Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1859-07-22

To the Republicans Of Husc ltias County :
AT the last convention Of the Republican
party OF this county, held June 18th, the fol.
lowing resolution was unanimously adopted:
"Resolrtd, That we would recommend to
the Republican Central Committee Of this
county, a cal for Mass Convention for the
nomination ofcandidstes for the October
election, in which convention the members
from the several townships, shall be entitled
to cast the number Of votes due to their re.
spsctivs townships" NhfF' I *
In compliance with the. recommendation
Of this Convention, the Republican Central
Committee have held several meetings to
take into consideration the plan proposed
by it for calling the next Convention.
Your Committee have decided to adopt the
change proposed by the Convention, and to
issue call for the next Convention, in, nc.
cordance Herewith, which will be found ia
another column. In SO doing, your Com.
mittee have not been guided 80 much by
their own opinions, us by regard to the
sentiments of the party, as expressed by
its representation in the June Gonvcitinn.
They agree with that Convention ii, the
opinion thlt som, wty moro republican
in its charac er and better adapted tor the
full, fee and general expression Of the Will
OF the people, in the nomination Of their
candidates. than the delegate system, has
been for long time extremely desirable,
and they believe that the plan proposed by
the Convention and adopted by the commit
tee, will more. nearly and satisfactorily SO
cure such an expression, than the old dele.
gate conventions.
1t has been matter of rerroach and scan.
DIAL to the action of the people in their polit
ical assemblies in NIL parts of the country
where the system of delegate conventions
has prevailed, that these conventions were
subject to be easily packed by designing
men and intriguing politicians, and 10 con
sequence thereof, hardly ever express the
true sentiments of the people themselves
The delagets system has consequently been
discarded in many of the States, and is rap.
idly growing out Of favor with the people
and into disuse. The ordinary Mass Con.
ventlons sometimes substituted in their
place, where the people assemble in mass,
aud vote individually for the candidates, is
subject to still more serious objection
which prevents it almost universally from
being true exponent of the wishes of the
people. 1t gives an unfair and dangerous
preponderance to those townships and towns
nearest the place of meeting, and puts it in
the power of one small locality " thickly
populated, especially in large town, by
turning out in large numbers, to override
and defeat the wishes of the entire remain.
der of the county. This has fortunately
never occurred in the history Of the Repub.
lican party of this county, but we can prof,
by the exper;e nce of other parties who have
tried it. 1t was to avoid this evil attendant
upon all ordinary mass conventions, you,
Committee suppose, that the late Convention
recommended the calling of u Mas Conven.
ton, NTH one important alteration, viz
that the people assembled in Mass Ccnven.
ton cote By townships, and that each town.
ship by its representatives in the Conven.
tion casts number of votes in proportion
to the number of Republican votes polled IN
such township at the last general election.
This arrangement, therefore, will leave i,
perfectly free and open to any and every
Republican in the County to attend the Con.
ven,ion and vote directly or the men of bis
choice as candidates for the several offices,
and ut the same time it will secure to each
township its due proportion of influence and
votes in the Convention.
Your Committee would, theref re, cor
daily and earnestly recommend to every
RepL blcan in the County who ON absent
himself for one day from his business and
his home, to come up to tn. Representative
Convention on the 2lst of August next. Let
every man who has an interest in the sue
cess cf our principles or the Choice Of our
candid dates make himself delegate, and lend
the weight of his influence to the proceed
ings OF the Convention, aud let US have such
all utpouring Of the people as has not .le-
fore been seen III this County, and as will lend
al irresistible impetus to the Whole CAM
paign. In the Convention the representatives
from: eacl, township must be the judges IF
those entitled to vote with them IS Repub.
licans, and Of the proportion Of their r,pre.
vote which they will give to each
candidate. The. representatives, from each
township wiN mol elect delegates u cast their
vo.es, but wiN cote directly for the candi
dates. The representatives from e,ch town
ship on the f,or Of the Convcn ion will
regulate for themselves their manner Of
voting and Of preventing improper votes.
HUGHJ CAMPBELL,
ASA GREGG,
JNO. r. MERRITT, -.
II. II HlNE.
WIN. PURCELL,
Republican Central COMMITTEES.