National Republican., 1888-01-16
District OF Columbia Republicans.

EDiTUb NATIONAL REPUBLICAN: The
recent demonstration OF Republican politics
In tho District OF Columbia has sung the
requiem Of popular suffrage at the national
capital. The controlling elements OF the
Republican party here, aud the methods
iesoited 20, are such as TO show cOncluslvely
that those who have sway 10 primary ac'
tion are not capable OF f.gOvernmeut,
and cannot safely he trusted with power,
The experiment OF forming new ceutral
committee TO manage the selection OF dele.
gates TO the Republican national conven.
tion was quite disastrous to the reputation
Of the District. All involved we're not
OF the turbulant class, but the control-
ing force were from the grogshop and
the slum. The inspiration was from uu-
princlpled leaders, who stimulated
their votaries with alcohol and then mar
shaled them into the committee room In
q bulldozing spirit, followed by conduct
that has no rival outside those states where
bulldozing has robbed the colored man OF
bis right OF Suffrage by intimidation and
force.
The sceneb Of last Tuesday night at st.
Georges Hall, commencing at O'Clock p.
m. and extending into the small hours OF
the morning, were as dlsorderly as pande-
monium. The central committee has
adopted constitution, every section OF
which was tramped under foot, save that
which fixed the hour Of assembling. A fee
Of So from each district is prerequisite to
the seating OF its delegates, not one dollar
Of which was paid, and hence not mem-
ber was properly admitted to a seat In the
committee. Indeed, In fact, and In truth,
all that was done by that body was irreg-
ular and should be Of no binding force.
An effort was made to depose the consti.
tutional presiding officer OF the committee,
and threats were made that II would be sc-
complished by force, IL not otherwise, but
that was not done. The chairman retired
on bic own option, when every rule and
principle Of the committees written law
had been ruthlessly trampled under foot by
a mob led en- by one who had infuTiated
them to a degree by the vicious elements
served at his own bar That meeting Of the
alleged central committee was disgrace
to the District and all identified with ",
save In the case OF some who would be
dighiiled by Incarceration In penitentiary
The laws Of deceucy and good order were
OVERRIDE by o brutal spirit that found vent
In urboundod disorder at every phase Of
the proceedings. This is scored as trl'
umph, but not OF Republican decency or
even propriety.
The next step will lie In the direction OF
q convention to elect two delegates to the
Republican national convention; and, az
WV Vi thS ituulhp epilHo VI uloOlANl Ult w
represent this Dis srict In that body, 1t is not
unreasonable to expect q recurrence OF the
shameless and uDprincipled scenes that
| characterized the organization of the com
| mittee that will call It. Are the respectable
| Republicans of this District willing to share
| this stigma without an effort to avert 1t
| There are enough Republicans of respecta.
| bility In the District, II they will only act
in concert and identify themselves with
the primaries, to give higher tone and us
| sure more decent results from the District
| convention than is at present promised
The credit OF the Republican party, the
reputation OF the District OF Columbia
the cause Of good order and propriety
and the respect Of the rest of man
kind, as well as our self re-
| spect, demand that halt shal
be..called In the enactment OF these impro
prieties, disorders, and diegraceful scene,
in the name OF Republicanism. This thing
has gone far enough, and the least the re-
| spectacle portion Of the Republicans OF this
District can do. is TO protest to the Hatlona
| convention against the admission to 1t,
body of men who buy or bulldoze their way
in that direction. Decent Republicans
should interpose and reform these nefarlou'
| methods. REPUBLICAN.