that there may be a diife,
once Of opinion here, still, according
all parliamentary law, they should hay
j, been seated in the temporary organic
ton until their right could have bee
attacked within the body, and by leg,
methods. Tho British parliament al
the congress of the United States 81
the highest Legislative bodies i'll IL
world. They give rules of procecdul
to all others. When the clerk of Il
: lower house OF congress, who stands
q al analogous position to the temporal
n chairman Of q convention, is about
n organize the house, he does moi stop
4 ascertain whose places arc cOnteste,
but he seats tho members having Il
u proper certificates OF election. II
fact that a members seat il conte
h tel, if over 80 well known, do
not initiate against him In this respet
To the superficial observer this I'M
seem wrong, but the contrary pesiti'
would simply be monstrous. 1t won
mako OF congress a plaything for u
scrupulous men,. And this parliame
tary law, c%rystalizcd by hundreds
years Of experience, is rs wise in Il co
a. vention as it is in parliament, or co
gross, or in our state legislatures. To
" rogatc it would risk the turning of
conventions into mObs. That it "
70, stricken down in this one rendered