New-York tribune., 1908-07-10
THE CONTESTS AT DENVER.

Democratic National Convention followed ap-
proved Democratic methods. In matters Vi
title Democratic conventions are not strlcC coh-
structionists. They do not bother mucn ABOUT
technicalities and far more deeply Inter
ested in what delegate STANDS for ana NO" his
vote is going to be cast than In the evidence on
which he rests his claim to act as the repre-
sentative of a certain constituency. frosalc
considerations Of justice must yield to the
biober law of marty welfare, which means the
nromotion of the aims and policies of the per
sons In immediate control Of the organization.
A great deal of Indignation is usually expressed
nv those who suffer from this method of settling
contests ION general principles. Yet What MI.
Murphy and Mr.. Corners did at the Buffalo
convention In 1905 and at the Carnegie Han
convention this spring is only what Democratic
national conventions usually do and Wnat the
party looks upon established policy. Inc
Democratic National Convention of 1904 turned
down the contestants from Illinois whose cause
NIr. Bryan so eloquently espoused and whose
abstract right to the seats which they claimed
few persons seriously questioned. The Denver
convention, under Mr.. Bryans control, now
turns down regularly elected delegates from
PENNSYLVANIA with an equal lack OF scruple.
Mere questions of right fade into insignfcance
when II comes to rewardng q faithful friend or
crushing an obnoxious enemy.
Probably the most extreme assertion OF at
bitrary power at Denver was the unseatlng
of the Gufey delegates. The McCarren con-
testants from Kings County had no pr1rta
fdcte case They had NO credentials from
O state convention and were trying to displace
delegates whose title had been declared good by
the New York state organization. Moreover,
they were anti Bryanites, and therefore nat
ursI objects Of suspicion at the Denver gather
ing Yet it would have been just as Logical TO
seat them over Mr.. Murphy's head as IL was
to railroad into the Pennsylvania delegation the
anti-Gufrey district delegates who were beaten
in a legalized state primary. The Secretary OF
State of Pennsylvania certified to the fact that
the Guffeyites had received maJorit1es at the
noIls and nobody disputed that fact. Yet they
were ousted to make way for the representa-
tives of defeated minority on the sole ground
that the good of the party" demanded repu-
diation of Colonel Guffey and his methods OF
leadership.
If cannot be denied that Colonel Guffey had
given some cause for dissatisfaction and had
laid himself open to the charge Of conspiring 10
defeat the will Of the Democratic voters IN
PENNSYLVANIA. It is true that many OF his del
egates stood In the primaries as nominal sup
porters Of Mr.. Bryan and after election snoWen
little disposition to make good their campaign
pledges. 1t is probably also true that the ma
o
Convention were elected as Bryan men, but
when they assembled at Harrisburg yielded to
pressure from Colonel Guffey and refused to
pass BRYAN instructions. On this point Ine
Philadelphia Record" said on Wednesday:
At the recent primary elections in Pennsylvania
a majority of the delegates elected to the Demo-
cratic National Convention We're men who hao
announced in advance their approval OF the
Bryan candidacy. This result was OBTAINED
against the protest of THE Record" and other
49, tlonp 20
djdate should be selected by the Democratic Ma
tfonal Convention. Following the primary cleo
tions and with the fact undisputed that a large
ma ioritv of the Democrats OF the state had de-
clared for and elected delegates who We're com
naitted to Bryan, Colonel Guffey and his fr1ends
sought through the Democratic State Conven-
tion 70 steal this Pennsylvania Endorsement from
the Nebraska 1t a bushWhack1ng 1ot, ana
il was a scandalous effort to override the Will
Of the Democratic voters OF tne STATE; .o me ne
Record" which had made its fight against the
denomination of Bryan, said so at the time ana
1t repeats 1t now
Colonel Guffev believes that the Democratic
voters ought to have their say to certain ex-
tent but that the last word properly belongs to
the man who finances the party. He spoke tnat
word and certain delegates accepted his theory
that they were bound by what he said rather
than by their obligations TO the voters Yet his
delegates were the lawfully elected ones, and
for the breach of trust which they committed
they would under normal conditions, be answer
able only to the Democratic party In Pennsyl-
vania.
Had Colonel Guffey been a Bryan BOSS he
would have been left undisturbed and unpun-
ished As he is an anti-Bryan boss he is sill
gled out for humiliation under the pretence that
he overrode the will of his people. He Is being
executed for high treason, while Mr. Sullivan,
Mr. Murphy and Mr.. Conners Mr.. Beckham and
Mr.. Stone being honored as true apostles OF
the Democratic faith. Yet Democratic con-
vention would not be truly Democratic II Its
committee on credentials did not manage to let
its approval fall on the righteous-that is on
those who cast their lot in time with the right
side-and to blast with accommodation the
unrighteous who failed to pick the winner.
BRITISH NAVAL MANRUVRES.