Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1890-05-10

The Law LAYS Hold.

ole course has been taken in the congres-
oional contest In Philadelphia. where
the court has been invoked to command
the officers Of the Democratic organiza-
tlon to certify the properly elected
delegates to the convention. There was
= belief that credentials were to be given
i 10 those not elected; under the party rules
which were supposed to make certain
officers of ward organizations judges Of
the delegate election. The question is
upon the construction of the party rules,
and the court derives Jurisdiction over IL
under the law which recognizes primary
elsctions Of political parties and covers
them with its shield.
Before this law was enacted political
parties were law unto themselves aud
( the conduct Of their representatives was
not subject to the control of the courts.
Now they may be held by the court to
( proper observance Of the rules governing
the party and TO q fair exercise of their
powers. II seems to Ike n beneficent
regulation. Nominations are SO COM
plstely controlled by parties, that par
ties need to be controlled by the law
and when they make their own rules
they cannot complain that judicial tri-
bunal should undertake to hold them to
their observance. 1t may be humiliatiDg
that party representatives have 30 little
fairness as TO seek to cheat their own
party /; but 1t 10 demnition fact " that
they do, and 1t IL good thing that there
are means provided of checking them
mp In 1t.
1t IL strange that with the constant
\ lesson taught party management that
honesty is the best policy in the long
run, It fails to govern the action even of
party leaders in their own party. 1t
should never be necessary, one would
think, to call In the power of court to
\ restrain members of the same party from
taking unfair advantage of each other ;
{ but experience teaches that II is. This
philadelphia emergency IL one of the
most discreditable that we have
ever noted. A Democratic conven-
ton, called to choose successor to
Mr.. Randall and TO fill seat vacated
by death, needs the intervention of the
E court to secure its fair conduct, and this
Intervention seems to have been really
4 anecessary, the evidence of intended
abuso of power being clear. The Record,
which we believe in this case speaks by
the card, declares that the district
strongly favors the nomination of Nc
Aleer over Gentner, but that the conven-
! ti0n was fixed to nominate Gentner
over McAleer. The utter unfitness
q Df Gcntner for the place and the
1ltness of McAleer for it emphasizes
t greatly the wrong that was designed
4 - b done.
10 the people of the whole
state, regardless of party, 1t would
I: be very agreeable If successor to
Mr.. Randall should be selected by his
party In the district, who would shed
lnstre upon Philadelphia and the state
somewhere near to that which Mr..
Randalls representation gave it. The
names of George Nj. Dallas, Richard
Vaux and Furman Shepherd have been
named as such men, and they would
Il All the bill very well and there are
many others who would fill it quite as
well, II they could be induced to accept
the placeft
II is not everyone who wants to I've a
congressman. 1t is not place that has
attraction for every taste, or that offers
! lame to all who thirst for it. 1t requires
y peculiar adaptability and much culture
to make its occupant illustrious. 1t is q
4 costly and not profitable place
10 an honest holder of it. This
Philadelphia district has, however, great
Z advantage in securing strong repre-
|seentative. 1t has an immense field to
{ eelect from, and offers seat that has
i laurel twined around it. We have no
o3pbt that very able man can be had
tdsnS such a one should be properly
Invited to take it.