The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-09-13
RECONSTRUCTTON or THE DEMO-
CRATIC CITY TICKET.

RECONSIRUCIION OF' IHE DhHO-
CRATIC CITY TICKET.
IT has been rumored for some months that
the city ticket of the Democracy of Philadel-
phia would be reconstructed, and that the
candidates on the State ticket would in
sist on driving the most obnoxious local
nominees to the wall. Additional credence
is given to this rumor by the withdrawal of
S. Gross Fry as a candidate for City Trea-
surer. He was the best man placed n nomi-
nation by the Democracy, but as he encoun-
tered bitter opposition from large portion
of his party, mainly on account of the unfair
manner in which the proceedings of the DEM
ocratic Convention we're conducted, he had
scarcely ghost of chance of success, and
no inducement to enter vigorously into
canvass in which he was foredoomed to defeat.
He acknowledges in his letter of declina-
ton, "a widespread feeling of dissatisfaction
among the members of his party, which, he
ioels well assured, ''can only be reconciled
v the formation of an entire new ticket.
lie is quite correct in these assumptions.
Never has our city been disgraced by such
brazen frauds as those which were perpetrated
on behalf of the Democratic city nominees;
and however ready unscrupulous partisans
may be to countenance villanies perpetrated
at the general elections to defeat Republican
candidates, they are scarcely prepared to sub
nit to the application of even worse tactics
against themselves. They believe that there
should be semblance of honor and fair
dealing maintained among ballot-box suffers,
repeaters, false personators. shoulder
hitters, periured election officers, and
the forgers of naturalization papers, as
well as among thieves; but as this
implied understanding was shamefully vio-
lated, fearful dissensions prevail in the Demo-
cratic camp, and the great question at issue
now is how much the unpopular nominees
will demand for a compliance with the earnest
desire of their party that they shall git up
and git" 1t seems great hardship that they
should be compelled to go through all the
wear and tear of conscience involved in OBJ
tanning nomination without even having the
satisfaction of seeing their names in big let
ters placarded on the walls, and enjoying the
consolation of an overwhelming defeat at the
polls. Was it for this that they travelled
from division to division, drinking oceans of
bad whisky, hobnobbing for months with
thieves gamblers, and rascals, and ''setting
up" the innumerable frauds by which,
at last, nominations were secured
Was it for this that true delegates
were turned out of their conventions to
make place for bogus ones, and that the
favorite little game of false presentations was
played off upon their own brother-Democrats!
Were Johnny Ahern and Stewart only put
up to be prematurely knocked down before
the people brought their artillery to bear?
Really this is asking too much, unless the
candidates are to be compensated in some
form for their labor modification, and dis
appointment; but if the whole thing is to be
arranged amicably, and the sacredness of the
proceedings of the Democratic conventions is
to be set aside, the public should be en-
lightened in regard to the cost of the transac-
tion, so that hereafter full tariffs may be ar
ranged, and ambitious aspirants may learn
how much can be had for going off ticket.
They know now, to their sorrow that at
tempts to get on are terrible expensive, pc
cuniarily, morally, ndphysically; they can also
obtain good idea of the enormous fees which
the people are still unjustly obliged to pay for
the poor service of pot-house politicians; but
light is wanting in regard to the new form of
speculation, based on the chances of being
paid for a withdrawal Organ grinders some
times stubbornly refuse to move on for less
than a sixpence; indeed, they have been
known to insist on a shilling but the value
of peace and happiness is but a mere baga-
telle when compared with the rescue of a
party from the disgrace of discreditable can
didates, and the obstacles cannot be expected
to decline for a trihe.
Inasmuch as the Democratic rules were re-
modelled Immediately after the close of the
sessions of the offending conventions, there
is fair prospect if Mr.. Fry's recommends
tions are adopted, that the Democratic local
ticket will be materially improved and it be-
hooVes all whom it may concern to contem-
plate and prepare in advance for this contin-
gency.
THE HUMBOLDT CENTENNIAL.
The celebration which will take place TODAY
and tomorrow in Europe and America will