The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-08-20
BALTIMORE.
MONDAY, AUGUST 20, 1860

7, oyes us pleasure TO refer to our report of the
,roceedings of the meeting of citizens called for
saturday night 1t was not very large one
the attendance being limited by threatened
Storm resulting in a shower just at the hour fixed
for assembling and by the fact that mary of the
friends of the movement are out of town. 1t
was, however, quite large enough, and was com.
posed in great measure of the same men, and
actuated by the same spirit which gave form, and
purpose, and success to the reform measures of
the last year, at a moment when many were ready
to despair, and to which we owe it, that in one
short year we have exchanged the worst for the
best municipal police on this continent, and have
an election law, without which the present bright
hope of further municipal reform would be idle.
The objects of those composing the meeting are very
clearly and ably set forth in the address which
appears in its proper place, and we have no doubt
that the plan recommended for carrying out those
objects is, under all the circumstances, the best
which could have been adopted. 1t seems to have
been apprehended by some gentlemen present
that for body of citizens, without any color
or claim OF representative functions, TO assume the
responsibility of taking direct and immediate
steps TO nominate candidates for the approaching
municipal election was, in some sort, usurpa-
tion-ther authority TO do so might be called in
question. As the meeting claimed no authority
whatever, beyond The power of suggestion-wh ich
belongs to everybody--it cannot be affected by
such objections. 1t saw insuperable difficulties in
the way of carrying out its purpose of overthrow
ing party organizations by the use of party ma
chlnery. 1t saw what all rejecting men must
long ago have seen, that this party machinery is
of itself one of the gravest abuses of the times
which, so far from giving expression to the will of
the people, is the very surest means which has
ever been devised TO smother it. There is not
scoundrel in office by election who was not ssreg-
''ularly nominated" scoundrel cannot get
office in any other way-and so much has the
thing been perverted that scarcely anybody but
scoundrel can now get an office in that way.
We need reform quite as much in the
mode of presenting candidates, as in the candi-
dates presented, and indeed, if the matter be care
fully investigated it will be found that most of our
political difficulties may be traced to these nonina-
ting conventions as a stream may be traced to its
spring Once get men to agree in advance that
they will vote for anybody who may be presented
TO them In certain way, and the election becomes
OF secondary Importance to the nomination. 1t
is in vain to guard the purity of the ballot-box,
1t it is only to be used to carry out a foregone
conclusion arrived at by every species of fraud
and trickery At all events it is indispensable to
the success of the Independent movement at this
time, to reject such agencies and to throw itself
directly and unequivocaly on the good sense of
the people. 1t will go on therefore in the manner
indicated to recommend candidate for Mayor
We have no doubt it will recommend one who
may be safely elected as the chief execu-
tive officer of the city. We are, however,
prepared 10 say here that we attach no infal-
libility to even its judgment; we hope the
very best but we and others may be disappointed,
in which case shall, without any hesitation,
recommend others to do what we shall do our
selves-vote for somebody else. We must have
good man in every respect for this most impor-
tant post-more important now than almost ever
before. We do not intend to submit to the 'choice
"of difficulties which is the general result of
nominations, as heretofore made, and if we have
no candidate in the field whom we can conscien-
tiously support on grounds other than his being
the best one available, we shall not cease to urge
the choice of better man up to the very day of
the election