Middletown transcript., 1897-10-02
MTDDLEToWN, DEL. OCT. ?, 1897.

MlDOLEIOWN, DELI WI -, 4o"''
THE Republican Party in Delaware
win be a unit next November. This
is our belief. The people SO want it,
the rank and file Of the party, and they
will make it SO. We are honest in the
opinion when we say that the original
oyertures made by the Union Republl-
cans at this time were not sincere but
were proposed for the purpose OF put
ting the "Regulars in hole." One OF
the Union Republican conferrees told
the writer that after they found on
their visits to Washington that they
had not the ear of the Administration
they then and there decided on this
plan. What for? To get few offices,
is the answer. Another Of their con-
ferrees said s'the Union Republicans
must have out of this-the harmony
deal-tbe post Offices Of Dover and
Georgetown among other things, and
1 must have a consulate" There are
sincere and earnest men in their ranks
but most of their leaders are selfish.
VIII the rank and file Of Republican
ism follow themP Wesay no. Can the
Republicans Of New Castle county, the
great majority vote of the party, sur
render their rights of representation to
the selfishness of the few who dictate
from Kent and Sussex? Not If they
are men and Republicans, believing in
honest and fair representation. The
conferrees Of the Union Republicans
played the baby act at Dover last Mon
day. They knew and had known all
the time the limitations of power given
the Republican conferrees; they met
with them and consulted during
the first conference; they used the
pretext Of ''irresponsibility" to break
up the last conference without discuss
ing the proposition submitted to them
from the other side. They were vio-
lent and abusive in their language, it
is said, in conference, possibly hoping
to provoke trouble. Was their excuse
a reasonable one for breaking off the
conference, the powers Of the Regular
conferrees being the same to their
knowledge as they were Sept. 18th?
We say it was not. Their powers were
apparently unlimited. Theycould have
selected the nominees of a ticket and
said to be the rank and file-we are the
party as they demanded of the Greg
ulars" before the last election that can
didates for Governor and Member of
Congress should be named in confer
ence committee-we believe this state
ment is strictly correct. Is that Re-
publicanismY Where are Che rights of
the rank and file under such actionP
Regulars have not such powers.
They are lodged in the voters of the
party. Will the Union Republicans
now proceed to organize a party, to
shut out possible union, in the midst
Of an off year? We shall see. And if |
they do, we believe it will fail and fall
because the dollar cannot cut a figure
with the venal voter and it will not be |
profitable to put money for leadership
alone. A conferree Of the Union Re-
publicans In answer to the question
elsewhere this week submitted to the
Estate Sentinel "the "Milford Chroni.
Gle" the Smyrna Times" said to the
writer ''not more than one dollar out |
of every FIVE given the leaders reaches
the voters, hence there were few votes !
purchased. What commentI Does
it not explain anxiety for as many cleo
tions as possible. We are not ready
to believe it bnt such was his argu-
ment to prove that the Union Repub-
licans vote was not largely purchased
vote. 1t is hard on somebody.
But the rank and file of all Repub-
licans want harmony and union. We
want harmony and union. There is
no necessity to fight for it through |
primaries and a convention, however. |
Let the people alone and in a year
there will be peace and one ticket. Lis
ten not to the Democratic papers. |
Their business is to stir up strife
Read and consider the following ad-
mirable answer made by the IRE
gulars" at Dover, Monday night:
The reply submitted by the regular Re-
publicans and the propositions made by
them were as follows:
The Republican conferrees, after duly
the proposition for the union of
the two factions of the party made by the
eonferrees of the Union Republican State
Central Committee, are constrained to re-
lect the same under the profound convic-
ton that it will defeat the very object for
which it was made. They are unanimously
Of the opinion that convention held now,
with its antecedent struggles and with no
other object than to test public opinion,
would put off the desired day of union, re-
open the unhappy wounds of factional war
fare, and arrest the splendid progress of
party unifcation SO auspiciously begun
through the healing influence of time, by
she great mass of the people themselves.
The Republican voters are not asking for
They do not see why a con-
7ention should be held now. No election is
oending and no candidates are to be nomi-
rated. They wisely oppose agitation for the
mere sake of agitation, and with unerring
oresight they see that peace and harmony
,annot follow contention.
"The Republican conferrees are further
lnalterably opposed to holding a conven-
ion at which it is not the purpose 10 nomi-
late ticket of candidates to be voted for
It general election. for the conclusive
eason that such convention would not
,e subject to the wholesome provisions of
he new constitution and the statutes en-
Icted in pursuance thereof to punish the
rhine Of bribery and other offenses against
be purity of the ballot
"The Republican conferrees believe that