Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-02-05
THURSD4Y EVENING, FEB
NOMINATIONS FOR SPRINGFIELD Of
EICES.

This town is Republican. 1t is Repub-
Tcan BY a large majority. If there is
anything in the doctrine that government,
in the American sense, is rule of the
majority, then the government OF this
town ought to be Republican.
That is, it ought to be Republican, un-
less il can be shown that the Democratic
minority can furnish us a better govern
ment than the Republican majority can.
Has this been shown2 The rule OF the
Democratic minority has been tried Are
the citizens satisfied with it2 II they are,
why move for change? But, if they are
not. the movement for a change should be
actuated by desire to make the change a
betterment.
There is no doubt that such desire is
general among the Republican citizens OF
the town. And it is evident, from the
opinions, which the GLOBE REPUBLIC pub
lished Tuesday, Of twenty-five Of these
Republican citizens, interviewed almost at
random, that they do not expect the de-
sired improvement through the opera
ton of primary election. They
believe, and their belief is shared
by all the members of the party in Spring
field who are disinterested in any candi-
dacy or in any wages for electioneering
and interested only in good municipal
government, that the primary is liable TO
be so managed and manipulated as to re-
suit in the nomination OF candidates who
either could not be elected or would not
improve the administration Of the city
affairs ii they should be.
As we have sa d, if the primary election
could be conducted as it ought TO be, We
should prefer it to any other method Of
nomination. But as it is conducted here,
and as it is getting to be conducted every
where, it defeats, instead of expressing,
the will of the party, and becomes farce
choice of a majority. He is, in most
cases, the man who has whooped up the
bows The deliberate action OF The party,
through It's disinterested representatives.,
would never have nominated him. He
never could have been the candidate with
out the modifying influence of money and
the melowing Influence of whisky. He
goos into tffice, If elected, without re-
spousibili'y. and administers the office to
please the boys, whom he has whooped,
and who consider it debt OF gratitude to
whoop him. His administration is a
whoop, and the party that has elected him
is ashamed If his whooping discharge OF
his duties.
Therefore We are opposed to the pri-
mary here and now. Therefore the hon
est and honorable and disinterested senti
ment Of the party is opposed to the pri-
mary. The man who should be nomi-
mated by a primary in Springfield this
spring. we believe, would be defeated. The
men whom the city would recognize as
improvements on the present incumbents
will not go into the contest Of a primary.
This is the feeling OF the party, and the
party committee know it as well as we do.
What will the committee do about it2 We
believe they want to do the will of the
party. And What is the will o, the party 2
1t is that some plan be devised by which
men NAV be nominated for Office in this
city who will be representative men.
But what shall be the plan2 A delegate
convention. And how should the dele
gates be chosen? By the very
method BY which juries are chosen to dis
pense Justice between man and man. Put
the names of a number OF good Republican
cirizeus in a box or hat, and draw out the
names of the delegates at a venture. With
none but names OF unexceptionable Re-
pu'licans honorable, incorruptible citi-
zens-to draw from, how could it be posi-
bic to fail of getting an honorable, incor-
rup,ible delegate convention, that would
nominate candidates for the party without
fear or favor?
Why should there be any hesitancv in
the adoption of this plan? 1t is fair to
everybody, it is perfectly practicable, and
/. could not be perverted. 1t mitht be
objected that it aould not express the
choice of tn s or that ward. That is so;
out it would leave it to representative men
from all the wards to express the choice
of the Republican party of the whole city.
Ii that S not what we want, then we don't
want anything at all.
Ia the light OF public sentiment the
committee have very simple duty. Let
,hcm decide that a caucus shall be held in
each ward; that it shall be dul " adver-
tised so that every ciriz who desires can
attend it; that the caucus shall app rint a
committee OF three or four 10 report list
of names of two or three times the number
Of delegates to be appointed; that these
names, if accepted by the eaucus, shall be
written on separate tickets and put IN
box or hat; that . person designAsed by