Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1873-10-16
Boiling.

II Boiling;
A party is voluntary association
of citizens who agree to their general
views of public policy. Its organi-
zation is wholly one of good under
standing. Those who unite in it
elect committees, hold cancuses and
conventions, nominate and support
candidates. They regard the party
with its canditions as the best prac-
tical method of securing the politi-
cal measures which they approve.
1t is convenient and valuable ma
chine. For the common good it is
understood that the members will
sacrifice mere personal preferences
in candidates, and indiferentland
minor points in measures. But the
limit of such sacrifice is obvious. 1t
does not include their action as msr-
al, honorable, and self-respecting men
The party is their servant not their
master. Consequently, if a candi-
date is nominated whom members of
the party consider to be a bad or
dangerous man, they may justly re-
fuse to support him upon two
grounds: one, that the election of
such man would both threaten the
public welfare and demoralize the
public conscience; and the other
that his nomination would properly
shake public confidence in the party.
The same kind of reason would jus
tify opposition to improper or dis
honest legislative measures propos-
ed by the party. This opposition is
the unquestionable right and PLAN
duty Of every honorable supporter of
the party. Are that right and that
duty different if he has been a mem
ber of the party caucus or conven-
ton which proposed the measure or
nominated the. candidate? Why
should he be honorably 'bound" in
the latter case to maintain an action
which in the former he is morally
and therefore honorably bound to
oppose?
A caucus or convention is merely
conference of delegates the party
to determine how the organization
may at the particular time and un-
der the existing circumstances best
procure its ends. If it is not a con-
ference of delegates honestly elect
ed, no one will contend that its
members are bound to respect its
action. lift be honestly elected,no
delegate ought to decline to attend
merely because he fears or suspects
that its action will be pernicious. 1t
is his plain duty to spare no effort
to influence wisely the action Of the
party. He cannot rightfully sur
render his opportunity to prevent
an enormous and fatal party blunder
III he knows that his party caucus
will possibly or probably propose
huge theft upon the public treas
ury, let him, as party man as well
as an honest man, warn his associ-
ates that neither he nor any ether
member of the prrty can honorably
support it. If his party convention
is in danger of nominating candi-
dates who can neither be respected
nor trusted, let him in the name Of
decency and of the party do what
he can to prevent that result in the
convention; and should he fail
there, let him openly vote against
them. The convention considers
what the party ought to do. If it
decides that the party SHOULD do
what any delegate believes to be
wrong, is he honorably bound to do
q dishonorable thing
The theory that every party man
who participates in caucus or con-
vention is bound to support its ac-
ton presupposes that such an as
sembly will never do any thing that
ought to be opposed by the party,
or that may not be decently sup
ported by it. Unless that can be
established, it is impossible to prove
the obligation. All that can fairly
be claimed or expected is that when
members of the same party unite in
a caucus, knowing themselves to be
honestly present, they shall be
bound by the decision, whether as
to men or measures, if it does not
seem to them necessarily injurious
to the public interest. But no mem
ber has lost the privilege of doing
right because he has tried to per-
suade the others to do wrong. And
he takes his appeal to the party,
leaving it only when he is persuaded
that it has ceased to be the organi-
zation by which the welfare of the
country is best to be served.
One who always gets bread when
he kneads it-A baker.
A Western paper speaks of duel
between two '.jackasperated individ-
uals.'
"Who dat hit me? Where's dat
lanternf" were the exclamatiors of
an astonished Elmira darkey, after
being thrown something like hun
dred feet by locomotive.
A little girl was asked what was
the meaning of the word happy.
She gave pretty answer. saylng,"lt
is to feel as if you wanted to give all
your things to your little sister"
Here is an important conundrum
propounded by boy: He wants to
know if it is right for his folks to
pay $500 for piano for his sister.
and make him pick berries for circus
money. We give it up.
Squire-"why, Pat, what are you
doing standing by the wall of a pub
lie house? l thought you were tee
totaler.
Pst-"Yes, your Honor, I'm just
listenin' to them impatient boys
drinkin' inside"
The Louisville girl, who on the
night Of her marriage was kicked out
of bed by her husband, who had the
nightmare, wrote to a friend the
next day, saying that her welded
life so far seemed like 8 horrid
dream.
Prof Agassiz is no believer n
Darwin. Not long ago he was in
troduced to q lady whom he was