The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-01-28
Rings and Cliques.

The esteemed Raymond Gazette, the
central organ of the Democracy of
Kinds county, is strongly in favor OF
Governor LowRY's re election, as will
be seen in an article from that paper
which We print elsewhere in this issue
Of The CLARION.
Among many good reasons given for
the position taken by the Gazette, we
find the statement that Governor LOWRY
is unconnected with rings or cliques.
We do not attach much importance to
this qualification for Office, as the same
thing might be said with equal truth of
any public man in Mississippi. If there
be ring rule or clique rule in this State
we do not know it. We are not ignorant
of the fact, though, that it is not I'M
usual for persons who have been disap-
pointed to charge their failure to realize
their hopes to rings and cliques, and
we mildly suspect that when our re-
spected contemporary declares that
Governor LOWRY is unconnected with
rings and cliques. it is in Difference to
groundless expressions of disappointed
candidates, rather than a declaration of
its belief that the evil of ring or clique
rule exists.
The Democratic party is a clique, but
its doors are always open for the recep,
| ton of new members. 1t is not a close
corporation, and.any voter in the State
who is willing to submit his individual
views and preferences to the will of the
majority can become at once a member
possessing all the privileges of member
ship. No person who is a member Of
the Democratic party can reasonably
complain of ring rules, because it is tn,
/ privilege of all the members to take par
IN the deliberations of the party, and t.
/ give direction to its movements. Ad
, mitted, that the public welfare require
that the State shall remain under tn
control of the Democratic party and i
follows that the minority must b
governed by the majority. This is no
: only sound party doctrine, but it is tn
: doctrine on which the Republic j
founded. As a majority of the voter
control at the polls, so should majorit
Of the members of the party control il
party councils.
In November next, the voters of Mis-
sissippi will be called on to elect Stat
and county officers and members of tn
4 Legislature. The Democratic party vii
E nominate State ticket and in most o
the counties, county ticket. 1t vii
be the privilege of all Democrats to tax
r part in these nominations, and person
who have not hitherto been Democrat
may, if they desire to affiliate with tn
Democratic party in the future, have a
, equal voice with lifetime Democrat.
If it be true, which we deny, that tn
Democratic party is controlled by a rim
or clique, as is sometimes stated, fin
opportunity will be presented to Gust tn
obnoxious ringsters and to put in thei
places better men. We have AWAY
encouraged the voters to take an interes
in primary meetings; to weigh well th
men and measures offering for thei
support, and to vote for the men an
measures approved by their best iude
ment. We believe that an active inter
= est in the primary meetings produce
= good results to the State, and that it
the duty of voters to attend them
1t is in the worst possible taste to sta
: away from them and then find faul
, with what has been done by those VIII
n attend. Our experience is that the stay
!. at-homes are, as rule, the fault finder
q and we therefore advocate active parti,
n ipation in the party primaries. In TIL
the year which will witness the inaug,
ration of Democratic President of til
- United States for the first time sine
1861, we hope that the voters of Missi
sippi will feel keener interest in a
n matters connected with the public we
: fare, and that they will strive to plac
J, their State in the forefront of that pr'
;, gress which is to mark the present ell
/; in the history of the South.