Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-05-03
THE AN7I-rH1RD-rERm CONVENTION.

held at st. Louis 1t has been spoken Of
as an Anti-third- term Convention, and as
such it will perhaps be generally regarded.
1t is, however, far broader in its scope than
that name implies, and it is possible that it
may mark turning point in American poll
tics. 1t has been called by number of men
who find it no longer possible to endure
the tyranny and the abuses of machine
party government. They are not only OPP
posed to the third-term proposition, but
to the prostitution of party machinery for
the furtherance of the ambitions of few
managers, and to the virtual disfranchise-
ment of the great body of the Republican
party. They are Republicans from convic-
ton and upon principle. They desire the
success of the Republican party in the
coming Presidential election. But they
are determined that the growing dis
position of party managers to deal
with the organization as though it
were their personal property, and without
regard to the views and wishes of the
rank and file, shall be resisted strenuously,
and that solemn protest shall be entered
against the denomination of General Grant.
The necessity of positive action in defense
of political independence has been made
clear to them now by past experience.
They have observed that the managers of
the machine care nothing for mere pro-
testations and remonstrances, because they
have learned to believe that when the
time comes the dissatisfied element will go
to the polls and vote the regular ticket as
the least of two evils. Hitherto all at
tempts to break the power of the machine
have collapsed in this way, and the pro-
jectors of the st. Louis Convention have
become convinced that other and more
significant measures are needed. They
therefore propose not merely to record
their protest against the third-term move
ment, but to erect an organization,
all the members of which shall
pledge themselves not to vote for
the machine ticket, if that ticket is sue
cessful at Chicago Their purpose in hold
ing this Convention so far in advance of
the National Republican Convention is to
prepare an exhibit calculated to impress
the Grant managers with the danger of
defying the independent Republicans. Of
course the success of such an experiment
must be doubtful, for it is in the main
new idea, and it has been acted upon some
what tardily. Much will depend upon the
personal character of the delegates. They
are expected to come from nearly every
State and Territory. New York and
Pennsylvania will be largely represented,
and also Massachusetts,. Some very well
known and deservedly esteemed members
of the party will be present, and the indi-
cations are that the assemblage will be
strong intellectually, and will be seen to
stand for a very influential element
throughout the country.
A considerable German representation is
looked for, but the Convention will be in
the main native American 1t will be
particularly significant as representing
those who have at last resolved to make
determined and persistent stand against
Grantism and all that the term implies,
and who are prepared to declare, in adj
vance of the meeting of the National
Convention, that if Grant is nominated
there they will not vote for him. Nor do
they intend to make any reservation, as
in regard to the contingency of Tilden's
nomination by the Democrats. They say
that whatever betides they will not
vote for Grant, and they want the party
managers to know this, and to understand
previously what losses they are inviting by
urging the nomination of that candidate
1t remains to be seen how far this opposi-
ton movement is supported throughout
the country and upon the showing it is
able to make next Thursday its signif-
canoe must of course depend. But it is
| SHlNACh0 OllehO IL GhO ISAdOANC VI OliC
two national parties is to-day anything
like what it was at the last Presidential
election, the Republican party cannot af-
ford to encourage any considerable seces-
sion from its ranks, and that to do so
must be to entail almost certain defeat.
Of one thing there seems to be no doubt,
and that is the complete earnestness of the
independent Republicans who are about
to meet at st. Louis. They say that they
will not be turned from their purpose by
any representations of the dreadful conse-
quences to follow Democratic victory.
They assert that a Democratic victory
would be less harmful to the country than
Republican victory due to machine tao
tics, and in no true sense representing the
wishes of the Republican masses. They
say that the experience of the past proves
the futility of all other methods of protest
than the one they are now about to en-
ploy, and that the political sense of the
party managers can only be touched by
making it plain that the ticket they are
striving to force upon the party will not
obtain the support of that party as a
whole. 1t is obvious that such an expert
ment must be watched with deep interest
by all who disapprove of the policy which
the machine men have adopted, and that
if the st. Louis Convention is able to make
a formidable showing it is likely to work a
strong reactionary influence upon independ-
ent voters everywhere, apart from the
effect it may produce upon the Grant man
ayers at Chicago.
THE "ARGoNAUT" MAKES A MISTAKE.
The Argonam of last Saturday, in dis
cussing the late murder of Charles De
Young, makes the following remarks
"The Sacramento RECORD UNION, usually
deliberate aud usually expressing opin-
lions entitled to consideration, and pre-
"sumably beyond the influence of business
"rivalry, says it is quite impossible to re-
"gard this case as an ordinary murder