Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1892-06-23
They Stand BY Clark.
STATEMENTS CONCERNING THE
CUBA MASS MEETINGS.
Representative Democrats Tell How
the Delegates for Crawford
County We're Selected
They Contradict Mr..
Norton.

| TO the Editor OF the st Louis Republic.
SrEELvILLE, No., June ID, 1892.
Having seen Mr.. Norton $ statement
in last Sundays Republic concern
ing the Cons ,essional mass meeting
held at Cuba ON the 10th inst, in
| which he misstates the entire pro-
| ceedings and assaiIed personally
myself and others who participated
therein, / take the liberty of writing
for publication the true facts con-
cerning the contest between Messrs.
Clark and Norton on Friday last.
First, I desire to state that | did
not, at any time, with the exception
of part of two days spent in Union
township, participate in the fight
between them. | did, however,
ride on Mr.. Clark train from Steel
| vile to Cuba on the day of the mass
meeting with about 470 other Demo-
| cratic voters of Crawford county. On
the arrival of this train these, with
about 800 other Clark men, march
| ed to Hawkins Grove, near the
edge of the town, the place designat-
| ed to hold the meeting. After our
| arrival at this place we waited at
least twenty minutes for the arrival
| of Mr.. Norton and his followers. 1t
| was then after 1 o'clock, and Nor
ton failing to take part, it was sug-
gested that this place was not in the
corporate limits of the town, and as
the call was for the meeting to be
held in the town, to hold it there
| might vitiate the proceedings. 1t
was then decided to go to the
school house grounds near the CEN
ter of the town and hold the meet
ing there, and Mr.. Norton and his
friends were so informed. Clark s
| men then marched to this place and
awaited the arrival of Mr.. Norton
and his men, who marched to with
in a short distance of where the
Clark men were and stopped. |
then called the meeting to order and
began to read the call Of the Central
| Committee, at which time Mr.. Nor
ton and five or six of his supporters
climbed upon the stand and attempt
ed to storm the meeting by threats
and yells, but in this they failed.
| After the reading of the call of the
Central Committee I asked for the
nomication of a permanent chair
man. DIR. Vaughan was nominated
and there being no other nomina-
tions, the vote was taken, which re-
suited in DIR. Vaughan's election. 1t
then became evident that it was the
object of the Norton men to break
up the meeting in row, or, failing
in this, to bolt and elect set of
delegates. After DIR. Vaughan's
election he took the chair and called
for the nomination of secretary,
and James E. Hollow was put in
nomination, and there being no
other names presented, the vote was
put by the chair and Hollow was
declared elected secretary. The
names of five gentlemen were put in
nomination for delegates to the Con-
gressional Convention, and there
being no other nominations they
were elected without a dissenting
voice save that of Mr.. Norton him.
self, who was yet trying to storm
the meeting and break up the meet
ing in confusion.
A motion to adjourn was then
| made and carried.
There are about 200 Democratic
voters in Crawford county, and Mr..
| Clark had at least 700 of these pres
| ent and participating in these pro-
ceedings. Mr.. Norton had about
500 men and boys, of whom 100 at
least were from Franklin and Wash,
| ington counties. 1t was apparent
throughout the days proceedings
] that the Norton men intended to
bolt the meeting, as is evidenced by
! the fact that they did, after the adj
iiournment of the regular meeting,
organize and elect another delega-
/ ton to the Congressional meeting.
/ w. I'll. FERGUSON.
A CoNFIRMAToRY STATEMENT.
To the Editor of the st, Louis Republic.
CUBA, No., June 14.-In your
issue of Sunday, the 18th inst, ]
notice the report of an interview be-
tween Republic reporter and Hon.
| r. FL. Norton, and that report GER
tainly entities Mr.. Norton to the
belt as the champion prevarieator oi
| the West. In the first place, the
Iplace of holding the meeting was
selected by Mr.. Norton's friends
| without consulting any Of the par.
| ties named in the report. When Mes
srs. Hollow, Farrow, Easton and
others first saw the place, Mr.. Nor.
toms friends had already made the
selection, staked off the ground and
made rostrum or stand. MIR,
Hollow then at his own expense had
wire stretched around the place,
forming a narrow passage 50. thai
but one person could enter at a time,
By this constrivance a fair counI
|. n,,.lI bouo bony, rne.1a Ea~l,, e..