Northern Ohio journal. [volume] (Painesville, Ohio) 1872-1896, 1880-03-27

aIj-figst % choose -FOUR delegates
rye and iyIr ajtergstess 70 Tie Naii1
Convention which VIII be hello
fncinnati oa Jane 22a and, second
ate the delegates from each Cong
oaaI DtsrrIcs select and name for
ame Convention, tie two delegate
fhich their localities are respectiV
entitled. With duties such as these tc
perform, it becomes eminently essential
that the Convention should fully repre-
sent the wishes and be completely in
accord with the feelings of the masses
of the Great Democratic party through
out the State. To secure this result its
members should, in all cases, be chosen
by the people themselves and from
among their own number, in open
Conventions. The State Central Com
mittee formally decided that the DEM
ocrats of Ohio were not to be trusted to
formulate their opinions, in advance OF
the utterances of the National platform.
1t may therefore, be only logical infer
ence for the County Committees to hold
that the masses of the party are incom-
petent to select the men to represent
them at Columbus and to usurp an
authority of appointment which ought
not to belong to them. But that such
course has the prestige of precedent is
no defense. 1t is un-Democratic and
savors of the ring manipulation SO dear
to the professional politicians heart but
SO opposed to the interests of the peo-
pie.
Recent conversation with Chairman G.
d. Adams shows that it is the present
intention of the Lake County Central
Committee to call no Convention, but
simply to appoint the two delegates to
which we are entitled, Gin accordance"
as that gentleman remarks, "with
long established custom" Admitting
the existence Of the 'scustom" the JOUR-
NAL submits to the Democratic voters of
the County that it is one which should
be promptly abolished. The action OF
the May Convention practically decides
the complexion of Ohio's delegation to
cordance with the fundamental Demo-
cratic principles that the power of
choosing and instructing their repre-
sentatives shall be taken from the peo-
pie. In selecting eight men to act as
their Central Committee it is scarcely to
be supposed that the thousand or more
Democratic voters in Lake County in
tended to make them, to all intents and
purposes, the party itself-reserving to
themselves only the meaningless form
of casting ballot for that which was
done without their authorization and
possibly against their wishes. Wheth-
er the Central Committee would or
would not fairly carry out the wishes of
the party is point entitled to no con-
sideration. In this case we are willing
to admit that they would. But the
principle which permits limited num-
ber of individuals to manipulate the en-
tire affairs of political party without
submitting their action to the people
they are supposed to represent is one so
opposed to true Democracy that the
JOURNAL feels it duty to protest
against its toleration-even though
aware thar such protest will probably
be barren of result in the pres ent case.
As to the course which will be adopted
in 0eauga and Ashtabula Counties we
have received no word. But the same
arguments apply there rs here. To
leave the management and the power of
expression for the party in the hands
of limited number is to open the door
for such scheming as will advance the
interests of individual Office seekers
without regard to the desires of those
who will subsequently be called upon
to sustain and endorse that which has
thus been done.
If the individuals in any party do not
attend Convention that is their own
BUSINESS and a fault of omission for
which they alone must bear the respon-
sibility. The opportunity to do so
should be given. In the present in
stance the Central Committee should
call Convention for sometime about
the middle of April and leave to that
body the power of choosing the two
delegates to represent them in Colum-
BUS. Such action would be endorsed by
every member of the party-while a
different one, even though sanctioned
by CUSTOM will be apt to lead to Sc
cret dissatisfaction if not to open con-
demnatlon.