The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1874-08-08
On Conventions,

To the Editor of the Dallas Herald:
desire TO offer few reflections,
just at this time, on conventions for
nominating candidates. In my hum
BILE opinion the democratic party of
this overwhelmingly democratic dis
trict has just escaped II calamity. Some
weeks ago u number of democratic pa
pers in this congressional district took
ground against u convention to nomi-
nate a candidate for congress, and even
the DALLAS HERALD betrayed symp-
toms in the same direction. 1t was
mainly, if not wholly, from papers in
favor of Governor Throckmorton that
this opposition came. But | happen
to know that Governor r. did not ap-
prove that course. He foresaw the
anarchy and heart burnings to grow
out of it in the future.
Now, my editor, the people of this
state ought to he an intelligent and
thinking people. They ought to know
that it is an old trick of weak and mi
nority parties to cry out against con-
Ventions-in other words, to do any
thing to distract and divide the major
ity, in order, by dividing the majority
among q multiplicity of candidates, to
enable the minority, by concentrating
on one man of their own, to elect him.
This is the game. L maintain, as an
unanswerable proposition, that no
body or association of men can carry
out their objects without organization,
in church, politics or anything else.
Suppose demagogues do sometimes do
wrong and misrepresent their party in
convention--what then? Not, GER
tainly, to break down the party and
butcher its principles, but to cast out
the unfaithful members and stamp
them MS individuals with disgrace.
Next time send better men.
Much of the noise about conventions
and meetings of the people being ma
nipulated unfairly is the merest bOsh,
put forth by the defeated candidates.
But no great party can exist or carry
out its principles without organization.
The moment the democratic party
adopts different plan of action its
power will be broken, and radicalism,
in some changed form, will be re-en-
throned in Texas, and this Governor
ThrockmOrt0n well knows, and hence
he favored convention and would
have supported any other good man as
its nominee. lie would have been the
last man to bolt fair nomination, and
this | assert from personal knowledge
near two months ago, when some of
his warmest advocates were opposing
convention.
No man can say in this case that the
voice of the democracy has not pre-
vailed at the Fort Worth convention.
The point wish to make is this !:
Never abandon the long established
rules of democratic organization, but
see to it in primary meetings and con-
ventions that honorable and trust
worthy men are selected to represent the
popular voice-that IS the remedy for
all evils complained of, whether real
or imaginary. To stop the howls of
some defeated candidates, is impOssi-
bic. They are wrapt up more in self
than in principle and do and say many
foolish things. The principal candi-
date defeated in this instance is not
one of that sort. He has too often
shown his fidelity to principle to be
classed as q sore head now. For the
present let US hear no more of this
clap trap against fair democratic con-
yentions. "0LD LINER"