Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-07-18

dency at hap hazard with any sort
OF material, but that both these
officers should be the object of
the same care and discrimination. But
it is equally plain that unless some change
is made in the mode of nominating it will
be impossible to effect any reform in this
direction. For whenever there is sharp
contest over the Presidential nomination
and there must always be such a contest
in the convention of the dominant party
the interest of the proceedings Inevitably
eliminates with the settlement of that
dispute, and all that follows is hurried
over in careless and impatient and
thoughtless way. It Is also frequently
the case that there is a prevailing dis
position to give away the Vice Presi-
Dental nomination to the defeated wing OF
the party, and it is evident that this ten
dency may at any time lead to the framing
of an ineongruous and discordant ticket
Precisely that result occurred in the Chi
oago Convention last year, and as con-
sequence the attempt on the life of the
President threatened the Republican party
with responsibility for President who
certainly cannot be said to have been the
choice of a majority of its members.
To avoid the manifold dangers INSOFAR
able from this careless and hasty mode of
completing the Presidential ticket, we
propose that the National Conventions
shall henceforth nominate for Vice Presi.
dent first. By so doing the choice of that
candidate will be made in Geld blood, and
with proper deliberation and circumspection.
The nominations will be canyassed rigorous
ly, and there will be no temptation to let
the office go as sort of offering of atone.
ment to the defeated faction. It viii be
necessary that the men who are named
for it shall be such as the party generally
will approve Of, and such as can be de-
Tended and sustained. In a word, by
nominating for Vice President first instead
of last, nearly all the difficulties and dan
gers of the present method would be
avoided, and the reasonable probability of
making good and consistent Presidential
tickets would be very greatly increased.
By adopting this plan all the confusion
which attaches to endeavors TO transact
business amid the excitement of consum.
mated political battle, would be elimina-
ted. The Conventions might get ss excited
as they pleased after they had nominated
their candidates, but the ticket would
sustain no injury from their enthusiasm.
The work of the Convention would all
have been done soberly and in order, and
it would almost certainly be very much
better DONE
The change wehave suggested, moreover,
is one which may be adopted with great
benefit in all nominating Conventions, for
the same dangers and sources of confusion,
arising from the same causes, exist in all
OF them. Whenever series of nomina.
tons is to be made there are always some
which concentrate the attention and Tho
energies of the Convention. The great
contests are made over them, and when
those contests are ended the interest at
once declines, and the rest of the tickle.
often almost dominates itself. In this way
it frequently happens that unfit men Sc.
cure nominations for important positions,
and that parties are brought into disrepute
because of the misconduct of these obiec-
tionable candidates. II, however, the or.
der OF nomination were reversed, and the
less important offices were considered first,
the Convention would be compelled to pay
equal attention to all of them, and there
would be no more OF that cessation OF in.
terest which is at present TO be observed
whenever the main nominations have been
made. InCounty Conventions, for example,
the Office of Sheriff generally attracts the
most attention, and is regarded as the key
of the contest and when it has been filed
the interest dies out. the spectators leave
the hall. and all the rest of the ticket is
hurried through in careless and per.
functory way.
Bat if the order of nominations were re.
versed this anti climax would be avoided.
Every candidate would then be carefully
scrutinized, from the lowest to the high.
est, and we have no doubt whatever that
the result would be to raise the general
character of the ticket materially. The
reason OF this is perfectly obvious. As it
is we practically conclude the business of
our conventions with the principal nomina.
tion or nominations. Whatever comes
after that work is done seems of necessity
superfuous. The politicians have worked
out their combinations. The objects mainly
sought have been accomplished or baffied.
There is no longer any enthusiasm or pa.
thence or energy in the Convention. The
members want to get away as quickly as
possible, and so they assent to anything
that promises a speedy adjournment. In
other words bad nominations are the result
of carelessness on the part Of the popular
agents, and it is the part of wisdom to pre-.
vent this carelessness by so ordering the
nominations that there shall no longer be
any excuse for it. We put forward this
proposition as one which we believe con.
tains the means of remedying some of the
most serious defects of the present nomin.
ating system, and we recommend it to the
attention of practical politicians as one
which may deserve their serious considera.
ton. 1t is, we venture to suggest. the
only method by which our Presidential
tickets can be put upon a thoroughly safe
and consistent basis, and, as we have en-.
deavored to show, it is equally applicable
to nominating conventions of every kind.
THE END OF THE DEADLOCK AP-
PREACHING.
On Saturday so much progress was made