, 1880-08-23
Nominating Conventions.

Nominating Conventions.
Political parties, with we'll defined
principles and policies, are useful, if not
absolutely necessary. As checks and bal
ances against the abuses of power to
which there is an inevitable tendency in
uninterrupted possession. Organized op-
position to the dominant party in the
State or General Government. is an es-
sential guard against the aggresiens of
power upon popular rights. When,
however, parties become corrupt and are
subject to corrupt methods, they become
public curse instead Of 4 blessing, de-
bauching the people whose virtue and
intelligence Is the sole basis of popular
liberty. All intelligent citizens will ad-
nit that the chief source of corruption
and maladministration af our Governs
ment at the present time is the uses and
purposes to which our caucus and con-
vention system has been applid by in>
triguing politicians-more frequently to
defeat than to express the popular will
All parties recognize the evil and affect
to desire civi! service reform. The "filthy
pool of politics has become a phrase
by which to characterize all party nan>
agement. The pressing necessity of re-
form no one will question, aud yet office
seekers continue to practice and the peo-
pile lend themselves as tools to perpetu-
ate, the manifest corruptions of the sys>
tenn, while vaunting their loyalty and
patriotism. We cannot expect honest
management of the affairs of the govern
ment by officers selected by corrupt means
and it is the highest public duty of every
citizen to set his face sternly against IN
trigue, bribery and corruption in obtains
ing Office, and in neglecting this duty he
has no right to complain if the positions
thus obtained are used tor corrupt and
selfish purposes. Does not every mans
instructive sense of propriety teach him
that seeking office through demagogue
acts, chicanery, trlckery and bribery, is
most disreputable practice, totally dis
qualifying the officer for an honorable
discharge of the duties of his trust.
If we would have an honest expression
of the people through their nominating
conventions, honest nominations, honest
elections and honest administration of
official trust, the voters must take the
matter into their own hands, and select
their delegates for their known probity
and intelligence, not because they are
the partisans of any candidate-and be
very careful to elect ne man delegate who
is known to be seeking a nomination. nor
allow any candidate to hold seat in
convention while his nomination is pend
ing; see to it that no proxies are admit
ted to seats in convention, and no eva
sion of responsibility by resort to the
ballot. A representative never has an
honest excuse for using secret ballot in
his representative capacity; no repre-
sentative body ever resort to the ballot
to cover up their acts, with any honest
intent. 1t be trays the purpose of dissim>
nation and trecchery in which it inva-
riably results. The individal citizen ha s
the secret ballot as his security against
coercion; the man who exercises only
delegated authority, can have no object
in using the ballot but to betray his trust
without dstec ton.
No reasonable man will offer to contro-
vert single one of the foregoing prepo>
stioas, yet many attempt to excuse the
Objectionable practices on the ground
that they have become customary among
politicians nobody can get a nemina>
ton. without he works for it." That is
the very reason why the custom should
be changed. We know that it is matter
OF disgust to all our best and most
thoughtful citizens, who would cheerful-
ly lend their counten.nce and support to
movement which will do away with
such practices in future, and teach the
~arty politicians that in politics rs in the