Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1882-01-18


and that action will depend largely
upon the kind of delegates who COM
pose it and the manner in which they
are chosen. If fairness and the voice
and sentiments of large majority OF
the Republican people of the State
prevail at the first convention, then
there will be no occasion for the nomi-
nation of State ticket by the second
one of May "a. But if "bossism"
again prevails, then there will probably
be two State tickets, with certain di-
vision and disaster to the party. The
folloying are the views of the Press
on the situation:
THE STATE CONVENTION.
The State Committee, by bare ma
ioritv of one, has called the Republi-
can State Convention to meet at Har-
risburg on the 10th of May. The
thirty-oGe menbers-practically half
the Committee-wL Lo voted against this
proposition favored later daie. They
felt that the general sentiment of Re
publicans was opposed to q ConVen-
ton at so early period and believed
it wise policy to bow to this judgment.
And they were emphatically right.
The first week in June would have
been early enough, and the time fixed
is mistake.
This is no mere matter of sentiment
without a substantial foundation.
There is practical reason why the
Convention should not have been call
ed before June. Take the effect in
Lancaster as sl illustration. Under
the existing rules Of the party in that
county the primaries in Lancaster are
held on the last Saturday of May
That is three weeks after the day
fixed for the State Convention. The
result is that the third Republican
county in the State is eithfr disffaH-
chised or compelled to told a special
primary for the election of delegates
If such a special primary could be Sc
cured, there would be less ground for
complaint; but as a matter of fact,
under precisely similar circumstances
ip former years. the County Committee
has usnrped the poger to name the
delegates, and there is every reason to
sappose that upon the came pretext it
will again undertake to perpe,rate the
same wrong. This is the effect, if it
Was not the design, of calling the Con-
vention in May instead of June. and
it clearly shows why that action is
open to Just objection.
The wisdom of hoYipg TO the strong
and emphatic expression for later
Convention was so plain that it is diff
ficult to understand why prudent men
should have disregarded it. If there
was some sinister scheme of shutting
off free and fair expression, such as
We have indicated in Lancaster, then
the movement can be comprehended,
even if it cannot be approved. But if
there is no such purpose, it Is hard to
see why there should not have been a
willingness to defer the Convention in
accordance with the general judgment.
1t is the one question upon which
there has been strong expression,
and such a concession would have
done very much to appease the spirit
of discomfort.
But the call is made aud the time is
fixed There remain four months for
discussion and preparation. The time is
ample, provided there shall not be an
attempt on the part Of County Com
mittees to deny full opportunity for a
free expression. Let the people de-
mand and insist upon the right of a
popular election Of delegates; and let
them choose strong, representative
men, who will reflect the popular will
THE WOLFE INDEPENDENTS.
The Wolfe independents have met,
differed, debated, proposed, and finally
united in calling Convention on the
oath of May That date is two weeks
later than the time of the regular Re-
publican Convention. If the latter
body shall nominate a good ticket in
an unobjectionable way, the implica-
ton is that the Wolfe Independents
will accept it. If, on the other hand,
it shall force ticket by obnoxious.
methods, they will repadiate it and
make a ticket of their own.
The Conference was respectable in
numbers and in character. 1t embrac-
ed delegates from fair proportion of
counties, and those who composed it
were in the main Republicans of credi-
table standing. How much of real
representative character it possessed
cannot be answered The delegates
were self-appointed, and whether they
spoke for many or few at home can be
judged by developments hereafter bet
ter than by anything that has thus
far taken place. The majority of the
Republicans of the State recognize
abuses of party management, and ear
nestly favor effective measures for
their correction but they do not want
to kill the party in order to cure the
evils of its organization. They believe
that every effort should be made to
accomplish reform within the party,
and they are not willing to try revolu-
tionary measures until it shall be dem
onstrated that all other methods are
hopeless.
The Conference acted very wisely
in declining to nominate State ticket
at the present time, or to commit itself
irretrievable to separate line of ac-
ton. Such course would have been
not merely an assumption of authority
without any popular warrant, but an
OF the Republican party.
Its effect would have been TO lead every
citizen who followed it directly out Of
the Republican camp. 1t could only
have been explained or justified upon
the bold declaration that its advocates
all political obligations and