Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-06-05
PRICES SUCCESSOR.
Chester I Long, of Medicine Lodge Nom
mated by the Ooldwater Convention.

mated by the Ooldwater Convention
Special Dispatch TO the Daily Eagle.
CoLDwATER, Kan, June 4.-The conven-
ton held here yesterday for the purpose OF
nominating a candidate to succeed Hon.
T. C. Price as the member from the Thirty
eighth district, ended after the fiercest
political contest ever witnessed in this sec
ton OF the state, in the choice OF Chester
/. Long, of Medicine Lodge.
1t was apparent to even the casual OBJ
server, as the delegates came in on Satur-
day and Sunday, that fierce contest was
brewing. Besides the delegates and their
alternates from the five counties consti-
tuting this district, each of the candidates
brought with them large number of
friends. At least 100 men outside of Com
anche county attended the convention. 1t
was evident early in the day that neither
of the candidates would have walk over
In the convention and it would only
be by hard work that a nomination would
9e secured. BY no system OF political
computation could it be demonstrated that
any one of the candidates controlled ma
jority of the votes, and the estimate re-
ported in the EAGLE which gave G. w.
Finch. of Harper, eleven; Chester l. Long,
of Medicine Lodge, thirteen, and W. G.
Emerson, of Meade, ten votes, afterward
proved to be correct. Emerson's support
ers claimed that they saw their way clear
to success owing to the fact that there
were contested delegations reported
from Clark and Comanche counties. In
quiring into the causes of these contests
revealed some of the most audacious and
glaring political trickery ever practiced,
all or nearly all of which was traced to
two or three members of the senatorial
committee.
The convention met in the court room
at 1:30. Mr.. r. NJ. Painter, of Meade, an
nounced that as there was a delegate from
Harper county who was expected to arrive
on the 2:45 train the convention would not
be called to order until that time The
Coldwater band entertained the audience
in the meantime with excellent music
which was highly appreciated.
At precisely 3o'cloek w. F. Walker, of
Harper, chairman of the senatorial COM
mittee, called the convention to order and
began a speech, saying that in the organi
cation of the convention he would vary
from the usual method of procedure and
that he had discovered by considerable
search that the Chicago convention in
June, 1888, allowed the National Republi-
can committee to pass on the credentials
of the delegates and settle contested dele
cation.
Here Z. Sample, of Medicine Lodge, Oh
iected to any further rules and asked that
the call for the convention be read. The
secretary of the committee read the call
and also a report which contained the
minutes of several caucuses of the COM
mittee and the information that the COM
mittee had examined the reported Gre
dentials of the delegates and found
the following persons and none
other We're entitled to a seat in
the convention" The delegates from
the various counties were read as
afterwards adopted by the convention ex-
cept tor Comanche county. Here it
seemed that the secretary of the commit
tee passed upon his own case, he being a
coniesting delegate, and reported q list of
five delegates which had only received one
vote in the county central committee
meeting which had elected delegates to
the convention.
Samuel L. Overstreet, of Medicine
Lodge, then moved to lay this report on
the table and nominated Russell Virgins,
of Harper county, as temporary chairman
of the convention.
Then the fight commenced in earnest.
Il. NJ. Painter, of Meade, opposed the
motion with energy, and gave a very
Creditable review of his own record as
soldier and politician.
l. y. Love, of Anthony, said he was in
the Chicago convention. and that the rule
attempted to be carried out by the sena-
terial committee was not in any respect
the one adopted by the national conven-
ton. That there was no evidence that this
senatorial committee had examined the
credentials of the various delegations or
that any OF the contesting delegates had
been notified to appear before the commit
tee and that Il had no authority TO usurp
the power of committee on credentials.
Ed Sample, of Medicine Lodge, said he
WAS sorry tpat nature had not commenced
the iuitiatory steps in his creation in time
that he might have been able to boast of
splendid military career, but that il was
not his fault. He was opposed to any gag
rule in this convention and he would
stand and fight till the crack of doom"
10 see fair play.
So the fight was Ike I up TIL O'Clock,
when, after repeated calls for question: =
Chairman Walker submitted the matter
to VOTE or rather attempted to do so, by
requesting the secretary TO read the names
from his report. This was vigorously op-
posed. W. A Mccarthy, of Ashland,
being contesting delegate, demanded
hearing and got it. He denounced the
proceedings of the senatorial committee in
attempting TO dictate who should have
seats IN the convention in scathing terms.
Chairman Walker then announced that if
the convention wanted the vote taken in
any other way than that he had directed
they must appoint some other man to put
the question. This seemed very satisfac-
tory and on motion ofs Mr.. Sample, j. c.
Jobes, iiof Harper county, put the
Walker to retire. The motion
carried by a big majority and Walker
stepped down. 1t was then decided 10
leave the temporary organization to the