Daily Republican., 1881-10-24
Let Us have Peace.


Let us have Peace.
All good Republicans will be pleased
at the effort now being made to har'
monize the differences in the party In
this city. Without unity they can
mover succeed in electing their candi'
dates OF the voters Of Wilmington
there is an undoubted majority of from
700 to 1000 and yet the Republicans
have not been able to elect Mayor for
nine years, and but seldom able to elect
majority of the City Council. Last
year the city was carried by a small
majority for Republican President
and State Republican ticket, with
Mayor and the police force in the field
as the most active agents against them.
A full and fair vote would have shown
at lea ZOO majority. The party though
but partially united then had been
weakened by internal dissensions be-
fore. 1t is not pleasant to refer to the
dissensions that broke out after the
election was over, but they cannot be
hidden, for they were public, open and
above board. The result has been that
there are now two city Executive Com
mittees each claiming to be regular.
1t is not our purpose to advocate or con-
denim one or the other, but we want to
say so loud that every Republican in
the city can hear us, that with such
division in the party-with two City
Executive Committees in the field
with the wrangling, and sparring, and
pulling, and hauling, which the division
leads to, the party cannot be successful
either in the approaching city or State
election. Therefore we commend the
efforts now being made for peace and
hsre the peace which Is to follow will
be of a permanent character. One party
when 1t organized proposed to disband
if the other party would unite with
them in an election to elect a new City
Executive committee, and there the
matter stands so far as that party is
concerned. Another party for the sake
of harmony, if reports be true, have
pulled up their banner stakes and
planted them little nearer to the peace
line by proposing to make vacancies
enough in their committee to admit the
others in equal numbers. Roth move
ments are commendable, and We hope
the march of both sides towards an hon
orable peace basis will continue until
there shall be a complete fraterniza-
tion. Peace once established let peace
continue by selecting popular unobjec-
tionable men for candidates for office.
1t would be the worst kind of political
suicide to nominate man for Office who
cannot get practically the united vote
of the Republican party. The Republi-
cans have been beat at three successive
City elections for Mayor by doing that
very thing In 1872 Joshua L. Simms
was elected over Capt. Z. j. Dougherty
by less than IS majority.
In 1875, Hon. William G. Whiteley
was elected over Joshua S. Valentine,
also by majority less than IS,
simply because Mr.. Valentine had
already been elected three time.
In 1873, our present Mayor John P.
Almond was elected over Charles H
II. Gallagher by 555 majerity.-
True it was a year when nearly one
fourth Of the Republicans were disfran-
chised by the infamous Democratic as
sessment laws, but there were still tive
hundred at least Republicans who did
not like Gallagher and voted tor Mr.
Almond. Mr.. Gallagher's defeat was
crushing but it would have been worse
had nota large following of Democrats
voted for him. He was also charged
with unfair means in securing his nomi-
na ton and this so soured a number Cf
Republicans that they withheld their
active support.
Here are three successive lessons
which should warn the Republicans
against making any similar mistakes.
The lesson to be learned is, that Rcpub
Gcans who have given offence to any
considerable number of members ofl
their party and on that account cannot
poll the full strength ofthe party should
not be selected as the standard bearers
of the party. If the policy OF the last
three MayOrality elections is insisted
upon fourth defeat will in all proba-
bility follow the other three. The man
that can win the fight is the man the
Republican party is hunting for now.
The man who will lead his party out
and besides receiving the fire of the
command in front, receives part of the
fire of his own command in the rear is
not the man to lead to victory. The Re.
publican party wants victory more than
any one man to lead it. During the late
Civil war, Mcdowell, McClelland, Burn
side, Pope and Hooker successivelyled the
Union army of the Potomac, but it was
left for General Grant to achieve final
victory and bag Lees army. The Re-
publican party of Wilmington after
having lost three pitched battles under
Dongherty, Valentine and Gallagher,
want Grant to lead to victory.
Important elections are approaching.
A Mayor. City Treasnrer and CITY