Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1878-03-23
DEMOCRATIC ORGANIZATION.

II Siit' Ni'
of Lafayette county has appointed Sstur-
day. March 3Oth, for meetings in the
various townships to elect members OF a
new executive committee. III prepare
ton tor the approaching political can
vass. The democratic party OF the
country has. with limited opportunities,
faithfully redeemed every promise it has
made. 1t has reduced expenses, county.
state and national. and has forced its
| opponents to partially clean garments
long trailed in the corrnptions OF eN-
travagance. pecula;ion. and worse.
Party organization is one OF the neces-
sites of our form OF government. and
there can be no party organization that
does not begin in the townships and
counties. any more tina there can be
army organization without the discip-
line OF the squad and company. The
democratic party has been one OF much
independence OF thought n dexpression;
and frequently the differences OF opinion
which have prevailed among its would
be leaders have brought it defeat. Now.
when q great wrong to the whole people
of the country-to the honest republican
no less than to the honest democrats
TO be corrected. every democrat worthy
of the name. every democrat whose am
bition is higher than mere place
hunting. should speak out boldly and
openly in favor Of the integrity OF party
organization. There will, of course, Ut
some few men. not republicans exactly,
who have nothing TO expect from the
democratic party. who have in TACT
never been democrats. who will oppose
party organization at all. but theil
voices. we think. will not be heard, in
this county at least. in the counSels OF the
party which took the county struggling
under load of daily increasing bondec
Indebtedness. and has day by day de-
creased that debt. and placed it at six pei
cent. while it was bearing ten before
which found a growing warrant debt OF
over forty-ive thousand dollars. with
warrants being shaved twenty-five pei
cent. and has paid off that debt anc
brought warrants to par and has all thu
time steadily reduced taxation and cur
tailed expenses.
We warn the democrats of thu
county that efforts will be mad,
BY a hopeless and desperate mi
noritv to divide their ]counsels, and W,
point out to them as the only safe wa,
10 battle all attempts at division to turf
out en- maSse TO their primary meeting
and select good men TO represent then
in conventions, or declare in emphati
tones in primary elections who the.
prefer as their standard bearers in tn
coming contest.
In the nomination OF = ticket Their
are choices OF plans. and the com
mit:ee has wisely requested the pee
PIE II the primary meetings. hex
Saturday. to instruct their committeeme
as to whether they prefer, for the selec
ton OF candidates for county offices
primary elections or conventions. Ii tn
, former the system should be thorough
explained and understood. That pla
should be adopted which best please
the majority of the democrats OF III
: county, aud once adopted should b
. heartily supported by all. No pa:
, jealousies or dIsappoiutments should b
permitted to interfere with the unity
the party. and the man who prefers b
individual advancement to his party
! harmony and success in the next cal
vass, deserves nothing 1T its hands.
4 As there is a strong public feeling in ia
or OF primary elections. We will expIai
that what is desired by the friends
/ that mode OF selecting candidates, IS
e election. some time before the regul;
y election. at which all democrats IN;
e vote for such men as they prefer I
s. candidates. and those persons receivlt
=. the largest number OF votes in su
:, election will be the candidates Of t
!, party at the general election. This mo
= has at least the advantage that it do
:, away with the excitements of conve
tons, and the misrepresentation OF &C
s~tituents. either by instructed or unI
OF structed delegates. The plan mig
r. have been adopted IN the last canva
lg but for the apathy of democrats on t
at subject, partly caused by the fact II
n the committee, in the canvass Of Is,
ty submitted it to the primary meetings
the county. and 1t was voted dow
of This time the matter should be tn
ID oughly discussed.