National Republican., 1882-07-06
Harmony in Pennsylvania.

The blare of Independent trumpets is
loud, and the inexperienced and the
panicky imagine noise to be an indica-
ton of numbers. 1t will be in the power
of the regulars on Wednesday next
to prove their devotion to the
party, and to put the ringleaders
of the bolters to the test. The so-called
Independents claim that the masses of
the Republican party are with them.
They say that the recent State Conven-
tion at Harrisburg was in large part COM
posed of delegates chosen by county COM
mittees and not by the people. (These
county committees were chosen by the
people in 1881, when the present boilers
claimed to have nearly all the people on
their side 1t was during that year that
Wolfe & Co. bolted the State Convention
on the ground that its delegates were
chosen by county committees instead of
by the people. But these county COM
mittees were chosen in 1880, when it
was pretended that there was a great
uprising of the people to rebuke Came.
ron for supporting Grant. How strange
it is that in 1880 and 1881 the people
chose county committees friendly to the
influences to which they were so violently
opposed.) Prior to the recent State con-
vention conference of Republicans and
Independents was held, at which the lat
ter made their propositions for harmony,
to which the former cheerfully assented.
The Republicans acted in good faith.
They had no reason to doubt that the
party was united. But when the State
convention had made the ticket, and had
dependent leaders had asked. the lat
ter, who had determined from the
first to rule or ruin, again raised
the standard of revolt. General Beaver
had been nominated on his own popu-
larity. There was no machinery used or
required He could not nave been de-
feated by Cameron and Mitchell COM
bined. No delegates withdrew. The Re-
publican party spoke unanimously
through its duly-chosen representatives.
A few egotistical and selfish self-ap-
pointed bosses then commenced cracking
| lllclI IllllC Nulps. llCl uCCiii Cu ttii tiiN
representatives of the Republican party
in State convention assembled to be cor
rupt and wicked. They found the can
didates of the party to be ring
sters- and scoundrels. Purse-proud
pigmies, owning newspaper type and
printing newspapers, became great
leaders without followers, and employed
mercenary Dalgettys to blather about
what the people wanted when the people
had just spoken to the contrary. The
pother has been kept up until thousands
of Republicans outside of Pennsylvania
imagine that there is some vital differ
ence of opinion among Republicans in
that State. Nay, it is not to be doubtec
that in the State are thousands of cred
ulous people who imagine that to every
ten who are for Beaver ten thousand are
against him. This comes of the whole
sale Misrepresentation of a corrupt ant
yenal press. There is no doubt thai
this confusion of the public mind ha:
been created to such an extent as
to call for some easy way out of it. 1t il
bad time for free institutions when the
free expression of the popular will il
U,,oIr own purposes
But, nevertheless, if the enemies of ma
iority rule contrive to make the will O
the minority appear to some to have the
support Of the majority, it may be neces
sary sometimes to have q recount. If five
thousand Pennsylvania Republicans art
in doubt as to whether the majority O.
the party really favor Beaver or Stewart
they ought to be satisfied upon that point
Every Republican who sincerely desires tt
support the candidate of the genuine
majority of the party has right to hav,
it made clear who that candidate is, ANY
man who does not desire to support til,
candidate of the majority ought to say
so frankly, and not pretend to be a
present acting with the party. We hope
all doubts in Pennsylvania will be solved
by resubmitting the whole ques
ton to the masses of the Republi
can voters, as to whether Beaver OF
Stewart shall be the candidate. Thi
only, of course, if General Beave
shall agree to it. He is the regular can
didate already. But if he shall consent
to give the Republicans another chance
to decide between him and the Inde
pendent candidate, his second nomina.
ton would unite the party in his sup.
port. If this offer is made to the Inde
pendents, and they shall decline it, their
action will be a confession of their weak
ness, and confession that Beaver is the
choice of majority. In such an event
the Republicans would be as fully uni tee
on him as though a second vote had beer
taken.