The Portland daily press., 1867-09-16

PORTLAND.
MONDAY Morning. September Is, 1867.


Character i'm Politics. vaH "
The cry of"Measures, not Men," has been
60 often raised TO distract attention from the
petty schemes of trading politicians that there
is danger ofa reaction which will leave us no
more potent spell than the impartial invoca-
ton of the Ring, "May the best man VIM
The truth is we want both good measures and
good men, and character is an element which
cannot safely be left out OF political calcula,
tons. Principles are abstract and colorless; I;
they must be personified to command enthu-
siastic support. Men in this State walked ten
miles in 1860 to touch DOUGLASS hand for q
moment, and believed in 'squatter sovereign
"" ever after with loyalty touching to be-
hold. Ifa man like Douglas, with dogma
so absurd, could excite such devotion, what
might not truly great man accomplish as
the representative Of a truly great principle!
We have seen this year two Illustrations on
a grand scale OF the miserable folly ofdepend-
ing on measures so absolutely as TO disregard
tine character OF the men selected as their ex-
ponents. In Connecticut we have seen
man who is known wherever he is known at
all as an ingenious cheat, buying a nomina-
tion for Congress, and breaking down his par
ty throughout the State. In California we
have seen notorious lobbyist buying the
nomination for governor; and we have seen
majority Oftwenty thousand votes crumbling
and sinking away beneath him. In both
these States the Democratic nominations
were wisely made. Governor En- glsh was
never Copperhead, and is so far as we know
man Of character and ability. Mr.. Haight,
who has just been elected governor of Calitor-
mia, though he has recently separated from
the Republican party, was during the war an
active Republican and justly commands the
respect and esteem OF all who know him.
Both these States are Republican to-day, yet
in both the administration has been suffered
to fall into Democratic hands by the miscon-
duct Of the Republican managers. e.
In every association ofmen there are per-
sons who, from various motives and in vari-
Gus ways, succeed in exercising controlling
influence, proportioned usually TO their zeal
and activity. What is thus true ofthe church,
is true also of political parties. The nominal
tions ofpolitical candidates are not made by
the people, but by so many OF the people as
take sufficient interest in the matter to attend
the primary meetings and see personally
to the selection of the delegates to at
tend the nominating conventions. In
theory every man may take part in the
caucus; but in practice comparatively few
will. While human nature remains unchang-
ed, this state of things will continue, and we
must expect to see the work of selecting can
didates left by general consent to the compar-
atively small number of citizens who are will
ling to undertake it. There is considerable
dissatisfaction just now with the machinery
of caucuses and conventions by which unity
of action is secured, and the Philadelphia
Loyal League has even offered a list of prizes
for the four best essays "on the legal organiz-
alton Of the people to select candidates for of
fice." The difficulty is not in the machinery,
however, but in the neglect of the people to
use the power they already have. The great
majority Of members of both parties prefer to
leave this work to the comparatively few who
are willing to do it; and no change of ma
chinery willcompela man to take part in a
business from which he chooses to hold him
self excused. eHT4 -Hu a 'sFo
Such being the actual state of things-and
we must deal with things in this world as
they are, and not as we fancy they ought to
be-what remedy is left, il the men who con-
troll the nominations do not give us good can
didates? Plainly, there is only one. There
is but single way in which they can be held
to their responsibility for the character of the
men they put forward; and that is by regis
tering a just Judgment at the polls. No citi-
zen in the exercise of right so sacred as the
right of suffrage has any business to allow his
action to be governed by personal pique OIL
prejudice; but on the other hand, no citizen
has any right to vote for a bad man, except as
choice OF evils under circumstances which
do not occur once in hundred years. 1t is
to the credit Of the Republican party that the
Irregular nomination" has never been recog
nized as ofany binding force upon it's mem
bers, unless it is good nomination. John
Morrissey could be elected to Congress by
Democratic votes in New York; but Peter
Barnum, though much more estimable citi.
zen, could not find Republican votes enough
in his district to secure the same honor. II
the disasters in Connecticut and Californis
serve to remind the party managers there and
elsewhere that they are responsible for theil
| management to a superior power, the lesson
could not have come at better time. The
Democrats in minority well nigh hopeless
have now every reason for putting forward theil
best men. The Republicans, after repeated
triumphs, had become perhaps too confident
With principles drawn directly from the Dec
laration of Independence, we are sure of vic
tory if we send our strongest men to the front
but we cannot afford to depend upon princi
Piles alone; it is by living men and not by dis
embodied ideas that the battle must be Tough
| and won