Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1882-08-16
The Proposed Joint Debate
From Philadelphia Press. Aug, III


Mr.. Stewards challenge to joint
discussion with General Beaver
deseryes careful consideration. This
method of campaigning has leen quite
common in the west. Governor Nor
ton and Mr.. Hendricks used to face
each other on the rostrum in Indiana.
The famous joint debate between
Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A.
Douglas when they were contesting
the United States Senatorship from
Illinois still fingers in the public mem
ory. Both were master disputants.
Douglas was the keenest and readiest
debator of the Senate; Lincoln had
that extraordinary power Of exposition
and illustration with which the coun-
try afterwards became so familiar ; and
the discussion between these giants
fastened the attention Of the whole Re-
public. 1t was that controversy which
first brought Lincoln prominently be-
fore the nation and made him the
standard-bearer of his party in 1860.
Though he lost the Senatorship he
gained the Presidency.
Phe plan of Joint debate thus has
distinguished and worthy e4amples
The first thought might naturally be
that to make so high an office as that of
Governor the football of personal con-
tention would be to be-little the posi-
ton and dishonor our institutions But,
on the other hand, every candidate
must be regarded as the representative
of a cause which he submits to the pub
lic Judgment, and which he should be
ready to sustain and defend in the
great forum Of public opinion. If Q
Joint discussion be held, it will be what
its participants make it. Their own
bearing will be on trial as well as the
cause they advocate They will be
judged in part by the ability, dignity,
candor and reason they display. If
any candidate 1isregards what BELTS
the occasion and his own position, so
much the worse for him. If it were a
mere tournament of intellectual tence
and dexterity, it would be an idle and
useless spectacle; but the courtesies of
the debate ard the responsibilities OF
the disputants would make it digni.
fed appeal to reason.
With this assurance in the very ma
ture of the case as TO its character,
should General Beaver accept the
challenger Let US see what would be
the natural cause Gf the discussion.
Mr.. Stewart assails the boss system,
charges that it produced the Harris
burg ticket and insists that the party
must be emaucipated from this obnox-
iQqs and injurious control. General
Beaver answers that the Harrisburg
Convention was constituted according
to the practice and precedent5 in Penn
sylvana since the foundation of the
party. He goes further and declares
that, in order to remove any grievance,
the Regulars offered to hold a new
Convention under the new Independ-
ent rules and under the supervision Of
an Independent Committee. Mr..
Stewart rejoins that the Independents
were willing to accept provided that
all the present candidates were finally
withdrawn. General Beaver replies
that this is question for the Conyen-
ton, and that it is for the people to
say without limitation who shall and
who shall not be nominated. Mr.
Stewart responds that the Independents
will not trust to the present or propos-
ed methods, and hold themselves JUS
titled in defeating the party to accom-
plish their object. In other words,
Mr.. Stewart maintains that the time
for revolution has come while General
Beaver stands as the advocate of Re-
publican ascendancy.
If Mr.. Stewart can afford to enter
debate to uphold the former position,
we think General Beaver can afford to
engage in it to sustain the latter. If
the Regulars had not proposed to
submit the whole question TO new
Convention, General Beaver would be
at disadvantage in the discussion
but that offer equips him with q
potent argument of which he would
make the most. The wisdom of the
proposition is now palpable to all
With this view of the case we do not
think General Beaver should consent
to say or that his friends shCSld con-
sent to have him say that he is un-
willing to meet Mr.. Stewart, If he
and they are confident of the reason
and strength of their position, as they
are, they should not shrink from the
encounter General Beaver may not
care to consume the campaign in a de-
bate of this sort, but we mistake his
quality if he is not ready to meet Mr..
Stewart, as he would be to meet any
ot har oiti,an and iuatifv hia noaition