The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1866-02-17
ORR PARTY ORGANIZATION.
A New Plan to Nominate Candidates

A New Plan to Nominate CanuludIes'
We wish the democrats of Rock Island, the
city and the township, to consider few sug-
eestions we have to make in regard to party
organization, party caucuses, the mode OF
nominating candidates, &C., &c.
We think our party organization is defect
we and inefficient, and the manner in which |
candidates are brought out is not always
satisfactory. The remedy We propose is to
adopt the system of holding primary cleo
tions. which is so successful in other cities,
and, hereafter. hold no nominating caucuses.
The plan is as follows:
Let the city and township committees hold
meeting, and issue q notice, to all democrats,
TO hold an election, in their respective wards,
on day to be named. at which all demo-
Gratis will 20 and vote for the man they want
for a candidate for mayor; also for
tho man they want for candi-
date for police magistrate also
the man or men lin their ward) they want as
candidates for aldermen also at the same
time to vote for and elect ward committee,
say, of three 10 each ward, and let this COM
mittee be called the city and township com-
mittee, and have the management of party
affairs for the city and the township. The
boundaries of the city and the boundaries of
the township are so nearly alike that this
can very properly be done.
Let the ward committees all meet and elect
IF hair
chairman of the city and township commit
tee, and let him have vote only when there
may be tie.
For the first primary election, let the pres
ent committees meet and appoint men In
each ward to receive and keep an account Of
the votes and return them to the man who
may be elected chairman of the city aud
township committee.
Let it be perfectly understood that the man
who gets plurality of ell the votes cast in
all the wards shall be the candidate tor
rnayor,-aud so of police magistrate. And
that the same rule be applied to the choice of
ward officers, aldermen, committees, &c., &c.
When the votes are returned to the chair
man OF the city and township committee. let
him announce, through the columns OF the
democratic newspaper, the men who are
chosen for candidates, &C., &C., and let every
democrat, in city and township, abide by the
decision thus made and go to work and elect
the candidates.
The advantages of this plan are very OBJ
vious: It ensures perfect fairness In nomln-
Sota "a K
ing or managing or controlling of caucusss.
And it ensures to the party, in each ward,
the management OF its own affairs.
For the nomination of candidates for town
ship officers. let primary election be held
at the court house 1.-THE place where the legal
election is held) under the charge of men
appointed by the city and township commit
tee. and let the returns be made to the chair
man of the city and township committee, and
the announcement made in the newspaper, as
before stated.
We think this plan would simplify and
render effective our organization, ensure per-
feet fairness to all, and, as a matter of course.
produce and preserve harmony in our ranks.
OF course, no man who is not known to be
democrat should be permitted to vote al
these primary elections. ANY one can see
that, however much wemay desire the votes of
our political opponents, On the legal election
day, it would BIO very improper to permit
them to vote at the primary elections, where
democrats alone should decide for themselves
who shall be their party candidates.
We ask the democrats to consider these
suggestions and express their opinion upon
this plan, to the committees And we ask
the committees to meet at the editorial room
of the ARGUS Office, on Monday evening, to
decide whether this plan shall be adopted, or
whether we shall 60 OF in the old hap-hazard
way.
The committees are as follows:
City Committees. B. Stoddard, Thomas
Birmingham, r. B. Taylor, Geo. W. Copp.
o. j. Dimick.
Township Committee-Wm Shearer. j. M.
Buford, FL. Burgower, VIM. f. Gilmore, JAS.
Broderick.
These gentlemen are requested to meet at
our editorial room at O'Clock Monday eve
ming.
George Bsncroft's Grafton on the death Of
Lincoln provokes severe censure. Il is said
to have bean simply historical essay IN,
terspersed with insults to foreign ministers,
and slyly discourtsous to President John.
son. In consequence of some expression
used by him, in referring to foreign govern
ments, the Austrian minister has refused an
introduction to him, and the British minister
defined to attend a dinner party at which