The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-06-14

!
from Hb2J mendces of destruction to the GoUern-
nlent nor of Dungeons to ourselyes. let as hare
faith that right makes might, and in that faith
letuS to Rte end dare to do oar duty as zoe under
stand it,"
The sentiment quoted above was uttered
by Abraham Lincoln in the dark hours of
1861, when the Secessionists and their sym
pathizers boldly declared that they would
either rule or ruin the Republic. Antago-
nism to their designs and unAinching devo-
ton to duty involved terrific conflict, but
the martyred patriot did not shrink from the
contest they precipitated; and the end proved
that right did indeed make might, and that
the most powerful of malign influences could
be overthrown when it was boldly confronted
by the American people. The same princi-
pies of justice that govern great affairs and
control events in majestic national area
apply with equal propriety to the restricted
sphere of municipal politics, and we propose
to combat the corruptonists and i'm
beetles who have done their worst
to sully the fair fame and
destroy the ascendancy of the Republican
party in Philadelphia, in the same spirit that
Abraham Lincoln combated the foes of the
nation We do not intend to ''be slandered
from our duty by false accusations against us,
nor frightened from it by menaces of destruc-
tion.' The partisan managers have been
warned time andagain of the danger of trifing
with the just Indignation against the Repub-
lican members who misrepresented their con
stituents in the last session of the Legsla-
ture, and against the exercise of an improper
influence by the Gas Ring in city conventions.
If the tickets they have formed in defiance of
public sentiment are defeated, as they should
be, the true parties to blame are therogues who
prostitute partisan machinery, and use 'regu-
lar nominations" as lever to ensure the tri-
umph of their schemes of fraud and corrup-
ton. When these men threaten us with
loss of patronage because we will not eulogize
their trickery and their tricksters, we scorn
their threats. When they tell us that the
Republican party supports us, and that that
support will be withdrawn if we do not praise
foolish and corrupt Legislators as models of
wisdom and integrity, and contend that a
regular nomination obtained by discreditable
and dishonest agencies converts a greedy cor
morant into superior being worthy of uni
versal respect, we reply that we support the
men and measures of the Republican party so
far as we deem them worthy of approval, and
that we rely for business success upon the
approval of a generous and discriminating
public instead of partisan hacks and huck-
sters. When they allege that we will
injure the Republican party by op-
posing disgraceful nominations, we retort
that no party which becomes the servile slave
of its worst members either deserves, or can
secure, permanent success; and that the only
way to maintain Republican ascendancy in
Philadelphia is to nominate tickets worthy of
public confidence, and to teach those who in
sist upon making bad nominations that their
witches broth will never be swallowed at the
polls.
The Republican managers who have gone
on, year after year, loading down the party
with dead weight, have rendered to the Demo-
Gratis more service than all their journals and
all their politicians. They have driven away
in disgust or soured with indifference, thou
sands of good citizens who cordially sustained
the Republican organization through the war,
and who would gladly sustain it again, if they
were satisfied that its energies were uniformly
devoted to the promotion of good purposes.
But they recoil in indignation from the en-
dorsement of men who have outraged the
community by base use of legislative power
at Harrisburg, and from the election of a city
officer forced upon the ticket by an insidious
ring influence, combined with the most dis
reputable practices. The lesson taught when
Given was candidate, and when he run
thousands of votes behind his colleagues,
should be repeated over and over again, until
the dullest, most desperate, and most danger
GUS wire-pullers all understand that the citi-
zens of Philadelphia will not elect bad Re
publican nominees, simply because they have
defeated better aspirants, in a convention, 10y
fair means or foul, and that to secure partisan
success it is necessary to deserve it.
No national issues are involved in the com
.ng municipal election, and in the Legislature
United States Senator is to be elected.
'oiples of the Republican party will
ed by the defeat of the bad
- deserve defeat, and no
u be desired for adj
'-e they so richly
-1late upon
NOuld