In  closing  this  note,  this  committee
must  express  its  regret,  that,  having  con
sidered  it  desirable  to  make  overtures  to
the  Independent  Republicans,  you  should
have  so  far  misapprehended  the  facts  of
the  situation.  It  is  our  desire  to  unite  the
Republican  party  on  the  sure  ground  of
principle,  in  the  confidence  that  we  are
thus  serving  it  with  the  highest  fidelity,  and
preserving  for  the  future  service  of  the
Commonwealth  that  vitality  of  Repub
licanism  which  has  made  the  party  useful
in  the  past,  and  which  alone  confers  upon
it  now  the  right  of  continued  existence.
The  only  method  which  promises  this  re
sult  in  the  approaching  election  is  that
proposed  by  the  Independent  Republican
candidates  in  their  letter  of  July  13th,
1882,  which  was  positively  rejected  by
your  committee.
On  behalf  of  the  Independent  Repub
lican  State  Committee  of  Pennsylvania,

I.  D.  McKEE,  Chairman.
"With   this    communication    ended    all
efforts  at  conciliation.
