Vermont daily transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1868-1870, 1868-08-18
PrinI0rN MeetiNus.


at the primary meetings of the parry for
which they are accustomed to vote,
have the remedy in their own hands.
They should attend those meetings, and
eXorl all their influence to see that prop
er men are nominated. If they do not
work for the right men as well as for
the right measures, there is little pro-
prety in their grumbling that the
wrong men are selected as the represent
tatives of the right measures. Henry
Ward Beecher, in his sermon Of July
9Th, has some earnest, sensible, and in
cisive words on this subject, which eve
Try voter in the land should read and
commit to memory. They are these:
Christian men must learn their duty
to their country in regard to politics.
| we are to leave the administration of
public affairs to the men that most nat
urally take to them, we leave ourselves
to be governcdby dishonest men. There
is no hope, ifprofessional politicians are
to take the management of primary
meetings, and of general elections If
they are to select the candidates, then
manage for their election, and then
manage them when elected, there can
be but one termination to such a course
as that. We shall certainly sink under
the corruption that will ensue; we are
sinking already. There is but one REM
edy, aside from those | have already in
Dictated and every Christian man is to
consult, not his ease, nor his taste nor
his conscience, but his duty. You were
sworn when you were born into this
great nation. Birth is oath, in Ameri-
ca. And the man that sits ut his ease
and refuses to think, to vote, or act as a
citizen-politician, in this country, is Il
puriurer, and violates his most solemn
practical oath.
There is no man 50 pious that he
should not have much to do with pri
mary elections. There is no man SO
busy that he is not bound to take time
to attend them. 1t is the business of
every ward, it is the business of every
precinct, it is the business of every citi-
zen, of every neighborhood and cOmmu-
nifty TO see to it that interrupted and
uncorruptible men are first nominated
for Office secondly, elected. And what
ever is necessary to do, that becomes
your duty. If it requires you to 20 to
nasty places, you must go there. If it
requires you to meet bad company you
must meet bad company. Ii it requires
you to take time to manage wriggling
knaves, you must take time to manage
wriggling knaves The faithful house
wife cannot say, 81 have no time to eX-
terminate the pests Of the bed and clos
ct and pantry - she is bound to see to
it that the food and raiment and child
rem are kept clean. 1t takes time, to be
sure 1t is disagreeable task TO comb
out children and wash them and care
for them at all times, and cure them of
Il dozen disagreeable diseases that are in
cident to them; nevertheless, love does
it, and you have got to comb and wash
and clean the community in the same
way. You are all Of you, guardians and
parents of the common veal and Chris
tian men, with their laziness or their
unwillingness to go into the inconven-
fence of these primary meelings-that
neglect these things and see matters GO
ing from bad to worse and think they
have no responsibility, and nothing to
but to rail at politicians, would do well
to put to themselves the question
what have l done to prevent or cure
corruption?" Are you not free-born
citizen and voter? What is it that
makes it the duty of every man in this
country to devote his time to this mat.
ter, that does not make it equally YOU
duty?