New-York tribune., 1880-02-06
1JESSON TO TIE PRESS.

a LESSOA ~ M IA4Toc'
| The Pennsylvania Convention gave lesson
to the Republican press. There was very
earnest rivalry at Harrisburg between the
friends of Grant and Blaine, and II some
exasperatiOn had been exhibited on one size
or the other it would not have been unnat-
| uraI Dor altogether without excuse. But the
contest was carried on with perfect decorum
| and good nature. The criticisms never
degcnerated into abuse. The interchange
of opinlons was fair and friendly !;
and the Blaine party even retrained
from attacking Senator Cameron, although
they well knew that he had practically packed
| the Convention SO as TO prevent free e4-
preston of the popular preferences. The pos
sibity of manipulating delegates in this way
is one of the disadvantages OF the prevalent
| system of making nominations. The anti"
| Grant men understood the situation before
| hand. and having gone into the Convention
with a determination to do what they could
| and then make the best of the result. they
were not betrayed into quarrel which could
only iniure the prospects of the Republican
party. Their moderate and sensible behavior
| leaves them in an enviable position before the
| country.
| 1t is much to be wished that certain Repub-
| lican newspapers were a. wise as the "politl-
clans whom they are so fond OF reviiing
There are journals protesting TO desire the
election of Republican President, who have
made il point, for the past year or more, to
injure every prominent candidate In turn, by
every device which malice and bad temper
can suggest. They have been more reckless
| in their denuncatiOns aud more uncharltable
in their surmises than the organs of the OppO-
| sition. The most indecent slanders against
| leading Republicans are found in their col
umDs rather than in the pages of the Demo-
cratic press They accept every malevolent
suspicion as q proved fact, every campaign
lie as an admitted truth. Grant, Blaine,
Sherman, Conkling. all have been the objects
| of attack, all have been pursued with quer-
ulous and petty hostility. Nor are these cap
| tious censors any better pleased with tho
present Administration than with the candi-
| dates suggested for the head of the next one.
President Hayes can do nothing right the
| Departments are all in wretched hands the
Republicans in Congress are fools and cow
ards During the Autumn campaigns these
same papers kept up fire from the rear upon
the friends they professed TO support; and
nothing prevented their defeating tho party
In this State except the fortunate cIrcum-
stance that they did not influence their own
readers.
If they will not pause TO consider the mis-
| chief they may do to the cause which we pre-
sume they really have at heart, 1t Is strange
that prudence does not warn them OF the embar-
rassments they are preparing for themselves.
One of these days they will discover that they
have to support nominee whom they have
been blackguarding for months, and in their
ridiculous dilemma they will meet with no
commiseration in any quarter Independ-
ence is virtue which we all respect; but no.
body thinks much of TIE patriotism or the
common sense of a journalist who prepares
himself for an active political campaign by
dscrediting his leaders and industrously
manufacturing ammunition for the enemy.