The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1888-01-19
The BOlter In Politics

We have been hearing a great deal
during the past two weeks concerning
seven or eight Republican Members
Of the State Senate who are accused
of boiling the caucus nomination for
Senate offices. We have expressed
the sentiment Of this paper as being
opposed to the course of the Senators
in question because Of its tendency to
divide and weaken the Republican
forces. But there is another side to
this picture. When the monarch Of
the waste" goes by with the speed of
the wind, with the swift-footed pur-
suers in full cry at his heels, there is
some argument to be used in favor Of
the pursued. Yea, the argument is
mostly on that side. The picture has
some application to the preset situa-
ton in the Ohio Senate There is
not the least doubt but the boiling
Senators honestly believe that unfair
ness was used in the selection Of can
didates by the caucus, whether such
was the case or not. Believing thus
they acted the part of men by refus-
ing to endorse the caucus action.
But is this the beginning of trans
gression in this line?
We are reminded in this connection
Of little meeting of Republicans in
this place not many months ago.
There had been three or four half
witted-f fellows assuring US that the
kind of Republicanism we advocated
had been supplanted by newer and
grander style. We attended the
meeting in order to ascertain if posi-
BILE our duty as a Republican. The
meeting resolved itself into sort Of
class meeting in which men began to
criticise each Others fealty to the old
party. A young Republican solemnly
arose and moved that "every man in
the house who had never bolted the
Republican ticket be requested to
raise his hand" The Chairman de-
clared the motion oat of 0rderi But
one man in all the assembly could
show as straight Republican record
as we could, and we went away in
meditative mood.
Thus it is in every case of human
accusation-the man who is entitled
to cast the first stone can rarely be
found. We notice among those most
severe upon Senator Davis for his
boiling, our old friend Alderman of
the Marietta Register. Unless we
mistook the tone of Bro. Alderman's
paper very much, he, personally. bol-
ted the nomination Of DaUis! Just
why Davis should be censured for do
ing what had been done against him,
is one of the strange features in pol
itics The trouble and danger is that
citizens generally do not give suffi-
cient attention to the local canvasses,
and the same rule applies to Legisla-
tive caucuses. The voter goes into a
County or Senatorial Convention and
discovers that little knot of office
seekers have fixed things in advance,
and all he is expected to do is to en-
dorse or ratify the work. In all such
cases the honest Republican or honest
Democrat has an uphill fight in try
ing to convince the people that the
nomination was fairly secured. We
have known nominations to be farmed
out at least two years ahead of the
day of nomination. This is practi-
cal disfranchisement of the better ele-
ment Of the party interested, and this
is what causes bolts-on one hand.
On the other hand, the man who is
seeking Office will bolt ev-
cry time a man is nominated who
does not suit him. These things
should not be. In the first place, ev-
cry semblance to ring" work should
be killed in the Convention, and thus
teach lesson that would leave the
party in healthy condition. After
a nomination is made, political affairs
ought to be in such shape that every
could conscientiously sup
port the nominee In short, Che
bolt" is generally the result of a
i'bolt." And the Senators can boldly
and fearlessly ask that she that is
(bolting) sin, let him raise
the first howl"