The Kansas herald of freedom., 1859-07-16
peiega,. couyep,ious.

The opposition papers now and then
unwittingly tell truth. In denouncing
beforehand the Charleston Convention,
the Tribune strikes a blow at the Phila.
delphia Republican Convention of 1856,
and its platform. 1t says: "Our Caucus
and Convention system, when operating
on national theater, is almost as bad as
a constitutional monarchy, with its acci-
dents of birth" True, and no less true
in regard TO State and County Conven-
tions. Executive committees so lay the
wires as to secure in their own hands
present and future control o. their respec-
tive parties. Men of first-class ability
could not, ifthey would, stoop to the level
of the pot-house politicians, who are the
most active and efficient partisans. They
force good men off from the track, and
put on those of mediocre ability and un-
scrupulous as to principle-men who can
stoop to the level of liquor sellers and
drunkards, and command their votes, and
thus prove themselves the "most avoida-
Bile candidates"
The Tribune proceeds to say 4:
"And, not content with debating can
didates, and sentencing to the party gull
lotine those who repudiate the dictators
and their nominees, these irresponsible
conclaves prescribe the creed of the party
in respect to all questions past, pending,
ard prospective. A mass of undigested
verbiage, called PLATFORM usually pre-
scented to the Convention just as every
member is rushing for the door or the de-
pot, and which few understand and all
soon forget, becomes, henceforth, by vir-
tue of such action, the irrevocable creed
of the party, to which every orator, edi-
tor and candidate, in the exciting canvass
that follows, is required to conform in
thought, word and deed. Everybody
knows that creeds thus originating have
no effect in producing identity of senti-
ment in the party; win no votes to its
candidates, while they repel many and
usually fail within the scope of the criti-
cism that Webster, with more wit than
wisdom, bestowed upon the Buffalo plat
form, viz That all which it contained
that was true was not original, and all that
was original was not true p"
Scarcely better description could be
given of the manner in which the 0sawat-
omie platform hal its birth. A member
of that Convention remarked, that the
later period at which the platform was
reported, and the debate continued, the
more probable was its adoption. For the
WEAKNESS of the members, and their de-
sire to leave for home, would induce
them to vote for platform not entirely
) acceptable. Yet the Shibboleth of the
, Osswatomie platform is thrust in the face
of every Free State voter, and if he hest
tates moment in pronouncing it, he il
, denounced as traitor to freedom.
: No doubt the same game will be played
r at the coming Territorial Convention
l The Lawrence platform will be made thu
3 test of political honesty, and he will b,
branded as knave who processes to b,
in favor of freedom, and yet dares to &C
independent Of caucus platforms an,
nominations. If the tried friends of free
dom should refuse to be party to tn
wire-pulling of delegate conventions, ant
support only independent candidates o
known worth, the power of the Caucu
and Delegate Convention system would
be broken. Politicians would learn that
after all, honesty and real ability consti
tute true availability.