The weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1878-1881, 1881-03-22
PRIMARY MEETINGS..

to be held in this city for the purpose of NOM
mating candidates to be voted for on the first
Monday in April, to fill the various county
offices, has been made by the democratic
county central committee. The objects of
the call, and that which is to be gained by it
becomes now a legitimate subject OF discus
sion. It must be conceded by all that in the
organization of this new county great care
and circumspection must be exercised IN ST.
lacting the men to whom will be lntrusted
the management of its affairs for the next
eighteen months. for upon the competency
aud integrity of the officers depend the future
welfare of our new county. This is viewing
the matter from a non. partisan standpoint.
Viewing it from a party standpoint. we must
also concede that the party that would win
in the approaching canvass must select its
best men as its standard-bearers --mel who,
if elected, are fully capable to discharge the
duties of the several offices entrusted to their
care-men in whose honesty the people have
confdence-men who can rise above the in
luence OF mere party feeling and administer
the affairs of the county with the sole desire
to serve faithfully aud impartial.y its inter-
ests. A ticket composed of such men We are
satisfied will command the support of the
people aud be triumphantly elected. To place
such a ticket in the field is the object of the
democratic party. For this purpose it has
through its central committee appointed a
true and places for holding elections to
choose delegates to meet in county conven-
ton to select that ticket.
Under the convention system adopted by
the two great political parties the primary
meeting has become the most important fac
tor in shaping their policies and in choosing
their representatives. The primaries are the
peoples meetings. They are thoroughly dem
ocratic in the broadest sense OF the word. In
them each man has a voice. Each is the peer
of the other. There is no room for aristoc-
racy in the primaries-no room in which to
breed privileged classes. 1t is a place where
the wishes of the minority as well as those of
the majority should be respected. 1t is a
place where, if factions in the party exist,
mutual concessions Should be made to the
S"e e"'e "i'h"hy Lhoy SH"o W NV 'oi'
body. 1t should not be made the stepping
stone for an ambitious man or set Of men to
obtain power. 1t should not be manipulated
by a clique for its own interest or the inter-
est of its friends. But it should be the place
where men meet upon the common platform
of a common interest to delegate their COM
mon power to the few who will faithfully re-
present them all in a higher convention.
These are the objects and aims of party pri-
mary meetings, and when their u imposes are
carefully considered and carried out by a
party, that party is generally the successful
one.
But when the true intents and purposes of
primary meetings are perverted they become
the cankers that eat into, sap and destroy the
very foundations of a party. When they are
controlled by selfish men for selfish purposes
they are destructive agencies that will annihi-
late it though it be founded on The nobiesr,
purest principles of Justice. We are, all of
us, witnesses to this fact. We know that Il
party cannot succeed unless it be united, and
not only united but actuated by an earnest
UeSiEe 10 advance tne prosperity OF the coun-
try. 1t therefore becomes the duty of those
who have the interests Of the democratic par
ty at heart and desire to organize it in this
new county upon a firm and broad founda-
ton, to thn end that it may promote the well
fare of OF. people. to take heed lest in the
outset it is forced upon the rocks that Will ir-
retrlevably wreck its hopes and blast Its pres
eut fair prospects. We have 10 reason to
fear this result. We have every confidence in
those who are guiding the first steps of the
party in this county. We desire, merely, to
"a the attention of the democrats of the
county to their duty which it is expected they
vii! conscientiously discharge at the ensuing
primaries. As we have stated, the primary
meetings are the peoples meetings. We
would only ask that they elect such men at
these primaries as they are confident will
nominate a ticket at the county convention
that will receive the cordial and unanimous
support of the whole party. A false step now
would jeOpardize its interests. United action
will insure its usefulness and its continued
supremacy in Silver Bow county.
ECnrraDv wuN.,A,s