Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1878-06-20
WINSTON, n. c., THURSDAY, JUNE 20. 1878.

plcdging destroyed the freedom oi
! the caucus as nominating hody.-
! And SO he had. The fundamental
principle on which the caucus sys-
TEN rests is, that the members first
consider the public good, and in re-
spect to nominations, that they con
slider fairly and without prejudice.
the fitness and claims of sucn per-
sons as may go before them to share
in the distribution OF such honors
and benefits as they may have pow-
er TO bestow. The absolute fairness
and freedom of the cancus is the
single quality that gives it life and
| binding power none may tamper
with them. Caucnses are perverted
by active, desig gning men. and tins
has been done so often As to cause
| Mr.. Calhoun and other great polit-
ici,l writers in this country the de
nounce them as the instruments OF
lntrlgueing men to defeat the popu'
lar will. They arc essential to con-
certed party action, bnt unless trne
fairness prevails they do not and
ought not to bind anybody. A
majority Of the caucus having been
pledged in advance of It's meeting
to support Governor Vance for
Senator, what lnockery for other
gentlemen, Including myself, to go
into the caucus just to see his nomi'
nation recorded
1t had been procured, prearrang
ed, predetermined. Upon what
considerations 2 Upon what repre-
sentations +? And it was so done in
tie absence OF every other gentle
man who aspired, anL without such
majority having heard or consider
ed any other person rights or
claims, or any thing that might be
said in favor Of the public, the rar
ty, or any either person. The ma
.iority being SO pledged, the minor
ity were helpless-they had to sub
mi: to the dictation OF a pledged
ma ainrity, pledged for one considera-
tion or another, tair CT unfair, in
the absence OF everybody save only
the man Pledged and the man who
received the pledge! !! Ii such prac-
ticc can be tolerated and upheld by
a great par1y-it one member OF
the party can thus successfully pros
1itute the machinery OF the party,
then the caucus system is 4 cheat
and "A fraud. The man who can
afford 70 go around in advance of
fllc assem- bling OF the caucus and
intrigue with individuals, make his
own ec parte statements, arguments
aud misrepresentation with no one
by to correct them, will almost in
variably get a control ny advantage,
which those who cannot and will
not do such things can never have.
Such practices are viciuns, contra
venc cs cry principle of true and just
party discipline and destroy all fair
and wise party action. Such prac
tice makes the caucus and the con-
H'hlioi' q ii1lS - rs q CiIf'i = l't 'i'S
benefit of those who employ intri-
que and cunning. In this case Il
frien,. or mine asked that | might
be heard by the caucus in reference
to certain methods of cIcctioneering
against me and misrepresentation
of which | complained. Of coulse
the pledged majority rejected and
mock"d AT the respectful request
the nomination had already been
decided and before the caucus met
| did not "bolt' the caucus-nul
did my tricnds--for the reasons
stated, we expressly refused to &c
INTO it or be bound by it.
The result was, that although 8
number of gentlemen aspirea 10 the
nomination for Senator, Gov. Vance
had clear tield-no one cared to
venture Tito a caucus the majority
OF which was pledged to one man
and without opposition i'll the can
Gus SO pledged, he received. on thu
first ballot, forty nine votes, only
+ half vote more than enough Il
nominate him. Then, as of course
the nomination was made unani-
nous as to those who went into Il
For the reasons stated, | did DO
submit myself to the caucus, al
: though number OF gentlemen VIII
desired my election did go into
and abided its acticn. | here de
: clare my firm conviction that if ther
!, had been free and fare vote G
4 tie caucus-all the Democrats be
: ing present l would have bee
u nominated, and [ know this was til
: opinion OF many other gentlemen
e Eighteen Democrats fricudly to m
/ some of them among the leadin
S and ablest men in the Legislature
:, and all OF them men OF high integr
: ty and respectahility, absolutely re
e tnsed to go into the cancns .nnle!
n Gov. Vance and both should
- Withdrawn from its consideration