The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-02-04
An Appeal for Fair Play.

An Appeal for Fair Play.
BY Republicans among whom party
loyalty rises superior TO personal preju
dice, the present attempt of certain
men, hitherto Republicans, to disrupt
the party because of the i'll will which
they bear to the dominant party leader
ship is regarded with growing aversion.
Had ii been established that Captain
Moir and his colleagues on the so-called
"Independent Republican" ticket We're
defeated unfairly at the recent pri-
maries, thus multiplying the honest party
will. the duty of the party would have
been clear Under such circumstances
the party would have owed it to its
self-respect to refuse, at whatever cost,
to permit candidates thus unfairly
nominated to be foisted upon 1t. Upon
this point there can be no division of
honest opinion, since the very life of
Republicanism Is sustained by the
vital principle of fair and reputable ma
jority rule.
1t IS in one sense a compliment to the
professions of the party that the
men who have since confessed that
they used Captain Mor and his asso-
ciates merely as incidents" in a pre-
conceived plan Of party betrayal for
personal advantage. should have made
their appeal upon the false ground of
fraud in the nominations. Though
their own motives in the presentation
of such an appeal We're base though
they were as most Republicans now
know. simply wolves masGueradinG in
sleeps clothing" yet they paid trib-
ute to the partys inherent love of fair
ness when they thought to enlist that
feeling in their behalf by a misrepre-
sentation of the facts. Fortunately the
great mass of the Republicans of Scran-
ton are judicial in temperament, and
do not reach a conclusion after hear
ing only one side. They have suspend
ed judgment until the side which was
falsely arraigned could enter it's de-
fense, and the unequivocal complete
ness of that defense has won instant
and general favor
We are repeating what is already
known to most of our regular readers
when we say that every specific charge
of fraud at the primaries brought by
the boilers against the Republican city
ticket has been met and refuted by
cumulative sworn testimony, the tenor
of which was that the caucuses of Jan.
We're fairly and squarely conducted,
with not more than the usual number
of minor Irregularities common to both
sides in spirited factional contest:
that the counting was accurate and
straightforward, and that the nomina-
ton of Messrs. Ripple. Williams and
Widmayer was in obedience to an hon
est expression of a majority preference
by the duly qualified Republican cleo
tors of Scranton. This being conceded,
what becomes of those who are asking
Republicans, in this important presi-
Dental year. to forget their party and
its principles and to turn the govern
ment of the city over to the DEM
ocracy? Are they revealed as true Re-
publicans and as safe councillors or as
their party's undoing?
To Republicans who are yet confused
by the false clamor of the men who
have waged war on the party which
has hitherto sustained them in posi-
tions of honor and of profit, we sug-
gest that the political records of these
men be studiously compared with the
records of those of whose success as
party leaders they are now envious.
Let the comparison be made from any
standpoint-whether from that of per-
sonal integrity, party loyalty or pub
lie generosity and liberal -mindedness.
IT is proper to do this; and the men
who ask Republicans to desert the
party of their choice and to enter upon
an experiment of coalition with the
Democrats should be willing to submit
their characters for such an inspection.
II they are unselfish and disinterested
in their motives: II their past is clean
enough to give the color of sincerity and
broad -mindedness to their present pre-
tensions. then a comparison of this
kind ought to be most welcome to them,
as 1t is to their opponents. But IL 1t
appears that these men who now ac-
cuse the Republican party leadership
in this city of unsubstantiated offenses
have themselves. in the past. been fire.
quently and notoriously guilty; If they
who decry the corrupt use of money
and shout fraud are men who are
known to have been, in, their day,
gross Dolluters of the franchise and
unhesitating manipulators of false bal
lot counts and fraudulent election re-
turns. then will decent Republicans be
fully justified in refusing to; take such
men for their guides of political action
and In declining to be parties to their