New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-06-26
Mr. CURTIS on TIE DUTY or DELEG ATES

wprccrtSa AWAY FROM SOME HARD QUESTIONS.
The Hon. Within J. Topngs ODs'r ny co'e D'"'
IsfG7d, ". J.
SIR: find in THE TRIBUNE OF the 2oth INST,
an omen letter addressed 20 me by you as h'uDer oI
the Istrt Convention which elscted ne delegate 70
the National Convention AT Chicago You ask ses vi
ouestions a. TO my conduct that convention an esie
cialy whether did not regularly atteia JUS Ses0',
take part In its deliberations TO the END "hs'n'' ~
any open protest against the nomination OF MI On
or Mr. Logan by voting against making tne h"A','"A
unanimous, and whether If the candidate whom pre-
800 bad been nominated, / should have
considered II honorable or CONSISTENT in'
those delegates who didnot agree wa"
me 70 bolt the nomnatioDsi In afurfner SERIES "
lions Won AK me what principle OF the hePu"ionA
a,form "a no, exenpiGed by Nh. Blaine !" and whether
do not think thai the Republican party 70 ""'' '
trusted than tse Democratic psrtyf ,,
Yonr questions IN regard TO the conFehuoh Fn'uy
AJAX nv views of the duty OF delegate 70 hoh"D'"s
convention and are substantially answered. u al di
tn Ia,,,s Weekly published the same asy a. your
letter In nv Judgment delegate 10 periec"s nS"
.nreseut,4vs who meets with similar delegates OF tnS
same noitieal views TO consult upon course oi NC
ton and Cor the sake OF the common interest," u" WI" m
doubedly yield mere personal preferences anu 1n"" ~
ferences of opinion The authority OF sucb
I. solely the authority Of the majority, and cannot sup
nose that you hold although your 'e''eT i"i
plies that majority can bind mans conscience
ana that in aceepting an election delegate ne ceas- I"
be free moral agent No honorable man ID co"'en''on
or out Of would allow majority TO Dind MN 70 0o'
which he morally disapproyed and If 1t should DC u"'
s,ood that delegate who goes to convention 10 prevent
na no holds TO be wrong to the party or TO the conF
trg is bound to advocate the wrong Should s W. 'i'
oted lam snre that you agree With me that rev no1'
orable men would wish 20 be delegates answer 'Ieo
fore distinctly, that do not think thh deissa''
toes port IN the deliberations OF convention TO the a'
il bonorably bound 10 support Its action H. III '
nent it ought not 10 be supported
Secondly. "a a majority Of convention CAN n' 4o''
hind the coincidence of delegate than OF any otner mem
her Of the party the OF expressing us oSs'
whether by immediate and open protest ny "l'hurI"s
from tho convention howsoeyer, Is matter ioi 81"
own decision II evident that he be honoraDy oouha
nv the action OF the majority because OF MS PHu'P'
ton in the transactions Of the convention there II no ~
cane He Il equally bound because OF that paftlcpao"
whether be audiby protests or not whether nc ie@''
the convention or remains II the vote Of the ihNo'
he binding his individual vote In the minority o'
bis denarure cannot relieve him from the ool-
When regularly expressed Ths position 50 uhin!ny
ana utolerabe that few persons except me most us
sonipr narfi5ans would to defend IT. reply, hsre
frp TO your specific question whether II the cSluae
whom preferred had been nominated l snoh MP ra
ferred another candidate 10 bolt, that II IN n'H
ate aud conscientious Jungen nv t he sTnDored and
whom they could not honestly support nSqa n3o
been rleir duty az honorable men a1d RepnDheahs 20
"bot i'm such manner as they might determine lor
themselves. liz. 81, min.
one at the Republican platform IL not exeinpnheu Dy ar
Elaine YOU viii perUlt to say that my opposition 70
The election of Mr. Blaine does not spring ohey IRON e
character of the platform his relation 10 II, Whatever
NAV think of certain parts Of the PLATFORM or as MS pro
able action as the chief executive officer OF Ihe DoNeIh
ment hut from quite other considerations Inc ~reI y.
the letters 10 Mr. Fisher dated June 20, July iSoS anu
the two letters October 4, 1SG0DOne OF whcu eues
had been made public when the ati,le In HdrPes eeSy
to which yoi refer was puOlshedIcannot 10
accented by me until those letters arc
satisfactorily explained as nuing rep
Tesenratiye of Republican principles methods however
warmly he may approve the platform profess the de-
sire TO purify the political methods. And finally, what
ever nv party preferences Deand OF that presume
tbat AZ an Old political this district you have
no doubt-wt my of patriotic duty and OF party
LOYALTY could plead that preference ia lustncaon
OF supporting the Presidency OF the United states
candidate whose conduct 4own In hls own ieeIs in-
I'll expained-seens to me personally to dlsquahIy MN
for that great trust.
IrecPrOcate fully the kind personal feelng expressed
IL your letter Respectfully yours, - o.,
Vest Ner- Brighton, Staten Island n. Y, Wednesday, June