St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-09-15
THE RIGHT TO BOLT.

The right to bolt either the nom ina.
tons of party convention or the party
itself. while inherent in citizenship, has
its obvious limitations. No one gues-
tons the right of any man to reject the
selection of a convention If he Is salts
fed that a bad or unworthy or unfit
man has succeeded in getting majority
of the delegates. No one questions thu
right of any man to pass Judgment on
the policy his party may adopt and op-
pose it to the extent of leaving the
party. There is no more serious danger
to Republican institutions than the
mandates Of their party. There is too
great lack of Independent judgment
among the voters of this country to
augur good of its future.
Political managers bank on this alb
surd devotion. No matter what the
party may do. they know that its rank
and file will stand by it. 1t is from this
that ali that there is that is bad and
dangerous in our governments finds its
source. Corruption revels in it. job
berry finds in it its bulwarks. 1t was
this subsection of Judgment that MAIN
tanned the Republican party so long in
national power. and it IS this that has
given it the control of the destinies OF
this state for thirty years. 1t is this that
has made New York city government a
by-word and reprOach every where, and
enabled corrupt politicians to loot the
treasury of Philadelphia with impnnity.
But while we insist on the right and
preach the duty OF every citizen to use
his independent Judgment in all politi-
cal matters, subject only to the approval
Of his own conscience for his action, it
is obvious that there are some plain
limitations to this right recognized and
admitted by all. If, for illustration, a
man seeks preferment at the hands of
his party and submits his claims to its
convention, and majority of the dele
gates prefer, for any reason sufficient to
themselves, another man, it Is the duty
as it is the Self-lnterest OF the defeated
candidate to submit. Disappointment
of ambition is not recognized anywhere
as an excuse for boiling, and the man
who does it only lowers himself in the
eSitilldliOil Vi MS lellOWS. he REJECTS
the only vindication there is for boiling
the unbiased, impersoual Judgment of
the bolter.
Then there is another class who have
no right under any circumstances to
bolt, and they are those who hold some
station in the party organization. They
are the officers of any army where the
will OF the majority rules. They waive
their personal rights in accepting and
holding place. Their duty is not to
themselves or to any one candidate of
the party, but to the party itself and to
all of its candidates. Such are under
obligations to submerge all personal
considerations. and give to all their
Loyalty rendered services. If fellow
candidates owe each other fealty and
help, it is especially so with the COM
mitteemen of the party, no matter
whether the committeeman stands at
the head of or the foot of the organiza-
ton.
Boiling by such one is especially
odious, and the nearer the head OF the
organization he is the more reprehen-
sible and inexcusable it Is. II his con-
ventiOn refuse his advice or reject his
control. he is no more justified in bolt
ing candidate than is the opponent of