The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1870-05-12
The Law of Party Fealty. 9
From the La Crosse Leader

From the La Crosse Leader
Partisanship is as much duty as nat
riotism. The idea that the "indepen-
.dent voter-the man whosupports . the
BEST man tor the place regardless of his
polisical principles, is the priest man DO
liticaiiy, and discharges has duties as
citizens most worthily, is mistake and a,
delusion Every citizen, of course. has
IN unquestioned right to vote for the can
dldate of his choice, No one will dis
pute this, and if he places himself on this
independent ground, his action is consist.
ent, even if it be not wise.
But as parties are absolutely necessary
IN order to give effect to principlcs-as
IS only by combination OF numbers and
unity OF action that desired political ends
are reached, it follows logically that the
man who Is not member of a party,
merely wastes his political power and
neglects the only means by which he can
lgave power and potency to his convic
ltions.
No party will reflect completely the
opinions or follow closely the policy of
any one man. Its membership agre@ing
upon the most pressing and vital issues
Will disagree on many minor matters
| We give voice to portion of our convic-
lions and the remainder of them are not
SURRENDERED, but held in allegiance A
man attaches himself to a political party
because he believes that it is for the in
terest OF the country, and consequently
tor his own interest, that the principles
ienunciated by that party, and the poll
cy prescribed by it, shall be the guiding
principles and the ruling policy Of the
Government. Every impulse of patriot
ism, every impulse of duty, every feeling
| OF enlightened selfinterest impels him to
sustain the organization of that party.
to lmpart to it all possible efficiency and
vigor. Fidelity to principles necessarily
implies fidelity to the means by which
those principles may become operative.
But no party can avoid mistakes in its
action, any more than a man can always
avoid mistakes in his private business
The candidates will not always be wisely
selected Admit, now, that here arc two
tickets. One is made up of men ofyour
own political faitn, and is supported BY
the party to which you are attached. The
other represents policy to which you are
opposed, and is sustained by men to
whom you have always been and are now
politically antagonistic
But one of the candidates on your own
ticket you do not esteem to be as well
Qualified as his opponet. Now, what
will you do? You perceive devideG
duty. Will you squarely sustain your
own ticket, or for the sake of electing one
man on the other side, will you weaken
the efficiency of your own party, and i'm
pair the vigor of that organization in
which alone your principles had advo-
Gates!
The oolter y always makes the mistake
of sacrificing the greater good for the ben
eft of the less. Principles are made eff
fectire only through the agency of par
ties; parties are made effective only by
fidelity to their nominations, and until q
party becomes recreant to its trust, un-
faithful to their principles. unworthy of
confidence-until in fact it deserves to
die, it should receive the steady and I'M
faltering support of those of whose prin-
ciples 1t is the exponent.
To bolt a nomination, while still ex-
pecting to Support the party, is as suici-
dal and foolish as it would be to cut off
your head for the sake of curing a pimple
on your nose.