The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1884-04-06
CONVENTION ron PARTY oRoANI1A'
TIO

KAUFMAN, April - nhteVsr ma! 20
the detects IN the convention system as un'
dsrs,ood and practices By political parties,
and however distsstsful 10 may be TO the
people, tho fact still remains tested by ok
perience and supported by oommon reason,
that political conventions are i~Ddispensahlc
TO party organizations and SUCCESS. by
many they are regarded IA n kind OF nee
essary evil that should be rssorted 20 liso
| medicine, only in cases Of pressing oiner-
sancy and when present party ruccssl may
imperat'vely demand KEN. In differing
from those who entertain views similar to
the nbove. | lay il down ~ sound doctrine
and the true policy, thnt there should be a
party pomiration for every office within
the eift ot the people from president OF the
United States down TO the most unimpor.
tnnt p%o,ition I'm the county and precinct.
II Is a very ordinary complaint against po-
tical conventions chat they are generally
manipulated ard controlled by tricksters
aud unpriucipled meD-f0r personal ends
and not for the best interests OF the people.
II appears TO ms that this OBJECTION is not
well founded. In the first place u Is not
true that the conyentions, OF the Democrat.
10 party a. least. are generally controlled
by p%oliticsl trickstsrg for dishonest pur-
poses. In the tec1nd place, WIZ never q
convention falls 10 reflect the popular Will,
II will be found to be due in n great meas
| ure to the indifference and neglect OF the
people themselves. Has one who refuses
u attend u convention f his party any
coed ground TO complain at its action.
Every cit zen is directly interested In the
| officers OF the government, and 10 Is his
privilege and duty to bare a voice In their
selection. IN he isil to exercise this high
p~rerogativa he ~ fairly eetnpped. BY his
neglect, and should no, hs heard 10 COM
plain II he is dissatisfied with the action OF
others.
vsntiops will be found men who have failed
to be nominated and who have been de-
tented in independent rocss for Office. Men
who psy but little attention TO public al
fairs, who rarely attend conventions or cleo
tions; chronic gruin oilers with whom every.
thing goes wrong, who are willing to en-.
Joy the blessings OF good government With
out voluntarily assuming any ofits buroens
or making any personal sacrifice In its De-
nall.
The truth 10 that the convention system
Is right and proper and we'll calculated TO
when properly managed To reflect the pop
ular vii. The trouble 10 with the people
themselves, who are wanting In pubic
spirit add a laudnble zeal and interest In
the affairs OF their government; men who
are unwilling or indisposed to devote two
or three days ont OF two years to the selec'
zion OF good officials; either have
o poor conception Of the imDortancs
Of good government, or place a very low es'
innate on its value.
With reference to party nominations for
! count, Offices, the popular feeling seems to
b. decidedly against them epscisliy III
| This norton OF the state where the demOc-
raoy ARE largely In the majority. Never
| thsless as q matter OF sound policy in the
| interest OF the democratic party and conse.
auently Of tho country. there should
be n regular democratic. ticket tor
every ofice nominated and elected a.
such.
The practice of promiscuous independent
races for Office IN politically demoralizinS IN
its Tendencies, and is calculated Ia its re-
suits 10 wenEea and overthrow parties
Take a county with $500 democratic voters
and six or eight hundred greenbacSers and
republicans Tor example: An army OF IN
dependent candidates for the various ounty
offices appears in the field and De
| You will rarely know one of them to be q
democrat from ytbing he says on the
subject. II politics Is mentioned a. all by
one OF these woulG-be officers, he will
probably manage to saw that he is a demo-
Graf, but will modsstly intimate that he u
not running for a p%olitic,l office. fon WI
find them remarkably civil and pohte u
greenoackers, republicans and the disaf-
fected OF all parties. Its by no means Ger
tain that IL would not prove an ultimate
blessing TO The democratic party in Texas
for all the county offices to fail into .hs
hands of their enemies for q few yesfs,
| Wherever the democracy Tor any other
party) are in the majority tney are Justly
entitled TO fill the oficrs from their ranks
and on the other hand when an
officer IL nominated and elected as "A Demo
or at he owes. some allegiance 10. his party
He Is under the strongest obligations To up
hold and defend democratic principles nnc