Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1878-09-14
SOMETHING OF CONVENTIONAL US
AGE.


At time like the present when in the
scramble for nominations, politic;'i aspirants
have well nigh disrupted the Republican party
in Storey County, it is we'll to refer once again
to first principles. Let us consider briefly
the propriety Of the conventional system as
eontradstinguished from the Craw ord Plan
and other temporary make-shifts and expert
ments, substituted therefor, from time to
time
A convention is an assambla9e OF the rep
resentatives of party who come together to
deliberate as to what is the best and wisest
thing to be done for that party. And they
DO thus deliberate, and they do arrive at con-
illusions of their own. In 1868, the prelimin-
airy skirmishiug had reference to but two can
didates for Congress, CIagett and Sumner
Claggett came down with Storey County at
his back; Sumner was supported by the en-
tire " Placerville railroad" interest. Conven-
tional deliberation did what? 1t brought
about wise and effective compromises; and
Ashley was nominated. In 1866 the COnven-
ton undd much of the work of the primaries.
IN 1870 the Ormsby County Republicans tried
She Crawford Plan. That year at the general
election Ormsby County for the first time in
It's history elected Democrat the Legisla-
sure. In 1872 the Convention again demol-
ished much primary work-especllly in its
nomination of a candidate to the Supreme
bench. And 50 IN 1874 and so in 1876.
vvhot J,nS oil +b;s ID
cisely this, namely: That the party does wisely
by submitting its questions of policy and its
choice of nominees to the assembled wisdom
Of the party. Conventions represent in
most admirable way, the scheme and theory
Of representative government. OF course
there are abuses, just as there are unwise and
dishonest things sometimes done by Legisla
lures; but we have yet To hear of any plan
which promises so well as the conventional
plan. BY this method the party derives the
benefit of an interchange Of views by its lead
ing members brought together from all parts
aud sections. No one neighborhood can be
possessed OF all the facts and all the desirable
knowledge. There is nothing sacred about
TIE COliN CuJtpu b'tt WIZ iA'ho vi
proposed a better one? The people of the
State might AS well enact their statutes at the
ballot box as the party at large select ticket
10y the Crawford Plan. This is true if the
representative theory be the correct and tena-
ole one-as we believe 1t 10 be.
We cannot stick too closely to well tried
usage There is much value in true conser-
yatism. Whatever lines and pathways lead
US, even temporarily, away from well consid
ercd usage should be carefully avoided. The
folly of new departures, proposed and adopted
npon the spur of the moment is illustrated
by the present deplorable condition of things
IN Storey. Custom by long application be-
comes law; and parties are or ought to be
quite as much bound by the law of precedent
and established practice as communities, States
and orders. The lesson taught by the sltua-
lion in Storey is dear one-taught to us at
zoo vast and disastrous IA sacrifice; but 1t
should not be lost 1t should teach us that
is too precious thing to be
imperiled for the sake of the aspirations and
ambitions of any one man, or endangered that
the preposterous claims of ''ge ography' may
be satisfied.