Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1880-02-18

As ANNOUNCED in last weeks's issue,
Pennsylvania Republicans, in Con-
vention assembled, have declared in
favor of Gen. Grant for the next term
of the Presidency. Of course, should
the distinguished General and ex-
President be before the Chicago Con
vention, the delegates in this State
will be in honor bound 10 cast their
ballots for Br0acn's GreeRritte
Adcdnce.
Herein we differ most emphatically
with Mr.. Brown. The Office of dele
gate to to National Convention is a
district Office. The call signed for
Senator Cameron as Chairman OF the
National Committee settles the fact
The delegates from this district were
selected before the convention met,
and they were instructed by all three
of the counties to vote for Blaine. As
we look at the question these are the
instructions they are to obey, and for
this reason we except both Messrs.
Gordon and Robinson to vote for Mr..
Blaine at Chicago The Journal IL
not advocating Mr.. Blaine's nomina-
ton, but it does give voice to the over
wheIming Republican sentiment of
the district when it asks the delegates
to Chicago to vote according to the
instructions of the several counties
they will represent The fact that
they were also chosen by the State
Convention and instructed to vote
differently does not alter in the least
their duty to the people who stand
back of them. As far as the Repub-
licans of Crawford county are con-
cerned they are very nearly unani-
nous in their belief that the delegates,
Gordon and Robinson, should vote for
Blaine, whether Gen. Grant is OF is
not a candidate before the convention.
The above from the Crawford Jour
nal of the 18th inst, expresses our
opinion exactly. We have great re-
gard for our friend Brown of the
Greenville Adcaace, but will he be
good enough to make known when the
Republicans of this State surrendered
to State Convention the right and
power to overrule the Congressional
districts of the State in their choice of
district delegates to a National Con-
vention? When was that rule adopted,
and where? No such rule has ever
been acquiesced in by the Republican
party of this State and never will be.
The nearest approach to it being even
waived was in 1876, but it was even
then repudiated by some districts
whose delegates voted as they were
instructed by their own districts, and
whose right to do is recognized by the
rules governing our National Conven-
tions. The right of the different Con-
gressional districts in this matter is
further recognized at present by the
very call itself of the Chairman of the
National Committee, as stated by the
Journal, said call being directed to
and requesting the Republicans OF the
different Congressional districts of
the United States to send two dele
gates from each of the same to the Ma
tional Convention, for the purpose of
nominating President, etc. A State
Convention has the right to chose the
four delegates at large" as they are
termed, who represent the United
States Senator's, and further than
that, they have no right TO go. The
matter Of the electors is properly en-
trusted also to the State Convention
as they are officers of the State,
by law, and need not necessarily be
divided around among the districts,
but may for that matter all be selected
from one county of q State.