Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1896-03-24
WasnIngton's Candidate.


1t was almost unanimous vote by
which the Republican Central Com.
mittee on Monday gave to Hon. Iheo.
F. Davis the authority to name the
fifty gentlemen who will constitute
Washington county's delegation in the
Congressional Convention to be held
at GAINESVILLE March 31st. Mr.. Davis
thus becomes the choice of the entire
county as expressed through the legal
representative of the party from each
precinct and will have solid delega.
tion. The honor conferred is one of
great proportions, but nevertheless,
we can say truly, one well deserved.
In taking the action they did the
Central Committee moved with eyes
open. Many of them expressed their
views openly and were free to say that
they favored precinct selection of del
egates at primary elections, but they
for once grasped the situation correct
1y and did what they thought best un-
der the circumstances for the interests
of the party and in spirit of fairness,
and that, too, without abating one jot
of the principle of primary elections to
which they adhered and which the
Leader has upheld. They realized the
nndignified haste of the District Com
mittee in calling the convention for
March 31st; they realized that they had
been called together at date too late
to secure the desired effect of a full
and free expression of the masses at
primary elections; they realized also
the two forces fighting Mr.. Dayis on
front and flank; and so, as the regular
ly chosen representatives of the Re-
publican voters in their various pre-
cincts, they resolved to do the hand
some thing by Mr.. Davis, and did it.
They had precedents before them not
to be denied. Four years ago the con-
ditions were similar, when Gen. r. II.
Dawes was candidate. At that time
Gen. Dawes and Mr.. Davis both being
candidates. they agreed to settle the
matter between them by submitting it
to primary election. This election
was not, by the greatest stretch of i'm
agination an election for the selection
of delegates, as not precinct in the
county chose it's own representatives.
BY the result of the election Gen.
Dawes became the countys candidate,
and there and then, without even con-
sulting the Central Committee the Ex-
ecutiye Committee gave him the right,
and properly, to name the county's
delegation, This year Mr.. Davis is the
county's candidate without opposition
and the regularity of the joint COM
mittee action Monday cannot be ques-
toned.
Last year the Executive Committee,
at that time also not consulting the
Central Committee, authorized Hon. C,
S. Dana to name this county's dele
gates to the senatorial convention, and
thus it is easily seen that Mr.. Davis
delegation will go to GAINESVILLE with
credentials coming from point near
er the real fountain-head of author
ity, the people, than in either of the
cases mentioned. Through the Central
Committee the people have been rep
resented and no doubt in a manner
more satisfactory than had the primar-
les been called upon notice so short as
to prevent genuine expression of the
popular will.
In this matter the Leader does not
wish to be understood as having re-
ceded single step from its position in
favor of the principle of primary cleo
tions, the advocacy of which we shall
continue until the county convention
takes the question in hand and rro-
Vides for the future. That time, we
are optimistic enough to believe, is not
far distant.