Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-08-14
INDEPENDENCE IN THE CITY ELECTION,
LAST YEAR AND THIS.

A year ago, under pressure Of circumstances,
large part OF the Republican voters in the
strongest Republican ward of the city chose to
vote for candidate for Council not nominated
in the usual party manner. The COMMERCIAL in
sisted that they had q right to do 30, If their
convictions Of duty prompted the act, as un-
doubtedly they did. We sympathized with the
belief that this display Of an independent spirit
WAS wholesome at the time, and would do good.
We considered it good not only for the public in
terests, but for the Republican party, itself
for we had NOT, then, nor had the voters who
took the course stated, any purpose hostile to
the Republican organization. We appreciated
too highly the Importance OF maintaining it, in
this CITY, in this State, and in the Nation, to en-
bark in any movement which would infllct hurt
upon it, and we regarded then, as now, the in
dependence and moral courage of its members,
exhibited as those qualities then were, as the
best guarantee OF its continued value to the pub
lie interests.
In the. " independent movement" of 1874,
there WAS no purpose to disrupt the Republican
party, but simply, at time when circumstances
demanded the assertion Of private Judgment and
political conscience, to give those feelings vent
Some who saw the candidacy Of Mr. Candy and
the exertions made in his behalf, may have fiat
tered themselves that this WAS the beginning Of
the factional strife which would destroy the Re-
publican party in Wilmington. 1t was no such
thing. 1t was the exercise of an intelligent choice
in = local election, between two Republicans,
and an assertion of the right of voters to con-
suit their convictions Of public duty in the exer-
else Of their franchise.
Circumstances, in the present campaign, do
not move any number Of Republicans to follow
the Seventh Ward precedent OF 1874 As be-
tween Valentine and Whiteley, they see no rea-
son for choosing the latter, and none that moves
them to take any step to defeat the former 1t
ia possible that if an Independent Republican
had reasonable chance OF election some
would prefer to put him in the field and defea,
Capt. Valentine. We do not know Of such per-
sons, but there may be some. But as there is
no such reasonable chance of his election, and
as there is no feeling Of irritation prevailing
amongst Republicans that moves any of them to
extraordinary methods OF action, 30 there is no
desire for or sympathy with any sort of movement
the outcome Of which must be the election Of the
that Capt. Valentine in "Ring man." Well, we
support him with the expectation that he will
act honorably to all elements in his party and
Independently Of factional considerations, but be-
tween any Ring that he is likely to be associated
with, and that headed and directed by
Mr.. Archibald Given, the COMMERCIAL
chooses the former, and is ready
to emphatically declare the fact. Mayor
Simms's neighbor, which terms itself "a stead
fast adherent to principle" means, no
doubt, the principle Of it's own advantage, for
certainly it has not adhered to any other-may
see in this what dissatisfies it, but We assure it
that the COMMERCIAL has never been committed,
and will not be, to any line Of action that is cal
culated to sell out the Republicans of Delaware
We shall neither train under Mr.. Given, mol
follow the coat-tails Of Mr.. Bayard, until these
gentlemen are greater leaders and wiser states
men than they have yet proved themselves.