The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1877-09-12
aunERnAIORIAL AMBITION.

Perhaps there are not more Than
dozen men, all told, in Texas who
would refuse to accept the domination
of the democratic convention for the
goyernorship, Hence we find that every |
county seat in the state has It's own PEE
ouliar local combination and is, or will |
be ut the proper time, urging IL with all
the force and vehemenco OF bitter par
tizanship, All kinds Of ground will be
taken, every consideration will be urged
and among these will be found long
service, local or sectional considera.
tons, personal fitness and party iealty
Now it is our opinion that many
Texans, both public officers and private
citizens, possess these qualifications
either in part or altogether
II will be remembered that the cleo.
ton comes of really when the conyen-
ton meets. What follows is only the
routine work of casting and coun ting
the vote. All this is the result Of the
ug.handle kind o. thing we have here
with our immense democratic majority,
Unless the party is.split 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.
maries, and stocking the delegations to
county conventions, When this is the
case it too often happens that a few
alert, wide-awaEe spirits, by taking
time by the forelock, really control alb.
solutely the choice Of the people. As
we are now organized, the caucus or
primary elections become of vast im>
portance, and are subject to grave
abuses. If the people of every election
precinct would meet en- maSSe and care
fully elect delegates to the county con,
ventions, and send them fully instruct-
cd on all matters to be acted upon by
it, we W ould then have full and fair
expression, and the few men who usll
ally control nd who usually produce
confusion worse COMPOUNDED, out of
which grows the opportunity for the
qualification of selfish ambition they
would be compelled to bow to the will
OF the earnest majority, from which
they would find there could be no eff
fective appeal,
If 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 mal-
contents or selfish aspirants, would
select the men OF merit, who by long
service and the faithful discharge o.
every duty, have won the full conf
dence of the masses, and by the samt
rule reverson of confidence and sup
port Of the ringsters who care not a fec
for the public interests compared with
their own selfish views and purposes.
The scramble for office, since the war
has been one of the phazes of American
character from which the country has
, gathered but little satisfaction, Usually
, the man who will procure his owl
@ consent to sacrifice personal dignity anC
Y Independence to win the plaudits of tn
Y crowd, has the seeds Of political tailm,
: fully developed, and when he succeeds
: and takes possession of the Caanan o
J. the triclster his sure disgrace quickl,
, ollows, and both h is political party anc
Y the country sit down and bewail a
= leisure the consequences of the bac
mistake made in elevating him. Sucl
consequences never follow the election
: of the hon est choice of the masses. i
9 is always the representative of til,
/. tricky minority who brings the blush
. to the face of the party, and who runs
5 away with the money of the people.
, these things are duly remembered anC
acted upon by the people everywhere
in the state gubernatorial ambition
, will die out measurably, and the NUM-
hon ~ a., eli ~