The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-03-01

Of party integrity will probably be mortified
70 learn that they have themselves to blame
for this falling of.
W hen The gfound.sVell Of 1869 dissipated
the scumsthat had seq ed upon t,s,. every in
divlduaI participated with enthusiasm In the
canvass from the primary meetings to che
final election, and such continued to be the
case until the State was redeemed and good
government firmly tablished. Then fol-
lowed the lull of fatal security, when men OF
Influence, who gave tone and character to
politics, supinely reclned by their fresides
and lett the few who chose to do the
citizens duty to the community, salts
fed that on the grand field.day, when
the campaign bad been planned, the nomi.
nations made, they girded up their loins to
the onerous task of depositiDg their ballots
in the box. The natural consequence was
that in a primary meeting Of seventy hVe or
eighty persons any twenty-five men were
able TO, and indeed did, combine upon q
ticket, while the unorganized remainder
scattered their votes at will, and thus each
ward had its clique who controlled its meet.
ing as etectualIy as company OF disciplined
soldiers against mos. Dissatisfied with
the nominations, and becoming FESTIVE under
this party management, there was In one
canvass spasmodic out.pouring OF the bet
ter class Of people to the ward meetings,
With q view to correcting this evil; out
they went there with no prearranged con.
cert OF action. The "rings" were only
stimulated 10 redoubled efforts. The
result was not satisfactory, and they
settled themselves into fatuous mac.
tivity, or ranted about party corruption.
This has been the history OF the party In
power in nearly all large cities in this coun-
try until the true citizens have risen up IN
their might to throw OFT the base thraldom !;
and they have succeeded, not at the flnal poll
on election day, but in the primary meetings..
A mighty chieftain OF the world has said,
"All great, victorious battles have been
fought in camp" Success is achieved only
by discipline and organization. "But," say 8
Mr.. Paterfamiias, "When We go to these
ward meetings, in whatever numbers, we
have no influence there; the rings DON'T
nate everything and every body" What
Is it to be said that few Ignorant political
tricksters are more astute and have more ca
pacity for organization than men of intelli-
gence and integrity3 This is the humill.
ating admission; for whatever the "rings"
may be charged Witbal, there has never been
any obstruction to action or expression OF
opinion by force in this city.
Now, Thursday night at the ward meet
ings we have to elect the legislative body Of
the party-a body that, to he efficient, mus;
be invested with very enlarged powers, and
which will, therefore, in great measure
give complexion to the spring canvass AID
those to follow. These meetings are Of
vital importance to the party-the key to the
situation. ALI true citizens who really have
the good of the Conservative party at heart
are invoked to convene in their respective
ward meetings, and unite to elect good and
true delegates to the City Central Commit
tee. Let this be the occasion OF a general
handshaking all round-a lsve-feast OF the
Iarty-and We may confidently
IBID farewell 10 every fear and wipe cur weeping
eyes,"
There is no ha II in Jackson ward to hold
s meeting in, and none in Clay ward. The
consequence must be that the first fifty men
who get to the place of meeting will elect
all the committee. men-this place Of meeting
being some little private room. The COM
mitteemen ought to be elected at q primary
election. Instead Of fifty votes in ward
we might thus get out from 500 to 1000 in
each ward.]