Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-06-02
Tho povoIt lgainst cameron.

1AC lCNOAN Al
Cameronism cannot but exert great in
fuence upon the future of parties. 1t IS
the outgrowth of the movement that
placed King in the Mayors chair at
Philadelphia, and later induced Wolfe.
the Independent. to run for State Treas
urer. when he polled 80, 900 votes. There
are many who predict that Wolfte's poll
will be increased fully one hundred per
cent, if not more, in the coming contest.
These predictions may not be fully veri-
fed, but the evidences of the growth OF
the feeling against Cameronism argue
that the forecasts are true in the main.
Wolffe's bolt last fall was simply in the
nature OF a rebuke, and was followed by
a similar stern reprimand in the NUM-
opal contest in Philadelphia last Febru-
airy to the local bosses" who are
valuable and necessary parts Of the
Cameron machine.
Cameron and his council, however,
had long ago grown intolerant, and were
50 strongly entrenched that they felt that
they could defy rebellion against their
will. For years Stevens and the elder
Cameron swayed the destinies Of the
Keystone State, and when theOne was
dead the son of the other took his place
and became, on his fathers retirement,
virtual dictator of the party's conduct.
For the first time in his reign he is con-
fronted with an opposition that would
make less bold man cautious and less
proud one concilistory. He has won so
many triumphs in conventions and at
the polls that he will not brook the sug-
gestion Of defeat, even though the deser-
tons of his hitherto unwilling followers
render it extremely probable.
Nevertheless, while asserting his ability
to pull his ticket through, he seeks to
alarm the circles of trade by holding up
the peril that would arise to that dearest
idol Of Pennsylvanians-the tariff. This
card in a national campaign might serve
him to some purpose, but it will gain
him little in his present contest. The
ranks of the rebels are made up Of men
who are convinced of the justice Of their
position, and with them are allied tie
"outs" Of the party, who have so long
been shut out from its good things and
would like to see matters squared by
having the "ins" quit the berths they
have filed so long.
The Independents do not look for sue
cess. They concede defeat, but seem
disposed to adopt Cameron's policy of
rule or ruin. The Independents, despair
ing of mending the machine, would
smash it, and out of its fragments recast
new one. They care not that the
complexion of the powerful Key
stone delegation in Congress may
be greatly changed, that the Legisla'
ture may be so constituted as to afford
the possibility Of the selection of a Demo
cratic successor to Cameron himself, who
many Of them would fain see retired
now. They lose sight of 1884, or, if
they contemplate 1t, they think mutual
interest will reunite the sections of the
party when the present bosses" are
overthrown. The lines are fairly drawn,
and no quarter is asked. There may be
some weakening in the reconVened con-
vention, but Cameron will not be met
with compromise, and is too proud to
yield. s
The Democrats OF Pennsylvania have
a splendid opportunity, which, if thor
oughly embraced, must lead to great
results. Unhappily, however, the bick-
erings of factions have long weakened
the Keystone Democracy, and it requires
rare diplomacy and infinite care to weld
the elements of the party into effective
shape. But the prizes to be won and the
influence to be exerted by victory this
fall for the Democrats in Pennsylvania
encourages the party everywhere to hope
that their brethren in the Keystone
State will be true to themselves, their
great commonwealth and their country.
Cameron's greatest hope is to secure
enough deserters by frightening the less
thoughtful Democrats with his tariff
bugbear, or by obtaining the votes of the
approachable by the methods he under
stands so well.
However the battle ends it promises
to be tremendous one, with the odds
remarkably large in favor Of the friends
of constitutional government. On its
results the campaign of 1884 will largely
hinge. They may or may not determine
the next Presidency, but they will In all
likelihood dispose of Mr.. Arthur's aspi
rations for a second term, and spur OF
crush the ambition of Mr.. Blaine. I'm
less some unexpected move shortly takes
place, the contest will be watched with
increasing interest, and its outcome will
not be hard to predict when the fight is
fairly opened.