The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-07-16
The Logic Of the Kickers., ),

They are not desirous, they say; to in
iure the Republican party, but to
benefit, purify and strengthen it No
party has ever existed, they freely
admit, that could be compared with it
Cor soundness of fundamental purpose,
and for splendor of service and achieve
ment. They are proud and happy in
the consciousness of belonging to a
party that has done so much for the
country and for mankind, and their
souls yearn with anxiety for its preser-
walton and prolonged usefulness and
glory. Therefore, they propose to vote
against it and do all they can to defeat
it in the coming election, and turn the
Government over to the party that has
steadily antagonized it at every step OF
its great and shining career. That is
the argument. stripped of all disguise
and stated in plain, candid terms.
We are told by the New York Times,
for example, that it is no less Repub-
ican paper because it refuses to sup
port the Republican ticket. The party
is sick, it says, and oppressed with nox-
ious Influences; therefore the Times
will "act the part of a physician" and
exert itself industriously to purge and
heal the organization of these ailments
by denouncing it's candidate and per-
suading the people to deny it any furth-
ler lease of power. That Mr.. Blaine
was fairly nominated is not questioned.
On the contrary, it is readily admitted
that he is the choice of large major
ity of the Republican voters Of
the country that no candidate
has ever been selected who
80 clearly met the prevailing desire of
the party as party. To the mind Of
the average citizen, this would seem to
be conclusive reason why he should
he supported for the party's sake and
on general principles of justice, loyalty
and propriety. But, singularly enough,
this is the very reason why the Times
opposes him and urges that he should
be defeated.
a similar position is assumed by the
New York Evening Post. 1t loves the
Republican party deeply and fervently,
and doesn't see how we could get along
without such an organization; but the
party needs doctoring, and the EUen-
ing Post is going to physic it by doing
lall that is possible to put it out and
install in its place the party that the
IEUeasipg Post has been accustomed to
regard as the sum of all that is errone-
Gus, vicious and nasty in our politics.
There would have been no room for
complaint, we are told, if Mr. Edmunds
had been nominated instead of Mr..
Blaine. The sickness of the party con-
lsists entirely in the fact that the EUen-
ing Post did not get the candidate
whom it desired. It has been supposed
heretofore that the majority was more
likely to be right in such matters than
the minority; but the moral philosophy
of the EUensny Post teaches that all
wisdom resides with the remnant, and
that not abundance, but scarcity, Of
votes is tho true test of q candidate 8
worth and availability. Hence, the
failure of nine-tenths OF the Conven-
tion to accede to the preference of one
tenth justiies the truly earnest and vir-
tuous patriot in turning bolter.
The attitude of Harper's Weekly is
substantially the same. 1t is thorough
ly devoted to the interests of the Re-
publican party, it claims, and felictates
itself upon having had o considerable
share in the honor of winning Repub-
lican victories and promoting Republic
an principles and Republican methods
OF administration. But it has to draw
the line of moral duty at the point
where the views of the great body of
Republican voters conflict with its own
profound and exalted notions as to the
choice of candidate for President.
1.-The nomination of Mr.. Blaine is
doubtless agreeable" it says, "to the
majority OF the party" This does not
signify, however, that he ought to have
the support of the whole party, accord
ing to Harper'S Weekly; on the con-
trary, that paper declares, it "ought to
alarm honest Republicans, as showing
how dangerously far the Republican
standard has fallen and put them in
a humor to give aid and comfort to the
Democrats, because "the great objects
of the Republican party are not to be
expected from Republican success"
The party needs medicine; therefore
Harper'S Weekly will dose it with heroic
injections of such stuff as shall prevent
it from maintaining its supremacy and
perpetuating its existence.
1t is not necessary to enlarge upon
the manifest inconsistency, sophistry
and nonsense of such talk as these pa
pers are using to explain and justify
their singular course. Mr.. Blaine is
the candidate of the party because the
best judgment of the party as exempli-
fed in the free and deliberate action of
She peoples representatives has made
him such. 1t is not logically possible
to vote against him and yet sustain a
since.re and faithful relation to the par
ty forNwhich he stands, and which must
gain or lose as he shall succeed or fail.
The theory upon which the decision
of the mlajority OF party conven.
tion is heId to be binding and
conclusive ups on all who belong to
that party Is the same in effect as
that upon WHOM free government
is founded and OPERAS Hd' Government
OF the people and by Une People Il
practicable only by reason OF tne SuDor-
dination of individual wishes anu opin. ~
ions to the will of the majority; ana TI The
same rule is applicable to parties. Ane I
chief purpose of convention is to- us, :,
;tormine what the majority thinks \ II