Rensselaer Republican, Volume 14, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 August 1882 — GREENBACK CONVENTION. [ARTICLE]

GREENBACK CONVENTION.

The Greenbackers, real and pretended* of Jasper county, held theii convention at the Court House last Saturday. Nearly half of the town ships in the county were entirely without representation, and the vote of others were cast by one or two self constituted delegates. Geo. Besse was chosen chairman and digcharged his duties in a manner suggestive of perfect inexperience. Mr.'J. N. Moore, the Greenback candidate for Congress in this district was present and made a speech to the convention, The speech, was mostly delivered from manuscript and in manner was far feorn eloquent. Although we believe Mr. Moore to be misled by a l&llacioug: theory* he at least deserves credit for disinterestedness ipid sincerity, which is much more ijiarp qan be said for those who cast ,the-majority vote of the convention. In concluding his address Mr; Moore laid aside his manuscript and in a few extemporaneous reraaks, eloquent from very earnestness, he besought the Greenbackers of the county to regain if they could, the forfeited respect of tne people by ceasing to bo made tools of a few selfish wire-pullers, and to nominate on principle a striotly Greenback ticket. He enjoinpd them to have nothing to do with the other parties nor with those who affiliate with them. Dr. Ritchey followed in the same strain ami urged the Green backers not to again allow themselves to be used as cat’s paws to rake out hot chestnuts for the Democratic ring. But their earnestness and eloquence were wasted upon men who had packed the convention for the very object the speakers were laboring so hard, but so vainly, to prevent. After Dr. Ritchey had concluded his remarks, and several gentlmen had been called ana excused themselves, the convention proceeded to make their nominations. Voting was to be by ballot, the call being by townships. To the Carpenter delegation alone belongs the bad distinction of having rigidly enforced the infamous “unit rule.’ No particular order was observed in making the nominations, but there was evident a settled determination to defer the nomination of auditor until the last. A candidate for Circuit Clerk was first nominated. Basil Hunt’s name was mentioned, but he positively declined. Dr. Patton of Remington was nominated, but Mr. Hunt stated that he also would not be a candidate. Geo. Besse was then nominated by acclamation.

Jas. Welsh and Capt. J. A. Burnham were put up for .Recorder., The result of a ballot was that Burnham had votes and Welsh A candidate for sheriff was next sought for. Jas. Welsh and Bronson Harrington were proposed, Harrington withdrew in favor of Welsh, and Welsh returned the favor by withdrawing in favor of Harrington. Harrington was then nominated by acclamation, The treasurer's office *v as the next to be disposed of and Mr/ Welsh once more bobbed up serenely, while W. W. Reeve, Geo, Kessler, and Wra. Moore were also brought forward as candidates. Mr. Moore again declined, and the convention proceeded to ballot for the remaining three gentlemen. Welsh received 31 votes, Reeve. 8 and Kessler 3, which was nothing les3 than a scoop for Welsh. A number of nominations were now made by acclamation. Pierce for Surveyor, E. E. liookwood for commissioner in the First district, Geo. Kessler for the Second, and Augustus Siirnpson for the Third. Clint Stackhouse was decidedly previous in declining the nomination for Coroner, and Richard Ralph was made the candidate. The Auditor-, fijhip.wns now the only nomination fg-.be disposed of, and a largo numl&ev of unshorn patriots in the rear, scats,■ who had heretofore taken !*ut little part in the proceedings, once began to take an active in- " finest. The real object of their attendance now became apparent. The name of E. 0. Rowels, (one of %ie two men whom J. K. Speer, the editor °f the Indianapolis Sun, and the-leading green backer of the quite, declared h» be the destroyersiff the greenback party in Jasper ejoiinty), was sprung upon the convention. Ea.vn.est greenba&kers all «yver felje room made vigorous but Hna-vatiling protests against nomioaMite •

kn attempt would have been made &o require Mr. Nowels to come bes fore the convention and define his position, but he had prudently left she town before the convention opened. The opposition finally settled upon the name of Dr. Patton and the canvention began to oallot upon the two names. Five aowships, all of which gave a divi led vote, were called and respond ed; Carpenter was then called, and behold, the chairman of the delegation said they were not quite ready to give iheir vote. And why were they not ready, does anybody ask? The chairman of the delegation and a few others were engaged in a desperate and finally successful effort- to bulldoze the delegation into voiting for Nowels. It required a hard fight and the vote of Carpenter was not ready until the very last. The progress of the vote developed one very suggestive fact. All those townships with one exception, whose vote was cast by one or two self-consti-tuted delegates, voted solidly for Nowels,. all die others except Carpenter divided their votes, and every man who was in that court room at the time knows that if the Carpenter vote had been fairly taken it, too, would have been divided. The final count gave Nowels 34 votes and Patton 10. This action of the convention, while it can do no possible good to Mr. Nowels, will inevitably break in pieces the greenback party in Jasper county.

The Democratic state convention last week nominated the following ticket: For Secretary of state Wm. B. Meyers of Madison county; Auditor of state James H. Rice of Floyd county; Treasurer, John T. Cooper, of Marion; Attorney General, Francis T. Hold, of Bartholomew; Clerk of the Supreme Court. Simon P. Sheerin of Cass; Superintendent of Public Instruction, John W. Holcomb of Porter; Judges of the Supreme Court, Ist district Wm. E. Niblack; 2nd Geo. W. Hawk; 4th Allen Zollars -of Allen county.