Rensselaer Democrat, Volume 1, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 May 1898 — Republican Congressional and Representative Convention. [ARTICLE]

Republican Congressional and Representative Convention.

The congressional convention j assembled at the opera house in this city last Wednesday at 1 . o’clock P. M. and was called to order by District chairman T. J. McCoy. The Hon. J. Frank Hanley of Tippecanoe county was elected chairman and Joseph Chizj urn of Newton county, secretary. The speech of the chairman | evoked but little enthusiasm. ! When he sounded the praise of congressman, Crumpacker about | all the cheering came from the office holding contingency, which ; made up a large part of the conj vention. There were quite a num-

ber present who were whetting their knives and making ready to do some cutting in the coming ! battle of ballots. These are the i men who object to Crumpacker’s I method of parcelling out the ] ‘plumbs” before the election. Han- ! dly endorsed every thing labeled | “republican” even to the deficit j producing Dingley bill. He favored fastening the gold standard more firmly on the American people and promised that if the people would but return the republican party to powei in the next congress I which of course, included the election of the Hon. J. Frank Hanley to the United States Senate, “The ; party would keep its promises as ! faithfully ns Christ kept the commission of his father.” He told the “assembled multitudes” of the wise C’uban policy of the present administration. but forgot to tell them that the leaders were forced to take action in the matter to save the republican party from utter rout in the fall elections. After the “soul stirring appeal of the Hon. J. Frank Hanley the Hon. Ed Crumpacker was nominated by acclamation. It was the cjuietest republican convention ever held in the district. The members did not appear to be as hilarious ns republicans usually are and the old time yell which used to strike terror to the democratic heart was entirely absent. They probably thought of a political grave that is being dug by the opposition and the office holding contingent was in “sack cloth and ashes.” After the congressional convention adjourned, the Joint Representative convention organized by the election of E. J. Wickey of East Chicago, as chairman. The Roby crowd was out in full force with their candidate. A. F. Knotts, of Hammond and the Jasper county candidates was’n’t in it. Knotts received 49 votes, Mills 11 and Yeoman 8. Mr. Knotts was the smooth citizen who was sc nt to labor with the “last lamented legislature’, to prevent any legislation hostile to the 1 interests of the gambling fraternity of Roby. The Roby gamblers were run out of Chicago and we believe that any class of citizens who are to tough to live in Chicago should not be allowed to find a lmven of rest on Indiana soil, but the crowd expect to find in the Hon. A. F. Knotts a representatative who will guard well their interests. The Court ami the liar. The business of the Benton Circuit Court is practically at a standstill because the Judge and lawyers are not in harmony. Everything seems out of tune and badly so. It is currently reported, but upon what authority we do not j know, that indictments for indirect contempt were returned by the grand jury against every member of the bar who signed resolutions censuring the court last February, and it is said that certain other indictments along the same line were returned, but no arrests have been made and it is said will not be made this term. Then again there was a bar meeting participated in last Friday afternoon by eight attorneys at which the Judge was present and heard some remarks made of a character so uncomplimentary to himself that he cited the eight to appear on Thursday morning and show cause why they should not be fined for direct contempt. The ifttorneys claim that they did not know that court was in session at the time and if it was not there could be no direct contempt in their actions. They say they were led to believe that court at the time stood adjourned; but the Judge said, not so. All this is calculated to hinder, in fact destroy the business of the Benton circuit court. The cases are being generally continued by agreement of attorneys and very little business Is being transacted. This is bad for all concerned and we fear that the end is not yet. When the next term comes what wfil be done with these cases? Certainly, judging by what has already taken place, it would seem that while the lawyers are in their present frame of

mind they are not likely to try these cases before Judge Thompson and matters may go from bad to worse. To one “unacquainted with matters of law it is difficult to determine the question as to who is right, and who is wrong, but it would seem somewhat strange if the whole Benton county bar is wrong nnd the Judge right. As we have heretofore remarked, the members of this bar are gentlemen of honesty and ability and we do not believe that they would conspire to do a mean or unreasonable thing.—The Benton Review.