The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1882-01-27
ROBERT Z. PATTISON.

AT the last Presidential election, ROD
ert f. Pattison was reelected Control lei
of Philadelphia by a majority of 13, 593,
and at the same election Garfield had
majority Of 20, 500 in the same city. Mr..
Pattison is a Democrat, and owes his
reelection TO the fact that he proved
himself to be an exceptionally able and
faithful officer. and also to the very i'm
portant fact that he was endorsed and
voted for by the independent Republi-
cans fighting under the banner Of re-
| form in the administration of the city
| government. With this fattering en-
! dorsement Of him at the election refer
red to and the admitted integr ity and
efficiency of his official record, as good
working political capital, Mr.. Patti
sons admirers in Philadelphia some
time ago conceived the idea that he
would make an irresistible candidate be-
fore the people for Governor, and at
once put the necessary machinery in mo-
tion to secure for him the forty-six del
egates from that city to the next Dem
ocrstic State convention. The result
was that the Democracy OF the city di-
vided into two hostile factions as they
habitually do, one advocating Pattison's
nomination and the other opposing it.
The contest over the delegates was a
warm and bitter one, and resulted last
week in the election Of a majority OF
the forty-six who are favorable to Pat
tison's nomination. AS usually hap
pens, very large number Of seats are
contested, and it is therefore impossible
to state Pattison's real strength in the
delegation though it is conceded that
he will have the larger portion of it.
We regard it as very short sighted
and unfortunate for Mr.. Pattison to al
low his name to be used under all the
circumstances nor can we regard the
men who have been conducting his pre-
liminary contest as his wisest and best
friends. In his present attitude he is
not the candidate OF the undivided Dem
ocracy of Philadelphia, aposition which
any candidate from that city ought to
occupy, but he has permitted himself to
be made the candidate of certain set
of men in Philadelphia who manage one
faction of the party. This is an inaus-
picious commencement for him in the
race upon which he has entered, and is
not calculated to give him any special
strength in the remaining counties of
the State. Besides this. Mr.. Pattison's |
friends will hardly contend that hewOuld |
be supported by the independent Repub- !
licans for Governor, as he was for the |
Office Of City Controller. And then, too, |
he is a new man and comparatively un- |
known to the Democracy of the State, !
his present candidacy being his first as !
piration for nomination to State office, |
He is young man yet, and the accept /
ed time for him to become the Demo- |
cratic candidate for Governor may pos
Bibly be in the near future. He has |
been twice highly hOnored by the tax
payers Of Philadelphia in electing him /
to most responsible Office, for the ex-
press purpose of guarding and protect
ing their highest and best interests, and |
a proper sense of gratitude ought, in our
Judgement, to suggest to him the pro-
priety Of fulfilling his part of the con-
tract by serving out the remainder of
his ohcial term.