Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1881-05-07
TRUE DEMooRAcY AND zoos.

much commentator Of our article
under the above title, published in
our issue of the 23d ult. In that
article we endorsed those represen-
tatives of the people who voted for
the 1923 bill, and especially those
who made great AMI patriotic sacri-
fees, To benefit and build up per-
haps, an unwilling people," 1t
cannot be denied that all state credit
democrats in the legislature who
had made personal pledges not to
exceed 5O-6 i'm a settlement, were,
upon the 1908 proposition, placed
in an awkward position. They
stood between Sylla and Charybdis
as it were, so far as pleasing all par
ties was concerned. On the one
side, their Pdrty's platform and the
Ceyy logic Of their cGnUdSs, promised
a settlement on the other side, per-
sOnal declarations not to exceed
ertain bounds i'm the settlement,
embarrassed them. Now, what
were they to do i'm this dilemma I?
To vote may was to break their
party's platform and solemn pledge;
to vote ''aye" was to break a per-
sOnal pledge, which they had seen
fit to go beyond their party's plat
form to make. In such Il dilemma
Il mans conscience should be his
only guide. And we have no quar-
rel with those who voted conscien-
tiOusly and honestly (and we have
eve said any man did mott,
whether they voted aye or nay,
though we think a wise statesman
ship dictated an affirmative position
upon the bill by such gentlemen.
Our position has been criticised
by "A correspondent to the Tobacco
Leaf from Palmyra, who writes
under the signature of Democrat"
whom we would not notice but for
the high regard we entertain for
him personally, the singular lone
illness OF his attitude, and the Unjust
ice he does us in his article, and the
hope that we may turn him from
the error of his way. We repeat,
and with emphasis, every word of
our former editorial, and will not be
forced into any position not
thoroughly democratic. We be-
lieve this to be a government by
the people, and for the people, too,
for their benefit, their advance
ment and their glory, and we con-
ceive a representative should act
accordingly. Now hear what
Democrat says, and let US e if,
out of his own mouth, we cannot
condemn him and show him the
falacy of his position. He says:
The will of the people with us is
obtained by the PRONUNCIATION of
what is termed Il platform of princi-
pies, and pledges Oh the part of can
didates TO carry out certain views
and measures drawn from the pO-
litical premises. Our understand
ing of democracy is that it is a form
of free government in which the
voice of the people is sovereign,
and that no servant Or representa-
tive has the right to disregard their
will, nor, under any circumstances,
to substitute his own peculiar views
and measures for theirs, under the
guise of a change of circumstances,
a superior wisdom and patriotism,
nor under the conscientious belief
that he can better serve them by
taking the matter into his own
hands.
We heartily endorse his assertion
that the twill of the people with us
is obtained by the PRONUNCIATION of
what is termed a platform of prin-
ciples, and pledges on the part of
candidates to carry out certain
views and measures drawn from
the political premises" Will he,
after laying down such a correct
premise, deny that the platform of
the state-credit democracy in the
late canvass, which expressly said,
in substance, that the debt ought to
be settled upon the best terms OBJ
tainable, was the will of the people,
and that candidates, after accepting
a nomination under such Il plat
form, and pledging themselves to
sustain it, ought not To have voted
for the best settlement offered or
Obtainable? Was not that plat
form promulgated by the voice of
the people, and are not the people
sovereign? Has, then, a represen-
tative the right to disregard their
will, or under any circumstances to
substitute his own peculiar views,
measures or pledges for his party's
platform, "undrr the guise of a
change of circumstances, a superior
wisdom and patriotism, or under
the conscientious belief that he car
better serve them by taking the
matter i'm his own hands ?"
Again, weask, has a candidate the
right to make a personal, technical
pledge outside of his party's plat
form and principles, and let that
stand in the way of the patriotic
performance of what he deems is
for the best interests of his constit-
uents? If his peoples will (and
surely their platform promulgated
in party convention assembled is
their wilD is that the debt should
be settled upon the best terms OBJ
tainahle, ought he not to cast aside
his personal pledges and vote ac-
cordingly? We censure no man for
having refused to vote against his
conscience, but we do think a can
didate errs when he goes outside his
party's platform to make promises
which his party does not endorse,
and that such promises are not po-
litically binding.
We do not propose TO go farther
into this question. We have pre-
viously shown that 1908 was prac-
tically the same as 500. No settle