Year: 1876

/


There is just now a nice muddle over the call


for the Congressional Convention in this District


all because the ideas of certain ambitious gen.


tlemen were not carried out. The Executive


Committee met some weeks ago, for the purpose
| of calling the Convention. 1t well under


stood what the meeting was for, and those MEM


bers who could not attend, sent their proxies to
| others. After full discussion, it was voted to


hold the Convention on the 3lst of August, and


the primary elections for delegates on the 18th


of August After the call had been published


and acquiesced in for more than a month, Mr.. d.


L. Palmer, the Chairman of the Committee, gives


notice that the call was not satisfactory, and


changing the time of the Convention to the I'd


of August He also claims that he did not, IN


his proxy, authorize Col Anthony 10 vote for


him, but simply to sign his name to the call.
What did Palmer suppose his proxy was fort


Did he think Anthony simply wanted 1t Tor the


sake of saying he had proxy, as q man VIII


sometimes stnff his pocket book with worthless


brown paper to make it appear as II he were
fushf He knew the Committee was to meet for


the purpose of calling Convention, and sent


his proxy, knowing how it would be used. How
could his name be attached to a call, II no call


was to he madei He was perfectly content with


this for month, until somebody got hold of him


and pulled him around by the nose.


Who was that somebody 1t was Hodge or
Guthrie, or both. We think Guthrie, from the
fact that he had been heard to say that Palmer
wOuld soon publish a card, making another order
about the Convention. The Beloit Gazette open
ly charges that Palmer was paid to make this
change. But why waste change neededi The
people of the District were satisfied. The Atch-
ison Cha mpiOn was the only paper that howled
very muc b at the time the Committee made the
call, and that was no doubt at the instance of
Guthrie. Mr. Guthrie was present at the Com
mittee meeting, as an avowed candidate, lobby
ing for day to be fixed that especially suited
him-as if his interests alone were to be consult
ed in calling the Convention. What hardship is
il upon Mr.. Guthrie TO have the Convention on
the 3lst instead of the 22di What hardship is
it upon anybodyi Simply this By holding the
Convention on the 3lst, it will give Col. Phillips
a little time, after the adjournment of Congress,
to go around and see his constituents, explain
matters in which he has been misrepresented,
and upset some of the little games that have
been put up on him. Guthrie has had all last
Winter and Spring, and all this Summer, to
travel over the District, fixing up things. DR..
Hodge was granted a months leave of absence
from his Office, on pay, to go around and look
after his interests All this time, Col. Phillips
been at his post in Washington, serving his con-
stituents and now, lest he find few days after
adjournment in which to see the people and cor
rect false reports that have been circulated to
his disadvantage, the whole District must be
thrown into an uproar, and division of the par
ty threatened.


Palmer offers the thin excuse, that by holding
the Convention on the 22d, the delegates can at
tend both the State and Congressional Conven-
tions on one trip, thus saving time and money.
Who are the delegates T. Have he and his crowd
already picked ont the delegates for the whole |
Northwest If they have not, how do they |
know that the delegates to the two Conventions |
will be the samei If they are not to be the |
same, how will holding both Conventions to-
gether help them in their tripi Palmer had bet
ter try to be half man, and let the people do
in the matter. 1t is a little queer
that this light burst upon Palmer just at time
when Mr.. Guthrie was on visit to the West.
But Phillips and his friends are responsible for
fosting this weak sister upon the Committee.
They knew he was n tool when they made him
a member of the Committee, two years ago, and
that tool is tool in misehievous as well as in
good hands. 1t is always safe to put man in a
place of responsibility, even though he does
think anu act for himself.


We notice that the Champion laments over this
squabble, and deprecates the threatened diyis-
On. The Champion has only to look at home for
The cause. This row has been raised in the in
crest and at the instigaton of Mr. Guthrie. If
Judge Horton, also of Atchison, would put his !
oot down, and say that, as the question had
'nce been decided by the Committee in his pres
nee, and as no one could be wronged because of
he time fixed upon, the call must stand as orig
nally made, and that he should oppose any re-
pening of the fight, that would settle it at once
In Atchison man raised the row, and an Atchi- t
on man holds it in his power to quell the row. t
.et the Champion address itself to them, and beg
them to permit peace to reign.
The Doniphan County Central Committee, at e
heir meeting on Tuesday, resolved that they re- +
arded the original call as the legal one; but at
be same time they instructed the President and n
ecretrry, in case the Congressional Committee il
eld regular and amicable meeting, and agreed
pom another call, to make the call for the pri- "
aries in this County correspond But if the e
atter remains as at present, and the division 4"
'ntinues to the time of the Convention, DON n
'han County will elect delegates in ae eordance OF
18th the old call. A