Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1874-06-30
SHOULD BE

ia 49, /
Republican party which met in Virginia
City on the 9th instant, recommended
tho following test for primary elections
in the several counties OF the State:
Firt-Are you q citizen OF tho United
States and the State Of Nevada; or. will
you DO . lawful voter at tho ensuing
electionp
Second-wni You support the nom-
inees Of the Republican State and Coun-
ty Convention ut the next election?
This is merely advisory ON tho part
OF the Committee. which also recon-
msnds that such other means and tests
a. may seem to the several County Com
miitees necessary to the promotion OF
purity and fairness at the primaries" BE-
adopted. With all duo Difference to the
ability and eanestness Of the State Gen.
trail Committee, and with no disposition
to be ~captious or unduly critical. we sub
init that the test recommended begins at
the wrong end; that it should DO turned
around, so as to read: ''Did you sup
port the Republican nominees at the last
electionf Are you a citizen OF the United
States and the State IL Nevada; or. will
yor DO q lawful voter at the ensuing
elecuonf' We will briefly give our
reasons for this suggestion.
First-wo premise that the primaries
are the true means for tho selection Of
our public officers. The primaries Of
the Republican party are. or should be.
the means used for the selection Of
Republican candidates for office. Their
result should DO tho expression Of the
choieo Of tho majority Of Republicans
in each locality. Otherwise the selec-
tons made cannot claim Republican sup
port on party grounds, albeit they may
be otherwise unobjcctionable. The test
proposed by the State Committee. is
open to objection for tho above reasons.
It simply requires the qualifications Of
a voter and a promise to support the
ticket chosen. It opens the door to
every element in politics. 1t invites
Democrats. Dolly vardens; more than
that-the rif-raif Of each locality 10
select candidates for Republican sup
port. and then proposes to pledge Re-
publicans to vote for the nominees thus
selected. This. to our mind. is wrong.
Republican nominees should be essen
TALLY Republican. They should be sell
ected only by members OF the Repub-
hcan party, which is thus made in case
Of their election. sponsor for their good
behavior. A man selected by Repub-
licans. Democrats and Independents in
j Discriminatory is responsible to each and
all. And mo man can serve two mas
ters."
Second-No Republican should be
asked to pledge himself to support men
thus selected. Under the open test we
have alluded to. a Democrat may be
nominated at the Republican primaries,
and Republicans be compelled either to
falsify themselves or support such NOM
ineo. This il obviously not only unjust
but impolitic. II is m element Of dis
indignation which the Republican party
cannot afford to adopt or c~ountenance.
Third-Ths object Of primaries being to
select candidates for Office. and the OBJ
ject Of party primaries being to choose
nominees from the respective parties.
and thus keep up their organization and
influence. IL seems plain to us, that
each party. as such. suould select its
own candidates; should invite the
choice. not Of its opponents. but OF its
members. And right here the test
should end. No man should be forced,
in order TO have voice in the selection
OF candidates, to pledge himself unqual-
ifedly To their support. The nomina-
tons once made, and by Republicans
alone. every man should be free to vote
a. His conscience dictates. II is natural
and viii so result, that Republicans,
other things being equal, will support
their nominees. but no man can in our
opinion honestly and with the exercise
Of hat Judgment which should charac-
terize the privilege Of the elective fran
chise. pledge himself 10 support a NOM
inee who is ~ yet unnamed and unse-
lected.
In short. our idea is this: Let Re-
p~ublicans get together at the primaries,
and in all fairness and honesty select
from men Of their party those best quail
siaed for the Office to be filed. Let each
man exercise his individual and best
Judgment in such choice. This being
done both inclination. honor and party
zsal viii lead him TO support the men
thus chosen at the 'olls. But should,
perchanec. an uniit man DO nominated,
he is free TO oppose him. He has made
no promises to support NJ unknown can
didatc. The whole public il. o. course,
invited to support Republican NOM
inees. But IL all parties Join in their
selection. they are not such.
yU. -. ..A1 Al. ....