The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1880-10-09

CONTINUED FROM FIRST PAGE.
tiyes in some general convention, to read
out of its membership all these persons
who venture thus to decide for them
selves whether they will support the reg
ular nominations CT rot. II the ltcpub-
licans at Chicago or the Democrats at
Cincinnati had distinctly announced in
their platforms that they want nobody
henceforth to take any part in their eau
cuses OF conventions, or to claim any
privileges of membership, who will not
promise beforehand to support all the
regular nominees of the party, whoever
they may be, that declaration would
have greatly simplitied matters. 4 large
number of persons who have been in the
habit of acting with the two parties
would, no doubt, have withdrawn from
all relations with them, and party disci-
pline would be easily maintained. If this
is what the party leaders wish, | submit
that they are bound to say SO explicitly,
that we may have an authoritative dec
laration of the conditions of membership
in each of the political parties. Those
of us who have been accustomed hereto
fore to exercise some independence in
our political action will then know exact
ly what to do. We shall be very sure
not to intrnde into caucuses and conven-
lions that are called upon this basis.
In 1915, the Massachusetts, State Con
vention adopted the following resolution,
reported by Senator Dawes:
1T is therefore declared that the Re
publican party of Massachusetts, will
support no man for official position whose
personal character is not an absolute
guarantee of fidelity to every public
trust; and they invoke the condemnation
OF the ballot box upon every candidate
for Office who fails of this test, whatever
be his party, name OF Endorsement"
The very last Republican convention of
the same State unanimously adopted the
following luminous statement of the doe
lIlle vi party arrogance:
The duty of all Republic ans Loyalty
to support the candidates of the party,
and the duty of nominating conventions
to present candidates who are acceptable
to all Republicans, are reciprocal duties
of equal force and Obligation
The last named of these duties comes
first i'll the order of time. and when it is
not performed, the other obligation ceas.
eS to bind
g In the State of New York" SAYS Mr.
Adams, ''as nearly as can be estimated,
forty-tive men out of every hundred who
vote can be counted on to vote the Re.
publican ticket, and forty five men to
vote the Democratic ticket. The Other
ten men i'll the hundred constitute an un.
known element. These ten men we be-
lieve we can make fourteen. If we can
we are masters of the situation. They
have got to give us what we believe the
highest interests of the country demand
OF We will not vote for their candidates.
Every child knows that the boy on the
centre of the fitting board can make
either end. if the ends are equally
weighted, go up or down at pleasure
That illustration would be pertinent il
the independent vote would all 90 one
way. Fortunately, however, it is not
and cannot, by the supposition, be an or
gained and compact body; and it is apt
to divide and scatter. If the fourteen
independent voters would all stand on
the same side of the fitting board every
time, they could have things their own
way: unhappily, they are often found
standing i'll about equal numbers on
either side of the middle, balancing one
another And although the power of the
men who are wholly outside Of all parties
is sometimes most beneficently exerted.
1t Is serious question whether. on the
whole, and i'll the long run, these men
would not accomplish more of good by
connecting themselves with that political
party which will tolerate the largest
measure of independence, and exertng
their influence in its councils for the
publication of its management and the
elevation Of its standards.
Mr. Adams instances. as one who has
yielded great political influence. James
Freeman Clarke of Massachusetts. MIR.
Clarke he says, g is clergyman; he is
man of acknowledged weight of charac,
ter; i'll politics he is nothing. if not indie,
pendent. Well, take him into a conven-
ton, and it is comical to see Mr.. Clarke
unhorse the war horses. He smites them
with his individuality. 1t seems to me
that Mr.. Adams illustration disproves
his doctrine. Mr. Clarke is sometimes
more than an independent in politics. lie
is an independent Republican. He votes
the Republican ticket, dare say, in the
great majority Of cases, using his liberty
of boiling when he believes that the ill.,
terest of the party and of the country
require it. lie goes to the caucuses. 1t
is i'll the convention, is it not. that he
"unhorses the war horses?' The power
that he has welded has been in connec-
ton with the Republican party, as a
faithful and fearless unholder of purity
and integrity in the party management.
The best things that he has done he never
could have done if he had been content
to stand with Mr.. Adams on the centre
of the fitting board.