The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1882-09-15
THE INDIVIDUAL VOTER.


The secret of all success, whether in
/ business, war or politics, is personal ef-
/ fort. Organization and discipline are
/ primary requisites to the successful
handling of an army or to the prosecu-
/ ton of great enterprises. Nothing is so
unruly as a mob-nothiug so harmful to
/ itself and so easily subdued by combin-
( ed force, wisely and energetically direc-
/ ted. a platoon of thoroughly drilled
and Obedient marines will calmly face
and quickly disperse twenty times their
number of street rioters. Political bat
ties are frequently fought on the mob
principle and as frequently lost. Where
a party IS Overwhelmingly in the major
lty ana It's opponent is disOrganiZed.
splrlJleSS and hopeless. it may neglect
organization and systematic work. but
otherwise 1t cannot safely do SO. And
In a great State like PENNSYLVANIA. with
the parties so evenly divided. success is
always certain to be with the best oroan-
lZed and disciplined force. It is a battle
or numbers, but a contest of brains also
After an election the rank and file be-
come regardless of their political duties
ana responsibilities, and too often lead
erS become splrltleSs and neglectful. act
ing as though their party once defeated
is doomed to continued defeat and nos
no future. ''''O' mas
1t is no secret that the manaoemant
OF the present campaign, on behalf of
the democracy, thoroughly believes in
organization the most perfect which
can De made. and which reaches direct
~ Uhe individual voter. It believes that
through this course success can be won
IN this great battle and maintained
through an indefinite future. Tn former
years the stump was almost entireIv re-
Iled on as the decisive factor in poIitica1
campaigns to-day it is but a secondary
auxiliary, the press being the most no
Geuu, as IL is the most extended Influence
Inc distribution of regulation CAMPAIGN
uocumentS, is supplemented. if not snD-
painted, by the judicious management
ana circulation of Democratic Journals.
w mut1n I1l dC Che proper time give attention
I' 10 olIe issues OF the campaign and which
have of late made their readers aconain-
ted in the most attractive wav with the
llYes OF our candidates. whose personal
worth and public records appeal with
ike force to popular endorsement
After the utilization of all these and
Other we'll established and universal
agencies, the oig'army of voters remains
III d chaOtlc and unreliable condition if
sySleIhaClc organization has been neglec-
TED, and II the TOll-cak is dropped an
hour before the polls cfOse there will he
a multitude of stragglers unaccOunted
for, many of them, perhaps. picked mn
unawares by the ever watchfuI enemy.
or years this last resort has been one
of the chief reliances of the Cameron
machine in Pennsylvania It's unscrup-
ulous agents go about the Democratic
outSklrt seeking whom they may delude
Dy all manner of disreputable means.
chlet OF which is braZen falsehood in re-
gaTd TO Democratic leaders. candidates
ana party purposes. The most outrage
Gus IIbels are circulated, beyond the or
dlnary and counteractive Influences and
voters are usually led astray through
their own Over-zealOus determination
not to be betrayed.
A perfected system of local. district
and general organization will almost en-
tlreiy prevent the success of this gueril-
la warfare on the part of the enemy,
which in the pending contest they have
to carry on upon a gigantic
scale aud upon which they RELY for es-
cape and from certain and disastrous de-
feat. 1t is altogether too much the hab- |
It OF the average voter in Lancaster to
be oYer-anXlOus about what the Demo-
Gratis of Greene or Yenango are doing /
while he forgets to look into the situa- .
ton at home and vice versa. We are
all too ap5 to take a long range view of
the fight and TO forget to keep the lines
closed IN our immediate locality. Let |
Us reform this matter altogether and
right AOw. Instead of straininp our
eyes to the distant political horizon, let !
Us see to it that each Democratic pla- !
tOOn, company and battalion is in good
lighting trim, Let every man get into |
the ranks. get his name on the roll, and
make 1t his special business to be pres |
sent at every drill. Let him know what |
his neighbOrs on either side of him and
across the street are going to do, and not /
trouble himself about what is going on
two hundred miles distant. This is the /
kind Of organization that wins. 1t is
the kind that has won in other States |
and in other contests. and if faithfully !
adhered to in the present fight for re- |
form will render the Democratic hosts
in the keystone State invincible. -Lal- |
caster I1telligencsr,