Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1888-06-15
The Congressional Conference.

The Congressional Conference.
Besides the delegates from this
county, who were Chas. McCandless,
W. S. Dixon, r. w. Kennedy, j. b.
Cunningham, NJ. n. Greer. Joseph
Hartman, III. NJ Caldwell, DR.. Hoov-
er, H. G. Black, Robert Thompson,
David Studebaker, s. T. Okeson,
John DinGinger, w. H. McCandless
and W. G.. Russell, quite q number
of other friends of Newton Black,
Esq. our candidate for Congress, went
over to New Castle, last Tuesday, to
attend the Delegate Convention.
The Convention met in what is
known as "White Hall" there, at
about pm. and organized by elect
ing Hon. W. S. Shallenberger of the
Beaver delegation President; one
from each county. including Dr..
Hoover of this county, Vice Presi-
dents, and one from each county, w.
G. Russell of this county, to be Sec
retaries.
On motion a committee of one
from each county was then appointed
on rules and resolutions, and instruct
ed to report at the evening session.
The names of the different delega-
tions were then handed to the Secre-
taries and tabulated in the order of
counties, viz Beaver, Butler, Law
renee and Mercer.
McCandless then moved that the
Convention proceed to nominate can
didates and vote UiUG UOce, which
was agreed to. Beaver county being
first on the list, Mr.. Shallenberger
proceeded to nominate Mr. Chas G..
Townsend of New Brighton. He
spoke of the Importance Of the House
of Representatives, of the wisdom of
introducing new blood into it, said
this was the first meeting of these
four counties, said Mr.. Townsend was
representative of the manufacturing
interests of the valley, a soldier, G..
A. r. man, etc.
Butler came next, and Charles Nc
Candless, Esq, rose and spoke
of this being a new experiment in
this district, said that Mercer and
Butler were now represented in Con-
gress by free trade Democrat, that
we should forget the past and begin
anew, nominated Newton Black and
spoke of his career as o soldier and
attorney, and of the wounds received
by him in battle.
For Lawrence county Scott D.
Long, Esq said it was not necessary
to dwell on .Tackson's record, that he
had made good Congressman and
carried rebel bullet in his head.
For Mercer county editor j. G..
Brown, of Greenville, spoke of what
be called the equities of the counties
and read figures to prove that Mercer
county polled 1000 more votes than
Lawrence, and 1000 more than either
Butler or Beaver, and said that her
manufacturing interests were fully as
great as those of any other county.
Then he nominated Major Alexander
Mcdowell of Sharon, said he began
life as printer, was for years a SOL
dier, then a successful business man,
and that this was the 4th nomination
for Congress that he had received
from Mercer county.
The roll of delegates were then
called and. all answered 60 their
names, but just here an amusing in
cident occurred. The Chairman ask
ed if all the delegates names had been
called, and an Irishman in one of the
back seats, who evidently belonged
to the Hibernian order, which bad a
parade in the town that day, and
which was meeting in the Opera
House near by, got up and said "No
Sir, No, Sir, just stop q minute there,
you didn't call Jimmy Mckinney of
the Westmoreland dele cation, or JIM
my Gribben.
The Hall rang with laughter, and
Jimmy was told he was in the wrong
house.
A motion to proceed to o ballot
then carried and the delegates names
were called over in county groups.
The result, as expected, was that
each candidate received his county
vote-l5 for each.
Three ballots were taken with same
result, when it was moved that the
Convention continue to ballot till
close of the afternoon. Brown thought
that to adjourn without making a
nomination would be disgrace, and
would defeat the grand object of the
new system, which was a speedy
nomination. The motion carried,
and this put every thing, excepting
motion to adjourn, out of order for
the balance of the session.
The 4th. 5th and 9Th ballots were
the same as the first, and then came
a motion to adjourn to 1880 p m,
which was defeated.
Unanimous consent was asked to
change the order of counties, but this
was objected to.
The 7th ballot made no change,
and another effort to adjourn was de-
feated.
The 9Th ballot was the same, and
another motion to adjourn till p. m.
carried
The Convention re-essembied at 7
p. m and seven more ballots were
taken without changing the result,
and an effort to change the rules, and
make another giving each county
term in Congress, until the next ap-
portionment, the nomination to be
made by lot or otherwise, failed. At
10 p. m. the convention adjourned till
next morning.
On Wednesday the Convention
met at 9 a. m. and continued ballot
ing, the counties of Butler and
Beaver trading votes, thus alternate.
ly giving Black 30. and Townsend 0,
and Townsend 80 and Black O. 1t
looked like a dead lock and the Con-
vention voted the new system fail
ure, and Mr. Shallenberger in a
speech recommending the popular vote
plan said that the two days. deadlock
lad menaced tie party with disrup-
tion; that the system was more the
will of the candidates than that of the
people, as they selected their own