The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-06-30
THURSDAY, JUNE 30, 1870.
THE DEMOCRATIC ROW OFFICE
AND JUDICIAL NOMINATIONS

their rules became absolutely necessary to
rescue their organization from absolute de-
struction. This year the reformed system
went into operation, and under its refining
influence the bulk of the fighting and cheat
ing was transferred to the division elections
and the ward and district conventions, leav-
ing the county or city conventions, to which
public attention is chiefly directed, compare
lively peaceful and orderly bodies. Opportu-
mites were also afforded by the new
system to the shapers, wire-pullers,
and rings of the party to fix up delegates and
delegations to their liking; and accordingly
the singular spectacle was presented of a
Philadelphia Democratic city ticket being
formed by other agencies than downright
violence and palpable fraud. Let no man
think, however, that there were no ''cakes and
ale" in the preliminary proceedings, for it is
not fair to ignore the many skilful manipula-
tions and bloody knock downs which occurred
at the division backgrounds.
While the conventions were more orderly
than usual, the character of the Democratic
nominations was not materially improved.
The only first-class nomination made by the
party (that is, Theodore Cuyler for Congress)
will probably be declined and its validity is
disputed. For the other offices, out of the
hundreds of prominent and popular Demo
Gratis of the city not one has been put on the
ticket AS whole, it will not bear compari-
son with the Democratic ticket of 1867 or
that of 1861 or the reconstructed Democratic
ticket of 1869. There is not a candidate on
their Row ticket who possesses a single attri-
butte that is likely to win Republicans from
their allegiance, and the whole affair, in
being arranged to suit the local managers of
the Democracy, is necessarily repulsive to all
who are gifted with nobler instincts.
Out of number of well-known Democrats,
Frederick Gerker was selected as the nominee
for Sheriff with unanimity that cannot
easily be accounted for on any other theory
than that either a ring or corrupt motives
controlled it. Deeply impressed as the
Democracy may profess to be with admira-
ton of the soldiers of the war, we should
scarcely expect that they would allow their
gratitude for service as quartermaster to
impel them to bestow the best nomination in
their gift upon Mr. Gerker They would be
much more apt to lavish favors on one who
has furnished or may hereafter furnish quar-
termaster's stores or combinations to the
local Democratic fighters and favorites.
The nomination for Register of Wills is an
insult to the community. During the Legis-
lative investigations last winter of the Dia-
mond- Watt contested election case, several
witnesses swore that gang of rowdies and
repeaters, supposed to be Baltimoreans, who
perambulated the lower portion of the city
"a
casting or attempting to cast illegal votes,
were accompanied by Anthony Laws, member
of the Democratic City Executive Committee,
who, for this and similar service, is now
honored with the Democratic nomination for
a lucrative Office. Philadelphians cannot
commit more serious error than to reward
with their suffrages man who has thus en-
deavored to destroy the purity of elections
upon which the whole republican system de-
pends.
For Clerk of the Orphans Court, Joseph
Megary, the present incumbent, was renomi-
mated, the doctrine of rotation in office being
set aside in his favor on the ground that he
has not enjoyed the spoils for his full official
term. Two years salary, however, would
make a respectable contribution to poor
mans pocket-book, and the favor shown to
Megary is probably due to a foreknowledge,
on the part of the delegates, of the fine burst
of eloquence he had in. store for them. We
regret to notice that our vigilant contempo-
rary, the Age, does not publish an extended
report of this magnificent speech, nor even
record the fact that it was delivered. We are
compelled, therefore, to fall back upon
the brief abstracts which tell us that
Megary announced the startling fact
that he was a white man and didn't want any
the violet's blue, but the Democratic candi-
date for Clerk of the Orphans Court is
white! Why did not the Age spread on the
wings of the wind this important announce
mentP Did it dare to suspect that Megary was
green in making it Did it fear that the
declaration might initiate against the lauda-
BILE efforts which have been made in the
Fourth ward to secure negro votes for the
Democratic ticket? Years ago a leading
Wing of New York opposed negro suffrage
on the ground that if it was established every
Democratic candidate in the State would
endeavor to prove that he had negro blood
in his veins. But Megary, at least, proves a
noble exception to this rule. His supporters,
as they remember with pride his snowy COM
plexion, will Indignantly snatch from the
hands of the colored voters who will pre-
sumably be anxious to vote for him in
October every Megary ticket, and they will
watch with pride his noble countenance as it
RI Il