The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-10-21


control of the people in subsequent Leg
islatures is dangerous in the extreme"
and that it is "the duty Of the next Leg
islature TO submit 70 the people propo-
sition to amend the Constitution of the
State which will prohibit the granting
of any charter of incorporation which
will be unalterable orirrepealable in any
of its provisions" has not been gener-
ally published as part of the platform,
60 nOmine; but it is as much part OF 1t
as are any of the resolutions reported |
and adopted by the original Committee
on Resolutions, as we shall endeavor to
show.
Soon after the Convention had been
organized, Committee on Resolutions
was raised to " HON was referred all res
olutions relating to the platform. After
this committee had reported another
Committee onResolutions was appointed
and to this latter committee the resolu
ton concerning irrepealable charters
was referred, WIS reported back to the
Convention without recommendation,
and was adopted by very decided ma
iority.
The second Committee on Resolutions
was as much a Committee on Platform
as was the first. 1t was created in the
same way and dubbed by the same name
Each was called a Committee on Resolu-
tons. When the first was appointed its
powers were limited to the considera-
ton of resolutions on the subject of
platform; when the second IVES ap-
pointed, no such limitation was placed
on it, and it could consider resolutions
relating to platform as well as resolu
tons relating TO other subjects.
But it was in the power of the Con-
ventioE at any time before or after either
one of the Committees ON Resolutions
had reported to adopt any declaration
Of principles it deemed wise and proper,
and any declaration so adopted would
have been as binding as any one of those
embraced in the generally published
Platform" There is nothing in the
word platform" as applied to the de
clared policies of political party
which adds any force to them; nor is it
necessary that any particular formula
shall be observed in arranging the prin
ciples to which che party declares adhe-
sion for adoption or publication. A po-
litical platform is the position which a
political party avowedly assumes on pub
lie questions, and the most solemn and
formal manner in which a position on
any question may be taken is by the
adoption of resolution. The prelimi
nary steps to the adoption of any prin
ciple, such as its reference to commit
tee and the reception of the committees
report, are mere matters of convenience,
and neither add to nor detract from the
binding force of what is done, though
we believe there is popular notion
that what Convention does of its own
motion, without the intervention of
committee, is more apt to express the
sentiment of the body than what
are sometimes called, "cut and dried"
resolutions. From all which it seems to
follow that a resolution declarato<y of
policy or principle, adopted by
political Convention at any stage of its
proceedings, whether after reference to
a committee or without reference to a
c committee, must be deemed to be an
authoritative and obligatory expression
of the views and purposes of the Con
vention; and this is all that can be said
of any plank in the so-called "Plat.
FORM"
We respectfully call the attention Of
our esteemed contemporary, to the list
of precedents cited in The CLARION of
the 18th, as an additional argument in
favor of the Constitutional Amendment
referred to, if indeed the action of the
Democratic party ON any question needs
to be fortified by precedents to entitle
it to the cordial support of Democrats.
The list of States which have incorpo-
rated in their Constitution provisions
prohibiting the Legislature from grant
ing irrepealable charters embraces Ala
bama, Arkansas, California, Delaware,
Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Michi-
gan, Nebraska, Nevada, North Carolina.
Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin
and perhaps some others. Some of these
are Democratic States and some Repub-
lican and nearly all of them are progress
sive States. What is there, then, on
which to found the assertion that such
provision will block progress and en-
terprise? Has the fair name of any of
these States been Stained because of
such provision? We think not.
1t is not intended that the Legislature
of Mississippi shall be deprived of the
| power to contract, but that it shall be
deprived of the power to make perpet-
ual contract with never dying, soulless
party. Charters of incorporation ought
not to be contracts. They are mere grants
of franchises and privileges and should be
revocable at pleasure. The experience
of the past shows that great mischief
may be seen when it is too late to RENE
dy it, and those States seem to have
acted most wisely who have reserved to
the people the power to deal with these
artificial and inanimate persons as the
exigencies of the occasion may require.
1t is inconsistent in the extreme. for
person who believes that the railroads
of this State should be subject to super
vision to hesitate about the duty of the
Legislature to seize the present oppor-
tunity 70 guard the people against the
misehiefs which are cloaked under the
doctrine of irrepealable charters or
charter contracts; and, since an over
whelming majority Of the last Conven-
ton declared in favor of the effective
supervision of railroads, we believe it to
be the duty of the Legislature to adopt
and submit an amendment in the spirit |
OF the party declaration, and should it |
be submitted we feel confident it WILDE