St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-08-03
IGNORE BOTH.
A Proposition to Throw Ramsey
County Out of the State Conven-
To the Editor of the Globe.

tion.
To the Editor of the Globe
The anomalous situation of parties and
candidates produced by the anon aious action
of factions and contending forces in Ram
sey county is the excuse offered for seeking
space in your valuable paper, in which to
briefly examine the political situation as it
appears to be, or is liable to be, affected, by
such action. in so far as the Democratic
party is concerned in this state. The action
referred to is supposed to materially infiu-
ence, If not control or foresrall, the action of
the next Democratic convention, by those
taking part. While some of the participants
in some of the proceedings already had, cannot
brook outside einterference, vet. .inasmuch asthe
intended effect is to control the proceedings
of the state convention, it can hardly be said
with show of reason that all parts of the
state are not equally interested with Ramsey
county. At least it will not be conceded by
the balance of the state that its entire domain
lies within the corporate limits of Ramsey
county for the purpose of making political
destiny, but lies largely outside when it
comes to expressing an opinion. The writer
desires to preface what is to follow, by say
ing that he is neither partisan or SYM
pathizer with either faction now warning in
Ramsey county. On the other hand it is his
humble opinion that both should be denied
admission to the state convention, and it is
III view of this that the thoughts
ARE INSPIRED WHICH FOLLOW.
The question to be met and answered at
the threshold is, why does the Democratic
party seek to win! Is it for the success of
principle it is contending? Certainly il is
not for the success of an individual that
these gigantic efforts are being put forth Nor
is it because of an anxiety ito get the other
fellows out and ourselves in for the loayes
and fishes there is in it. Danish the base
thought. The answer to the question, take
it, is better government for the people in
this state and lower taxes in the nation.
The question being answered, the next
question in logical sequence is how to
symbolic the principle in selecting
candidate. Proper weight is TO be given to
the availability of the candidate, and qualifi-
cations rank in about this order, he must be
q man of character, ability, energy and above
all have the confidence and esteem of all
men without reference to party affiliations,
but more especially of Democrats. No man
possesses all these who has not acted in
harmony with the party long enough to con-
vince its members that he is with it. not for
preferment, not to crafty an inordinate
vanity, not for Office, but because he believes
its tenets and the doctrine it teaches To
ignore these facts in making nominations is
political suicide. For party manipulators to
undertake to carry party over to a candi-
date not recognized as a member of the party
is equally suicidal. The history of the
Democratic party furnishes very good au-
thority for what has been said. In 1864 the
Democrats nominated Mcclellan as their
candidate for president. This was after they
HAD DECLARED
the war failure and demanded a cessation
of hostilities. Mcclellan was committed to
the war, and was only nominated because it
was thought that he would catch votes par
ticularly of the soldiers. The qualification
was transparent and the result disastrous. In
| 1872, again spreading their net for votes. the
| leaders foiSted the nomination of Greeley
| upon the party. He said more mean things
| that hurt and counted against the Democrats
previous TO his nomination, than all others
rrIf of In ,11nfs x-ntn
| ceeded 10 per cent of the Democratic vote
| in the Northern states, to the writer's knowl-
! edge. In 1880 after crying out for fifteen
| years against the man on horseback. the party
| nominated man that was nothing if
| not q soldier, pure and simple. Such
| tactics deceive no one, and the people who
| hate policy, and above all an Office seeker
| eternally put the seal of disapproval upon
| the practice. Contrast the nominations made
where principle was the controlling desider-
| atum. Seymour in 1868 received a good
| vote and carried New York state by 10000
| majority In 1876 Tilden was elected, and
| in 1854 Cleveland was elected and inaugu-
rated. There was no question but that these
! latter named gentlemen belonged to the
| party nominating them. At this time one
faction of the Ramsey county Democracy
avowed Republican candidate for governor
| of this state, at a Democratic convention
hereafter to be held. Why was it done?
| The only reason SO far offered is the
| meanest and most despicable one ever urged
| i'll country where all men
| ARE EQUAL
before the law, and that is nationality-one
OF eldnnishness solely. Their candidate was
| formerly a Democrat, as he himself claimed,
and went so far to prove it that he engaged
in Democratic stumping. During the session
of the legislature in 1888 he lobbied about
| lobbying to defeat Window. and finally at
the last doomed Sabin for senator. The next
| heard of the whilom Democrat was when he
! blossomed out as candidate for the Repub-
lican nomination for congress. The trans
] ition had been sudden and unobserYed. AID