New-York daily tribune., 1865-11-25
Hew shall Candidates be seiectcdf

To he Editor u The ~ y. Tnbune
SIR: | have read with satisfaction your
structures on the swndling Delegate System, by "lc"
nominations are made. For several years l haVo a'
tended the primary meetings and delegate e'conS VI
my party. for other purpose than 10 oiSon"s' III!
duty in endeayoring to secure the nomination o ono'
and capable men; but am entirely disgn'ea WIN '"e
sy.teln and consider IL useless for honest men 10 ~
any mart in them Nor see how the plan OF ruo'
lie Requisiton" proposed by you. can be madc prucea
Bile as il does not establish any organized BODY TO de
eroine upon the claims or qualifications Of candidates
What appears to me TO be wanted Is plan by when
the legal yoters in each election district, or diVison
NAV select their delegates without the contest oi an
election hy majority vote Such contest always re-
suits n the cheating Of the cthcns candidate OUT VI
delegate. 49,, ,.,-t. -.
delegates by a plurality vote which could be- done by
each legal voter Of division voting Tor one uroeho
only ard the delegates receiving the hlgnest NUM-
Der Of votes 90 be elected; tho Moe ptrrohs thus
to constitute the division or precinct convention WIN
power to eject all delegates O. represent the dsoh III
The various nominating conventions.
1t IL evident thst. hy clccting delegates upon tl'
princrle the intelligent substantial citizens Who nave
but l,tlo time To- devote To politics. would secure iar
proportion of delegates nnd the contest FOR mnJory
between any two delegates would be avoided WIN 'e
temptation ~ cheat also, and our nominating cohNcn
ton, would otce more be composed of intelligent cl-
z.rs who have ren interest IN good government 10
stead II tie polite huckstcrs wh" 81 Late SEEK 'Ho
T. siiOn for other motive than :" sell ther 'o'es 10
the candidate ,hHt will pny the musk money lr h q.
You're truly lspEPRNDENr.
PhHaisipAia. Nov. 10 lro5.
R,mark,.-lndependent plan might work
well once-possiby twice-but the machine
politicians would soon get tho hang of 1t, and
make it grind ont exactly such delegates A.
they wanted. One or two independents might
occasionally be chosen but only 10 serve aS
respectable fgure-hcads behind which the job
bcrs would DO just rs they have done.
No: the system of Primary Meetings and
Nominating Conventions is a failure. |. never
can be made 10 favor honesty and capacity,
ave in exceptional cases, which only ssrye to
prove the rule. Where a district ia supposed to
be adverse, so that the candidate is pretty GER
tain to be defeated. You can often nominate n
good man; but, as a rule, selfseekers and the
tools of rapacious jobbers stand the better
chance TO be nominated ard elected.
The Rcquislion system is no novelty. 1t is
substantially the system that kept such men As
Clay, Webster and Calhoun in the House of
Representatives. till called 10 more important
duties elsewhere. Il i the system which ena-
bles the voters to exercise deliberate choice,
instead Of compelling them to vote for the can
dilate ground cut 10y A machine or vote against
their party. Let as many candidates be pre-
seuted as can find respectable men to present
them; then let any political committee recon.
mend a concentration OF the party vote on this
or that candidate, and let the people DO As they
think fit about needing the recommendation.
But good many Of the animals that now get
not only nominated but elected would not have
the brass to allow themselves even TO be pre-
aented under system that would necessarily
briug them into damaging contrast with ADLER
and worthior men.
We hope to sec the better system fairly in
angurated at our approaching Chatter Election,