Wilmington journal., 1874-07-24

.-.-e---. sssi-s-of liberty whenever we see
some s.1aaH prospect of individual adj
vancement !? These thoughts natural
ly led me to reflect upon the present
pelitical conlitiap> of things ..the char
tactaepf tkB man i1s officG .aniE thA
fthodsand Mho Geek aoffice sand dthefk IS
cona aact when irs S. 6 & 6
+ Ns frsH inquiry which sugHested.
|itseH to n6y mind was this.$ Is Il ever
I proper for the individual citizen of his
own motion to seek office, and is such
a course compatible with public safe
ty, or shall it be the invariable rule
| for office apd place to seek 1be citizen?
III Gle organization of society and the
institution of government Offices were
constituted for the enforcement of
rules needful to the good government
| of men,, and these offices were not in
i tended for fhe benefit of the individ-
uals who should from time to time be
chosen, TO perform. the functions
| thereof, but Tor the benefit Of all. And
in republic Ike ours, where the OBJ
| ject is to retain with the people the
and freedom, the right OF selection
and induction into these Offices is with
the people and from among them
selves. How can the people best de-
cida which of their number is the
/ most suitable and most desirable per-
son to carry out their wishes q? How,
did the people of this country first
free, themselves from tyrannicaI and
oppressive rules ? Was it not by
coming together, by consultation,
by. agreement as to what ought
to, be done for the common
good, by adopting the rule
that the concurrent Judgement of a
large number. who are Interested, is
better and safer, that the opinion of
one interested in his own behalf; by
consulting all and adhering to the
common Judgment when obtained :?
Such, if I read history right, was the
course when "freedom's S cause first be-
gam Such in the days of Mecklen-
burg and the 4th of July, '76. II q,
| How shall the freedom thus obtained
be now preserved? ? Shall it be by
consulting together for lie common
good, or shall it be by abandoning the
rule that gave us the inheritance. and
adopting the opinion of one indiYid-
ual, by. accepting one mans selfish
Judgment and wishes, instead of the
] calm Judgment and decision of the many
who have reasoned together for the
public good :? The offices belong to
the people and the holders thereof
are the peoples servants, and the: wise
policy would seem to Le, for them to
come together and consult as much
about the fitness of men. as any other
subject of a public nature. The Sc
lection of IN for officers, ! has
always been matter in which our
people have taken great interest,
and in much of our history
save in some instances in the recent
past, we can boast of good officers and
wise laws. The time has come when we
find men seeking Office who are unwiL
ling to be guided by the wishes of pub
lie communities, after the common
preference has been ascertained anG
disregarding the public will set them
selves up to direct, instruct and lead
the public mind. 1t is we'll as We &C
along, examining the theory of politi
this individual class of men are, and
what are their aims ? Do they think
themselves wiser than all their. fellow
citizens put together, and that they
know better how the people should be
governed than the people know Them
selves. Snch is the material out al
which the tyrants and despots of tht
world have always been made.
AT this very time there is o class ol
politicians in our State, or men wl.t
aspire to be ctfice holders, proclaim
ing thems elves "itt{ei)end'Ht" of al
rfnt,es, and of themselves are setting
mp claims to be rulers OF the people,
1t would be well for every voter
; to examine these, men. their ctarac
ter, aims and intentions. Wiiai
has been their political conduct
Have they been office-seekers, troub
ling the people for their votes, before
the people have invited them to serve,
and if pnt iii Office what would they
do? What would they amount to !
What influence would they exert in q
just administration of public affairs
Upon reviewing the character of the
, few known to the writer, these discon-
) tented aspirants are found to be men
who have attended the primary gath
eriugs of the citizens, when they met
for consultation and were unable to
get their particular wishes engrafted
upon the decisions of such meetings
men who have attended and taken
part in the Conventions of counties,
or larger districts Of territory, sought
nominations for Office and Teen disap.
pointed; men who have taken offence
because of their inability to make 9th,
ers see their peculiar fitness for Office
men who want to hold Office for their
own selfish advancement and who
would totally disregard the public
good, if thereby they could prefer
themselves. These are the men out
of which the kings, tyrants, despots
and oppressors of the world,
who have sought to trample
on the minds, bodies and consciences
CT men, have been made. They be-
long to that class of men, who to pro-
mote themselves, seek to ride into
place and power without regard to the
wishes of their countrymen. There is
latent element in the land which de-
sires to exercise depotic sway, and to
this element these Independent csndi-
dates belong. Unwilling to abid. in
conference with their fellow citizens,
for the common safety, they set them
selves above all others, and seek to
control things their own way. They
imperiously demand that the public
good should be made subserveint to
their will and wishes; they demand
that the opinions of all other men
should be disregarded, and theirs
adopted, and if by chance the people
should occasionally make the misfor-
tune to elect one of those men who are
unwilling to "wait for the wagon, :"
before they ride, he will be found to
have no influence in legislative bodies,
to be ignored and despised by both
of the prominent parties of the eoun-
try. Their every act is with
view to gain a lease of
power for themselves. They are men
who desire to live on the industry of
others, and are unwilhngto go through
the ordinary toll of noon day labor to
make an honest living for themselves,
and who, because they are not desired
by their neighbors for officers. set out
with the cry of '.oersecation," ''7'ey
claims hare been neglected" 81 hare
serUed the party faithJully and hare
not been re,carded," as if men were to
he rewardel for doinr q d11fv .fhev