The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-02-19
The Real Qxr..ion.


We confess to considerable surprise at read
ing In the frst sentence Of Judge Davis's let
ter, published elsewhere this NOR ming, that
the statement to which he refers was "not of
ferred with any intention Of controversy" No
one knows better than Judge Davis that there
are two sides 70 every case. The side which
he espouses was supported ia the city conyen-
tion by eleven delegates. Could he suppose
that the position taken in the same conven
ton by thirty-eight Republicans woull be
abandoned at the first summons, without even
an attempt to defend it? The vital point IN
this case is the fact that the convention cho-
sen by the Republicans of Portland to select
candidate for mayor has acted. That con-
yention considered the remCnstrance from
Ward 2. decided that il was not well founded
and proceeded TO nominate a candidate for,
mayor. Thirty-eighfIof the delegates present rat
ified the nomination, and that ratification was
and should be final. II the result was fraud
uiently accomplished, then thirty-eight Re
publican, chosen to represent their political
friends in the different wards. were particeps
criBliais. - t.s tr
1t may be that the convention was mistak.
| en-. All the safeguards of the law do not pre-.
vent the courts from sometimes going astray
From all the information we can obtain, we
believe the convention was right. We do not
believe the evidence on which Judge Davis
ana his associates rely, would stand moment
IT could be subjected to cross-examination
and confronted with rebutting testimony; but
we are willing for the sake Of the argument to
meet him on his oup opnupd (yoDcodino
chen that the convention was in error, we
nevertheless hold that it is not the business Of
conventions, or courts, or juries, or commit
tees OF Investigation, to be altogether and
immediately right, but simply to be as near
ly right as they can. Such is the frailty Of
human Judgment that we must expect
more or less ofFror in the action of all such
bodies. What then? Are we 10 stop and
higgle at every point, and insist upon strict
and absolute justice? BY no means. we
are to get along at all, some final decision
must be reached. In this case, where the point
was simply to decide which of two good men
the Republicans of Portland should take for
their candidate, il seems even grotesquely ex-
acting, 10 require of the convention such SUI
perhuman insight as to see under Mr.. Pea
body's unsatisfactory presentation the real
case which Judge Davis thinks he has found.
We cannot account for the persistent impress
ion that the delegates from Ward voted
themselves into their seats. There was only one
vote taken. as all our informants agree, and
although three of the delegates from Ward 2,
contrary to parliamentary usage, did vote on
tnat occasion, yet we are assured that the de-
cision did not turn upon their sotes. and the
general ratification of the nomination suisse
quently made sufficiently indicates that the
convention as a whole was wen enough salts
fed of the propriety ofthe proceedings. By
vote of SO to IL the convention ratified all
its proceedings, and We do not see the least
occasion for going behind its decision.
Nor is there any general disposition to ques-
ton that decision. Jacob Mcclellan is the
candidate of the Republican party for mayor
this spring. We believe he is good candi-
date, man ofsterling integrity, of experiece
in affairs, ofinfexible will The real guest
ton is very simple. 1t is whether Republi-
cans win best help the cause of equal rights
in this first election of Presidential year by
voting with their political associates or by
voting practically against them.