The daily gazette., 1880-02-06
the crant SLAUGHTER House.

The action of the Republican Stat
Convention yesterday was correctly
foreshadowed i'm our full special re-
ports of the night previous. Senatol
Cameron ruled what may by tou 'tesy
be called the deliberations Of the body
but was confronted by an opposition
more formidable In numbers and more
earnest in purpose than has been com.
mon in his battles Of the last ten years.
There have been lively skirmishes
against him now and then when con-
vention was on hand, and sometimes
they threatened to precipitate serious
engagement; but the uniform result
has been the submission Of the minori-
ty and its dispersion as an arganized
element of discord. The battle of yes
terday. however, developed not only a
most determined lot Of protestants,
but they made an exceptional record
by strengthening themselves and their
cause as repulse after repulse had
been suffered, On the first direct test
of strength for the temporary chair
man of the convention the opposition
scored ninety-two votes, or nearly
two-fifths of the delegates. The sec
ond test, on the adoption of Mr..
Stewards amendment to Mr.. Cessna's
resolution, swelled the opposition to
a round hundred. Then Cameron
made a gain on the next trial, when
ninety-fiye supported Mr.. Strang's
amendment substituting the name of
Blaine for that of Grant. Under ordi
nary circumstances minority thus
thrice defeated, and its strength ,ap-
parentiy declining, would have lost its
adhesiveness and pluck and surren-
dered the field to the majority, but
when it came to direct show of
hands in favor of or against Grant,
the opposition was increased to one
hundred and thirteen, leaving Cameron
and Grant but the narrow majority of
twenty out of two hundred and forty
six votes. This result astounded both
sides, and left the vanquished more
proud of their defeat than were the
victors of their triumph.
There are none so bllad as not to see
that the iDdorsement OF Grant by the
Pennsylvania Convention IL the veriest
moekery of the public sentiment that
should have been honestly voiced by
that body. And it Is not merely fraud
and fslseh hood on its face. but it Is q
cru sacrifice of Grant before the world
70 assume that the neagre twenty una
iorlty given for Grant as the Oh olcs OF
the Republicans of this State for the
Presidency, can be accepted either at
home or abroad as anything else than
decisive Grant defeat, must be the result
If either Ignorance or madness. 1t Is
costly and empty victory for Cameron,
but it crucifies Grant and makes it i'm
possible for him ever TO receive the vote
of the State at Chicago. When 1t Is re-
membered that Philadelphia with her
forty-six votes was misrepresentec with
confessed and e0ntemptnous disregard
o. her Ee jub 1, an people; ha Allegheny
with her eighteen votes was sh 3rn of her
locks while her people slept and deliver
ed bound and blind 10 the matser; that
Lancaster with her eight votes was cap.
tnred by trtckery against the positive
protests of her faithful press and voters,
that half dozen disputed seats were
arbitrarily settled against every delegate
who refused obedience to the arrogant
rule of might, and that as many were si-
Ienced by substituuons wrested from
them, who car contemplate the 1eclara-
tion In favor of Grant AZ anything else
than q double mockery Of Grant and of
Pennsylvania? 1t Is a nomination of
Grant that careles with 1t Its own un-
mlstakaDlo confession OF It's fals1ty, and
II will be regarded as the end of the
third term folly. Even II Conkling
should supplement Cameron's blunder
In New York, and force a like express
zion from a convention OF superserv1ce-
able partisans, 1t would but MAKE more |
imposing the p ageant OF GRANTS sacri> |
fice In the conflicts of mean ambition,
and the sincere friends Of the ex-Presi- |
dent will rescue him from the clutches |
of factionists by retiring him from the |
hopeless struggle. How much Senator |
Cameron's power has been strained be- |
yond its endurance to give him the per- |
sonal triumph he has achieved, is a pro
bem that the future must solve; but the |
one visib BILE and lrrevocable resnlt or his |
needless contest at Harrisburg, Is the
clearly taught lesson that General
Grant cannot be the nominee of the |
Chicago Convention. Ofthls now pat
ent fact, owners and bidders will take
timely notice.-Phila. Times.