Weekly Trinity journal., 1875-07-31
PHELPS AND HARTRANFT.


in this State, bears some resemblance to
the gubernatorisl campaign in Pennsyl- +.
vania in the Autumn of 1872. The Re-
publicans had as their nominee for Gov
ernor General John L. Hartranft, and
with his nomination went up Il howl of
virtuous Indignation from the clique Of
reform politiciansin Pennsylvania, whom
Booth and his co-re!ormers Of California
have endeavored to initiate. Notwith-
standing that it was the year OF Presi-
Dental election and the result Of the vote
| in Pennsylvania would have an important
bearing upon the national election which
would follow in November, some of the
leading papers in the State, including
| Forney's Press, worked earnestly to Sc
cure the defeat of the Republican nomi-
nee. In an ordinary campaign the inhu-
ence brought to bear would undou btedly
have been successful, but the people OF the
! Keystone State were too sensitive to the
issues of the national contest to be led
astray at that decisive moment and Hart
ranft was triumphanAy elected.
The charges against him we're pretty
! much the same as those presented against
Mr.. Phelps. 1t was said that he was a
creature Of rings" that his nomination
was forced by Senator Cameron that If
elected he would be but the supple tool
of those to whom he owed his nomination.
More honest there than here, the opposi-
tion to Hartranit was open and avowed in
advocating the election of the Democratic
nominee, leaving to the Independents of
California the somewhat doubtful honor
Of aiding Democratic success through the
instrumentality OF third party move
ment. The election of Hartranft and his
associates WAS looked upon as being tri-
umph of what was somewhat ambiguous
ly known as the Cameron clique. Prob
q bly, as matter of cxpediency his nomi-
nation was one of the worst moves that
could have been made, in view of the sig
nifcance that the vote of Pennsylvania
would have on the Presidential contest.
to believe and did believe that the defeat
of Hartranft would be no criterion by
which to FIX the probable status of Penn
sylvania in November following, and
while Republican trumphs were antici-
pated in other States where elections were
I held in October, it was generally con-
ceded that Pennsylvania would go Dem
ocfatic.
Public expectation was, however, des-
tined to disappointment in this regard
n notwithstanding the vindictve opposition
of leading members of our own party, the
necessity for triumph of national prin-
ciples carried the Republican ticket on to
victory. And by the nomination OF
Hartranft this year the Republicans OF
Pennsylvania have stamped the seal of
their disapprobaton upon that class of
political warfare which aims to defeat n
candidate simply because he is supported
b. politicians whose own public life may
not have been such as to commend them
to popular favor. The official course of
Governor Hartranft has been such as to
conci,iate all the elements of the party
which opposed him before, without alien
ating the friendship Of those who were his
former su porters. And now instead of
being the subject Of lnspuring newspaper
abuse, the Republican candidate for Coy
ernor Of Pennsylvania has the enthusiasts
ic support OF all factions of his own party
while even his political opponents are
forced to admit that his administration is
one of the best the State was ever blessed
with.
The Republicans of California can find
fitting parallel between the political sit.
ultiOn in Pennsylvania three years ago,
and that presented in their own State at
the present time. Now, as then, the con-
test is possessed of a deep national signif-
canc- now. ms then, the candidate of their
party is made the subject of unqualified
abuse by leading influential journals, not
by reason of his being man whose past
political career has been such as 10 deprive
him of public confidence but simply
from the fact that ono or two men whom
these journals have unsparingly vilified
were prominent in the convention which
gave M Phelps his nomination. And
the whole end and aim of those who are
directing the Independent movement is
to throY the State into the hands of the
Dem )crats. Less honest than the dis
satisfied Republicans of Pennsylvania,
they seek by underhanded means to ac-
compllsh the same objects which the 9TH
ers sought openly. II must have been
pltent to the most ordinary understanding
from the very commencement of the
campaign that there was not the ghost oI
n chance to elect State officers outside OF
the ranks of the two great parties. The
Independent movement carried the State
by n minority of Il minority of the votes,
and since that success has given evidence
ofno new elements OF strength but many
OF weakness. Let California Republicans
be wise in time, and, patterning after
their brethren in Pennsylvania, three
years ago, stand firm in support of the
ticket, the only objection raised to which
Is that it was nominated by the assistance
of three or four men whom the mud :
throwers of California have sought to
l. iag into unjust repute.
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Political LIEs.-It is high time that