The Kansas herald of freedom., 1859-06-11
Tia cnn,su,ian sr.,sm

Ina Convention system.
Political tricksters have used the dele
gate system ill il is odious to the people.
A Central COMMITTEES in full fellowship
with some clique, waits till late hour to
issue the call for County Convention
Take the recent call for the Republican
Convention of this county in proof. The
Central Committee met the 18th of May
and called on the Republicans Of the differ
ent townships to meet at their respective
voting places or the 28th of May, to
sslec. delegates to attend the County Con-
vention on the 31st. But five days inter-
vened between the meeting of the Gen.
trail Committee and that of the County
Convention, while the very short space
between the meeting of the committee
and the town meetings did not give affair
opportunity for the people to be informed
of these town meetings or to discuss the
merits of candidates. This plays exactly
into the hands of a central clique-their
friends informed beforehand as to what
needs to be done, meet in the respective
townships and appoint delegates, while
the majority of the voters of the town
ship Know nothingosit. These delegates
meet and resolve that those of the dele
CATION present shall be entitled to cast the
number of votes to which their township
| is entitled, or to fill vacancies in the dele
CATION, and nominate candidates. Where
two out of six delegates, as was the case
of Lecompton township at the recent
convention, sre present aud cast the votes
of the whole township, they can trade
more advantageously for themselves and
aid in carrying out the programme of the
clique.
The delegate system is the lever by
which unprincipled politicians and theil
Short boy adherents have ruled the con.
ventions and forced the nomination o.
scamrs and scoundrels upon the better
men of sll parties. Conventions are
packed and the dominant party goe.
through with the form of nominating thu
candidates who were selected days o.
weeks before by a secret cabal. Men o
no principle, or of little ability, whose
election can reflect on their constituent
nothing but disgrace, are promoted, while
those who could serve the people to bet
ter purpose and with more honor, are
showed one side. The honest masses whit
would bolt, are spurred up to the supper
of these miscreants by the plea that NJ
man has a right to bolt his party nomina
tions-that every one must abide tn,
action of the convention.
1t is time that freemen spurn party or
CARNATIONS and party nominees that reel
with corruption. They are under no obi
CATION to sustain fraud or injustice. LIE
them set themselves against this packed
convention system, and vote for men o
principle and they will purify politics.
Where party is supposed to be, or is in
large majority, nomination is considered
equal to an election, hence the fraud an'
trickery used to secure a nomination
Where the parties are more evenly bal
anced, there is more honesty in thei
action.
The adoption of the ballot-box for tn
selection of candidates, has been foun'
beneficial in some of the older States. Il
some counties the candidates for the fal
elections are designated at the town cleo
tons in the spring In other cases, eac
candidate comes out on his own hook an
the people are at liberty to indorse G
reject him. Either mode is better tina
the system of packed conventions.