The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-07-17
PHILADELPHIA, JULY ~, 1859.
c. BEN j., RrPoETss

PHILADELPHIA, JULY III, 1859.
c. BEN j.. RHrozTss
THE PouEicA GirUAuoS.-A iew weeks aace
We made mention Of the Republican nomina
tious, justly, We think, eharacteriziug he M or-
iiy Of them az no friends az tile people This
week il Is our privilege to make the came hon
orabie mention Of those more recently nominal
+ ed by the Democratic party. During he week
jast past, the unterr6ed convened ~ august
eonclaye, % namv candidates for the several city
and county loaices, vacated by limitation the
coming fan. The several conventions We mild
" denommate stormy messes.' The vile ele-
meuts Of The party upon whom, By sUlierance Of
I the better element. which is satiated ~ith the
Y disgusting manner 10 which the business Of the
party has lately been conducted, that business
sin devolyes, are AZ bitter war with each other
I They carried with the n into the several conveu-
+ lions, their personal prejudices, and each one q
determination chat bis man, emily should tri-
umph. Rule Or ruin, was the avowed motto
v % nine tenths of the delegates.
Y 10 the nature u things all could not be vic
htAlhNa GAA tA &c Elal ll5khAN01 Al0 f4tiis
ed bolted she regular convention, s~t up for
themselves. and named second candidates. A.
a natural sequence 20 this disgrsceful course Of
perceediag, With a few isolated exceptions, the
candidates named are less fitted, meutally OF
morally, TO She performance Of Official trusts,
even than those they aim to displaee, snd it Is
notorious that scarcely single municipal Of
tue "a nov craditably fled. Democrats, from
principle are ashamed to ayou themselves as
members of the party. They either close their
ears against or hang their heads, while listen
ing 70 accounts Of tie outrageous manner 10
which they are supposed 70 hase been repre-
scented in the conventions. Hundreds Of them
Wilt n0 doubt remain away from the polls, utter
ly unable III discriminate between TIE oppo.ug
candidates B5gues the would be's are, first,
last aud al the time both Republicans AID
Democrats, the skirts Of each are equally stain
ed, the difference between them Is scarcely
that hY which We ere expected % be able To
distinguish tweedledgm from tsseieedee. tits
failacions to suppose that tie candidates hon
estl7 reject the sentiments Of the bulk Of their
respective parties, OF thai they have been se-
lee.yI 5y tLe honest majority Of them. Glar-
. fu- defects sa Die system upon which our pri-
mary elections are conducted enable few evil
inteuto4ed men TO control tie no ninations, and
2 by that means, Of course, to control the elec-
,ions, aud the vast majority Of the people IN
5sne7, ID almost seems aloa the privilege
corded them ID the law % selecting msn % Of
fce mentally and morally capacitated to the
proper and honest discharge 81 their duties, 10
so by default
Thus are We misrepre sented and Hlisgoverued,
lhus are We deirauded ard maleted. and our
liberties abridged Thus y our country 10 III
official departments, made huge i5b shop.
wherein the rights Of The people are. trathcked
in az the bidding Of special interests, and the
proceeds pockete5 by men Cd whom We select as
our servants. We are eli willing 20 acknowledge
tts az true, Z how macy are prepared 70 par
toipate 81 The initiative 81 q movement for Re
form Precious few, We ween, FOR the reason
that twothirds Of ca, people care nothing for
the general welfare, while che greater part Of
the other third. are ignorant Of the only means
I By which IL can be made seca-e. Notwith-
landing this ignorance, Reform il possible, and
easily possible. We must vote for principle,
not Or men. Offices are not instituted for the
profit Of particular men, simply because we may
t6lak them good fellows They are a some
thing tha dlinE d which ought to ~ a subject
of serious consideration. IT We give the dastns
ies 1+ our common country into the keeping Of
d lusr. or set Of men, it should he only such as
have fixed principles, coupled with determine
zion % make those principles, regardless Of
special IHi rests, the rule By which TO guide
lheir Official conduct John Smith Il equally
AZ good a. Tom Brown, If he performs our bid
ding g. properly, but it Is an actually compre-
hensige dgjy we owe 90 ourselves aud our fel-
low. 20 4 Be sure that whichever We select,
Intends t0 guage uis actions By thu rules which
we think best az elections are nowadays
coaaloted tie universal appreciation Of the
right 81 suilrie, is rather az injury tnsn 4 bene-
DC 20 rs. When the time shall have arrived
and it mnst come sooner or later when probity
and principle shalI be the only passports to pub
Ac Office. we can reasonably expect 70 commence
harvesting he benefits that ought % accrue 20 a
people nom the establishment Of a government
BY and Of the sopie, but not I'LL then.