Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1872-09-19
The Convention System.

tive Government. Convention
are essatial to the perpstuatior
of a p,TtY,sE When. We aban
I don the Convention we dlsband
the partysgfor the same AYeason
that when representative Govern.
ments destroy the Legislative
branch theytapse into despotism.
1t thereferefollow thegovern-
ment being dependent upon par
ties for its niility, and parties De-
fpendent upon the Convention for
their existence, a blow at the Con-
vention system is Indirectly aimed
at The Government itself. Poli,i-
clans may pvate, and newspapers
may write until doomsday about
the Corrupt Convention 81 stem"
but until they suggest something
better, the people viii do well to-
give them no heed adO ], .G9D
This cry about the corruption
and tyranny Of Conventions is no
pew thing 9 1T has alwayscome
from one Of two quarters-disap-
pointed aspirants, and those seek
ing to revenge some fancied or
real pfierance upOfE the HbartY
they profess allegiance to, in order
to mere effectually betray an6 rIiEP
1t. . Let as tIldstfate the effect
afan aba6donmehte of the essen
tislE islEandsfundamentalArequisites OF
party Organization, ,pNiz: tthe Con-
ventiOnl delegated by, and speak,
ing for thel people, How then
shall we get q representative candl-
date before : the people? Who
shall speak for a mass Of indiyid4
+uaIs, each With his personal ptef-
erence and owing allegiance 70 no
party authority and bound by no
party 0biig stiobs? d fhe result of
this Will be a swarm Of candidates
for every Office of Honor and prot
it, who after haVing wasted their
strength anGrse the whole Stats
by the ears, assemble in some
back .parlor at Nashville, and az
ter agreeing upon a distribution
Of the spoiIs Of office, the balance
withdraw in the interest OF ono
and he almost certainiysthe most
Observation-Disclosures the people
no alternative but, to support the
Candidates. of this self chosen CO.
terie Or resort to representative
CouventioBi iIsu rdi o5al snoisivib
IRE, illustrate one sof our posi-.
tions by a,Gase in point. In 1866
Mr., Andrew Johnsen, s.. then Presi-
dent Of the United States, iound
himself without a party to sup
port bis ''policyn and without Con:
support. He tried to
organize a party. How? By in
ducing friends in the different
States to hold conventions, which
conventions, sent delegates to COM
pose the well remembered Nation
al Convention at Phaadelphia.
We heard nothing from 5sohnson
or his friends then, about the cor.
ruptions OF the Convention sys-
TEN. 1t was perfectly proper
then to hold conventions ir-m
Maine TO California with tie
avowed purpose Of o,erawing the
branch Of the govern
menf,. and forcing it BY the press
ure Of organized putlic opinion to
carry out ''nly policy -.
But the scene changes aud Mr.
Johnson is a private citizen OF
Tennessee with an itching for an
public tffice. Aeon
vention is called months ahead to
candidates, and +, in re-
spprse to all ihquiries,s with a
most reprehensible lack, of sinceri7
y, he answers that be is not a
for the place. he does
not even resort 10 that favorite and
airnsy dodge: ''ff nominated for
% honorable and responsible a
position, I should not feel at liber-
y to decline. ~ When. the time
or, the Convention approached
Mr.. johnson, after being guilty Of
very like a ialse, pre-.
ense, began to show signs Of an
lrdent desire for the nomination
He made several speeches at
points in the State, and
vas present in Nashville the day
he Convention was held, but hav3
ng learned that the people had for
nee taken him at his word when
lie said he was not a candidate.
nd by a large majority pledged
themselves to Gen. Cheatham, lie
efitsed to allosr his name to 90 Be-
ore Tie Conte,,ti0n. Mr.. Johnson
GEMS to think be owns the ,Liber.
4 party IN this State, and that he,
an walk up and bear off a prize
Or which he not only has not Ia
'ored tut has again and again de-
lined. Mr.. johnson and hisfriends
traightway raise the cry of foul