Vermont daily transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1868-1870, 1868-08-15
Il Word to Republicans.

The following article we copy from
the last number of the Green Mountain
Freeman. The article was undoubtedly
written by its able editor, Hon. G.. w.
Willard, the nominee for Congress in
the First Congressional District. The
article is candidly written, and should
receive fair con sideration.-EDs.
1t is fundamental principle upon
which all Republican governments are
founded, that 'majorities must rule"
| Societies, associations and parties recog-
nize this truth, and no one ought to eX-
pect, in joining any of these bodies,
that his Individual preference or inter-
es;, should take precedence of the wish
es or will of majority of those associat-
cd with him. 1t may be and doubtless
is true that majorities are not always
right nor are minorities always wrong
vet to adopt any otherrule for associated
men than that the will of the majority,
fairly and legitimately expressed, should
have a binding force upon all melEb ers
composing stch bodies, would at once
lead to confusion and anarchy, and be
destructive of all good sought to be OBJ
tanned by banding together for mutual
protection, action and benefit.
Each individual in joining political
party, for instance, virtually adopts its
principles, and promises to support its
candidates when fairly nominated. He
expects to give up his own personal pre-
possessions for men, if perchance the
majority Of the party happen to have
opposite preferences, and put in nomi-
nation candidates for office other than
those he desired nominated. There is
no yielding of principle or sacrifice of
true independence in doing this. 1t is
only concession that others may be
right and he unintentiOnally wrong OF
misjudging. In other words it is SIM
ply an admission that one may not al
ways be infallible, and all other fallible,
if they chance to differ from him. We
often hear it remarked of well-meaning
men who have committed some blundeI
or petty malfeasance, that such an act
was an error Of the head rather than OF
the heartily which we are expected
to understand that the heart is the safer
counsellor, and the man has only been
lead astray by the misguided impulse OF
the head. Now we have often thought
the "desires of the heart" were quite as
unsafe councillors as the impulse of the
head, and that when we greatly coveted
the nomination of q particular man tC
office, while majority of our party pre-
fered some other person, it were well tC
pause and consider whether those desires
of the heart had not befogged our judg
ment, and led us possibly to consider
any one but our favOrite an unsuitable
candidate for the place.
We have been led to these reflections
by observing disposition in Franklin
County as well as in some otherpOrtions
of the State to "bolt" part of the reg
ularly nominated Republican ticket. A
split in any party has tendency t.
weaken that party, and should never be
permitted, save for good and sut1icien
reasons. In case an improper unprin
cipled man foists himseltupOn the ticke
by unfair and disgraceful appliances
by bribery or by surreptitiously packing
the convention or the nominating com
mittee, it is not only right
but it is the duty of all homes
men to repudiate and refuse to supper
such nominee. The good of the part.
demands that at our hands. But in thi
State the instances that would justify
, bolt seldom occur. All preliminar,
| meetings for selecting candidates ar
f seasonably called, and all have due no
tce to attend and put in nomination
the very best men. Ordinarily no undu
or unjustifiable appliances are used t.
, induce men to be present or to cOrrup
t those who are present. The proceed
ings are not secret, butall have a chanc
to participate in the action of the con
: ventiOn. And when convention thu
constituted and carried forward, puts it
ticket in nomination, it is the duty O
those who participated or might hav
| participated in its proceedings, to cor
daily support the men put forward a
t the standard bearers of the party. One
g duty to his party friends demands this
e ones self respect is lowered wheneverh
swerves from good faith in this matter
I Constituted as men are it is impossibl
e to just please everybody, in nominating
a man to represent town or an entir
D county. But what matters it whethe
zoe are pleased or not. If the nomine