The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-06-21
TIE MiSCHIEFS OF PARTY
CONVENTIONS.
Wholesome Reading for West Va,
Democrats, About This Time.

from The Philadelphia Record
1t will not be disputed that bv far the
Larger part Of the drplorablc corruption
that pcrvadcs official life, in all its ramif,
cations, springs, primarily, from our IRE.
SponsiJIe md corrupt systems OF nOmina.
ting candidates, They practically put 20.
Utica! parties and the people 1t the mercy
o! IL" worst clements OF society, who do
not scruple Ia use either fraud or violence
to accomplish theirpurpOscs. Tweed ana
his accompIiccs in New York became
powerful 10 commit every manner OF
fraud and wrong simply because theyhel
the strings and pulled the wires that con.
lrolIed the party primary assemblies and
through them, the conventions which
made the nominations. Il is by such
means that notorious rOgucs are sent 10
Tue legislative chambers Of many of the
States against the known will of the peo.
pie. Professional gamblers are sent to The
Congress OF the nation by the same means
and Spectators and plundcrers are kent
IN high places OF trust through the inllu.
cnCc Of the men who run the machine
The rcal will Of the people is stifcd:
the more intelligent and scli.rcspcctinr
classes OF the community have little or no
influence; while the most nagrantly dis
honest have rings Of rCtainCrs, paid adj.
vIscrs and supporters, through whom al.
most any convention, State or local, can
BE- mustered for almost any Q4giliuus and
disgraccful purpose. What is still worse
Is that the better members Of society are
compelled by the party mechanism either
to support the cdicts Of such bodies or
withdraw from politics altogether, lcayinT
the field Tree TO unchecked scoundrelism
or 10 take a choice of evils; since all par
ties are IN about w equal degree in the
hands OF their lowest and worst members.
The time is near when this method Of
ollSarchical diCtatiOn as applied TO the SC.
lection OF all officers, high and low, from
ward constable 10 governor, and the
sWbjcclInn Of the paramount interests of
the country 10 party triCkslCrs and man.
ayers must be checked. Under the prc.
y4IlIng mode the great body Of the peonlc
have little or nothing To do with The
choice OF their public agents or with the
character Of the business which those
agents are called upon u perform: that
choice Is determined for them by tho pro.
lcssiOnal politicians who make il their
CHIEF business 10 elect delegates, to man.
IpuIatc CauCuSCs and conventions, and To
prepare schemes Of legislation that "bayc
money in thcm,' which the people are
simply permitted to approve; for, should
some citizen more independent than the
rest venture 10 dissent from their dOngs
he is denounced as III traitor To the mar.
ty' anu nut on level with those who
have perpclralCd crime.
We DO not know that it is possible 10
break up this thoroughly anti. Republican
and pcrniCiOus system and obtain the Sc.
lection Of local ms well as State and ma.
tlonnl officers hy n more spontaneous
ACTION OF the people. The present syslcm
has become ~ rooted in our political
habits and action that il wOuld seem 10
he almost impossible 10 eradicate it, Yet
better method must be tried il We would
preserve the substance Ui Republican
institutions There is something in the
political atmosphere that surrounds all
partlcs That seems To fOrcslulOw the
time when the people will claim n
voice. The external forms and names
Of parties arG maintained, but thr pro.
cess Ui dislnlCgraliOn is visible ON every
hand. Dissatisfaction is deep and wide
ind convention mandates have lost much
0l their power. The only remedy for The
terrible abuses Oi the caucus system oC
parties is in the independence Of the pcn.
pie themselves. When the clicis of their
managers cease To be respected or obrycd
they will cease 10 10 be valuable, ind will
b. abandoned. What brilliant md
glorious campaign that would DO when
the people enjoying the largest liberty,
without the intervention " conventions
and CluCusCs, would select their own OIL.
GERS in square and open fight COnvCn.
llons md CauCusCs will exist and will be
pt"llIhblc to these managers so long IN the
people obey their mandates, ind no longer.