Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-09-09
In Harrisburg Yesterday.

In Harrisburg Yesterday.
The Republican state convention,
which was held yesterday in Harrisburg.
was one of the most docile ever known
in the history of arbitrary ring domina-
tion and servile popular submission
which has been written by the Republi-
can party of this state. Until within
the last two weeks it had been triumph
antly, and, as the result shows, rather
incautiously blazoned abroad that w. T.
Davies would be the nominee for state
treasurer; and that ,inasmuch as he was a
bolter last winter, his selection by the
state convention for this distinction
would he formal approval by the Or
ganization of the righteousness of that
bolt, and forerunner of the control of
the gubernatorial nomination next year
by the opponents of THE FAMILY. All
the while the managers of the Cameron
dynasty seem to have been only waiting
for their enemies plans to fully mature
that they might the more effectually
frustrate them. A circular issued by
Wharton Bakers clique warning the
party against certain disaster if any
body but Davies was nominated, fur
nished provocation and pretext for
the showing Of hands. Gen. Baily, of
Fayette, was made the Cameron Quay
candidate and his sole political distinc
fsn,, ,,rnnlnis,n1 10 La f1,af Ia hrI
been faithful though obscure member
of the Grant guard at Chicago. He was
Mr.. Quay's choice and as such ut least
15O Of the delegates who were corralled
into his support gave him their votes.
Beyond a few of his immediate ntighbOrs
none of them knew him or had ever
heard Of him before. They went
into Il caucus called in his
interest and agreed, exactly rs Quay and
Magec directed, who should make each
motion and what all the motions should
be on the floor of the convention, and
how they should vote on every matter
that the grace of the management allow
ed to be introduced. The programme
was slavishly adhered to and the con-
ventiOn might rs well have adjourned
after the ring caucus dissolved.
1t is true Davies was L poor selection
as the head of an aggressive independ-
ent movement i'm Republican politics.
The element that supported him was as
unfortunate rs in its choice of Grow
last winter. Davie, is atime-serving pol
itician, and had long trained with the
Cameron faction. lie would have been
glad to have had its support, sought it,
and expected it; and even now his de-
feat is embittcrel 10y his reflection that
it was effected by his relations with the
Independent element of his party. SO
long rs that wing of the party selects
such men as Grow and Davies as its can.
didates, it will lose not only success but
credit in its struggles, and save not even
honor in defeat.
None the less the winning faction saw
in Davies's punishment chance tC
avenge the defeat of Oliver and the over
throw of the caucus last winter, and
Lucy went 10 TIC tiltl pL l.lcII lClIcI. IL
was not enough to rule the convention
with caucus and make Quay its chair
man, Eut the resolutions were directed
by a StudiOus effort to exclude every.
thing offensive to the ring and the cap
sheaf of its impudence is the brazen Sc
lection of the notorious Tom Cooper as
the official heal of the party Organiza
tion in Pennsylvania.
The Republican party yesterday shOul
dered mp for luggage in this campaign
nearly everything that has been iniqui-
tous and shameful in our state govern
ment for the past fifteen years. 1t must
have been in u spirit of satire that the
conye ,tiDn uec!lrc,l . its active support
in the prompt and courageous correc'
ti0n of all governmental abuses,'' wher
it made rs its chairman the living eX.
ponent of these abuses in our state adj
ministrltion and put its campaign into
the hands of the most plant tool which
q corrupt and audaciOus ring has had
in either of the legislative bodies of the
commonwealth.