, 1859-04-22
Conventions.

blying Of the county convention for the
nomination Of delegates to the Territorial
Convention, and also, for the selection Of
representatives and other county officers
the precinct meetings for the nomination Of
delegates to attend which was recommended
to have taken place on Saturday last, and
the proceedings Of Olympia and Chambers
Prairie precincts will be found in another
column. 1t is to bo presumed that all the
precincts in the county have made their
nominations Of such persons aswill attend,
and will carry out the views of those they
are TO represent. If otherwise, il will be
the fault Of the members of the party
themselves, as due notice has been given
.thTongh the FrgTar channel as to the time
Of the meeting Of the convention, and
should not the will Of the majority of the
party be fairly expressed tomorrow, it will
be the fault Of wilfully delinquent OF neg
lectful pretending members, in refusing or
failing TO attend the primary assemblages,
and give expression to their preferences
As the time for the meeting of the Ter
ritorial Convention has been fixed to take
place on May 10th, it will be seen that
Monday. three weeks hence, falls npon that
day. This is fact that the democracy in
each county that have not already taken
the initiative in being properly represented,
should at once commence earnestly to pom
der oyer--rally oat as one man, in re-
spouse to the cab oftheir appropriate COM
mittecs;a mud should they be laggard or neg
lectful in making such call, or where no
committees have been appointed, then meet
by common, general understanding. But
in order to avoid bogus delegations, we
would suggest that wherever q county COM
mittee may have been brought legitimately
into existence. its call and all regular pro-
ceedings under it, should be strictly re-
garded and eonformed with. Let faction,
everywhere, and in all shapes, be promptly
re5uksd, apd let the doctrine be insisted
upon that the majOriiy and mot the will and
ends of desigaiag triekste,s shall prevail.
As to,thc history Of political conventions
IN our country, it is well known that it is
as old as is the history Of our nations set.
tlement and progress. From the days Of
the foundation Of the national democratic
and federal parties, each have been Orrayed
against the other upon respective principles
leach maintaining strict party discipline,
and in separate conventions selecting theil
ablest and strongest men to carry those
principles ont 3 and thus, with the excep
ton Of few memorable instances, has il
been that through the agency of conven
tions and platform Of principles, the ma
tional democratic party has been enabled
to sustain itself since the days of the illus
triOus J.6ersOr, against all opposition.
Unfortunately, Of late years, although
we boast Of government by the people
a national demoerdcy-it. has been founC
that there has been quite too general al
infusion into it Of deluAgogues-sel6sh ant
corrupt polticians-of men who assume III
naise but to obtain power and place, tl
render the actions of conventions at al
times healthy, and in accordance with the
true principles lay which we profess to bt
governed In some portions of the Union
to snch an extent has fraud and corruption
been prsctcea by political knaves that il
primary selections of persons to fill Office
the convention system has been wholly alb
jured, and the "popwtar rste" system insti
tuted-that is to say, the party in the diff
fercnt towns or precincts vote directly, il
their primary assemblages, for the person
they desire to ill the various offices-eyery
thing is made matter of record-and
duplicate copy of the proceedings in eacl
town or precinct is foTwer rded to som,
authorized officer, when the county com
mittee, previously elected in this manner
assemble upon a day fixed for that purpose
examine the poll aud declare the result o
the party's nominations in the same manner
that the result Of elections are with us de
clared
The above is direci way Of arriving al
the wishes of the party as to nomination,
for Office, without the necessity of its being
driven two or three times around thorr
tree and then up hill," before an expires
sion can be obtained-and even then, il
might be, Of doubtful character as to a
true one
When honestly conducted, convention,
for the making of nominations, are supposed
to lie a body Of representatives, acting un
der authority Of the party selecting them