Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1888-06-21
REPUBLICAN COMMITTEES.

Woman Suffrage, Advocate Heard-Ths
Virginia Contests-Dakota's Claim.
CHICAGO. June 16--When the Republican
| National Committee met last night Mrs
Isabelle Beecher Hooker, the well known
| woman suffrage advocate, was granted
| ten minutes at her request 70 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, perm 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 a lady
| friend, and spoke clearly and
we'll, arousing laughing enthusl-
| asm by an offer that if the committee would
| endeavor to have woman suffrage plank
inserted in the conventiou platform she
would guarantees 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 # the committee by the
secretary.
Mr.. Conger. from the subcommittee ap-
pointed to prepare the roll of the conven-
tion, reported that there was n number Of
| contests for seats in which the papers in
dicaled 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 aud neither be entitled TO vote until
the right to sc ITS 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 NIr-
ginIa the committee voted to recommend
that the delegates headed by Sena-
tor Mahone be placed nn the roll and ad-
mittcG as delegates, and that the opposing
delegation. headed by V. ID. Groner, be ad-
mitted 10 seats as contestants.
The Virginia contests at once became a
matter of vigorous discussion, Lynch, the
colored member from Mississippi, Hooker,
of Vermont and a dozen others taking part.
After nearly an hours debate Walter
Evans, of Kentucky, endeavored to bring
matters to head by moving 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 1t was fully an hour longer
before the Evans proposition came TO
vote. Secretary Fessesden 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 b It the motion to
place on the convention roll the entire
Malone delegation was defeated-1S to l.
Immediately a claim frcm Dakota for ten
seats in the convention-not six-came up
and caused another lively tilt. The idea
was that Dakota was rightfully State,
not Territory, and entitled 10 the full rep
resentatlon of a State. The proposition
did not involve any enlargement Of
Dakota's vote in the convention. 1t was u
gave the larger number and therefore its
moral support 10 Dakota's claim to State
hood.
The report Of the committee to prepare
the convention roll Was then unanimously
adop ed, 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-Mahone contest in
Virginia, both sides temporarily being
given seats in the convention.
Mr.. Lawson moved that the several State
delegations be authorized each to appoint
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 alarms. 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 Greed Hay
mond, of California, and NJ. d. Foley, OF
Nevads, stating that the Pacific coast dele
gates desired to present the name OF
Morris NJ Estee, of California, for tempo
rary or permanent chairman and request
ing that action by the National Committee
he susr ende until the coas: men should ar