Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1896-03-20
The York County Episode.

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The York County Episode.
With both candidates for national
delegate in York county openly de-
clared for Mckinley there was no
issue, so far as Presidential choice
was concerned. before the Republi-
cans of that county at their recent
primaries. 1t was contest to de-
termine whether one individual or
another should have the honor OF
carrying the instructions Of the
county to the national convention.
There were two candidates for
delegate, and that both understood
the sentiment of the people is clear
enough from the position which
both took. The question of Pres
idential choice was submitted to vote
at the primaries, and as already re-
ported in the news dispatches Nc
Kinley had an overwhelming vote
over all others leading by about ten
to one the candidate who came next
to him. This is the first popular
vote taken on this question in any
county in Pennsylvania this year,
and it amounts to something of a
revelation. Very likely Major Nc
Kinley's friends are no less surpris~
ed than others with the result. These
votes are taken as II means OF en-
lightning the delegates as to the
sentiment and wishes of their con-
stituents, and amount to instructions
as to how such delegates shall vote.
It has become something of a prac>
tice in Pennsylvania, though never
much applied to the choice offs Pres
idential candidate. There is pres
cedent for it, however; Lancaster Go.
in campaign some years ago in
structed its delegates for Blaine, and
there will be popular vote for Pres
ident in that county at the primaries
to be held next Saturday.
IF tho successful candidate in
York county is finally chosen one OF
the district delegates he will uno
doubtedly feel bound to vote in the
national convention ia accordance
with the wishes of the people as ex-
pressed at the primaries. But the
final choice from Y York county of one
of the delegates for the Nineteenth
congressional district is matter for
the district conference to decide.
Adams and Cumberland counties
will each have an equal voice, and by
uniting they can out vote York and
secure both the delegate themselves.
This has been done on some former
occasions, and may be done again il
it shall appear desirable not to have
a Mckinley delegate from that dis
trict, for the election of delegate
from York after the decisive decla-
ration of the Republicans of that
county last Saturday cannot mean
anything but a Mckinley delegate.
Doubtless, it may be assumed that
the instructions, being those from a
single county, are not to be constru,
ed as the instructions Of the district
but the delegate himself has declared
for Mckinley, and his election was
made possible only by the position
which he took. Whether the York
county vote is to be considered as
binding or not, it would be reflec :
tion upon the personal integrity OF
the successful candidate for delegate
to even suggest that he would not
be bound by his own declaration
upon which his election was secured,
We do not recall any recent instance
in which the wishes of constituen>
cy thus expressed and the substan-
tial pledges of candidate have been
violated. 1t is greatly to the credit
of our politics, in which all thing are
not creditable, that this is so.
The Republicans of York county
by their popular vote have brought
about an exceedingly interesting
situation. 1t will be very curious
to see how it will be treated by the
district conference when it gets to-
gether to determine upon the two
delegates.-Phila. Press.