The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1884-07-17
SATURDAYS CONVENTION.

SATURDAYS COH HEH11OH-
The Republican county convention Of
Saturday was, IN its proceedings, what
might be termed "daisy." It's mental
temperature was g good deal the same as
that of the weather. little sultry. 1t
Is true that large majority of the dele
gates kept cool, but there were enough
of them ct the boiling point to make it
interesting. Nobody went TO sleep. The
few Democrats who were lockers on en-
joyed the scene with q relish. Notwlth-
standing there were times Of excitement,
work was completed in 9 very satisfac-
tory manner.
We have had our little fights in EN-
poria, but on Saturday the country peO-
pie took q hand. There Was an element
in the convention which may be termed
the "slale smashers," and they got in
their work in good shape. or course,
in times of excitement more or less in
justice is done. and some of the work of
this convention is open to that objection.
On the other hand an important lesson
may be learned from the action taken
by some who are prominent in our
political affairs. The object Of the
majority was evidently not intended to
crush anybody near 30 much as TO i'm
press the lesson of open and fair methods
at the primaries and IN Conventions
The one contest in the convention came
from Reading. There were twenty
three votes poIled for what was known
as the anti Holmes ticket, and from
thirty-six to foTty-Ons for the Holmes
ticket. Mr.. Holmes being candidate
for representative. 1t was claimed
by tie anti Holmes men, who had
heretofore been his friends and
supporters, but who had turned against
him because he had bolted the action of
the township Republican convention
last spring, that he had, at the prima-
ries on the 9Th, obtained the support Of
Democrats enough to change the result
aud elect the Holmes delegates-tO use
their own language, he had packed
the caucus with Democrats. Another
point was that the caucus had provided
by resolution for the election of ten
delegates and ten alternates, whereas
Mr.. Holmes ticket, which 1t seems
had been previously printed,
had only the names of ten delegates upon
it. This last point was of no particular
value, for the QuestioH of who should be
delegates was the vital one. The COM
mIttee had not sufficient time to IN
vestigate the matter, but it
was evident from the first
skirmisb, Immediately after dinner. that .
majority OF the convention had made up
their minds to admit the anti Holmes
delegates. The case had been worked up
Industrinusly and with considerable
shrewdness by the anti Holmes men from
Reading township, and when they came
into the convention with majority re-
pOIt against Holmes. and each side was
called upon, each being allotted ten
minutes for their presentation, the anti
Holmes men made altogether the best
fight. In fact, TO use an expression
which was quite common
among the delegates. Hugh
had lost his grip" There was
a good deal of feeling that Holmes was
not treated just right, but that he was
mostly to blame himself.
The next subject that created some,
thing of a Juror, was the manner of Sc,
Letting delegates to the state con,
ventIOn. Judge Buck, following
the example of several coun-
ties who had candidates for state
offices, assumed that he would be al.
lowed to name the delegation. Objec-
tions were made, but both the speeches
and subsequent action showed that
about every man in the con-
Vention was his friend, and wanted him
to have the delegates It was the man.
ner of selecting that the convention oh
jected TO. The same delegates were Sc
lected as those he named with one excep
ton.
Altogether, We may say, a grand day:
work was done, and the Republicans
generally are pleased with the result, 81
o far as we know