New-York tribune., 1881-10-04
THE MACHINE TEN


THE MACHINE BEATEN
For the first time In many years, Republican
State Convention has been chosen which may
be expected to represent the Republican voters
OF New York. Even now, a considerable por-
ton of the delegates represent not the people
but the machine. But a decided majority of
delegates has been chosen to oppose the ma
chine i'll accordance with the will of an I'M
doubted majority of the Republican voters in
their districts, and at conventions about which
there Is no dispute No account that is sup-
ported by any detailed information has yet
been given by anybody in which the number
OF uncontested anti-COnkling delegates appears
TO be less than 279, while all the COnkiing dele
gates, with all the doubtful. and all those whose
seats are contested, number only 217. Under
these circumstances, however reckless and
shameless the State Committee might be in the
exercise of its power, it would be impossible for
1t to manufacture a majority for Mr.. Conklng
except by frauds glarmg and outrages so
gross that they would produce aa instant and
complete revolution within the party and
consign to private life and lasting infamy every
man concerned in them.
1T seems highly probable, therefore, that the
effort to capture or bully the Convention may
now be abandoned. But it will not do for the
GARFIELD Republicans to neglect any precau-
hOns or to yield a single point. The machine
is fighting for its existence 1t has reouired the
Convention to be held in this city, and for that
extraordinary step the managers must have had
some especial reason. They must have known
that this step would operate against them in
the country, as it has done, and if they had not
intended to resort to some desperate scheme.
they were foolish beyond belief. From this
time until the work of the Convention is over.
and new State Committee has been organized.
1t Will not do to omit any proper effort to guard
against such conduct as might naturally be
resorted to by men who were capable of the
Oneida performance and of the exclusion of
General McCook from the primary meeting of
his district.
Mr.. Conkling has secured, by methods which
ought to be rendered impossible in the Repub
lican party henceforth, only III dele
gates, excluding those whose seats are
contested, or who are in doubt. OF
these 1873 come from the cities Of New-York
Brooklyn, Buffalo, Albany and Rochester and
from the counties which those cities control
The Republicans of the country have learned
to their unspeakable disgust somethinssof the
fraud and trickery by which the will Sf the
majority is systematically defeated in those
voters were enabled to secure this year a ma
jority of the delegation to represent their
wishes; in all the other cities the machine
overpOwered the voters and forced unon tbem
delegates of its own selection. These cities
gave about $4,000 Democratic majority at the
last election. Outside of these, the machine
carried without contest or dispute only two
counties with nine delegates it claims to have
majority OF the delegates in four Others
where seven delegates are in doubt has set up
an lmpudent claim to the delegations from
Oneida and Richmond and to half the delcga-
tion from Oswego and in three other counties.
Genesee and Putnam, the result is
not known. Giving to Mr. Conkling all the
contested seats and all the doubtful delepates
he would have even thea a majority in only
sixteen counties, which gave last year 2G6. .66O
Republican and 3OS,S56 Democratic votes. q
Democratic majority of 42,196 Six counties
would then be evenly divided in delegates. or
would have majority against the machine and
these counties gave in 1880 43, ,693 Republican
and 29,O6l Democratic votes Finally thirty.
eight counties remain in which Mr.. Conkling
did not get single delegate, and there is not a
seat contested, and these counties gave 1887
Republican majority last year.
No party managers who had not definitely
''A'NN w iuih phity winch they could
longer rule would ever think of resisting so
overwhelming a manifestation of Republican
sentiment. No managers who had any hope of
future political existence would dare to resist
such manifestation with nothing better than
the trickeres of chairmen and committees III a
few counties, and the shameless dongs of
packed associations in few cities. If peace
and harmony are desired in New York. us tbev
surely are by all sincere and true Republicans.
there must be a complete abandonment of the
attempt by few managers to steal power from
the voters of the party. The will of the voters
must have full effect The Convention must
adopt such rules and take such steps that hence
forth no set of managers shall be able to use
the party as their tool or chattel. Let all Re-
publicans have Il fair hearing and proper
share in the conduct of the party, and there Will
come not only harmony but victo ry.