The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-07-14
Conservative Endorses the Action
of the Executive Committee.
RAyuoNp. Mis-. inv -. lss6.


the general tenor of the statement it would
appear as if gotten up to prejudice public
sentiment among Democrats to one OF the
candidates for Congress in this Congress
slonal District. Their conception OF the
duties that deyolved upon them mem
oers OF the Executive Committee is entire
ly erroneous, as / shall endeayor to show.
In the first place, the Executive Com
mittee of the Democratic party of Kinds
county have no authority whatever to alter
or change the custom and universal usage
OF the party without such authority being
specially delegated to them by the conyen-
ION OF the party whose creatures they are.
The Executive Committee of this county
IS totally unauthorized to order primary
election, not having that power conferred
on them, without submitting such question
TO a convention of the party called to de-
termine whether its candidates should be
nominated or selected by delegate Con-
ventlon or by aprimary election. con-
vention called by the Executive Commit
tee, composed of Democrats represent ng
their constituents and selected for that
purpose. would have a perfect right and
entire authority TO submit the choice OF
candidates to a primary election, but no
Executive Committee could have any such
authority, unless it was specially dele
gated to them by the convention appoint
ing them. The convention from which
the present Executive Committee derives
It's authority as such, conferred no such
power, and it would be usurpation OF
authority on the part of the Committee 70
tier the party usage that has prevailed In
this county always, without the consent OF
| a convention representing the party.
Again, 1t is matter of very great doubt
w aflar mo hsr of he { n
mittee has right to give proxy, at all,
| to represent him in meetings of the COM
mittee. A member of the Executive Com
mittee holds a delegated authority himself,
conferred on him alone, by convention OF
his party, and has no right to give proxy,
any more than member of the State Legisla-
lure delegate to constitutional conyen-
ion would have right TO appoint a proxy.
No person holding delegated authority
mas the right to delegate that authority to
a third person. | admit that the conven-
ton appointing the Executive Committee
can authorize them to fill vacancies that
occur in their own body, and can authorize
proxies to be appointed by such members
as cannot attend the meetings, but was this
authority given by the last County Conven-
| ton? 1t was not, as | am informed
Were such custom to prevail or be permit
ted without the consent of the Convention
deIegating to the Executive Committee
| certain powers land the Committee are
only vested with such powers as
are conferred upon them by the Con
vention,) the whole party organization
| could be destroyed or disrupted by jusl
such action as was proposed to be had by
the gentlemen dissenting from the actor
| of the Executive Committee in the state.
ment to which i refer.
1t is very great mistake to suppose thai
| the Executive Committee represent the
people they represent the party, and it i,
the party organization and ascendency, il
whose interest they are called upon TO act
and not the people. While as a matter O
| course the Democratic party must be com
posed of people, still the people at large are
not the Democratic party. The purpose
Of an Executive Committee being appoint
ed by each succeeding convention of the
| party, Is solely for the purpose OF main
tanning party organization, and does no
confer upon them the right to order elec
| lions, primary or otherwise, or submit to
| vote Of the people at a primary election
and to determine in that way who shall b,
| the candidates of the party, without the
sanction and concurrence of that party, ex
pressed it alone can be through con
vention of the members of that party.
| 1t must strike every calm thinking Dem
ocrat with surprise that members of tn,
Executive Committee should have under
taken such procedure as seems TO hav,
been determined upon by the minority o
the Executive Committee, and ii is mat
ter OF congratulation to the party organi
cation of this county that their plans ant
purposes We're utterly defeated. 1t coulC
have resulted in no good TO the party tina
that committee was supposed to represent
and they certainly had no authority to rep
resent any other people than the Demo
cratic voters of this county. 1t is imma
terial what Mr.. Brown said, or what Mr.
Head would have done.
1t is a matter of most serious doub
whether Mr.. Byron Lemly had any an
thority to cast a vote in the ExecuIiv
Committee meeting, by reason of lack o
authority on the part of Mr.. Middleton t.
give such proxy; residing in another dis
trict and totally misrepresenting the Dem
ocratic voters of the district from which
he held a proxy. AS is better espresso,
by a correspondent of the Raymon,
Gazette Zone proxy voted by nth distric
man for the first district, and did not rep
resent the vote of the Democratic maiorit,
of the first district" The true sentimen
and choice of the first district was by thi
means improperly represented or expressed
AID yet complaint is pretendingly mad
that Terry was ''oeprived of lis represen
tation." 1t is perfectly evident from al
the facts and surroundings, gathered from
every statement that has been published
in reference to Mr.. St. Icons proxy, tina
| the majority of the Executive Committe,
did the right and proper thing to exclude
such proxy.
/ do not believe that "the friends o
Col. Hooker on the committee, desiring t.
submit his claims and that of Maj. Banks
dale to a vote OF the people of Hind.
county at primary election" should
complain for not being permitted to aban
don the party usage and party organiza
ton to meet the Interior purposes which
they had in view What authority had
they for such action? Was the object Of
| the minority of that committee in suggest
ing the 18th day of July" as the time fol
holding such convention or election, "thal
the voice of Kinds" would operate in favor
| of Col. Hooker, if il perchance went against
Maj. Barksdale? Ii so they are to be con-
graduated that The primary scheme" was
defeated and the time of the election fixed
for a date when the Democratic majority
of Kinds county, having had an opportu-
nifty 10 hear both sides, could make their
deliberate selection and choice between the
two aspirants for Congress in this district
| 1t would have been manifestly s'unfair'
to have ordered an election as early as
the date proposed by one OF the gentlemen
| signing this statement, and to have cut off
from Mai. Barksdale entirely an opportu-
nifty to be heard in his own behalf, in the
county in which both candidates reside.
1t the gentlemen composing the minority
OF the Executive Committee really believe
in "cementing the Democratic party of
Kinds and look mainly TO that accomplish
ment," they ought themselves to see plain
ly to it that no action of theirs 'smacks
of unfairness," and that they are acting in
the interest of the party, and not in the
interest of candidates. The will of the PEG
pie is not involved in this question of nom
mating candidate of the Democratic
party, but the will OF tue party that the
Executive Committee represent, and trick
cry and unfairness among Democrats ought
not to be tolerated or permitted, no matter
in whose interest such action may be
taken. The Executive Committee was
called for the purpose of naming a date
for holding the county convention, and
not for ordering primary election, which
as / have stated. they had no authority to
do. The fact that "the friends of Col
Hooker" on that committee desired pri-
may election, aud failing in that, an early
date for the convention, shows conclu
sively that the object was not to give to
Maj Barksdale the same chance to be
heard as Col. Hooker. Col. Hooker
having nothing to lose and all to gain, it |
might seem 10 his friends to be to his |
interest to change the precedents of the |
party heretofore in regard to nominations,
and by disturbing long accepted party |
usage change the result which they sup