Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1906-10-08
REPUBLICANS SPLIT
RANK and file OF PARTY REFUSE
TO FOLLOW BOSSES.
rtanipuIatiOnS that Succeeded in Con-
trolling Republican County Con-
ventiOn MOI Likely TO be Success
ful at the Polls. "Party Loyalty"
Refuses to be Bought and Sold.

All thoughtful men realize the fact
that under our form Of government the
political party in minority is at all times
performing a public service, exceeded
only-though not always-by the service
OF the party in power. Without pow
erfnl minority party, the entire business
of administering public affairs, would
eventually be controlled by a bunch of
bosses for the purpose OF graft. That
this is true is demonstrated wherever
any party has had unlimited control Tor
any length OF time. 1t has been illus
trated in republican Philadelphia and
democratic st. Louis, and everywhere
that the control was altogether one.sided.
The class of gentry who manipulate
those affairs are usually without spark
Of party principle themselves, yet they
trade entirely upon the "party loyalty"
of the average voter, who thinks his
duty to his country is performed when
he casts his ballot for the ticket OF his
'party," the naming of which ticket he
has had nothing to do with, and fire.
uuently cares little, disposing of the
matter in his mind with the comfortable
thought that the "politicians" of his
county have taken care OF that; that a
name on his party ticket is sufficient
reason why he should shout and vote
for it. AS said before, this disposition
on the part of the American voter-and
that alone-is responsible for the polti-
cal boss of today.
Two reasons combine in Chehalis
county at this time to give rise to the
hope that bossism as eXempified at the
cut and dried republican county conven-
tion, will be repudiated. One is that it
is all .'oIt year in politics, that is, no
national issues are involved. The other
is that the democratic party, with the
facility OF all minority parties, seized the
opportunity to place before the people OF
the county, what is admitted by all to be
the strongest ticket ever presented to
the voters. The nominees are known
men of admitted ability and it is not
strange that hundreds OF republicans
throughout the county are combining to
vote for them. These men are loyal
republicans, but with realizing sense
of their duty to be loyal to themselves
and their county first, as we'll as the
knowledge that ii they repudiate the
ticket Of the bosses this year their party
q tl,o ,ot;ono1 y,aiuv tWn
years hence with clean record, whereas
should the "gang" win this year, they
will find themselves in 1908 bound hand
and foot so tight that it will make the
county convention OF 1906 look like g
free and untrammled gathering.
Contrast the two conventions. Our
republican friends had large theater
in which to delude the delegates into
the belief that they, the delegates, were
there to nominate ticket. But, 10 and
behold, band of music and a republic.
can nominee for congress were there to
so entertain them as to relieve them OF
duty that had already been performed
in small room several nights before.
On the other hand the democratic
onvention--without either music or
congressman-met and spent five or six
hours in framing up their ticket. Why ?
Because there was no SLATE prepared.
Because every delegate was made to feel
his responsibility in selecting the nomi-
nees, not altogether because they were
OF his party, but because they were to
serve the comfy at salaries fixed by law
and as they were in the minority, ii
behooved them to name the very best
men they could find. They did it, and
it is up to the republican voter who
refuses to have his vote made ped
ding asset OF the CRATER to vote fol
those men on the sixth day OF next
month.