The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-07-14
COngratulates the Country on
Evidences of Prosperity.
HITS CIVIL SERVICE.
AS Practiced by Cleveland and
Recommends Notifications.
Resolution Against Lynching
Failed to Get Through.
Question of Woman Suffrage is
Touched on Lightly.

Convention Hall, Detroit, July IA
Combinations on league officers and the
location of the next convention was the
topic of active discussion among the
delegates to the National League of
Republican clubs prior to the calling
to order of today's convention. All
kinds of planning and log-rolling has
been going on in hotel corridors and
candidates headquarters far into the
night. Secretary Dowling appeared to
be in line for reelection in case of vic
tory of either of the leading states. The
three leading combinations were about
as follows: L. J. Crawford of Ken
lucky for president, Bowling for sec
retary, Omaha for next convention
Fred w. Fleitz of Pennsylvania for
president, Bowling for secretary and
Chicago for next convention; A. M.
Higgins of Indiana for president, Dow
ling for secretary and Kansas City for
the convention.
The convention was very late in as
sembling and the delegates were anx-
ious to go on the lake excursion at 2:30,
which made prospects for holding the
election today quite slim.
While the convention was assembling
the delegates gave vent to enthusiasm
over the entrance of forty members of
the Young Mems Mckinley club of
Dayton, O., who had come to visit the
convention. The boys made a smart
appearance in their white caps and
trousers and blue coats. They were
given seats of honor on the rear plat
form. Several of the states were slow
in submitting their lists of members of
committees and the process of getting
them all together caused tedious wait
AT 10:45 Chairman Woodmansee call
ed on the convention to come to order
and cease caucusing. The COMMITTEES
on credentials was not ready, so the
committee on rules made it's report on
order of business and rules of business.
The rules OF the Fifty-fourth congress
vention and the delegations were each
to cast the full vote. The report was
adopted.
The committee on credentials report
ed that the questions of seats had been
settled amicably with the exception
that the Louisiana delegation of 26
headed by H. H. Blunt (colored) was
recommended to be seated, and that the
delegation of four headed by c. c. Will
son be excluded.
Augustus Straker (coIored) of Detroit
moved to amend the committees re-
port by seating the four contestants
from Louisiana as we'll as the 26 who
were recommended to be seated by the
committee.
Mr.. Blunt of Louisiana, chairman of
the big delegation, took the platform
and in a speech insisted that the four
contestants had no rights as delegates
He intimated that they were out
only ''for the Ioaves and fishes be-
cause the Republicans were in power
He moved to table Mr.. Straker's
amendment.
Straker defended his motion He want
ed to waive technicalities and pay no
attention to the local quarrels from
Louisiana.
Other delegates asserted that some of
the contestants were free silver men,
There was a brief stormy scene in
which several black and white men tried
to talk at once; then Mr.. Blunt's mo-
ton to table Mr.. Straker's amendment
was carried by a very large majority
and the report of the credentials COM
mittee was adopted.
The resolutions were then reported
through the chairman of the resolutions
committee, Col. Bundy of Ohio. They
declare unfaltering allegiance ito the
principles and policies of the party of
protection, sound money, reciprocity
and patriotism, as expressed in the ST
Louis platform. The faith which prompt
ed the nomination and election of Will
liam Mckinley and a Republican con-
greSS has been justified and we con-
gratulate the country upon the evil
dences of returning prosperity. We
pledge anew the organized effort of
League men throughout the Union for
the party of Abraham Lincoln"
The platform commends the president
and congress in sending a monetary
commission to European nations; for
inaugurating measures for the annex
alton of Hawaii, and for an attitude on
the Cuban matter that has tended to
lessen Spanish atrocities in that island
They urge upon congress, the earliest
possible passage of a discriminating
duty measure to protect American Ship
ping.
Congress is commended for fostering
the beet sugar industry by legislation,
The question of equal suffrage to
women is recommended to members of
the league as a matter of education
President Cleveland'S civil service
changes are vigorously condemned and
a modification of the rules and provis-
ions of that law are favored, in the in
terest of good service and to correct the
injustice alleged to have been thus per-
petrated.
Restriction of immigration is favored
and sympathy expressed with the min
ers and other laboring men in their
struggles for living wages
Several negroes tried to offer a reso-
luton against 1ynching, but the presi-
dent ruled it out of order on the ground
that the convention had previously de-
termined to refer all resolutions to the
committee without debate
c. A. Cottrill, colored, of Toledo. NOV
ed that the committee be instructed to
report an anti-mob resolution. The
president announced that the commit
tee now having been DISCHARGED could
not prepare such resolution MeanwhjIe
the next order, election of a president
of the league was proceeded with
The roll of states was called When
Indiana was reached, Daniel E. Storms
of Lafayette presented the name. of A
NJ. Higgins of Terre Haute. He argued
that Indiana a pivotal state needed
the Office to strengthen her Republican,
ism.
Augustus Wilson of Louisville nomi-