The age-herald., 1900-08-31
lhe Fifth District Convention.

port somewhat mixed in transmission over the wires, was of the opinion that the Brewer faction in the Goodwater conven- ton had proceeded in the regular order un- der parliamentary law, and that, therefore, under party precedent, MT. Brewer was conventions. The Age-Herald was further led to the belief that Mir Thompson's sup porters had made no attempt to control the organization of the convention, after it had been regularly called to order
 The facts of the matter seem to be that
 the Chairman of the Congressional Execu-
 tive Committee called the convention to
 order and named as temporary presiding
 officer a gentleman selected by the major ity of the Executive Committee for this position, but the Chairman of the Execu- tive Committee in naming this man for temporary presiding officer did not put the question to the convention as to whether or not 1t was acceptable to the majority of the delegates of the convention. The leader Ol LHS HllDOTlly OI tHe 1OHSItsoioidA ecutive Committe attempted to put in nomi- nation another person for temporary pre-
 siding officer, and his motion was refused
 recognition. In the meantime, the Chair man of the Congressional Executive Com mittee had arbitrarily transferred the gavel to the temporary presiding officer named by him, without putting the question of his selection or rejection to the convention. In face of this fact, the leader of the minority of the Executive Committee put the .ques- ton as to the selection of the gentleman for temporary chairman named by the mi nority. His count of the votes of the con- vention he announced showed majority vote for this candidate and he therefore, as he had the right to do, if a majority seats, did vote for his candidate, declared him elected temporary presiding officer.
 If the above be the facts in the case, Fe- lix Smith, who was nominated by Judge date for temporary presiding officer, was the proper presiding officer of the conven- ton, and the Thompson convention was the regular convention, provided, however, the Thompson convention was composed of a majority of the delegates selected by the several counties of the Fifth Congressional district.
 The Age-HeraId is no partisan in this hot choice between the candidates. It is con- test within the Democratic party between men who should be competent to properly represent the Fifth Congressional district. that a Democratic convention shall be con- ducted under the proper rules of parlia- mentary law and that executive com mittee, whether it be County, Congress ercise arbitrary powers. The officers of a party convention, whether they be tenn porary or permanent, must be selected by vote of the convention itself or by tee has the power to arbitrarily name off, oers of a convention. When Chairman White of the District Executive Commit tee named MT. Lamar Smith as the choice mended to the convention as temporary chairman, it was Chairman Whites duty then to put the question to the convention and permit the convention to accept or uo;oa+ 4bo ,,o, raoop,p,apdod for oha airrnor by the executive committee. It was like wise his duty to present to the convention the name of any other candidate recom- mended for this position by minority of in the convention and to put the question then to the convention as to which should be selected. In the event of the failure of the chairman of the committee to recog- then under parliamentary law, any dele gate in the convention had the right to rise In his place and put the question to the convention. From the subsequent re- ports of the proceedings of the convention it would seem that Chairman White of the Executive Committee refused to recognize any motion from the minority as to the selection of temporary chairman. It would seem hat he simply arbitrarily named Mr. Lamar Smith as the tempor- ary chairman without permitting the con- vention to speak for itself. These being the facts in the case Gf they bel then Chairman White clearly proceeded outside of parliamentary law and the action of Judge Driver who was also a delegate in naming MT. Felix Smith and putting the question to the convention on his selection was clearly in the right and therefore the convention presided over by Felix Smith as temporary chairman was the regular