The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-09-12
THE SECOND CONGRESSIONAL DIS
TRTTT

early edition.
THE SECOND CONGRESSIONAL DIS
TRICT.
II rs O grave question which party will have
a majority in the next Congress of the United
States. The Republicans expect to retain
their ascendancy but the Democrats conf
IDENTITY assert that they will destroy it through
the aid of the Southern conservatives, and
the contest is SO close that the future legisla-
tion of the country may hinge upon the pro-
ceedings in the imperilled Second district of
the State of Pennsylvania. Under these cir
cumstances, everybody who cares anything
about Republican principles should be will
ing to make some slight effort or sacrifice to
insure Republican triumph in this great Phila-
delphia stronghold of Republicanism. If our
politicians suffer the Democracy to capture
it through their divisions, bad management,
or incompetency, they deserve to be eternally
disgraced. And yet the groundwork of a
Democratic triumph has been so firmly laid
that it will require wise, prompt, and decisive
action to prevent it. The Democrats have
put strong candidate in the field, and al
though we understand that Mr.. Cuyler says
he has declined, his letter of declination has
not yet been given to the public, and the
Democratic leaders are holding it in reserve
for the purpose of inducing him at the last
moment to withdraw it, or, if he persists in
his declination, retaining their mastery of
the position, SO that they can nominate
at the eleventh hour some man who can
concentrate the greatest possible amount of
strength. While they are displaying this
astute strategy, the Republican Convention,
two opposing Republican candidates, the
City Executive Committee, the State Central
Committee, and two rival Executive Commit
tees of the State Central Committee have
made such hopeless muddle of the question
who is the regular Republican nominee that
Republican voters don't know who has the best
claim to their suffrages; and as the case now
stands, if O'Neill and Greedy both remain in
the field a Democratic Congressman will be
elected. We do not propose to espouse
the cause of either of these gentlemen, nor
to point out who is nearest right or who is.
most in the wrong These questions have
been very thoroughly argued before bodies
which are supposed to be specially we'll
versed in all matters appertaining to regu-
larity and irregularity, and the only practical
result has been to widen the original breach
instead of healing it, and to increase the
chances of surrender of one of the wealth.
lest, most important, and most thoroughly
Republican districts in the Union to the
Democracy at a moment when it is vitally
important that every atom of Republican
strength in Congress should be preserved.
The real question is not whether
ONeill or Greedy should be
IL. e Lz1r
committees has pronounced the most autho-
ritative judgment, but whether the Re-
publicans have got sense and patriotism
enough to cut this Gordian knot, and to re-
tain the power which they greatly need.
One simple way of settling the question
would be by the retirement of both the rival
candidates, 80 that the coast may be cleared
for some new man whose election would be
beyond all doubt Many voters feel that they
could be happy "with either were t'other
dear charmer away" but if both persist in
running, both will be defeated, and
without deriving any personal advantage
from their persistency they will bring de-
feat of national Importance upon the party
for which they both profess profound attach
ment 1t would be infinitely better if Mr..
rels he has already won during his prolonged
Congressional career, and if Mr. Creely
would postpone the qualification of his homo
rable and just ambition to more auspicious
period.
resolution directing that the original
nominating convention should be reconvened
tomorrow was passed last week by one of
the executive committees. Its authority has
since been disputed, and its plan of patching
up the difficulty may therefore be thwarted.
But as the election takes place in less than a
month, something must speedily be done to
save the district if it is to be
saved at all. 1t is alleged that some par
ties have designedly prolonged this dispute
for the express purpose of enabling the
Democrats to elect their candidate, with the
ulterior object of giving the Republican
Senators a chance to control the national
patronage appertainiDg to the district We
can scarcely believe this story, but if it is
true it should not only arouse the deep indig-
nation of every Republican, but make ev cry
honest voter determined to thwart such q
vile effort to sell out great party for mess
of pottage. And whether true or not, it il
high time that a nominee was put into the
field upon whom the whole organization car
unite. Let us hear no more of the party OF
Cesar or of Pompey. Something must nov
be doGs .:- Rome.