The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-03-24
He Contends that such a Provision in
the Law Would BE Assailed by the
Public as Vicious Legfslatfon.
PRoTEsTANTs MEET AGAIN
REAFFIRM THEY WILL NOT BE
BOUND By CONVENTION.
Spirit OF Adjournment Was to Give
Convention N Chance to Name Ac-
ceptabIe Candidates.

Inc Indianapolis Republican convention
to nominate the city ticket. called for next
Saturday, will not be postponed. This was
the answer returned to the committee sent
TO Chairman Logsdon to urge postpone
ment- Mr.. Logsdon received the petitions
Containing 1887 signatures) collected by
the committee in less than two days at
IL o'clock yesterday morning. He asked
permission TO take the subject under ad-
visement until o'clock In the evening. At
that hour the committee waited on Mr..
Logsdon and he read the following answer
10 the petition to the chairman. DR.. Henry
Jameson:
'Dr. Henry Jameson, T. c. Day, Dr. H.
w. Ridpath. Chaplin G. Foster, III. L.
Hewitt. M Camden and Frank Lttleton-
Gentlemen:
&C the Republican city central committee,
tG defer the date Of the city convention for
not less than two months from the day
announced. has received my most care
ests OF the Republican party in mind and
prompted by no Other, motive than
be my duty under the circum-
stances as they exist at the present time
in promoting the best interests Of the Re-
publican party, both for the present and
the true political conditions as they now
exist and the precedent you are demand
ing OF me 10 eStaDusn.
THE LAWS REQUIREMENTS.
"The law requires the chairman to fix
the date OF the primaries not less than two
weeks before the date of the call. This
the Legislature recognizes as sufficient
time and 1t was followed in making the
present call. No authority is given to
the chairman to recall, change. defer or
modify the date after 1t has been once
Awod hv i'm nd
fixed 1t becomes an act upon which the
general public, including candidates. have
O right 10 rely In good faith. If an at
tempt had been made In the passage OF this
lay 70 give the chairman AIT express a1.nority 1a1
moiify its terms at his will after IL had
beet once determined, apprehend II would
and unreasonable legislation because of
the evils that would result and the fraud
that could be practiced hereunder by the
chairman In shifting the date of the pri-
maries from one time to another as the
interests of some candidate or set of candi-
dates favorable to him might demand The
arouse the indignation Of all self-respecting
citizens, and yet Ii Is the exercise of such
q power that you as a committee are de-
iish such precedent would be an act
productive OF greater evils than any of
which you complain.
'sIf the letter of the law as IL stands
would permit such action on the part of the
chairman, the spirit of the law certainly
condemns and absolutely prohibits 1t. III
he can change the date of the convention
five days before the time fixed, he can do
II one day before. II he can change II
upon petition. he can change IL without
petition. Thus the very principle you
are urging upon me now to advance your
plans could just as consistently be urged TO
defeat your plans In two months from
now IL conditions should change
NOT UNEXPECTEDLY CALLED.
II xxffh u0tr hat he
vention has been suddenly and unexpect-
edly called. 1t was announced nearly two
months ago that an early convention would
in all probability be had. The political
conditions existing In the Democratic party
at this time make an early convention.
whoever may be nominated. greatly to the
advantage of the Republican party. For
the first time In eight years we have been
in power at the time Of the convention.
Heretofore II has been greatly to our adj
vantage to have a late convention because
we were not the party In power, but the
eay he pans for
q convention are carried out, IL would be
{. snap convention Is not justified by the
been given for the holding of the primaries
that the law requires No more time would
have been given II the time had been set
at a later date, and Ii has been recognized
for the last three months that early
Convention would inure to the best inter-
ests OF the party.
No one ever asked me to hold a late con-
vention. No candidate has asked me to
defer the convention. and no one expressing
O desire TO become a candidate has request
ed me to defer the convention Ii was gen.
orally known that / favored an early con-
sention and you are to remember that
when the date of the convention was fixed
there was but one candidate for the prin-
cipal Office. and IL was generally conceded
by the public and the press that there
would be no person who would care to con-
test for the nomination No probable can
didates were mentioned and up to the pres
ent time no new announcements have been
made Confronted with such a condition
my duty to the party In calling an early
convention seemed perfectly plain to me-
and IL cannot now be consistently stated
that I had any motive interest in de-
priving any one of becoming a candidate
At the time I made the call.
Representing as do the interests of the
marty as whole, and not the interests of
any particular candidate. / feel that
have no alternative than to allow the con-
yention 70 take place as Ii was originally
called. .,r,-