Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1899-12-21
SOUND POLITICAL SENSE.

Inter Ocean
President Mckinley is stated in a
New York dispatch to have inti-
mated to certain Republican leaders
that he would much prefer that no
federal office-holder be chosen a del
egate to the next Republican nation
al convention. In expressing such a
wish the President certainly repre-
sents the best sentiment Of his party,
and it is hoped that his request will
be respected in all the states. Every
state has within its borders plenty
of Republicans well qualified to rep
resent it in the national convention.
None is so barren of suitable mater
ial as to be Obliged to call upon those
whose tenure Of Federal Office may
at least give cause for suspecting inn
partiality "a between possible candi-
dates.
Certain gentlemen who enjoy the
emoluments Of office under the ma
tional government will undoubtedly
rise up and personally or through
the mouths of friends declare that
the President is trying to deprive
them of one Of the rights Of cit ten
ship. The arguments may seem
lausible to the unthinking, but it
ignores one OF the decences of poll
tics. A national convention is in
tended to represent the untrammeled
will of the party. Suppose the con-
duct of the President should be such
as to greatly displease the majority
of his party. The presence in the
convention of men under personal
obligation SO him may nevertheless
procure the denomination Of such Il
President and defeat the will Of "A
majority. There has been such cases
and the fact that such suppression
of a party's best Judgment has al
ways been followed by defeat at the
polls emphasizes the necessity of fol-
lowing the Presidents advice now
The national convention is the
grand inquest of the party, charged
with the duty OF formulating the is
sues ON which it will appeal to the
people, and with the responsibility
of selecting the men who must put
into effect policies which the people
Will approve at the polls. The ma
tioual convention must first consider
measures, and next, men. permit
the presence of delegates under Il
strong obligation 20 a particular man
is TO allow the jury to be packed.
Only unreasonable professional civil
public office men shall cease to eX-
ercise the ordinary duties of citizen
ship. Common sense finds no diff
Guilty in drawing the line, and pub
lie sentiment now demands that
Oilice-holders shall not be allowed
direct voice in the choice of their
official superior.
President Mckinley is already as
sured of denomination by the Repub-
lican national convention. He is
thus removed from any possible
temptation of securing his own sue
cess by packing the party grand jury
with men under personal obligation
to him. He is trying to set a new
and better precedent in party man
agement and 10 end practice that
has always given the opposition
ground for criticism, that has often
been productive of scandal and dis
sension, and that has sometimes con-
trihuted to defeat. The Presidents
request is sound political sense, and
the Republicans of the several states
Will do well to observe it. A nation
ul convention without Federal office
holders as delegates would repres ent
more accurately than has ever before
been possible the best Judgment of
the active members Of the party not
in office, upon whose energy depends
success at the polls