Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-02-11

and four Of this nine were cart BY the
chairman, Mr.. Homes. Thus thc pre-
siding officer Of the COMMITTEES, who
hss no vote except in case Of tie,
went into this meeting with four votes
in hiA pocket. Affer the six msmbcrs
LEFT their scsts the ilitecn remaining
proceeded 10 recommend and endorse
candidates for the post-ofIccs IN the
county, and did recommend candidates
for the following Offices Boydton,
C'srksviIle phase City, 2aimer's
Springs, Buffalo Springs, Skipwith's,
Drspersyillc, Union Level, Stony
Cross, Lombardy Grove, Tarry's
Mil, North View, Marcngo, Cabbage
Farm, and for the mail agency
on the Richmond and Mecklenburg rail-
road. The committee said nothing Of
and made no nominations for the fol-
lowing Offices Smiths CROSSROADS,
Joyceyille, louisville, st. Tammany,
0rgainsyille, Abbyyille, Fields, Sweep
son, Hanford, Spring Hill, Scott's
CROSSROADS, Lambert's, and Shaw's
Store, and probably others which do
not now occur to your correspondent.
In the humble judgment Of your cor
respondent the committee in this meet
ing acted extraordinarily and in total
defiance Of the true spirit Of democracy,
which recognizes the people as the source
Of all power. Your correspondent had
always been taught that under demo-
cratic form Of government all power
was in the people and remained with
the people unless and until they by cx-
press language or by necessary implica-
ton conferred it upon some person or
body of persons to exercise in
trust for them. And whatever
may be the view of the opposite party
it has ever been held by the Democracy
that when the people grant away power
by express words those words shall be
strictly construed and in order to ex-
ercise power by implication the neccssi-
" for such implication must be such
that the power expressly granted could
not be exercised without such implied
power. In other words, it must follow
the express power as the shadow fol-
lows the substance, and be its necessary
and natural concomitant
The county executive committees
throughout the State were elected under
plan of organization for the conduct
and prosecution of vigorous campaign.
II is nowhere said in that plan Of Or
eanization that it should be the power
and duty of the county executive COM
mittee to dispense the fayors Of the |
Government or to recommend applicants |
for the various Federal offices in their
respective counties in the event of
Democratic victory. The people did
not think when they selected these COM
mitteemen to bring out full vote
that they were creating ring of
political bosses, or were parting with
their right in case of Cleveland's cleo
ton to petition for the appointment
of their own local officers, or that they
were giving the committee the right to
supersede them or to interfere with
them in the exercise Of this right Of free
citizenship in any manner whatsoever.
Nor did any county executive commit
teeman in the State, venture to say,
imagine at the time he was placed on
that committee that he was clothed with
such power. Then most surely did
the people not confer this authority upon
the county executive committees in ex-
press terms. Was it done by necessary
Whether the commit
tee possessed this power of recon-
mendation or not could in no
wise affect their efficiency in
the discharge Of their campaign
duties as committeeman in bringing out
a full vote, for the reason that the cleo
ton was necessarily over before the
contingency for the exercise of such a
power could possibly arise. Then this
power did not pass by implication. But,
again, there is no connection whatever
between the duties Of bringing out
full vote at the polls and the right to
make choice between and recommend
for Office, as the Republicans
will learn by the lesson of November
4th last, and the Democrats had already
learned by the experiences Of the six
previous elections. 1t is one thing to
conduct campaign and another and
quite different thing to control the
Offices Of the Government. Therefore
the power to prosecute campaign does
not and cannot carry with it the right
to dispense the offices of the Govern
ment, but such power must be ex-
pressly granted.
1t may be said by the friends of this
action that the committee is not dicta-
ting but simply recommending. Ger
tainly. That is all the people can do.
Nobody has right to dictate an ap-
pointment, and when a committee
arrogate unto themselves the right to
recommend they thereby deprive the
people Of this right. The right to re-
commend is in the people, and when the
committee usurp that right they boss
and muzzle the sovereign people.
again III SidiihinS TIC fiSut W dCt iOI |
he people in making these recommends
ions they also claim to be rejecting
he will Of the people, which would
yiye to their recommendation, if the ADJ
saw fit to notice it at all,
he effect of dictation.
To the mind of the writer this is a
natter which will gravely and seriously
affect the welfare Of our party in this
State in the approaching gubernatorial
contest, and consequently is a question
IF State Importance, and should receive
he disapproval Of the party at once
through its leading organs.
Your correspondent is confident that
he action of the committee is generally {
md severely condemned IN this COM
nunity.
The irresistible sense Of right and JUS
ice, in the view that the patrons Of a
,ost-officc and nobody else should have
! voice in recommending their own
postmaster, is firmly rooted in the minds
n Ill e.. III