Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-06-12
What the Convention Has Accom-
plished

The Republican National Convention
has done its work, asd doce it exceed
ingly we'll. IL anybody had any doubts
before he came to the convention about
Mr. Blaine's great popularity with the
masses, he saw enough before he left to
convince him that the great commoner
was the favorite with at least seven
tenths of the republican rank and file.
There never was a more general demand
made upon a national convention in
favor of a particular candidates nom
nation, and there never was a more
graceful or satisfactory response. There
never was a better or more popular
ticket presented to the people of the
United States for their sutfrages than
Blaine and Logan, and there never was
a more consistent patriotic and liberal
platform adopted for the candidates to
stand upon. If the republican party is
not again triumphant next November, it
will not be because the national con-
vention did not do its work. and all its
work. honestly, ably and well.
Let us look a moment at some of the
great things the convention accom-
plished in behalf of the grand old
party" First, it eliminated one of the
questionable practices of the party from
its system-one that was liable TO abuse
that of allowing the National Com
mittee to name the temporary Chair
man of the convention, and it has estab-
lished the wholesome and democratic
precedent of permitting the convention
to DO its own nominating in the future.
We do nst say or insinuate that any Ma
tioual Committee has ever abused this
privilege, but it offered the opportunity
for favoriteism, for trading, for being
used in the interests of rings and
cliques, and the custom was looked upon
with suspicion. 1t has now heen
abolished, and it goes hence 10 oblivion
to sleep in the came tomb with the
hated unit rule.
Secondly, the convention practically
ACKNOWLEDGED the right Of the repU blican
States and the republican districts
these districts and those States whose
votes elect the members of the Electoral
College-to nominate the candidates
and that is henceferth the com
mon law of the republican
party. Mr.. Blaine was the favorite
candidate Of those states TO which the
party Isust look for success, and whole
some precedent has been established in
that respect, and none will ever be sue.
cessful that looks for the disfranchis9
ment of the republicans in any demo
cratic state, but neither raust the voice
Of the republican states be stifled by the
influence of the solid south. II looked
for a time after the convention first as
sembled az if the republican party had a
solid south as well as the democratic
party. and as if there was great danger
that Mississippiand SouthCarolina would
have more weight in deciding the fate
Of candidates than Iowa and Vermont
The danger was also obyiated, and the
example in this respect is likely to be
followed in the future. This was another
step ia the right direction. Next, ths
effort to change basis Of representation
in future national conventions from
congressional districts to the number
Of republican voters met with a well
merited and signal rebuke, ans
the opposition to It was so earn
est that the proposition was withdrawn
by its originators. Such plan would
l be anti-republican, and if adopted il
\ would greatly discourage the republi
cans in all the democratic states. L
would cut like a two-edged sword ii
/ the south, because it would not only
place the republicans at a disadvantage
4 but If representation is based upon ths
number Of votes pOlled at the past elec