The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-01-21
THE pARTY,s FIRST DUTY.

IH6 FAhI4'6 flhOI UU1Is
The call for the election of delegates to the
Chicago convention should carry with it to
every thinking Republican the great necessity
of selecting the very best men to be had. The
circumstances under which the convention of
1884 will assemble from the present outlook,
will be different in certain important respects
from those surrounding any national Repub-
ican gathering since that of 1860. The NOM
nation of 1864 was essentially formal, the
natural and inevitable outcome of the war and
the success of Mr. Lincoln's administration.
The first and second nomination of Grant were
in the nature of political foreordination. At
the Cincinnati convention, and at Chicago
again in 1880, there was a contest Of men,
battle between political giants,
and the result of each was a
compromise; the leaders, so evenly matched,
had to give way to a new man, resulting in
the selection of Hayes and Garfield respect
lively The convention of 1884 meets under
new conditions There is now no mere per-
sonal battle of giants, nor is there any marked
tendency toward special candidates. The inn
portant thing with all Republicans everywhere
is to select the man most acceptable to the
party and to the country, and to accomplish
this personal preferences are held i'll allegiance.
The principles of the Republican party have
not changed, so that no new programme will
have to be made. But the party being in
power and conspicuous before the country,
has suffered somewhat from the mistakes that
must occur in all human organizations. These
must be remedied, and there must be made
manifest a sincere purpose to continue the
public administration to the best interests of
al the people !, The campaign of this year will
be stubbornly fought, and the peculiar situa-
ton makes the issue too uncertain to permit
of any mistakes at the outset.
The delegates, therefore, should be made
up of the best men from each district and
from the State at large. They should be
chosen entirely ON account of their personal
fitness, and without regard to their individual
preference for this or that man. Let the best
man in each instance be chosen; the man to
command honorable and dignifed influence
before the convention and by his qualifications
to aid in shaping the policy and work of the
party to the best purpose. In this campaign
individual "booms" are certain to go down if
formulated upon and pushed from simply per
sonal considerations. What the people want
is sound principles and the assurance of good
government, and these must be promulgated
and guaranteed in convention, Let the dele
up to Chicago lintIammeled with instructions,
which is another excellent reason for selecting
able and conscientious men, Other States,
imbued with the spirit Of the times, will be
represented by the ablest delegates they can
find, and Indiana will suffer in dignity and
honor if her representatives are not the peers
Of any that may come to Chicago The peo-
pie everywhere are celebrating as to the best
man for the occasion. Our delegates should
go up with but one idea, that of laying aside
all prejudice and of assisting in doing the best
work possible.
In this connection it is eminently pertinent
to urge that the same care and wisdom be ex-
ercsed in the selection of the new State CEN
trail committee, which must be chosen at the
same time that the delegates to Chicago are.
The party calls for the ablest and best men
that can be found And besides being quail
fed, they must be men of energy and so sit
uated that they can make business of poll
tics for the few months intervening between
the day they are chosen and the day
on which the ballots will be counted
in November next. Personal ambition must
give way to personal fitness The wire-puller
and professional boomer will find his occupa-
ton gone. The people will carry the next
election, and the people are not in the humor
to be caioled or played with. The business
of politics in 1884 is d serious one Let us
have serious, honorable, and energetic men.
The campaign of the Republican party must
be conducted on business principles, based on
the broadcast foundation of right and wisdom.
Let this be assured, and the result may be an
ticipated with confidence
-
j. LEE SMITH, of Chicago, knows that he is