The Evening critic., 1882-12-13
ADJUSTMENTS TONIGHT.

AmUobMSNi y 'O-HiNH's
National Theatre - Jefferson. 1.-THE
Poor Gentleman.
Ford,s observation-disclosures Mathcr.
uIeah."
Theatre Comique variety. Matinee
Friday.
Skating Rink-Grand opening.
THE great question of Administration
and anti.Administration- Miller and
anti.Miller-in the Senate is likely to bo
tested very shortly over tho over-burning
issue of tho Utica Postoilice. The Presi-
dent has nominated Conkling man
named Stephens, vice Garfield man"
named Clark, for that important post, and
Senator Warner Miller is said to have regis.
tered mighty oath that the outrage shall
never be consummated while he lives. II
may occur to the unprpudiced reader that
the nomination of ofStephens affords Senator
Miller an excellent preteXt for following
the patriotic precedent set by his distin-
guished predecessor q year ago last spring,
HiPosslbly some such hope fitted across the
Presidents mind when he sent in the olIen-
sive nomination. There can be no doubt
that any Executive act calculated to make
be condoned by their constituents and tho
general public on the ground that the end
justifes the MEANS no matter how griev-
Gus it might be in other respects. But this
is hardly to the point.
The President hes nominated "Conk-
ling man. to be postmaster at Utica, which
is without doubt proper exercise of con-
stilutional power. And now Senator Mil
Ter proposes to upend things from the
foundation to defeat the confirmation. As
we understood it at the time, Mr..
Miller was chosen to the Sen
ate in order to reform the
abuses of personal politics which had been
fastened upon the Republican party of New
York by the bad methods which Mr.. Conz-
ling introduced. Are VIC expected to un-
derstand now that Mr.. Miller's opposition
to Mr.. Stephens is not personal politics. but.
on the contrary, matter of undying prin-
ciple founded upon the bedrock Of organic
law? We ask for information. Having
lately become an organ of Reform THE
CRITIC is ready to believe anything that
may be required to produce n harmonious
policy. But we frankly confess that in the
absence of the information which we are
seeking, the attitude of Senator Miller
bears n very strong resemblance to the
personal politics" which used to be so
odious when Mr.. Conkling was Boss.
IT is WORTH WHILE for those who make
n business of forecasting political events to
bear in mind that the next National Re-
publican convention will be vastly differ
ent body from any of its predecessors, and
that its members are to be chosen on plan
calculated to reduce the power of Bossism
or ollicialiam to the minimum. The indi.
cations now arc that what is known rs the
Chandler plan of selecting delegates will
be adopted. 1t will be remembered that
Mr.. Chandler at Chicago led the crusade
against the "unit rule,' which was the pet
device of "the machine" and which en-
ablcd the Bosses to handle the delegations
of their States as so many regiments of
regular troops in q line Of battle. This
system was destroyed at Chicago, and the
discussions which have thus far taken
place in the Executive Committee over tho
various proposed substitutes show that the
"District plan" in some form or other is TO
be adopted.
The chief objection urged to Mr.. Chand-
ler's plan is that it would make the con-
vention inconveniently lnrge-from 900
to 1000 members-but that is fault
easily remedied by simply cutting down
the scale one-hafr. The really important
feature of Mr.. Chander's plan is that it
refers the selection of the great maj ajority of
the delegates directly to the people, and
renders impossible or extremely difficult a
repetition of the performances which have
distracted the Republican party in at least
two of its conventions. Had the Chandler
plan been in vogue in 1876 there can be no
doubt that Mr.. Blaine would have been
nominated at Cincinnati and probably also
at Chicago in $780, Whether the cohorts
that have been his will still be found fol-
lowing the Plumed Knight in 1881 remains
to be seen. But it is worth while to beai
in mind that the primary effect of thu
Chandler plan will be to augment the nu
merical strength of the delegations which
have been sent TO two conventions 70
Mr.. Blaine, and to weaken relatively thos
which have been as steadily opposed +
him. If Mr.. Blaine is as dead as the Britsl
newspapers published in New York city in
sist that he is, thS Chandler plan can hardl.
resurrect him. But people who are awar
of the tenacity with which the Republi
cans of the rural districts in tn
North and West cling TO an lido
once accepted are not yet wholly cor
WINGED that Mr.. Blaine is out of the Pres
dental ring. Mr.. Chandler has done NJ
Blaine yeoman service in time
past, and though the tw
no longer star in the part
of Eneas and Aohates, we are still of til
opinion that in devising the District plan
selecting delegates and causing its adoption
Mr.. Arthur's Secretary Of the Navy wi
have done the greatest work of his life fC
Mr.. Blaine-the British newspapers Of NeV
York city to the contrary ynotwithstandin
The CamerOns and Mitchell,
Wash. Cor. BALTIC. Sun,
During the proceedings OF the Senate 10 -da
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