New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-05-22
STEADY

Raw soldiers are apt to be stampeded at
critical moment III a battle. The opponents of
the third term have had good reason for conf
dence, and If they do not abandon their position
in panic and weakness they have as good reason
STILL The Dutch have taken Holland, and the
| Grant men have prevailed in Grants own State
but there are two things to be remembered
First, 1t was shown more than week ago that
General Grant could not expect majority il
the National Convention, even If lie secured
the entire vote Of Illinois and Alabama. AT
the worst, then, he must go into the COnven-
ton with less votes than "a majority, and this
is confessed by his organs i'll their estimates,
for they do not claim for him more than $50
votes, and we all know that they claim many
which there is small reason to think they can
get. Second, it is still an open question how
the delegation from Illinois will finally stand
The audacious and high-handed performances
of the third-te people, though it succeeds IN
sending solid delegation with the claim of
regularity, may not get the approval and as
sent of the majority in the National Convention
For this result has been reached only by bold
and naked defiance of rules formally recognized
in previous National Conventions as binding
upon the party, and it is O question whether
the usurpatOn will be tolerated by tile majority
of the Republican voters in certain districts in
Illinois, or by the National Convention.
A committee was appointed to select full
list of delegates for the entire State. But the
established rules of the Republican party re-
quire that the delegates from each Congress
sional District shall be chosen by the represen
tatives of that district, and that they shall be
in no way bound except to their constituents.
The choice of delegates III Illinois, therefore,
Is in violation of rules recognized in the call
for the National Convention, and sustained by
the vote OF the majority in the last Convention
of the party. The question is whether the
Republicans who are to assemble at Chicago
will vote to disregard all the usagcs and es-
tablished rules of the party, in order to admit
a delegation chosen i'll open defiance of those
rules.
1t is true, there must be a formal protest, and
the voters of tile districts in which the majority
wishes to oppose Grants nomination must be
represented at Chicago in some form by con-
testing delegates of their own choice. How
these cOntesting delegates shall be chosen is a
minor question, to be settled by the voters
themselves. Their representatives in State
Convention ought to follow up a formal protest
majority by selecting contrasting delegates
who represent their will. But if they fail to do
this, in any case, still the voters Of the district
are not DISTINGUISHED or deprived of a right to
be heard. They can call new meetings imme-
diately, in their several counties, and summon
all the Republican voters of the district to ex-
press their will once more, Tor or against the
th ird term, by the choice of independent dele
gates to Chicago. Or they can require their
duly chosen delegates to the State Convention
to meet again, in District Convention, there to
choose contrasting delegates to the National
Convention. 1t will be their own fault if they
are not fully and fairly represented The
majority in the National Convention, after put
ting out the contested cases, will not be in favor
of Grants nomination, nor will there be q
majority for him even if all the persons sent
by usurDed power are admitted to vote. If
tho people Of the districts choose to DO repre-
scented, they can insist upon hearing for their
contesting delegates, with great deal of con-
fidence that Republican National Convention
will not set aside ali the established rules of
the party in order to disfranchise them.
Two things must be remembered, however.
No care ought to be spared to send delegates
who have the unQuestOned and demonstrated