The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-02-08
NEW RULES or THE REPUBLICAN,
DdDTV

The report of the committee appointed to
devise new rules for the government of the
conventions of the Republican party of Phi
ladelphia has at last been completed, and we
believe it is to be acted upon by the conven-
ton this afternoon. AS many months of
arduous labor were devoted to the preparation
of this precious document, it was natural to
expect that it would embrace a promising
plan for the eradication of all partisan
evils which have hitherto been
matters of general complaint, and that
it would make many radical changes
in q system which is well known to be inhe-
rently vicious and bad. Any man who reads
the rules with the hope that they will pave
the way for thorough reform, however, will
be sadly disappointed. They provide ma
chinery that is likely to prevent unseemly
hand-to-hand struggles over the primary
Craftsmanship of the respective conventions,
by declaring that member of the City Ex-
eoutive Committee shall act as the prelimi-
nary chairman of each conventions; but be-
yond this questionable virtue we scarcely see
another new provision that is worthy of an
instants favorable consideration. The true
title of the new rules should, be "a scheme to
bind moro closely than ever more than
ffty thousand Republican voters of
Philadelphia to the triumphant chariot
whe sls of handful of wire-pulIers, whose
Iea ling aim is -aggrandizement at the
exp ,nse of the public" The rules were mani
festly framed to enable ring or a few rings
to rule or ruin the Republican party of
this oity. They do not en-
body single reform of real
Importance. Instead of giving enlarged
powers to the people and increasing the
chances of good nominations, they diminish
the powers hitherto exercised and increase
the probabilities that nominations for places
of honor and profit will be monopolized by
professional politicians whose highest aim is
plunder. The rules provide that no Republi-
can can vote at delegate election unless he
is previously registered, and by series of
ingenious arrangements the whole machinery
of the party is passed over absolutely to the
oontrel of the hacks who manipulate the
primary elections for officers to hold delegate
elections, the appointment of the partisan
registering officers, and the choice of mem
bers of the City Executive Committee, who
will virtually control, in great measure, each
Of the different conventions. In all nomi-
nations made under this system a
few adroit managers and their tools will exer
else q paramount influence, and the body of the
Republican voters will have little more voice
in the nominations than in the selection of
an Emperor for China. We know it may be
said, in reply to this objection, that voters
who do not attend to the drudgery of eau
cuses, repeated partisan elections, and con-
ventions do not deserve to have voice in
nominations, but the fallacy of this argument
IL well understood by all intelligent Repnbli-
cans. 1t should be the aim of a
great party to invite rather
10 repel the cooperation of all its members,
aad especially of those who are not profess
81 onal place hunters, in the selection of can
didates; but the tendency of the new rules is
to throw this selection more exclusively than
ever into the hands of the parasites of the
party and their personal dependents. The
adoption Of the proposed new system, after
hopes OF sincere reform had been awakened,
can scarcely fail to exert deeply disastrous