Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1873-05-08
Party success and party Daty.


"The United States Senatorial contest
presents no new features. It viii, ofcourse,
have much to do with next falls elections,
previous nominations, etc. The great eff
fort must be with contending aspirants to
secure members of the Legislature favora-
bly disposed toward them. Another mat
ter, however, not to be overloaded
is, to get majority of them Democratic
in their faith"
The aforegoing we take from the Balti-
more correspondence of the Maryland Re
publican. Our views, touching the policy
proper to be pursued by Democrats in the
approaching election, are that no merely
outside consideration should for moment
be allowed to thrust itself between the
party and success. True fealty to party
imperatively requires, in the present emer-
gency, all questions of personal advance
ment and individual promotion for the
moment to be put aside, and every patri-
otto effort actively employed in secur-
;no the trilanarsl.a1s4 flasa-aaartr ON account
esfs1cTp1es it represents. As sin
unity there is strength" It would be
extremely hazardous to endanger party
triumph by unfortunate issues which are
of Interior significance only, and which
derive their importance merely from per-
sonaI preferences. The bond of party
looks first for its claim to popular respect
to the principles which inspire and per-
petuate its organization, and not to the
men whose names make up the catalogue
of its membership. principles, not men, y
is wise and time-honored rule which APP
plies with SO much force to prudent con-
duct of party tactics, and one which, with
the outlook before US, we believe it is not
safe to neglect. We should not loose sight
of the fact, that subordination of party to
the qualification of mere personal ambi-
tiens would not only seriously imperil its
own life, and involve great danger to the
patriotic principles which give it vigor
and sustenance, but would also fatally af-
feet and defeat the very personal aspira-
tions whose advancement it is degraded to
subserye. In disposing of their nominal
tions then, for the different offices to be
filed this coming fall, it would be well for
the Democrats to look beyond mere pre-
ferences as to men, and first of all to re-
gard the qualifications of honesty, compe-
tencY and availability In the matter of
their selections. Before we agitate and
jeopardfze- tie party IN this State by rash
u INDUCING elimination and recrimina-
long ourselves, and angrily provek-
Jon as to thisgk J, a IIfiical
mn certainly win the right to
D6h5cfatie Senator, preserve party In
Segrity and put ourselves in position to
consider the meritorious claims of gentle
men who are seeking high promotion
We-do not mean to say, nor do we wish to
beunderstood as implying, that party men
should crush down their friendly DISPOSE
tions towards any of the aspirants, but we
simply advise moderation and suggest that
all motives of a personal character should
be entertained and treated in a secondary
light. This seems to us the course of true
wisdom and essential to a genuine patri-
otto discharge of party obligations, for
party organization is but the means, and
party men are but the instruments by which
party principles can be applied and made
effective.