Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1857-03-24
Iroa raE srInr4 o. JErfEa,ov.i
Sfssas. ED.ross

D
Jri5GteEyt6 fae5 would have told ycu that IN all
such cases e2neqgrcd with you, and hat, for All
articles OF mine for - personal explanation per-
sunal benefit SHOULD, of course, expect to pay
This COURSE would hayc saved me tic appearance
of a public rebuke for unreasonable demands on 4
public press aud which did not mean to make
Ny object now, is, to present Some views ON the
present mode OF nominating; a subject. prcsume,
of admiired public importance, if the right of suf
fTagc be OF iInportance Indeed. in my opinion
and, thiuk may venture tOssays in the growing
oninion of the people of both parties-the right q
suffrage is, virtually anniuatcd by eau.
cns-s4steIns Under that system, the noninatS.T;
is in fact, as far the party Is conccrncd tie elec
ton, and the voting at the polls mere idle form
There l1lodcs5 by which delegates to these
conventions, usually obtained, and do not noJ
rccolect any othera prattccd in this county. Ono
IA To snnont n chairman for the IN .etine and to
empower him to select a fnittee to Aame the
inc S called to order by Mr. A. who moves that his
friend BIr. B. take the chair, and that Mr. c. BE-
secretary. Mr.. A., then, moves that tue chair APP
point committee of five to nominate delegates TO
committee, al d. course, his friend who called him
to the chair, is lnado CHI lirnnn of the committee
mates delegates to the conventiOn-ti is APPROX
Gland then, usually follows resolution that ev;
cry voter IN the precincts ortIe county may be,
support the nomination whom made: Can any ono
fail to see that the chair app ONT committee
who exactly coincide with him, and that the COM
nttee, following suit can appoint delegates to the
Convention who exactly coincide with the committee;
and; that thus; in the nominating Convention, the
will of that chairman aud has eOre rates, will decide
the nomination. and not the will of majority of the
IheInlStOCleS IN, n
nine years old, ruled Athens for he ruled Athens;
his wife ruled him, and his ruled his motheri
The 9iher mode Of sd 3, t sssGs to the
have vote upon them, my member of the meeting
proposing delegate This plan is adopted by those
who object to the commitec appointed by the chairs
and as fairer mode. II Is, in fact, but device of
the wire-working, Office traders to come at Tie
result, to hoodwink and manage the many. For
how easy Is 1t for eight ten to aga ce, and to-
propose, after the other, delegate each, until
ten aS packed exactly to order, in the first
These are the two modes usually practised in eur
county in making delegates to convention. But
in Clarke sin the nomination and election of Ryan
under what they call the hat system (but which
call the jury system the wire-workers have
introduced the plan of all delegates
to the nominating This to b. fair,
but they we'll know that 1t Will result practically;
in the old caucus: For no voters but those who want
office for themselves or their friends viii go to the
convention and, SO they have their own way, and
so they ':wrap it up"
making delegates, and of nominating, there is most
ample scope Tor intrigue and fraud; AMI the com.
| abound
1t is vain say that this is 20 be jealous and
suspicious jealous of their political rights, and
especially OF the right of suffrage. The history of
nations nculcates the lesson of vigilance and jcal
ousy in regard to leaders. 1t heads the columns of
democratic papers, especially, and floats upon their
am &c @ =; io,,S ptI, from
| many to the fcw!J' These watchwords arc correct.
All the tyranny OF earth is founded IN misplaced
confidence in delegated power.
But will quote; for the benefit of those who
ready TO delegate the tUhote 0tcrT Of suffrage to
few cl,airmen and committees of officc-hunting cau-
cusitcs, the following extracts from Goodwin Ia
democrat Landed by Mr.. Jeffcrson) on delcgnting
political rights to others. He says:
This doctrine OF limited obedience, il may
properly be termed, of confidence and dclcga-
sible. Every man should discharge the utInost
practicable extent the duties which arise from his
situation. II he gain to the ability with which
they may he dischargcd5 when lie delegates them to-
another he loses with respect to the fidelity every
being conscious of tho sincerity of his own i'm
tcntion, and no one having equal proof of that Of
another. virtuous man viii not nil to perceive
the obligation under which he is placed to exert his
| und erstdnding, and to judge for himself
widely as his cire uInstanccs will permit.
The abuse of the doctrine of confidence has bccn
! the of more caInmilics to mankind than all
the other errors of the human understanding. De-
| pravity would have gained little ground IN the
world if every man had been the exercise of his
| Independent Judgment: The instrument by wiiCR
has been the principle Of many men being rejuc TO
mere machines the hands Of Jsto. Man. while he
The universe. Man, whom he surrendcrs his reason,
and becomes the partisan of implicit faith and pas
sivc obedience, is the most mischirvous of all ami
mails. he is, in the instant of submission, the blind
instrument of every ncfarious purpose o. his prin@
'Ppi i. then ,nanfs.,lv critical thing to dee.oto
our individual Jud emcnt and power to others. But
convcntious to conccntTaiS tS Sotc tb' ogyatc
caution should be used IN the manner of Rppointng
the delegates, as to secure honest and disinteresd
And this brings up the comparison between tho
ea.e!ts mode OF forming nominating convention and
the caucus system, will now state succinctly the
jury plan Cor caucusitcs term it chat systcn) and
| point out some of its advantages.
| The jury pan of constituting nominating con-
vention, (and, to be adopted for the purpose
of avoiding combination, fraud and packing, and
called and Designate from its imitation of the pre-
sent mode of selecting our juries) would proceed
| by public: notice. now, in each precinct, that
there would be meeting of the voters of the pre-
cinct for the purpose Uf drifting ont, from all tho
voters of the precinct at least onef delegates
to the nominating convention When the meeting
occurred presiding officer, to keep order, and sec
rotary to record drGtctng would be appointed
now. list of all the voters of the party, in the
| precinct would then be called, and the number as
ccrtnincd. Then, in the presence OF the meeting
numbers and 3, up to the whole number Of the
voters, would be put into hat, box, Gas juricS
arc now drawn out,) and one.ttfth Of the numbers
drawn out to the list voters just jury is
asccrtaned in court. few words on the advanE
IN drawing out fifth of the voters of precinct
20 from 100 for exaInpe-there would be full sccu-
rity that you would get the average intelligence and
integrity of the whole number OF voters For If one
in five is not ftto nominate, God help the voters
You would put down the oliglafchic power OF ftto
to DO all The nominating from year to year for
their life time, and to profit by IL; and you woI Id
give an equal chance to men equally wise and on.
est and who have equal rights TO be in the nolni-
mating conventions. You would break down the
dynasty, built up the mutual agreements of men
to aid each other in the Offices they aspire to- and
in the flflncnt of which agreements the people
transferred like so many cattle from the to the
the national and State governments, and, from coi
stable to governor, and from constable TO prcSidentS
uniting all who seek office into common pack
and confederacy: Your conventions, instead of be-
ing filled with trading Office seekers and sharpersS
(ss The materials are to come from the body Of tho
voters and TO change from year to ycaT) would be
constituted Of the unoce seeking bone and seto Of
the country, and therefore, more likely 70 make
honest nominations. Your nominees, on the other
hand; If elected, would be untraJnmelled ard 9aih
full public agents, and, under 5aSgdif ssit arr
rangements with the packers of Conventions, and
DC of he