Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-09-01
1dnrastcr f,ltelIqellcer.
The County Convention.

The County Convention.
The Democratic county convention
concluded its work satisfactorily and ex-
peditiously yesterday. There was moth.
ing in what was done, or in the way in
which it was done, that any reasonable
man can find material fault with or that
any Democrat can take valid exception
to. While frequent usage has almost
rendered it the rule for the general coun-
ty convention to accept as its roll the
consolidated rolls of the district conven-
tiOns, this has never been done except by
vote, and the chairman of the county
convention was bound to rule that each
convention is the Judge of the cIeden-
tials of its own members, and delegates
whose seats are announced to he con-
tested cannot properly participate in the
organization. The chairman appointed
a committee on contests, on which the
friends of all the rival candidates had a
fair representation. Owing mainly, we are
told, to a slight misunderstanding in the
committee it divided ona 7x6 basis, in
stead of adhering to it's first comprO-
mise report. The convention, by a very
decided and over two-thirds vote,
adopted the minority report, no doubt,
because it was in accordance with the
way in which the disputed matters had
been settled i'm the district conventions,
and because it insisted upon the results
of elections which had been held at the
time appointed by the county committee.
The fact, however, that these contests
came up to plague the convention shows
the necessity for more definite rules of
the party A.; and while they are being con-
sidered it would he we'll to determine
whether or not an improved system of
representation ought to be provided for
Democratic county conventions. Mani
festly the representation under the pres
ent system is grossly unfair. 1t should
be based in part, at least, uron the Demo
cratic vote. At present each district has
one vote, and the Eighth warl of this city,
with over six hundred Democratic voters,
has no more power than NewtOwn, with
twelve: the Third ward of Columbia,
with over three hundred voters, has only
the same influence as Sporting Hill with
twenty-six and Salisbury, Colerain,
Drumore, Marietta, Ephrata, Warwick
and other districts polling from two hun
dred to three hundred and fifty votes each,
are no more potential than districts with
from twenty-five to seventy-five voters.
These things ought not SO to he.
In the selection of candidates the ac-
tiOn of the convention was such as every
loyal Democrat who manfully bows to
the rule of the majority can acquiesce in
as cheerfully us Mr.. Davis moved to
make Mr.. Hildebrant's nomination
unanimous. For the Offices to which
there is no reasonable chance of the
nominees being elected, the candidates
are well-known active Democrats, quail
ified men, representing all sections of
the county and all elements of the party.
For the cOmmisSionership there was 4
square stand up fight, and OH the second
ballot the friends of Mr.. Mohler and CT
Mr.. Hartman united against the sue
cessful candidate. Nevertheless he won
by a handsome majority of the whole
convention. His competitors were we'll
known, deserving, active and pop
ular Democrats, and they have no cause
to I've ashamed of the gallant support
given them by their friends yesterday.
As the nomination of Mr.. Montgomery,
three years ago settled the one term prin-
ciple for Democratic county officers,
the fact that, in the end, this years con-
test lay between Messrs. MOhlcr and
Hildebrant, shows that the sentiment of
the party in this county is that the COM
missionership shall alternate between
the upper and lower districts.
We make no conccalment that the ac-
tiOn of the convention on the judicial
nomination was us gratifying to the In
TELLIGENCER as it was strictly in ac-
cordance with the almost unanimous
sentiment of the party. For reasons
which need not here be repeated a Demo-
cratic county convention could not have
consistently endorsed the present admin
istration of justice i'm this county. In
selecting E. II. Yundt, esq.,, for its nomi-
nee the convention chose a gentleman
whose professional and personal qualities
render him well worthy of the distinc-
tion, even were the party in a position
to make his election sure. His fitness
for the bench cannot be challenged.