New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-05-11

week from next Saturday the Republicans of
Lancaster County Penn, will express their preference
for Presidential candidate and for State Senatorial
primaries held under unique law which is apple
able TO that county alone, and has no parallel IN
the United States. The law was passed before the
adoption of tho new Constitution prohibiting
special and local legislation. 1t authorizes the
county committee of any party to appoint pr-
mary election for such party, provides for the
choice of elective boards in the several precincts,
and applies all the penalties of the general election
law to the members of the boards to prevent fraud
This is the so-caled Crawford County system,
for that is purely voluntary and has no sanction or
protection from State law. The Lancaster phi
maries are formal elections conducted by sworn
officers and at them the voters express their prefer
ence for candidates under lall the restrictions OF
regular election. This gear the Lancaster Repub-
Iicans will choose candidates for county offices and
for tho Legislature, elect two delegates to tho
Chicago Convention, and vote for President
and for United States Senator. Under the
resolution of their county committee appointing
the primaries the preference they express for Presi
dent will be regarded as instructions binding the
delegates to Chicago, and that expressed for Sena-
tor will control tho of the Lancaster members
of the Legislature In the Senatorial contest to take
place next Winter. Lancaster is one OF the
strongest Republican counties In pennsylvania.
The indications are that 1t VIII give neaNy
majority for James G. Blaine, and will name Galu-
sha A Grow for Senator by "a majority equally as
decisive.
Before we get any nearer to the Chicago Conven-
ton the public would be glad to learn from General
Grant or from some of his responsible supporters,
Just what idea his candidacy represents. Last
January we were told that 1t represented stern
repression OF Southern lawlessness and disloyaty;
but Since then General Grant has made series OF
speeches which read like echoes or the addresses OF
tho Liberal orators in lthe campaign OF 1872,
in which he says in OBJECT, that there Is no lawess-
ness or disl0yaty In the South to repress little
later we were assured that he was the most avail
able man to nominate, because Of his great popu-
larity; but such overwhelming evidence has since
been developed showing that he is not popular as
an asprant for % third term, and cannot get the
full Republican vote that this argument has been
dropped. What. then, does his candidacy repre-
senti Is there anything back of it save his own
desire to return to the White House, and the ardent
wish of the politicians who prOspered through his
favor before to place him once more at the head OF
the Government II there Is. 1t is time somebody
who can speak with authority explained what 1t is.
Tho reasons why he should not be nominated have
been stated again and again, so explicitly and
| clearly that the public fully cOmprehcnds their
force now let us hear why he is still to be urged
upon the Chicago Convention after all the illusions
concerning him have been swept away.