Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1858-12-14
THE NECESSITY FOR NOMINATING coNvEN-
rI0NS

THE NECESSITY FOR NOMINATING CONVEX
TONS.
The choice OF our legislators. State and fell
cral, seems in many instances to be left Of late
years TO depend on accidents altogether indie.
pendent Of popular will and popula: interest
under the dciuSive idea that party organization
can be best preserved by means Of this t"i'~.;
fare deficiency of popular action Even where
anything like popular movement seems TO be
excited, we find it to consist for the most part
in a strife between Big-cndians and Llttic-cn-
dams, where parties are divided 10y principles
a,,,,lv f,lse and disastrous--:.nd which are
generally described by the expectations, incum-
bency and rotation. One party asserts that Il
particular set of men ought to hold certain oiii-
ces, simply because they have already occa-
pied them. Another faction discovers in this
thing of previous occupancy the very reason
why the occupants should give way 10 other
aspirants. 1t needs no GiipuS TO read the re-
suit of such a struggle. Avery DavuS can tell
that wherever both con;e>ting parties are clear
~ wrong, might invariably makes riga. 20 II
happens that the lnciinbchc:StS, vino have pos
session of the patronage. must hold their ow"
by force of Spo,l@. and that the RotAtioui,:s
will continue TO be norier', until they can
conquer by the sheer force of numbers hungry
for spoils, and not to be appeascd by the mere
residuum of expectations" left AT the disposal
of Incumbent leaders, after their mo:c immc-
date partSans have been supplied.
Among the dense populations OF the North,
the Rotationists carry the day. In Virginia.
the Incumbcncists hold almost undivided sway.
Everywhere, neither IncumlenciSts nor Rota-
tionists, could command Il crumb Of patronage.
if the great majority o. the people, who have
no selfish interest in elections, would earnestly
lend their disntcrc,tcd efforts 20 the security
of the public welfare.
And there is another obstacle, besides popu-
lar indifference, to the freedom OF election III
its more enlarged sense The politicians are
timid. Where one earnest man is 10 be Iound
ready to throw himself into the breach. L.
meet temporary defeat, if necessary, and trust
TO his own brain and nerve. 10 rise superior to
defeat, VIC fad 4 score OF aspiraat' trembling
with cagcrncss 10 less than with tiinldit!y. 81
lently making what capital they can wiih liz
and outs, and people that care nothing Tor
either, cautiously abstaining from decisive
steps, generally yielding lukcwarm support
to the incumbent. each trusting. MicawOcr-like
to some future turning up" which will ems
ble him to slide into occupancy. and all rcidy
to turn upon the bold man, whoever he may
be, who comes forward with an open APP
peal for popular support. 1t is useless 70
appeal to such men as these; il is useless to
point out the fact that any man VIII" desires to
serve the people, AMI feels himself competent
for the service. should at once coinc before the
people with the offer of his nam" II all aSpi
rants, or even Il majority OF the number in
any community would do this, there would be
no difficulty. Bat this is morally Impossible.
The majority OF politicians always Will be the
time servers Of selfish czpedency. and men ri
purity and prudence will, in nine eases cut 81!
ten, only sacrifice their own aspirations by $50
lated efforts against this corrupt system. Ii Is
useless to appeal to the corps OF a>pirants to
reform the corrupt ons and abuses wich pre-
vail in their own midst. The outsiders !au>t
adopt means Of correction. For our part. we
see but one available method Of bringing oui
in spite of themselves, the coy wooerS Of poppy
lar favor in fair competition with their more
manly rivals, and thus enabling the people. in
each instance, 10 select the NORTHEAST.
Let the Democratic party IN Virginia adopt
the policy Of requiring its candidates TO abide,
previous to>each election. the decision Of nomi-
Mating Conventions. Let no man receive the
endorsement of the party by suferance. lie,
the incumbents come forward on equal ground
with all other aSpirantS. Tie incumhcn: who
is disposed to finch from such trial, evidently
doubts his hold on the popular contdeur1. Ii
the doubt be well founded. such ;r'umbcnt
ought no longer to lie sustained hy tnr party,
TO the exclusion of more efficient leaders
The incumbent who can maintain popular
preference, under such 4 test, will only acquire
an additional testimonial of the peoples con
fdence. 1t puts him to no unfair or unSe.
cessary trial, and it is due to his own position
as we'll as to the claims of his competitors, that
a nominating Convention shall be called to
weigh and compare the rival claims Of all,
before any one Of the number shall be endorsed
as the chosen champion Of his party.
---D-S-