purpose of impressing its principles upon the public policy of the
country. Men have divers views as to the duties, scope, and proper
measures of the government, and these divers views lead to the
formation of opposing parties. In a free country the majority must
rule, and parties are the means by which majorities are ascertained.

ORIGIN.--Parties usually grow out of questions of legislation, rather
than out of questions of executive management or judicial
interpretation. In other words, a party is formed to influence the
passage of laws, rather than their execution or their application by
the courts. But, when parties are once formed, they usually extend
their influence to the selection of officers of all grades and all
departments, even the least important officials of a township or civil
district.

The presidential election has come to be the most exciting and bitter
of all political contests, because of the large influence which the
President exerts upon national legislation, and because of the immense
patronage of his office.

NECESSITY.--Parties appear to be a necessity in all free governments.
They serve as check upon one another, as the party in power is
responsible for the public policy of the country. If the people are
dissatisfied with the party in power, they can displace it and elect
another in its stead. Parties are therefore placed upon their good
behavior, and made to feel their responsibility to the people.

If there were no party organizations, many of the views of a candidate
would not be known, and there could be no assurance that he would be
true to the interests of the majority electing him. The fact that a
public man is a member of a certain party shows many of the views which
he entertains and the principles which he may be expected to support.

Party government is often bad, but as the party is responsible for the
conduct of all officers elected by it, party government, especially in
legislative affairs, is better than personal government, in which no
one but the officer himself is responsible for his official conduct.

PARTY MACHINERY.--The machinery of parties in this country is very
complex, and is closely interwoven with our system of government. Each
party must select candidates for the various offices in the gift of the
people, in order that it may exert its greatest power in elections and
in public affairs. The people in each party must have a voice in the
selection of ca