The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1885-04-28

duty of a democrat to choose be-
tween the public veal and his party
interests as when the Tweed ring
was broken up. 1t is the glory of
our party that its members have
shown no partisan attachments could
bind them when these came into
conflict with public duty. Tilden
is the idol of the party to-day be-
cause he punished corruption in his
immediate party friends. The dem
ocratic press applauds Cleveland be-
cause he recognizes that the public
interests should never be secondary
to those Of a party No republican
president has ever hesitated to con-
solidate party power by the abuse Of
official patronage Many prominent
republicans have even held that
public office might without guilt be
used to reward personal fidelity. Tt
is by following this principle, and
to fortity themselves behind the pro-
lection of the cfice-holders, that the
constitution of 1868 was created.
1t IS against the evils entailed by
the practical outcome of these prin-
ciples that the democrats Of Florida
have constantly protested. It is be-
cause they are unwilling to use such
power themselves even as they pro-
tested against its use by their OPP
ponents, that they now call a con
stitutional convention. And he who
attempts to engraft upon our organ
ic law any provision for the undue
benefit Of party, a section, a race
or a class would be recreant to the
true principles of democracy and
therefore all the less a democrat as
he was more or less a bitter partisan.
The democracy is simply pledged
so far as it may be able, to give our
| people constitution better fitted to
their peculiar needs-to restore to
the people all power not necessary
in the practical enforcement of law
and order-to work together on
democratic principles for the best
| good of all.
The people at large would care
little for the difference of a consti-
tuition in the interests OF the repub-
lican party and one in the interests
of the democratic party They
want non-partisan law before
which all men can stand free and
equal If the democrats wanted
partisan advantage they could not
hope for a better instrument than
the one made by the republicans in
1865 for the very purpose of serving
the party interests Of the ruling or
ganization. If they wished to in
jure the political interests Of the ne
| gro they need no convention, for he
is already practically excluded from
Office under the workings of con
stitution made by republicans. And
when republicans charge that such
are the objects of the present move
ment they stuItify themselves; when
they charge that we wish to sub
vert the common school system
they talk foolishness, because If
such were our object we need only
wait till the present system goes to
ruin for lack of revenue from the
sale Of public land as provided by
them.
And the negro shows his blind
obedience to the orders of his new
masters when he wishes to preserve
a constitution under which he is
practically excluded from Office IN,
der the direction of the party boss
who wrote his law as he writes the
partisan ballot. The white republi.
can gave him constitution in 1865
under which he holds no office now
, yet he votes for the same men in
1885 because they tell him the dem
oerats wish to do what the republi
cans have already done