Rensselaer Union, Volume 2, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 June 1870 — Change from Mass to Delegate Convention. [ARTICLE]

Change from Mass to Delegate Convention.

“It I- known to all that the republican congressional committee in their recent call, changed the mode of -elecling candidates in this district, from tin old mat's convention system.to the oilier more gen eruby'adqpted t > u-—th.it <»; gate conV'.iitl li, 1’ .ere is, we are s lit rstiedy snnrv irrt -a | qtta-liew-H+H • * “ the public mind, touching the tenuous and motives of said change, to Corn et which it is proper to give a brief history of the facts ami circumstances connected with the same. If the statements we are about to make are not true, we shall thank anybody hereafter to set us right.

“Immediately after the last con1 ventioi: at Westville, the committee met to confer in regard to the 1 next biennial convention —the one i ! now so rapidly approaching. The j I majority ot the members then ami j I there declared themselves in favor of a change, on the ground, among others, that the mass arrangement gave this county an unjust advantage, enabling us by the presence of an overpowering working and shouting force, to command an undue predominance and influence in making the nomination. B bile there was a pretty full discussion, we believe lio action was at that time taken. Last winter the Valparaiso Vidette, (the devoted champion of General Packard) came out squarely for a delegate convention. It was followed by seven other papers of the district, all either copying its article approvingly, or indorsing its position in editorials of their own. For obvious reasons, the Herald and Enterprise of this

county, remained non-committal. — Last February at the State con vention, the delegates from this district being in conference for other business, Mr. Higgins, chairman of the congressional committee, sprung this very question, for the purpose of getting an expression from those present The matter was pretty thoroughly debated. Mr. Gurney, of Valparaiso,-- Col. Sumner,—of Plymouth, Dr. Caldwell, of Newton, and others making speeches — all in opposition to the mass system. A vote being taken, the same was almost unanimously iu favor of a delegate convention. Of course, this vote at Indianapolis, was, in no respect authoratative or binding, but it was regarded worthy of attention, as the pronounced opinion of some three hundred discreet influential republicans from the eleven counties—all selected without any reference or dislike to, or j preference for Catheart, Packard, i Wolcott or anybody else. Last ' spring,Mr. Higgins addressed let- ; tern of inquiry to his> associates of i the committee, who, to a man? agreed that the next ought to be a delegate convention, and directed i him as chairman, to make the call ■ accordingly. He did so, and this

is the whole history of the transacti < > 11. Mr. Higgins acted in obedi- . cnee to the sense and will of the : party, as expressed through and by ■ its journals and leading men.— Whatever may be said of the policy of the change, and the power of the committee to make it, it cannot be denied that there was a high precedent fdr it. In 1868 our State central committee, upon their own motion and authority called a State delegate convention, when up to that time all similar gatherings had been mass, and this action was concurred in without dissent, so fas as we know. In other districts of Indiana, we believe a like change was made from the mass to the delegate system, with little, if any question or opposition.

“In this district the call has gone forth, and, so far as we are informed has been very cheerfully and generally acquiesced in, though there is some dissatisfaction hereabouts. Two of the counties, St. Joseph and White, have already appointed their delegates—the others, we presume, wdi do s’6 at an early day,, choosing altogether 127 deputies to represent them at Wanatah on the 29 th in st. Last Saturday Laporte county in convention assembled, resolved'that ‘any and every’ one of her republican voters present at the above place and time, shall be a delegate ‘properly deputed.’ This means that if a thousand Laporteans are on the ground, each one of them must be ‘considered a delegate,’ as milch and just the same, as any and each of the 127 gentlemen sent by the other ten counties. The republicans from the other parts of the district, may be expected to resist and rebuke this absurd and impudent pretension. Laporte county will hardly be permitted to dictate terms to ail her neighbors. Wc apprehend she will be allowed 29 delegates inside the wigwam (which by the way, will not hold more than 500) while the mass of her voters will be mere out-siders or lookers-on, just like other mortals.- The resolution, under the circumstances, was ex-

tremely ill-timed, if not utterly senseless. It ought not to have passed. But it was introduced by Mr. Weir, in uproar and confusion, heard by comparatively few, and rushed through without debate (Mr. Belford # vainly tried to speak against it) not one in a dozen knowing, or apparently caring, what was in it. “As between the mass and delegate system, we have little or no choice, and care not a fig about the change, but we are sorry that' old Laporte has been placed by the action of the Packard leaders in an attitude ,so ridiculous if not disgraceful.”—Laparte Herald. The whooping cough is reported as demoralizing the Sabbath schools in Vernon, Jennings county.