Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-03-23
The Precedents.

# the Harrisburg Patriot will turn over
its files and examine the proceedings at the
organization of the Democratic conven-
tion, at Pittsburgh on May %, 1873, it
will find that Chairman McClelland un-
dertook to have a roll of the members of
the convention called as he had made it
up. The convention refused to be so
organized, but demanded that the only
roll called should be that Of the dis
tricts. This demand was made so unan-
imously that it was not only needed by
the chairman, but it remains as prece-
dent which must control the preliminary
proceedings of future conventions. 1t
was strictly in the line of previous pre-
cedents and in accordance with the good
Democratic usage which keeps con-
ventiOns free from any control but
their own. 1t is very surprising
that in the state committee at
Pittsburgh, not two years after
this Democratic law was so emphatic
ally proclaimed, in the same town by
the highest party authority, motion
could he introduced and passed instruct
ing the chairman of the committee to do
in the coming convention what Chairman
McClelland had been rebuked for under
taking to do the convention of 1873.
It would seem that no member of the
committee ought so soon to have forgot
ten this lesson in Democratic practice !;
and that twenty-nine members of the
committee should deliberately vote, after
prolonged discussion and vigorous
protest from the minority, to instruct the
chairman to act in defiance of the law is
indeed astonishing. 1t could not have
been that they forgot; for though all of
them were not at the Pittsburgh conven-
tiOn many of them were, and among
these was the editor of the Patriot, who
was the chief aid to Mr.. MCGOWAN in
getting his absurd resolution of instruc-
tiOn through the committee.
When the roll of the districts was called
ut Pittsburgh note was made of the con-
testants and all such were omitted from
the roll until their claims had been passed
upon by the committee appointed for the
purpose. The Patriot may insist, if it
chooses, that this practice is objection
able because it puts in the power of evil
disposed persons to get up fictitious con-
tests for the purpose of keep
ing duly elected delegates from taking
part in the preliminary organization !;
and that it may be possible, as it sug-
gests, that a majority of the seats may
be contested and the convention be left
with but handful of members to man.
age it. To which We reply, first, that
whether it is judicious or not, it is the
Democratic practice and cannot be
altered but by a Democratic
convention and that it is the
very height of impudence for state
committee to make the effort. And we
reply, secondly, that the inconvenience
suggested by the Patriot is theoretical
entirely, and that in practice it has not
been felt. Such base game is one
that both parties could play at,
but not without being detected by the
convention, the majority in which would
very speedily make its power felt. There
can he no such successful trifling with a
convention when it keeps its organization
in its hands ; but if it permits a state
committee to organize it, it might as well
permit the committee to elect it's men,
bers at once and save the people the
trouble.