The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-10-27
To Bolt, or Not to Bolt.
ro me Editor ot the Hsrald


Men, as they become cultured and enteI
into a broader civilization, necessarily be
come more. philosophical and tolerant
Their prjudices are pruned off and they ar,
lifted into a purer atmosphere. In the rati,
of their culture do they look with disfavol
upon rings and disreputable cliques that at
tempt to stock conventions and stihe OF
debauch free and fair ballot.
The time has come when political parties
cannot csrelessly or fraudulently foist men
upon the ticket and then use the party whip
to lash supporters into party traces. Thus
nominations are certain to receive the
strictest scrutiny, and they must be able to
stand the test Of their scrutiny or g, to the
wall.
II view of this premise, l undertake to
formulate this declaration, and assert it to
be the very best Democratic doctrine, viz
Ifs better safer, truer man than the nominee
run for office, the nominee should be de-
fssted.
This danger of an Independent candidate
should ever be present before conventions.
1t will break down rings and force the best
man into the field. : If from personal or
private motives, some weak, inefficient,
pompous and thiCksheaded aspirant is ad.
yanced as the standard bearer of u great
party, an! be charged with the exposition Of
its principles and policy, his salient points,
his defects, his weaknesses quickly discovered,
voters become dissatisfied, conventions are
brought into dispute, and the integrity of
the party is imperiled.
There is in Texas in the democratic party
ulqu?stonably.go Cd material. Unlike the
democratic party of the north, it embodies
the wealth, intelligence and culture of the
south. There can be no excuse received when
convention deliberately ignores the best
material and tenders to the party, and then
attempts to force down its throat incompe-
tent, unsatisfactory and mediocre men. Such
results are demoralzng. They make one
wish that this great jug-handled democracy
had an able, watchful, sharp competitor in
Texas, standing ready to CONTEMPORARY
strike down its enfeebled bastards.
The democratic party in less than two
weeks from to-day will be subjected to the
greatest strain ever imposed upon political
organization. A gigantic effort will be made
on November 2 to dissolve and destroy it.
The omens of the times indicate that it will
meet with desperate defest-one that is cal
culsted to paralyze the efforts of wesried
and dishehftened party. We may look then
for OBJECTIONS from that party. Only brave
men stand by their colors amid the rout of
stricken foes Only true men lift The banners
of liberty over and above the tempest of
gallant but luckless battle. There will be
good men and true, who will stand by the
party even amid the drest disaster, for these
are men who believe that the democratic
party is the only custodian of the principles
of liberty that have survived to us after great
cost They believe, unalterably believe, that
when that party dies, rep blcan government
has practically breathed its last. Who can
question then, under such circumstances, the
necessity Of nominating able and good men?
What forgiveness is there for convention
which betrays its trust and fails to do SO?
When the trust be betrayed who shall charge
him with being recreant that shall exercise
wise and patriotic judgment in CHI osing bet
ter men? XXX.
DALLAS, Oct. %, 1880.