Year: 1872

elected, it is the third set of "delegates''
exercising, as we have seen, a species
of diluted sovereignty, three times di-
luted as compared with its great source,
and who all in no sense, as l contend,
the actual or real representatives of the
popular sentiments, who make the
PRESIDENT


And thus under a popular govern
ment, with written constitution, the
very first words of which are: awe
the people" not We the politicians ~
This may seem to be a novel way of
stating the case, but it is none the less
true.


Yet this was not so in the early days
of the republic, when the nation first
sprang into being and attracted the
gaze of mankind, after it's immortal De-
claration of Independence, and a sue
cessful struggle of seven years for ex-
istence it was not SO in the day of its
short and brilliant and victorious en-
counter in 1912 with the same. great
power-the first maritime power in the
world-when Hull and Decatur and
Bainbridge and Stewart and Biddle and
Porter and poor Lawrence went forth to
battle upon the ocean for free trade
and sailors rights" under the Execu-
tive orders, and stimulated by the reso-
lutte patriotism of chief magistrate,
one of the best and purest and ablest
we have ever had, whose administration
was rendered so illustrious by the ex-
traordinary naval tridmphs of the United
States over such foe, Europe and the
world standing aghast at the astounding
spectacle of a new and almost unknown
fag-"t that little bit of striped bunting"
as Canning called it-again and again
waving in triumph over the proud old
flag of England


Oh, no; we had no nominating or
national conventions" then, composed
of the "delegates'' of delegates" of
delegates" exercising a sovereignty
three times diluted for the nomination
of President in peace or war 1t was
not thought essential then to call in the
aid of the politicians to assure to the
people the right sort of man to be in
trusted with their highest interests or to
conduct the nation to renown in either
of these two conditions of human affairs.
Public opinion was good enough for us
in those illustrious days; and public
opinion, acting through its mighty en-
gine-the press-generally contrived to
point out the best men to place at the
head of the nation, ard concentrated
itself upon such names as Washington,
Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, jackson,
and the two Adamses, who, whatever
their politics, were statesmen and patri-
OTIS, and each highly trained to public
affairs. And here it occurs TO me simply
to suggest question. Here are seven
Presidents, each of whom went through
his term of office-and in FIVE instances
a second term-before these nominating
conventions of delegates" were ever
heard of. We have since had eleven
Presidents, including the pi esent incum-
bent, each nominated by t'national
convention" swarming with the " dele
gates" of delegates'' of delegates"
flushed with their trebly diluted sover-
egnty. How do the first seven of these
Presidents, with Washington at their
head, compare with the subsequent
eleven, with the present incumbent at
the tail and to which period of Ameri-
can history, that of the first seven or
the subsequent eleven, do we refer even
now with the most pride? And, if even
now, what will it be hereafter? only
suggest the question. Let any one who
may be at the trouble to read this article
answer it for himself.


jackson, it is true, was nominated for
re election by the first Democratic
national convention which met in 1912,
but the convention merely ratified the
overwhelming popular preference every.
where expressed beforehand. 1t is well
known that it met simply to endeavor
to agree upon candidate for the Vice
Presidency, task which it performed
in so bungling a manner as to drive into
the ranks of the opposition as its first
feat, though l am not his apologist and
do not justify him, one of the ablest and
most accomplished men of the Demo
cratic party.


Beginning then with 1882, we have
since become more enlightened than our
fathers-at least we think so--in the
science of government, and chiefly in
the science of President making, and
there has grown up among us class
who make it their sole occupation to re-
lieve the people from this burden, ac-
quiring gradually that perfection in the
art which practice gives. Having, not
all and not always, but, also, too many
and too often, failed in every other pur-
suit, and chiefly in the management of
their own affairs, they seem to think
themselves peculiarly qualified to man
age those of the people, especially such
as are most important and intricate,
most comprehensive, most responsible,
and most exalted in dignity.


/ hese gentlemen meet in conVen-
tlon' once IN lour years IN SOME Vi 1ho
large cities of the Union. They meet
under the high-sounding title ! have
already frequently used, the title of
delegates" for which they have of
courEe a show of authority, to save the
people the trouble Of thought by think
ing for them, and then agreeing upon
Presidential candidate for them, thus
forcing into existence by sort of hot
house growth that public opinion which
in times past gave us such men as l have
named. MADISON.


BUFFALO, Cleveland, Toledo, and the
lower lake cities generally. will not be