Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1858-08-19
A Word to Parties"

We copy the subjoined article from the
Germantcwm Telegraph, and as it applies with
equal force to every township in this State,
we hope the most excellent advice offered will
be accepted and acted upon by every honest
and good citizen. The delegate meeting, it is
of the utmost Importance, and yet it is sell
dom attended by more than a dozen or two
leading w%ire-pullers, who usually elect them
selves or their agents to represent the
masses:
GAS the election for Delegates to make
party nominations of candidates to fill the
various elective offices, will shortly be held
throughout the State, we desire to impress
upon those who participate in these prelimin-
airy assemblies the Importance, especially at
this i%uncture, of exercising a due degree Of
care in the choice of these Delegates. Very
much depends, as all must know, upon select
ing honest, intelligent men, to fill the position
of Delegate-men who have at heart only the
public welfare, without q trace OF selishpess
or Interior objects Of their own Such Deleg-
ates will act Independently, and be entirely
beyond the reach of the place-seeking broker,
who, with strong phases Of party fealty upon.
his lips, and a long catalogue of party SCI
vices chalked upon his hat, bnt with festerinn
corruption at his heart will attempt to bril-
to his support the easy of virtue, who have SO
often become his willing tools.
We all perceive and acknowledge how dis
astrously the public interests suffer from the
misconduct of tnose placed in Office from year
to year, who are frequently nominated through
the ~foulest means, and are elected under a
total misapprehension as to their real char
acter.
Legislatures have become SO thoroughly
corrupt, that they are nearly as purchasable
as a flock of sheep from the common drover.
For years a desirable majority have had
their price upon all occasions where it has
been required to obtain special privileges for
the few to the detriment of the many ; and it
is to this species OF legislation, more than to
any other cause, that VIZ are to ascribe the
injuries that are annually inflicted upon the
masses of the ~people-not merely or wholly
arising from these abuses, but also from
other measures, Of an apparent popular char
acter, enacted to lull suspicion and to draw
off attention from their infamous proceed
ings.
But it is not only from our members OF the
Legislature, that we suffer. The county Off
GERS are rarely qualified for the posts to which
they are chosen. Their characters for sobrie-
ty, honesty, and for even an. ordinary amount
Of Information, would seldom pass an examin-
ing cQmlnittee; while the knowledge possessed
of the actual duties Of the Office, is as infnit-
essimal as it is possible to conceive. The
truth is, these offices are all sought exclusively
for the money to be made out Of them, by all
the resorts, fair and foul, which many of them
so literally present. The people" after the
berth is once secured, are wholly forgotten
the very term is an obsolete idea" The
Office is considered as being made for the Off
Ger expressly, and not for the public; and the
public is afforded the smallest amount of ac-
commodation at most eKtrayagant rates, I'M
known to the law, but quietly Submitted to
from year to year. a@ ~
1t behooyes. therefore, all good citizens, in
and ous of party, to make an effort to reform
this state OF things. 1t can be accomplished
only with a persistent will and determination.
These Office cormorants die hard, and WI A1v
battle to the bitter end but the victory Can
nevertheless be achieved by a united, system
attic movement