The Rutland weekly globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-11-14
WHAT MAKES A REPUBLICAN

Within the past year, we have heard
from certain quarters, good ueal of talk
about this man or the other being, or not
being, a republican of reading this, that
or the other man out of the party and
have, also, seen attempts, in the same di-
recton, to insinuate that certain indivd-
uals had no moral or legal right to parti-
cipate In republican caucus, as well as
the attempt to dictate nominations because,
peradventure, certain persons named for
such nomination did not agree with them
upon the propriety of all and every nomi-
nation ever made by the republican party,
as it is called. What is the republican par
ty and what constitutes member thereof I?
Is it blind, slavish, unthinking and I'M
reasoning support of an individual man, GER
tain men or set of men ; or is it belief in
certain principles of governmental policy,
an earnest desire to see them carried into
practice, coupled with an honest endeavor
to bring about this end by representative
men-representatives not only of the prin-
ciples thus espoused but, also, of the honor,
honesty, integrity and manliness of the
people The elections are mainly over,
and the question of party allegiance may
seem of little consequence now but for
this very reason the absurdity of the claims
set up by 6 organs, as they delight to call
themselves and to be called, and their
" echoes" may be the more plainly seen.
Is man any the more or less a republi-
can, entitled to participate in their primary
meetings and nominating conventions, re-
ceive their nominations for places of trust
and responsibility, because, once upon a
time, he saw fit to disregard " regular
nomination" and vote against regular
candidate" Pardon us if we go outside of
the republican party for an illustration of
our remark. There are enough, too many,
of the same kind within our own ranks,
we are sorry to say, but we select this one
because it illustrates the whole principle.
In 1871, Thomas G. Fields was the d" regu.
lar democratic candidate for member OF
the assembly from the nineteenth district
of New York city. BY the laws of the
state of New York, district can be repre-.
scented in the assembly by non residsnt.
and the decent men, therefore, as theil
only hope of securing tie defeat of this no
torious Tammanyite and corrupt legislator
nominated Horatio Seymour, of Utica, in
opposition. BY accepting this nomination
did Governor Seymour become any the less
a democrat BY voting for him, did re-
spectacle democrats cease to be members OF
that party Judging from the election re-
turns of 1870 and 1879 somewhere between
one thousand and fifteen hundred republ
cans must have, also, voted for Seymour
only MHty-seoen votes being cast for thu
republican candidate, and he, mind you
was an independent" not regular
candidate. No one ever doubted Governor
Seymours democracy, but did these repub
licans, who voted for him, cease to he re
publicans The mere suggestion of thii
one case-and, as we have said, there ar,
many similar ones in all parties shows thu
absurdity of these kind of pretensions.
If the support of candidates, nominated
by Irregular" caucus Or nominating con
yentions, does not determine the politica
utilization or standing of an individual, wha
does ? The answer is simple. A belief in
an adherence TO, and an endeavor to hay,
the government conducted in accordanc,
with the professed principles of the repub
lican party, makes man republican, ant
nothing else can. One man out of hun
dred cannot tell you the reason why he Il
now a republican or democrat. He know