National Republican., 1882-07-24
Pennsylvania Republicans Reasoning
Together.

the proposition of the Regulars for a new
State convention TO nominate State
ticket. 1t says:
The Regulars still offer the proposition of new
convention; the Independents are stll free to &C.
cept 1t, and II still remains the one hope aud
surance of the canvass. The Independent cnndi-
dates did not pass upon it, but referred Ii 10 their
committee. The committee meets on the 9th,
and let us hope that by that time better under
standing will be reached.
So far MS the party and the committees are con-
ccrncd, the question stands precisely where II did
| after the Regulars proposed new convention.
| The candidates on both sides have had their cor
| respondence aud defined their views; but Me dc-
tim Of he great body behind them has not been Decided
new convention, as embodied in the third prop
osion Of the Regulars, is the pathway of effective
union. If 1t be said that the old methods may be
used to prevent the result, the answer is that the
proposition places the machinery in the hands of
| the Independents. If II be objected that the Reg
ulaIs have the gcncies for getting out their vote
better than tue other side, the answer is that the
| plan permits free expression, gives security TO
ALL and insurc the rule of the people the people
choose TO rule. A new convention, with full
safeguards for popular rule and free representa-
tion cannot be objected to upor any principle con-
sistent with party organization and party action.
The members of the party have right to repudiato
| arbitrary and CoerciYe control; but they have no
warrant upon any party grounds to reject tlo
free voice and vote Of the party. That would be
| the extreme resort Of revolution, and could To
justified only Oh tic ground that the party had
| become too degraded TO lie trusted. We are not
ready TO admit that the Republican party, with
| free action, has sunk to this level. A new con.
vcntion, with delegates fresh from the people,
with an appeal TO Republicans all over the State
| TO send their best men, and with full sense of
| the public temper and the public demands would
Ia fN .I,h i,b. Il
its best sentiment Such body, We feel sure,
would find the path of union and success, and we
believe that the dcstiuiGs of the party may safely
| be committed to its keeping.
| The agreement upon new convention
would solve the problem. by the time it came to
meet its path would bc clear. lift was then best
| TO nominate new ticket, in whole or in part, the
way would be open. The question to General
| Beaver or any other candidate will take care of
itself. If with free fair, and full expression, the
| judgment of the party Is for his nomination, that
| Will be plainly indicated. If it be not wise, that
| will be equally clear. General Beaver has no in
teres in the matter different fiom that of the party
| itself. lfhe cannot be elected, he can have 10
desire to run and end his career in November If
be be the honest choice Of the PARTY and can be
elected, then no Tightful objection can be made
The true course is TO fix right principles of action
| through new convention and follow them to
| their natural conclusion.
These views are wise, moderate, and
unanswerable. "a new convention" Is
"the pathway of effective union" 1t
ensures the rule of the people if the
people choose to rule" If the people of
the party think General Beaver can be
elected, and ought to be, they would
choose delegates accordingly. If they
believe otherwise he would not be nomi-
mated. The whole disagreement origi-
nally was over the question as to whether
General Beavers nomination would have
been made if delegates had been chosen
fresh from the people, instead of many
of them having been appointed by
county committees chosen year or so
ago. This highly Objectionable method
} of appointing delegates became so often
sive that a large element of the party
made a demand for its abolition just
before the assembling of the Harrisburg
convention. The dominant element ac-
ceded to the demand, and at the State
convention adopted rules for the election
of delegates TO all future conventions fresh
from the people, This failed to give
entire satisfaction, because some Inde-
pendents claimed that but for the prac-
tice thus acknowledged to be objection
able, the convention which abolished it
might have been of a different COM
pleXion. The discomfort found vent in
an Independent convention and new
ticket. The declination of q candi-
date on the regular ticket led to the
reassembling of the regular convention.
That convention instructed the Repub-
lican State committee "to adopt all hon
orable means to harmonize the Republi-
November" In obedience to this the
regular committee made four PROPOSE
tions, one of which was that the Repub-
lican party of the State should begin its
work for the year all over again by
wiping out all that had been done, and
holding a now convention. The new
convention should consist of delegates
the Republican voters-not under the
old way, but under the new. The Inde.
pendent candidates have rejected this
The Independent committee has not. The
latter body is to meet Oh Thursday
next. 1t is on trial, not only be-
fore the Independent Republicans
of the State, but before Republicans all
through the country. 1t is to declare
whether it will advise Independents to
contribute to Democratic success by rails
ing the black flag, or whether it will agree
with the Regulars to blot out all that has
been done and leave the party free to do
what majority shall now decide to be
best. If Il new convention is not held it
will be because the Independent commit
tee refuses to join the Regulars in calling
one. We sincerely hope there will be no
such refusal. National interests are at
stake. We believe Beaver was fairly
nominated, but we believe thousands OF
sterling Republicans sincerely oppose
him because some State delegates had lin
accordance with bad usage been
chosen by county committees. 1t is now
proposed by him that if the whole party
will agree to new convention he will
waive his present right as the regular
nominee and be governed by whatever
the new convention may order. If Stew.
art is nominated he will support him.
If he is nominated himself he will ac-
cept If not, he will support whoever
is selected. TO this the Regular commit
tee agrees. If the Independent commit
tee haughtily refuses to accede to it, will
not its members be setting up as Bosses ?
What reason can they give to their own
followers who claimed only fair play and