Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1883-01-12
THE PROPOSED DEMOCRATIC
STATE CONTENTION.

THE PROPOSED DEMOCRATIC
STATE CONTENTION.
There have been several suggestions by
our Virginia Democratic contemporaries
of late, of the propriety of holding Dem
ocratic State convention for reorganiZa-
tion of the party and for announcing anew
it's principles. These suggestions come
from such sources as to command our re-
= sggctful attention if not our ready acqui-
5scence and, after promising that we re-
gard the movement as premature, we will
submit some of our reasons. About the
reorganization, our opinion is that the
Virginia Democracy does not need that
so much as it does general if not thor
ough change of the men now in Authority
in the present organizations, great and
small, of the party throughout the State.
AS an Illustration, we may suggest that in
any other State in the Union, a central
party authority which only announced
few hours before a general election that
the custom Of sending tickets to the
counties would be departed from: and per-
mitted great body Of voters to be as
sembled without ballots-soldiers going in
to action without cartridges would have
been visited with general Indignation
But the Virginia Democracy Is ever
patient. The Democratic principles we're
= not; defeated in Virginia last November;
it was the Democratic party that was
beaten and that by wide spread inc M
,bo hal
ling of its forces. A convention that
would remedy this sort of thing would be
of use.
And now as to announcing anew its
principles. Our respected contemporary
the Richmond Dispatch, thinks there has
been mo authoritative declaration of
principles and purposes of the party since
1884," We submit that the best declara-
tion of principles and purposes of the par
ty that the Democracy of Virginia has
made since the days Of the Committee of
Nine was it's adoption and support of John
e. Massey for ngressman-at-large. 1t
chen and there declared that the moss
backed Bourbon idea that Democrat
must be ruled out Of the party because he
did not agree with its leaders in euerythano
was dead and never hereafter to be put IN
force. It was declaration made by the
best authority. that Of over nlnety-fouI
thousand Democratic voters at the ballot
box, without the dIctation Of any leader
Or leaders, and of their own free will. 1t
was the declaration that at last a new
idea, had been adopted by the party, some
thing the party had long wanted. That
vote was declaration, better even than
''authoritative" for 1t came spontaneous
ly from the individual Democratic voters,
that the purpose Of the party was to kill
the debt question dead, never to he reviv-
ed; that no future act Of the Democratic
party of Virginia should ever disturb the
settlement of the debt. At that election
also. was settled the question that here
after III Virginia the ballot shall tie exer-
cised without any tax prerequisite.
The debt question and the ballot ques-
ton being removed from State politics
there remaiD in the field on which the
headed by Senator Malone and pledged to
support the Administration of Republi
CAP President and to elect only his sup
porters to Office, and another party be-
longing to the National Democratic party
which has just carried twenty-five out Of
thirty-eight States Of the Union and swept
the Republican party of tie country al
most from tile face Of the earth. The
party Of Gen. Malone has just furnished
five Congressman from Virginia to sup
port the Republican party in Congress and
the Virginia Democracy has furnished five
to support the National Democratic party
III Congress. The people understand the
issue well enough-it is Republican OR
Democrat.
Some who favor convention think it
will serve to prevent Senator Malone from
r'e2usolidating" bis party. We think his
party will be disentegrated bF agencies
over which the Democracy have no con
tro. and the result of which they cannot
hasten. Greed is the main factor in ''con-
soidatipg'' it and hunger will dsband it.
It's life comes from the Federal capital
and its death will come from the same
can wait with the assurance of triumph;
if it is too in patient to wait little it
may have TO pay for its haste. III
conclusion We may say that if there were
any national election near at hand; if
there were any State question upon us.we
should advocate no delay in the assemb-
ii'g Of the Democracy and clear enuncia-
tion of their principles, but in the absence of
these we cannot but help thinking a COLI
yention superfluous The next elections
in Virginia are those of May anu the Dam
ocrats of the counties will attend to them
as they always do, and if any necessity
arises later for State convention one can
he held. But the Democrats Of Virginia,
belonging to the National Democracy,
Which but month ago demolished the
Republican party throughout the nation.
to hold convention NOW with no issue to
pass upon and merely to say where they
stand is all action wholly superb uous and
we believe would be so regarded by the
people who want little rest.
Since writing the above we see that the |
Cnlpeper Exponent suggests Hon. JOHN ;.
Barbour for Chairman Of any State Com /
mittee that may be chosen If conyen-
tion be called, and the Richmond Dispatch |
also suggests the name of that excellent |
orsanizer, Hon. Abe Fulkersan, fer |
prominent place in the organization. If |
the country Democrats OF Virginia were
sure that by a convention such men as
John S. Barbour. Abe Fulkerson, Geo.
Inh L