The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-02-05
REPUBLICANS AND THEIR DUTY

From the Providence Star.
The true, earnest and faithful Repub-
licans of the city Of Scranton were never
conronted in municipal contest by q
stronger incentive than they are at this
time TO be true 10 themselves, to their
party and to the best interests OF the
city. Thoughtful and intelligent Repub-
leans will not be deceived nor led astray
by the hue and cry now raised about
corruption, irregularities, fraud and bal
lot-stuffing" at the late delegate elections.
AS our readers know, for some time there
have been factiOnal diversions among tho
Republicans. This resulted in two tickets
for municipal offices being slated, the
one headed by Colonel Ezra II. Ripple,
the other by Captain James Aioir. Now
let US briefly note the difference In the
conditions under which these two tickets
entered the field.
The supporters and promoters of the
Ripple ticket from the very beginning OF
the contest took the broad ground of gem
uine LOYAL Republicanism. They said.
I'VE will go before the masses of the
party. make the strongest fight we can
for success, and IL We are beaten, we
will Loyalty support the victors.' With
this declaration the Ripple Williams-Wid-
mayer supporters went into the delegate
elections. Now note the contrast. The
champions of the MOir-Davies- Westpfahl
ticket took no such broad ground. Their
organ, the Scranton Republican, hols:ed
tnlS ticket TO It's Htdu
"independent Republican, J. a. scran-
ton, John IL. Fellows and other leaders
of that faction openly declared weeks be-
fore the delegate elections that II Colonel
Ripple won in the nominating convention
they would fight him to the bitter end
They went into the battle for the nomi-
nation with the openly declared purpose
not to submit to the decision OF the pr-
mary elections If they were beaten. Their
plan Of campaign had been .pre-arranged
In, ia. in ha
of conspiracy to disrupt the Republican
party II they could not have their own
way. That this Is true Is fully manifested
in the proceedings, of the numerous se-
medately after the delegate elections.
their next move was to break up the
convention in n row: or. failing In that.
to bolt, organize Il rump convention and
place an Independent Republican ticket
in the field. The scheme to disrupt the
Republican party and restore the DEM
ocratic party to power in this city was
carried out to the extent of a minority
bolt and the nomination of a second
ticket The scheme only collapsed when
Captain AIoir refused to accept the rump
conventions nomination for mayor. and
no Republican of charcter was willing
to accept.
Il Il II
The next move Of the conspirators was
to enter into an alliance with the Demo-
Gratis for the defeat of the duly nominat-
ed Republican ticket And what is the
pretext by which these malcontent con-
spirators attempt TO Justify their base
treachery to the party that has hon
ored them In the past? Let us see They
allege in a number of districts that
elected Ripple delegates frauds were per-
petrated and numbers of Democrats were
permitted to vote. Weeks have utterly
failed to produce evidence to establish
fraud In even single instance. As to
the allegation that Democrats voted at
or less foundation for the charge. as there
has been i'm every delegate election held In
this and other cities and counties at
every such election for a dozen years. 1t
Is a noticeable fact tl>t in not a single
instance have tine party-wreckers given
a list of Democrats alleged to have voted
in any one district of the city. The truth
Is that all these charges are mere pre-
text on which to justify and bolster UP
their base treachery TO the Republican
party.
There are hundreds, If not thousands Of
men in this city and county who are popu-
larly regarded as adherents of the Demo-
cratic party, but who voted for Harrison,
for Joseph A. Scranton, for Hastings,
and other Republican candidates at each
recurring election. swelling the Repub-
lican vote in the city and county to such
proportions that the Democratic party
has been almost disintegrated. Large
numbers of this class of Democrats"
have come to regard themselves as Re-
publicans. Under our party rules the
man who voted for the head of the Re-
publican ticket at the preceding general
election has a right to participate i'm the
party's primaries. The lines cannot be
drawn with rigidity at such elections
Does any sane man believe that the ma
jorities rolled up in this city and county
for Republican, -adidates like General
Harrison, for pre-. mt: General Hast
ings for governor: Galusha A. Grow. for
congressman-at-larg were due to the
from-the-shoulder Republicans? That
a number of this class Of Democrats voted
at the recent delegate election il possible:
and II IL only the truth to say that many
Of them have better right to be called