The weekly North-Carolina standard., 1868-09-30
Party Discipline.

The Republican party has passed through
infancy, childhood, youth, and is now ap-
preaching manhood. With the election of
Grant and Colfax it will have reached that
important period of life and have hidden
farewell to the follies of its earlier days.
With manhood the passions of youth should
come under the control of the will, and judg-
ment assume its sway in4the formation of
character. A well bala,seod and disciplined
manhood will secure ripe and joyous old
age and command the reverence of many and
the respect of all Parties as well as men
must either exercise self discipline or be dis
cipined in the rough experience of frequent
failures and rash and badly considered acts.
The Republican party is christalized around
principles and not around men. But the
principles of the party can find expression
only through the leaders of the party and
the press behind them. That the party may
act as a unit and the principles possess a
body, certain set of rules are tacitly agreed
upon and men go before caucusses and con-
ventions for nomination, and more or less ire
gularity will always characterize their ac-
ton.
But rival contestants, holding the same
political principles, go before them and
agree to submit to the result. So long as
human nature remains imperfect, more or less
trickery will be resorted to by those ambitious
to secure nomination. But forewarncd is to
be forearmcd, and candidatesfo for Office should
know this imperfection of human nature OF
should not be candidates. If they pledge
themselves to abide by the open vote of the
caucus or convention, and are defeated, when
the vote is made known they have no
party right to question it Or 60 back of the
record.
No party can stand year upon any other
ruling. The old Democratic party, the best
organized one this country has ever had,
adhered to this rule, and had it clung to
sound principles as firmly, would have been
the ruling power to-day. The Rer ,blican
party is strong because it has within it
the best party managers and the best par
| ty disciplinarians of the old Democratic
party, and would have gone down in ruins
long ago but for their presence.
North Carolina now has an opportunity to
huild up party that will hold the State for
half generation. It can do it only through
party discipline. The rules laid down by
caucuses and conventions must be obeyed,
and all who will not obey them should not
be considered in full harmony with the par
ty and not entitled to its highest rewards.
Party discipline saved the nation, and that
glorious old whipper-in, Thad. Stevens,
brought it up in solid column, with not de-
serter, whenever the Democratic party array
ed its best talent to divide and scatter it.
The Reconstruction laws are the result of
party discipline. The weakened and
timid conservative Republicans of the Ray
mond school threatened to bolt time and
again, but well trained old Democratic But
lers brought them to their feet, and whenev-
er the final vote was called for, "aye" and
not "no" rang over the hall in obedience to
party discipline. The most vital measures
for the suppression of the rebellion were the
result of party discipline, and could the
Democratic party have demoralized their
opponents the south would have been sue
cessful.
Without, therefore, entering into the details
of local politics, we ask Republicans with the
best offeeling towards all the rival candidates,
to preserve in all they do sound party disci-
pline, and in their own individual cases
yield implicitly to its rule 1t may check
your aspirations to-day, but tomorrow it
may secure the object of your ambition. But
| if your heart is with the Democratic party,
go there; if you are sound Republican, be
one of the party in earnest and yield obedi-
ence to its rules. E