Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1889-09-06
Ped On the Convention.

One would think from reading some Of the pa
pers Of Northwest Kansas that L. *. Pratt and
his followers at the Atwood convention were the
very qufntessence of honor, and that all other
participants were there for no other purpose but
to create discord This being the case, the ac-
count OF eye witnesses viii of course have but
little weight, Notwithstanding the fact that the
| accounts as given by many of those papers are
purely from heaFsay. However the writer Of
this was there unprecedented and unfnhHeneed by
anyone, and he thinks he is telling the truth
when he says that no matter who was the ''HOv-
ing cause nor no matter what was the prompt
ing motive, the L. K. Pratt faction was composed
of men who were determined to carry that con
ventiOn just as they did, no matter TO what means
/ they had to resort to accomplish that end. Now
contests may arise in any convention, at any time
/ and no honest man who has the good of his conn
! try at heart win for q moment attempt the sup
preston Of testimony to the merits Of any case
/ that may arise. What would fl. e born Americans
think. If a man accused of heinous crime should
be denied the right Of trial by jury OF his coun-
/ trymen: What would they think if it should be
blamed by man or set Of men that he or they
had been defrauded, or wroDged in any manner
and it should be decided by some one who held a
little 'brief authority that their complaint was
not well founded and therefore would not be
! heard; no testimony be allowed; no commission
of investigation or other means of determining
the validity of their claims be provided? Every
/ honest American citizen would cry ont against
such state Of affairs. (Remember we say every
honest American, for it is a deploFable fact that
there are tricksters in American politics.
Yet such state Of affairs existed in the Atwood
convention. One paper says that Chairman VIII
son decided that the delegates elected at the reg
ularly called county conventions we're entitled to
vote in the preliminary organization even in the
cases of Norton and Cheyenne counties, and adds:
(which was right Now il a criminal may sit in
/ judgement on his own case; if a congressman
whose seat is contested may decide on his own
case; if horse thief may say: ST am Innocent
and be liberated without a hearing, or may say
who shall or who shall not testify, then NJ. A.
/ Wilson's decision was right as claimed. But, il
the accusations and defense shall be heard in such
cases by disinterested jurors, then NJ. A Wilson
is wrong as charged.
The question simply resolves itself into this
I Two counties sent contested delegations. Nc
sane man will claim that any man or set of men
have not the right to deny or contest any prop
OsitiOn. It then remains for the demurrers to es
tablish their claims. On the other hand, no hon
est man or set of men will oppose the hearing OF
evidence in any such case, fOF unless the jury be
dishonest, right will prevail.
The question as to who should have voted il
the temporary organization is we'll established by
precedent as well as common sense. It certainly
is sensible proposition, that contested countie.
should not sit in the temporary organization, anG
that the right to seats should be accorded to tho
proper ones by committee on credentials ap
pointed wholly outside Of the interested dele
gates. Yet this is Just what NJ A Wilson ant
his hackers refused to admit. He, Wilson, pro
posed to seat what were known as the L. K Pratt
to sit in Judgment on their own case. This was
opposed and on this the whole matter of a spill
rested. Now what conclusion must fair minded
men arrive at: Here were the contestants from
! two counties refused a hearing Why was it so
Was L. X. Pratt afraid to trust his official recor
to the decision of his fellow citizens? Ifthe con
I tests were not well grounded would not the fac
. have been shown before the committee? If TIA
contests were well grounded ought it not to pOlit
ically bury all who were engaged in the fraud, s.
. deeply that they will never be resuuected?