Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1869-09-17
THE "TNDEPENDENTv MOVE
HFN7T.

MENT.
Some four weeks ago we called at
tention to a movement then in process
Of incubation, to put in nomination an
independent county ticket. This
movement has finally resulted in the
formation Of such a ticket, made up,
with two exceptions, Zone Demeeratie)
of persons who were candidates for
nomination before the late Republican
Conventions It is led by Judge Ran
ney, of this place, who, in published
correspondence, announces himself as
an independent candidate for the Office
of Probate Judge, giving the following
reasons l. The office is in no sense a
political one 2. Its duties require
honesty, capacity and impartiality on
the part Of the incumbent and 8. One
hundred and fifty persons h Ye re-
quested the Judge to be q candidate.
We presume Judge Ranney's asse-
ciates on the ticket have substantially
the same reasons for their course. Are
these reasons valid ? Do they justify
the independent movement and is it
required by the public good?
Did we believe this last to be the
case, it would be our duty to support
it, and we should certainly do But
being otherwise convinced, we have
already given our adherence to the
regular nominees.
The Office of Probate Judge is no
more a non-po1itical one than is that
of Treasurer, Clerk, Recorder, or any
other county Office. Every such officer
should, in his official relations, be the
servant of the public, not of his party.
The question for him to consider is,
from what party will he receive the
Office, for under the circumstances he
must be the preferred candidate of
some party. Every intelligent person
is presumed to have political eonvic-
ions, and it would be difficult to see
how the absence of all such eonyie-
tfons could especially qualify any one
to be a peoples candidate. The gem
eral obser walton is that a with
tout convictions is not of much account
either ina public or private relation,
and we may fairly presume, indeed in
would be unfair nOt to presume, that
that the gentlemen on the independent
ticket areno less decided in their views
of political questions than are the reg
ular nominees. If, therefore, political
predictions are a disqualification in
the one case, they are equally SO in
the other.
It is true the office requires honesty,
capacity and impartiality en- the part
of the incumbent. So does every
Office. These are qualities of which
Nature has been blin6m the distribu-
ton, and has commissioned no one to
proclaim himself the sole possessor.-
At all events, it may scarcely be taken
for granted that any one does not have
them simply because he happens to be
the nominee of a convention.
Only six of the 5OPetitioners' names
are made public. 1t would be inter
esting to know how many of them are
Republicans and how many, if any,
are Democrats. The public should be
informed just how much each party
has had to do with this movement
There are nearly 5000 Republicans in
the county. Can $50 persons rightfully
assume to represent their views |? Can
such a numbers whatever their polite
icaI opinions, properly act in the name
of the people ?
It is we'll known that the Democratic
party leaders have held back their
nominations5in allegiance of this indie
pendent movement. Now why should
this be done unless the Democracy
hope to profit by it They have al
ways made their " nominations
hitherto, why not in this instance2 We
take it that it is because they have no
hope of eIecting an out-and-out Demo-
cratic ticket and expect to gain more
by creating a division among the Rel
pubIicans. Having despaired of any
d~issension among us on matters of
principle, they hope to get us involved
in a despicable quarrel about the Off
ces. Wilt pay
1t is currently reported that promi-
nent Democrats have pledged the sup
port of their party to this independent
ticket. Now we would like to know
by what authority these gentlemen as
sumo to pledge the votes of their par
ty. Do they presume to say their
people are capable of being driven like |
cattle to the polls at the crack of the
party whip2 We have no faith in these
pledges. Their obvious purpose is to
encourage a division IN the Republic
can party, and that being once accom-
plished so far as to give the independ-
ent ticket a reasonable prospect of sue
cess, we should expect to see the
Democracy, perhaps secretly andinthe
closing hours of the canvass, put forth
a straight Democratic ticket and elect
1t. Is any one simple enough to sup
pose they would not avail themselves
of such an opportunityonce presented?
Aside from all other considerations,
it is a grave question for every Repub-
Ican to consider, whether he will byl
any means whatever aid the Democ-
racy in securing such an advantage. Is
it necessary? Is it right? We do not
believe it is and have acted according
Iy. The public is well acquainted with
the circumstances under which we
have made this decision, and must
know that our motives cannot be sell
fish. We are sorry to oppose gentle
men whom we esteem not only as such
but as personal friends, but there is no
personal feeling or consideration that
could induce us to give eountenance to
anything that would imperil the sue
cess of our cause in this canvass.
The Republican State platform con-
tains the following plank:
Res0lueds That the Republican party of
nhTn 80 IN EnrnH of q ~anIU nnWnhNTnE- 1