| Show FIDELITY TO PARTY No one can witness the ill feeling manifest mani-fest in tho struggle for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States without feelings of regret It maybe may-be expected that among strong ambitious men mere or less bitterness l win DO engendered engen-dered in the struggle for so great a prize and there will bo more or less of selfishness cropping out But to say the nomination of this man or that one by the national convention will endanger the success of the party at the polls is giving credence to the existence of party iufidolity which we do not believe Democrats are guilty of If they are they hold the interests guarded by their party very lightly indeed Government by and through parties raise the question of candidate for office above any personal interest The questions asked in considering consider-ing the fitness of a candidate should not bo so much Do I like him personally Does he look with friendly eye upon some pet idea of this person or that or of this section sec-tion or that section Albeit the idea is out a side issue to tho great and general question ques-tion involved in the controveisy tho question ques-tion wo repeat is uot EO much Is ho a friend to these special Ideas J but Does he embody in his life and character tim prin ciples of tho Democratic party Does he reflect the sentiment of tha party on i the issues involved If so he is a I proper candidate and if put before the country by a convention properly selected he should receive the unqualified support of the party To knife a regular nominee of the party at the polls by voting for his opponent or by staying away from tho polls or by voting for a person of the same party as the regular nominee but who is not a candidate though he may be moro acceptable personally to the voter by which action the votes are lost to the party is treason to the party and cannot be too vigorously i censured For a person to bolt his partys nominee and set up one of his own is setting up his individual wisdom as superior to the combined wisdom and judgment of ills party a thing which does not speak well for the modesty of the individual in-dividual to say the least and which is unsafe un-safe and will be so as long as the truism of LINCOLN holds good everybody knows moro than anybody We believe it is wrong for the Democratic Demo-cratic press of the country to hold out the I idea that if this man or that man is nominated nomi-nated by the great Democratic convention II to assemble in Chicago next summer the Democratic party will bo unsuccessful at 1 the polls Such a tone is demoralizing and may do much to encourage party infidelity a thing which should not be countenanced no not even so much as by remotely hinting it is possible Let it be discountenanced wherever and whenever it appears Fidelity Fidel-ity to party should bo held as sacred as allegiance to country Indeed it is such when a party i ii worth anything A partys platform is tho interpretation of the constitution con-stitution of the government to the members mem-bers of that party and to them that platform plat-form stats the policy which lawfully tho government may pursue for the welfare of tho country underthe conatitutlon Hence allegiance to that party and allegiance to country are identical from which no personal per-sonal consideration will move any good Democrat Democrats should be taught confidence in their party and in the wisdom of its conventions con-ventions Delegates interested alike in the country and in tho party the interests of the ono is identical with the interests of the other they will be men of sound judgment judg-ment by whom all the issues before tho country will be canvassed and they maybe may-be trusted to draft a plntform which will best represent the faith of the party and its interests Involved in the contest which such action will inaugurate Then let it bo GROVER CLEVELAND or DAVID B HILL or some candidate from the west let it be understood that Democrats everywhere will support that candidate with all their hearts and those who do not should be branded traitors to their party Lot the leaders talk and act liko men having full confidence in the fidelity fidel-ity of the party let them tolerate no threats of bolting the partys nominees I and it will be found that such action will go far towards securing party fidelity |
