The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1879-11-29
OUn CANDIDATE FOR 1850.

who can he. be, but the nominee of
the Democratic National Convention?
Yes, we mean what we say, and say
what we mean, 1t is true, that man
may not be our personal choice, but
what are we, but one of forty mil
lions of people, each one Of whom has
as much right to choose, and to insist
on that choice as ,ce have. "Princi
pies, not men" is our motto, as it is
the Democratic motto. All sensible
men can unite on principle, while it
would rarely happen that they could
on men. That nominee then, not be
cause of his name, his religion or his
locality; but because he will be the
standard bearer of the Democratic
faith, as it is written in the constitu-
ton; practiced by the fathers of the
Republic; and expounded by the
Courts; will be our candidate. We
fully recognize the truth of the max
inns that ain union is strength while
gin division, there is weakness" "a
house divided against itself must fall.
1t is but fair and candid in us to say,
that if we honestly believe the sue
cess of Democratic principles essen
tial to the happiness of our people,
and to the existence of Republican
government itself; then as q lover
of our country and its institutions,
we should aid in giving effect to those
principles and we know that this can
alone be accomplished by an effective
organization of the party, with a
view to unity at the ballot box
There must be organization, or there
can be no union or concert of action.
An army without organization and
head, would be nothing but an un-
disciplined mob. He that is not with
us, is against us. BY their acts shall
we know them. But outside of the
necessity of such organization; why,
as rational and just men, should we
not willingly submit to the choice of
that convention? While as an indi-
vidual, we are but one of forty mil
lions, and wholly without constitu-
ency; that convention will be COM
posed of say, eight hundred men Of
intelligence, chosen for the purpose,
by the Democracy Of every congress
sional district in the United States
going up fresh from the people, and
of the people, then and there to com
pare notes, and to do as the will of
the majority Of that constituency
shall demand of them. They will
have the means to know much better
than we, what is for the. good of the
party and the country. Again, we
have faith to believe, that convention
will act ,jsdictously and wisely, and
with the view of making that nomin
alton equivalent to the cleo
ton Of that nominee. To do this
we suggest they must ignore section,
sect and creeds, outside of the Dem
ocSatic. faith. They will see that
their nominee is both honest and ca
pable, with heart as broad as the
continent, as high as earth can reach
and as deep as the foundations of hu
man wisdom. Their platform must
and we doubt not will proclaim jus
tice and friendship to all, enmity OF
oppression to none, pledged to the
maintenance of the constitution, and
the union of the States, as thereby
declared, and as expounded by the
Courts. . There will, in our Judgment
be but one great issue in the Presi
Dental election next Fall; and thai
one ritol to the existence and perpe
tuity of the Union as the constitu
ton created and declares it, That
is to say, shall we have a Union of co
equal States, acknowledging suprem
acy to the federal government as to all
powers delegated by the States
to it through the constitution
and yet such States being
sovereign as to all powers not SO
delegated, or by that constitution,
prohibited to the States; or whether
we shall be a NATION with big n
swallowing up, in its capacious NAV
all the reserved rights Of the States
leaving them power to do nought,
but what that centralized National
government shall direct or permit
Shall we continue to have Republi.
can government in form and in fact
or shall we henceforth hare a cen
tralized Despotism? That is the il
sue, nothing less or more. Shall the
people rule through free ballot, oil
shah the bayonet either rule or abol
ish the ballot? We are no alarmist
but we repeat that in our solemn