The Russellville Democrat., 1876-03-16
THE PROXY SYSTEM.

We have had occasion more than once during our short expe- rience and observance of public events, to remark to ourselves that the proxy system is fraud that is, as a general thing. We are convinced that the expert ence of others must have demon strated the truth of this. We arc therefore fully prepared to endorse every word of the follow ing we'll timed and pointed re. marks of the Little Rock Daily Herald:
 The State Convention for the assembling O. the Democracy of Arkansas has been called to meet on the ith day oi June, and now the responsibility of an open, free and fair convention rests with the masses of the party in the different counties. If they gov ern, they certainly can not find fault with themselves. But some times they think they govern, when in fact they do not, and are really tricked out of their choice. One of the most dangerous prac- tices which has been followed in this State for some years, is the proxy system. If there is any object in holding county con vontion to appoint delegates, un- less the delegates elected attend the State convention the object is lost, and this principle holds good in all conventions from the township up to the State. It will of course sometimes happen that the regular delegate cannos, for some cause, attend, but in all cases an alternate should be elect ed to take ~his place in case he cannot attend. If you do not adopt thls course, you will not untrequently find men at Little Rock casting the vote of counties in the remote corners of the State, when in fact they know nothing of the wishes of the people of the counties they represent, and care less.
 If there is county in the State which cannot send q good reliable Democrat to the State or district conventions, 1t had better not be represented at all than to be used for some selfish ends by parties not directly accountable to It for their action.
 We believe it will be generally conceded that when q man in one section of a state or district will consent to go into convention to represent another section, whose wishes he does not and cannot understand, he does so to sub serve selfish purpose, or is con trolled by others who have uses for such men. The only safe practice is to elect delegates and alternates, and give no power of substitution.
 The suggestion contained in the above IS we'll worth the careful consideration of our voters. The caution should be carefully heed ed. Let these words be kept con stantly in the minds of every voter; "if there is any object in holding a county convention to appoint delegates, unless the del egates attend the State convention the object is lost, and this princi. pie holds good in all conventions from the township up to the State." Never were truer words uttered. The proxy system is dangerous and deceptive and we beseech the voters of Pope coun, ty te see that their own delegates attend the State Convention Pope county has never, and al though she might now justly claim place on the state ticket for one of her sons, being one ol the oldest counties in the state and never having had place or the state ticket, she does not now (so far as we have learned, ] eX ! pect to present any claim foi , such a recognition; but neverthe , less we want to see our own dele } gates at the convention. As re marked by the Herald, the same . principle applies to the county r convention, and each townshit , should have its own proper repre- sentative there, and not take any chance of being tricked by l proxies.