Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1880-03-03
1pb;ladalnh;a Press Feb o.

Philadelphia Press, Feb 24.l
The proceedings of the meeting held
in Meadville on last Saturday evening,
published in yesterdays Press, will
attract general attention throughout
the State. In the Congressional dis
trict, of which Crawford county forms
a part, Messrs. Thomas Robinson, of
Butler, and John |. Gordon, of Mercer,
are the delegates to Chicago. All the
counties of this district declared, more
or less unequivocally, in favor of the
nomination of Mr. Blaine for the Pres
idency at the time their delegates to
the State Convention were selected.
But the State Convention, concurrently
with the naming of these delegates,
instructed them to vote for General
Grants nomination, and directed that
their vote should be controlled, on all
questions, by the vote of the majority
of the delegation. The State Conven-
tion had no right to bind, by instruct
ing district delegates, even when nom-
inally choosing them, because no juris-
diction can oust the jurisdiction of the
districts themselves over their dele
gates. Least of all had it right to de-
stroy the individuality of each district
by merging it in the mass of all the
districts. The act was one of simple
usurpation. 1t had a tyrannous pur-
pose, and an inspiration which is oifen-
sive to every accepted principle of rep
resentative government.
Yet the act stands. Its promoters
Justify it and seek to bind the district
delegates of the State by its ruthless
terms. They put in the specious plea
that, as honorable men, they cannot re-
fuse to carry out instructions given by
the authority which appointed them.
But the Convention did not do the ap-
pointing when it accepted the names
chosen by the delegates in the State
Convention from the counties compos-
ing the districts. Such choice by
those delegates was the equivalent OF
an election by the direct act of the peo-
pie of the districts, and the Conven-
tion had by the very terms of the call
for the National Convention, no au-
thority to exercise an independent
choice, and was merely convenient
instrumentality for reaching promptly
a necessary result. Its subsequent ac-
tion of instruction to them was beyond
its authority, was an attempt to affix
fetters which it was not theirs to bind.
On principle it was an abominable act.
As policy it was reactiOnary and des-
potic, and if acquiesced in must soon
spread its poison through the body po-
litic, must corrupt streams now pure,
and ultimately defile our whole organ
ization. 1t cannot help but lower the
tone of our political life, strengthen the
power of the few at the expense of the
mass, and build up, by organization,
machine means of dominating public
sentiment. This done, our political ma
chinery, robbed of its beauty, would
become reproach to ourselves and a
| curse to our children.
There is but one avenue of escape
from these evils. The people of the va
rious districts must assert their man.
hood. They must meet, consult
and act, to save from spoliation
our Republican framework. They must
claim and assert the right of directing
the district delegates what is their will
in this grave matter of a Presidential
nomination. They must rebuke the
shameless tricksters who, by dis
graceful means, denied to the people
their voice in the Harrisburg Conven.
ton They must stem the tide of often
sive innovation by banded politicians
having no higher interest than self, nc
nobler motive than perpetuation Of con,
troll They must save their party from
the loss of the. dearest privilege known
to freemen, the right to have the rep
resentative express the will of the peo-
pie In this spirit we rejoice in the de-
,monstration at Meadville We hope to
hear of more such meetings, not con.
ceived in anger or carried on in resent.
ment, but in the spirit which is becom.
ing to people who know their rights,
dare maintain them.
|