St. Landry democrat., 1888-06-23
REPUBLICAN COMMITTEE.
Woman Suffrage Advocate Heard-Tha
Virginia Contests-Dakot8's Claim.

|
Woman Suffrage Advocate Heard-Ths
Virginia Contests-Dakota's Claim.
CHICAGO, June 16-When the Repu bllca1
| National Committee met last night Mrs
Isabelle Beecher Hooker, the well known
woman suffrage advocate, was granted
ten minutes at her request to present her
cause, and the secretary was instructed to
wait upon her, and in the meantime, on
motion of Mr.. Conger, of Ohio,
next Monday was fixed as the date
when each State delegation to the
National convention should meet and
elect chairman and one member TO serve
as vice-president and one each on the COM
mittees on credentials, permanent organ.
ization, rules and order of business, plat
form and resolutions and the National Re
publican Committee Mrs. Hooker, white
haired and stately, entered with
Secretary Fessenden and lady
friend, and spoke clearly and
well, arousing laughing enthusi-
asm by an offer that if the committee would
endeavor to have woman suffrage plank
inserted in the convention platform she
would guarantee them a hundred woman
speakers in the coming canvass who would
sweep the Republican party into power to
stay as long as 1t pleased. Her plank was
received on behalf Of the committee by the
secretary.
Mr.. Conger, from the subcommittee ap-
pointed to prepare the roll of the conven-
tion, reported that there was number of
contests for seats in which The papers in
dicated the regularity of the set Of dele
gates placed upon the rolls presented. He
continued that on the papers filed and
statements made to the su b. committee, it
was deemed unwise to decide respecting
the contest In the District of Columbia, and
the sub committee recommended that both
delegations be admitted to seats on the
floor and neither be entitled to vote until
the right to seats had been de-
termined by the convention. There were
no contests in the First and Fourth dis
tricts Of Virginia. In the matter Of the
contested seats in the Second, Third, Fifth,
Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth and Tenth
Virginia districts the committee recon-
mended that both delegations be admitted
to seats without votes until the convention
determined the right of the matter. In re-
gard to the delegates at large from Vlr-
gina the committee voted to recommend
that the delegates headed by Sena-
tor Malone be placed on the roll and ad-
mitted as delegates, and that the opposing
delegation headed by V. D. Groner, be ad-
mitted to seats as contestants.
The Virginia contests at once became a
matter of vigorous discussion, Lynch the
colored member from Mississippi. Hooker,
of Vermont and dozen others taking part.
After nearly an hours debate Walter
Evans, OF Kentucky, eudeavored to bring
matters to head by moySug as
an amendment to the report of the
subcommittee that the entire Malone
delegation from Virginia be placed ON
the roll. But the speech making continued
unabated and it was fully an hour longer
before the Evans proposition came to a
vote. Secretary Fessendel warmly op-
posed Evans, while Brownlow, of Tennes-
see, took the opposite side, and the ayes
and noes were necessary to decide the re-
suit. The call showed that the motion to
place on the convention roll the entire
Malone delegation was defeated-1S to l.
Immediately claim from Dakota for ten
seats in the 'conyention-not six-came up
and caused another lively tilt. The idea
was that Dakota was rightfully State,
not Territory, and entitled to the full rep
resentation of a State. The proposition
did not involve any enlargement of
Dakota's vote in the convention. 1t was a
matter of seats, not votes. The committee
gave the larger number and therefore its
moral support to Dakota's claim to State
hood.
The report of the committee to prepare
the convention roll was then unanimously
adopted, the only change being that in re-
gard to Dakota. The effect is to relegate
to the action of the credentials committee,
or convention itself, the whole question Of
the Malone and anti-Mabone contest in
Virginia, both sides temporarily being
given seats in the conventioi
Mr.. Lawson moved that the several State
delegations be authorized each to appoint
a messenger, except the States of New
York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Illinois,
which should each appoint two, all to have
the privileges Of the floor and be under the
charge Of the sergeant-at- The mo-
tion was adopted and General Charles
Fitzimmons, Of Chicago, the sergeant-at-
arms of the convention, was presented to
the National Committee by Mr.. Clarkson.
He was received warmly.
kilograms were read from Creed Hay
mond, of California, and M. d. Foley, of
Nevada, stating that the Pacific coast dele
gates desired to present the name of
Morris M. Estee, of California, for tempo
rary or permanent chairman and request
ing that action by the National Committee
be SUSPENDED until the coas men should ar
rive. This met with no opposition.