The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1884-06-04
A Plea for Harmony.

7
As the time for holding the Demo-
cratic State Convention draws nigh
it is well for all who have the inter
est of the party at heart to consider
what would be the wisest course Tor the
Convention to pursue in the matter OF
adopting resolutions or declaring party
policy. After some little thought on
the subject, we have come to the con-
elusion that the least said and done, the
better.
If we were on the eve of campaign
of purely local interest it would be the
duty of the Convention to declare, cx-
plicitly, the position of the party Oh
questions of public concern; for II, IN
such a case. the State Convention were
silent as to the aims and purposes Oh
the party, there would be no source
from which the voter, anxious TO 60
with the party whose principles anu
declarations we're most in harmony with
his own, could obtain such information
az would enable him tc make choice.
Bat we are not on the eve OF a local
but of a national campaign, and II the
Democrats in Mississippi should under
take to formulate a platform for the
party at large, they would be assuming
jurisdiction over a subject the control
of which properly belongs to Ihe Ma
tional Convention.
Whether it he practically So or not,
the theory of party platforms Is not so
much that the voters are all allied to
organized political parties and will vote
for party nominees, as that the voters
are not trammeled by party ties; but at
each succeeding election stand ready to
cast their lot with the particular party
whose declarations are most IN conso
nance with their opinions Of what the
general welfare requires.
In this view it would seem to be
foolish ceremony for the Democrats o.
Mississippi to adopt set of resolutions
which would not be binding on the
National Convention, and which might
in fact, be, by it, repudiated. Ii 1t b.
said that the views of Mississippi Demo
Gratis on leading questions should b
made known so that their influence ma,
be felt in shaping party policy, the man
fest reply is that we should select mel
who are competent to represent us IL
the National Convention.
With reference to the selection OF de
) egates we have this to say: No ma
should be selected simply because b
5 desires to 90. Nor should it be consit
cred an indispensable qualification thu
a person now holds Office or expects
stand for Office next year. Nor shout
person be preferred or set aside b'
cause of his known views on matters O
mere State policy. Cool-headed, unse
fish. practical and able men should b
selected; and if they are not uhSlterabl
welded to any pet theory, or to any pa
ticular man or men for the places to
filled at Chicago, all the better.
So far as We of Mississippi are col
eerned. it matters but little whetht
Tilden, Bayard, Mcdonald, or FlOwe
! or any other good Democrat be nom
mated, if the nominees can be electe'
and we believe that any delegatlo
: which may be chosen, will readll
: Weld its preferences in the interest
f success. Nor do we think that MI
e sissippi delegation would imperil IL
+ chances of success by insisting that Il
e nominees should be men with views ide
teal with those of majority OF t
Democrats of this State on the tar
question. We cannot always ha
d things exactly as We want them, and
might turn out if we insisted on havii
e our own way and refused to yield
d point here and point there, we wou
u find ourselves to be q party witho
party associates elsewhere.
e The Mississippi idea of model tar
l. may or may not be correct. 1t matte
e not whether it be correct or not If
u cannot be enforced; and if it cannot
enforced we must be prepared to yls
= something to the opinions and wishes
v our party associates from other stat
IS We concede that the foregoing ST
J. gestions are opposed By many pre-
10 dents; but if they are sound We app
n bend that they will have due weit
to with thinking men, though the pre-
" dents were all the other way. We
n confident that a Convention organi4
d and conducted in harmony with
he views we have stated, would dispose
N. all matters which it was called to c
.ts slider, in a manner that would be m
re- satisfactory to the greatest number,
cd that is all we ask.