The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1858-10-21
The Philosophy of Party Organization
What Shall be done with the Boilers


Just principles of Government need
the machinery of party, or to speak
more correctly, avail themselves of that
machinery to render them practical.
Men who are alike favorable to the
support and perpetuation of certain
principles and policy unite for a COM
mon object in partizan organization.
In order to carry out or practically de-
velop such principles and policy, GER
tain men are nominated to represent
the sentiment of the party, and being
placed in public offices, to make that
sentiment part of the practical ope-
ration of government. A number of
men might be thought at first impulse
equally fit to represent the party, and
as but fear are needed, it becomes nee
essary to adoptsome plan whereby these
few may be selected in accordance
with the wishes ofthe party. BY CON-
mon consent, caucus and the various
conventions-town, county, state and
district-have been adopted as means
to select these representatives of the
party-that is, of its principles and pol
icy.
In the above anlysis of the political
party, which will strike every intelli-
gent nan as correct, it will be seen
that the starting point of all parties is
the desire Of men who approve certain
principles to have them carried into
effect. Candidates are simply the
agents and servants of the men who
uphold the principles, and such candi-
dates are selected on account of hold
ing the same principles the party de-
sire to succeed, and being fitted by
ability, skill, zeal or influence to con-
tribute to their success. This is the
pure idea of the candidate. The envi-
ableness of his position as the repre-
sentative ofso many persons, the con-
fidence, esteem and dignity implied in
his selection, and his public Office con-
tributing distinction to his position,
togethe er with a tolerable compensation
which he may get, and the concomit-
ant influence Of all these facts, have
developed the base idea of the candi-
date in scheming, vulgar ambitious,
vain and mercenary men. The office
seeker, 1razen, clustering, unscrupr-
lous is a bogus invention.
So far we have stated well-known
abstract truths, but they have living
vital application. They show in the
first place, that in the organization OF
a party, principles are put before and
above men, while men are also elected
with a just regard for their relation to
principles and capcity for serving
them. They show that the people who
compose the party have right to Sc
lect the men for the public offices-that
is to carry out the principles, and as
the correlative of this, they show that
no man has a right to select hinase!J
and force himself upon the party. Ii
is the principal who chooses the agent
and not the agent the principal. They
show necessary and universal assent
to certain plans of action for accom-.
plishing political results. When man
joins a party it is a purely voluntary
act, and by identifying himself with
its organization, he agrees in the very
nature of things to be bound by its u.s.
ages. If he did not so agree he would
be an independent or something else,
nor would the party own as a mem
ber man who violated its usages,
and bred perpetual discord.
Hence, if a candidate avows the
principles of the party, and is regular
ly selected by the party a public Office,
by convention of delegates or mass
gathering, as the usage may be, it is
the duty of every man in the party to
give him an active and cordial sup
port. Because in the first place, the
party has said to the candidate in the
act of his selection that it sciU support
him, and it is base to violate a fair
understanding. Because, also, the
candidate represents the principle, and
to refuse to support him is to refuse to
support that. There are other cogent
reasons which might be offered, but
these are sufficient. IF man will
not respect his obligations and his
convictions what can we say of him.
But here we come to another branch
of the subject which constitutes the
paradise of boilers. The candidate
does not suit every one perhaps. 1t
was not expected he would, but if he
is acceptable to the majority, that is
enough. Complete unaninity would
be impossible, and hence is not be
striven for. His character may not be