The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1879-07-04
The Late County Convention.

The delegates to the Democratic
county convention met at the Court
House. on Monday last, aud a report of
their inconclusive proceedings will be
found elsewhere in our paper 1t was
full convention, each of the fifty-One dis
rricts being represented, and we are
warranted in saying that in respectable
" and intelligence it was the equal of
any similar body that has ever preceded
it. 1t contained many of the prominent
and leading members of the party from
various sections of the county, some of
whom were veterans in the cause. while
the young and active Democrats sent to
the convention many of their most effic-
lent and reliable representatives. Such
was the exceptional character of the
material composing The convention, and
yet. after an all afternoon session on
Monday. followed by an all night session
and continuous ballOting throughout
Tuesday. with two or three temporary
adjournments. it signally and impOtently
failed to perform the important duty
which had been delegated to it by the
honest and confiding Democracy of the
county. and at ; O'Clock. p. NJ. brought
its prOtracted and ingloriOus career to a
close by a final adjournment. This is
the first time in the history of the Dem
ocratic party of Cambria that nominal
ting convention diSbanded without haV-
1
nominating a county ticket and exerciS-
ing other powers looking to the future
discipline and harmonious actions of the
party. and that a heavy responsibility
rests somewhere for this abnormal con-
dition of affairs is as apparent as it is
disgracefUl. We do not propose to dis
cuSS the question of responsibility. but
leave it to the calm and cool reflection of
the gentlemen who sought the nominal
tion for Sheriff, and especially to the
thoughtful consideration of the con-
stituents of the delegates themselves.
Neither will we indulge in any crimina-
tiun against the candidates or their re-
spective adherents. for the plain reason
that the blame for duty unperformed is
diffused over too wide a surface. 1t
Will he seen that from the very first to
the -seventy-fOurth and last ballot. the
friends of the three leading candidates
for Sheriff constituted hrcc-fo,,rths of
the convention, but as neither Of them
would yield his well-maintained position.
nor release his delegates from their ale
glance the idea that under such circum-
. stances nomination could be made at
all was absurd and prcposterous. The
doctrine seemed to prevail with the del
egates that allegiance to candidate is
perpetual and cannot be cast off. and
there didn't seem to he anybody in the
convention willing and unselfish enough
to tell them that like all things earthly
it must have an end some time and
thereby remove the obstruction to I
nomination. 1t is a matter for congrat.
ulatiOn that after the final adjournment
of the convention there was not UnC
slightest manifestation Of ill-feeling ol
bitterness among the delega tes, but all
of them stood amazed at the magni.
tude of their own folly. which was then
beyond cure or reconsideration. There
Is only one comSe now to be pursued and
that is for the Chairman of the County
Committee to call il together as soon a>
it may be deemed eNpcdient. to consider
the subject dispaSSionately and deter
mine what future action shall be taken
1t is yet four months until the election
and there is surely ample time to do what
the late convention singularly and m
fortunately omitted to do. The futur,
harmony and success of the Democracy
of the county require the nomination o.
a county ticket, and the Committee. We
are sure. will take care that the neces
Sary steps having that object in view
shall he taken in due time and according
To the rules and practice of the party.