Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1871-10-26
The veter w. Conventions.


On first page. We reprint an article
from the State Register, under the
healing Royalty to Party Nomina.
tons" and make that article the text
ot few remarks cm,o1ying the RI
puRLIcANs idea OF the reciprocal duty
Of voters and conventions.
The Rsgistsr has we'll said that the
duty Of loyalty to party nominations
cannot be ovcr.cstimatcd." Ii there
is no duty OF voters to support the
nominees Of the party there is an end
Of party organization. Parties arc
simply voluntary organizations tor
tho attainment Of some political OH
ject. The means. to be adopted for
the attainment al this object arc usu-
ally those OF expectancy and jalg.
mcnt-that is to say, the manner of
conducting a party warfare ~ to be
determined by the best jud gment Of
the majority OF the party. To tins
determination Of the majority, the
minority, il they be actuated by prm-
ciple, will assent. In no other way
can party act, and the goal Of party
action be reached. The minority
will acquiescc in all party actions
which tend to carry ont the principles
of the party. even though the action
may not seem to them the best that
could have been had. II this is not
no, party organization is valuclcss.
In no way can any great principle
leap to victory, other than tor every
voter to support that party action
which comes nearest to realizing his
(the voter's) idea of correctness. In
the multiplicity Of individual ideas Of
what ought to be done, thcr. can be
no success to any principle if no
voter will support a line OF political
action which does not seem to him
the beet that could be adopted. The
duty Of every voter IL, to act with
the party that reaches nearest to his
principles, and to bow to the will Of
The majority.
On the other hand. the Registsr
truly remarks that conventions have
duty to perform" This duty is OF
ouch character that conventions
cannot neglect 1t will. impunity.
While it ia the duty Of the individual
voter to stand by party nominations,
it ~ the duty Of conventions to pre-
Gent candidates which are uncxcep.
sionalle. No convention has right
to 70 before the party voters and ask
endorsement 1t the polls, on the
single plea that the nomination must
be sustained. No convention has Z
right 70 presume upon it, party ma
iOsisy 70 susssiA it, nominations. At
GER . convention has presented to IL
party votera . list Of candidates, com
wsndsd for their known integrity
ability and part y loyalty. then. aui
not till then, ms it ask tor their sup
port ON party grounds. 1t is tn
right and duty Of every voter. befors
supporting party nominations. to
question every candidate as to hi
ability, integrity and party loyalty
and we use the words, party loyalty
not in tho narrow and Vicious sense
OF always supporting party action
but in its true sense Of being sup
porter OF party principles. 1t is moi
always enough that tho candidat.
ss,cald have reputation tor business
intcgrity,-thc voter has . right, and
it is his duty, to inquire it his privat.
character il worthy Of approval
Thcrs are great many old fashion
cd voters yet, who believe that
snas,'s business and official action is
sooner or later, brought to an cqua
altitude witt, his private character
and no party has right to ask sucl
mea to support men Of questionabl.
private character.
Further than this. as 1t Is the duty
OF the voter to bow to the will OF tho
majority OF his party, SO it is not lii
duty to support party nominations i
lie is convinced that they arc not the
will Of the majority. In other words
If he is convinced that the successful
nomince used "snartncss," and do.
s,epti<s,, aud fraud, either III the s.lcc.
tion Of delegates, at tie primaries, or
1,as,cs.ses, or il, the use h. makes oil
delegates in the conventions, Ivy
wl,at Is called "pnrcl,asc and SALE or
by amy other means in thwarting or
~snothering the wishes OF the major,-
ty, then he is at liberty to refuse sup
port t. sucl, nominee. No man Of
integrity will or can use unfair means
TO secure success, and no man wor-
thy Of support will pack conventions
or hay and sell votes.
lien, we hold that conventions
and pntty action must BE- clear of
guile before support can be demand
Ell on purely party grounds. A man
ct intelligence and OF principle, before
lie votes will ask, first, what is this
candidates. political principles; see.
nnd, what i~ his private anl public