Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-08-02
Nominating to Elect.

In 1860 Horace GREELEY used in q pub.
lie lecture the emphatic declaration fol-
lowing--nsmely. Know, Oishallowpate,
that LINCOLN was nominated for the one
sufficient reason that he could obtain
more electoral votes than any OF his com
petitors." II this was ian alLsufiicient
reason" for the selection Of LINCOLN as the
Republican nominee in 1860, surely 1t Is
an all-sufficient reason why in 1872 the
Democrats should select as their candi-
date for the presidency Of the United
States man who has 1.-THE capacity OF
being elected" With the southern people
il is not mere matter OF party
policy. II involves not simply choice
between o Republican and Democratic
nominee for President. either OF whom
would perform reasonably well the multi
furious duties of the President as an ex-
ecutive officer but involves the peace,
prosperity, and happiness of the whole
southern section Of the Union. Any
Democrat who can be elected will save
this section from the operation OF the
force till and tho horrors of the other
latter-day reconstruction measures to
which the Republicans will undoubtedly
resort il they succeed in electing tho
President next year. and ct the same time
in securing the control Of the House OF
Representatives. They already have pos
session Of the Senate.
In this our extremity what shall we ofthe
South do in regard to the matter Of nomi-
mating O candidate for President? five are
not born idiots we will OF least try TO secure
the nomination Of man who can be elect
ed. As the New York World says, we must
nominate to elect" not to crafty the
personal ambition OF favorite politician
not because we are attached to partlcu-
lar person. 1t would be no better than
madness-lunacy-fo the South to 90 will
ingly into q campaign for the mere plea
sure Of supporting some distinguished man
for President who was known TO be so un-
popular that he would certainly be de-
feated, or who was even known to be less
popular than some other man. The
Democrats of the North are not cir
cumstanced as We are. They know that
whether q Democrat or Republican be
chosen next year to fill the Office Of Presi.
dent their houses and homes will be safe
from invasion, and that their States will
not be turned over to the negroes. They
know that Republican President will not
dare to treat them as he would treat the
southern Democracy.
The southern Democrats must ponder
all these and act accordingly. They
must send delegates to the Demo
cratic National Convention who are pre-
pared tv sacrifice personal favoritism to
sound party policy. They must instruct
their delegates to vote first, last, and all
the time for man who can be elected.
It is disgracefulto our northern masters
not to us-that We should thus be shut up
to the necessity Of consulting nothing but
availability when We come to con-
slider the propriety Of nominating this or
that man for President. But 30 1t is. We
have no choice. We must protect our fire.
sides before We 60 abroad to hunt for men
upon whom to confer honors. Our rights
must be cared for and protected-not our
personal friends. Measures, not men,"
must be our motto.
The World well says that when men
have been nominated in disregard Of their
ability to obtain votes they have uniformly
been beaten" 1T is the first business of
political parties to have sound principles
and to be true to them. 1t is their next
business to carry elections" ITO nomi-
nate presidential candidate next year for
any other than the one sufficient reason
that be could obtain moro electoral votes
than any of his competitors would be to
sacrifice success to q sentiment OF a
'claim.'"
1.-THE Democratic party is hardly likely
to commit such monumental blunder.
II will nominate the leader who shall seem
next year, whom the conditions are all un-
derstood. most sure to be elected"
ia New York paper sees so clearly the
duty which tho Democratic party owes to
itself. We of tho South surely cannot be
blind to that duty.iI woo unto US If We neg
lect IL