St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-08-16
St. Johnsbury, vt, Friday, Aug. 16, 1878.
County Politics.

citizen at the polls and the party lash
is being cracked about the ears of the
recusant with cOmmendable vigor. This
implement of political torture is how
ever divested of its customed terror
when it is discovered to be welded by
small minority, in a vain effort to
whip the rank and file into line.
1t is urged that one is bound by party
fealty to support the Irregular nomina-
tion," no matter by what irregular
means it may have been secured, or
how unworthy of support it may be. 1t
seems to me it is about time to have
done with such nonsense. To my mind
there is higher LaaU than party fealty !;
and that is fealty to conscience, and
fealty to the obligation of the freeman'S
oath. We do not swear to support the
Irregular ticket" even when it expresses
the popular will. But we do swear that
whenever we give our vote or suffrage,
we will do so as in our own conscience
we shall judge will most conduce to the
public good, without fear or favor of
any man or party.
What is the binding force of regu-
lar nomination 4? In politics some ma
chinery is ordinarily necessary. Cau-
cusses and Conventions are but the
instruments through which the popular
will may express itself. Popular will is
king in politics in a Republican gov
eminent. Whenever convention has
been so manipulated as to defeat the
expression OF the popular will, it has
been wrested from its legitimate pur-
pose and has ceased to have any bind
ing force whatever.
There may be times when political
principles are at stake-when there is
danger that a party whose principles
and tendencies we fear, may come into
power, that one should, because of the
public good, surrender his personal con-
| victions. Herein he is but Obeying the
rule of conscience and his better judg-
ment by sunendering his personal in
clinations. So much is due to party
or more strictly, fealty to conscience
requires one to continue to support men
against his Judgment as to their per-
sOnal fitness.
But the question before the voters of
Caledonia County to-day, is no such
party question. 1t is simply a question
of personal fitness and political honesty.
The truth is right here: the minority
of the voters of this county are calling
on the. majority to surrender their
strong convictions. Is this not so If
the majority approve the nomination,
then it cannot be defeated. If they do
not so approve, it ought not to be sue
cessful-simply because it has been
manipulated through the convention.
Should not the popular will control
Isn't this the very fundamental idea of
free government When the expression
of the popular sentiment is gagged in
convention, it will naturally find ex-
preston at the polls where it cannot be
suppressed. If we are to be irrevoca-
bly, bound by the action of a county
caucus, then the affairs of the county
can be controlled at any time by three
score of the three thousand voters of
the county.
Let us see how this thing is worked (:
A man over east has an itching for
office. He looks about and finds he can
get half dozen men from each of these
towns to support him in convention. A
man over west has a similar affection.
He can control like number of voters.
Like two drops of water, they gravitate
toward each other. Not having suf-
ficient volume yet to turn the political
wheel, they look about for some other
globule with similar propensities. 1t is
easily found. 1t looks now as though
the wheel would turn. The coalition
now perhaps numbers some fifty or sixty
of the three thousand voters of the
county. 1t is enough, if some basis can
be secured by which one voter from
one town shall count as much as 400
voters from another town. This is easily
secured. The coalition is a majority of
the convention, and they have but to
say it shall be so and 1T is so And
the people must submit because it is
the CIRCULAR nomination.
Now it is true that the presentation
of ticket through a convention is the
ordinary method. This method usually
prevails because it is the most con-
venient, and when honestly conducted
is as fair as any. But who has the right
to say it is more legitimate than any
other method I'll am not misinfOrmed
those who have put in nomination,
through your columns, the ticket of
1876, are more than ten to one of those
who secured the nomination of the new
ticket. And believe there is to-day a
strong determination in the county to
resist the usurpation of a power which
seeks to dictate to the people who shall
administer the laws. The people feel
that they have the right to voice in
the selection of their officers, and are
determined to try whether they cannot
find at the polls what was denied them