Rensselaer Journal, Volume 11, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 March 1902 — THE JUDGESHIP MATTER. [ARTICLE]

THE JUDGESHIP MATTER.

Kentland Tricksters Cause Newtpn County to Withdraw from Convention. Newton county, at the request of the Kentland county seat schemers, has given notice of withdrawal from the judicial convention to be held at Brook on April 10th. This action was taken, as they allege, because Jasper county would not | agree to change the manner of electing delegates to the judicial convention, as agreed upon some time ago by the chairmen of both counties. Immediately after the organization of the county committee in January, the precinct committeemen made the request that instead of holding separate precinct conventions for the county, state, judicial and representative conventions, that one convention be held to cover them all. It was decided to accede to their request and tnat the delegates to.the county convention should select delegates to the state, judicial and legislative conventions, at the time of the county convention. Shortly thereafter Mr. Little, the NewNbn county chairman, and Chairman Warner, of Jasper county, began to make arrangements for holding the judicial convention. Mr. Little insisted upon the convention being held in Newton county. This and other matters were discussed and practically agreed upon, when Mr. Warner wrote the following letter to Chairman Little: Rensselaer, Ind., Feb. 5, 1902. The Hon. Z. F. Little, Goodland, Ind. Dear Sir:—Replying to yours of Jan. 30, 1902, will say that we will agree to hold the convention in Brook on the tenth of April as you suggest. That delegates be selected by each county on March 24, as that time has been fixed by our county committee for holding the county convention, which convention will select delegates to the state, legislative and judicial conventions. That the basis of representation be as you suggest in yours of Jan. 21, viz, one delegate for each hundred votes and one for any fraction over fifty cast in 1900 for Hugh H. Hanna. If this is satisfactory prepare the call in duplicate, and send to me for signature. Yours Respectfully. C. C. Warner, County Chairman. Receiving no reply to this communication, Mr. Warner finally called Mr. Little up by phone Mr. Little explained that he had been busy and had forgotten to answer the letter, but expressed himself as satisfied with the conditions laid down in the letter, but requested as a favor that Mr. Warner draw up the call and send it to him in duplicate for signature. This Mr. Warner did and in a letter dated February 16th Mr. Little acknowledged the receipt of the call and stated that it would be published in the Newton county papers that week. In face the call appeared in the Newton county papers a week or two before it did in the papers of Jasper county. A month later, when they found that Mr. Cummings had no chance of being nominated they began to protest at the manner Jasper had adopted to select delegates, which finally culminated in the Newton county committee issuing an ultimatum that unless Jasper changed the method of selecting her delegates their chairman was authorized to cancel the call without further action of the committee. Mr. Little conferred with Mr. Warner and the latter, not to be bulldozed by the Kentland gang, and acting upon the advice of the Republicans of the* county, refused to amend the call, and Mr. Little issued a notice withdrawing the call. At the above conference, Mr. Warner made the proposition, with Mr. Hanley’s consent, to take a ballot at the precinct conventions, and if Mr. Cummings received a majority vote in any precinct, to give him the vote of such precinct at the Brook convention. This was practically all that the Kentland schemers asked for, but to have accepted the proposition would have taken away the excuse for withdrawing from the convention, which would never do. The fact of the case is, Kentland wants a Kentland man for judge, owing to the danger of losing the county seat, and if they can’t get a Republican from their town, they will vote for a Democrat from the same place, which in this instance means Mr. Darroch, a partner of Mr. Cummings. The rest of Newton county has been badly imposed upop by Kentland in this matter, but we believe they will come to their senses in time and support the nominees of the Brook convention, which will be held, whether Newton takes part or not. The call for the Brook convention is a legal contract, so recognized by law, not to be broken at will by one or the other of the parties thereto, and the candidates so nominated will be the ones whose names will appear on the official ballots at the November election.