Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-09-09
Aanrastcr fntRlhaeucr::

aanrastcr fntRllaeurr:
SATURDAY EVENING. SEPT. .. lee2.
The Individual Voter.
The secret of all success, whether in
business, war or politics, is personal ef-
tort. Organization and discipline are
the primary requisites to the successful
handling of an army or to the prosecu-
ton Of great enterprises. Nothing is So
unruly a. . mob, nothing 80 harmful to
itself and % easily subdued by combined
force, wisely and energetically directed.
A platoon OF thoroughly drilled and
obedient marines will calmly face and
quickly disperse twenty times their num-
Der of street rioters. Political battles
are frequently fought on the mob prin-
ciple and as often lost. Where . party
is overwhelmingly in the majority and
its opponent is disorganized, spiritless
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 par
ties 10 evenly divided, success is always
certain to be with the best organized
and disciplined force. 1t is battle of
numbers, but a contest of brains also.
After an election the rank and file be-
come regardless of their political duties
and responsibilities, and too often lead
ers also become spiritless and negIectful.
acting a. though their party once de-
feated is doomed to continue defeat and
has no future.
1t is no secret that the management
Of the present campaign, on behalf of
the Democracy, thoroughly believes
in organization the most perfect which
can be made, and which reaches directly
to the individual voter. 1t believes that
through this course success can be won
in this great battle and maintained
through an indefinite future. In former
years the stump was almost entirely re.
lied upon as the decisive factor in polit-
ical campaigns; to-day it is but sec
Ondary auxiliary, the press being the
most potent, as it is the most extended
influence The distribution of regula
tion campaign documents is supplement-
ed, if not supplanted, by the judicious
management and circulation of Demo-
cratic journals, which at the proper time
give attention to the issues Of the CAM
paign and which have of late made their
readers acquainted in the most attract
i've way with the lives of our candidates,
whose personal worth and public records
appeal with like force to popular en-
dOrsement.
After the energetic utilization of all
these and other we'll established and
universal agencies, however, the army
of voters remains in q chaotic and unre
liable condition if systematic Organiza.
ti0n has been neglected, and if the roll.
call is dropped an hour before the polls
close there will he a multitude of strag.
glels unaccounted for, many of them
perhaps, picked up unawares by the ever
watchful enemy. For years this last resort
has been one of the chief reliances of the
Cameron machine in Pennsylvania. Its
INSCRIPTIONS agents so about the Dem
ocratic outskirts seeking whom they
may delude, by all manner of disreputa
bic means, chief Of which is brazen
falsehOod in regard to Democratic lead
ers, candidates and party purposes. The
most outrageous libels are circulated be-
yOnd the ordinary reach of counter
active influences and voters are actually
led astray through their own over. zeal
GUS detertEi Eination not to be betrayed.
A perfected system of local, district
and general organization will almost en-.
tireIy prevent the success of this guer.
rilla warfare on the part of the enemy
which in the pending contest they have
prepared to carry On upon a gigantic
scale and upon which they rely for es
cape from otherwise certain and disas
trOus defeat. 1t is altogether too much
the habit Of the average voter in Ian
caster to be Over-anxious about what
the Democrats Of Greene or Venan
60 are doing, while he forget.
to look into the situation at home, ani
vice versa. We are all too apt to take Z
long range view of the fight and to for
get to keep the lines closed in our imme
diate locality. Let US reform this mat
ter altogether and right now. Instead
of straining our eyes to the distant poll
tical horizon, let US see to it that eact
Democratic platoon, company and bat
TALON is in full fighting trim. Lei
every man get into the ranks, get his
name on the roll and make it his specia
business to he present ut every drill
Let him know what his neighbors OF
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 or
ganizatiOn that wins. 1t is the kini
that has won in other states and in othel
contests, and if faithfully adhered to il
the present great fight for reform will rem
der the Democratic hosts in the Key.
stone state invincible.
IT is satisfying to observe that tn,
scramble in the Eleventh district has re
suited in the choice of such an upright
citizen and worthy candidate as John B
Storm, Of Monroe. The conferee
mi1Ibt have t1Ona yvOrqo Mr. Rncl-oIou