The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1880-05-18
THE DUTY OF THE HOUR.

I'D hO
to-day at Helena for purposes set forth in the
call, published for some time back in the
Democratic journals of the Territory. That
the business calling the committee together
will be faithfully and fairly transacted is suf-
~ficiently voucled for by its personnel, the
character of the gentlemen composing it being
an ample guaranty that the trust reposed in
their hands will not be betrayed. Still the
committee can only be instrumental in put
ting us on the right path whether we are to
make a fair and manly advance along hat
path ; or turn aside in the devious ways of
intra-party chicane and treachery depends al
together upon ourselves. In making a fair
apportionment t. the several counties of the
delegates to the Territorial Convention the
committee will have discharged its duty. 1t
then becomes ours to see that those delegates
are fairly ele cted !; and, above all, that in fair
ness and truth, not by mere technical right,
they will represent the Democrats OF their
respective precincts.
1t is yet a long time to election to-day but
it is not by any means too early to plead for a
continuance of the harmony within the party
which fortunately exists in so prominent u
degree to-day to urge the careful avoidance
of every step calculated to introduce discord.
We are on the eve of a Congressional cleo
ton. Pitted against us we have the Republi-
cans working with the unity, the ~sing;eness
of purpose peculiar to minorities let us see
that we do not fail through the weakness so
frequently fatal to majorities; through conflict
OF counsel and multiplicity of leaders With
union in the Democratic ranks with hearty
cooperation throughout those ranks in labor
ing for our party's triumph, success is certain.
With discord, with division, failure is equally
certain. That a superhuman effort will be
made by our opponents to bring about this
discord, this division in our party, may be &C
cepted as a matter of course. How are we to
thwart it? How are we to render this effort
futile? For a reply we need only look back
to II and resolve to avoid the ~mismanage-
ment which in that year led to the single
defeat yet sustained by the Democracy OF
Montana. AS the time of holding the Terri
torial convention approaches let the Demo
cratic journals of Montana be content to
cave to it the task of making the nomina-
ton; of selecting the standard bearer, in
stead of pursuing the policy of II, when
each had its favorite in advance of the nomi.
nation rendering the support of the nominee
a matter of disqualification to the organs
who did not happen previously tc
accord him their allegiance. Next, lei
the primaries be attended with the ut,
most fairness and publicity nothing coll
cealed nothing secret. They should be
called upon due notice, made as public az
possible that no pretense of ignorance Cal
afterward be made as an excuse for not abid
ing by their decision. Then, whatever be the
number of candidates, let the candidacy o
each be openly avowed IN advance of the pri
maries that their respective strength may be
| finely gagged therein, and that the mos
popular man may WIN. With IL nomination
made through fair play, and with fair play il
the primaries leading to it, those whose favoriLl
may "fall next to the box' will subordinate
their individual preference to the free expires
sion of the party's will, and yield a hearty
support to the party nominee. As opposed
to such a system, if we should have ''uarl
horses brought forward at the last minute
with the suspicion of the primaries having
been ''tixed" in their interest, we should ne
be surprised if a second division should leac
to a second defeat.