The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-06-08

Nominations for Presidency -Caucuses and
Conventions Versus tho Popular Will.
We are on the eve of great change in that
important part of our political machinery, the
nomination of men for the Presidency. Can
didates who are merely the results Of party
bargains-who owe their prominence to the
greater or less strength Of this or that CLIQUE
in some set assemblage of huckstering polit-
cians-who are the accidents of political
condition, and represent only the compromises
and cheats of party strife-such men can no
longer be accepted by the country, as rallying
points for the expression of the popular pur-
pose on great questions, or as the deliberate
selections of the national will for the highest
place in the gift Of the people.
Washington was nominated for first President
by the reclamation of the countryside spon-
taneous expression Of every part Of the people;
and that was q case in which there could
be no doubt who should be advanced to the
first political dignity. But in subsequent cleo.
tons, as no man was so definitely the repre-
sentative of the national ideas-as differ
ences on points Of policy began 10 originate
parties, the parties were put 70 choosing from
their leaders the best type Of themselves and
ablest defender of their principles. Caucuses
of Congressman were the first machinery for
thus settling q party choice and these eau
cuses acted with comparative honesty; for the
men they put in nomination-all our early
Presidents-were strictly typical Of the great
divisions of national thought, and were also
men Of high character-men who had achieved
distinction for ability and worth
But from the caucuses this work Of organic.
zing the people for elections fell into the
hands of conventions as they exist at the
present time. In these bodies originated the
corruption of the country that now appals the
people. Decentralization, beginning there,
spread into all parts Of our political system,
until honor and honesty are no longer regarded
as having any association with politics, and
votes and Offices are bought as openly and un-
blushingly, with as little sense of shame in the
transaction as though they were fish in the
market Conventions began by cheating the
people they were chosen to act for-putting
up second and third rate men, with whom
they could make terms, rather than great
leaders, who would not stoop to tread
the devious ways Of corruption. Thus some Of
the great men Of our history have been shut
out OF the Presidency. and that high place has
been filed by others absolutely unworthy such
honor. How large share this fact has had in
causing our present troubles every man who
will think can see for himself Finding how
complete was their party control, these conven-
tons ran riot with their trading, and this
degraded the personnel Of the conventions
They are now made up Of men to whom the
places are accorded as 80 much property.
Every vote is sold, If not for money, for office,
and no politician dare so insult common sense
as to pretend that these bodies represent any
respectable portion Of the people
win the people, then, any longer consent to
be disgraced by the existence of these selfcon-
stiuied bodies Of political buyers and sellers
Evidently not. Conventions are repudiated by
the national intelligence Such organization
Of the people, good enough in its origin, is no
longer necessary. Through the press, the tele-
graph and the railroad, communication Is now
80 rapid and constant, the transmission Of ideas
is so easy. that the people can come to
an understanding without any such interme-
diary bodies. II o mass meeting of the
respectable men Of New York express their
preference for Grant, the fact will be known
over the whole country the next day, and other
cities will take action for or against as their
Judgment may dictate. Choice by the mass Of
the people, not by representatives, must deter
mine for the future the great question Of nomi-
nations. Time is ripe for It the press affords
the means Of INSTRUMENTATION, and by this
means the people must throw of the yoke Of
so-called leaders and cease to be the property,
the political chattels, Of self-constituted con-
ventions.