Butte record. (Bidwell, Butte County, Cal.) 1853-1858, 1855-07-28
Party Slavery.

Nothings most complain, and on which they
most severely comment, is the so-called sla-
very of the members of that party. They urge
against US, that man is forever branded rs a
traitor to his party. and forever shut OFT fro n
all political communion, who has refused to
support the nominees of his party, be they
who they may; that although the nomin, c
may be a most bitter personal enemy Of a
member of the party, or is absolutely dis
qualified TO fulfil the duties of the Office for
which he has been nominated, yet if nominated
| by regular convention, each member is
bonnd, by his fealty 10 party, to support the
nominee, under penalty Of condemnation and
political death We have been educated as a
Democrat, lived as one. and acted rs one. with
and fer the party and its principles. and we
assert, there is no such article Of faith or ru e
of action for the government of Democrats
and We assert further. thai the very men who
make the charges against US, know, as well as
ourselves. the falsity Of their charges. and be-
Iieve that they only charge u with being
slaves to party, to turn observation from them
selves. who are bound in the most AT jet, con-
temp ibe political slavery that ever degraded
freemeD--or rather we would say, that ever
degraded freemen into tools.
1t is said that this party slavery is fastened
upon US by the convention system Now we
are perfectly willing to 'bide by the c"nven-
ton system until something better can be put
in its stead, and are perfectly wiling to COM
pare its operat ion and effects with those OF our
opponents In the nomination of precinct del
egates to a county convention, every Demo-
cratic voter in that precinct may have a voice
and vute--may express fully and freely his
prefer, noes for men or measures, and ur, e
their several Claims to the extent Of his abil-
ity. 1t is true he may be overiuled, and in
precnt meeting m: jority may decide ON the
appointment OF Il d fferent delegate, or on the
recommendation or ad 'ption of a different
mt asure And so it is in County and State
Conventions for the nomination of candidates
| We believe that by the Convention system,
there is more perfect AMI tull expI ession of
the popular will, than in any other and farth-
er that il is the only means of securing pro-
per distribution of Office, and protecting the
weak against the strong. We're each precinct
IN County, or each County in State, to
nominate an entire ticket and vote Tor it, most
certainly, the most pnpulous precinct or county
would supply the whole of the off GERS, and
C .uld continue to d. so, until two or more Of
/ the smaller prpciurf.
against the tyranny of the greater, AMI b.
again forced into the Convention system fo-
protection. Or if independent candidates were
running from different portions of the State
or County, in nine cases out of ten the ficer-
would be chosen by small minority of the
electors, and against the express wish of the
majority
But how have our opponents improved upon
this, or how have they cast IF the shacI les of
party. The Know Nothings Of this county
certainly intend holding a county Convention
| Ter the II ninatien Of candidates, ard have
chosen Delegates to attend State Convention
/ f the nomination of State officers, whether
such Convention will be held OF not We
! J
does not bring out into CHI b"Id relief the
abilities and integrity of the member, that IA
must see and acknowledge it, or if it does, the
Order certainly lacks that purity of intention
they boast of, in not at once adopting the
abest and best Of the Oder, without the ma
chinery OF Convention But the obligation
of the Order discl ses no such test, AMI if it
did, Il ere is too much real, gross selfshness
among the members to alb de 10y it. In fact,
! from the example the Order has thus far given
us, their pretenIions 10 thorough ref irmaiion
is iarce-their assertions of pure intentions.
Il lie They have banded together to secure
the spoils of office, and to secure these, there
IS no meanne>s to which they will not stool -
no fl through which they will not crawl
no sacrifice of mani ness or honor they will
not make. In proof Of this, we refer those
members of the Order in this county, whose
passion for off e has not become mnnomania,
place at the last meeting Ask yourselves
candidly and calmly, you who were present,
were not the scenes Of that night, not only
iisgraceful but disgusting to every man pre-
sent, who had 81 spark of maliness OF n feeling
f deceucy lett i'll his breast So thankful. in
feet, were you, thnt the meeting did not break
up in a general row, that there WIS prepared
\ resolution Of thanks to certain member
'.for his gcnflemanly conduit and energy in
endeavoIing to sustain harmony And i'll re-
gard to the slavery Of the Earty, have YOU not
taken UPON yourselves "a solemn obligation to
support the nominees OF your party. no matter
who they are or what they are, so long as they
nave attained n certain degree in your der,
even though they may b. nominated in the
same spirit and by the same means which
brought about certain results at the last
meeting in this place And this. in the face
Of the boast published to the orbl, that you,
mission is to prescribe ,th:e-scekers, and let
s'the ufhce seek the man, aud not the titan, the
utfiec"-to select men for uffice, who are con-.
pefent, honest, and faith fui-and to free the
people from the slavery of party. We most
ardently hope, that the Lnrd may send the
ople, in whose interest you have so deep
welfare, happy deliverance
TERRITORIAL lNCREAsE OF THE UNITED
STATES The following Il ble published IN the