The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-06-10
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IN PENNSYL
VANIA
From The Y. Y. Times


''The Republican party has one moro
chance, declares the Harrisburg State G1l0rd
in view of the next Pennsylvania election.
Now the Stdte Gudrd is Republican journal
of unquestioned orthodoxy; the name of Gov
ernor Geary is inscribed on its banner for re-
election; and it is Jealous, in season and out
of season, in its endeavors to promote the
party's prosperity. When it asserts, there
fore that the party in its State has but zone
more chance" we must assume that clouds
darken the horizon of which outsiders have as
yet little knowledge. Vagueness is mixed
with emphasis in the warning-
''We have been watching the course of public SEN
tment on the subject of rewardng the soldier, for
some time, and we are now convinced that unless
the Republican party adopts new rule and adheres
to an old pledge, in this connection, there will be
serious trouble at the coming election
What is the ''old pledge" which has been
broken what the ''new rule" (which must
be adopted ?" ''Recognize the claims of pri-
vate soldiers for the highest honors in the gift
of the Republican party"-is the answer of
the ,Stdte GUard. This must be done, we are
told, or there will be embarrassment-pe perhaps
defeat. 1t is admitted that soldiers generally
have been rewarded with the prizes of which
a victorious party is the distributor, but the
complaint is that while soldiers of rank have
been selected, the private soldier has been
neglected. The Harrisburg journalist insists
Republicans will throw away the Zone more
| chance" before them.
| The wisdom of the proposition is not appa-
rent. The business of the nominating con-
vention is to select the best men-the men
combining capacity for public service with the
| popularity which commands votes. Assuming
that in their general qualifications two candi-
dates for nomination are equal, it may be a
duty to give the preference to one who has
earned creditable record as a soldier over a
civilian. To this extent the claim urged in
| behalf of soldiers is reasonable and Just. But
the grade of the soldier has nothing to do
with the question. The element of fitness
enters into and controls it, And while il
would be absurd to contend that n retired
brigadier-general of doubtful competency
should be nominated at the expense of a civil
Han of admitted ability and unsullied charac
ter, it would be equally absurd to plead that 6
private soldier should be chosen over the
brigadier-general simply because he never
rose above the ranks Whether the candidate
IS only private soldier or a soldier of rank
} Is an altogether irrelevant inquiry. By nomi
mating either, military service is recognized
and that is all which the friends of the soldier
can properly ask. As between the private anC
the officer the only points to be determined
are those OF character, ability, and availability
and these points no party can afford to disre
t gard,
| The pledge of the Republican party to tn
soldiers of the Union does not imply their ex
elusive elevation to positions of honor anl
4 emolument. When other conditions are
equal the soldier is entitled to the first choice
, And in appointments to Office the rule ha
} been extensively adhered to. So far as W
can Judge, soldiers have fair play in the Gus
tom houses, post offices, and other branche
of official labor; and of the rewards distribute
I, at Washington, great and small, they Gel
/ tainly have their share.
: Whether the Republicans Of Pennsylvani