The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-07-02
LANDIS'S CANDIDACY
HE REVIEWS THE HISTORY OF THE
CANVASS AND NOMINATION.
the Quarrel, Which Were Reiect-
ed, and He VIII Make the Race.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.

swer TO the attacks that have been made
upon the regularity OF his nomination at
the Hammond convention. held May "a
ITO the Republicans of the Tenth Indiana
Congressional District:
1T has been five weeks since I was NOM
mated as the Republican candidate for
Congress in this district. Since that time
a number of individuals have ceaselessly
persisted in fomenting strife and contention
by flooding the daily and weekly papers
that circulate in the district with misrepre-
sensations, and have at last had another
convention called to meet at Hammond,
July 9, and nominate another candidate.
In justice TO myself and the Republicans
of the district l believe a statement ought
to be made.
THE decision Of the committee on creden-
tails in the matter OF seating the Lake
county delegates is taken as the excuse
for the various demonstrations against my
nomination. am sure If the Republicans
the circumstances and incidents that led
up to the Crown Point convention they
half that delegation When the district
committee met, in February, and selected
Hammond as the place for holding the
convention the solemn pledge and prom
Use was made TO my friends that no at
tempt should be made TO bind up Lake coun-
~ in the interest of any candidate; that
her delegation should not be instructed,
and that all candidates should have fair
and generous treatment in that county.
This agreement was nagrantly violated
and was the source of all the trouble. Ii
would require too much space TO rehearse
of the delegates from Lake county. Suffice
ii to say that the committee on credentials,
composed of honorable men and good Re-
publicans, after spending five hours hear
|. ing evidence on matters bearing on the
contest, reported by vote OF five TO three
i'm favor of dividing the Lake county dele
cation equally between Judge Johnston
and myself. The convention adopted this
report. 1t declared both the Lake county
conventions at which delegates were chosen
irregular. Concerning the irregularity or
the convention held at Crown Point one or
he pnf fao nf g
trict sets forth the principal ground as
follows:
4" The district committee had called del
egate convention to meet at Hammond on
Nav "a; il assigned 10 each county its
proper number of delegates, but left 10
manner. place and time of their selection,
making the only condition that two weeks
notice of such time and place or places
of the nine counties in the DIS
trict complied with the terms OF
ed outside of the terms of the call. Its
central committee was never called togeth-
man usurped all the authority of this com
mittee. He made a call, giving only eignt
days nominal notice. and scarcely a week
actual notice of the time and place OF
choosing the delegates. The reason or ms
refusing to conform to the conditions inn
Gus. Mr.. lands had gone into Lake coun-
~ and was making favorable impression.
The chairman, Mr. Wells being aeai0Es
Lands would gain too much strength,
called his short-notiee snapper convention
to cut off his opportunity 10 make friends
in Lake county. This was a foul OF which
one of similar character would have ruled
off any Jockey and his f horse fan on any wss
foul which justified the action of the COM
mittee on credentials in their report on
Special pains have been taken TO keep
from the Republicans of the district the
t thS5 fha arged ahg proposton wch Il ac
copied would have been solution OF the
whole trouble | urged, in the interest ibe
semblng of the convention II adopt res
olution fixing a day upon which the Repup-
leans of the district might go to the polls
in their various precincts and vote under
the Australian system for a candidate for
votes to be the nominee. This being done,
that the convention adjourn sine die This
ston's friends, and they rejected it. Judge
Gould was of the opinion that this would
prove happy solution nsi 9t ,he 70 writins'
After the COMMITTEES on credentials had
wrangled for hours and had decided 10 pre-
| this proposition to submit the whole matt
| ter to the Republicans of the district. and
urged that the committee adopt IT as its
| report and recommend il TO the convention
for adoption. Judge Johnson's friends on
| the comm ttee would not listen to such
Again. after the convention met at the
| ball park and a test vote showed that the
Lands people had absolute control of the
convention, Col. w. ID. Pratt. of Cass coun-
| ty. read this same proposition in open con.
| Judge Johnston's leaders Immediately
| raised a point of order and had it ruled
| out of the convention.
What could have been fairer than ia
have submitted the whole matter as be-
| tween Judge Johnston and myself myself directly
| we. proposed this; and thrice 1T was re-
| fore any one was nominated, was the time
| for compro mise. Then both sides could
have conceded something. and IL would
| have been in fact compromise. What Is
| demanded of me now is absolute surrender
after winning the victory. - -.
should be some feeling at the Hammond
convention. The canvass leading up TO that
| convention was, in majority OF the coun-
| Johnston and myself 1t was a square
| fight. Neither of us asked odds nor gave
them. One week he was victorious and the
| next week l victorious. The day or
| the Crown Point convention his friends,
| with the consent of the railroad company,
took train that We had bought
| Packing Company and the East Chicago
| rolling mills. under their managers turned
| out an army of men 10 capture the Lake
| county delegates. 1t was a fight from start
| to finish. No one will deny that Judge
crook and turn, conceded absolutely moth
| ing fought for every advantage up to the
| very moment they lost in the adoption OF the
| majority report OF the committee on Gre
| dentials; then they abandoned the conven-
| ton TO my friends and was nominated
| THE only concession that was made
| during the entire canvass came from me.
| when L conceded that the convention should
! go TO Hammond, within a few miles OF
| Judge Johnston's home. The only offer OF
| a compromise came from me, when, with
| my sanction, an attempt was made three
| times to submit the whole matter TO "A pri-
| mary election.
| Having won this nomination in a hand I
| to-hand contest in a majority Of the coun{
| ties OF the district, having made every at |
| tempt TO get a compromise prior TO the,
| nomination. / do not believe that any prej
| cedent i'm the annals OF political parties JUS
! titles any one in asking me TO abandon the
| field. | am always for harmony, but do
not think ! should be asked 10 contribute
| all the harmony
| II shall make the race for Congress as
the regular Republican nominee. | have
| fully determined this after carefully weigh
| ing the past present and future. / have
| heard IL suggested that my name may be
| kept off the Republican ticket in Lake and
Porter counties; This cannot be done.
Sections is and 50 OF the election law.
! make special provision for just such cases
| as this. / believe that ] shall be elected.
| district learn the full story of the canvass
| and convention they will indOrse my course
| in this determination
CHARLES +. Lands.
| Delphi. Ind. June 80.
| One Mans Notion.
Philadelphia Times.
| A Phiiadeinhia fnancier who is we'll