New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-04-19

TIE HONEST INSTRUCTIONS WILL ROLE.
The opponents of Mr.. Blaine are badly III
need of consolation. They are trying to obtain
little by quoting from Democpatic newspapers
which either ignOrantly or maliciously mis-
represent the action of the Pennsylvania RepuD-
lean Convention. There were 251 delegates in
that convention. On n test vote on the queS-
ton of instIucting the delegates III the strong
est language possible, to support Mr. Blaine,
there were only 81 votes against 1t. Those
negative votes were nearly all cast by delegates
from Philadelphia, where the influence OF the
Federal patronage is uppermOst. But notwlth-
standing the weakness of the combined OppOs-
ton to Mr.. Blaine, we are told that the result of
the convention was practically a Blaine defeat.
1t would only require few more such defeats to
make Mr. Blaine the choice of twO-thirds or
more of the delegates TO the Chicago COnven-
ton.
There is one noticeable feature of the result
in PENNSYLVANIA, and also of that i'll New
Jersey, Delaware and other States which have
taken action favorable to Mr.. Blaine. That is
the spOntaneity of the movement. There are
no external influences Of any kind at work for
Mr. Blaine. No one has authority even to say
that be is q candidate. There is no patronage
at his disposal, and no machine Is at work for
him. Those influences In Pennsylvania were
all arrayed against him; and yet nearly all OF the
delegates from that State to Chicago have been
instructed for him. General Cameron, Mr..
Quay and other friends of President Arthur
have publicly stated that it Is unqucstiOnable
that Mr.. Blaine is the choice of the great ma
ioIity of the Republicans ofs Pennsylvania. 1t
is absurd to suppose that men of such unim-
peachable honesty and prObity as the delegates
at large from Pennsylvania would accept the
positions rendered them, under such circum-
stances, for the purpose OF going to Chicago to
betray their constituents. Their names are
sufficient guarantee that they will do nothing of
the kind.
Tho same is true Of the district delegates who
have been instructed in Pennsylvania and other
States for Mr. Blaine. Instructions which carry
with them the freely expressed wish of the
great majority of the Republicans in any dis
tlict or State are to be regarded in an entirely
different light from the instructions given by
packed State Conventions, such as characterized
New York and Pennsylvania in 1880. In that
year the conventions instructed delegates repre-
senting districts to vote in direct cOntravention
to the expressed wishes of their constituents.
~
possible this year.
1t would be no credit to Mr.. Blaine to be-
come the nominee of the Chicago Convention
by the votes of men who might purpOscly mis-
represent the wishes of their constituents; and
it will be no credit to any other candidate to
get a nomination in the same way. Should Mr.,
Blaine be candidate before the convention, the
delegates from Pennsylvania will unquestion-
ably support him. We know of no other
candidate who would. want nomination
secured by the transfer 4to him of the
votes of Pennsylvania under such circum-
stances 1t certainly would not be the high
minded Senator from Vermont Mr.. Edmunds.
And yet some of his pretended friends are at
tempting to give currency to the falsehood
about the action of.the Pennsylvania Convention,
and are seeking in like manner to msrepre-
sent the acknowledged feeling in New-Jersey
and Delaware. This is n year when the people
mean to speak for themselves. 1t is bad time
for political dishonesty.