, 1876-02-19
Party Nominations,

I Stale independent tickets are to be run this
spring for county officers. In one OF two
counties, it Is said, there will be no strict
party tickets, but all will unite on ticket
OF unexceptionable men. or there Will be op-
/ position independent tickets under different
names This will not Interfere with the
State conventions, which, this year, will have
reference TO national politics. II appears to
be conceded that there can BE- no third can.
didate for the Presidency, and that the con-
test Will be between republicans aud demo
Gratis The people, while attending TO their
local interests, should not overlook the i'm
| Portance Of national matters. They should
not neglect the action necessary To make
their State conventions, for the nomination
OF Presidential electors, true reflection Of
their views of national policy. They should
not allow the representation Of their respec-
tive counties TO be selected by the few who
have personal objscts to accomplish. 1t has
been one Of the misfcrtunes Of the country
that those whose disinterestedness would lead
them to select only true representative men
to speak for them in conventions have re-
Trained from taking any active part in the
primary meetings where such matters ale
! really settled, and thus have allowed the
conventions TO be managed in the interest #
| individuals, at the expense of !he public
| good. Their course in this respect has not
been without excuse, for it has been, not in
| freqrently the ease that these meetings, not
being controlled by law, have been carried
by irresponsible mobs and by methods which
no honest opposition could have met success
fully Under such circumstances it is not
surprising that citizens who have some re-
gard for the decencies and proprieties of life
should have stool aloof in encouragement
and disgust. But these violent aud discr-
de-ly methods have been pursued only in
particular localities, while in most places the
iona flae citizeas, could, if they would, have
controlled the selection Of delegates, and thus
controlled the conventions. 1t may be dis
agreeable duty, but it is a duty nevertheless,
and one which the citizen should not finch
from performing. 4 patriotic interest in The
welfdre of the commonwealth, as well as the
nee. ssiiy of self protection, should urge this
duty. We have presented these consider
atiors 50 often before that we feel like asking
the pardon of our readers for reiterating
them. But the matter Is one of no little i'm
| portance. To whatsoever party a citizen be
longs, or with whatsoever party he proposes
10 act in a given champaign, lee should no;
leave the important work of determining It's
course IN he selection Of candidates to others.
If he does, he ought not to complain if that
work Is not satisfactorily performed.
Some refrain from taking part in the pre-
liminary steps, lest they may bind themselves
thereby to support at the election ticket,
the whole, or part of which they cannot
conscientiously support. This Il AN unrea-
soned, if not unreasonable, objection. The
idea that by participating IN the primaries
one estops himself from opposing the election
of the candidate who may be nominated as Il
result OF such primaries, is utterly without
foundation. 1t is spacious, but is simply
spacious fallacy. The right, and not the
right only, but the duty of every man, il, to
use his best exeriions to secure The nomina-
! tio, of mod men 10 Office. and then, If he
fails, to use his best exer'ions to prevent the
election Of the bad men who have been nom
mated in spite of HIM But the exercise OF
this right, or the performance OF this duty,
would seldom BE- necessary If all did their
duty in the preliminary steps, for there is
seldom case in which they would fail to
make the conventions such as wonld repre-
sent the best aud truost interests Of the COM
munity.-OregOnia'.