The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-06-05
The Regular Ticket.

The following extract is from an
amusing satire in the last number OF
the Atlantic Monthly, entitled ga
Letter from an Old War Horse to a
Young Politician"
81 sincerely hope it is not neces.
sary that ! should counsel YOU al
ways to vote the regular ticket. the
whole regular ticket, and nothing
but the regular ticket. Hold fast, /
beseech of you, TO the doctrine of the
infallibility of your party in conyen-
ton assembled. Delegates, like kings,
can do no wrong The voters who
scratch ballots or bolt nominations
are to be regarded as the bane of pol
itics, just as certain other reformers
have been the bane of religion. They
all belong in the same category, and
all are equally deserving OF the exc
Grafton of every practical man, as
opponents of the pestiferous doctrine
of the right of private judgment.
And just here a word in reply to the
familiar question Would yeu vote
for the devil if he received the par
ty's regular nomination | have no
hesitation in affirming that | GER
tainly would. Let's look at it. If the
day ever comes when the devil is
nominated, the other side is pretty
sure to run GABRIEL against him. OF
the two, my choice would he the
devil. To be sure, it would not be
an ideal nomination but, then, nei-
ther is ours an ideal world. Z am
aware that the devil has split hoofs.
pronounced horns and bifurcated
tail. But do we choose candidates
for their good looks? AS to his NOR.
al character, I frankly admit it is
not all l could desire; but, after all
criticism has exhausted itself. the
fact remains, conceded by both par
ties, that he is not as black as he is
painted. On the other hand, he has
many qualities that ought to com
mend him to practical men. He is
self-made he Is thoroughly earnest
in all he undertakes F; he is an untir-
ing worker he is one of the shrew-
dest of wire pullers, he possesses
NdSO anu Wei OoIllC
he is unsurpassed in ability to find
and manipulate the springs that
move men, he has a positive genius
for making friends. Gifted, popular,
magnetic, at home in all circles, from
the highest to the lowest, he would
be certain to make Il splendid run.
AS for Gabriel. l have only to say
that Ia HE inf linoftrol and
al endowments are undoubtedly OF
the highest order, here is great rea-
son to fear that he would not sue
coed in the realm of practical poll
tics. If elected to office, 1t is more
than likely that he would be more OF
a botheration than boon to his
party. He would be living up to the
promises made during the canvass /;
he would resolutely decline to let
well enough alone. Let me not be
misunderstood. | yield to 40 one in
my regard for Gabriel. But, as a
practical man, / would feel called
upon to vote against him, and do all
/ could for his opponent. In my own
ward, where my own influence is
most potent and my political theo-
ries most approved of. feel convinc-
ed that the devil would have very
large majority. This Hypothetical
case is, of course, an extreme one,
and is never likely to occur. [ have
dealt with it simply for the sake of
showing YOU that the position of
those whe insist upon the invariable
of regular nominations is
sound IN the last analysis"