, 1873-07-22
A NEW TEST FOR OFFICE.

S-@---~E---Z@@-
a NEW TEST FOR OFFICE,
There is nothing 10 domoralizlng to tho ordi-
nary politician aa NIL Innovation, or tho utroduc-
ton into politics Of any new law or regulation
emacking Of reform. Some disorgnnizing indi-
vidual proposed, Mt tho rocont 1lopnbioan State
Convention Of Iowa, q worry embarrassing rosolu-
tion. To adopt 1t wnH to practically abolish all
party obligations, and to reject II was to lcayo
tho party opon to the charge Of winlfing ut
official dishonesty. After carefully Weighing
tho chances, tho Convention adopted tho roBo]u-
tion as follows:
That It ia tho duty Of Repuolleans to oppose tho
clection Of bad aud incompetent candidate,
whether o bo candidate upon ctr own tickot Or my
othor ticket.
A considerable portion Of tho Republicans In
Iowa having resolved to avail themselves Of this
privilege, tho politicians havo awakened to what
thoy consider tho dangors resulting from tho
lorosy Of tho resolution. Whnt Is tho valuo of
4 party nomination unless ovory man In tho
party iB Obliged to yoto for tho nomineo7 What
uso ID thoro for party convention II It Is malo
the duty Of ovory mombor Of tho party to vote
against any nominee whom no may think 10 in
competent or otherwise unfit? What is tho
uso Of having party whom each mombor Of
1t ia at liborty to voto for whom ho plonnos
Those aro questions which tho party man
| cannot understand. Some of tho parora,
heretofore strict organs, arc ayaillng thom-
| Re1vos Of tho freedom granted by tho
! resolution by substituting for tho names
| Of Objectionable candidates tho words some
honest man." All over the State thero aro Ro-
publicans, nooting in convention aud othorwiso,
and following tito procopt Of tho resolution
Tint it is their duty to voto against bad and in
competent mon whom nominated by thoir own
party aud arc proposing other candidates to be
supported. Tho old party doctors aro perplcxod
| By tho ravagos of tho political epidemic. They
appca! to tho "pnrty," to stand firm but null
titude, showing tho resolution, claim that they
aro performing their duty" in voting against
tho party nominees when thoy are not tho men
who ought to bo elected. There WA
M attompt to arrest this Intelligent and
independent exercise Of the right Of suffrage
by nm intimation TINT the resolution 1ras not in
tended to mean anything; but tho doctrine Of
tho resolution is 90 mitch in accord with public
sentiment, ind so wholly different from tho or
dinary platitudos Of purity platforms, that tho
people hayo accepted It aB great moral truth,
and arc determined to not upon it whether it
was originally proposed III fun or not. The
politicians Of Iowa hayo tried to convince tic
people that tho nominees OF tho party arc not
bad mon nor nro they incompetent, but tho dis
confronted oncs claim TINT oacll ID to judge fol
himself Of that fact, n,ld to voto accordingly.
40 tho action Of convention In nominating q
candidate is conceded to DO no longor conclu-
Hiyo evidence of tho fitness Of tho person, nc
Endorsement Of such porson's f1tneBs by o con.
vontion eau control tho private Judgment Of the
votor, particularly when it is made the "duty'
Of tho voter to dofeat tho election OF Nh incom-
potent or bad man to office.
Now comes Muscatino oracle, who expounds
the 1aw Of party, and who declares that no Re
publican has any right upon hiB own porsoua
knowledge, to assrmo that any candidate nomi
mated by tho party is bad or incompetent unit
|
"tho direction OF its constituted authorities,
, shall SO determine mud decide According
to this, il q Republican candidate for Count
Treasurer bo discovered to bo already do
, faulser, OF DO unlor iudictmont for como otllo
crime, or tho candidates for otlor Offices hav
boon notorious for accepting briboB, or nr
known to 10 personally dishonest or incompe
. tont, Republicans must nevertheless Tote 70
. thom. Nor will it avail to produce tho record O
tho indictment, trial, aud conviction Of
person who ia q candidate. According to til
Afuscatno expoundor Of tho law, the records an
! | judgments OF tho courts Of law are not bindin
>. upon Republicans, and Republican candidat
? or ofaccholder can only 10 tried nna col
!, | yictod by tho " constituted authoritics
4 Of tho Republican party. Tho late Stat
t Treasurer OF Iowa has been couyicte
0 by tho Legislature, and by hls own write
8 atatements, and by tho fact Of IN empty Trca
h ury, of largo appropriation Of public money
n his own uao. This aa1no poraon, il nominate
n for tho Legislature Or for any othor Office by tt
0 Republican party ut the coming election, mi,
, bo elected; no Republican In Iowa can, accor
}. ing to tho nIuacatino iurist, yoto ngainat hir
l. until tho constituted authorities Of the par
d ehall have formally placed him unaor tho ban
is accommodation. This is claiming high
6 authority for party than was over claimcd .
81 fore,
THE LAW OF CORPORATIONS.