The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1877-09-15
euseRNAIORIAL AMBITION.

cfhap- there are not more than a
dozen men. all told, in Texas, who
would refuse TO accept the nomination
Of the democratic convention for the
eoyernorship. Hence We find that every
county seat in the state has its own pc
culisr local combination and is, or will
be at the proper time, urging it with all
the force and vehemence Of bitter par
tizauship All kinds OF ground will be
taken every consideration will be urged
and among these will be found long
service. local OF sectional considera.
tions, personal fitness and party feal ty.
Now it il our opinion that many
Texans, both public officers and priv ate
citizens, possess these qualifications,
either in part or altogether.
twill be remembered that the ei &C.
tion comes Oft really when the eonven-
ton meets. What follows is only the
routine work of casting and counting
the vote, All this is the result oil the
jug.handle kind Of thing We have here
with our immense democratic majority.
Unless the party is spill: on some issue
within its own lines, the true race will
be for the nomination. Every energy
will be expended in fixing up the pri-
naries, and stocking the delegations to
county conventions. When this is the
case it too often happens that few
alert, wideawske spirits by taking
time by the foreloek, really control ah.
solutely the choice Of the people. As
We are nov organized, the caucus or
primary elections become of vast inn
portance, and are subject to grave
abuses. If the people of every election
precinct would meet en- n.aSss and eare-
fully elect delegates to the county cen,
ventions. and send them fully instruct-
ed on ell matters to be acted upon ty
ii, we would then have full and fair
expression, and the few men who usu.
ally control a nd who usually produce
confusion worse confounded out of
which grows the opportunity for the
qualification of selfish ambition, they
would be compelled 10 bow to the will
OF the earnest majority, from which
they would find there could be no eff.
lective appeal
IL this course were pursued if the
masses of the people could be heard
and honestly represented. our state con
vention instead of being manipulated
to forward the schemes of few mails
contents or selfish aspirarts, would
select the men OF merit, who by long
service and the faithful discharge of
every duty. have won the full conf
denee OF the masses, and by the same
rule reversion of confidence and supA
port Of the ringsters who care not fico
for the public interests compared with
their own selfish views and purposes.
The scramble for office, since the war.
has been one of the phszes of American
character from which the country has
gathered but little satisfaction. Usually
the man who win procure his own
consent TO sacrifice personal dignity and
Independence to win the plaudits Of the
crowd, has the seeds of political failure
fully developed, and when he succeed.
and takes possession of the Caanan OF
the trickster his sure disgrace quickly
ollows, and both h is political party and
the country sit down snd bexail at
leisure the consequences OF the bad
mistAke made in elevating him. Such
consequences never follow the election
OF the honest choice Oh the masses. 1t
IS always the representative Of the
tricky minority who brings the blush
TO the face of the party, and who runs
away with the money Of the people. IfI
these things are duly remembered and
acted upon by the people everywhere
in the state, gubernatorial ambition
viii die out measurably, and the nuns
Der of aspiratants fall of amazingly.