San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-06-01
TUESDAY, JUNE I. 1886.
NOT FIRST, ONLY LoUDEST.


Those who imagine that the candidate
who makes the most noise before the
convention assembl is necessarily
bound to secure the first attention Of the
convention when Assembled are usually
mistaken. The pig that squeals londest
does not always get the most swill. and
the candidate who whOOps 1t up the
loudest is not the candidate who most
favOrably impresses either the people or
the convention. The only trouble In Sc
curing proper candidates TO fill any office
lies in the Indifference of the average
citizen to the work of selecting cOnven-
ventiOn delegates. The holding Of polit-
ical office has so long been regarded as
trade that men engaged in the regular
industries of life, intent upon their bust
ness, have too largely come to consider
the work Of selecting proper representa-
tives for political conventions as some
thing little outside of their line. They
seem to forget that as citizens there are
duties that they cannot neglect to per-
form without periling the interests Of
good government. With the primaries
properly attended, Il selection of repre-
Sentatives for the convention would fol-
low such as would smash all states made
by the few ring politicians found in every
community.
The howl of the interested ones who
are coaching their candidates is not to
be taken as the voice of the people. We
have In this state, to-day, several Candi-
dates, who, with their friends, are fond
ly dreaming of office. Before this
dream of Office is realized they know
that the capturing of the convention is
the vital point. That assured, all else
follows as matter Of course. The in
terests of the people are not consulted
at all. The interests of the candid ate
and his friends are the primary cOnsid-
erations. There are other candidates
for other offices, and these also have
their personal friends, and between
these, combinations are sought to be
made and are made. The faculty OF
making good trade Is as necessary to
the. successful political schemer as it ID
TO the successful horse jockey, and in
looking out for his prospective trade he
keeps his weather eye on the primaries
Packed primaries are the result of this
desire to put such men into the conven.
tions rs will not only support certain
candidates but who are on the trade
and up to all the corruptions of conven
ton trlckery. A convention made VI
of cut and dried representatives usually
goes through the motions very harmoni
ously, as the fighting ia generally done
outside, and in private caucauses, wher,
the trading Is accomplished. Where
however, the commonwealth is large, a
is Texas, and the candidacy OF certain
parties has been very prominently urgeC
for some time, the feeling of persona
antagonism becomes too strong for an,
compromise, and the fight must COM
squarely before the convention itself an,
be settled there.
Such fight is quite likely to be pre-
cipitated at Galveston in the ensuinI
state democratic convention. 1t will b,
all the more bitter. because, so over
whelming is the democratic majority II
this state that the nomination at Gal
weston will be generally accepted a
equivalent to an election. Such beinl
the case, it becomes the more imperatiy
that the work of that convention shoul
be well and wisely performed. Tn
names now before the state so promi
nently, following the usual course o
premature candidacy and middleton
booming, will be very likely to be Sc
aside after the first formal ballot. Tn
wisdom and sagacity Of the convention
will then be taxed to put in nomination
some man upon whom all the conflicting
elements Of the convention will agree
This man will be more likely to b,
chosen for his mediocre abilities thai
for any other cause, because his rival
will prefer weak man in the chair theJ
cannot fill, rather than a strong one
This is human nature. The personal
element, the desire for personal prefer