The State Convention

The Beata Convention held at Jacfcson OO T1nwsd;ty,. though not oqnal in niunKora and importunes to mauy gatheringi of' u similor oharaoter held herutofore, did a very creditable work. It was, so far as the State at larga is concerned, the rirst oppoïtnuity which the opponents of the party iu puwar have had since the Presidential oampaign to moet together in oauncil ; and the cordial harmony whieh prevailed.sliowod conclusively thut the spirit which aniuiated the Liberal forces during that campaign has neither boen diminished nor wcakened by defeat.- The very tact that tho niombers of the Couvention, though representing organiz.itions which have been heretot'ore distinct, came together as a single body and vied with each other in their willingness tó makesacrifices in tho furtherance of a coramon object, is in itself a good omen for the future ; and when wo iinil, a9 we do find in the resolutions, 80 earnest a wish for tho abandonment of all dead issues and for tho sinking of all distinctions which stand in the way of a thorough and complete organization upon living issues, there is indeed r;ason to Iiopó that the dawn of a better day is coming. The party in power owes much of the success which it enjoye to-day to the faoilities wbich corruptly acquired wealth has given it for rnaintaining a permanent organization. Men in control of positions which enable them to draw at wiü tipou tho coffers of gigantic nnnopolies ■which they havo helped to oréate, will not hesitate to distributo freely and lavishly the funds whicU will secure their hold on such positions. Seeing no sin in bribery and purehaso but the sin of beiug discovared, they have no besitation in exercising upon others thu arts which have boon'sosuooossfully practicej upon thpm; and the pftHy which they lead has thus ïmcome a gigantic combiuation, in which the rank and file, having elected corrupt intm to power, are in turn corrupted by theni. But wnile the administration party is thus deeply indebted tor success to the strength of its o u organization, it owes ruearly if not quite as much to the weaknsss of the ties which held the the opposition forces together. With a conmion belief in tho neuessity for reform and retrenchmont,. and with a common recognition of the fact thal the administration party had betrayed the trust eonfided to it, and deliberatuly falsified all itn pledgRn, these furces were yet kept part by tho IWUHMJHIHIW of ancient mistrust, by tho traditiona of paat contests, aud by petty jealousies. They tjuched only at 011e point, and there was i tacit, but none the loss clearly recognizeil, protnst against v eloser union. - Had thoy Baoceeded uiuwr such circumBtances, success would probably have boen of littlo val'ue, and would certainly have been short lived'; fór there would have been nothing hl success coiuent the different elementa togetlwr. What sucoess would have i'ailedin,. however, is pvidently destined to be aecomplished by defeat. The revelations of the past winter havo shown that the necessity for overthrowing the party in power isgreater than was even hiuted at during the campaign L last year; and in showing this they havfc fiirnisheii. to the frierais of honesty and pnrily in the administration of publio aüairs, a platform broad enouh tn givw them all standing room, and to cover all traces of former rivalries and differouces of name, creed, or opinión. That such is to bo the inevitable result indicationa from all parts of the country m;u;o abundantly certain. - Slowly as yot, for lack of fitting opportunity, but as surely as slowly, all the scattered torces of reform and retrenchnw;nt aro drifting toward the formation of. tv ntiw and complete organization which shall carry on the battle against fraud and corruption to a glorious and triumphant victory. It was the reoognition of this fact, unquestionably, which actuated the Jackson Convention not only in its enunciationof principies but in its nominations. 1 selecting as its candidate for Associate Justice of the Supremo Court the gentleman already named for that position by the Republican Convention, it not only atfirmed the inexpediency, save for the most pressing reasons, of introduoing partisan strifo into a judicial eleotion, lint paid a well deserved compliment to the candidate himself. In its selection of candidates for Regents of the Uuiversity the Convention exercised an equally wise discretion, the gentlemen numod being well known tiiroughout the entire state for the inter est which they take in educational matters. Mr. Doty, besides being a ote oí tho Umversity, a fact which is in Hself a recommeudation, is a practical educator, and if elected will bring to tho discharge of his dutics a knowledge of the needs of the University and a familinrity with business details which the Board is sadly in want of. Mr. Fitch, too, is a practical man, of administrativa afcility, and he adds to theso qualifications the experience gained by forruer services on tho Bcaxd. Ou the whole, the Jiickson Convention may, we Üiink, bo consjratulated on the result of its