Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-01-28
Adnidstcr t:stci.::ssnrer.
FRIDAY EVENING. JAN. %. 1881.
The Philadelphia Folly.

ment about the exceeding folly of the
majority of the delegates to the Receiver
of Taxes convention in Philadelphia, in
refusing to nominate John Hunter.
There seems to have been something be-
sides desire for the welfare of the party
which prompted the action of many of
the members. Some 10 doubt were hon.
est in their mistaken purpose. 1t is i'm
possible. for instance. to consider that
Mr.Vaux had any unworthy motive. He
was simply unwise; and he has been ah-
wise before. He has not earned repu
tation for political wisdom equal to his
we'll established character for honesty
and the courage of his convictions. He
thinks that the proper policy for the Dem
ocra,ic party is always to fight under its
own flag, and always to make straight
out nominations without combinations
or compromises. AS rule, we too, be-
lieve in that policy. But there is no rule
without exceptions; and in municipal
affairs the exceptions are frequent to the
policy which requires good Democrat
and good citizen to vote for none but
good Democrats, who are at the same
time good men, for Office. We do not be-
lieve that it is at any time the duty OF
Democrat to vote fo- bad man because
he is nominated by his party, though he
often may vote for an Indifferent one.
And i'm city elections he is entitled to de-
mand that the candidate his party offers
him should he the best in the field.
In the present condition of affairs in
Philadelphia il is The dictate of wisdom
for every good Democrat who is good
citizen to vote for just one man for re-
ceiver of taxes, and for no other. His
choice is absolutely thus restricted by the
fact that this man. admittedly tit in
every way, has been already selected hy
al influential and Numerous body of Re-
publicans, who have proposed tosupport
the Democratic candidates for the other
offices in return for the party support of
john Hunter. With this combination he
may be elected: and his election will lie
of great advantage to the Democratic
party and to the city. So strong is the
Democratic feeling in his favor that the
Democratic candidate fer mayor de-
clared to the convention that he would
not accept its nomination unless Mr..
Hunter was put upon the ticket with
him; and after this declaration he was
nearly unanimously nominated. That
this party feeling should not have been
displayed in equal strength in the Re-
ceiver of Taxes convention can only be
attributed to the fact that certain men
who desired the defeat of the party and
the election of StOkley were able to take
advantage of the sentiment represented
by Mr.. VauX and to coa!esce with it so
as to secure the majority they sought in
the convention. There is such an ele-
ment in the Democratic party in Phil
adelphia and Pennsylvania. 1t has fat
tened on such Republican coalitions.
Pretending Democracy Of the straight
est kind in public they hut put on the
livery of Heaven to serve the devil in,
and privately are found in partnership
with the Republican machine managers
in the distribution of public plunder.
An especial element in Philadelphia
conspicuously represented by Alderman
McMullin,. and others represented by
men Of like lustre, have kept the Demc-
cratic party there chained to the Re-
publican chariot wheels. These men
to Il 1,nr
please in the ways of lawlessness and to
81 unwhipt OF justice. They have waxed
a., ,weilii3g in clover while the party
wandered III tie desert. L is a thing to
be expected that these men should now
cry aloud for Stgaight-out nominations,
when their only effect can be to weaken
the party. They declare otherwise !;
avowing t!la: the party can only be held
together by Democratic nominations
that the rank and file will not vote for
anyone not (. Democrat. The rank and
file are not fools, though their spokcsmen
may be knaves. and May turn against
their party this time as they have often
done before.
The rank and file of the Democratic
party are not likely, at least, to vote
against il Democratic candidate for may
or because a Republican is joined with
him on the ticket nor DO we think that
many of them would vote against SO ac-
ceptable Republican as John Hunter.
But il they do, it will only tend to de-
feat Hunter: for how could it hurt
King They answer that the Republi-
cans vino promise to 90 So will not vote
n him. We do not believe thar either:
but if they do, M King viii have at
least his party we, ::lIiGH can he get
more than tha1 ~ iiGlli,.at:i!g d straight
tedly is 40, sir.ng enough 10 elect him.
So that the policy OF putting Mr.. Huh
ter Oh the ticket to strengthen the other
two Democrats upon it i5sO obvious that
the blindest Democratic advocate for
straight-out nominations, even the king
of the blind, Richard Vaux himself,
ought to be able to see it.
We cannot think that good sense will
fail 10 dominate our party IL P!liladel-
pi,ia, widely as it seems now to have
wandered from its beilestS. Al present
the party has two tickets, both bearing
the names of Democrats nominated with
unanimity by tie different conventions,
while from third convention, divided
nearly in half. we have two candidates,
one Democrat VINO cannot possibly be