Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-11-13
TIE RUTLAND HERALD.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER s, 1878.
ROLTING.

of politics, may be better discussed, ana
more coolly and dispassionately consid-
cred lust after an election than at any
other time. People then read and THINK
with calm deliberation, and look back
upon what they said and done, under the
excitement of an approaching election,
and while they are willing to cry out in
shame at the course of conduct they
have seen managers and candidates pur-
sue, and declare themselves sick of
politics, they feel that they have patri-
otto duty to perform in bearing their
share of the burdens as well as enjoying
a part of the privileges of free govern
ment, and the mind instinctively turns
to contemplation of principles and a
consideration of what ought to be done,
to make the government purer, the peo-
pie happier and more prosperous, and
political life more respectable. The
American people are so constituted and
have been so educated that they cannot
rGmain inactive or Indifferent to the con-
tests and struggles of life without sink
ing into a state more unpleasant and I'M
comfortable than in an earnest participa-
tion in all the affairs that force themselves
upon public attention, and in this rests
the safety of our institutions.
We hear a great deal now days about
men being independent in politics. To
us this idea always looked like an alb
surdity in such a country as ours. Every
man must have some ideas of the proper
political measures he wishes to support,
and ii is utterly impossible for him to
differ with everybody else in these meas
pres, and so far as he agrees with others
that agreement forms the basis for unit
ed action between them to carry out
these principles. This is the fundamen-
tai idea of political parties, and when
man is in accord with the policies and
measures of party, fidelity to his con-
victions and to their support is party
fealty, and il. is one of the first virtues to
prove true to these. The broader. the
platform Of a party and the more gen.
eral the principles involved, the greater
will be the harmony and the better will
be the government conducted by such
party when in power. Parties should,
therefore, be based on broad and CON-
prehensive principles, and differences of
Judgment and opinion should be tolerat-
ed, so long as the vital principles of the
party are kept at heart, and the steady
aim is to advance them.
The nomination of candidate ought
to. be a guarantee of good character and
fitness, so that there need be no hest
fancy on the part of any one in accept
ing him as the representative of his
party. But here is the difficulty. A
nomination will not be such guarantee
until more interest is taken in, and more
attention paid to, the nomination of
by the men who now stay at
home and rail at caucus rule, caucus die
tation, etc. The beginning of all evils
of, is in the popular neglect
Of the caucus. 1t is no remedy for - -,
10 disregard principles and yot~. G.. ~
ing nominee of the OPP to-, .o,,,,ao
you do not like som st. - tha ,raroanoI
character of ~ -0ihlng Ia Tue Peiso.ia :
-. lie ring nominee of your
:" : .ty. 1t is an ample remedy to
20 that the right kind of men are put in
by your own party. An
indefinite system of boiling or running
independent tickets is only to make con-
fusion worse COMPOUNDED, and sacrifice
every conviction of political duty and
every cherished principle upon which
you agree with your fellows, or if you
prefer the other designation, every party
principle to personal prejudices and de-
structive anarchy.
The doctrine that when honest and
faithful men are nominated, to vote for
them without reference to the theories
and principles they represent, and if no
such are nominated to nominate them
yourself and never mind about throwing
away your vote, is to reduce our system
of popular elections from the dignifed
decision of important governmental
questions to mere personal scramble
for the spoils of office. 1t is the mani
fest duty Of every freeman to be careful
that he does not throw away his vote,
and to see that the party that represents
his principles, put up the right kind of
men for office. The advice of a wise
statesman ''to never lose sight of princi-
Piles and never sacrifice them at the
shrine of any mans personal character"
is worthy of consideration. Every man
who earnestly believes in the justice and
integrity of American institutions, and
has faith in the scheme of self-govern-
ment, can always find good men in his
own party who are sufficiently respect
able to command his suffrage, and the
duty of the freeman lies first of all in
seeing that such man is the candidate
of his party A man has right to be-
long TO any political party he may
choose, that he agrees with in his politi-
cal faith, and when he does not agree
with anybody upon political subjects,
he can be IAN independent, but ii is
cowardly and unpatriotic for any man
to leave the management of his party to
knaves and rascalsand then bolt nomina-
tions because the managers put up can
didates with the same character with
themselves. No citizen can keep his
self respect when he deserts his princi-
pies and goes over to the enemy for no
better reason than that he and his honest
associates have abandoned the caucus
and the convention to tricksters and
wirepullers to nominate bad and corrupt
men.
NOTWITHSTANDING the indecorum of
Judge Noah Davis in letting his indigna-