The Russellville Democrat., 1880-03-18
INsTRUCTING FOR CANDI-
 nATEJg

On the subject which forms the caption of this sticle, the Little Rock Democrat says.
 Now that the time for holding our State convention has been fixed, the subject of county conventions, in structions to delegates, etc, becomes Q matter ot importance. The clear interest of delegating power is to se- cure an accurate expression of the
 will of the people. To secure this end the people usually instruct their delegates as to their choice for can didates for office. This is right and proper since in our government the people are the source of all power Their sovereign will should be res pected and obeyed in the selection of the officials who are 10 administer their affairs. In selecting delegates to our state convention, the people should be very careful to choose such men as will carefully regard their interests and faithfully execute their will.
 How far delegates shall be in structed is a question for the people to decide. The practice of instruct ing delegates to vote for Smith or Jones first, last and all the time" is not good one and very often de- prives county of voice Tn a final struggle between opposing can didates. Such instructions are ln- tolerant and leave nothing to the delegate who having voted for the choice of the people as long as there is prospect for his nomination should thenceforth be permitted to exercise sound discretion in secur- ing the best thing for his people. If the people desire to express a sec ond choice their delegates should so be instructed. These matters are now before the people and should be thoroughly discussed before the meeting ot the county conventions.
 We fully agree with the Democrat that It IS right and proper for the people, through thelr primary con yentlons, to instruct their delegates, and we agree also with it's idea that it is impolitic and often subyersive of the will of the people to give instruc- tions from which delegates shall not have discretion to deviate after they see that the first or second choice of thelr constituents cannot be secured. There is another thing the voter Tn his primary convention should remember. It is this: There is no obligation resting on the peo- pie to confine their instructions to candidates who have announced their candidacy. If there be no candidate who has come to the front on his own accord and asked the office, who suits the people, it is their privilege to go to the ranks of the non office seekers and get candidate. And indeed we are almost ready to come to the conclusion that it will become necessary to pursue this course, for the greed for office seems to be spreading so fast that it needs rebuk- ing. Machine politicians run our affairs. Men who have the brass and cheek swarm to the front and actually crowd superior men of modest manners to the rear. Men who are professional office seekers are elected, and in order to render themselves popular for a second, third, and fourth term, they conduct affairs under their charge in almost any manner to keep on the side which will render them all hunki.do- ri with the masses. For fear of offending some influential men they will be very lonlent or very severe, very slack or very concise in their con struction of duty.
 It would be good for the State and | the people to let the office seek the man awhile, and all other things be- ing equal, put in the man who will his duties faithfully and scrupulously without ever stopping to ask whether it will render him popular or unpopular.
 This the professional office seeker will seldom do, and this is one req son why many men serve their terms out literally without doing any thlng. They are afraid to do any thing for fear they may offend some body and lose a vote at the next lection.
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