The Portland daily press., 1867-07-31

American politics have given birth to sew
eral words that do not belong to the English
language i'd est, the language sof England,
amongst which are the indispensable caucus
and thereproachful gerrymander. II we have
coli cd new word at the head of this article,
it is because we have in this country more
candidates for public Office than any other ma
ton, and the writer ha, desired a concentrated
term which shall express the radical state or
condition of that large and comprehensive
class of American citizens. 1t is tothe candi-
dacies of our republican machinery that he
marks. aom
In country like ours, where all men vote,
and but one ticket can be elected, it is evident
that there must be some system of eoncen-
tratlng, in advance, public suffrage upon can
didates, otherwise no election by majorities
could be secured; but it is grave question,
,chat is the best system, or which oneis liable
to the fewest evils for the accomplishment of
this object. When our government COM
menced, its election machinery was an experi-
ment, and then no system of nomination had
been devised, but people cast around them for
the man best qualified for the Office, talked
the matter over patriotically among them
selves, and, perhaps without consulting the
individual at all, went freely to the polls and
voted him in. Then nothing was thought Of
but to take men on account of their superior
merit, and public officers in tLose days COM
manded respect and obedience in their places
because they were entitled tomore than COM
mon Difference by the superiority of their tai
ent and virtues. They "magnified their Of
fices,n-the Office was not necessary to mag
nifty Them. Even village squire in those
days was looked up to as the patriarch of the
place, because no one not skilled in the law
and of sound Judgment could obtain Justices
commission. f-taa -i.as
As in popular elections car didates were Sc
lected by force of public esteem which des-
ionated them as the most worthy, so In the
Executive appointments, national and State,
in the early examples OF Washington as Pres
ident or Hancock as Governor, careful en-
quiry was made as to who, in particular To-
calities. were the most trustworthy and the
best qualified; and the commissions were
made out for them, often without their being
apprised of their appointment till officially
announced. The writer, in his own little
cltv. enioys the society often of an octogena-
rian gentlemen very learned in law and poll
ties-having sustained the highest judicial Of
fee in the State-who has entertained and
instructed him in relation 10 the course taken
in his young days, by Washington as Presi-
dent of the United States and Hancock as
Governor of Massachusetts,, in appointing
men TO Office. 1t was done by no petition
aot ND by an office-seeker or his friends an
ofice-seeker, in those days, was ere; t1re to
be frowned upon. 1t was enough to deiea'
the purposes of any man, If he was iouno "
be intriguing for place.
But Washington had reliable friehuS ~
ery State: and if an appointment was "
made he caused inquiries to be maue ~ .ne
right direction for the purpose Oh ascertain,
mo who would best serve in the ofhce; ana
nerbaps the first thing which that gentleman
would know about it, was, that he would DC