Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-08-29
REORGANIZATION.


xSu1GS lOf tnC DCMOCrSJlC k3:tys
Erie Observer.
The Democratic state committee did q
sensible thing in appointing a committee
to report rules to the coming state conven-
ton at Williamsport, for the government
Of the party. Tho gentlemen composing
the committee are also wise selections.
The press is discussing the subject. and
good will result. The Harrisburg Ptrio,
proposes the abolition of senatorial Cele-
gates and doubling the number of repre-
sentative delegates. This is {: move in the
right direction.
The writer made motion in the state
convention at Pittsburgh in 1874, to abolish
senatorial delegates, but it was not
adopted. 1t was not, however, coupled
with the other proposition, to double the
number of representative delegates.
There is much difficulty, especially
where several counties compose q scna-
torial district, to secure a meeting of cor
ferees to choose a senatorial delegate, and
contests are frequent ON account of ir-
regularity, and two or more claiming elec-
ton. Last year troublesome dispute
arose in two congressional districts elect
ing delegates to the national Democratic
cOnvcntiOn-caused by the Armstrong
senatorial delegates, after participating in
the conference in the 25th congressional
district, substituting a Butler county man
to take part in choosing national delegates
from the Goth district.
Provision should be made for tho tenn
porary organization of the state conven.
ton, in order to avoid the dissraceful
1880. If a delegate is prohibited from vot-
iyf fI,V IN, off Ii
is contested, without regard to the nature
of the contest, the whole convention might
be broken up,if country delegates were as
proficient in contesting seats as "the gen.
tlemen from Philadelphia
But the most important matter that has
been mentioned is that of maintaining 4
permanent organization during the whole
year. Ohio is far ahead of us in this re-
spcct, and We oltencr carry that Republi-
can state than we do Pennsylvania, prin-
cipally because they have a better organi-
zation, and do not allow their leaders to
vide that party into discortlant factions.
The best work for the party can be done
in the way of distributing documents dur
ing the winter and early summer, educat-
ing public sentiment when the mind is not
prejudiced by the political candidates, nor
the judgment perverted by the excite
ment of campaign.
1t may not be within the province of
the committee oD rules, nor the convcn-
tion, but the time is coming when the Dc.
mocracy will demand tho publication of a
first class Democratic daily Journal in the
city of Philadelphia. More anon.
The Next state Convention.
Clarion Democrat
koAo
their meeting in Harrisburg, fixed on Will
Transport as the place, and Wednesday,
September 2Sth, rs the time for the meet
ing of the next Democratic state conven-
ton. The rules governing our state con-
much dissatisfaction at wrangling at every
meeting. The committee wisely appointed
committee consisting of A. H. Dill, w.
A. Wallace, S. J. Randall, w. U. Henscl
J. P. Barr, T. J. Barger and Prof. 3.
Whitman, to prepare and report a new set
of rules and submit them for adoption to
the Williamsport convention.
The new rules should make the manner
of choosing delegates uniform and definite
so as to avoid the yearly contests. 1t
should do away with the senatorial dele
gates, useless, unfair and troublesome in
selecting and unsatisfactory in action in
the convention. If the convention is to be
larger double the nun10er of delegates
from each county.
The number of delegates should be
changed so as to proportionately represent
the Democratic voters of each county and
not according to the ustRepublican ap-
portionment of the state in legislative dis
tricts. For instance, Lancaster county
with a Democratic vote of 10, 7S9 and
Republican majority of about $500, has
eight delegates under the present represen-
tation, while Berks county with Demo-
cratic vote of 16, 956 and solid majority of
about $500 has only seven delegates.
Other districts are equally disproportiona.e
80 that the minority districts really control
tho convention, while the others are ex-
pected to do the work in the field.
The state central committee also is in