The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-01-02
Greuiug telegraph
MONDAY, JANUARY Q, 1871.
SENATORIAL CONTESTS - REPUB-
LICAN INTEGRITY,

and Nagle in the Senate. 1t is possible that
a few petty politicians, who think that any
means are justifable to attain political sue
seas, however much the moral sense of the
community may be shocked thereby, may
have contemplated, or still contemplate,
such acts of folly, but they cannot persist in
their attempt to commit the Republican party
to such a wrong without srousing degree of
popular indignation that must make the
movement end in defeat and disgrace.
This journal faithfully and earnestly sup
ported the election of Mr.. Thomas and Mr..
Lyndall. They were fairly nominated, and
deserved success; but both were defeated,
and by majorities too large to make contests
even plausible. Indeed, until after the
defeat of Mr.. Lyndall no serious thought of
contesting Mr.. Eagle's seat was entertained
by the friends of Mr.. Thomas; and had not
the political control Of the Senate passed into
the hands of our opponents by their recent
success in the First district, we should not
now hear of any such purpose. 1t is palpably
an sfterthought-a desperate political exPe-
dient that no honest friend of the Republi-
can party could suggest, and which all honest
men of all parties will reprobate.
LII Cue Case Ol bueT0 "eE6
doubtless Democratic frauds, for they are an
inseparable incident to a Fourth ward cleo
tion; but it is not questioned by all intelli-
gent and fair men that a clear ma jority of the
legal votes cast in the district was given for
Colonel Dechert. Several thousand Republi-
cans failed to vote, when they had most un-
exceptionable candidate and the issue of the
political control of the Senate directly in
volved. Why it was so it is needless here to
explain, bat so it was; and we must accept the
decision, or load the Republican party with a
degree of obloquy that will be tenfold worse
than the loss of the Senate.
We need not remind those who would
plunge the Republican party into proceedings
little less than revolutionary, that question
able contests for places in defiance of the
declared result at the ballot box are a stencil
in the nostrils of all just men; and it is only
too true that, in the desperate struggles grow
ing out of the late war, more of it was done
successfully by the Republican party than is
creditable. In the conflicts which involved
the national life, it was at times assumed that
political power was supreme necessity, and
the people tolerated what they could not
commend; but the great body of the people
can now have no sympathy with the efforts of
popular elections, through trickery or the
party lash. The time is past, too, when Re-
publican committees of the Senate or House
will defeat the vote of the people because
they may happen to have the power to do so;
and we hazard little in saying that,
should these contests procsed and COM
mittees unanimous in Republican faith
could be secured, Messrs Dechert and Nagle
would be awarded their seats, as the convic-
ton is general that they are honestly entitled
to them. Can any man doubt that such Sena-
tors as Brooke, Evans, Olmstead, Billingfelt,
White, Graham, and others we might name,
would SO stultify themselves as to give places
to men who are declared defeated by 800 and
1900, unless the most incontestable proof
could be produced that on one side all was
fraud and on the other side all was honest?
If there are any who place SO low an estimate
upon the integrity Of Republican Senators,
they cannot too soon learn that their hopes
are hbels upon the best men of the State.
Not single Republican journal of the city
has ventured to suggest or sanction such
contests, and none of them will do so. With
one accord the Republican press of this city
has demanded that the party shall deserve
success by honest actions, judicious leader
ship, and acceptable candidates; but when
their counsels are disregarded, and the party
sacrifices itself by indifference or faction,
the consequences must be accepted, and true
Republicans will profit by defeat, rather than
resort to desperate and unjustifable measures
wk.ch must render future success hopeless.
We have lost the Senate by criminal dis
fractions within our own ranks, and the loss
cannot be repaired by violence to law and
Justice In this we feel persuaded that
Messrs. Lyndall and Thomas will concur.
MIR. Thomas did not contemplate a contest
one week ago, and he cannot contemplate it
now, for it is not pretended that frauds have
been recently developed in his district. Mr.
Lyndall has, since his defeat, been elected to
an important position by the Republican
Councils, and he certainly does not approve
of any attempt to put him into an Office to
which his competitor was elected. Others
who care more for temporary and petty
power than for popular confidence in the in
tegrity of the Republican party may seek to
force Messrs. Lyndall and Thomas into false
positions but they will certainly repudiate
the whole scheme, and thus preserve the
honor they had to console them in defeat.
Let the Republican party turn its attention
to uniting it's discordant elements, and hence
forth elect as candidates rather than add dis.
honor to defeat by attempting a lawless dis,