Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1876-07-06
MOWER COUNTY POLITICS.

The Republicans met in delegate con-
vcntiOn in this city last Friday for the
purpose Of elcc,iny delegates to participate
in nominating a candidate for Congress
which will he doac ut Owatonna next
Wednesday. Every town was represented.
A faction Of the party, under various pre-
lenses, had for long time been canvass
ing the county, with the view Of inf1u. !
incing caucuses in their favor and there.
b. Of gaining control Of the convention.
Although in a hopeless minority they were
vain enough to think that by vigorous
efforts they could overcome the majority
and have things their own way. They
mistook tho convention held two months
ago, as being a fair representation Of party
strength, and they were thus led into an
error, which they now recognize. The
late convention was in no sense victory.
It was simply an assertion Of party prin-
ciplcs and Of party discipline, and cor.
dial recognition Of the men who in the
truest sense, represent such principles and
enforce such discipline. The work of the
previous convention was purely accidcn.
tal,-and like all accidents, ii resulted III
atemporary disturbance The usual order
nothing more. 1t was in no sense Ca
lamitous, except that it inspired dclusivc
hopes, and melted to useless cndcavor, but
it was ever thus. Men who seek the &C
complishmcnt of u purpose which is in
violation Of tho wishes and Of the rights
Of tho majority Of their fellows, are for
some wise purpose permitted to regard in
consequential circumstances, as indicating
important changes, and to dignity mere
appearances with the importance of &C
complished facts. In this view Of the case
it is easy to see why the faction expected
so much and realized so little in the recent
convention. Men must learn that the
geometry of life and the geometry Of phys
les are not unlike, that they demonstrate
corresponding principles, and that any cf-
fort in politics which is not in strict pur-
suance OF right and justice, is as i'm
possible of proper results, as it is that a
traveller can, with the fewest steps, make
tho distance between two points on plane
surface by traversing it in an arc. 1t is as
impossible, morally, in the one case, as it
is physically in the other, and any man
who understands the relations OF things,
recognizes this fact. The few cannot con-
troll the many. A half dozen men in Aus.
tin are no, the Republican party OF Now
cr County. The party knows this, but
the half dozen do not, or at least they have
not known it until very recently, although
We have labored diligently during the last
three years to teach them this truth. Men
may lead but they cannot drive the mas
ses Of this country. They may have pow
Cr and wealth and social standing but un-
less they use these things without pcrvert-
ing them, they must not expect to be int1u.
entail with the people whose sense of JUS
tice and whose right Of citizenship make
them the potent qua: dians Of their own in
.ercsts. Power may Cypress, and wealth
may corrupt, and society may oslracisc,
but all these combined cannot cocrCe p0.
li,ical support. At the polls each citizen,
no matter how humble his condition, is
the peer Of every Other. This is the grand
est feature Of our system Of government
Politically we stand upon common ground.
Here mans vote is his birthright,-a
thing not the subject Of barter or sale, but
to be used conscientiously for self protcc-
ton and for the public good. What Won
der then that half dozen men in county
town are unable to dictate the political &C.
ton Of thousand honest yeomcn! We
are not surprised ut the result Of the late
convention.-wc csmmiseratc the condi-
ton Of those who are.