The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1883-05-11
The New Discovery.

Mr. EDITOR: AS the time approaches for the
selection of candidates for the various positions
to be Iiled next fall. public attention is naturally
awakened and the movements of the two parties
carefully noJed. Already we hear names mem
toned Of those willing to serve their country
To all this there can be no proper objection
Every man has right to be II candidate. and to
procure his nomination and election by all honor
able means. But as there are often several can
ddates for the same position, discussions are apt
to follow, and the only known mode of settling
those discussions without injury to the party is to
have established, long in advance, some tribunal
so fair equitable and free to all, that none can
complain of its DEGREES. Such Il tribunal, it was
fondly hoped, was found in the ballot-boy or
Crawford County system: Yet we have learne d
the past few years, is failure" This we learn,
for the first time, from the columns of an es-
also that the Gt$I men of the party will not con-
sent to be candidates" The latter quotation is
surprisingly new, and, although not so intended
by its author) is if true, applicable to the past
twelve years as to the present day. The most of
Democrats have supposed that their party had
filled every Office within their gift, from the high
est to the lowest from his Honor who adorns our
Court down to the humblest election officer, with
gentlemen OF ability and character equal to any
TO be found in any county of this state, Perhaps
we were wrong in entertaining that dclusiOn.-
Moreover, if "the bca men of the party will not
consent to be candidates" for nomination by the
Crawford County system. it does not follow that
they would deCine nomination from that source
if politely rendered The people surely can dis
cover them in their retirement. Their flights are
II
are now standing on their dignity, would it not be
far better to lay it aside for the present and go
down among the common people, make known
their desire TO he nominated, explain their claims
and pretcnsions, Uhey might even be excused for
making few promisesO and thereby serve our
good Old party?
Every true Democrat arlcntly wishes the har-
monious and united action of our party knowing
full well that by such means only can entire sue
cess be secured To promote that harmony no
new issues should be raised, no selfish purposes
entertained, no past differences revived. Not
withstanding these truisms, representative
men" have prevailed on the Executive Commit
tee 10 call County Convention. No one ques-
tons the intelligence and pure purposes of the
Executive Committee, and no doubt they have
called convention in obedience to what they
supposed the wish of the party. But those rep
resentative men" from the various districts, who
volunteered their counsel to the Executive Com
mittee had not consulted the Democrats of this
part of Hartford, nor those of any other part
thereof, known to your correspondent. The
great Eass of Democrats dcprecato this untimcly
action, and are anxious to learn what its authors
expect to accomplish thereby. when we recall
the fact that the Crawford County system has
been in operation here for twelve years that our
party never sustained one dteW because of that
system; that no candidate, worth naming, ever
"boltcd' from its DEGREES that the whole system
is, in fact founded in the purest principles of
Democracy, surely no one for selfish purposes
should wish to abandon it and establish, in its
stead, the old. rotten, repudated convention syS-
TEN. And even If some, with better purposes
still desire n change, let them remember that af-
ter eight years experience OF the Crawford sys'
TEN. the Democrats of Hartford re-enaCted and
re-cndorsed it by majority Of l,Gi4. This was
done too at q general primary election, when the
whole party stirred to its utmost depths, and
when there was larger vote pOed than AT any
preceding primary. FurvlY they cannot expect
to wipe out that great majority of l,Gi4 votes by
the mere recommendations OF Representative
men," or by the SCmhlancC of a convention con
vened at this season of the year, when this whole
people are deeply cngrosScd with their farming
fishing and other avocatons No, sir; rather let
the indictments restrain their zeal and patiently
wait until the next general primary, when the
questions at issue can be fairly settled, and II
there be but one majority either way, all true
Dplnnrrnts will nliIp thprrhv A fRIEND