Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1880-05-22


Mr.. Conkliug in the one state and
Mr.. Cameron in the other will be
able to .fr things, and they hare
fixed things thoroughly. By the
aid of the unit rule. the New York
will represent Mr.. Conk-
ling and the Pennsylvania conven-
ton Mr.. Cameron, every delegate
who has an opinion different from
these gentlemen being gagged, sup
pressed, nullified as hopelessly as if
he were sOwn up in a sack and
thrown into the sea. But now comes
an after-clap still more curiously
illustrating our opinion. A large
of delegates in the two
states, simultaneously and evidently
by concert, announce their intention
of not being bound by the unit rule.
They contend that they were APP
pointed by the people of their re-
spective counties, and no unit rule
by a convention can set
aside their allegiance to the people
who elected them; they will there
fore vote us their people desire. I'm
mediately Mr.. Cameron is in arms;
he sees the revolters in private, or
the most influential of them, and
soon returns to Philadelphia with a
beaming cOuntenance, announcing
that he has f.red things. The ac-
count of the matter given by those
who profess to know is that the re-
volters broke loose because they
found patronage under the Cameron
dynasty was not likely to come
their way, and that it was sup
pressed by Mr.. Cameron promising
certain sops to the revolters. OF
course we don't vouch for this state
ment, but, whether it be true or
some other internal history, it is
quite certain that the people of
Pennsylvania had nothing more to
do with it than the people of China
or HindOsian. Anyhow, the revolt
in Pennsylvania having failed, that
in New York was not strong enough
to be effective without it, and that
fails too. So, for all that the people
have to say in the matter, Messrs.
Conkling and Cameron might as
we'll each go alone to the Chicago
convention as to take a delegation
with them.
Let us now turn for awhile to our
own party. The rule this year has
been for uninstructed delegates, and
that rule has been carried out in all
the most important states except
Ohio, where nominal instructions
have been given for Thurman I'M
der the knowledge that he wouldnot
be nominated, and the men so in
structed are men who do not expect
Orintend that heshall be nominated,
and are indeed intent on the nomi-
nation of some one else, most of
them, it is claimed, on that of Til
den. OF course a tortuous arrange
ment of this sort precludes any
assertion of the will of the people.
Let it issue i'm what nomination it
may, there is no evidence that the
democrats of Ohio are in favor of
that nomination. They have not
had any voice in it whatever; it
was done by those who held the
slate. And this brings us to the
point, that where the rule of unin-
structed delegates prevails, there is
always q state; men are not instruct
ed to vote for any candidate, but
they are appointed with perfect
knowledge whom they 'ojU vote for.
But let us look at Pennsylvania (Of
New York we have said more than
enough in former issucs).
In Pennsylvania, then, it was
manifest from the first that there
was a slate, but a Kilkenny cat
fight was to come off to determine
which of the political managers
should hold the slate-pencil, Mr..
Randall or Mr.. Wallace. Backs were
up, claws were out, swearing was
loud and deep and fur was expected
to fly, and at the very best it was
that two states instead
of one were to be filled up-when in
an instant peace was proclaimed.
1t was announced that there was to
be no cat-fght; the animals were
seen reclining on one rug, each
into smOOthneSs the dishev-
eled fur of the Other-and there was
Il great calm! And what were the
terms of this peace. So far as is
allowed to transpire, six gentlemen
are appointed a committee to ar
range everything, slate and ali.
How these men were appointed no.
body knows, but apparently it was
done with the concurrence Of the
two recOnciled statesmen, and list
of delegates was reported by some
body and appointed elected is the
word, but it means nOthing), and
the Tilden men contend that it is a
Tilden delegation, and the anti
'Tilden men that it is just the re-
verse; but, whichever it is, the peO-
pie of Pennsylvania not only had no
voice in the proceedings, but do not
know to this day what the proceed
ings amount to.
These instances are enough for
our purpose. They are enough to
show that the politicians have got
hold of the conventional system as
they did of the congressional caucus,
and are working it exclusively for
their selfish ACKNOWLEDGMENT, ire
spective of the will of the people.
Whenever the people find this out
they will break it up as they did
the caucus, and what will then take
its place no man can predict. Some
way or other the concern will keep
whatever its machinery;
it can hardly be worse than it is at