Year: 1875

Before another issue of the Journal
can reach its readers in man9 of the out
side precincts, the time fixed by the Re-
publican Central Conlmittee for holding
the primary meetings will have passed.
We therefore avail ourselves Of the pres
ent occasion to sayn wordin relation to
the primaries ard the duty Of citizens re-
lating thereto.


In Just and economical administration
of county government all citizens have
direct interest. Therefore, when parties
are nearly equally diyided-so near, in
fact that change of thirty or forty V otes
from one side to the other will elect some
Of the nominees upon each ticket, it stands
each party in hand to see that its nomi-
mating convention selects none but the
best and most available men TO place be-
fore the people for their suffrages. And
the force of this reasoning must be more
apparent to the party which is in the mi
nority. County organizations cannot be
kept up, to be Of any service in the State
and National campaign without placing
a ticket in the field at the lesser and local
elections. 4 dead or lieless organization
is worse than none at all. The organiza
ton which can win and is entitled to the
respect and confidence Of the people must
be one in which the people are the leading
spirits in which the strength of the party
| is made manifest in its proceedings from
the beginning. Every American citizen
/ is, to a certain extent, politician. 1t is
his duty to be such. The whole theory OF
/ our form of government is that the mass
es shall govern, and if good government
does not follow, it is because the people
are not true to their instincts. With the
rens of government in their own hands,
it is the fault Of the people if government
is not administered correctly. And the
/ place in which their power should first be
made manifest is in tho primary meetings
OF their respective parties.


We trust, therefore, to see a general
turnout Of Republicans at the primaries,
on the 3lst inst, and the selection Of good
representative men to the nominating
convention. | such be the case, we may
| hope for county ticket that will have n
fair show Of success in the election to fol-
low. We can have no such hope unless
our ticket is made up of good men fairly
nominated. That such ticket can be
framed, we think will not be disputed.
Tho convention will not be bound to make
a choice from those only who have an
nounced themselves rs candidates. 1t is
not only tie right, but the duty of the
+ delegates to set inside any or all OF them
1.-THE cause of the party and of good gov
ernment demand it.


1t must be oorne in mind, too, that the
+ ties Of party are not acknowledged now
n. in times past. There is n strong feel
ing Of independence Of party in local af-
fairs, which will rule politics out in the
county election and make the personnel
Of the candidates presented subject OF
rigid scrutiny. Notably will this be the
case with old time Republicans. The
votes Of these will be in n measure divided
between the tickets represented by Phelps
and Bidwell and the same feeling which
prompts them to divide upon the State
ticket, will lead them to exercise the
elective franchise Independently in county
matters. But all alike are interested In
good local government, hence we say, lei


Republicans take an active part in The
pri'iIaries atd insure the nofiinaton of a
ticket the merits of which shall be beyond
all ,a,it