New-York tribune., 1882-08-12
GENERAL BEAtERS DILEMMA.


II is the evident purpose of the Pennsylvania
independents to make the coming canvass as
interesting as possible. Their candidate for
Governor, Senator Stewart, has sent an adml-
rable letter to General Beaver proposing JOINT
discussion. The letter is an able campaign
document by itself. 1t opens with the quiet
statement that its author joined with the o;heI
candidates on the Independent ticket several
weeks ago in q letter to the Cameron candi-
dates proposing the voluntary withdrawal OF
all in favor of a new convention under new
rules. TO this no reply has been received
from the persons addressed, and Senator
Stewart shrewdly adds that he infers from his
silence that General Beaver is determined to
assert his candidacy regardless OF all results.
@Such a COURSE" he says, Il" on your part neces-
"sarily imperils Republican success, and can
"be justified only by the graVest public consider
"ations. Doubtless you believe these TO exist,
"and are willing to submit them to public dis
"cussion." That is exceedingly well put 1t
places the responsibility for the present Repub-
lican complications where it belongs, upon the
shoulders OF General Beaver, as the machine
candidate, and asks him to step before the pub
lie and vindicate himself if he can. Senator
Stewart is fully prepared to defend himself, for
he says: Being myself Republican candi-
date for the same high Office to which you have
"been nominated, and feeling justified in assert
"ing my candidacy, our appeal must be to the
enlightened Judgment of the people"
This straightforward challenge puts General
Beaver IN what the managers of his party
would call hole. He cannot accept without
grave peril to his candidacy. No man knows
better than he that his cause cannot stand the
keen bright sunlight of publicity which Joint
discussion would turn upon it. Senator Stew
art is a strong and ready debater, who Is con-
fident in the justice of his own cause, and thor
oughly competent to expose the weak points In
the cause of uis opponents. General Beaver
may well vince under the prospect of having
his record at the Chicago Convention and his
career since as a subservient agenC of the ma
chine dissected publicly by so skilful an oper-
ator. Intellectually he is no match for Senator
Stewart. His speeches since his nomination
have been little less than series of blunGers.
SO serious did the situation become that the
machine managers are believed to have taken
vigorous measures to close his mouth 1t Is
currently reported that the shrewdest of them
sent him an admonitiOn couched in this simple
but comprehensive formula: I" Dear Beaver !:
Don't talk Yours, NJ. 5. O." That may or
may not be true, but from that or some other
cause the General stopped talking suddenly
about month ago and has been deyoting hih.
self exclusively to energetic handshaking since
His committee is likely to think twice before
it allows so uncertain a speaker to enter
upon the perls and pitfalls of JOINT discussion.
But how can he refuse without coniesslng
that he is afraid to submit his cause I" to the
enlightened judgment of the peOpIe"R He
cannot base his refusal on the ground that the
Independents are entitled to no recognition.
That Is the ground upon which he and his COM
mittee said that they proposed to conduct the
campaign. They were going to ignore the
independents and keep the fight sharply de-
fined between themselves and the Democrats.
They started out with this determination,
but they broke it when they entered into cOrre
spondence with the Independents on the sub
Iect OF a new convention. They considered
the Independents of sufficient Importance to
be recognized then, and they are OF no less
importance now a joint discussion never
hurts good cause and never helps il bad one.
If General Beaver has a good one he will wei
come the invitation of his opponent and meet
him as soon as possible. Any other course
will be confession that he knows his cause
is weak with the people