New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-05-12
PENNSYLHANIA RkPUBLICANS.

II cannot be said that the Regular Republican
Convention of Wednesday succeeded in bright
ening the prospects of the party III Pennsyl-
vania. The main work before the delegates
was the harmonizing of the party, and this
they have not accomplished. Senator Cam
eron exhibited great shrewdness of man
aCement, but his shrewdness seems to us to
have been lacking in wisdom. He succeeded i'll
having a ticket nominated which suits his pur-
poses, but nobody doubted his ability to do
| that We are not disposed to lay much stress
upon the concessions which he is reported to
have made In the selection of certain candl-
dates. He is not man to be overruled except
when it pleases him to appear to surrender
There was at no time any evidence that he
was sincere in his pretended negotiations with
Mr. W olfe, and there was certainly no evidence
that Mr.. Wolfe in any way either encouraged
or consented to those negotiations. The whole
manauvre was designed to injGre Mr.. Wolfe,
but we doubt if it was entirely successful.
Mr.. Wolfe himself said the night before the con-
vention met, that he had no expectation of being
nominated This was several hours in advance
of Senator Cameron's pretended withdrawal of
his name. The depth of the Senator's prefer
ence for Farmer" Butler for Congressman
at-Large is just as easily sounded. 1t pleased
him to appear to surrender on two offices,
neither of which is necessary to the advance
ment of bis aims.
1t is clear, then, that the Independents have
nothing to satisfy their demands in the cOmpO-
stion of the ticket. To be sure, Mr.. Rawle, the
nominee for Supreme Judge, is of their
number, yet he was selected in advance for the
position by Mr. Cameron, and was forced upon
the convention more arbitrarily than any other
candidate. He was decided upon long before
the conference between the two factions was
held. AS for the platform, that is even less
satisfactory to the Independents than the
ticket. While it pretends to be the platform
adopted by the conference, it is really nothing
of the kind. The opening declarations are the
same, but the convention which burst into roars
of laughter over them knew perfectly well that
so far as they would be of any effect upon party
action they were of no more value than the
resolutions of 1913. The recommendations
which followed them i'll the conference dOcu
ment specified distinct reforms in the manner
of holding State Conventions and laid down
rules, which, had they been adopted, would
have been a substantial victory for the indie
pendcnts. But Mr.. CamerOn's Committee on
Resolutions carefully extracted the fangs from
them that as they were adopted by the con-
vention they almost as harmless as the
opening reform declarations. The conference
resolutions declared that hereafter the county
representation in the State Convention should
be based on the Republican vote. This was
designed to prevent the Republican counties
from being Overruled 10y the Democratic cOun-
ties, which are always easily "worked" by
bosses. In the platform adopted by the con-
vention this declaration does not appear. The
conference resolutions said that sixty days
notice should be given of the date for holding
a State Convention. Mr.. CameIon's platform
makers cut this down to ten days The confer
ence resolutions said that "every person who
|" voted the Republican ticket at the last Presi
dental election next preceding any State Con-
"vention shall be permitted to participate in
the election of delegates to the State and Ma
@tional Conventions, and NC recommend ~ the