New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-10-31

GEORGE n. EVANS, GEORGE HUCh6lI u
ISAAC +. CLARKE, JAMES z. MURPHY,
WILLIAM V BARR, Committee.
How shall Conscientious Men Votee
Mr.. TRIBUNE: An instance OF honesty, unusual
fear in political papers, IN your paper this morn
ing, leads ME to open my mind TO you. abhor
this scramble for Office. | am unwilling to asso-
cate myself with those who make politics trade
| wish to see the City business attended to, as
that of Banks and Insurance Companies IS, by
men who make it their business and attend to 1t.
/ belong to no party-never attended primary
meeting, and could have done no good last night.
have business to attend TO- and cannot spend
time in such places. There are thousands like
me- We vote the Wing ticket generally, because
ourriends do or from habit, or because we hope we
are voting for better men. But we know but little
about it, for when we look at our tickets we find
names we are all strangers to In the everyday
walks of life. Now we cannot be politicians, and
if you would only give US decent men to vote tor
we would not care. But you sometimes give US
dreadful doses Wing Aldermen once made an
Ha6itual druakard the Keeper of Blackwells
| Island. What then would you honestly advise
us to do am not satisfied with the course |
have proposed to myself One OF my rules has
been aerer to yote the mho2e Of ticket. For this
if YOU approve it, think of substituting another;
always to vote for every man on the Wing ticket
that can ascertain to be man OF principle, and
fit to trust but if | can find out nothing about
man. to scratch off his name and put on his oppo
nent Ulthout inquiry take the Wing party as
basis because it is the one oil which have the
most hopes ! would scratch OFT al unknown
names, because can do party no more serious
injury than by r0ting IN an unworthy candidate,
and an unknown one may safely be called such.
And if his Democratic opponent be an honest man,
nv vote tends to benefit the City il scoundre,
| help injure his party by electing him, which
serves them right, they had no business to nomln-
ate him.
Now, what say you to this My principle IS
MEN, NOT PRINCIPLES, but not men u1th0ut prin-
ciples. CONSCIENTIOUS VOTER
Reply.
We are afraid the mind of our corresp0n-
dent is not so clear as his conscience. Here
is what we have to say to him:
l, How do you know you could have
done no good at the primary meeting in
your Ward If every conscientious voter
had been there, instead of leaving it to those
who make politics trade and to the crowd
of imported loafers and paid DULLES, don't
YOU think it might have been more credit
ably conducted, and possibly men nomlnat-
ed whom the most careful conscience need
not be afraid to vote for! We know the
whole system on which our primary meet
ings are now conducted is outrageously an
ti-republican and open to disgusting corrup-
ton, but Mr. Conscientious Voter, if you
and the thousands like you only had a grain
more of conscience it could never have be-
come so bad as it now is; and if you would
only take hold in earnest and help US, in
stead of looking on in practical Indifference,
we might soon have it reformed.
II. We can't see that your new rule for
voting is whit worthier of conscientious
man than your old one. 1t reminds us of
the law of the Dutch Justice who released
a thief whom three witnesses had seen steal
ing because six others swore they hadn't
seen him. When, on the hasty inquiry which
at election time your business will allow,
you happen to meet only with people
who don't know candidate, you propose
to 90 and vote for his opponent without ask
ing another question, consoling your con-
science with the reflection that if he is
bad man his election will do great harm to
the party which nominated him and which
you generally oppose. This we think is
bad, and as you ask our advice we say SO
as plainly as we can.
III. Your principle is good for nothing,
and won't work. Men not Principles isn't
half as true a doctrine as Principles not
Men. Men are elected to office by one
party or another, because they hold its
principles and are pledged to carry through
its measures. 1t is not an impossible thing
nor always worthy of condemnation for a
man TO break over his party convictions and
obligations, but it is very rare. Thus you
cannot vote for men not principles, but
whatever you do you must take them both
together. Now, we put it to you as con-
scientious voter, that it is your business to
know what as we'll as who you are voting
for, and not vote either ticket from habit,
nor from vague notion that one side gene
rally puts up better men than the other.
The means of becoming enlightened as to
public questions, are easy Of access; news
papers of ability exist on both sides, and
discussion is incessant; without making
politics a trade, it needs no great expendi-
ture of time and no great neglect of bust
aors, To arrive at decided convictions one