The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1858-10-21

nomlnatlOn. Ii they were raised De-
fore and fairly considered-as they
would be if worth considering-and
yet the man is fairly nominated, it is
more than probable that You are wrong
and the majority is right, and at all
events the decision of the majority is
fundamental usage, that in your vol
untary act of joining the party, you
agreed to submit to. The candidate is
not true to the principles of the party !?
The majority have selected him and
have confidence in him, and why may
not you? But if this charge is true,
it is susceptible of proof, and if proved
before the nomination would certainly
have defeated the candidate. That it
was not proved and he was nominated,
is the strongest testimony that it is not
true. Moreover, every convention
does or should re-affirm its principles,
and the candidates assents to them.
But there may be objections to the
man, and the complaint may consist
in the manner IN schich he was sonai-
mated. 1t is charged that the Conven-
ton was packed. Generally this charge
is a humbug-that is so far as the man
who makes it is concerned. 1t may be
taken for granted that he tried to do what
is an equivalent, and have majority
of the delegates to the Convention IA
vorable to him. Those who managed
against him were shrewder and sue
ceeded in the same thing. But if ever
a Convention is packed it is owing to
the neglect of the people to attend the
primary meetings, and hence it is their
own fault. So, if the bolter appeals to
them for aid because the Convention
was packed, and they assist him, they
take the advantage Of their own wrong,
which is violation of one of the fun
damental legal maxims, and is meanly
sferking punishment which they rich
ly deserve. Other mere irregularities
III the proceedings of the Convention
if waived by majority of its delegates,
can form no ground of just complaint
But granting that the Convention was
unfair or irregular, it is only a jar in
the machinery formed to support and
perpetuate the principle. Is the ma
c|,inery of more than the principle it
was made to sustain? 1t is a real po-
litical duty to guard against defects in
its working, but when the defects oc-
cur, they are lessons of experience for
our future protection. Because there
is defect in the political machinery,
which will nevertheless sustain the
principle, shall we tear down the ma
chinery altogether and abandon the
principle to disaster and defeat?
Entertaining such views as we have
above expressed, we have, and can we
have, 20 APOLOGY for bolters. They are
an inexcusable, pestifcrous class. We
are in favor of a general massacre of
the whole brood. Let no true Repub-
lican be led astray by their machina-
tions. They may do us harm once /;
but let it be inexorably determined that
they cannot do it twice. Ordinarily
they will be found to be disappointed
aspirants, rejected for various unfit
nesses, which are apparent to every one
but themselves, or selfish camp-follow-
ers who care nothing for principles,
but are ravenous for spoils. Ifthere is
such thing as thoroughly honest
bolter, he is too weak for leader, and
should be made to feel the consequences
of blunder which, in it results,
amounts to a crime.-Detrot Tri-
bune.