The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-04-24
COUNTY NOMINATIONS.

the poSSlpiiily OIL IeSpectdoic duuiniSIid1iou
through the Democratic party. The elections
thus far held are pregnant with promise of
Republican success, and, correspondingly,
Republican responsibility. The present prom
Use may all be lost by future unwisdom. A
platform Of principles is very important. The
Republican party can never succeed, and
never has succeeded, except when it responds
to the best aspirations of the people. 1t is an
instrument for the public good, and so long
as 1t answers to that purpose it will command
and receive popular approval The Journal is
deeply interested in the success Of the party
member of the party ought to be. The party
means no more to US, from any possible point
of view, than it does to the. unnumbered
thousands who make up it's membership. We
meet upon perfect equality with all the un-
official members of the party, and upon that
common level we beg them to remember just
now, when the county convent tons are about
to be held, the absolute Importance of making
the most unexceptionable nominations. More
the spirit and purpose of the party. 1t is not
impossible for the devil to quote Scripture,
and, therefore, words have usually been dis
counted unless accompanied by correspond
ing actions. A good platform and bad nom
nations will do no good. The nominations
will be commentary by which the
whole spirit and purpose Of the party will be
judged. The legislative nominations must be
particularly looked after. The State has been
cursed for years with Legislatures that, it is
charitable to say, were incompetent. The
character of the Legislature must be changed,
and its grade raised. The next Assembly is
to elect successor to Senator Harrison, and
from party and public considerations of the
highest kind, the Republican candidates must
be men who can not only command the whole
party strength, but will attract support from
the outside. The legislative candidates must
not be selected by the selfshness Of those who
are candidates for the fat county officers, Sc
lected to trade upon, and to afford an ease
ment for these candidates to ride into their
must be the best men in their several dis
tricts, who will lead their tickets before the
people, and who cannot be traded off for or
by anybody, or in or for any ones interest.
What has been said for the State at large
applies with equal force to Marion county, and
really with enhanced emphasis. The time has
gone by when nomination in Marion county
was equivalent to an election, and it will be
well for the men who are anxious for candi-
dacies to remember that fact In this county
the candidates will be vastly more than the
platform, and If questionable ticket is pre-
scented to the voters the election will likely be
meaningless form. The convention so soon
to meet should not mistake or misapprehend
its duty. Those only should seek or consent
to go who are fully determined to allow no
personal considerations to interfere with the
paramount duty Of naming a winning ticket.
We take it for granted that no one wants to
hold a convention for fun, and that no one is
spending his time seeking nomination mere
ly for the satisfaction of seeing his name on a
printed ticket It has been repeatedly demon
strated that this is more than a possibility in
this county A word to the wise is sufficient.
I The ticket to be selected is long one, and
the proposal has been made to postpone the
nomination Of part of the ticket to another
date. This should not be done. 1t is con-
fession, in the first place, that the important
work of the convention is to dispose of the
big offices, and, when that is done, any sort of
gathering can name the legislative ticket.
We do not discount the natural interest there
is in the fat places; this will always be, until
some honest Legislature carries out the ex-
pressed wish Of the people, and passes sal
airy law. But there are people who have other
interests in the ticket than these, and when
the principal offices are disposed of they will be
ready and anxious to do the more important
work of the convention. It will not do to
have 1t understood that the large county Of
fees are so supremely important that sepa
rate convention is necessary for them. The
party and the people will be better represented
in the convention that first meets than in any
subsequent bob-tail affair that may chance to
be gathered. Let all the work of the conven-
ton be done decently and in order. and we are
sure that creditable and winning ticket will
be put in the field But look out, especially,
for the Legislature.
A New YORK car-driver striker gives out