Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1882-08-08
Tuesday Morning, August s, 1882,
MIR. ALCORN,s SCHEME.

new scheme for bringing about harmony
among the Pennsylvania Republicans is
brought forward by William W. Alcorn, a
prominent member of the Philadelphia Com
mittee of One Hundred. The idea is to force
the adoption of the Independents plan of
naming an entirely new ticket through "pres-
sure from the people," A meeting is to be
held tomorrow evening, to which forty or
fifty leading Republicans have been invited,
the situation will be talked over ''calmly and
dispassionately, and if the resulting senti-
ment is what MIR. Alcorn expects it to be
mass meetings of citizens will be held, with
view to elicitlng so emphatic an expression
of opinion from the people that neither the
Stalwarts or Independents can afford to dis
regard it.
Mr.. Alcorn, when interviewed concerning
the matter, admitted that the time for an ex-
tensive movement was short, but thought the
condition of the public mind in PENNSYLVANIA
was such that a popular movement once
started would run through the State like
wildfre. He anticipated great popular up
rising. The Independents, he argued, would
readily fall in with his plan, because it was
directly in line with the sentiments expressed
by their candidates when they offered to with.
draw for the sake of harmony. and the Stall
warts would come in, though reluctantly, be-
cause they were pretty well fright
ened and would grasp at any plan
that would relieve them from fear of a
Democratic victory without the humiliation
of submitting to the Independents AS to
objections which had been urged by some In.
dependents, that the proposed compromise
would defeat the main objects of the Inde-
pendent organization, by disc ontinuing the
fight against "bossism," political assessments
and the spoils system, he thought they would
have no weight against ticket which
thoroughly represented the people. Before
such an expression of the popular will s'boss-
ISM and its attendant evils would fall to the
ground. He had no ticket to suggest, and
was not working in the interest of any per-
son, but the name of Joseph L. Caven had
been mentioned for governor, and he thought
no better man could be found.
This is an ingenious scheme, but it is hard
ly probable that it will work. AS far as they
have been heard from the Independents de-
nounce it. One of the leaders called it
mere piece OF polltlcal fireworks, ana said FUR
Their: 1.-THE Independents will hardly be in
duced to fall in with it, for they are now too
we'll assured of their position. We feel that
we have an important work on hand and
that we cannot afford to sacrifice principle to
convenience. we are the Republican party
the old time Abolition Republicans-and if
the Stalwarts insists on standing out and
thereby give the victory to the Democrats,
we shall not hold ourselves responsible.
1t will not be the first time they
have worked in harmony with that party,
and you will notice that their great leader,
Senator Cameron himself, when he wishes to
carry measure, appeals for help, not to his
own party, but to the Democrats. The INDIE
pendent Republican party has set out to
complish an important reform, and it will not
be turned aside by any talk of compromise.
If it does not succeed this year, it will renew
the fight next year, and will not give it up
until it has restored the purity and high prin-
ciples which distinguished the Republican
party in the beginning