Arizona miner., 1868-01-11
Party Organization.

on to select those who will represent us in the Territorial Legislature. and the National 1 Congress. It is argued by some of both par ties, that as we have no vote in the National ! Congress, it is unwisc and nexpedent in us ! to draw party lines, or to discuss party poll l tics. Now, can it be, that an American citi- | zen, born beneath the protecting wgis soi the | American Government, and the recipient ol the blessings of American liberty, and Amer !. ican institutions from his childhood is, in the | faithful discharge of his duty, when he stand passively by, while political questions of the greatest moment to our country-qucstions upon the correct solution of which depends the perpctuity of our institutions and our lib- erties-are being discussed and decided. l cannot think so. If he loves his country and it's institutions, if he would aid in maintain ing and perpetuating his Government and his liberties, if he would discharge the duty of the patriot as one of the soyreigns of the Re public, in my judgment it becomes his duty to investigate carefully and closely the polit- ical questions presented, and according to his judgment, determine the right, and when the right is thus determined, it becomes his du- ty as a citizen and patriot, so far as he may, to aid in the triumph of the right. Now if am right in my conclusions as to the duty of the citizen, and i! the members of the polt- ical parties of the day are honest in the eS- pressed belief that the principles entertained by the parties to which they belong respect lively, are those calculated to serve the best interests of the country, then it seems to me to follow as an inevitable conclusion that it is their bounden duty as citizens and patriots, to aid in the success of the principles thus adhered to by the party 10 which they be- long. Now l am of the opinion that no one thing tends so much to the success of princi- pie as the organized and concerted efforts of its adhercnts. Without the organization of party, political demagogues--men whose sole purpose and object is to gratify their personal ambition and private interest, having no re gard to the public good, intrude themselves upon the public attention us candidates for office; they are necessarily comparatively | strangers to the majority of those whom they seek to represent, and, for the time, en- deayor to make their political notions accord with those of each man they meet, and by this species of fraud, elevate themselves to ! office. know of no better way of remedy
 ing this evil than to organize the political parties. By organization, the evil complained
 of, is remedied through conventions. The
 delegates in convention canvass the merits of
 the aspirants for office, and in majority of
 cases select the better man-one whose po- litical principles are in unison with the party whose standard bearer he is, and one whose interests are identified with the interests of
 those whom he desires to represent In this
 way the masses, through their representatives,
 select their candidates, instead of having the
 candidates intrude themselves upon them un-
 biddcn.
 Again, by party organization, the political
 issues of the day are brosgh: before the
 masses by the standard bearers of the respect
 i've parties, and the public press, and there
 discussed and the public mind enlightened
 If it be true that this is a Government of tho
 people, and that each citizen, however humbl, he may be, forms component part thereof [ and is entitled to avoice in the administration
 of the same, then whatever aids him in cast
 ing that voice understandingly and intellig
 bly, contributes to the good of the country
 Organization, in my judgment, tends mucl to the triumph of the principles of the part,
 in the majority, sfa though ws have iio yot' n Congress, yet the result Of our election f conducted upon party principles, has its infiu
 ence Our delegate in Congress will have hi
 influence, and that influence will be in behal
 of what the majority regard as correct prin f ciples.
 l Then, Sir, let the Democratic party organ
 ize. Let the Democracy of the Territor, , hold Territorial Convention to nominate
 candidate for Delegate to Congress, and le
 each section of the Territory vie with tn other in efforts to put forth a good and tru
 man, one who is devoted to the intcreststs o
 the Territory as well as attached to the prin ciples of the party. By so doing we will no
 only have served the Territory, but will hay done what we might in aid of those princi [ pies in which we believe rests the salvation
 and perpetuity of that Government institu ted by the Fathers of the Republic. The grea 7 majority of the people of this Territory be | lieve that our interests have been neglecte in the National Congress by those who wer h specially deputed by us to look after thos
 interests. To aid in preventing recurrenc