The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1876-03-17
TWO CONVENTIONS

Gratis shall hold two state conventions
one before the St. Louis convention, for |
the purpose OF sending delegates to 1t
the other after the St Louis conventions
for the purpose of nominating a state |
ticket and adopting platform.
What does this mean; II we under
stand the suggestion. ii Is an assertion
nv implicotion that the Democratic party
of Illinois does not know what IL believes
and must wait 10 be- told by the national
convention. This Is an insult Ia the
Democrats of this State. We lave 40
doubt the Democracy of Illinois cohld
meet in convention tomorrow aud adopt
| a platform that woull stand tie test Of
discussion anywhere.
The fact is. this suggestion is So palpa-
BILE n piece of cowardicc that the way
iaring voter though fool will not fail to
call it by its proper name. II l. of that
cowardicc that has been the curse of the
Democratic party of this state for years.
for the party has-whv deny what every
body knows been iimid since the days
|
been from that time to this timidly led
| by timid men. For awhile it hid its be.
ltci in resolutions of appalling length and
ambiguous phrascology aud now. TO cap
the climax OF cowardcc, it is pro-
posed to have the party say II am
dumb until am permitted to speak.
will tell yoa what | believe when am
told what believe" This is shameful.
1t is not to be endured with patience: and
it will tail OF its purpose.
|. Two conventions .-onc to say moth
ing, the other to say what it has been
told to say. Ridiculous-eycredingly ri.
diculous.
Let Us look at this matter for n mo-
+ mcnt. What will be the result: At the
: first convention, if the plan of the dodg.
ers Is successful. nothing will be said
about platform. We will quietly APP
point delegates To the st. Louis convcn-
ton, and listen to speeches from which
any reference 10 hard or soft money will
be excluded. and in which glittcrng
gcncraltics will be abundant. Then we
will return to our homes. and wait.
What influence will the delegates ap.
pointed in this way--rcprcsentatives of
men who have no opinions or who having
| opinions are too cowardly TO express them
have in the convention at st. Louis?
| None; and they should not. The dele
| CATION would either divide into wrangling
factions, or the members, uniting in the
| policy of no opinion, would be regarded
| by the other members of the convention
| as political eunuchs AS useful but not !
dangerous men.
But who has assured these dodgers
that they have managing ability sufficient
to make their cowardy plan successful:
Suppose they succeed in inducing the
| Democratic state Central committee to
| call two convcntiOns--onc to be used for
the purpose of appointing delegates to
st. Louis, and the other for the purpose
of saying what the st. Louis convention
permits us to say--how can the dodgers
prevent the difficult questions they fear
from getting into the first convention:
| 10 lucy DcllcNc III lIcNhocTats WISH W
dodge as they do: DO they not
know that some enthusiastic member
will throw all the difficult questions into
the convention by resolution: Or are
they sure of their ability to stranglc all
efforts to not dodge: II they are, they
know more than we do; but we have no
doubt that they will ascertain before
they get through with theirlittlc coward
ly movement, that they have been very
much mistaken in their programme
that they have put down parts certain
5 gentlemen will not play, ana have
omitted some that certain gentlemen will
! enact all in despite of whatever efforts
the dodgers may make to suppress them.
No, no. gentlemen; your little cow
ardly plan will not do. At the proper
time. the Democrats OF Illinois should
meet in State convention, nominate !,
. State ticket, appoint delegates to the ma
tional convention and adopt a
; platform. BY thus acting the
Democrats ofths State will grow in moral
strength, carry with them into the st.
e Louis convention the ability to have much
a influence, and will compel the respect
n of their opponents and of the people. By
the other policy we will acknowledge
~, ourselves to be political iniant,-politi-