The union Democrat., 1869-07-17
JudicIni District Convention.

The Democracy Of ,ae Fifth Judicial Dis
trict have confidence in electing whoever may
be nominated for District Judge. Several
we'll known citizens have been announced as
candidates for this judicial honor. ]. b.
Hall, Green T. Martin, S. A. Booker and L.
T. Carr of San Joaquin County aud Caleb
Dorsey of Tuolnmne have been named. They
are known in the district as able LAWYERS,
and either Of them would make Judge ae-
ceptablo to the people. Stanislaus County
thus far has presented no candidate. /. is
to be hoped that the rivalry smoug these
gentlemen who are seeking the nomination.
and of their friends, will be such as not to
endanger the election of the successful aspi-
raut before the Convention. Our opponents
will probably be united on the present incum-
bent unless we have harmony and unanim-
ity it may endanger the election of our choice,
and leave US to be adjudged the coming term
as we have been for the past six years. By
all means let no such scene be enacted in our
District Convention, as was in the Eleventh
District. The Stockton Gazette, holds the
same views we entertain in regard to Con-
ventions, and expresses a rule of action that
should be followed by the Democracy of the
district as follows:
"The unlucky contretemps in the Eleventh
Judicial Convention. the other day, by which
the political affairs of the District were
thrown into confusion, teaches, or should
teach, our political friends in this District a
profitable lesson. 1t demonstrates the impol-
icy, the injustice and the danger of tying the
hands and hsmpering the Judgment and dis
cletion of delegates by peremptory instruc-
tions. The case of this District is exactly
parallel with that Of the Eleventh. 1t is COM
posed. as that is. Of three counties, the repre-
sentation of the two smaller almost precisely
counterbalancing that of the one larger. If
the majority delegation be tied up by in
structions to support particular candidate,
the convention at once loses its representa-
tive character, and becomes merely an ex-
ecutive body, whose powers are limited to
the execution of pre-ordained decision. The
minority, whether instructed or not, are de-
prived Of any voice whatever in the nomina-
ton, and have no alternative but passive ac-
quiescence in what has been already deter
mined without consulting them, or with
drawal from body in which they are pow
erless, and the reputation of q nomination
actually made before the Convention met.
On the other hand, if the delegates who are
hampered by instructions chance to be in the
minority, they are placed at the mercy of the
free majority, and are powerless to vote for a
second choice, whereas, if they were at lib
erty, their second choice might prevail, and
prove a stronger and more satisfactory can
didate than he who actually gets the nomina-
| tion. In whatever light we may view it, it
appears equally subversive of the very nature
of representative conventions to restrain the
discretion of delegates by peremptory instruc-
| tions, and equally hazardous to the harmony
and success of the party-which is. theoret-
ically, and should be practically, the primary
object of political convention.
To guard against such n contingency as
arose in the Eleventh District Convention,
we desire to impress upon the Democracy of
this District the vital importance of sending
up full delegations, wholly untrammelled.
invested with plenary power to exercise their
judgment and discretion, and at liberty to
sacrifice the personal preferences of them
selves and of their respective constituents, if
the sacrifice be found necessary to the good
of the common cause. If there be merit in
the principles and organization of the Demo-
cratic party, it is certainly more important
to the public welfare that Democrat be
elected Judge than that any particular indi-
vidual should be the Democratic candidate. {"