The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-05-21
Nominating c onventionS-How They
Are Packed and How the Popular
Sentiment Is lrisTepresented.


Are Packed and How the Popular
Sentiment Is lfisrepresented.
To The Editor ofthe IatsiDEtneor.
II Is often matter of surprise 10 some
that elections sometimes turn out very
different from what was expected. This &
owing frequently, though not always, to
trickery and uniairness In caucuses and
primary meetings-for instance q few per.
sons will get together, adopt resolutions
and appoint delegates for a whole county
70 State Conventions, when perhaps the
people would not select Just such dele.
gates, and by no means endorse the reso.
luuons, Conventions, State and National,
are iorestalled In this way, and unaccept.
able candidates are thrust upon the people
simply TO be beaten. True In all com.
peuBg races, for Office, all cannot be
elected, and some necessarily must be
beaten, but give me the control Of primary
meetings, and, In conjunction with very
few kindred spirits in each county, .
can place before the people the most I'm.
acceptable and Questionable men In the
State for their support This year Is an
important ono with US; We have o Presi-
dent and Vice President 10 elect, also
members OF Congress, State and county
officers, Sc, Sc, and, l am sorry to say,
that see this packing ostracising
operation In full blast For instance take
our county oil Harrison for example. On
Saturday last some twelve or fifteen
friends Of Grant came together later due
notice, It Is true,) at the Court House with
everything cut and dried and FULLY pre-.
pared list Of delegates, resolutions and all,
and took the liberty Of appointing some
ten delegates from each township to the
Grafton Convention, when perhaps seven
out Of the ten townships knew nothing Of
the kind fatherly care being exercised
for them; and besides adopting resolutions
looking 10 the denomination Of Grant
without knowing, I apprehend, whether
those people wanted Grant or not, and
not one delegate, have reason to believe,
appointed unless known or believed TO be
in favor OF Grant, or such persons as
could be led right along by the nose.
Now, ! Tor one protest against
this unfair packing operation, which
will show It's fruit, and like
young chickens come home to roost. /
for one shall use my own brains and del.
egate my thinking, reasoning faculties 10
no one. The question, and the only ques.
ton that should be asked, Is he now and
has he stood steadlast intelligent Re-
publican, and let him carry his purposes
into the convention, and u he fails, he
feels that he Is fairly dealt by and will
support the nominee heartily and in good
faith, but deprive him Of his representa-.
ton and he Is not bound by your conven.
ton. have reason TO believe this pack.
ing ostracising system has been general,
not only through our own State but the
Union, and as result, I believe Grant
will be the nominee on the first ballot,
but 1t will remain to see whether he will
be elected. am free TO say that l, with
thousands Of others, would prefer Coliax,
but what chance, say, would he stand
before such kind Of convention, where
his friends are not permitted 10 be heard.
This unfair Ostracising, packing policy has
been the ruin Of many other parties in
the past and ever carries the seeds of
dissolution with ii. A Presidential candi.
date may be forced upon the people whom
they least desire, and il he receives cold
and Indifferent support at their hands II
will be the fault Of political tricksters and
not theirs. Marion county l see, has
adopted the more liberal, fair and just
policy Of resolving that her delegates go
uninstructed and auntrammeled, whilst
Taylor county has applied the gag with
vengeance by resolving that her delegates
are instructed to go for Grant and no one
else. A similar attempt was made, be.
lieve, at Clarksburg, but some one was
discreet enough to modify 1t. Let me
admonish my Republican friends, that by
adopting this arbitrary dictatorial course,
you are, il not silencing the votes OF
many friends atleast causing them TO give
feeble Indifferent support at o time
when there are no friends to spare.
Man 10, 1872. II.