The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1880-08-01

By this tablet will be observed that while
b gets much the largest vote in the county,
he only gets 8 delegates, while A. who re-
ceiyes the smallest vote, gets 10 votes, or
twice as many as his opponent in fact, A
gets in the convention fully two thirds Of the
votes of the delegates, when B really
received large majority OF the popular
vote at the primaries, and this in u fairly
conducted election l. e. no trickery or fraud
enters into it. If, then, conventions when
thus constituted, can, by reason of the in
herent vieiousness of the system, with seem.
ing fairness defeat the popular will, what
may not be done when all the energies of
trickery, soheming and fraud are exerted TO
accomplish this purpose.
The advantages OF the methods which |
have indicated are these:
|. The record shows definitely the major
ity and minority vote.
3. The choice of the people, not of inIri G.
uing delegates, is inevitably secured.
3. Delegates are made to betray their trusts,
or TO override the declared will of the PEG.
pie.
A. Splits in the party, disgraceful and I'M
digni6ed wranglings bitter personalities are
avoided.
s. Party organization is strengthened al d
maintained.
The change thus proposed in the methods
of organizing conventions would be most
salutsry, and IL Is believed that it would re-
dound greatly to the interest of The Demo
cratic party if the executive committee were
to authoritatively sanction it, Unless the
recognized exponents Of the party do thus
sanction this change, it is serious question
as to whether the legislative department of
the government should not
REGULATE CONVENTIONS BY LAW.
1t is singular anomaly that these power.
full bodies, dominating imperiously the des-
TIMES of great people, of times making law
lawless, should receive recognition neither in
statutory nor constitutional law, unles, it be
in the indirect provision authorizing the peo-
pie to assemble together for their common
good, and to apply to those invested with the
powers of government for redress of griev-
ances.
Necessary, perhaps, to the existence OF
parties, and originating desire to execute
fairly the popular will, these bodies have, rs
they have grown old and powerful, en-
croached upon popular rights until they at
times menace free institute ,ns. The power
of Rome as q republic passed by insidious de
grees into the hands os the Patriclans, into
the hands of a cultivated, dangerous uascru.
pulous few, and liberty was assassinated The
dagger of Brutus came too late to re-
store to the people their free republic.
Fankenstein, says German romance devo.
ted his genius and his life to the construction
of a man, who was no sooner made than he
became the master of his maker. We have
breathed into conventions the breath of life,
and deleg lted TO them powers to be exercised
in accordance with the peoples will, but this
creation of our hands arrogstes to itself the
functions of master, and with lordly de-
fance, assumes
THE ATTRIBUTES OF SOVEREIGNTY.
Ofdmes at sea, although the heavens are
dark, the waters around the vessel are at
peace, but the calm is preternatura, and the
peaceful stiffness is that of death. That calm
Is the center Of the cyelone which, sweeping
nearer and nearer, soon envelopes the shin in
the fury of a resistless storm. Cool heads,
daring hearts and strong arms must needs
then be at the helm to steer the bark, freighted
with immortal destinies, into safer seas. The
present system of conventions is Ersstisfac-
tory. A suspicion attends them, and fear
that the will Of the people will be unex-
pressed or betrayed. There are murmurings
in the air that forbode no good TO our princi-
Piles and policy, and unless there be change
the integrity Of the Democratic party is i'm.
periled.
Gall political power is inherent in the peo-
pie, and all governments are founded on their
authority and instituted for their benefit" is
the language Of the constitution. This is the
very substance of Jeifersonian Democracy,
and any attempt to disregard it can only be
viewed MS menace to free government. Con-
yentions should be retained, since they tend
to compactly organize great parties, but the
people should retake to themselves their
sovereignty, and require of these, their
agents, proper, fair and certain expression
of their principles and their will.