Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 June 1894 — CHAIRMAN HARLEY’S ANSWER. [ARTICLE]

CHAIRMAN HARLEY’S ANSWER.

No formal call lias yet been published fjr th 3 assemblies of the retiring Johnston delegates, in convention July 9th, although it is stated that such a call will soon be issued, signed by at least five of the nine county chairmen of the district. The Republican took the ground immediately after the Hammond convention that had the retiring delegates organized a convention at that time and nominated Mr. Johnston, it would have been a move well calculated to cause the - ■ :-• state or national committee to interfere and bring about a settlement. The re-assembling of these delegates now, and their nomination of Mr. Johnston, may have that desirable result yet, but it must be admitted that the chances for it are much less than had they taken their action_atlhe very time they withdrew from the other convention. Mrich of the color of legality which their action would have then possessed, will be wantingnow, because of their not acting at tbe the time and place at which the convention was regularly called.

At the Chicago conference meeting of Johnston Republicans, last week, , ; a committee consisting of N. L. Agnew of Valparaiso, E. W. Wickey, of East Chicago, and B. Borders, of Winamac, was appointed to prepare an address setting forth the reasons against supporting Mr. Landis, for Congross. The address was published yesterday, in the Chicago papers. Viewed from the standpoint of one who desires the settlement of this trouble i<l the harmonizing of differences, we must say that this statement," with its bitterly abusive closing paragraph, will do vastly more harm than go d. It is strange that that conference did not select for this committee men possessed of a little moderation, discretion and good political horse sense.

Hon. Charles Harley, district committeeman, sent out the following letter last week, in answer to numerous requests for him to call a new convention: Headquarters, 10th District ) Delphi, Ind., June 18, ’94. ) Dear Sir: Yours of - received, I, of course, regard it as unfortunate that there should be any question about a Republican nomination within this district It is unfortunate, also, that a party organization contains no tribunal with delegated power to adjust differences of this character. A convention, once having met in response to a regular call, at given time and p ace, is out of the committee’s hands as soon as it has organized itself. It then becomes complete master of the situation, and its action is final The Tenth District Congressional convention was regularly called at Hammond, Indiana, on May 24. It met at that place on that date and was called to order by me, as chairman of the district committee. It organized itself by the unanimous election of Mr. Wilson as chairman. There my official connection with the convention ended. It was then the sole and final authority to determine a congressional nomination in tlie disiricV A portion of the delecatcs to this convention, dissatisfied with its action, withdrew, but did not organize another convention at that tiui ■ and place under the call. The convention proceeded with its business and nominated a candidate for congress. Its action was final. The onlv person or authority who could undo the work of that convention was its nominee, but the nomination has been accepted, and as chairman of the district committee, all party law i’ nd party precedent compel j • to ri cognize the work of the

convention, meeting regularly in response to a regular call and organized regularly. It is not a question of howmany delegates withdrew, as-there were no rules adopted declaring any certain number to be a quorum. While I regret as deeply and sincerely as you possibly can, that affairs shonld have gotten into such shape as to cause wide differences of opinion among Republicans, you will readily see from this statement of the legal.phase of the case, that I am powerless to in any wise change the result of the convention. —1

CHARLEY HARLEY,

Chairman Tenth District.