New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-02-04
An OPPORTUNITY LOST.

The Democratic State Convention when met
at New Haven, Conn. yesterday. had an OPP
portunity to step to the front OF what is des-
tined very shortly to be great popular move
ment A simple resolution such "a was sue-
yested by Mr.. Waller of New-LondOn, and
supported by Mr.. Wheeler Of Bridgeport, as
sorting the freedom of individual political ac-
ton "a superior to the behests of party and
the tyranny OF caucus, would have had vastly
more effect than the whole string of plattudes
with which the Convention denounced the
Administration party, or III ambiguous
phrase lodged troublesome questions. Sup
pose the Convention had passed
ringing resolution condemning the mis-
rule and administration that in 80 many
hundreds of cases all over the country are
directly traceable to the mischievOus uses and
influences of the caucus denOuncing the rings
of robbers and the manifold forms of corrup-
ton intrenched behind it, and asserting the
solemn and earnest duty of every citizen to
regulate his political action, not by the blind
and unquestioning allegiance which the politi-
clan says he owes his party, but by the obi
CATIONS of the freeman's oath and cOnscien-
tious sense Of what is due society and the
and in 90 many words: sour confidence in the
ticket we present and the platform ofprinciples
eve offer is such that we hold no man to
" their support from any sense of party fealty
cor any notion of the binding force of iparty
nominations We offer them simply to the
"iudgment and conscience of each citizen to
them alone we appeal" Suppose the Con-
vention had broadly stated this: would the
ticket have lost vote, or the party an iota
of its strength
No one who has taken any note of the
events of the past two or three years, and
observed the growing conviction in the public
mind that the caucus system is the tap-roOt
of vast amount of Generalization and
corruption, can doubt that just such q
manly and straightforward utterance would
strengthen the party making 1T more
than any position it could take upon the
hackneyed issues of the day. The Democrats
of Connecticut might have done it with q
peculiar grace and with unusual force, for it
would have been in the direct line of their
own precedents Of the past two years In
1872 they advised and assisted in bolt from
the regular Republican caucus nomination for
United States Senator, and the strongest argu-
ment used to effect their purpose in defeating
Hawley and eecting Ferry WAS that brought
out in the manifesto signed by leading citizens
Of New Haven and many o. the Professors of
Yale College, urging the duty of breaking
down the caucus system. The party
in the Legislature acted as unit
in that matter. In the Legislature
of 1878 the party furnished still more nota-
BILE illustration of the divine right of boiling
when q few clear headed, steady men stood
up against the threats and the lash of party
and self-styled party leaders, and opposed I'M
fit caucus nominations for judges consistently
and persistently to the end of the session, pre-
ferring to leave the vacancies on the Bench
untitled rather than consent to it's degrade
ton. 1t is due az much to the stubborn
honesty and good sense Of those very men as
to anything else that the Convention met yes
terday with the auspices 80 favorable
for success in the coming election. To
have passed the resolution referred to
would have been very proper Endorsement
Of such presidents, and the first crystalliza-
ton in party platform Of purpose which
is slowly but very surely forming in the minds
of the people to put down this mschleyous
tyranny of caucus.
Tho signs of the tmes all point to such a
POLITICAL yeVQlati9n. The Farmers Movement